POSTED: Monday, Jul. 14, 2008
Boat builders have the shipwright stuff
Family skiff-making event part of Whatcom Museum boat exhibit
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closeBELLINGHAM — From canoes and kayaks to minesweepers and racing yachts, Whatcom County boat builders have practiced their craft for nearly a century.
A group of unusual shipwrights continued the tradition on a smaller scale Sunday, assembling 12-foot skiffs during a family boat-building event celebrating Whatcom Museum’s new exhibition “World of the Shipwright: From Wood to Fiberglass.”
Four groups worked over three days to assemble their salt-bay skiffs with help from professional boat builders and support from the Bellingham Bay Community Boating Center, Homeport Learning Center, the Whatcom Museum and the Whatcom Maritime Association.
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MORE BOAT EVENTS The museum will sponsor several tours as part of its exhibit “World of the Shipwright: From Wood to Fiberglass.”
Fairhaven Shipyard: Dry dock repair of ferries and other large vessels. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 16.
All American Marine: High-speed passenger ferries, excursion vessels and work boats. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Aug. 1.
Aluminum Chambered Boats: Work boats up to 35 feet long. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Aug. 8.
Nordic Tugs: Tug-style cruising yacht, 9 to 10:30 a.m. Aug. 29.
Boat repair demonstration: Noon to 4 p.m. July 26. Cost: free. Keith Olsen of B & J Fiberglass will demonstrate how owners can repair minor holes and cracks in their boats. The demonstration will be at Bellingham International Maritime Museum, 800 Cornwall Ave.
Boat open houses at Bay Fest: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 9-10. Cost: free. The 112-foot minesweeper Cape, built at Bellingham Shipyard in 1958, and the 90-foot Carlisle II, built on Lummi Island in 1917, will be moored at the Bellwether Hotel dock and be open to the public.
“WORLD OF THE SHIPWRIGHT: FROM WOOD TO FIBERGLASS”
Where: Whatcom Museum’s ARCO Exhibits Building, 206 Prospect St.
When: Opens Sunday for a 13-month run. Museum hours are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Admission: Free.
“It seems like a lot for kids to be able to do, but they’ve been really engaged,” said Melisa Donnelly, who worked on a skiff with a team from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Whatcom County. “They’ve been able to hammer and glue and sand; it’s been a really neat experience.”
Mike Baker, a Homeport Maritime Education teacher and boat builder, helped groups from families to Western Washington University professors craft their boats.
“People don’t usually build their own recreation,” Baker said. “Boats are really special because we put our lives into them. We have to really make sure its done well and done safely.”
Groups paid $500 to cover materials for the event and partially cover a scholarship for the Big Brothers group to attend.
Bellingham residents Lynn and Ray Trzynka signed up for the event having never owned a boat before.
“This was just a pile of parts when we started,” Lynn said proudly as she fit the aft seat into place, “It fits!” she added, raising her arms in the air. “It’s been so helpful having professional boat builders working with us. I never would have been able to do this by myself.”
Event Coordinator Franchesca Perez said she hopes to put the event on annually, inviting one local group to attend on scholarship each year.
“Creating something from nothing is the value of boatbuilding,” Perez said.
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