Weak Moment

by | Mar 12, 2019 | 2018-2019, Home Page, ISA, Spaight St Syndicate

The SSS “Pop-Up” Carbon Station Note: Newly installed hazmat barrier protecting laundry room. You’re welcome, honey.

News from the Spaight Street Syndicate

Look what appeared in the inbox this morning! An update from our other area Skeeter builder, Daniel Hearn, mentioned in yesterday’s post.

At the Northwest Regatta in January, I had the chance to sail the C-Skeeter “Drifter.” I’ve always admired the boat from afar, but resisted the temptation to look into it further. But then this very nice man named Pat (might be an alias) saw me checking her out. He must have sensed an easy target. I didn’t see his white van or puppy, but I’m sure he has both. And he smiled so warmly as he shared his chocolate. Next thing I know I had downloaded the plans and was purchasing Baltic Birch. If Pat is married, I hope his wife is not high maintenance, because Pat is now receiving more correspondence than Dear Abby. No doubt he’s already regretted giving me a taste, but it’s too late to turn back now.

First thing I had to do was extend my DN building table. Check. Now I’m at 20 feet and level. With one foot to spare on each end. Good thing I’m kinda scrawny. And good thing that window is where it is, otherwise this thing would be a permanent fixture in my basement. I measured twice. I’ll get her out. I think? Jack Ripp used to talk about “building in a closet.” Now I appreciate that.

Edge-gluing outside plank lamination.

The next thing I did was embrace my deficiencies. I know next to nothing about Skeeters, so I consulted the brain trust who knows everything. Pat Heppert and Bill Buchholz have openly shared their experiences building Pat’s design. And the A-Skeeter guys have shared lots of info with a guy who’s been playing around with those “toy boats” for some time. Many thanks to Jay Yaeso, Kenny Whitehorse, Paul Krueger, Bob Kau, Tom Nichols, Henry Bossett, Steve Orlebeke, Jim Nordhaus, Jerry Simon and others. With their help and tips, I might actually be able to do this. And one more thank you to my brother, Brian, who is providing a second set of hands and valuable structural input pulled from his experience as an architect.

Rough springboard, boom and plank middle “ladder” lamination. Ladder yet to be tapered with my planer. Maybe next weekend. Don’t tell my neighbors! Note: Hull “escape hatch” window above.

Yesterday, I also had the pleasure of visiting with Bill Mattison, the man who probably knows more about Skeeters than anyone on the planet. Bill is on the mend from a little setback. When I showed up at his room, I met Bill Jr. and granddaughter, Abby, who live in Racine. Told them I love going there for regattas. When I mentioned Cupie Burgers, Well Brothers Pizza and Cliff’s for breakfast, I think they thought I was legit. Well, when I started talking iceboats with Bill, he lit up light the North Beach Harbor lighthouse. I showed him pictures and videos of what’s going on in the shops and Abby giggled when he struggled with the technology. Just listening to Bill exposed how little I know about the Formula One of iceboats. But I enjoyed every second. Bill Jr. said he hadn’t seen his dad so engaged for a long time. That was nice to hear! And what a treasure we have in Madison with so many elder statesmen of ice sailing!

So much for my rambling. Here’s what I’ve scratched off my list so far. With my limited building space, I started on the small stuff first, and when the weather is reasonably warm on weekends, I jump outside to disturb my neighbors making sawdust in the driveway. (Had a visit with a Madison police officer yesterday. Nice guy!)

    • Mentioned to my wife in passing that I “might” build another boat. “Really,” she said, as she smiled lovingly. (That may have been a question, but I’m going to punctuate with a period. She’s the best!)
    • Bulkheads cut out. (Twice, actually. Decided it wasn’t a good idea to try to make her shorter and skinnier). We’re not into “body shaming” on the near east side. Pretty much anything else goes, however.
    • Four bulkheads surrounding cockpit covered with two layers of carbon. (Learned how to do it poorly on the first one. Will cover again to hide my ineptitude).
    • Springboard formed, shaped and covered top and bottom with carbon.
    • Boom covered with carbon.
    • Middle “ladder” lamination of plank complete.
    • Stringers and spines cut to size.
    • Canopy located and ordered.
    • Trailer designed and ordered.
    • Sideboards and other plank laminations planed to size.
    • Long list of potential names generated. (Class rule that Skeeters have a name on the side).

