Saturday 29 October 2016
Logan Museum Odawa Paddle Online
The Logan Museum of Anthropology - Beloit College has updated their online artifacts catalog to include new color photos of the circa 1900 Odawa paddle in their collection. Up until now, the only images were grainy black and white photo from an out of print exhibition catalog (see my previous post here).
Ottawa Canoe Paddle
c.1900
Maple
Length: 136.5cm
Blade width: 10cm
As I haven't yet obtained permission to post these new colour photos, I'll leave you with a link to the paddle's citation page where closeups of the surface can be viewed. The paddle is listed under Catalog # 30182 .
Stormy Weather Light Box
A few years back the grandson of the original owner of Stormy Weather sent us some plans and instructions for a "light box" that was found in a roll in the bilges of the boat. According to the instructions we received the light box was to be used at the New York Boat Show in 1936. It's interesting in that it's a low tech marketing item and a very obscure bit of the early American yacht business paraphernalia.
Included was a large photo transparency of Stormy Weather sailing. This was to be suspended within a wooden frame by light lines. The suspended image was then to be back lit. The rendering above was also in the roll of materials.
A couple of our guys agreed to reconstruct the frame. Here's the completed product which was on display at our 75th Anniversary party at Mystic Seaport back in 2004.
After the event we looked around for a use for such an item. The light box was ultimately installed in the Sailing Neighborhood at the Westchester Medical Center. See our posting of 9 July by clicking here. Here it is hanging at the hospital where it still hangs today.
Monday 24 October 2016
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Thursday 20 October 2016
Lizard Island to the top
Saturday 25 – Sunday 26 June.
Even sheltered in Watson’s Bay at Lizard Island we have been experiencing 15 to 25 knots of wind constantly so have left the anchor firmly dug in while we laze around, catch fish and get to know each other a bit more. Each morning and afternoon we tune in to Cairns Volunteer Marine Rescue for the latest weather up date. By now we feel like we are suspended in some sort of groundhog day joke as every broadcast has been identical, strong wind warning – 25 to 30 knots from Torres Straight to Cardwell for the foreseeable future with the additional reminder that wind gusts of up to 40% stronger could occur.
We actually have a deadline to get to Darwin because not only are we supposed to be there by July 9th to allow two clear weeks to arrange our visas and cruising permit with the Indonesian consulate, but also as Colin and Milin have arranged for a new forestay to be fitted in Darwin before we head into Asia. The forestay is 14mm stainless steel cable which not only holds the Genoa (front sail ) on but also holds the mast up so it’s a fairly important part of the boat. With three days already being lost sitting at Lizard Island we are all getting a bit anxious. We know every day at anchor probably means an extra night under sail on the way around the top.
During the course of Sunday afternoon two yachts and a two catamarans arrived from the south and told us that while the winds were strong they were fairly steady and they’d had no problems, hence the decision was made to up anchor first thing in the morning and head Nae Hassle north again.
Monday 27 – Wednesday 29 June
By 7am we had everything secured away and set just a reefed mainsail for the run back towards the mainland and up the coast. With 20 to 25 knots behind us we were quickly rocking and rolling along.
Because of the days lost at Lizard Island we have now put a line through overnight stops at a couple of anchorages on the way up the coast and are pushing on straight through to Mt Adolphous Island just north of the tip of Cape York, a trip of 340 nautical miles. The target is to reach it Wednesday afternoon for a night at anchor before leaving early the next morning. This will ensure we have a favourable tide for the run through Torres Straight where currents are really strong.
North of Cairns the Great Barrier Reef gets closer and closer to the coast. Not only do we weave in and out making our way around the masses of coral reefs but for most of the trip we share the main shipping channel with tankers, bulk carriers and container ships doing the same thing. During daylight hours you quickly realise A. How big they are and how insignificant they make even a 57 foot yacht like Nae Hassle feel, B. How fast they get from the horizon to right on you, C. How much you hope they are keeping as good a lookout as you are, and D. How easy it would be to do a Jessica Watson and get run over.
