This episode is an interview with myself on building the 12ʹ Sassafras Canoe. I started the canoe in January

2012 and completed it in May 2013. Go to Launch to see a video of launch day

I spent a total of 140 hours building the boat from plans in The Canoe Shop book (available on Amazon). It took approximately 60 hours to assemble the boat, and 80 hours to glass the bottom and inside and finish the outside of the boat. This included applying 3 coats of epoxy to all surfaces; fairing, filling, priming, and painting 3 coats on the bottom, and applying 7 coats of varnish to the gunwales and interior of the boat! And all this included hours and hours of sanding!!!

The cost of building the boat was just under $700 and she came out beautiful.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

This episode is an interview with Chuck Leinweber of Harper, Texas. Chuck and his wife Sandra are the

founders of the highly successful Duckworks Boatbuilding Supply and Duckworks Magazine.

Chuck is a self admitted wooden boat addict, having built an average of one boat per year for the last 30 years. It all started when as a youth, he picked up his dad’s Sea Scout Manuals, and couldn’t put them down. Then he helped his dad build a 22ʹ plywood cabin cruiser which they used on the Gulf of Mexico.

Fast forward a few years and Chuck built his first boat(s) – 2 Clark Craft prams for the family to mess about on. Eventually he and Sandra turned their hobby into a boating supply and blogging business, which is thriving

today!

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

This week’s podcast is three short interviews I recorded during the 2013 Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival.

The first interview is with Korey and Christina from Florida. Korey heard my HOWB podcast last year, and as a result he and Christina flew up for the September 2012 Port Townsend Festival and to check out the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock. This August they packed up all their gear and moved to Port Townsend for Korey to attend the School starting in October. This is really exciting for me to see the fruit of my podcast.

The second interview is with John and Roxie Caples from Olympia, WA. John is a HOWB fan and they own a gorgeous 1971 Grand Banks 42ʹ power boat that is planked with Philippine Mahogany and has a teak interior. John and Roxie are very meticulous with Xanadu, and it shows.

The third interview is with HOWB fans John and Val Teters of Olympia, WA. They own an Ed Monk Sr. designed power boat Grand Finale. She was built in 1970 for the Seventh Day Adventist Church as a mission boat to Prince Rupert Island, AK. She is gorgeous and well taken care of. The main salon area originally housed Church pews and an organ for onboard services.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

This week I interviewed Larry Cheek of Whidbey Island. Larry is originally from El Paso Texas and had never even seen a boat growing up miles from water. But after moving to the Seattle area as a seasoned journalist, Larry was given an assignment in 2002 by Sunset Magazine to attend and write articles on two wooden boat festivals – Seattle and Port Townsend, WA. Larry attended both shows and got “hooked on wooden boats” by the craftsmanship, charm, and fascinating people. Thus began Larry’s wooden boat journey.

Larry quickly got his hands dirty by building a 14’ Artic Tern from a Pygmy Boat kit. Next he built a cedar strip kayak while in a boatbuilding class at the NW School of Wooden Boatbuilding. Boat number three was a 13’ Sam Devlin designed day sailor, which Larry aptly donned “Far From Perfect”. It was the experience of building this boat that drove Larry to write the insightful and transparent book – “The Year of the Boat” – chronicling the character building process of boat building. In the book he describes how he had to deal with his own personal inadequacies, impossible struggle with perfection, and test of patience to build this boat.

Boat number 4 – a Sam Devlin designed 18’ pocket sailor “Nil Desperandum” – was completed and launched this year. Larry is officially “hooked” on wooden boats!

You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

This week I interviewed Bill Mahler, (former) director of the NW School of Wooden Boatbuilding. Bill tells me the story of how the school got started: After building wooden boats in the Puget Sound area for more than fifty years, master shipwright Bob Prothero had learned a lot about the business that wasn’t in any textbook. It was his dream to find a way to pass this lore along to new generations of wooden boatbuilders and help keep his craft alive. He came to the Olympic Peninsula from Seattle and founded the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in January, 1981.

You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

This week I interviewed Marty Loken who owns the Island Boatshop in Nordland, WA (the boatshop is now closed and Marty is "retired"). Marty grew up around boats in Ballard, WA and from a young age, followed in the mentality of his dad – if you want a boat you simply build it. Marty was busy building his first wooden boat – a small pram – when he was 10 years old. Over the years he has refined his skills as a master builder. But he is also super passionate about rescuing old wooden boats – saving them from the landfills and chainsaws and restoring them to new condition. Over the years, I've personally witnessed Marty restoring and building dozens (if not hundreds) of boats! Each one is a work of art :D

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

The second weekend of September this year I attended the PT Wooden Boat Festival for the 12th time. It was a blast as usual and the weather was sunny and HOT! And PT rarely gets HOT. On this podcast I share the highlights of the day I spent there with my son Josh.

If you've never been to the Festival, its high time you go!!

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

This week I interviewed Rich Kolin who lives on Camano Island, WA. Rich began building boats as a young lad in California under the tutelage of influential builders and designers John Gardner and Pete Culler. Eventually he moved to the northwest where he continued to hone his boat building and designing skills, began teaching classes and wrote several books. Oh, and did I mention he learned the art of carving along the way!

