Friendship Sloop

[Barry Pyeatt]

I spent several hours yesterday crawling all over, inside and out, a 32' Friendship Sloop (Aimee) at the Center for Wooden Boats here in Seattle.

The owner of the boat was there fitting a temp companionway hatch in place so he could rebuild the old one.

The Aimee was built in Alaska in 1975 using timbers from that part of the World. It has been here in Seattle for a couple years and is on loan to the Center for Wooden Boats for an indeterminate time. The cabin on this friendship was built to make cruising more comfortable than the small working cabins on the originals. It will sleep 4 reasonably comfy, has a nice sized table, alcohol stove, a porti-potti and portlights just like on the original Weekender, plywood and lexan. The deck is Cedar with canvas over it and then painted. Cockpit has seats very much like the Vacatoneer with hatch openings in the front and constructed very much the same as Stevenson's plans call for. Tiller and weighs in at 3800#. No ballast in the keel, it is loose pig iron ingots inside. But he doesn't know how much.

Nice standing rigging on it and the running rigging uses Harken blocks at the head of the mast, but wooden blocks everywhere else. He said they broke the wooden blocks in heavy air and seas about two years ago in the Straits of Juan De Fuca. They had it reefed into the second set of reef points and had furled the flying headsail and were reefing down the staysail when two blocks let go in quick sequence. Scared the bejeebers out of them as the gaff and main collapsed and the boom headed out. They use a 7.5 Johnson for aux and they got back just fine, but it took a while.

Been three years since they pulled it out to work on the hull, and it looks like it. All the varnish work needs to be redone, the hull needs chinking and to be stripped down and painted. But first they are going to pull a major portion of the keel and replace it with a formed lead ballast. Then they will put it back together and paint it hull and topsides.

Not as pretty as the Dictator, but it is a beautiful boat and he loves sailing in it. Very easy to single hand and wonderfully stable. Handles most anything you put it in with stability and comfort.

He said it will be back in the water by July 4th.

The photo below is from their website.

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[Barry Pyeatt]

Ok, I'll try that again.

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[Derek]

How neat Barry! Did you get any pictures on board? I hope you're keeping all this info. After this and Hawaii, you have some pretty good info starting to collect about boats and their builders/owners. Make a good book someday maybe, as you do tell of these experiences very well. Thanks!

[Barry Pyeatt]

Thank you Derek,

I enjoy writing, I haven't done much lately but for a ton of notes while I was gone.

I didn't have my camera with me, but I made a few quick sketches to work out and remember things. Lots of pretty cool traditional touches on that boat, it was built for function and handling, not for finish. But when they get it refinished it should be real purty.

I can go back and get some though.

He told me that there are two more Friendships in the area. One is fiberglass hull and reasonably new. It is in Saltwater at Shilshole Marina. The other is on Salt also, somewhere to the north of there. It is an older one modified for pleasure use. So it has the little cuddy cabin on it and a huge cockpit. He thought that both of them were a little smaller than this one. But he said they hold their own working against most other boats in their size range. All of them are carrying basically the same sail configurations and weigh about the same. So they do have fun. He has been back and forth to Alaska many times with it.

[Derek]

I get up that way once in a while (my folks live in Edmonds). I'll have to make it a point to stop by Shilshole or the CWB and see if they are around.

I try to write, but then I begin trying to print/type/tell as fast as I am thinking and I tend to abbreviate the idea or concept. Perhaps I should take a refresher writing course!

Again though, thanks. Even without the pics, you have the knack of creating the picture in one's mind.

[Phil Gowans]

Barry, What's that web site?

I am going to be in the Puget Sound area for that sail training next week. I don't have to be there 'till Thursday morning. I'm allowing 2 days drive up and 2 days back the next week. Hopefully that will give me a little free time. I'd like to check out a few other things while I'm there. Is the CWB a good place to visit? Could I see that Friendship sloop? Is there anything else I ought to see? I plan to check out Port Townsend a bit while I'm there. I haven't been to Washington State since the Worlds Fair. (What was that '64?) I have a niece in Edmonds and a nephew in Yakima.

