MAINE BOATBUILDERS SHOW

[Bob23]

Ayuh:  
  Is theya anyone out theya planning ta go to this show? Iv'e heard through the vine that some of ya might be attendin'. If so, maybe we could rendezvous and throw back a few Shipyads togetha and weave a few yans. It's in Maach from tha 15th through tha 17th. Here's tha link:
http://www.portlandcompany.com/boatShow/
Bob23...Ayuh

[MacGyver]

I wish I could go....   

I did get to go to the woodworkers show this year, but it was much much closer 

and my wife went with me    AND I got to buy things! 

Have fun at this one, and please, take pictures for those who cant go 

Mac

[brackish]

As much as I'd like to it will not be possible.   Will be doing my Texas loop to visit my Mother and half dozen other relatives.

A few years ago, I was up in New England visiting my son who was living in Boston at the time and we did a side trip to Newport,RI.  I lived there for a while as a child and it was great to go back.  We went to the:  http://iyrs.org/DefaultPermissions/AboutIYRS/tabid/64/Default.aspx  as a side trip.  Visitors are normally restricted to the mezzanine, however I was talking with the gatekeeper and during the conversation I mentioned that I was V. P of ops. for Delta/Biesmeyer and I was immediately invited to the floor.  90% of their woodworking machinery was Delta.  I had a great time wandering around the floor, looking at the boats, and talking to the students and volunteers. 

Mac, which woodworking show?  IWF? First year I've missed in the last twenty. 

[jthatcher]

so that is the key,,  explain to your wife that you are planning a romantic get away to maine for the two of you.  the fact that it is in march (  still winter or, at best, the beginning of mud season in maine)   and the fact that there just happens to be a boat show in the  area,  are things that you mention only after you are on the plane!    portland is a great town..  i bet she would love it!   jt

i will be there saturday, bob..  planning on  getting there around 10..  and then heading up to brunswick to stay with a friend  around 5 or 6 in the evening..   we can definitely get together..  i wish that i had thought to mention it on saturday evening..  

[Allure2sail]

Hi All:
I might be interested in this as well. About two and half hours north of me, but I have friends up there (Bidderford). I use to work up there in Westbrooke (just outside of Portland) and lived up in Yarmouth at the time. How many people are going and what day? I just east of Providence, RI.
Bruce
S/V Allure

[MacGyver]

Brackish
It is one that goes around the USA called The Woodworking Shows. We go to the STL one in Collinsville Illinois.
www.thewoodworkingshows.com

Sadly it has been getting smaller each year.......
Still fun though

Mac

[Bob23]

   I would probably be attending on Saturday also. An old friend here in the Chosen State (NJ) has a summer home in Boothbay. In the past, we've driven up, hung out at the show, and stayed over at his place. It's about a 6 hour trip for me...I'm waiting to here back from him.
   It's a great show which is held in a wonderful old building in Portland. From one nahthana to anotha, hope ta see you theya!
Bob23

[Bob23]

   It appears that I may be driving up very early on Saturday mahning to attend the show. Seeing that it's a 6 hour drive, that means me leaving NJ about 4 am...no big deal as I'm an early riser. I've been speaking with the Adirondack Guideboat guys and if all goes well, I'll be minimally placing an order for a 15' Kevlar guideboat at the show. Best case: I'll be picking it up and returning to NJ with her on my racks. Hey- one only turns 60 once so time to take that Carpe Diem stuff seriously. Hope to catch some of you theya!
   JT: I'll call or pm you if I indeed go. Hope to catch up with you there.
Bob23

[philb Junkie19]

Bob,
The Boatbuilders show has been off my radar as my weekends have been unpredictable lately.  I will be heading to Portland Sat AM. I'm in Maine and will just be there for Sat. and will take in what I can. I haven't been very vocal (if you can call it that) on this site but tune in regularly.  It's probably too late even catch up with you to introduce myself briefly but I try to send my cell # in an email.
Phil

[jthatcher]

Phil,   did you happen to make it to the show?   sorry we did not connect.   if you would like,  we will make it a point to stop to share a cup of tea  and stories the next time that we head north!    jt

[jthatcher]

So why do we go to boatshows?    for a few lucky souls ( Bob)  the intent is actually to buy a boat!  and what a beautiful boat  Bob got..  I can't wait to hear about his first experience on the water with his  versatile, historic,  elegant  Adirondack guide boat!

for the rest of us, the vast majority of boat show attendee's,  however,  we go for inspiration...   the 8 hour drive to Maine for us was all about inspiration.  I must admit, of course, that I am always anxious to jump at the chance to travel to New England and to Maine in particular.   I lived in New Hampshire for many years, and it was special to stop in Portsmouth for a snack and a cup of tea at  Uncommon Grounds, early on Saturday morning, but when we drove over the bridge and into Maine  I literally experienced a shiver course through  my spine.   My wife asked what that was all about, and I replied,  " I just got the sense that I belong here!" 