At night it’s plain scary at times. While we do all we can to skirt along the edges of the shipping lanes wherever we can, winds etc don’t always make this possible. Some ships will call you up on the radio to make sure you’re both aware of each other’s plans, others will make an ever so slight course change just to make their intentions clear while some will just steam on ahead, not answering any radio hails and showing no sign of whether they know you’re there or not. One large container ship passed us port to port about 80 metres away on one of Karen’s night watches. They probably knew we were there but you could never be sure. Forget the old power gives way to sail bit. We just do all we can to stay the hell out of the way.
 |
| The massive boulders of Cape Melville |
We pass by some amazing scenery with numerous small islands, what appears to us to be thousands of reefs and a coastline of contrasting lowlands and ranges. The boulders of Cape Melville in particular are a remarkable feature and we had the added drama of squalls passing through as we sailed by in the late afternoon which formed a dramatic backdrop to this Cape. Karen has definitely marked it down as an oil painting waiting to happen. Cape Melville and the hills to the south are comprised of massive, smooth granite boulders piled on top of each other. Our photographs don’t do the size of these huge marbles justice. Those who wish to climb the rocks are warned in the cruising guide that they are a lot bigger than first impression and of the large number of snakes that inhabit the area.
 |
| The mackerel keep coming. |
We’re continuing to keep the freezer topped up with fish. It certainly gets everyone excited when there’s a good one on the line. Our fellow crew guy, Marc, is a Londoner who had never seen fish as big as we’ve been getting let alone caught one. Karen on the other hand was raised with a filleting knife in her hand growing up in the Whitsundays. We caught a good size spotted mackeral not long after leaving Lizard Island (outside the habitat protection zone of course) but by late on the second day heading up the coast we’d had no luck. I was on the helm with Marc and Karen sitting in the cockpit. Karen decided to head below to get some sleep before her watch and was disappearing down the companion way when Marc commented to her “I was hoping we’d get a fish before you went to sleep so you could show me how to kill it.” At that point I looked behind the boat and said to Marc, “Well why don’t you just pull that one in.” Sure enough, a very good sized tuna had just taken the lure and Marc got his lesson in killing, bleeding, cleaning and turning a big fish into pan ready steaks. Henceforth he has been dubbed “Marc the be-header” by all on board.
Next afternoon we lost a metre long spainish mackerel trying to lift it onto the boat. We don’t have a gaff and had no hope of getting it in the landing net. Half an hour later Rob was pulling in another nice spotted mackerel when a shark decided to make it his dinner and only left us with the head. BUGGER!
After experiencing motoring with no wind to 30+ knots and everything in between we passed by the tip of Cape York and reached Mt Adolphous Island right on schedule at 5.30pm on Wednesday afternoon, just in time to get the anchor down in Blackwood Bay and settle in for sundowner drinks.
Sundowners are of course the obligatory refreshment taken while you sit back and enjoy the sunset. We have not been disappointed with the marvels of the setting sun. As Queenslanders we don’t get to see the sun set over water and the colours the sun turns the sky and water on her way down are mesmerizing .
On the subject of sundowners, we observe a strict no alcohol policy while underway but once the anchor is down or mooring ropes on, there’s nothing better than ending a day with great food, a couple of drinks and good conversation.
Lizard Island to Mt Adolphous Island -340.5 nautical miles – 59.16 hours – 5.75 knot average speed with reefed mainsail only – One tuna – Two Mackerel ( Two more got away)
Tuesday 18 October 2016
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Saturday 15 October 2016
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Friday 14 October 2016
Pump Wasteland
All pumps are born innocent and full of hope. Swaddled in colorful four color printed boxes and clear plastics they wait on the shelf for that happy day they get adopted and go to their new forever home. They have yet to know they will end up enslaved in a chamber of horrors. Buried alive in a stifling dark, damp, moldy and nearly inaccessible compartment. This is their hellish destiny. I'm sure on a quiet night I can hear their tiny muffled pleas coming from the back of the boat. "Help us, it hurts so bad and we're afraid" quaver tiny voices. "What did we do to deserve this?"
