We're still in the grip of the summer doldrums, with many of our members not yet returned from their summer exodus. Volunteers are hard to come by, and even with so much remaining to be done, there are only the most dedicated few available to maintain very limited progress during this most difficult period.

With the afternoon temperatures still hovering in the 90's, only the most immediately essential outdoor projects receive attention. The clearing of the adjacent land is on hold, to be resumed next month. The landscaping of the entrance and the visitors parking area remains a future activity, although Ernie Anderson can still be seen riding the powermower in the hot sun, managing to keep our herbage somewhat under control.

The recent assembly of the Quonset shelter was a major accomplishment by an enthusiastic and devoted core of member volunteers. Since then it was been wired for lighting and power, as has been the boat shop, which now sports a new identifying sign. Tom Rickenback reminds us that work is needed to keep our historic boats in first class condition, and calls for volunteers with some experience in marine maintenance and restoration. He tells us our mahogany fleet needs attention, and seeks volunteers with marine machinery and carpentry experience, and knowledgeable in the application of marine varnishes. We'll need special marine varnishes and brushes, and he suggests that members check out their garages and other storage spaces to see if some such long fcomotten items might be found and donated. 

Meanwhile, we are keeping a weather eye out (and fingers crossed) during this peak of the hurricane season.

Tom Rickenback hospitalized briefly

Although remaining under his doctor's care, Tom Rickenback, our Treasurer and Business Director, is back with us again under Martha's watchful eyes, after a 911 trip to the emergency room, and subsequent hospitalization.

Officer and board member, Tom has always been one of our most enthusiastic
and active volunteers, and even now, although admonished by his doctors (and
Martha) to restrict his physical activities and "take it easy", he continues to apply himself vigorously to Museum matters.

Our exhibits afield

MYM's popular exhibit of ship models at the Robert Mcomade Library in
south Stuart is being held over for the month of September. Don't miss our
impeccable Liberty ship, sailboat and other models. MYM also has an
interesting exhibit of models at the St. Lucie Locks, including a Chinese junk,
a tugboat and a model of the locks themselves.

The Mcomade Library is located at 5851 SE Community Drive in Stuart,
near the Martin Hospital South off SE Salerno Road. The library is open
Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays 10 am until 5:30 pm, Wednesdays from 12
noon until 8pm and Thursdays from 10 am until 8 pm. Call (772) 463-3245
for details.

To visit the St. Lucie Locks exhibit, take route 76 (Kanner Highway) west
just past I-95 and the turnpike. Take the first right (you'll see a sign for the
locks) and follow it to the end. Turn right at the intersection and you'll see the
visitor's center. (Call (772) 219-4575 for visiting hours.

Boating and fishing stuff needed
By Stan Huddleston

One of MYM's few Annual Fund Raisers is selling donated stuff at the Nautical Flea Market every November in Pompano Beach. We have reserved space again this year and MYM is soliciting donations of boat gear, fishing tackle, dive equipment and other items of value.

The success of our participation is based on the quality of items donated. We do not need old, broken junk, but good, new or used marine items. Now is a good time to go through your boat and garage and collect together all the stuff you thought you needed, but have never used. Working marine electronics, boat building materials, mounted fish, dinghies, outboards, fighting chairs and similar items will be sold to raise much needed money to help pay the Museum's
real estate taxes and other operating expenses.

You can drop items off at the Museum at 3250 SE Kanner Highway, Stuart, Florida, or call Stanley Huddleston at (772) 287-9294, to arrange for free pickup.

The Bahamas dinghy, Part One
The first in a series of excerpts from William R. Johnson, Jr.s' classic
Bahamian Sailing Craft.

"In Fort Lauderdale, Florida some years ago, a customs officer was surprised when he looked up from his desk into the solemn face of a young black man. The man was stoutly built and wore pair of faded ragged pants. He carried a long pine sculling oar over his shoulder. 

It turned out that this carefree lad had sailed and sculled a 12 four dinghy across the Gulf Stream from Bimini in the Bahamas Islands. It seems that he had heard of the United States and wanted to see them, and this desire caused him to set sail for Miami. The flow of the Gulf Stream set him north and he made landfall at Fort Lauderdale instead.

