The Council Room

Bob Kennington · Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 6:27 pm Post subject: Boats

There's no thread here devoted to boating? Well, there is one now!

Actually, I had a fleeting thought today of a sunken boat in about 15' of water, ½-way between Midget Beach and Melanson's Beach. It looks a lot like a wooden Amesbury skiff like Wyanoke had. Shocked

It was loaded with rocks—but intact—last time I saw it about 25 years ago. I think there's a story out there—straining to be heard.

Betcha Dave knows....
_________________
Gordon B. (Father) Wyanoke ~1929-1937
Midget C-1 (1952, 53) (Belden, Edwards)
Junior J-7 (1954, 55) (Scheirer)
1967-1971 Military-Naval Security Group
Sister: Winnemont 1955-56

Blue: there's another color?

Bob Kennington · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 11:36 am Post subject:

I was out sailing in Winter Harbor a few days ago, and happened to be catching up to a small, nice-looking sailboat with a lateen sail like mine.

As I hailed the skipper and crew, I noticed a large O'DAY (all caps) on the transom. He said it was an O'Day Sprite (eyebrows up), and he added, "It's very stable". I asked about the lateen sail, which had a cursive "S" on it, reminiscent of the Sprite symbol.

"Oh, that", he replied, "That's a sail from a Snark". (A Wal-Mart class styrofoam sailboat).

That lateen-substitute sail is not a bad way to get a Sprite out sailing again, I gotta say.

I also happened to sail by the lakefront house "two-over" from the Carry Beach. What a pile of rocks and timber has been put in the lake very recently! Holy Cow. Shocked

It's a real view-blocker. Shocked

Well, we now know that the wooden sailboats were Windabout class, and not Knockabouts. Somebody (maybe Scott Kent or my Dad) volunteered the "Towne" name last we talked. Maybe it was the manufacturer (mentioned as New Bedford, Fall River, Warwick, or later, Maine)? Or the rowboats, maybe?

Anyway, here's a pop quiz:

Adventurer,
Wanderer,
Voyager,

and ???

(A fifth sailboat ended up at Winnemont with a new deck—unknown name).
_________________
Gordon B. (Father) Wyanoke ~1929-1937
Midget C-1 (1952, 53) (Belden, Edwards)
Junior J-7 (1954, 55) (Scheirer)
1967-1971 Military-Naval Security Group
Sister: Winnemont 1955-56

Blue: there's another color?

David Bentley · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:36 pm Post subject: Boats

I don't know anything about a sunken Amesbury skiff. We used an Amesbury skiff for many years as a dock boat, chasing errant sailboats, canoes, and rowboats, but I have no idea what it's disposition was.

I can't think of the other Towne Class Windabout name. Talk about maintenance boats - they were one repair headache after another. Probably, in the right hands, one of those could have been restored into a fine sailing craft. I was sort of straddling the change over from the Windabouts to the O'Days, and I had a tough time learning to sail the O'Days - too light, no momentum, very unforgiving, not to mention small.

Grant - you are correct. Madame Chang did indeed have a place on the outside of Wolfeboro Neck, accessed via the road directly across from the dirt road into the Red Roof area. Through the passage of time this, too, became a housing area, with several very big and generous homes on the water and a lot on the interior. During her ownership she spent time their, even visiting my grandmother at her little cottage next to Red Roof. I do not believe Mr. Madame ever spent time there at this home. Many people, mostly celebrities and movie types ( I heard that somehow she was related, through marriage, to Debra Pagent), used the property when she was not there, but there were always "caretakers" (pronounced a-r-m-e-d g-u-a-r-d-s) on the property. Many Wyanoke canoe trips around the Neck veered into the cove in front of her home but kept a respectful distance and kept on paddling. Her majestic, symetric, brick home was torn down and in its approximate place a real McMansion was built by Nolan Archibald, CEO, Black & Decker tools.
_________________
C-1 49 J-7 52 S-3 55 J-10 58
C-7 50 J-7 53 S-2 56 J-8 59
C-8 51 J-4 54 S-7 57 (JA) J-8 60 - 64
1965 - 1968 Military service
Pine Cone 68 - 75 (with wife,Sherry,
and daughter Tracey)
Wolfeboro - full-time since 1997

Bob Kennington · Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 9:15 pm Post subject:

The last boat in the pop quiz:

Adventurer,
Wanderer,
Voyager,

and ???

