1998-1999 News

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Adult Boat Building Class(5-20-99)
Launching the Atlantic skiffs built by the adult boat building class on April 17, 1999

New Floats and Ramps(5-20-99)
Volunteers built new floats and ramps at the Boat Shop on April 17, 1999. These floats will give the Boat Shop water access for the first time since the renovation project started in 1996. They will be used for on the water programming. The floats and ramp were made possible by a grant from Lowell's Boat Shop Trust.

Livery Plans are Solidifying (1-7-99)
We are ramping up activity again after a slow time during the restoration of our building. We are beginning to implement plans to increase our visibility and increase the demand for our historic craft and the classes we teach about them. The central idea is to reintroduce folks to the pleasure of rowing in a swift, stable, sturdy craft and to teach them the steady tidal rhythms of an all-but-forgotten era.

First, we need access to the water. A total site rehabilitation is in the planning stages. This will include Rebuilding the bulkhead and improving the parking area and providing easy exterior access to the dock area. This is not ready to happen this year, but we will be able to make a new ramp and floats for this season. We plan to have a volunteer float-building party in April.

With the dock in the water, we will be ready to put a few boats in the water and start the Lowell's Boat Shop Livery. Until we have a Livery Supervisor, hopefully starting Memorial Day Weekend, the Livery will be open to Livery Members only. Members must pass a competency test before being allowed to take out the boats unsupervised anytime from Dawn to Dusk. Members will be able to use the boats as long as they are in the water, from spring to late fall. Starting Memorial Day, a supervisor should be in place to watch over people interested in trying the boats out on an hourly basis. Initial supervised livery hours are planned to be Wed.,Thurs.,Fri. for 3 hours a day and Sat. and Sun. 6 hours a day. Livery boats will also be used for on-the-water classes and tours.

This is a bold new undertaking for Lowell's Boat Shop. We need to plan and proceed carefully and steadily. Only with help from Livery Members and Volunteers, can this project get safely underway. Please call, write or stop by to join the Livery, volunteer, or to apply for the position of Livery Supervisor.

Nock Middle School Launches 16' Amesbury Skiff (1-7-99)
On the shortest day of the year, the intrepid Discovery Team from the Nock Middle School in Newburyport carried the product of their labors out of the wide front doors of the shop and down to the edge of the river. After a brief ceremony during which everybody except the boat-building instructor got soaked with sparkling cider, what had started as a pile of lumber and fastenings slid down into the water and EVERYONE hopped in -- All 12 students, two teachers from Nock Middle School, and the Lowell's boat-building instructor. The capacity was thus determined to be 1822lbs. A short row proved to the students the quality of their construction. The skiff now awaits paint and an outboard engine before being launched officially in the spring. At that time the Institution for Savings, the major sponsor of this project, will again be gratefully recognized. We at Lowell's are grateful to the Nock Middle School as well as the Institution for Savings since the Middle school will allow the Lowell's Boat Shop Livery Supervisor to use the 16'Amesbury Skiff to shepherd wayward livery boats out of danger.

Boatbuilding Night Class with Bob Elliot (12-2-98)
Our favorite instructor, Bob Elliot, will start his next class on January 5. The class will be building two Merrimack Skiffs. The class meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 9:30, for 8 to 10 weeks. One of the completed boats will be raffled off to the participants of the class, and the other will enter the shop's livery (the existence of which is soon-to-be-announced). This class will cost $500 (that includes entry in the raffle). There will be a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 12 students, so sign up early. For more information, call Mike Browne at the shop, 978-388-0162

Waterfront Plans Are Developing (12-2-98)
Mickey Culver of the Lowell's Boat Shop Trust, has volunteered to head a waterfront committee to study its possible improvements and uses. The NMS has endorsed his leadership on this issue. Mickey has been gathering information pertinent to rebuilding our dock, ramp and floats. Soon, he will have a meeting of interested parties to explore what can be done. Ideas include establishing a boat livery, creating a staging point for on the water programs, and enabling a water connection to the Custom House in Newburyport as well as the Haverhill Historical Society. Anyone wishing to become involved with the plans for the waterfront should call Mike Browne at the shop, 388-0162.

Volunteers are Organizing (12-2-98)
Under the leadership of Sally McKay and Kathy Lowell, volunteers first met around the woodstove for an informational session on volunteering. Sally provided Coffee and donuts and bagels, and we had a good turnout. A few weeks later a work party did a wonderful job cleaning the grounds, taking down a rotting butternut tree, splitting and stacking firewood, and cleaning windows. Most recently, the volunteers met for a tour guide training session with the guidance of Jim O'Dell and Dr. Bob Kellard, who is writing the general tour script. We are still looking for more volunteers. Contact Mike Browne at the shop, 388-0162.

Peter Gibb Stores Artifacts (12-2-98)
Peter has built shelves and racks in the upper loft of the Lowell building for storing hundreds of old patterns and jigs. Most of the patterns were recently returned to the shop after Ralph Lowell brought them to the Strawberre Banke Museum over twenty years ago. Peter has organized and cataloged what he believes are many complete sets of patterns for old boats. More research will be possible when everything is carefully stored. Strawberre Banke still possesses some old tools that came from Lowell's, and they intend to return these soon as well. Eventually some of these artifacts should find their way into an exhibit.

Nock Middle School Discovery Class Builds Outboard Skiff (12-2-98)
A class of twelve 6th, 7th, and 8th graders is currently hard at work constructing a 16' Amesbury Skiff that will serve as the chase boat and tow boat for the fleet of Nock Middle School dories. The kids have all been selected as non-traditional learners who perform better outside of the traditional classroom. They are a talented and bright bunch, and they pick up many of the concepts and skills very quickly. Although many of them have been diagnosed with ADD, in the boat shop they often focus on a particular job for hours. In the context of the boat shop, instructors Sean Flaherty, and Jay Spedano from the middle school, and Mike Browne from Lowell's are able to teach math, English, history, science, leadership and teamwork as well as the hands-on-skills. Many thanks to The Institute For Savings for underwriting the majority of the cost of this program.

Wish List: (12-2-98)

• Large Pick-up or Flatbed Truck
• Large Flatbed Trailer
• Chainsaw (for cutting firewood)
• Chainsaw mill or portable bandsaw mill (for milling locust for stems)
• Digital Camera (for documentation and publications like this)
• Scanner (for promotional publications like this)
• Modem (for accessing our new web site from the shop)

(12-2-98)
Thanks to the enduring effort of Clive Lee and Mickey Culver and Ben Labaree, Lowell's finally has its web site up and running. The site is not complete, but it has a very good history along with current information on the Lowell's Boat Shop Trust and NMS. There is also some information on the various types of boats currently built at the shop. In the near future we hope to add a database for quick pricing of the different boat models with various finishes.

Still for Sale (12-2-98)
Custom Lowell's Boat Shop Skiff with a Make-N-Break engine is Still for sale. Built in 1989, the boat is in excellent condition, and includes a retractable propeller shaft, comfortable seating for 6 adults, non-skid floor racks, and a durable cover. Appraised in 1996 at $8500, we are dropping the asking price to $6500 in order to help it find a good home soon. As we discovered when we put it in the water this summer it runs well and makes for an excellent picnic boat.