Building "Pete's Banjo"

By Thomas A Gibson

Since 1984 New Jersey Friends of Clearwater's Environmental Sail Program (ESP) gave free environmental sail boat rides in a historical, 26 foot Tuckerton River Sailing Garvey. That vessel was retired to a seaport museum, and we needed a new vessel. Planning, construction, launch, and sailing are all presented as a photo album with captions and narrative. Planning and construction were done by a crew of about 20, all volunteers, mostly no experience. But we did have a few with experience. Thirteen months of Saturdays did the job. Typical Saturday had 5 or so, but a couple of all-hands calls turned out 14. Over 100 photos, eight drawings.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas A Gibson
• Release date: May 31, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370271948

Thomas A Gibson

Tom Gibson is a retired Bell Labs engineer and independent software consultant who has lived in the New Jersey shore area since 1962. He learned sailing racing a Jet 14 on the Navesink River. Tom has been associated with the New Jersey Friends of Clearwater and the Navesink Maritime Heritage Association organizations for many years. He is a skipper of the “Pete's Banjo”, a variation of a traditional clamming garvey that is operated as a historical vessel on the Navesink river. Tom's specific interests are traditional craft operation, boat building and environmental awareness.

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Building Pete's Banjo

Thomas A Gibson

Published by Thomas A Gibson at Smashwords

Copyright 2017 Thomas A Gibson

Creative Commons License Statement at end

Table of Contents

I. What is a Garvey?

II. The NJ Friends of Clearwater's Environmental Sail Program

III. The Need for a Replacement Vessel

IV. Early Thoughts, Getting Organized

V. Funding

VI. Construction

Planning

Consulting - Sketches

Scantlings - Cut Plan for the Sides

Acquiring Materials

Work

Early parts (molds, transom, leeboards, rudder)

Scarfing the sides

First assembly – sides onto molds, chine logs, keelson

Pulling the sides in; first bottom plank and transom

Bottom

Outside glassing

Keel

Skeg

Bottom Paint

Turnover party

Lee Boards

Rudder

Inside Glass

Frames

Sheer clamps, aka Rub rails

Middle stuff

Forward stuff

Aft stuff

VII. Mid-Winter Status

VIII. Spring Awakening

IX. Launch

X. Sailing

Glossary

Invitation

Links

License

About Tom Gibson

(

Painting by Ann Crawford, courtesy of Billie Crawford McNally)

I. What is a Garvey?

A Garvey is a flat bottom boat with a square bow, very low on the water. It is a protected water boat, bays and rivers, not intended for outside or off-shore use. Its design originated in Tuckerton, New Jersey, on Little Egg Harbor, in the early 18th century. It is designed for shallow water use, clamming, fishing, oyster dredging, taking produce to market, household moves, and more. It has been likened to modern pickup trucks in its variety of uses.

Garveys evolved over the centuries. Originally sailing and rowing vessels, they were fitted with engines, both inboard and outboard. Some had open cockpits and others had cabins.

In the 1970's a club in Toms River, NJ, started the construction of a 26 foot sailing garvey. They used classical construction: planks and caulking between them and galvanized iron fastenings. Very little plywood, just for the decks. They got about that far when the club dissolved. New Jersey Friends of Clearwater acquired the almost finished hull and the sails about 1980. During the winter of 85-86 I had the boat at my house, and with work parties most Saturdays we finished the boat. In June, 1986 we launched it. It was tight, taking no water. It sailed and rowed very nicely. We named the boat Adam Hyler after a New Jersey revolutionary war patriot who sailed several types of boats, including garveys. He used them to raid British shipping anchored in Sandy Hook bay.

II. The NJ Friends of Clearwater's Environmental Sail Program

We started a weekly sailing program, the Environmental Sail Program (ESP). Word of mouth, no reservations, just show up and you get a boat ride in this historic vessel, and a bit of an environmental discussion.

We could accommodate 8 people including