open boat Festival

Here are some photos taken By Chris Barret. There are may more photos at the Open Boat Festival Facebook page. Here is a link. www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=25517381103
I'm not sure if you have to be on FB to view.

The finish

Open Boat Festival

September 18-19 was the 2nd annual Open Boat festival. Many Boats showed up and enjoyed the events. There was a rowing race in the morning and a sailing race in the afternoon. The rowing race was over 1 km. The fastest time was 16 minutes and the last in was 20 minutes. That's pretty good for human power. The sailing race was exciting. The winds were gusty at 15-20 knots coming from the shore. The sailors were amazingly skillful, it was a blast to watch. Next year I'm going in the race too. Here are some videos to fill your pallet.
The evening was filled with watching old videos, awards and a BBQ. It's a great weekend to hang out with good friend. I'm already looking forward to next year.
My photos turned out very poor quality so I'm going to ask my friend Chris for copies of his photos. I'll try to create a link to his pictures for you.
Thanks to all the participants vendors supporters.
This year we were sponsored from
All Bay Marine
Waypoint Marine
Brentwood Lodge and Spa
Paynes Marine
Westwind Hardwood
Pacifica Paddle sports
and us Abernethy & Gaudin

We could not have pulled off this great day without the support of our faithful crew. Not only do our employees work hard all day but the also put in so many extra hours to make all this happen. I hope they know how much I appreciate them. Dave, Trish, Chris, Erin, Theresa, Myrna and Jean, You guys are the best!!
I would not want to forget My wife Carrie-Anne who built the website and the posters through her company Creative Gravity Graphic design and Commuinication. www.creaitvegravity.com

Luckey guy

Theresa,Donell and Erin at the award banquet at Mederia Park Boat festival.

Our crew

Here is the crew relaxing on our trip to The sunshine Coast.
the reward of a job well done!!

Balandra's under way

The summer way traveled to Medera park with a couple of our projects. Balandra and Merva our two classics traveled across the Georgia Straight for there maiden voyages.

This summer

A short video of Trish in her boat.

Balandra sailing

Here we are, Shendra, Chris and me sailig Balandra after a long restoration. Sailing in Brentwood Bay we are getting ready to sail her to Medira Park at the end of the month.

Merva' Stanchions

Fresh from the foundry and cleaned up here at the shop. Bronze stantion bases ready to mount to the deck.

Kotick

Balandra's launch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82IeL-Mrr2k

On June 13 2009, 64 years to the day we re-launched Balandra in the middle of the night. Several weeks of hard work leading up to the launch payed off as this little jewel of a boat was re-united with her familiar home.
Thank-you to everyone who helped out and to those of you who came out to see the launch so late at night.
There are some finishing details to work on but we will have everything done for the Madeira park Boat show in the end of July.

Balandra at her dock


Bow detail

Before the launch

David spinning a yarn,,

A very content Shendra re-acquainting her self with and old friend.
Welcome home!

Kotick

Kotick an Enlish built Falmouth Cutter. She has been up in the shop for a little while now getting some much needed repairs. So far she has had the transom rebuilt, a new paint job, the mast re-finished, toe-rail repaired and a hand full of other things. This boat is in nice shape and the new work done to her will make her very hansom.

Transom planks and aft deck being fitted.

Here is Chris fairing the hull after the paint has been stripped.



Theresa re-shaping Koticks mast.

The crew

Here we are! the crew at A&G standing behind the latest completed project. Lucky is a Atkins knock about. We have just refit her with some new paint and she is ready to go. What a great boat.



The proud owner of the Jolly boat, getting her ready for the trip to Pender island for the summer.

Going back in time

Here ia a clip of Merva's engine coming out. This was back in January 2009.

Getting on with things

We are fully into our spring work. Painting anything that is still.
I have just returned from holidays to find the shop buzzing with activity. Several haul-outs and many projects crossed off the list.
In the shop now is a lovely boat re-built at the Cannon & Benjamen yard. They did a beautiful job to this little Alden knockabout. W are giving it the yearly service and a new paint job. Because this boat was shipped across the country we were looking for signs of damage due to being on the trailer. Good craftsmanship proves well as we could find nothing wrong with her. She is a nice addition to our collection of boats.

Merva is now sitting in the water in front of the shop. All the electrical and motor work is done. We are working on the little details of the interior. Our upholstery should be ready soon. I'm looking forward to showing her off at the shows this summer and fall.

Balandra is coming in to her final push. We will be launching her on June 14 2009. This marking er 64th anniversary of her original launch. Shendra ( owner ) is here this week to give a hand. She arrived on time and as usual with cookies for all and a great deal of enthusiasm. I'm looking forward to the progress this week.

MV Reliance a 42f motor boat is on the dock getting repaired,,,,,,we found termites!!!