One of his most popular designs is the Heidi Skiff of which he wrote a book - Building Heidi (available on Amazon).

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

This week I interviewed Eric Harman of Harman Canoes located in Oso, WA. Eric builds wood canvas canoes following proven North American methods developed in the late 1800’s. Eric tells the story of how he fell in love with canoeing in the 1970’s, built a cedar strip canoe, and then found his first wood canvas canoe and never looked back.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today's interview is with traditional Nordic boat building expert Jay Smith. He is the founder of Aspoya Boats in Anacortes, WA . In his youth, Jay lived in Norway several years and apprenticed with a veteran Nordic boatbuilder there learning the trade from the bottom up.  Since then, Jay has been building and teaching others the traditional art of clinker (or lapstrake) boatbuilding. This building method dates back to about 1,000 AD and is generally attributed to the Vikings.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

David has been building and design beautiful and functional wooden craft for over 30 years in Everett WA at his company Nexus Marine. Tune in for this fun interview with David.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

December 4, 2022

On this episode I explain the history of the HOWB podcast from 2011-2018, why I took the show off the air, and why after a 4 year haitus I am republishing all the podcasts.

My plan is to put 10 episodes up right away (December 2022), and then republish 1 episode per week on Friday mornings (note: I may add more than one per week - but one is the minimum :D).

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Interview with Corey Freedman – Skin Boats

I had a fascinating interview with Corey. He tell’s how he became interested in boats during his youth in Massachusetts, how he saw his first “skin boat” in a museum, and how his life and career were never the same after that. Corey’s website is Skin Boats, and his phone number is (360) 299-0804.

On another note: I was able to locate the owner of the “Spirit Canoe” (listen to HOWB #002) that I sold in 2008. The owner paddles it on the Hudson River in NY and loves it. I am really happy to track it down since I put a lot of blood sweat and tears into that boat!

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

This week’s podcast is an interview with Russell and Ashlyn Brown of Port Townsend, WA. Russell and Ashlyn started Port Townsend Watercraft in 2009 “....with a vision and little knowledge about running a business. What they knew was that they had a good idea, and that idea had the potential to give back to the community that continues to treat them so well.“

Both Russell and Ashlyn have spent many moons boating, sailing, living on boats and learning the tricks of the trade including boatbuilding, navigation and, well, pretty much anything related to boats!

PT Watercraft sells kits for dinghies (including a nesting version) and the popular gas sipping 18.5ʹ PT Skiff. Plans are in the works for other boats down the line and the company also builds watertight wooden hatches for the popular SCAMP micro-cruiser.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

This week I sat down with Dick Wagner and recorded a fascinating interview of how the Center for Wooden Boats (CWB) idea was birthed in the 1960’s and how Dick and his wife nurtured and brought the concept to reality during the ensuing years. Dick talks about his passion for boats: “a boat is a functional form of art”! He describes how the Center for Wooden Boats has touched the lives of the disabled, underprivileged, and youth of the area, and how the CWB has become a model for wooden boat centers around the world. Don’t miss this insightful history and story of the CWB!

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

In this episode I interview Captain Les Bolton – the executive director of the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport (GHHS). In 1989, GHHS completed the construction of the replica 112ʹ brig rigged wooden sailing vessel “Lady Washington”. In 1758, the original Lady Washington was the first American ship to sail to the west coast of America and began trade with the natives and islanders. Les talks about the history, construction, and maintenance of Lady Washington, how she was used in the 2003 movie – Pirates of the Caribbean – and other fun stuff GHHS is working on.

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You can email me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated.

In this episode I talk more about my new podcasting adventure; the equipment I am using; why I think wooden boats are the cats meow; and share a true and moving story of the “Spirit Canoe”. 

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

On this my very first episode, I explain why I wanted to start the worlds first podcast on all things wooden boat!

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

This week’s podcast is an interview with Barb Trailer, co-director of the 37th Annual Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. Barb and I talk about the history of the 37th Festival, the highlights and some new happenings this year. Mark your calendars for September 6-8, 2013 and don’t miss it! You can listen to several interviews from last year’s festival at HOWB 053.

Barb spent her youth in Minnesota and Colorado and snow skied with her family. At the age of 23 she moved to Saint John Island in the Virgin Islands and started her sailing and boating adventures. Soon she was the cook on the W.N. Ragland, next she crewed on a Sparkman & Stephens 80ʹ Ketch (where she met her hubby), and then Barb spent several years on the 160ʹ power boat Viva before settling in Port Townsend.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

I am super excited today as it is the 100th Episode of HOWB! I can’t believe I have been doing this for almost 2 years Time has flown by and I am having more fun than ever. The other big news this week: I am publishing my first eBook on August 15th, 2013 – Get in the Wooden Boat Game: A Guide for Building Your First Boat.

Today’s special 100th episode includes an interview with Henry LePage and an interview with Cliff Ravenscraft.

Henry LePage is 8 years old and lives in Chappaqua, New York. Henry has had his own hand tools and enjoyed woodworking and boating for as long as he can remember.

