FYI

LAKE CHAMPLAIN CHAPTER
FEBRUARY 2006 SOUNDING
Welcome to the second edition of our chapter’s monthly email news
letter.

Upcoming Events:

February 8    5PM LC Director’s meeting and dinner @ Jan Dean’s, 73
Blair Road, Cumberland Head (518) 561-6016    Members are always
welcome.

February 18      Workshop @ Jodi Lapham’s shop, Bridport, VT (details
below)

Dee Carroll is excited that we will rendezvous July 8th to celebrate
the Carroll Family’s 25th year at Westport Marina. They have done a
great job there. There will be a luncheon buffet with entertainment
and lots of activities throughout the day. See www.westportny.com for
accommodation details ASAP if you want to stay overnight.

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     2006 Lake Champlain ACBS Boat Show &Lake Champlain Maritime Festival
January Update :

January was a good month for getting most of our goals accomplished.
Echo Center, our last waterfront destination has agreed to participate
in the Maritime Festival. That completes our waterfront program. The
participants are The Lake Champlain: Community Sailing Center, U.S.
Coast Guard, Antique Classic Boat Society, Echo Center, Maritime
Museum, Ferry Boat Co. and “Lois McClure”.
>
We have also met with the Burlington Chamber of Commerce Communications
Director and they are on board and very excited about our Festival.
The reaction in all cases “this program is just what the waterfront
needs, a true waterfront event”. But more important The Chamber will
in fact become our Public Relations Arm for LCACBS Boat Show as well as
the entire Festival. This will be instrumental to LCACBS in that The
Vermont Air Guard has hired an outside Public Relations Firm and they
will work closely with The Chamber to get the weekend message out.

The Vermont Air National Guard held a meeting at The Sheraton and
updated us on the calendar of events and the Thunderbirds exhibition.
The meeting was basically a review of events but there was not much
new. The big concern, which does not affect us, is
logistics…transportation and parking? Our show will be well on its way
prior to their planned 1p.m. transition from The Guard Base to the
waterfront.

February brings us to more meetings…Key destination participants to set
up committees. The Vermont Air Guard to keep up to date. And finally
what ever comes up.   Mike O’Brien, Keith Gaylord, Bob Melrose   (show
chairs)

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Lapham Workshop: 10 AM - afternoon. Lunch at the Bridge Restaurant.
Jody’s 1901 Lozier Launch is in the shop and may be ready to roll
upright using slings and other tackle. Fun. He has lots of interesting
projects. We can start the 1905 Gray Marine one cylinder put - put.
Polish sand castings, Steam bending, Caulking etc.

From the Champlain Bridge on the Vermont side, head south on Route 125
(Bridge Family Restaurant). Go 2.5 miles, turn right at mail boxes
with number signs 7871 & 7873, go a quarter mile down the drive and
make a left turn to the Lapham’s (802) 758-2399. The shop is in the
cellar below the garage.

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*****
THE LAPHAM CHRONICLES
We have three boats. Last month we talked about our 1958 CC
Continental and its weird handling problem after restoration - if
there is such a thing as "after restoration". I say this because
there is always a big list of stuff to do after the show. The other
two boats are a launches a 1901 Lozier and a 1926 Fay and Bowen Long
Decker.

   The Long decker was a gray wreck considered un-restorable by most.
She purportedly had lain on the ground for one or more decades. In
order for her to make really good contact with the ground, some one
had removed all the hardware, including the shaft, strut, propellor
and all.

   Fay and Bowens like this one had a two part strut consisting of a V
base and a barrel for the shaft bearing. I have not been able to
locate this hardware in twenty years of scrounging, although I have
been relatively successful in finding the other hardware.

   A full size pattern of the "V" was made of "pattern grade"
mahogany and sent to Mr. Arthur Anthony at Mystic Valley Foundry in
Sommerville MA (617 547 1819) . Arthur did a nice sand casting job
in Manganese Bronze. Manganese Bronze is a common alloy for marine
applications where strength is a factor. The model was not faired
because I thought it would be difficult to remove from the sand
boxes, called the "cope and drag".

   If you are a first time user of a sand casting foundry, a good
source for books on the subject is "Lindsay Publications, POBOX 538,
Bradley IL 60915. Lindsay specializes in reprinting books of arcane
technology - I find them very interesting. Arthur is also a very good
resource.

   Picture below shows the casted strut piece along with the model. The
fairing was done with an Angle grinder. Fairing was interrupted by
the need for a finger bandage and and has not resumed yet. It's not a
good job if there isn't some blood: Ref: John Steinbeck, the Wayward
Bus"

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Team Melrose (Bob, Henry & Jim) did a fine job hosting an instructive January workshop

Bob Melrose demonstrated some fine points about marine electrical systems and gremlins. Thank You! photo: Larry Asam

PRESS RELEASE

New England Vintage Boat Auction

The New Hampshire Boat Museum?s annual auction is scheduled for July 15th, 11:00 am at the Museum, located on 397 Center St. (Route 28), Wolfeboro, NH. This year the Museum will again have Wayne Mock, (NH Lic. #2111) as its auctioneer.

Last year?s auction had 135 registered bidders and 170 lots with sales totaling $98,000. We are looking forward to another banner year. The Museum is actively seeking consignments and donations; consignments received by March 30th will receive a reduced commission. The auction will be promoted in boating publications, websites and with press releases. For more information and a sampling of last years sales visit www.nhbm.org or contact us at 603-569-4554. Proceeds from the auction benefit the Museum and its programs.