Life isn't fair. You're born a pump, your job is to pump. End of story. It could have been worse. Think about the disposable diaper's eventual chagrin when they discover their purpose in their new forever home.
Pumps are pricey and all too often neglect is the real reason they join thems what's dearly departed. They often live in the worst places in the typical boat. Bilge areas that never dry with salt water sloshing about, are dark, warm and wet enough to promote mold growth and rust. Add to this lack of use insuring plenty of time to allow parts to seize up. The boat owners also get involved.
You just can't make this stuff up. It's a testament to this fish box macerator pump's power that the bag that once held 10lbs of ice got sucked down the drain and into the pump.
The bag and it's long molecular plastic chains prevailed sort of. The whirling cutting blades of death wound the bag up until it could do so no longer, and the pump asphyxiated without even a death rattle. An ugly death at best. Rust was also starting to destroy the case. Another new pump got a forever home.
This poor pump in a state of advanced decay got that way because it wasn't easy to see on a day to day basis. Rain water had been dripping unnoticed on it for years. It was for a secondary bait well that must have had a primary use as a beer cooler.
I don't really care about the pump, it's not mine or my boat. But I do get concerned about the potential for dilapidated pumps to leak.
This pump's hose clamps are in bad shape, and although located slightly above the water line if there was a intake scoop in the hull, and it started to leak bad things would occur. If it did start to leak it would be a crummy time to discover the bilge pump is in a similar condition.
In all too many boats pumps are placed in locations that are very difficult to access. This leads to less frequent examination. I see so much of this I have developed a theory about it.
It goes something like pump manufacturers offer boat builders a huge discount on pumps, if the boat builders by design make it difficult to check, access, and repair them. This creates more pump sales and everybody wins but the boat owner and the poor schmuck that has to replace them.
It goes something like pump manufacturers offer boat builders a huge discount on pumps, if the boat builders by design make it difficult to check, access, and repair them. This creates more pump sales and everybody wins but the boat owner and the poor schmuck that has to replace them.
Given all of the tribulations involved with maintaining pumps there are things owners can do to extend their wretched lives. The first is to monitor condition and operation, followed by periodically just making them run. It just takes a second to push the switch and see if it runs for a minute. Then you can put the beer into the fish box.
The other big helper is using a good quality corrosion spray to coat the metal parts. There are lots of options and for most investing in a can a year will give these poor machines a healthier and longer life. Lastly I don't like water in bilges period if I can help it. Heat causes water to evaporate allowing it to condense on something else to do evil.
I know that bilge pumps leave some water behind. A $25 wet/dry shop vac from Wallymart will suck the leftover water out leaving your bilge nice and dry, and you get to check the condition of the gear in that's in that godforsaken hole at the same time.
Pump memorial services are held daily at your local marine chandlery and you can tithe at the register.
Tuesday 11 October 2016
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With Pancho and Lefty
I delay my start by 15 minutes talking with a goose hunter who is about to go out on the last day of the season. He knows the area well and understands the terrain. We have a good talk.
I head up the Neck River, the tide nearing high, with a good flood current aiding my progress and making the land swiftly pass by. The Sneak will be an easy passage if it is ice free. We had a recent snow of a foot or so that was followed by rain. The weight has finally crushed the spartina flat and the marsh takes on a tired and worn look. This is of course, just a pause in the life of the marsh before it grows green and lush and provides a place for the birds that will come with the spring migration.
The tune of "Pancho and Lefty" plays in silence in my head. It is a good tune for the canoe, even if I don't know the words. I read water as I paddle, tracking on bubbles and bits of plant material, watching it swirl or cross the channel, watching it shift direction to avoid some well submerged obstruction. My favorite read is the delicate thin line, so fine that it could very well be a loose fishing line, a strand of spider web that shows the discontinuity between two currents that differ by almost nothing. The lines can be 20 or 30 ft long and I try to steer clear of them in hope that they will go on forever.
