Dispatch from the Land of Throwaway Boats

Restoring Fine Older Vessels Should Be a Priority, Veteran Surveyor Says

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The author is a NAMS Certified Marine Surveyor with an office in Marblehead, Massachusetts. His firm specializes in accident investigation, failure analysis, and expert consulting. This article was originally published in the now-defunct Professional BoatBuilder magazine.

By JONATHAN KLOPMAN

Despite breathless press coverage, the crusade for “carbon neutral boating” seems to be losing steam. Whether it is cost, a lack of viable “clean” watercraft, or the public’s recognition that putting around in a battery powered launch would get old quick, I just don’t see any sign that the green revolution in recreational boating that for the past 10 years was “just over the horizon” is steaming into view.

Even though I have a deep affection for internal-combustion engines, that doesn’t mean I am oblivious to the environmental waste in our industry. I see our impact, but as we look at strategies to reduce it, I fear we are missing the forest for the trees. Pleasure boating, in terms of hours of use per season, has been on the decline for decades.

Recent studies peg it at less than 50 hours per year, which means that a BMW X5 with conservation plates and a “The Earth is our Mother” bumper sticker burns far more gas in a year than the average recreational powerboat.

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So, what are we missing? Acknowledging that a boat’s power plant is surrounded by more than a ton of cured polyester resin is a big start. While the enlightened in our industry wring their hands over developing efficient electric propulsion driven by combustible lithium batteries, most of them have no compunction about chopping up thousands of viable hulls every year.

There are landfills choked with the skeletons of once proud marques—Hatteras, Bertram, Chris Craft, C&C, Bristol, Pearson. Where are the planet-conscious clean-boating advocates to speak out about this desecration?

The kneejerk answer is that it is simply too expensive to refit older vessels. A quick look at the staggering purchase price of new boats quickly disproves that. The problem is far deeper. While boat restoration is expensive, the real challenge these days is finding a yard that can provide the services ands skills required to meet the task.

I have always been proud and grateful for having worked at Graves Yacht Yard, Little Harbor, and the Marblehead Trading Company in Massachusetts.  The collaborative effort of being part of a team of committed craftsmen is what convinced me to spend the rest of my working life in the boat business.

The traditional “full service” yard is fast becoming history. Without ambitious projects, yards stagnate and lose skilled crew. Not so many years ago, well-heeled yachtsmen considered themselves patrons, instrumental in supporting an industry. Dodge Morgan was just such a Medici when he commissioned Ted Hood to build the record breaking American Promise at Little Harbor in Marblehead.

Everyone in the yard had a feeling that we were doing something special and Dodge was kind and smart enough to never let us forget it. He was a catalyst for attracting and inspiring talent. That old racehorse we built for him is still sailing, now a research vessel dedicated to cleaning garbage from the ocean.

And today? Does anyone really think that the trend of building lightweight multiple outboard center consoles is good for the industry’s sustainability? Last year I looked at a large center console with triple outboards and a cored hull. The outer skin was single layer of 1808- a 1/16” (2mm) glass hull intended to fish offshore at speed. I worked on a 30’ (9.1m) single skin/adhered grid production boat recently with a hull barely over 1/8”/3mm thick (not including the skincoat). I’ve noted that a disturbing trend in building modern sailboats is to glue a molded grid into the bilge using hull and deck putty.

Unsurprisingly, when one of these boats hits anything, the hue and cry is to declare it a total loss.

We are building throwaway boats, and no one seems to care. No one is going to restore a (insert brand of generic center console) or refit a (insert brand of giant French conglomerate sailboat). The heartbreak is that the trend towards pumping out disposable, labor saving production boats has gone on so long that many service yards are left with crews who can manage only basic maintenance, gelcoat buffing, and hanging outboards.

When the U.S. auto industry flirted with planned obsolescence in the late 1970s and ’80s, the response from Toyota was to build durable, reliable products. We all know what happened to the market demand for U.S. versus Japanese autos. We need to start convincing the boating public that boats are long-term assets that will retain value. To regain buyer confidence, we have to start building simple, rugged, honest boats again.