It was a superb and daring feat of seamanship, and the man was lucky that the weather had held fair during the crossing. His unquestioning faith in his own ability and the seaworthiness of his little boat did not deter the immigration department from sending them both back to Bimini on the next freight boat"

Reprint rights granted by the author. To order a copy of Bahamian Sailing
Craft, please contact White Sound Press at (386) 423-7800 or  www.wspress.com. ($19.95)

Atlantans on the way?

In August, Atlanta's Journal-Constitution newspaper ran a feature praising Stuart's understated charms and unspoiled coastline. MYM, described by journalist Juanita Poe as a "quaint museum", topped the list of sites to visit,
which included the House of Refuge and the Elliott Museum.

Maritime daffynitions

crew - heavy, stationary objects used on shipboard to hold down charts, anchor cushions in place or dampen sudden movements of the boom.

berth - any horizontal surface whose total area does not exceed one half of the surface area of an average man at rest, onto which at least one quart of some liquid seeps during any 12-hour period and above which there are not less than
10 pounds of improperly secured objects.

Specialty volunteer sought

We have a large number of pictures of our Museum personnel and our activities, and we keep collecting articles about our Museum and its members, which we would very much like to get comanized into albums and scrapbooks available for all to enjoy. So we're looking for a volunteer to undertake the job of collecting, identifying and sorting these into albums or scrapbooks.
There must be someone out there willing to give the time and effort to undertake this very important task on a continuing basis. Whoever you are, please call us at (772) 692-1234.

Board will meet October 7th

The next meeting of the MYM board of directors will be held at the Museum at 6:00 pm Monday, October 7th.

This is Thompson's Bird
By Bill Milligan and Ted Guy

Thompson's Bird is a lovely 12-foot Bahamas dinghy that board member Ted Guy donated to the Museum. Built in 1956 or before on Man O' War Cay, Abacos by Kenneth Thompson, she was originally named Elsie W. Lowe and was most likely a working boat before being sold to a vacationer from New York.

Ted found her half sunk at Edwin's Boat Yard (Man O' War Cay) in 1966, and had Keith Albury rebuild her there. She was repainted to match Spinner, an 18-foot Edwin Albury dinghy also built 40 years ago. Ted had her shipped to the States aboard the Bahamian freighter MV Margarita IV, and picked her up at the port of Palm Beach in 1997.

Once in Florida, her transom was painted by Jim Race of Race Signs with her new name and the silhouette of a woman's derriere. Thompson's Bird doesn't have a deep keel or centerboard, just a skeg, but she sails surprisingly well and is a delight to handle. Ted and well-known artist Howard Schafer enjoyed sailing her in Stuart on the St. Lucie River.

Thompson's Bird was restored to an almost original condition - only her sail, a few planks, running rigging and one or two blocks appear to be non-original.
She now needs some minor repairs, though, which will be tackled by our Boat Shop crew after work is completed on Follie and Annie, the
Museum's other two Bahamas dinghies.

Come to our potluck luncheon

Don't fcomet that MYM will host a potluck luncheon at the Museum on Saturday, October 19th, for all of our members and volunteers. It begins at 1 pm. Nancy Burdick has agreed to coordinate the food. Those of you who wish to contribute food dishes should call Nancy at 283-1947 during the day, or 283-
2824 in the evening. 

Come and see the progress that has been made in the few months that we have been at the site, and get an idea of the work that still lies before us. You'll have a great time socializing with your friends, and at the same time understand why we need more hard working volunteers like those who have done so much to
bring us this far.

Did you know?

Cleaning products we commonly use to make our boats "shipshape and Bristol fashion*" often contain toxic ingredients such as chlorine, phosphates and ammonia that cause water pollution and can harm fish and wildlife. To be a more environmentally-friendly boater, please consider using these effective alternatives:
 

These and other tips (part of Florida's Clean Marina program) can be found
online at www.dep.state.fl.us/law/Grants/CMP/CleanBoatingHabits.htm.
Thanks for helping to protect Florida's waters!

* from the reputation the port of Bristol, England had for preparing ships for sail in good order.

More items for our wish list

Our hard working volunteers have let us know that there is a need for wood working tools. B i l l Lersch, one such volunteer tells us that we need a whole range of wood-working tools. He mentioned bench grinders, drill presses, a 14" band saw, and other such tools that many former do-it-yourselfers have
outgrown, and are taking up space in garages and attics. Hand tools, too. Power tools or hand tools, we can use them all, Bill said. You got 'em? We need 'em!
PLEASE !