Last year Henry got a hankering to have his own boat – one he could handle by himself. For his 7th birthday, his parents gave him a boatbuilding book – Ultra Simple Boat Building by Gavin Atkin. He plied through the book and settled on building the 11ʹ 6ʺ Poorboy Skiff. With the help of his father and grandfather, Henry completed the skiff – Miss Arcadia II – and launched her in the St Lawrence River on September 1, 2012. Congrats Henry!!! Henry dreams of joining the US Coast Guard some day. His boat was pictured in the Launching section of Issue 230 of WoodenBoat Magazine and in the Getting Started in Boats section of Issue 232 of WoodenBoat Magazine.

The second interview is with Cliff Ravenscraft – The Podcast Answer Man. I began listening to Cliff’s weekly Podcast in 2009. Cliff inspired me to start my own podcast, and after 2 years of pondering my next move, I took Cliffs online Podcasting AtoZ course in September 2011. (If you take this amazing course, use the discount code “Boats” and you will get a significant discount).

As a result of Cliff’s encouragement, support, and technical prowess, I launched the Weekly HookedOnWoodenBoats Podcast September 22, 2011. In the podcast interview today, Cliff and I have a fun time reminiscing about how I got the podcast off the ground and recount how Cliff at first thought I was going to

podcast about “Wooden Boots”

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s podcast is an interview with Chief Instructor and Master Shipwright Jeff Hammond of the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building in Port Hadlock, WA.

This is the first of my Interview of The Expert series of podcasts focused on 6 methods of boatbuilding: Carvel, Lapstrake, Cold Molded, Stitch and Glue, Strip Planked, and Skin-on-Frame. I discuss each of these methods of construction in my eBook Get in the Wooden Boat Game: A Guide for Building Your First Boat which will be published August 15, 2013.

In this interview, Jeff discusses the ins and outs of using the traditional Carvel method of building. Carvel is a boat building method whereby an internal structure of frames run perpendicular to the hull, and a series of butted planks extending from transom to bow are fastened lengthwise to the frames. Carvel building was established in the 14th century.

During the podcast, Jeff discusses the following points on Carvel:

Description and history

Skill level required to utilize the Carvel method Cost of Carvel versus other building methods Time to build with Carvel versus other methods Pros and cons

Tips and tricks

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s podcast is an interview with Marty Loken, founder of the Port Townsend Pocket Yachters and (almost) retired from his Boatshop on Marrowstone Island. The Pocket Yachters like to keep it simple – no officers, dues, bylaws, regulations nor fees to attend the annual Palooza.

Last year I attended the first ever Palooza and had a blast. This year I attended the second annual Pocket Yacht Palooza and must say it was amazing – this is a must attend event so mark your calendars for July 19 and 20th 2014! There were 75 pocket yachts (including my canoe Chelan ) from the Puget Sound area, Colorado, northern CA, OR, ID, and British Columbia. And Sam Devlin was there showing off his first ever Lit’l Coot 18ʹ Motorsailer.

There appears to be a growing interest in small boats since they are easier and cheaper to maintain and build, quicker to launch, and just plain get used because the boats aren’t complicated! And this is right up my alley as I love small boats and building them is a blast too!

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s podcast is an interview with Scott Sprague of Bainbridge Island. I met Scott at the 2013 Bainbridge Island Wooden Boat Festival while he was relaxing on the beautiful 42ʹ double ended sloop – Tumblehome – he designed and built. We had a great time talking shop and I learned what a rotating wing spar is :).

Scott grew up on Bainbridge Island and from a very tender age he was sailing his parents gaff rigged sloop and wooded schooner around Puget Sound and into Canada. During high school he started designing boats and after graduating, he purchased a fishing boat hull and converted it to a 29ʹ wishbone ketch which he lived aboard for 7 years.

Scott was introduced to his dad’s good friend, renowned Northwest boat designer William Garden, as a youth and had the privilege of being mentored by Garden on vessel design. Between 1981 and 1989 Scott designed and built a very unique sloop – Tumblehome.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s podcast is an interview with Betsy Davis, Executive Director of The Center for Wooden Boats (CWB) in Seattle, WA. I chatted with Davis while she was sitting on her classic 1914 yacht Glory Be during the 37th annual Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival. We had a great time talking about CWB, the Glory Be, and other fun stuff.

Betsy spent her formidable years on Mercer Island and enjoyed getting out on canoes and row boats on Lake Washington. After working in the hi-tech industry, becoming a board member at CWB, and purchasing Glory Be in 1997, Betsy took some time to reflect on the next step in her life journey. That process landed her in the 2 year Marine Carpentry Program at Seattle Central Community College.

In January of 2002 while attending the Marine Carpentry Program, fire struck the Seattle Yacht Club where Glory Be was moored and she burned and sank. Three weeks later, her wreckage was pulled out of the water and she miraculously floated just like a boat should. One of Betsy’s Marine Carpentry instructions witnessed that phenomenon, and offered to Davis that if she would pay for the materials, the Marine Carpentry school would restore Glory Be.

Over the next 2 years, she was lovingly and painstakingly restored to her former glory, and looks as beautiful today as she did when she was launched in 1914 from the Taylor-Grandy yard on Vashon Island, WA. And in 2003, Betsy became the Executive Director of CWB.