So what about this inspiration?  Well the boats themselves are completely inspirational...  the craftsmanship,   the commitment of time and energy and skill on the part of the builders , and love and care that the owners display is palpable..  the beauty of the varnished wood, the sweet sheer lines,  and the smell of fresh fiberglass..   wait a minute..  fiberglass?   well, yes..  not all of the boats presented at the Maine Boatbuilder's show are made of wood, but it is just as amazing to see and wonder at the modern day craftsmanship as well as at the beauty of the timeless woodworking skills that continue to be passed down in a handful of schools. 

More  importantly, however,  inspiration flows from the people you meet..   our own Bob, for instance.   We spoke with Bob soon after we arrived at the show and then a second time a little later..   How neat is it to value a friendship born out of this particular forum.   We all know Bob as a bit of a character with a great sense of humor..  this is rather evident to anyone who spends an hour or so each week on the forum.    But there is much more to Bob than his sense of humor or his beloved Koinonia..   sure he is passionate about boating and about spending time on the water,  but over a short couple of years with just sporadic actual face to face discussions,  I have come to know Bob as a guy who is just as passionate about his work  and even more so about his family..   an all around good guy who is  a pleasure to be around.. 

Then there is Bill Thomas..  at the show Bill was representing  Off Center Harbor,  a group of boatbuilders and designers who have created a wonderful website that is filled with great blogs and instructional videos..   it is a membership site, but the cost is minimal and well worth it , in my humble opinion.    I first came across Bill's own website when i was researching  Redwing,  a design for a camp cruiser  by Karl Stambaugh.  Bill built the boat for a  series of Wooden Boat articles  a few years ago.  We exchanged  a number of emails over the course of the last year, and I was anxious to meet Bill during one of my trips to Maine.   Bill  designs and builds a number of different boats and shares his love of boating through boat building classes  across New England.   He builds furniture and he is an avid cyclist and photographer.   It was wonderful to see his fox canoe at the show - to discuss his finishing techniques  -  and then to move beyond the boat related topics  to hear how he rejects the modern day approach to collecting biking attire, preferring instead to ride in shorts,  a short sleeve buttoned shirt from goodwill and even sneakers, foregoing the "must have" toe clips at times..   In the short 20 minutes that we spent with Bill, I was totally inspired..  quickly delving below the superficial  and talking about the dynamics of interpersonal relationships with our kids..  the kind of topics that you might expect to explore with a friend, only after knowing them for some time..   

We did not stray very far from the Off Center Harbor Booth before running into Kurt Spiridakis, the boatshop manager at the Maine Maritime Museum.  Kurt was anxious to share his background  and to discuss the program that he runs  for middle school aged students at the shop.   He quickly made it clear that the program was about so much more than the boat that happened to be being built, that it involved helping the students to learn to work together and to experience the joy of completing a project with their hands.   

Kurt enthusiastically described his experience as an apprentice at the Carpenter's Boatshop in Pemiquid Maine,  a program that he entered after spending time in the business world.   When we mentioned that we planned on hiking  Morse Mountain the following day,  he invited us to stop by the shop to see the surfboard that he was building.   I wonder if he was surprised when we turned up at the door on Sunday.   He welcomed us into the shop and described the various projects on the floor, including the surfboard.   It was abundantly clear that he was excited to try out his first prototype, but that he had visions of building more boards in the future as time and finances would permit..   

Leaving the shop, I could not deny just a bit of envy..  here was a young guy who had a great place to work,  a job through which he could teach meaningful , hands-on skills to kids,  and a life experience that  included the typical pattern of high school, followed by attendance at a  competitive college, followed by a job in the corporate world...   but then  having the imagination and  courage to act on a dream and to take a radical turn in a new direction...   ending up the manager at a boat shop in Maine..    wow!

After lunch we met a woman who may potentially be the most inspiring of all,   Judith Silva, author of The Voyage of Yankee Lady.   Judy was sitting at a table on the second floor with her grand daughter.  She quickly engaged us in conversation  and explained that we needed to buy her book.   I congratulated her on excellent saleswomanship.   Of course, she had me hooked.    I quickly noted that her book was about a voyage that circumnavigated New England.   As I am  currently preparing for a voyage from New Jersey to Lake Champlain on our Compac 23, Adagio, I was instantly both  impressed and interested.   In actuality, I would be following in  the wake of Yankee Lady on the initial leg of her voyage. 