Happy Dayer. Cool

I recall that one of those sailboats was a real toad for racing purposes. Nobody wanted to "draw" that one.

Was is Wanderer?
_________________
Gordon B. (Father) Wyanoke ~1929-1937
Midget C-1 (1952, 53) (Belden, Edwards)
Junior J-7 (1954, 55) (Scheirer)
1967-1971 Military-Naval Security Group
Sister: Winnemont 1955-56

Blue: there's another color?

Bob Kennington · Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 5:24 pm Post subject: Winnipesaukee Unsafe for Canoes!

Mike Freeland · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:07 pm Post subject:

That's really interesting about Winnipesaukee not being safe for canoeing. When I think about those afternoon storms on Winter Harbor blowing even the largest of canoeists and their craft all the way down to the Carry, I am retrospectively thankful that the wind came off the Broads and not from the Carry (except when we should be"alert to the possibility of a weather change", of course.)

We would often take our tent groups out around the Neck and into the Broads for an overnight on Parker Island or into Wolfeboro for candy at Black's, protected only by the flotation cushions we had under our knees. Either we were good, or lucky. Probably both.

I remember getting way off shore in the Broads, where evern a gentle wind created large swells (relative to the canoes). Keeping in control was a lot easier if you were in one of the wooden Old Towns. That extra weight was a lifesaver in higher winds. The aluminum canoes would go wherever they wanted.
_________________
'56-C-9 C. Mosher '57-C-9 Bill Feaster
'58-J-14 H. Peavy '59-J-11 G. Wood, C. Duncan
'60-S-8 R. Leavitt, D. Hemphill '61-S-1 E. Slocum
'62-JA-1 H. Dunbar '63-C-2 (JC)
'64-C-5, (JC) Councilor
'65-C-9 '66 - '72-J-8
'73-JA1 '75-J-6

DavidAyars · Founder W. H. Bentley Joined: 01 Mar 2006 Posts: 263

"The Broads"!! Very Happy

He said, "The Broads"!!
/flashback snicker
_________________
Camper: J-8 1965 (Kevin Ryan), J-8 1966 (Mike Freeland), S-6 1967 (Russ Hatch), S-3 1968 (Jeremy Cripps), and JA-2 1969 (Dan Mannis).
JC: J-2 1970 (Bill Bettison) and J-3 1971 (Gene Comella). Councilor 1972, J-5 1973, and JA-1 1974 & 1975

Bob Kennington · Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 5:02 am Post subject:

Mike Freeland · Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:05 pm Post subject:

Hi Bob,

You have my curiosity up. Why would paddling into a wake from 90° be unsafe? What would be the alternative?

We used to dip a cup into the lake and drink it with no ill effects (we always blamed the ill effects on the food. Hmmm.) while paddling out there. I guess you can't do that any more, huh? I wouldn't want to get duck itch of the throat.
_________________
'56-C-9 C. Mosher '57-C-9 Bill Feaster
'58-J-14 H. Peavy '59-J-11 G. Wood, C. Duncan
'60-S-8 R. Leavitt, D. Hemphill '61-S-1 E. Slocum
'62-JA-1 H. Dunbar '63-C-2 (JC)
'64-C-5, (JC) Councilor
'65-C-9 '66 - '72-J-8
'73-JA1 '75-J-6

David Bentley · Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:21 pm Post subject: Boats

Say, Bob, being the scientist you are, wouldn't "directly into" and "90 degrees" NOT be the same thing ? I think we in the Canoeing genre of camp life suggested paddling head into the wind, or wake, with weight toward the bow. Any deviation from straight into the wind presented major steering problems, not to mention the attendant splash consequences of having waves being wind blown over the leading edge of the canoe. Going down hill the weight was slightly astern, and hold on for a good ride.

