John Gardner Small Craft Workshop

Welcome Participants
John Gardner Small Craft Workshop
Brought to you by TSCA, WoodenBoat and Mystic Seaport

Mystic Seaport is partnering with WoodenBoat and Traditional Small Craft Association to host the John Gardner Small Craft Workshop as part of the WoodenBoat Show. Participants can both enjoy the Show and follow John Gardner’s example to show that traditional small craft are a practical and economical way to enjoy the water. The SCW will be based on the Australia Beach where a string of floats will be provided for our use. The workshop will include display of participant’s boats, shared use of participant’s boats at the discretion of the owner, demonstrations of small boat skills, morning rows on Saturday and Sunday and guided access to the Museum’s boat storage area. This should be a great time to get together with like minded traditional boat folks, to share our love and knowledge of traditional small craft with others and spend some quality time with friends new and old on the beach and underway. It is desired that all workshop participants volunteer to help out with one or more of these activities.

Please be sure to send in your registration form by June 19.

WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES

Use of Participant’s Boats:

• These boats will be located on the beach or the floats at the Australia Beach and available for use by others at the boat owner’s discretion. We will need volunteers to oversee the use of the boats. PFDs should be worn when out on the water to be consistent with the Boat House rules, so be sure to bring your PFD.

Mystic Seaport Boat House Livery:

• WoodenBoat has made the Boat House Livery available for you to try out a variety of rowing and sailing craft at no charge. The Boat House rental boats will be in operation during the Workshop but at no charge during the weekend so feel free to experience any or all of their beautiful collection of rowing boats. The Boat House will operate independently from the Workshop with their own rules.

Demonstrations and Workshops:

• Several workshops, both on land and in the water, are planned and participants are invited to suggest ideas.
• Topics will include: Rowing and feathering, sculling, rigging, reefing, capsizing, sail setting, hardware making and outfitting for safety. We will need volunteers to give these demonstrations.
• Demonstrations are scheduled on Friday at 3pm, on Saturday at 11am, 1pm and 3pm, and on Sunday at 11am and 1pm.

Morning Row:

• We will have a morning row starting from the Australia Beach on Saturday and Sunday morning at 8am. One day we will do down river and the other we will go upriver. All workshop participants are invited to go on these rows; hopefully for those who do not bring boats to the workshop we will be able to find places for everyone on board a boat.

Mystic Seaport Small Boat Collection Open House:

• The Small Boat Collection will be open each day from 2:30-4:30. This collection of over 400 boats is not normally open to the public. We will offer a tour each day. The time will be announced.

Saturday Night Tribute Dinner:

• On Saturday night, join us in the Boatshed for WoodenBoat Magazine’s 40th Anniversary Celebration! Tickets for the Tribute Dinner must be purchased in advance of the Show by calling the WoodenBoat Store at 800-273-7447 or online at the WoodenBoat Store.

WORKSHOP LOGISTICS

Check in:

• Check in at the WoodenBoat Credentials Booth on Friday between noon and 5pm and on Saturday between 7:30am and 10am. It is located near the big anchor in the courtyard of the main entrance to Mystic Seaport. You will get a wristband that will give you access to the museum grounds for the weekend. Proceed to the TSCA booth at the Australia Beach (#12 on the map). If you are bringing a boat see the “Load in and out of boats” section below for times and access.

Load in and out of Boats:
(Be sure to check in at the credentials booth first)

Car Top Vessels:

• You can drive onto the grounds of the Museum on Thursday 5-8pm, Friday from 6-9am and 6pm-8pm, Saturday from7-9am and Sunday from 5-10pm. Access is through the Galley Restaurant Gate (just north of the main entrance to the Museum). Due to activity around the Show, the Shipyard gate will not be available.

Trailered Vessels:

• You can also load in at one of the Mystic town boat ramps. The most convenient is Isham Street, directly south of the Mystic Seaport shipyard. Please obey local regulations and do not park your trailer or vehicle on Isham Street.

Forklift Assistance:

• There will be a forklift in the Shipyard on Saturday morning 7:30-8:30am and Sunday afternoon 5-6pm to assist with launching and hauling. Your boat can be lifted by slings from the forklift, Mystic Seaport will provide the slings.

Trailer Parking:

• Please park your trailers at the Mystic Middle School, 204 Mistuxet Ave, Stonington, CT 06378. Offsite Trailer Parking maps will be at the Credentials Booth. This is a very busy weekend for the Museum, so there can be no trailer parking allowed in Mystic Seaport parking lots. XX Boats in the Water:
• We will have floating dock space along the Australia Beach.

Boats on Land:

• There will be land space adjacent to the Australia Beach and towards Lighthouse Point.

Lodging:

• Bunks are available on CONRAD for Friday and Saturday nights. They are NOT available on Thursday night. Sign up for this on the registration form. The fee is $15/night. There can be no food or drink stored or consumed aboard CONRAD. Please bring your own bedding. It is available after 5pm on Friday, and there will be an orientation meeting onboard at 5:30pm on Friday.
• There are many local hotels and a few campsites. We suggest you make reservations early to ensure availability.

Mystic Seaport photographs and videotapes:

• Occasionally the Seaport will take photographs and videotapes of visitors while on its grounds for use in a variety of publicity and promotional materials and to advance our educational mission. We thank you for your cooperation and support.