My wife has been supportive of my passion for boating, but she does not share it to the same extent.  Boating was not part of her experience growing up in Wapwallopen , PA.   even with a river just a few steps from her home,  I understand that very little, if any,  summertime adventures included venturing out onto the water..   And so, these past few months,  the agreement has pretty much been that I would single hand the boat and that she would meet me from time to time along the way to explore sites along the Hudson River and, perhaps,  for a short time on Lake Champlain.   But that was before we met Judith and bought the book! 

We spent most of the 8 hour trip home to PA sharing the driving while the other read out loud from Judith's book.    What we have read so far  has helped my wife to visualize herself aboard Adagio, sailing through New York Harbor,  gaining a perspective similar to that described in the book, one only possible from a small boat  in the river.    In fact, that is the key.   While I have no problem visualizing myself aboard the boat, sailing up the river, it is sometimes difficult for me to help my wife see the same thing.   Hearing about it in Judith's words has made all the difference.   Having been there, her words are able to convey the images that my wife needs to envision.   All that I can do is predict what we will encounter, and that is not quite as convincing!    When we got home last night,  she asked me if we could continue reading the book out loud to one another...  are you kidding?   Of course we can, and we will.   And it just might turn out that there will be the two of us aboard  when Adagio leaves the dock  in late June.

All in all,  we had a wonderful trip.    We enjoyed the time that we had together,  we connected with friends and we made some new ones.   We experienced a hike through the spruce and hemlock to the top of a hill overlooking the coast and marshland below to the white sands of the beach with the sparkling ocean speckled with islands.   And we were inspired  by the boats we saw,  by the people we met and by the potential of sharing an adventure aboard Adagio this summer!

[philb Junkie19]

JThatcher,  Wow, you sure know how to make the most of a good thing and come away richer from all those experiences and connections you describe.  You're clearly enjoying the way your wife is getting into new possibilities.  I think you take home from what you bring in.  I'm sorry that I missed the post that you also were attending.  I left the show at 2:00 and so missed Bob and probably you as well. Probably walked past you all more than once. I did get an opportunity to talk with Bob on the phone. So much knowledge in one place. I really enjoyed the variety of designs and solutions of so many creative builders.  A big reason for going was to look for mast design and building information and found some people who were generous with their knowledge.  Folks that I really enjoyed meeting were from the Compass Project. They also are involving kids boat building. The have a variety of boat building projects underway with kids at risk who need to be competent at something real.  Their best, in my mind is a 30ft, 6 person rowing gig that is underway. Of course if you have one you will need two.  Yes, I'd like that cup of tea if you get up this way. My wife and I are a ways north of Portland but have family in Brunswick and close friends in the Searsport area.  Phil

[Bob23]