We’re told that the modern boater simply doesn’t have the time for boat maintenance and learning operating skills. Boating needs to be easier. Glitchy tech gadgets like joystick controls, gyro stabilizers and multifunction displays are touted as saviors for our industry. But do we really ned to cater slavishly to the whims of the distracted multitude? Are age-old lessons in seamanship, sailing culture and navigation truly anathema to the modern boater?  

It seems to me that young boaters with the abilities to succeed in highly technical careers have what it takes to master boat handling. We should emphasize that a relaxing day on the water is an antidote to the stress of office life, not a mirror of its hectic complexity.

Neither the planet nor our industry will  be saved by the next new gadget. Despite the potential moral validation, there is no realistic vision that we will be pooting about harbors in the nautical equivalent of Jetson Space Cars.

As responsible, environmentally aware marine professionals, we should be fostering the value of maintaining and rejuvenating more of the fine vessels that have already seen yeoman service rather than taking part in their ignoble demise in the rush to connect our customers with new models of dubious virtue or reliability.

© 2024 Rio Charters
411 Walnut St. No. 1944, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043

THERE ARE FRUIT FLIES ON MY CREST

A Laughable Distraction

Janice Anne Wheeler Oct 6

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Some things simply make no sense, and irony can be wonderful when utilized properly and taken with a grain of sand. The crew of STEADFAST is now SPARRING WITH MOTHER NATURE on the level of Fruit flies. Really? We were forced to leave the exploration of blue water and deserted islands to wonder about and experience the vivacity, annoying habits and mystery of tiny bugs? Geez! I hope you’re laughing. I am. What a great thing these distractions can be, a bit of comic relief in a world where there is an astonishing amount of sad news, conflict and aggression.

There are fruit flies on my Crest. Lots of them. We are still sourcing commodities to rebuild our wooden sailboat and trying to juggle the wetness of the weather with getting things done that must be dry. And there are fruit flies in the bathroom. Not just the bathroom, although that is their weirdest haven. They are everywhere; I have taken to storing my unrefrigeratable items in the hallway. This week, fruit flies have probably taken up more energy, time and research than the really big project at hand (which is going beautifully…more on that next week!).

Every time I go in, day and night, there they are, nuzzling my battery-powered toothbrush like an overripe banana, which it resembles not at all. They hover atop Crest and floss and Sensodyne. I don’t know much about fruit flies, frankly, except they (used to) occasionally and mysteriously appear near produce that I hadn’t paid enough attention to. If I picked out what was no longer edible, the problem always seemed to simply cease. But not here, not now. What I do know is that when I swing at them, I miss.

No matter how I scrub, soak and wipe, within the hour, you guessed it; there are fruit flies in the bathroom. Switter! You always have an answer. What do you think? Can I rid myself of them? (If you haven’t yet delved into Switter’s World, take yourself there; gripping stuff dashed with wisdom.) As I type that I’m thinking I should not complain as Switter has certainly experienced insects beyond my wildest imagination, so that thought in itself has calmed me down completely. Now all that’s left is the irony. I just took a break from editing this story (you guessed it) and while washing my hands one of the little buggers landed right on my nose!  Seriously? I know my nose is substantial but that seems a bit too bold. Of course, I missed. I always miss.

Poet & Writer Robert W. Service told us long to, “Be master of your petty annoyances and conserve your energies for the big, worthwhile things. It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out- it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.” I had not heard the first sentence of that particular quote, so thank you Goodreads.com. We are masters, don’t worry, but the pure ridiculousness of having fruit flies attracted to my teeth cleaning tools made me have to tell someone, and you, my readers, were the ones! I can’t just laugh about these things all by myself and I don’t know anyone here yet except the mailman, who hasn’t come through for me this week.

What do they WANT? Where did they come from? They very much enjoy my glass of wine each evening, some choosing to dive right in, an interesting demise. Even I don’t take that particular plunge, although I have always wanted to partake in grape stomping. I wave them away to no avail; by the time I’ve stirred the pot they have returned, lingering on the rim where I place my lips. Hmmm.

I am not apprehensive about the larger animals of the world, in fact, I seek them out. However, I am not a fan of creepy-crawly and/or fast-reproducing six-leggers. Grasshoppers have always made me crazy with their unpredictability and tremendous talent to bring themselves to eye level. Hair on the back of the neck rises, in fact. Grasshoppers give me the heebie-jeebies. I think we all have something that does that to us.