Today’s podcast is an interview with George Fisher whom I met at the 2013 Bainbridge Island Wooden Boat Festival while he was relaxing on his sleek 1937 Swedish sailing vessel Hansina. We had a great time talking shop and recorded a really fun interview.

When George was 11, his dad came home and announced to the family he had purchased a “30 Square Meter” boat. This was a complete surprise as George’s family had done very little boating and none of the family even knew what a 30 Square Meter boat was. George sailed with his family on the boat on Long Island Sound, and at the age of 14, he took her out by himself without his parents knowledge (or permission). He fell in love with the boat and got out on her as much as possible.

For 20 plus years after college, George didn’t do any boating to speak of, but continued to research and collect information about 30 Square Meter boats all over the world. While flying on a business trip in 2005, he spotted a 30 Square Meter boat for sale at Lake Huron. When he came home and told his wife about the Lake Huron boat, she shocked George and said “you should buy it”. George flew to Lake Huron, bought the boat, hauled her home, renamed her “Hansina“, and the rest is history.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s podcast is an interview with Pat Lown who has been at WoodenBoat Publications Inc. since 1993 and is currently the Director of Research.

Pat grew up in Kingston, New York near the Hudson River. Her family did not go boating, but as a youth she was introduced to boating when she attended a YMCA day camp where she had a great time paddling and rowing the canoes and rowboats there.

Growing up in Kingston, Pat was aware of the Hudson River sloop Clearwater (America’s Environmental Flagship) and the one to two week volunteer stints they offered. Pat volunteered after graduating high school in 1975 and fell in love with the boat and the water. She continued to volunteer frequently that summer and traveled to Stonington, ME in January 1976 to help with the restoration of the Clearwater at Billings Diesel and Marine on Deer Isle. Lown had planned to stay 2 weeks, but was so taken by Maine that she settled there where she lives to this day.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

This episode is an interview with Pete Bergstrom of Monticello, IL. Pete emailed me a few months ago saying he enjoyed the podcast, and also that he was doing a mentoring program at his Church by building a wooden boat together with the youth. And he said he would be glad to do a podcast interview if I were interested in that topic.

Well, I jumped all over that opportunity and Pete and I had a great time discussing his personal history as well as the 3 year boat build at his Church where 8 plus kids learning amazing skills such a discipline, teamwork, patience, and woodworking.

As a youth Pete learned to sail a Town Class sailboat and raced with a friend of his in the Boston area. Pete joined the army and became a helicopter pilot at Fort Lewis, WA, got married, left the Army, and entered the working world of the remote controlled model industry of which he had been a hobbyist since he was 12 years old.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s podcast is an interview with Todd Blankenship and his father Arlie Blankenship. Arlie grew up in Port Townsend, WA fishing with a bamboo pole and hand reel in a 12ʹ wooden boat his dad made. When Todd was a teenager in Hawaii, he and Arlie built an Eight Ball sailing dinghy together and took sailing lessons. From that time on, they were hooked on sailing and owned several boats including a Hobie Cat.

At the September 2011 Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, WA Todd & Arlie laid eyes on the SCAMP #1 boat for the first time. Arlie thought “it was ugly”, but Todd liked the fact that it was a seaworthy and stable boat. They purchased the plans that day and two weeks later ordered the Okoume plywood SCAMP kit from Small Craft Advisor Magazine. They completed “Humu” in August 2012 just in time for the Wooden Boat Festival. And Todd made the sail himself after taking a sailmaking class from Sean Rankins.

Todd and Arlie sail Humu (Humu is the State Fish of Hawaii) around Puget Sound every chance they get, and love every minute of the SCAMP experience!

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s podcast is an interview with Matt Murphy. Matt is the editor of Wooden Boat Magazine in Brooklin ME where he has worked since 1992.

Matt grew up in Salem, MA “playing in boats during the summers while dreaming about them in the winters”. He cut his mariner teeth sailing one design sloops such as the Rhodes 19, Etchells 22, and Town Class sloop around the Marblehead area of Massachusetts. At the age of 14 he picked up his first Wooden Boat Magazine and became totally hooked on wooden boats.

Murphy built his first wooden boat – a 22ʹ King Fisher rowing shell – while in college, then he built a strip planked kayak, a dinghy, and a peapod, and the list continues to grow! In early 1992 Matt responded to an ad in Wooden Boat Magazine for an associate editor , was hired, and has loved his “job” ever since, including traveling around the world to research, write about, and photograph wooden boats.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s podcast contains two interviews from the NW School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock, WA. The first interview is with Steve Stanton. Steve is a retired law enforcement officer from Colorado and is a student this year at the School. Hear Steve share his insights about the School and some of the fun things he is learning.

The second interview is with Bruce Blatchley, Contemporary Instructor at the School. Bruce and I talk about the progress of the 62ʹ day sailor “Sliver”, cold molded boat building, the School’s Calkins Bartender boat build, Bruce’s wooden surf board build, and other fun stuff. You can find out more about Bruce’s personal history in the previous interview I did with Bruce – HOWB022.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s podcast contains two interviews from the 2013 Olympia,WA Wooden Boat Fair. The first interview is with Tom Pearson. Tom is a volunteer for the Tugboat Sandman. She was built and designed by Crawford & Reid in Tacoma, WA and launched in 1910. Sandman is 59ʹ 10ʺ x 14ʹ 6ʺ and is planked with old growth Douglas Fir. She was a working tug until 1987 and has spent her entire life in Puget Sound.