Next up—edge-gluing boards to get required height or width for sideboards and outside plank laminations. Then, gluing up the plank.

P.S. “Hint. Hint.” Got it, webmaster!
-Daniel

The Two Mr. M’s

by | Feb 12, 2018 | 2017-2018, Home Page, Ice Optimist

From left to right is Ivar Steffner, Gustav Lindén, Wilhelm Alness, Axel Steffner, Oskar Svensson, Rasmus Söderman.

From Ron Rosten, just returned from the Junior World Championship:

Parallel Universe. The gentleman standing behind Team Sweden is Uppsala’s Kjell Mattsson. Every DN in Uppsala, Sweden has been built, repaired, or upgraded in Mr. Mattsson’s shop. Does this sound familiar to anyone in Madison with an almost identical last name?

Looking Back: The Gar Wood Regatta

by | Oct 19, 2017 | 2017-2018, Home Page


Skeeter Iceboat Club’s Jane Pegel is reviewing her scrapbooks in an effort to help fill in some history for the DN North American Championships. She’s sharing notes from other regattas and I’ve picked out the 1968 Gar Wood for today’s Throw Back Thursday.
Garfield Wood grew up in the Midwest, was an inventor invented the hydraulic lift, owned the company that was to become Chris Craft for a time, and raced and built wooden motor boats that broke speed records. This guy’s accomplishments were amazing (read them here and here). Gar Wood was interested in speed so it’s was only natural that he sponsored a prestigious iceboat regatta in Detroit, the Gar Wood. The Gar Wood hasn’t been sailed for in many years.
There are no photos from this regatta in my files but I have included the program from the 1958 Gar Wood, a 1968 newspaper clipping from the Wisconsin State Journal with Jane pushing Susie in her DN on a light air day, and two pages from Lynn Mattison Raley’s book she made for her dad, Bill Mattison that focus on 1968, which is the year he won the Skeeter class at the Gar Wood.

Feb 24-25. 1968.  Gar Wood regatta on Anchor Bay.  65 boats total in Classes E, Renegade, Arrow and DN

The Scripps Trophy for the DN class was won by Jane Pegel, with Stan Woodruff second and Roy Holden third.  DN juniors were led by Dan Kuemmerlein (Pewaukee), Mike Harvey second, Tim Woodhouse third.  Bill Mattison had won the ISA the previous week and a win at the Gar Wood earned him the Triple Crown (The Northwest was not sailed.)    Elmer Millenbach won the York Trophy for Renegades.   Mike Hendrie won in the Arrows.
Source: Jane Pegel

Note: Click on each image to see the full size.

Every Picture Tells a Story

by | Jun 19, 2017 | 2017-2018, Home Page

From the Herb Krogman collection

This photo was published in the Wisconsin State Journal on January 18, 1952 as part of the Northwest Regatta coverage. The WSJ caption read, “Among the Madison entrants in the regatta is John Bluel in his Class E boat, the ‘Shadow’. The picture shows Bluel about to be pushed by his crewmen, left to right, Vic Hustad, Peter Barrett, Phil Town, and Herb Krogman. Bluel is in the cockpit.”

What makes this picture worth delving into is the presence of Peter Barrett who would go on to win national sailing championships, medal in the Olympics, design sailboats, and achieve a dizzying array of other accomplishments . He was inducted in to the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2012.

Peter Barrett was well known for “his willingness to share his go-fast secrets with his nearest competitors, even during the Olympic trials,” a trait he had in common with 4LIYC Skeeter sailor, Bill Mattison. In the book she wrote about her father, Lynn Mattison Raley shared a story involving Peter and Bill.

Bill was quick to help or teach a fellow sailor as well. In the early 1960s, his good friend, Peter Barrett, was preparing for his Olympic campaign in the Finn class sailboat. At the Olympics, competitors received a rought-cut wood mast that they had to custom shape for their individual weight. Using skills gained form the years of building iceboat masts, Bill showed Peter how to shape his mast so that it would be just right. Barrett competed in the 1962 games and earned the silver medal in the 1964 games. [In 1968, Peter won Olympic Gold in the Star Class crewing with Lowell North-Deb.]