We are listening closely and praying for the victims and the rescuers in the Southeastern United States as my loyal friends at Salty Seas Cruisers Net, an incredible resource, https://cruisersnet.net/ dig out and take stock of tremendous damages and lost lives. Such unexpected impacts are startling to boat and land dwellers alike.

Thanks for following along as I SPAR WITH MOTHER NATURE’S creatures and creations great and small. Please click the little heart! Send me a note about fruit flies, random commentary on what gives you the heebie-jeebies, whatever.

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Please restack (below at right) and send this to other people that are also tired of all the sad news in the world. Most of all, ENJOY YOUR LIFE, even the things that bug you.

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Here’s your weekly flash of beauty in case you missed it, but this time it’s a sunset, because, well, WOW. Those rays to heaven!

If you Message me, that is not a public comment, but a private one. Feel free.

Sailing in the Wake of Columbus

A Seafaring Scholar From Florida Helped Rewrite History

PRECIOUS COMMODITIES

Essential, interesting, and surprisingly lovely. I’ve learned a lot.

Janice Anne Wheeler Sep 15

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Our first commodity has arrived and is resting quietly, enshrouded in newly purchased canvas, protected, draped carefully and evenly on all sides, to avoid damage from exposure to the elements. Rock solid yet fragile, it will soon be essential in its new environment.

Purpleheart Tree, scientific name Peltogyne, has many variations. This miracle of Mother Nature goes by a plethora of other monikers: Amaranth, Violetwood, Purperhart, Pau Roxo, Pau ferro and the indigenous namesakes, Guarabu, Morado, Tananeo. There are no Purpleheart trees currently on endangered lists and many countries, including Panama and Costa Rica, regulate the harvest to assist in its viability.

I’m sure this commodity was essential in its old environment, too, near the equator, on another continent, albeit bordering the same mighty ocean. We estimate that this lumber came from an impressive tree at least four feet in diameter and research deduces a height of 130-150 feet with a brilliant, green, protective canopy and thousands of shiny, paired leaves, each turning carbon dioxide back into oxygen for the earth’s unsustainable population. The color and size vary within its vast range from southern Mexico to southeastern Brazil. The main attraction of this beautiful wood is the length of its armless trunk, which can be as much as seventy feet; the single board we purchased was 6” x 12” x 27’. Purpleheart is revered for natural rot and insect resistance as well as strength and hardness, perfect for projects such as ours. The blooms are coveted by bees and beekeepers. Secondarily, its stunning color is used for watch faces, furniture, trinkets and household items.

Although it may seem rare and exotic due to its striking appearance, wood-database.com tells us that it is a durable, long-lasting, stable and sustainable wood species. We are all aware of the centuries-old conflict; man trying his best to survive and earn a living, while preserving resources and forests for both future generations and the innumerable organisms that dwell in them.

To me? This is a truly PRECIOUS COMMODITY. That stack of lumber will save my home. I’ve called myself a ‘Conservative Tree-Hugger’ for decades and claim complete independence from political parties (I simply vote for the best candidate…). Mother Nature’s environment is one of my most pertinent concerns, as my immersion and reliance is deeper than most. I’ve never before chosen to utilize something as potentially controversial as Rainforest hardwood, and I hope there are positive economic effects within one of the poorest nations in South America.

This tree was harvested, we hope responsibly, in Suriname and imported directly by Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, USA, located on iconic Martha’s Vineyard. I was admittedly surprised at the location of our resource and told our resourceful Boatbuilder (previously employed there) exactly that. Self-described on their website as “a small, flourishing, boatyard whose mission and passion is designing building, repairing, maintaining and sailing wooden boats,” it seemed the perfect place to obtain our wooden boat’s new components.

The 1350-pound slabs of eggplant-purple lumber will hold STEADFAST together and get her to another ninety years. Her stem (the very front piece of any vessel) and her knee (which attaches the stem to the keel, or bottom) were originally built of American White Oak and, while we found rot, it was due to ingress of water and not the quality or choice of the product itself. The most common phrase on this project? “It lasted ninety years. It doesn’t owe anyone anything.” And frankly, most of both of the pieces being replaced are still darn solid. These are the originals. 