The second interview is with Michael Fife who is co-owner of the classic Yacht Naida. Naida is a 48ʹ Grebe built in Hollywood in 1935 and believed to have first been owned by Humphrey Bogart. She is a bridge-deck design with elegant tuck-n-roll upholstery, bronze engine controls, and a colorful leaded glass hatch.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s interview is with Jay Smith of Anacortes, WA. Jay studied Clinker boat building in Norway when he was in his 20’s then moved back to the US and has continued building traditional lapstrake boats for the last 30 plus years (for more on Jay’s personal history listen to my previous interview with Jay at HOWB 007).

One of the projects Jay is working on is a 56ʹ viking ship which is being being fastened with traditional hand made wooden trunnels. Jay is machining the trunnels from Pacific Yew – a dense, rot resistant, and flexible wood, which was prized for long bow construction in medieval England.

In the fall of 2012, Jay traveled to Europe and and met with traditional boatbuilder John Macaulay of the Isle of Harris in Scotland. John has been building all his life, and specializes in lapstrake construction that was influenced by the Vikings beginning in the 8th century.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s interview is with Masaki Tobashi of Kyoto, Japan. Masaki is a student at the NW School of Wooden Boatbuilding (NWSWBB) in Port Hadlock, WA.

Masaki enjoyed woodworking when he was very young and was especially attracted to wooden boats. When he was in the 8th grade his mom found the website for the NWSWBB and Tobahashi watched a 16 minute video of master instructor Jeff Hammond magically shaping lapstrake boat parts. Masaki was hooked and set a goal to attend The NWSWBB after high school.

Masaki made good on his goal. After high school he worked for one year in Japan to save for one year of school. In the fall of 2012, he moved to Port Hadlock to start school and is loving every minute of it!

Masaki has a “huge dream” (for later in life) to set up a Wooden Boat Center in Japan which would include a traditional boats museum, boat shop, and a boatbuilding school. Go for it Masaki!!

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s interview is with Doug Hylan, owner of D.N. Hylan & Associates in Brooklin, Maine. Doug grew up north of Boston with the allure of a small lake in his neighborhood. He was fascinated by boats and at an early age finished building a skiff that his dad and brother had only partially completed. Being on a small budget Doug got creative and made sails out of fabric he found at the local dump. With that small skiff he learned to sail on the local lake (even though he couldn’t swim and there were no life jackets).

As an adolescent, Hylan spotted catamaran plans in a Popular Mechanics magazine and built her in the family’s cellar. This boat was a disappointing design for Doug, but he used her anyway and enhanced his boatbuilding skills. After attending college to study bio chemistry while dabbling in hippie homesteading, he moved to Maine and took a job with Jimmy Steele. Jim was a residential contractor who built peapod boats on the side. Doug was intrigued by the peapod design, and Jim allowed him to make the sailing rigs as the orders came in.

Next Doug took a job with Joel White (founder of Brooklin Boat Yard) for a couple winters, then became a partner at Benjamin River Marine, where he worked on restoration and construction of wooden vessels. In 1998 he started D.N. Hylan & Associates where he specializes in the construction, restoration, and design of wooden boats.

Doug has studied the designs of, and has refurbished boats by the late Herreshoffs (N.G. and his son L. Francis). Doug incorporates Herreshoff principles into the designs of his own boats.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s interview is with Andy Stewart, one of the owners of Emerald Marine Carpentry in Anacortes, WA. Growing up, Andy’s dad was in the foreign service so the family lived overseas and moved frequently.

As a youth, Andy enjoyed woodworking and a limited amount of boating with family and friends. He also remembers visiting his Great Great Uncle’s boat shop in Ilwaco WA. In his teen years, Andy landed at Bellevue (WA) high school and then attended the University of WA and Evergreen State College in Olympia WA.

During Andy’s 18 years in Olympia, WA, he and his wife owned a T-Bird sailboat, a 36ʹ Yawl (Windsong), and spent a lot of time sailing between south Puget Sound and Canada. He also worked for the Rights of Man Boat Shop in Shelton, WA building large wooden craft under Carl Brownstein.

In the late 1990’s Andy and his family moved to Anacortes, WA to get to some “bigger water”. And in 1999 Andy started Emerald Marine Carpentry to focus on his passion for wooden boats.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

I thought it would be fun to interview a few students at the NW School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock, WA to get their perspective of Getting In The Wooden Boat Game. This week’s student interview is with Randy Roberts of Colorado. Randy is a retired Air Force officer where he worked as a navigator and as an intelligence officer for nearly 30 years.

After retiring, Randy decided to use the education benefits provided him under the Post 9/11 GI Bill. He also wanted to work with his hands, and loves sailing – all of which led him to the boat school at Port Hadlock.

Randy and his wife sold their home in Colorado to move to Puget Sound to attend the boat school starting in October 2012.

Prior to attending the school Randy had no woodworking experience and by his own account, he has already learned a ton of skills which will be useful in many facets of his own life.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Todays featured spot is an interview with Captain Joshua Berger of the schooner Adventuress of Sound Experience. Sound Experience is the caretaker of the 1913 BB Crowninshield designed 2 masted gaff rigged topsail 101ʹ schooner.

