–Tracing Footsteps, Jefferson County, Washington, Pam McCollum Clise
“In the winter of 1991-2, Pete Johnson, a local shipwright at the time, talked with Scott Swantner about having a local race for the boat builders in February, one of the coldest months of the year. The idea gained momentum and Swantner, Johnson, Dr. David Lewis, Libby Keefer and a handful of others organized the first Shipwrights Regatta. In the beginning, you had to either be a shipwright or sail with one. There were a dozen or so boats that participated made of Ferro cement, wood, fiberglass, steel, in all sizes. That first year, they just got together, planned the time and place, and when the race was finished had a small party at the Landfall Restaurant, with all the chili and scow chow they could eat and a couple of six packs of beer. Awards were a collection of informal and humorous items. Perpetuated awards for the event are now donations, pieces of art, and oddities still providing a lot of fun for the race participants each year. Among the awards are the Taku Award [now missing], a wooden box with the Kodak timer inside and a Plexiglass cover given to the first boat over the starting line. The Hook Award is made from the handle of a bilge pump and given to the last boat to finish to indicate that they should have hooked the boat ahead of them. The Directional Helmet Award goes to the boat that has headed in the wrong direction, gone the wrong way around a mark, missed the mark or other blunders. There is a fanciful list of other awards given out each year, most locally made with a sense of humor.”
Shipwright’s Regatta by Diana Talley
When I came to town, I could count on one hand the number of shipwrights that did not own a sailboat. The backbone of our fleet, almost all, old wooden wonders, owned, used and loved by our community of shipwrights. Our boats were our teachers, our inspiration, our connection to a broader world. Family members. Shipwrights: those who build or repair vessels of all sizes, often working 7 days a week, year round in all weather; bless them. There was a kind of brain trust group who noticed our tendency to work first and neglect life. A plan was hatched. The Shipwrights Regatta. Put down the tools, cast off the lines and remind yourself why you love boats, on the bay and mid-winter, with your competitors, your community.
Doug, a shipwright, whose business was called Doug’s Shim Shop and one of my neighbor boys on the dock and part of the brain trust, came to me. “We’re all going sailing on Sunday and I want you to come with us.” “I can’t go sailing. I have to work on my boat.” “No Diana, you’re coming with us! You absolutely have to take this day off for sailing!” Typically and not happy, I fought it all the way to jumping on the boat and motoring out the harbor. And then of course, life, wind, water, sailing… one of my all time best days. Ahhhh. Life, indeed.
Our first awards ceremony was impromptu and proprietary at Rob’s Landfall restaurant. We huddled around the wood stove. Less than a shoestring, we shared a 4 or 5 pack of beer amongst the fleet. Doug cooked up a huge pot of Scow Chow (a tasteless, healthy mix of beans, seeds and cardboard) which we were grateful to inhale. We recognized and celebrated our shipwright community. The regatta grew from there. No particular rules of racing, no starts, horns, classes. A course would be set, a different sailing master each year. Every year a different skippers meeting and awards ceremony venue. Jim Peacock would sail out a ways, light the fuse, put his fingers in his ears and the cannon would signal the start of the “race”. The awards ceremony lasted longer than the race and almost everyone won a prize. FUN! Community! Life!
I was “forced” (kicking and screaming) to participate in last weekend’s regatta (2021). My sweet friend, Scott Walker, insisted I join him on our bay, in a boat I’ve worked on for years but never sailed. SUBLIME!
Do you have more stories? Send them to info@ptsail.org and we will include them here.