Now, Mike, you old geologist and mountain topper, what the heck would you know about paddling a canoe (!?) But you do raise a good question.

My best to the both of you to settle this in a gentlemanly manner.
_________________
C-1 49 J-7 52 S-3 55 J-10 58
C-7 50 J-7 53 S-2 56 J-8 59
C-8 51 J-4 54 S-7 57 (JA) J-8 60 - 64
1965 - 1968 Military service
Pine Cone 68 - 75 (with wife,Sherry,
and daughter Tracey)
Wolfeboro - full-time since 1997

Chris Gill · Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:42 pm Post subject: 90 degrees to the wake

Depending on the distance between the peaks of the waves (wavelength) it can be dangerous to paddle directly into them particularly if the waves height (amplitude) is large. If the wavelength is short and the amplitude is slight you can sort of skip across the waves or cut through them. If the amplitude is large and the wavelength is long you can paddle up one side and down the other. This can be scary but fun. If the amplitude is large than it is possible to paddle up one side of the wave, when the top is reached the bow person will go up in the air and then head down into the trough where he will meet the oncoming wave for a “ brief but spirited encounter”. This can lead to anything from taking on water to completely swamping.

Modern canoes designed for traveling in large lakes are designed with a high and flared bow in order to push water out of the way. Depending on the wavelength and amplitude it is often much more efficient and safer to approach large waves at an angle. This is called quartering.

One of the most dangerous situations in canoeing across large open bodies of water is getting caught away from shore or shelter when waves suddenly pick up. Open water crossings are usually attempted early in the morning before the afternoon winds make things much more problematic. Thanks to Tom Falcon for teaching me canoeing at Camp Wyanoke.
_________________
1965-1975
C7,C8,J8,S4,S3

Bob Kennington · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:44 am Post subject: "Scout"

Chris Gill · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 2:58 pm Post subject: Canoes

I got to thinking about the old Wyanoke canoe fleet. I dont' know how many boats they had but it always seemed like a lot to me. I did a little google search for the value of Old Town canoes and this is what I found.

Basket case canoe: $Free- $200.
Restorable, not too bad: $200 - $500
Needs help but Floats: $500-$700
Useable as is more or less: $700 - $1,000
Needs nothing, daily driver, good shape or better: $1,000 - $2,000
Original/Well known maker/ and very nice/no flaws: $2,000 - $3,500
Special/rare: $3,500 and up.

Several other sources confirmed that Old Town Canoes in decent shape are worth about $1000! I was shocked at this so I looked on thier website and discovered that they cost $7500 new!

The spec sheet says they weigh 75 lbs. If I remember correctly it was a difficult for two average size juniors to lift one, probably because there was 1/4 inch of paint on the canvas. One could probably have aged a Wyanoke canoe in a way similar to counting growth rings on a tree, One layer of paint per year.

My son went on a school trip last week and they did a slalom course through plastic jugs tied to rocks. Some thinks never change.
_________________
1965-1975
C7,C8,J8,S4,S3

Bob Kennington · Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:48 am Post subject: Re: Boats

Bob Kennington · Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 7:11 pm Post subject:

Postcard found at an Ossipee antique store:

These O'Day "Sprite" sailboats were "after my time", but would have been a better boat for us than the old wood sailboats.
_________________
Gordon B. (Father) Wyanoke ~1929-1937
Midget C-1 (1952, 53) (Belden, Edwards)
Junior J-7 (1954, 55) (Scheirer)
1967-1971 Military-Naval Security Group
Sister: Winnemont 1955-56

Blue: there's another color?