There are a good number of geese in the center of Ox Meadow, the lower marsh now having a name...that I learned the name from one of the locals on one of those stream side chats. Some of the geese flush and some of them stay. I'm never closer than 200 yards.
I turn at Foote Bridge with a quick greeting to two women setting out for a hike in the forest. The tide is almost slack, hard to tell if it is ebbing or barely flooding...so it makes no difference.
I retrace my route back to the sea having experienced one of the most beautiful days of the winter.
Sunday 9 October 2016
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Thursday 6 October 2016
Energy Balance
Energy balance comes to mind, for no particular reason, as I make my portage to the west end of the Crossing Over Place. It is a term from the biologists and one that is heard more often in talking about animals that live on the edge of survival and especially those of the arctic. In the barren lands, all species walk a delicate line between fattening up enough in the short summer and making it through a long dark winter.
The connection between man and nature is incredibly complex if one sits back in an armchair and tries to take it all in. Those complexities are analogous to the idea of vast wilderness. Just as wilderness loses its vastness when one travels through it, just as it shrinks when one is focused on the details as they come, when one moves one step at a time, the complexities of man and nature become manageable when one focuses on one detail at a time and follows the paths that present themselves. You learn, and the silver bullet solutions, the cure-alls, and the poor progress-driven decisions show their real costs and failings.I paddle through the Crossing Under Place and duck into the south lagoon exploring the edges of the "wasteland" as I go. Once through the east channel of the burial island, I find that the bog island has moved another 20 feet and that the old canoe channel, a channel that once was 40 or 50 feet wide, is now just a 5 foot gap. I circle and GPS survey the island, and it appears to be collapsing. It may be that the whole island has sagged and split as there are some fissures in the edges that I don't remember. Then, I check on the big lodge nest, which is fine and still a few days from hatching. The workmen there are rebuilding an old dock, so my worries of a monster sized boat slip were unfounded. With such changes in the east marsh, I decide to circle the bay and see how things are. Right away, I notice that the duck population has plummeted since I was last here. Many ducks have just begun their migration. I find that the homeowner near the railroad island has weedwacked all of the cattails and irises and so now I know that that homeowner is a wealthy and stupid shithead. The goose nest in the NE lagoon is precariously close to the water, but still attended. The other nests that I know about are all well. I find a new goose nest on the Rockpile island as I head to the takeout. I've seen no goslings in the bay, yet, although the workmen by the big lodge reported seeing some.
Wednesday 5 October 2016
Musée des Abénakis Paddle Decoration on Wall Mural
While trying to do more research of the paddle on display at the Musée des Abénakis (see previous post here), I came across the museum's YouTube channel. Their introductory video is quite the production showcasing their fine collection and facility.
What really got me excited however was the extremely quick frame at the 1:53 mark. It is a closeup of the art panel behind their canoe exhibit. Some words in the native language are front and centre, but behind them is a shot a canoe paddle blade finely decorated in a painted motif. Here is the screen shot...
A zoomed in image along with some photoshop adjustments revealed a very interesting pattern. You can see a distinct cross-like checkered pattern with each quadrant painted in a unique style. Dots, cross hatches and what appear to be snake-like figures adorn the blade.
I've sent word to the museum regarding the painting in the background wondering if it was done by an historical artist or a new interpretation by a modern artist. Hoping to hear from them and update soon.
Tuesday 4 October 2016
The Yogattorney and the Kerala houseboats of India
Nancy, is a yogattorney. Yes it's spelled right, sort of, because she is both an attorney, and a Iyengar yoga instructer. The yogattorney makes frequent trips to India, and on her last trip, she had the opportunity to take a trip on one of the famous Kerala house boats from Cochin to Kovalam Beach in the Indian state of Kerala. So playing the game of "Where in the world is Nancy?", I have constructed a little map to show you where Kerala is.
