The Schooner Martha
Schooner Martha, the oldest operating sailboat in Washington, is hauled out at the Shipwright’s Co-op for a Ballast Keel Replacement. The Schooner Martha Foundation received a historic preservation grant and donations to make this exciting project possible. Dave Grizwald made the pattern for the new keel and Robert d’Arcy’s crew began carving into the large solid sepele timber last week using traditional handwork. The keel will be two feet deep, with complex curves and notches. A lead ballast will be installed the full length of the keel. The mold for the ballast was poured at the Northwest Maritime Center. To see more photographs and some videos, visit Martha’s website.
Sepele Timber that will become the new keel.
Original keel bolts for ballast from 1907.
Doug Jones and Robert d'Arcy discussing the pattern for the rudder stock. The timber is purple heart.
Original 1907 timbers removed for restoration project.
Plywood pattern for the new keel.
The original centerboard slot will be filled and then topped with a purple heart timber.
Traditional Handmade Sails for Destiny
The women at Port Townsend Sails made nine sails for Destiny during the month of August. Each sail is unique and required special attention to detail in the design and construction. The owner of PT Sails, Carol Hasse, visited Shipwright’s Co-op to make measurements and returned to the sail loft where this large project would be completed. The traditional hand work and craftsmanship by these women far surpass any type of sailmaking world wide. To learn more about Port Townsend Sails, refer to: http://www.porttownsendsails.com/index.htm Below Halie maneuvers an ocean of heavy canvas working on the Main Sail, Joey seizes on thimbles for the jackline, and Kim is tying one of the many hanks on a very big sail, measuring 535 square feet. Kim keeps the threads smooth, preventing crossed stitches. This meticulous handwork is beautiful and more importantly makes the sail stronger too.
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