East End Classic Boat Society Community Boat Shop

Dear EECBS members,

We will be sharing a table with Jim Ritter at the Whaling Museum on Sunday from 1 to 5 and Monday from 10 to 3. It is the beginning of Sag Harbor's 300th anniversary. Come and help out for a few hours telling folks about our great new Boat Shop and forthcoming program. We need a few people to cover for Monday. I will be there on Sunday afternoon and would love to have you join me.

The boat shop needs more volunteers. It looks like we have worn out a good number as few are showing up on weekend work days. This Saturday, May 26th, we will start work at 9 and work well into the afternoon. Bring a lunch. We will complete the porch roof, do some electrical, prepare boards for the porch deck, and even nail on a few more shingles. Even if you can come for only a few hours your presence will be greatly appreciated.

If you have ever dreamed about owning your own classic wooden Lightning class sailboat one is now available for purchase. It does need some work and is sitting on a substantial trailer ready to be hauled to your yard. It is Lightning # 9464. Give me a call to learn about all the details. 631-324-2490

Hope to see you sometime this weekend.
Your skipper,
Ray

Dear Classic Boat Members, the attached photo should speak for itself but you cannot appreciate fully what has been created until you have the experience of standing on the deck and looking in all directions. Join us this Saturday for our topping off celebration from 11 AM to 1 PM and gain a true perspective of this incredible structure. This will be the last opportunity to have an opportunity to see the bare structure as next Monday they return to encase our boat shop in stress skin paneling.

This weekend we will be installing the floor joists for the porch which will receive the beautiful locust decking that we purchased two years ago. Bring your hammer and electric drill. You might even have the pleasure of screwing the first planks on the deck. Don't forget to get your reservations in for our holiday dinner at the American Hotel the evening of December 28th. As I noted in my Postal mail to you the cost is $50.00 per person. With seating limited to 70 you may want to get your reservation in early. Hope to see you on Saturday. Skipper, Ray

Dear Classic Boat member, our intrepid crew, 12 to 15 members each day, completed the laying out of 47 floor joists and over 40 sheets of plywood to complete the sub floor of our soon to be erected boat shop. The Sunday crew worked past sunset and was only prevented from completing the last three plywood sheets by the lack of PL 400, an adhesive used to firmly secure each sheet to the floor joists. (There will be no squeaking in our floors.) During the course of the week the last sheets were set in place.

This weekend's work party has far less to accomplish. We should have a light day on Saturday with a 9:30 start time. But don't let that keep you away from a visit to see what has been accomplished. I suggest that you pack a lunch and join us on the south edge of the deck overlooking the distant dunes. You may even see a deer or two along with the hawk that visited us last weekend. Join us for this bonding moment. With joy, Ray

Dear Classic Boat Society members and friends, I am pleased to report that our boat shop foundation pour was completed at 2 PM this 12th day of October, 2006. The forms will be removed tomorrow, the "I" beam will be set in place within a week, and the back fill will be done in 2 weeks. By the first weekend of November we should be able to lay the deck for the first floor and the porch.

For those of you that were unable to attend the groundbreaking let me say that we had a marvelous 75 to 80 folk show up. The talks lasted for just about 30 minutes so no one got bored. In addition to my summary of events leading up to the day Job Potter was there to provide his report from a town councilman's perspective, Jeff Sander spoke about how it began from our perspective, Bill McGintee, the town supervisor, provided his perspective, Richard Barrons, the new director of the Historical Society, spoke and Louis Mackall, our architect rounded out the talks with his perspective of our responsibility for turning an innocent piece of timber into something worthy of its existence. The final groundbreaking was given to Randy Richardson who built and donated the three boats that make up our fleet of loaners.

About 50 members went on to the reception at Ann and John Mullen's where they marveled at their timber frame summer living room that was made by the same company that is constructing ours. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the event which came to a close as a group of prospective builders poured over the plans laid out on the center island in their kitchen. Many long term members bid their farewell with great smiles on their faces as they were able to see what will be available to all of us in the not too distant future.

Then, this afternoon the excavation crew arrived and opened up the view to the ocean dunes and the ocean itself. It was breathtaking. Their work will be done by midweek with the foundation expected to be poured within a week or so.
We have launched a great project. Ray