Blessing Electron's Keel

Almost 6 years ago, I posted about a new project being undertaken by Eamon Doorly at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic - the rebuilding of the sloop "Electron".

Progress on the new boat at the time was minimal - only the stem, keel, and transom were erected, and only for display purposes, as other projects required Eamon's attention.

Construction of the boat is once again underway, and the Museum held a keel laying ceremony on December 12th to mark the occasion. 

Frames and gunwhales have been added to the Electron's keel as construction continues. 

A crowd gathered in the boatshed on the wharf in front of the museum in the early evening to hear about the project and see Captain Phil Watson, the current skipper of Bluenose II, perform a blessing of Electron's keel. 

Boatbuilder Eamon Doorly (glasses, facing camera) speaks with Captain Phil Watson (back to camera, also visible between the boat's frames) during the event. Holiday lighting provides the green and red hues to the boat's frame, even more appropriate when one considers the Red and Green colour scheme for Port and Starboard running lights and channel markers.

Construction of Electron will continue throughout 2025 with an expected launch date sometime in 2026 - the project will provide an opportunity for students of the Museum's boatbuilding school to try their hand at a project somewhat larger than the typical small rowboats that they build.

A view of the mast step and the hole in the deck where the mast will pass through. 

Another view of the boat's interior with the party ongoing in the background.

In the meantime, the ongoing construction will also afford visitors to the museum with a better appreciation of Nova Scotia's boatbuilding heritage. 

Reconstructing Electron

I have been following the boat-building adventures of Eamonn Doorly at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic over the last few years, in particular his reconstruction of the schooner Hebridee II - which I have covered here before. 

Hebridee II is sitting out the winter in a shelter on the waterfront.

With Hebridee II in the lean-to outside, Eamonn felt the boatshed on the boardwalk was looking a bit empty inside. Not wanting to disappoint visitors to the museum, he has begun a new project to demonstrate Nova Scotia boat-building tradition. Museum staff believe that Electron, Eamonn's latest subject, was built between 1895 and 1920 at the Obed Hamm boat shop in Mahone Bay - though he hopes to be able to narrow down the date further over the coming months. Electron herself is sitting in a tent in the museum courtyard, looking rather the worse for wear.

Electron propped up in her tent in the courtyard behind the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. I don't think she has seen the water in many years.

Looking up from underneath the bow at the round hole where the mast penetrated the deck.

Looking aft.

The small cuddy cabin ahead of the cockpit.

Electron's boom still lies on deck in this photo looking forward. 

Looking forward through where the transom used to be. The stern post pokes up to the left of the photo. As with the plastic cockpit drain pipe, I'm assuming the many screws poking up through the ribs are not original. 

The original tail feather is the member in the middle of this photo, and the two members on either side are referred to as the "apron" - beams fitted to increase fastening area for the planking. The two beams on the far left and right sit on top of the ribs, so I assume they are not original.

Electron's copy is starting to take shape in Eamonn's boat shop. Eamonn cautions that while he is reusing the original keel ballast, this will be a new construction, and not a restoration. Supported by the roof of the boat shop, the boat's new Red Oak stem, and laminated Douglas Fir keel and tailfeather, plus the transom are now erected - the bow and stern supported by temporary pieces of wood, and the keel by chain leading to a chain lift in the rafters. The chain, at least, is connected to the permanent lifting points from which the finished boat will be lifted in and out of the water when she is complete.

From right to left, the new boat's Red Oak stem leads down to the laminated Douglas Fir keel and ballast, then up again to the Douglas Fir tail-feather with the transom visible at the stern. The boat's lines are drawn on the white plywood in the background.

The notch in the stem is called the "rebate" - this is where the planking joins up with the stem.

The new keel along with the reused ballast from Electron, with the cable and chain support leading to the rafters.

The tail feather on the right transitions to the transom, held together by what I assume is called the transom knee. Electron's transom had some serious "sheer", otherwise known as the angle from the vertical.

Leaning against the plywood upon which the boat's lines are drawn are several molds that will allow the new boat to match the lines and shape of the original Electron. The molds are temporary, and will only be fitted to the boat's keel until the planking is in place, and will then be removed.