Joshua grew up in New York sailing on Manhassett Bay with his father. He competitively raced Bluejays, 420’s, 505’s, and Lasers during college and high school. As a youth he sailed on the Clearwater – a Pete Seeger replica of a Hudson River sloop – and became intrigued by science-based environmental education aboard a sailing ship.

After several sailings to the West Indies and working on charter boats – including an Alden Schooner – Joshua moved to the west coast and attended the Evergreen State College studying experiential education while living on a 1930’s John Thomas Taylor designed ’28 ketch. Soon after he captained the Clearwater and eventually became one of the Captains of Adventuress.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

This episode is an interview with John Welsford recorded while we I was at the NW Maritime Center during SCAMP Camp in August of this year. John is my New Zealand correspondent and will be bringing us occasional updates from his home country including this one today.

During the interview, John discusses plane sharpening, SCAMP Camp, the Small Craft Skills Academy, his Boat Design Business and what’s happening with the wooden boat community in New Zealand.

To listen to a previous podcast with John about his personal history and how he got into boating, check out HOWB048.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Todays featured spot is Part 2 of an interview with Chris Wallace and Jeff Carson. Chris and Jeff live aboard their vintage 65ʹ wooden double ender Kwaietek, and both work on the schooner Zodiac. Today’s podcast is focused on the Zodiac.

Zodiac is a 160ʹ (sparred length) two masted gaff topsail wooden schooner designed by William H. Hand Jr. She was built by Hodgdon Brothers Shipyard and launched in 1924 at East Boothbay, Maine. Originally she was built for the heirs to the Johnson & Johnson family, then became a bar pilot boat in San Francisco, retiring in 1972.

In the mid 1970’s, the Vessel Zodiac Corporation was formed and she was restored over a 13 year period. She is now home ported in Bellingham, WA and available for charter trips in the Puget Sound and Gulf Islands of Canada.

In 2010, Zodiac was dismasted while cruising in Puget Sound. Fortunately there were only a couple minor injuries and a new tree was found to replace the broken mast (128ʹ length). Chris and Jeff give more details of this event during the interview.

Todays featured spot is an interview with Chris Wallace and Jeff Carson. Chris and Jeff live aboard their vintage 65ʹ wooden double ender – Kwaietek. Kwaietek is an ex British Columbia, Canada Forest Service boat that is built stout and beautiful. Chris is also the Port Captain for the wooden schooner Zodiac.

Jeff was born in California, the son of a career Navy man. The family moved frequently and eventually his dad retired in West Virginia where Jeff attended High School and then college at Western Virginia University. Jeff studied and graduated with a degree in Design and Technical Theater and went on to travel with theater companies building complex sets for their plays. Eventually Carson ended up working at the Seattle Repertory Theater building sets. During this stint, he met wife Chris Wallace.

Chris hailed from Corvallis, OR and her father was a well know professional set designer for theater. Chris learned the old school techniques from her father for painting theater sets and went on to study costume design and art history in college. Chris eventually moved to Seattle and joined the production side of the Seattle Repertory Theater. Chris first learned to sail on the 160ʹ wooden schooner Zodiac, and earned her 200 ton Captains license. She is now the Port Captain for the Zodiac.

Jeff and Chris first lived on a 36ʹ sloop in Seattle and eventually bought a ’40 ketch. Then in 2010 they purchased Kwaietek, which they live aboard with their youngest daughter Juliet. Kwaietek was built in 1923 and used by the BC Forest Service to take survey and inventory crews and top brass to the forests along the west coast of British Columbia. She is plank on frame constructed with a 100 hp Gardner diesel which has powered the boat since 1936.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s featured segment is an interview with Scott Jones of the NW Maritime Center in Port Townsend, WA. I recorded the interview during SCAMP Camp #3, which is put on by the NW School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock, WA.

Scott and I had a great time talking about the SCAMP boat and Camp, other projects at the NW Maritime Center and upcoming cool wooden boat events. Plus he gave me a few boatbuilding tips. Scott is an easy going guy who loves his job and really excels at what he does. Keep up the great work Scott!

To listen to the interview I did with Scott last year about his personal and boating history, check out Episode 049.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

This Episode of HOWB is an interview with Howard Rice of small boat adventure fame, and founder of SmallCraftAcademy.com. We met up a couple weeks ago during SCAMP Camp #3 at the NW Maritime Center in Port Townsend, WA . The SCAMP Camp is run by the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building (Port Hadlock, WA) and employs Howard Rice as one of the lead instructors. The Camp is an awesome 2 week event where you complete approximately 50% of the SCAMP boat.

I always enjoy speaking with Howard as he is a very articulate, knowledgeable and enthusiastic seaman who has, and continues to do amazing and fun stuff with small boats and to promote the benefits of small vessels to folks worldwide.

During the interview we had a great time talking about the SCAMP boat, the SCAMP Camp (next one is in August in Port Townsend) and the new adventures of SmallCraftAcademy.com. The Academy is getting into online boat training and building classes among other things, in a new and cool way. So check it out at their website and listen to the interview with Howard for all the details.