I wish I could come a few days earlier and run into y'all at the Festival, but I'm leaving SWMBO for too long as it is and don't want to be gone over Mother's day as well.

Any suggestions?

[Guest Anonymous]

To my eye the Friendship Sloop may be the most beautiful boat ever designed. A close second would be a gaff-rigged schooner. I can't think of another boat that better captures the beauty and romance of sail.

[Barry Pyeatt]

Phil,

The Center for Wooden Boats is on the South end of Lake Union in Seattle. You would take the Mercer Streat Exit from I-5 and it will drop you right infront of it. You will love it. They have a lot of small boats there on up to a 4 masted Lumber Schooner. And yes you should be able to see the Friendship. It is the first boat on your right as you go down the gangway to the dock. A ton of books there as a part of their lending library for members ands some good ones for sale. There is a really nice classic "Piriate" sailboat being restored and rebuilt at their boat shop right now along with several smaller boats.

They offer a lot of workshops and have boats for rental and sailing schools galore in the area. Facinating place. Well worth the trip to see it.

The problem with trying to see the Friendship at Shilshole is the restricted access to the docks. And the size of the place is enormous.

If you want a beautiful and very interesting route to get to Port Townsend from Seattle, I would drive north on I-5 to the Mt. Vernon area, and take the La Conner exit. Drive thru the countryside, Tulip fields and visit LaConner on the way to Anacortes. Anacortes is on Fidelgo Island (gateway to the San Juan Islands). It is also where you would catch any of the Washington State Ferrys if you were going to any of the larger islands or to Victoria BC. Visit Anacortes, see the marina and the old houses and buildings. Drive around Fidelgo Island and then drive South on Whidby Island to go to the Port Townsend Ferry at Kingstone. You will cross Deception Pass bridge and see some of the prettiest sailing country in the world. Whidby Island is the longest island in the US and it is a world of its own. You will want to take a short side trip thru Coupeville on your way to Keystone to take the Ferry to Port Townsend. This drive and all of its myrid of things to see is well worth the drive and time spent. But you should allow most of the day to do it if you want to see a lot of the things along the way.

You will also love the Wooden Boat Center in Port Townsend. And Port Townsend itself. A beautiful turn of the century lumber baron town. Magnificently restored and lovingly cared for Victorian homes and magnificent light houses and old stores. Good restaurants and lots to see. You are going to also want to take a side trip to Squim and Port Angeles. Both are very close and if you are into lighthouses, Dungeness Spit is well worth visiting. As is the John Wayne Marina in Port Angeles. Lots of beautiful wooden boats in this area.

One other (more direct) route to Port Townsend will take you North of Seattle to Edmonds and you would take the ferry across and then drive across the Hood Canal Bridge and up to Port Townsend. Much history and beautiful sceneryin this area as well but you miss most of the really scenic areas enroute.

Here I am planning your trip for you. You have an itinerary already and I'm just being a proud Washingtonian. However, if you would like the nickle tour. I would be happy to give you some assistance.

The website for the Wooden Boat Center in Seattle

http://www.cwb.org/

I will be on the road next week, but I would love to meet you in person. Perhaps we could meet somewhere on your way back if you have time for lunch or to have some of the best fish and chips in the known world.

[Phil Gowans]

Barry,

Thanks for the detailed reply. I can see I need a lot more time. I had originally decided to make time and drive down around Tacoma skipping the ferries so that I knew I could be there early enough for my sail. I've got about 1000 miles to drive each way. If I high tail it the first day maybe I can do that trip on the way the second day.

I don't even know where I will be on the boat, just that the first day it will go to Sidney and will be in Canadian waters for the race.

I would love to meet with you, but knowing just where I'm going to be and when is really hard to predict yet. Hopefully I'll be able to know more as I get along. I was even planning to sleep in the car if I had to just because the traveling is so up in the air. I looked up Sammamish and it's not too far from Seattle. It sounds like I need to at least go to the CWB on my way. Perhaps the next week we can get together - Fish & Chips sounds great.

Thanks again.