The state of Kerala, is located on the very southwestern coast of India facing the Arabian sea. It's bounded to the east by the Western Ghats mountain range, and then transitions to low coastal plains, and the Kerala backwaters areas on the coast. The climate is tropical and it lies just north of the equator (8 to 12 degrees north latitude). Millions of tourists are drawn to Kerala for its lush tropical backwaters, biodiversity, and 370 miles of beaches.
In the late eighties Babu Varghese, an Indian entrepreneur and tour operator spearheaded an effort to take the traditional kettuvallam, and transform it into a houseboat suitable for ecotourism, and at the same time reviving the art of building them. The first "Kerala house boat" was launched in 1991, and ever since this specialized floating tour business has flourished, with hundreds of these vessels built, and directly, and indirectly employing thousands of workers.
Despite the simple tools, and lack of mechanized boat building technologies, the Kerala kettuvallam houseboats are beautifully executed, and finished. They have all of the amenities one would expect to find on a modern boat, but with a traditional, and hand crafted elegance, that comes through the clever, and skillful use of all natural materials. Unlike the original kettuvallams, most of these house boat versions are now engine powered, and still, in many cases often oar steered. In some locations in the backwaters, poling is required to maneuver in some areas.
The Kettuvallam's primary building materials, are all local, and sustainable consisting of white coir rope, and brown coir (both from coconut husks), bamboo, anjili wood for the hulls, palm leaf thatching, and a caustic water proofing oil derived from boiling cashew shells. With these few simple materials, a gorgeous boat is built.
Coir rope is made by soaking the husks from immature coconuts (white coir) for many months in a process called water retting uses micro-organisms to dissolve the plant matter around the fibers. The remaining husks are then beaten to loosen the fibers which are separated by hand. The fibers are spun into a yarn used make rope typically with the aid of a spinning wheel.
The houseboat Nancy traveled on is in the local parlance a kettuvallam, an ancient form of watercraft that has been plying India's waters for centuries. The kettuvallam is historically a double ended cargo vessel used to transport goods such as rice, and spices up and down the coasts, and into the more remote backwaters. They are by design shallow draft, and can also be poled when needed.
With the advent of the modern world, the automobile, the backwater areas became crisscrossed with roads, and bridges that steadily reduced the areas the kettuvallams could access. This coupled with less expensive transport of goods by truck made shipping by kettuvallam less viable. Over time the numbers of larger kettuvallams, especially the sailing versions were dwindling away, and more importantly the pool of skilled artisans who knew how to build these vessels were diminishing with them.
With the advent of the modern world, the automobile, the backwater areas became crisscrossed with roads, and bridges that steadily reduced the areas the kettuvallams could access. This coupled with less expensive transport of goods by truck made shipping by kettuvallam less viable. Over time the numbers of larger kettuvallams, especially the sailing versions were dwindling away, and more importantly the pool of skilled artisans who knew how to build these vessels were diminishing with them.
What's so fascinating about these very graceful, and elegant watercraft is that they can be upwards of 100' long, and they are literally tied together, hull and all, using a rope made from coconut husks. These boats are completely made of local indigenous raw materials, using simple hand tools, and techniques that have been used to build them for over two thousand years.
The mature coconut husks (brown coir) are treated in a similar way, but it does not require the very long retting periods of the white coir. Brown coir is used for floor mats mattress stuffing, and other utility purposes. Coir is relatively waterproof, and is one of the few natural fibers that is resistant to damage by salt water, making it ideal for boat building use.
The word "Kettuvallam" comes from the Malayalam word kettu, meaning to tie, and vallam, meaning boat, and hence the literal meaning "tied boat".