Also, if you have not listened to the interview I did with Howard last year about his personal adventures and a portion of his life history, check out Episode 039. And if you want to hear an interview with the SCAMP designer – John Welsford – check out Episode 048. And last but not least, the brainchild of the SCAMP – Josh Colvin – at Episode 040.

Today’s featured segment is an interview with Korie and Tupper Griffith and their son Owen, of Port Townsend, WA. The Griffiths have a rich history of sailing and wooden boats.

Tupper grew up in Eugene, OR and learned to surf in CA while visiting relatives. After high school, he moved to San Diego, CA and became heavily involved in surfing. He also started cutting his teeth at sailing as crew on the 1928 Alden Schooner Kelpie . Next was a stint in the USCG at Tillamook Bay, OR where he served as crewman on ’44 motor life boats. In 2003, Tupper was invited to crew on the Schooner Martha by his sister Holly (wife to Captain Robert d’Arcy of the schooner Martha). Shortly thereafter he moved to Port Townsend and met his now wife, Korie, who was Captain of the Adventuress.

Korie was raised in Wisconsin and did very little boating as a kid. However she dreamed of moving to the coast and experiencing the ocean someday. During her college days, she spent one summer in the Florida Keys working at a Boy Scout adventure training (thru boats) camp. And then later, went back for a full year of work at the Camp – and loved it! Next it was on to grad school in chemical oceanography during which time she learned about the Tall Ship programs.

In Long Beach, CA, Korie became involved with the Spirit of Dana Point schooner directing educational programs and experienced her first blue water cruise. While earning her Captains license, her sailing destinations included the east coast, the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas. In 2003 she Met Wayne Chimenti (Captain of Adventuress) at Long Beach who called on her to be a relief mate for Adventuress. Then in 2006, Chimenti brought Griffith on to replace his as one of the Captains of Adventuress.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s featured segment is two interviews. The first is with Tom & Cynthia Krehbiel from Juneau Alaska. Tom and Cynthia flew to Port Townsend in February for a one week Pygmy Boats sponsored class. During this one week class, they were able to complete about 50% of their Pinguino wooden kayak under the instruction of Pygmy employees John and Seth. Tune in to the podcast to hear more about why they took the class, why you should take one, and what’s so special about building your own boat.

The second interview is with John Lockwood, founder and owner of Pygmy Boats. John and I talk about a wide variety of topics including building a kit kayak, hull speed, Greenland paddles vs Euro paddles, and other fun stuff. To hear more conversations between John and I, listen to Episodes 60 & 61.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s interview is with Captain Daniel Evans of Sound Experience and the great 1913 wooden schooner Adventuress.

Capt Daniel spent his formative years in Anchorage, AK and began sailing at the age of 4 while on a visit to his grandparents in Gig Harbor, WA. Evans attended Evergreen U while living on his 28ʹ Miller Marine sloop and continued to fine tune his sailing and maritime skills.

Through his rock climbing adventures Daniel met some Outward Bound folks and eventually became the manager for their Sea Based program from Anacortes, WA. The program was Long Boat based with adventures in the San Juan and Southern Gulf Islands of Canada.

Up next for Daniel, was a stint on east coast schooners and working toward his USCG Captains License. His schooner work included the Liberty Clipper, Schooner Massachusetts, Roseway, Lettie G Howard, and the Saphira Christina.

During that time he met Catherine Collins, director of Sound Experience and let her know that if one of the Captains positions on Adventuress ever became available, he would love the opportunity. Evans got the call and joined Sound Experience as one of the Captains in early 2010.

Adventuress is in Phase 4 of her Centennial restoration which includes replanking and framing the port side, a new main mast, and refreshing some of the on board systems.

When I asked Captain Evans why he loves Sound Experience, his answer was twofold: 1. Adventuress sails really well (not a slug in the water). She was designed by BB Crowninshield to be beautiful AND to be fast – and that she is. 2. The Sound Experience community is phenomenal.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s interview is with Mindy Ross of the Center for Wooden Boats (CWB) in Seattle, WA. Mindy has be with CWB for 14 years and is currently the Sailing Education Director.

Mindy grew up near Cleveland, OH and is a third generation sailor/racer. Her grandfather raced Comets and Trivets in the 20’s and 30’s at the Cleveland Yacht club and later her parents raced at the Sandusky Sailing Club.

As a kid she traveled with her parents racing Thistle’s in the midwest and southeast. The family would camp, race for the weekend, and then move on to the next regatta.

Later the family moved to Milwaukee, WI and Mindy spent time crewing on the tall ship Gazella as well as continuing her sail racing. Next it was on to the University of Oregon for Wendy, where she attended school and raced on U of O’s sailing team.

After college, Mindy chose to move to Seattle because it was near the water (and near the big water too). Upon arrival she visited the CWB and fell in love with the sense of community and the historic wooden vessels. She began volunteering and racing SNIPE’s on Lake WA. Today she is the Sailing Education Director and loves every minute of it. Her favorite boat at the CWB is the Geary ’18 “Flattie”.

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s featured segment is Part 2 of the interview with Captain Ken Greff, president of the board of Sound Experience. Sound Experience is the caretaker of the 1913 BB Crowninshield designed gaff rigged 101ʹ schooner Adventuress.