Ayuh.
  I had a wonderful time at the show and I must say the highlight was meeting up with JT and his ever youthful wife Janet. Not that JT is an old codger, mind you. Or even old at all. Although we've only had the opportunity to meet in person a few times, I feel I've known them for years. Of course, we first connected here at the Compac forum. It's funny how one can participate on a site like this, establish a friendship and build on that and discover common interests and grounds. When we meet up, it's as if we are taking up where we left off the last time.
  Ahhh...Maine. I've always been attracted to it. An old friend of mine who I've know for 45 years, married a Maine girl whose family goes back a number of generations. He has come to build a summer house in Boothbay on a small lake on some property that was in her family for years and was passed down by her grandfather to her. The last 2 times Andrew (A) and I attended the show, we stayed at his house overnight. This time, A couldn't make it so I decided to drive the 6 hours plus myself. Of course, I wouldn't have made the trip for only one reason. Attending the show, meeting up with JT and Janet, and lastly picking up the first new boat I've ever purchased were some pretty good reasons to drive 930 miles round trip.
  As JT mentioned, I did indeed purchase an Adirondack Guideboat, Kevlar in Burgandy. I've looked at these boats for about 10 years but have never been able to afford one or even justify spending the many clams required. A few months ago, as I'm approaching 60 this weekend, I began to realize that time is possibly shorter than we realize and it was high time, ayuh, to buy this boat. After asking a zillion questions of the owner of the Guideboat company, a young guy named Justin, and let me say he is most patient and knowledgeable, I decided to go for it and we planned for me to pick it up at the show. Obviously, that was one major reason for me to attend and pick it up I did. After the close of the show on Saturday, I met up with the builder, Steve, who originally started the company and we loaded the ship onto my truck. She seemed to enjoy starting out on her new life even if the first few days were on the road.    
  I've only been able to buy a few new things in my life. I don't live on credit and if I don't have the clams for a purchase, it ain't a purchase! The only other toy I've bought was a new road bike, a 1992 Bridgestone RB-2 which I rode all over the place to the tune of 14000 miles until in 1995 some bozo in a car decided to hit me. I hate when that happens. Then in 2000, another bozo decided to do the same thing, only a bit more seriously. Realizing that I might not want to experience strike 3, I decided to take up rowing a bit more seriously so I haven't been on bike for any serious miles although this summer I'll ride with my son, who has been bitten by the bug.
  Whoa! I've strayed off course! Ayuh! Now I'm the owner of a guideboat. Anyone who knows me knows I like to row. I can't describe exactly why. A physical work addict, maybe it's the workout. Maybe it's the experience of moving under ones own power. Some say looking backward fits my personality. I think I just like being on the water and having a rowing craft that I can camp-cruise in is something I'm looking forward to.
  Unlike JT, my wife does not share my sailing enthusiasm. Oh, she'll go out for a short sail on my beloved Koinonia once or twice a summer but that's about it. So, JT- if Janet can and will join you on your up coming adventure, you have something priceless there. It was really refreshing to see her so interested in the boat show and seeing her "being bitten by the boat-bug".  I look forward to hearing more!
  The show itself was wonderful. Housed in the beautiful old build of the Portland Yacht Services, it must have some stories to tell. As I walked around that old place, I couldn't help think of the boats that were built and the men who built them. The smell of the wooden floors, the huge timbers, the many wonder boats, sail, row and power, are enough to mesmerize this guy. I walked through a number of times and at the rear was drawn to a wonderful old gal undergoing a very thorough reconstruction. As I looked and dreamed a very attractive and not very old blond girl approached and asked if I had any questions. I had plenty. Turns out it was her dad's boat and it was halfway through a 2 year reconstruction project. She's sailed it with him and for reasons unknown and unasked, she'd (the boat) fallen into disrepair. The goal of course is to return her to her former glory and enter the 2nd stage of life. I really appreciated the girls vision and enthusiasm and enjoyed our conversation. Didn't get her name but I did snap a photo of her in front of the boat which will be posted later when I get the time.  
  Many of the boats I'd seen there before and I was a bit disappointed not to see the Marshall Catboat people there. But we all have our reasons, eh? I love the look of varnished teak, the smell of cedar, and even a fine fiberglass hull. The Maine show is all about craftmanship and we are not limited to wood. There are some fine glass boats there as JT has mentioned. It's quite refreshing to just be around some classic boats in a classic setting.
  Upon leaving, my plan was to spend the night in A's house in Boothbay. Not realized it was over an hour north and conforming to my usual habit of getting lost, I finally found myself in Boothbay Harbor, not Boothbay. A had given my his mother in laws phone number so after wandering around for a bit, I did that most un-manly thing- I asked for directions. She patiently guided me, via cell phone right to her house, on the same street as A's house. I stopped in to say thanks and stayed chatting for about 45 minutes. There's something about long time Maine folks. It's as if they are part of the land, they exhibit a quiet and unmoving but welcome sternness that reminds me of the rocks and hills in which they live. Hard to explain, eh?
  At 9, I was tired so I crashed at A's house, got up early the next morning and was on the road by 7. I knew I had a long drive ahead but I didn't realize it was gonna be 8 hours plus stopping time. Besides the obviously gas and food stops, one can't drive by the New Hampshire state liquor store for a bargain or 2. I'd been looking foe Newfy's Screetch rum for some time but, being from Canada, it's only sold in 3 New England states. Fortunately, I returned home with 2 bottles. I may have the only 2 bottles of Screetch in the entire state of New Jersey!
  I arrived at home port exactly 36 hours after I'd left where upon the Admiral suggested we go out for dinner. Not having eaten all that much during the trip, I agreed and off we went.
 Wow! If you've read this far you must be tired and I'm tired having written so much. Hope to see you on the water soon and fair winds to you, on this last day of winter!
Bob23...ayuh  
(ps: I hate when I forget stuff. Phil had emailed me and we hoped to meet up at the show but I got there late, he left a bit early and by the time I called, our courses had parted. Maybe next year. It was nice speaking to you on the phone, Phil and don't be a stranger here! )

[jthatcher]

hi phil,
  i sent you a message...   i missed the compass project folks..   so much to see!    are you in the process of building a boat?    do you sail a compac?   we stayed with friends from  Chewonki who live in Brunswick on saturday night.   It has been a couple of years since we last passed through  Searsport,  but i continue to get emails from the  maritime museum there, and  I  look forward to the day when i have the opportunity to visit their facility again.   jt