Merva Launch

On April 10th we launched Merva at 7:30am. All went smooth, leaks were at a gallon every 2 hour, then stopping completely by the end of the day. That's how it should be. Now that Merva is at the dock we can finish off all the details. The boat is in almost operational mode. More varnish and paint. A few wires hooked up and we will be away to the shows. Looking forward to cruising back in time with this lovely machine.

Balandra is next to be launched. We have her completion date for JUNE 13th. exactly 65 years after her origunal launch. Looking forward to that. It will be a fitting re-birth for her.

We have two weeks to go until launch, 90% done 90% to go.
There is not a piece of this boat we have not touched during this project. We have made this boat the very best of both worlds. It was important to us to have the esthetics's of the boat as original as possible while having all of the modern conveniences of a new boat. I'd compare it to installing disk brakes on a classic car. While all the other cars on the road have incredible stopping capabilities the classic car is rear ending all the others. I don't know if that a worthy analogy but it's what came to mind. The list of mod-cons are new wiring, bilge pumps, lighting, engine, tanks hot and cold water system, radiant heat through out the boat and the engine, there are many more things on the list.
I'm really looking forward to the launch. I think we will make a big at do about it. Merva has been in the shop since Christmas.


Here is Theresa doing the final fill for the paint job


this is a sample of the exterior joinery, forward chain locker hatch.

More faring on the hull.

Mid-week

There are two types of progress - one that is obvious and one that exists behind the scenes. Weeks of paint preparations seem to disappear when the final coat of paint is applied. Seems like magic.

Erin is seen here in this picture dusting off. She has been in the forward accommodations on Merva for a while now. As you can see she really gets into her work.

Erin is seen doing the final details in preparation for paint.

Here is Theresa after sanding massive amounts of white paint. Way to go Theresa!

Balandra has been getting some attention - new house sides and canvas on top. She is looking really smart. The rigging has arrived from Yachtech. There is nothing like fresh stainless steel wire and turnbuckles. We have uncovered all the bronze hardware that was painted over. We are pleased to be a part of uncovering her beauty. I can't wait to see her back in the water and sailing in Brentwood Bay, if there is any wind!

Merva

Merva's side decks getting re-fastened and plugged


Forward accommodations or Erin's cave


This is the deck head that Theresa has been working on. It would have saved alot of time if we could have flipped the boat over.

We are pealing back the years on Merva. Every layer of paint on the interior represents a lifetime. If only the paint could talk. Stripping paint has become the bulk of the work.
The decks are getting new plugs, seams and fasteners. The trim is going back on and the bronze is getting polished. The engine is on it's way, the electrical is getting planned and Donell is hanging out at the bronze foundry. You could say we are in the thick of it now. I'm starting to imagine her on the water. She is going to look fabulous.

Super Dave

Dave removing the lead out of Merva. Lets count 5 lead ingots x 60lbs a piece = 300lbs. Good thing we are up to date with WCB.

Duen

Inside the Duen is Jean. He is fitting in the new inner stem piece.
Low impact- repair.

Here is a Norwegian sailboat built in 1939. Duen has worked her whole life . For the past 25 years she has belonged to a good friend. Duen has sailed around the world and presently she spends her winters here and summers in the Queen Charlotte Islands. Jean and I have been involve in many major projects on her over the past 10 years. This is the latest. The planking is Pine from Norway and has done remarkably well. The decay was localized.

Bronze and then some.

A solid cast rudder and the prop for Merva.

Canvas

This is Merva getting covered in canvas. This is one of my favorite jobs as a boatbuilder. It is just so satisfying to cover something with a consistent white blanket. We stretch the canvas by hand and staple it temporarily until we are satisfied with how it looks. Then we use copper nails and pull out the staples as they are made of steel and would rust at some point.

This is Erin laying out the canvas.



Here I am brushing off some copper nail clippings after we have stretched the canvas.
After trimming, we fill the weave of the canvas with many coats of paint.

Dream Boat

On Friday we finally had the chance to sea trial Dream Boat. This 42' Mathews is in bristol condition. The list of projects include, Paint, Stem repair, New transom and supporting structure, re-alinding the engined and engine supports. New shafts, bearings and re-align the struts. There is more. Dream Boat was a joy to operate.

Merva's engine came out last week. Here are the pictures. The engine had to be stripped down to its most basic form. The bell housing squeaked through the doorway with a 1/4 inch to spare. I suppose they had to get it in that way. The motor left a nasty greasy mess with wires all through out. After some time the bilge will be sparkling.

Merva photos 1944

This is Merva on the same day as the tender shot below. I would never recognize Sidney spit without a hundred boats on the hook. That Jerry's uncle in the doorway.


This is Jerry Stinson at age 5 with his mother in the stren and Aunt in the bow. 1944
Merva had two tenders. This one was towed behind. The tender we have in the shop goes on deck.



Merva at Musgrave landing 1944. Thats Jerry on deck