Sound Experience’s mission with Adventuress is to “educate, inspire, and empower an inclusive community to make a difference for the future of our marine environment.”

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s featured segment is Part 1 of a 2 Part interview with Captain Ken Greff, president of the board of Sound Experience. Sound Experience is the caretaker of the 1913 BB Crowninshield designed gaff rigged 101ʹ schooner Adventuress.

Ken spent his early youth in San Francisco and his family settled on Mercer Island, WA when Ken was in grade school. Greff stream fished with his parents and dabbled in sailing small boats on Lake Washington with his high school buddies.

While attending Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA, one of Ken’s professors invited him to crew on a T-Bird sailboat for a Bellingham Bay race. Ken jumped at the chance, and got “hooked” on keel boat sailing which he enjoyed as often as possible during his college years.

During his school teaching years, Ken heard about the bicentennial parade of tall ships in NY Harbor and the sail training programs for youth. At the time, he was working with troubled kids in the school system and was interested in helping these kids build character and leadership skills through an alternative means such as sail training.

Greff began inquiring locally about sail training and eventually was advised to connect with Youth Adventure who owned the historic schooner Adventuress and was using her to train youth. Ken saw Adventuress for the first time at the Seattle waterfront during a tall ship festival and was immediately taken by the youth aboard who were jovially singing and warmly welcoming him. Ken began volunteering that fall of 1978 and has never looked back!

Tune in again next week for Part 2 (Episode 75).

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s podcast is an interview with Skin On Frame building expert Corey Freedman, owner of SkinBoats.org in Anacortes, WA. This is the sixth of my Interview The Expert series of podcasts focused on 6 methods of boatbuilding: Carvel, Lapstrake, Cold Molded, Stitch and Glue, Strip Planked, and Skin-on-Frame. I discuss each of these methods of construction in my eBook Get in the Wooden Boat Game: A Guide for Building Your First Boat which is available for $4.99 at this LINK.

The Skin On Frame method was believed to be developed by the maritime peoples of the Arctic centuries ago. The builder would stretch seal skin over a carefully lashed together and lightweight framework of driftwood to create a long (sometimes over 20’) and narrow (as little as 18”) craft. These boats were usually single occupancy and were capable of navigating rough waters, rolling over, and were used for daily activities such as hunting, gathering, and transportation.

Today, SOF boats can be built with a framework of lashed together dimensional lumber (such as cedar, spruce, or fir), skinned with ballistic nylon, and painted with a two part urethane waterproof coating. These boats are light, strong, and beautiful, and can be relatively inexpensive to build.

During the interview, Corey discusses the following points on Skin On Frame construction:

Description and history

Skill level required to utilize this method

Cost of this method versus other building methods Time to build versus other methods

Special tools and materials required

Pros and cons

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share you comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS  Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.

Today’s featured interview is with Jim Metteer of Poulsbo, WA. Jim grew up “all over” the west coast as his dad moved from working at one hydroelectric dam to another. In 1965 the family settled in south Seattle, WA where Jim graduated from Tyee High School.

Jim’s dad had a power boat and Jim liked to be “on” the water, not “in” the water. After high school Metteer landed at a local furniture company learning the furniture trade and eventually taking over their finishing department. The advanced coatings skills Jim learned during those 3 years still serve him to this day.

Metteer’s first boat was a 1980 Thistle – a 17ʹ Sandy Douglass one design cold molded planing sloop. Jim sailed her on Lake Washington and Puget Sound. A few years later Jim fell in love with “Vito Dumas” – a Manuel Campos designed Cutter. However, the owner wouldn’t sell to Jim. So Jim decided to build his own Campos Cutter. The Campos cutter is a modified scandinavian rescue boat designed with a shallower for the waters of Buenos Aires in the 1940’s.

Jim read the book – How To Build a Boat by David McIntosh and started building it. It seemed to come natural and took Jim 4 1/2 years to complete. One of his tricks was to go to the boat every day whether he felt like it or not.

Lumiere was launched in 1991. She is Carvel plank, 1.25ʺ Port Orford cedar over 2ʺx2ʺ oak frames with a 1 1/2ʺ teak deck. She has a Honduran Mahogany cabin and 8600 pounds of lead in her keel.

With the encouragement of his wife, Jim decided to build boats for a living, so he joined up with the late Tom Pryor in 2000 to take over the work Tom had been doing in Poulsbo. Tom rented him the barn and Jim helped Tom live out his last years out in the neighboring farm house.

Metteer’s first project was restoring the friendship sloop Puff. This was a 2 year project. Next was the restoration of a boat gifted to him – Fokus III, a classic 6 meter racing boat. Fokus III was launched 1948 in Norway and was scheduled to race in the 1952 Olympics (for reasons unknown, she didn’t go to the Olympics). Jim has done a beautiful restoration on Fokus!

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You can contact me at woodenboatdan@gmail.com to share your comments, feedback, stories, and wooden boat adventures.

Keep the bright side up and the barnacled side down - Wooden Boat Dan over and out :D

PS Please note this podcast was recorded several years ago - some of the links, email addresses, phone numbers, and promos mentioned are outdated and no longer valid.