Eamonn tells me that while he is using similar building techniques to the original, there are differences - the original builder did not have access to laminated building techniques such as that used in the new boat's keel, and where the new boat will be sailed, Eamonn has provided a rudder post stuffing box instead of the traditional "built-up rudder stock well".

Construction is not expected to be speedy - Eamonn intends merely to erect the bones of the new boat for the time being, as he currently has other museum projects on the go. He hopes to spend more time on her starting summer 2020. I, for one, can't wait!

Many thanks to Eamonn for answering my many questions so that this blog seems somewhat more knowledgeable that I am myself on the subject of wooden boat building. Anything herein that is technically sound is probably from Eamonn, and anything that isn't correct probably resulted from my own knowledge or lack thereof.

Relaunching Amasonia

Growing up, I spent many summers at the family cottage on the LaHave River below Bridgewater. Apart from my Dad's boat sitting out front, I could gaze upon the boats across the river including an offshore racer or two. Of particular interest were two schooners: Skylark designed and built by David Stevens, and Amasonia - a Tancook schooner. Skylark was renamed Sarah Abbot, and now calls Maryland home. Amasonia stayed closer to home, is still based here in Nova Scotia, and was relaunched this week after a restoration.

Amasonia was built in, and launched from, Big Tancook Island in 1935 by Howard and Tom Mason. A brief history appears on the Nova Scotia Schooner Association website, which I won't repeat here. She has had her share of adventures, including one previous major rebuild in 1963, and was due for another refit. Her owner since 1989, Lorne Leahey, took her to Bill Lutwick at Lutwick's Boat Building and Repair in Indian Point, near Mahone Bay, for some TLC. I only heard a few weeks ago that she was being restored, and dropped by the boat shop last week to see what progress was being made - I arrived just in time, as she was ready to return to the water within the week.

For those interested, there is a book on the Tancook schooners, called - you guessed it - The Tancook Schooners.  

The fine lines of Amasonia.

The interior of Lutwick's Boat Building and Repair.

I asked if I could be notified when she was ready to launch, and Lorne was kind enough to oblige. I was (just) able to make it down in time to see her come off her cradle earlier this week.

Amasonia still sitting on her keel in the cradle.

Still in her cradle.

Amasonia wasn't alone - there were a few other schooners present.

One of the spectators was Wawaloon - another Tancook-built schooner.

A number of years ago, I had an apartment overlooking the narrows of Halifax Harbour, right across from the shipyard. I remember seeing Wawaloon sailing up the harbour on a somewhat blustery day in 2007, and watching her respond to the wind.

Wawaloon making her way up the harbour.

Wawaloon heeling over after catching a gust.

High tide was scheduled for 1700h, but Amasonia wasn't quite ready to budge, so she received some help backing out of her cradle.

Spectators haul on Amasonia's lines to coax her from her cradle.

Efforts to haul her out were successful, and Amasonia was returned to her native element.

Amasonia is framed by another wooden boat in her cradle.

Amasonia's pleased-looking owner, Lorne Leahey, with Bill Lutwick standing behind.

Someone did the math, and there is a combined 252 years of Nova Scotia schooner history in this photo, with (from left to right) Wawaloon (built 1946), Pegasus (1971), Amasonia (1935), and Mary David (1968).

Amasonia is riding a bit high in the water at the moment, as she still needs to have her masts fitted and fuel tanks filled, among other things.

Bill has worked on many boats, and one of his recent projects - an International One Design (IOD) named Ghost - was sitting out front of the shop.

Ghost.

Bill is also working on a boat that is near and dear to my own heart - an International 18 One Design by the name of Bratt. My father owned her from 1966 to 1973, and she will be a sight to behold when completed. But that is a subject for another blog post.

Back in 2009, a sailing trip from LaHave to Chester provided a couple of chance encounters relevant to this post. First of all, off Indian Point and Bill's shop, we encountered one of his Robin L 24s (or RL24), a 24-foot adaptation of a Tancook Sloop.

An RL24 sailing off Indian Point, with the red shed of Lutwick Boat Building and Repair in the background.

RL24.

RL24.

We also encountered Amasonia herself off the shore of Nova Scotia. She's so pretty that I just had to go back and edit a few more photos just for this blog post.

Amasonia sailing along on what I assume is a beam reach.

Amasonia sails off towards the horizon.

With any luck, I will be able to catch Amasonia under sail once more this summer when she is rigged.