Our second commodity is, perhaps, even more interesting if less exotic and colorful. STEADFAST was built by Brooklyn, New York’s Wheeler Shipyard in 1934; the exterior planking was Old-Growth Long Leaf Yellow Pine, which, according to The North Carolina Division of Parks & Recreation (here) www.ncparks.gov covered millions of acres of the southeastern United States. All harvestable trees experienced that demise by 1930 with the exception of a few in their state parks, one of which is claimed to be a remarkable 473 years old. I was exquisitely curious as to how they would know that about a living tree, but was not able to discern their method of determining such a tremendous and exact age. Does anyone know?

Regardless, we all realize that the natural resources of North America were ransacked upon ‘discovery’, particularly during the Industrial Revolution as it was such a period of massive construction. Prior to that, the British Crown exported many prime products to build warships, which the Colonies then fought against during the Revolution and beyond. The Long Leaf Yellow, also known as Heart or Loblolly Pine, was so strong and plentiful that it was used for everything from factories and railroad ties to boatbuilding. It, like Purpleheart, is naturally rot and insect resistant, allowing many of the beams from textile mills in the south as well as industrial buildings nationwide to be reclaimed. After many dead ends and one strikingly expensive option we were able to track down a true gentleman in Pennsylvania (and were sworn to secrecy) who is currently compiling the 600 board feet required to recreate STEADFAST’s bow with plank materials specified in the 1930’s. Our decision to not use original materials in the knee and stem was influenced by the fact that there aren’t pieces of oak as large as we wanted. You know why; that commodity, too, was overharvested.

Much of the lumber that you see today is Yellow Pine; it grows fast enough to farm and is so resilient that it has become a remarkably renewable resource when well-managed by landowners and lumber companies. The new growth is completely different than the centuries-old giants which fell before any of us were born. The difference between modern lumber and original old-growth is distinctive; note the very tight grain on the left vs a typical new growth plank.

Is this interesting to you, my readers? I don’t want to lose any of you and hesitated to write a story about lumber until I built this particular paragraph in my mind, standing on the elevated deck of STEADFAST, watching the reflecting pink sunset silhouette a church spire. Here’s the thing. One more thing.

This information about trees is perhaps not relevant to more than a few of you. But what we as curious, present, and forward-thinking individuals, understand and should keep in mind, on a daily basis, is how much we don’t know. And to me, nearly everything is interesting. “Who knew?” The inquisitive, the explorers, the travelers of the world are humbled, I think, when we realize how much we still have to learn, see, and perhaps experience, not everyone wants or is able to wander the planet.

Many of my favorite Substack comments come from readers who are intrigued or even intimidated by my experiences. Living on the water is understandably not appealing to most. I know we’re a little crazy. Many have had admirable instances of their own and now prefer to read from the comfort of their recliner. I hope, from the bottom of my writer’s soul, that I do an appropriate job transporting people to the rough North Atlantic or a quiet Bahamian beach. That is the writer’s goal, after all, isn’t it? To place the reader precisely where you are describing. No simple task, and I take it very seriously.

Reading can take you places that you have never been or never really wanted to go. It can teach you many things. In this modern age the same thing goes for audio and video, although I’m of the generation that I still prefer to hold a book in my hands for the full, relaxing, transporting, immersion. While I say that, every day I experience all of you electronically and IT’S WORKING WONDERFULLY!

Thanks for being interesting. J

Here’s your weekly sunrise from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, or as I call it now, Merry-land. After all, we’re staying through Christmas….

SPARRING WITH MOTHER NATURE has taken a bit of a turn from jousting on the deep blue sea with white sand and palm strewn remote islands to an unexpected and long term refit/rebuild. Like all dynamics this world tosses us, we adjust. My work on Substack is the best part of my week. I share my unique world with people who buy in, respond, empathize and contemplate. Please share these stories with others who you think may enjoy them. My telling seems to resonate with a few people and that just brings us all closer to humans in a busy, complicated world. So, simply and importantly said, thank you.

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