The unique aspect of kettuvallam construction is the hull planks are physically tied together. Planks are spiled, and shaped just like all wooden boat builders have done for centuries, but the difference here is the hull planks have holes drilled in them at the edges allowing them to be stiched together. Larger vessels have plank edges cut in a tongue and groove shape to provide additional interlocking strength to the joints.
White coir rope is used to lash the planks together encapsulating a bundle of brown coir that is being hammered to reduce its volume as the coir rope is being tightened. The brown coir acts as the hull plank crack filler, and serves the same role oakum does in traditional western boat building.
The stitched seams (kettu) are then coated with a paste of charcoal powder, lime, and fish oil for water proofing, and the hull is then over coated with cashew nut shell oil/resin, and charcoal powder. The charcoal powder gives the hull its distinctive black color, and the caustic cashew resin coating makes the hull resistant to wood boring molluscs. There are regional variations in the recipes of these natural coatings that vary somewhat from builder to builder.
The vessel you see being tied in the photo above is a smaller kettuvalam referred to locally as a "1/3 load" kettuvallam, that is used for mud collecting, sand mining and the ilk. (See the link to Dr. Ransley's project synopsis below to see how important this function is).
In the photograph, you can see the gunwales are made of scarfed planks that have been secured with large copper rivets, and or roves. The same system is being used to secure the primary framing structures to the inside of the hulls. We are looking at the sterns of both boats. I think I see a drive shaft hole on the left kettuvallam, and I can clearly see it on the right one.
The finished hull gets decked, and a curvaceous frame of split bamboo is tied together with coir rope to make the superstructure. Thatched/woven palm leaves are tied onto the frame, and additional split bamboo frames are again lashed over the structure.
Although the superstructure appears to be flimsy, you can see in the photo there are now three people now sitting on the partially finished work. When completed the structure will be very strong and waterproof. Interiors are finished with locally available natural materials, fabrics, and carpets. In the end, it's striking how such graceful, durable, and watertight vessels can be constructed out of such very basic materials, and with so little modern boat building technology being utilized. These vessels are truly testaments to the skills of their artisans and a time proven design.
Although the superstructure appears to be flimsy, you can see in the photo there are now three people now sitting on the partially finished work. When completed the structure will be very strong and waterproof. Interiors are finished with locally available natural materials, fabrics, and carpets. In the end, it's striking how such graceful, durable, and watertight vessels can be constructed out of such very basic materials, and with so little modern boat building technology being utilized. These vessels are truly testaments to the skills of their artisans and a time proven design.
I want to leave this little vignette with this photograph and a few thoughts that struck me about this smaller kettuvallam. The first is that if you rolled the clock back a thousand years, the ancestor of this boat would likely be very similar to this one.
Looking closely at the construction details as a boat builder myself, I recognize many of the construction elements and I believe much of today's modern wood boat building techniques owe their beginnings to this ageless craft, and the many generations of talented artisans who have crafted them. Although this boat building approach has been used in India for many centuries, we didn't get around to adopting it until 1964. We were a little slow out of the gate.
Many thanks to Dr. Jesse Ransley, Archaeology, University of Southampton, UK for the use of her photos showing the tying of a kettuvallam hull as well as the one above and her cultural insights. You can find her project synopsis "The Back Water Boats of Kerala (2005-2009)" here.
The photos of the "stitch and sew" canoe is from Wikipedia, and was taken by Kevin Saff.
The first kettuvallam photo is from Wikipedia, and was taken by user Ramesh NG.
The photo of coir yarn spinning is from Wikipedia, and was taken by user Bricaniwi.
The photos of the kettuvallam bamboo framing, and hull construction are from Wikipedia, and was taken by user Challiyan.
The photos of the "stitch and sew" canoe is from Wikipedia, and was taken by Kevin Saff.
All other photos courtesy of the Yogattorney. Her Iyengar yoga organization website is here.
The map is by the Installer.
This is a good video of a kettuvallam being repaired, and showing the hull "stitching" technique.
If you're interested in a Kerala houseboat trip, Tourindia is a good place to start.
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