Chesapeake Bay Week 2010; Bugeye: A Chesapeake Legacy

This program is made by him to serve all of our diverse community and is made possible by the generous support of our members. Thank you Guy. A Chesapeake legacy is made possible in part by. Chesapeake area Yamaha dealers. And by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources DNR inspired by nature guided by science. Got to be a kid. Love this. I probably use pitch in the old days for most of their adult lives. These two men from the Eastern Shore of Maryland have been living with a dream. A dream of building a boat. THEY HAVE DONE. Not just any boat but an old fashioned Chesapeake Bay sailing ship called a guy. It's hull is made of carved and sculpted logs bolted together. The centuries old

ship building technique unique to the Chesapeake Bay. Beyond. This project has been under way for more than two decades. They've taken down dozens of trees sawed. Chisel. Plain. And grass. There's been progress. But never a deadline. As far as being on schedule. It's hard to have a schedule because we don't know how long it's going to take to do stuff that we haven't done before. We're going to have to tack here pretty quick. We're running a shower. Nice and easy. That's amazing. The man behind this boatbuilding project is no stranger to traditional Chesapeake Bay log bottom boats in common.

Sidney Dixon is not only an expert at sailing these craft he also knows how to build them. He designed and built this 30 foot long canoe in the 1970s which made her bottom 12 inches thick in places he there Sidney and his friend John Hawkinson a retired obstetrician. Are what's known in the sailing community as traditionalists. We might be right in their. Tidying up. And I'll try to shoot up that Mudflap that's just around this corner. In the old days. For years these two men dreamed of building a bigger log bottom boat much bigger than this log canoe. They wanted to build a traditional Chesapeake Bay guy over 40 feet in length. They even began work on it on the edge of Broad Creek.

Inside this boat shed on Sydney's thickly wooded property. John and I started falling trees about 1980 pine trees on our property and on our property the friends of ours we felt close to 30 pine trees for the project. All this began nearly three decades ago when Sydney and John were much younger men. This is the rock bottom. We've gone to the woods and we've cut down our yellow pine trees. They're the best local word for making these out of. But many years went by and that unfinished log bottom just gather dust inside Sydney's shed along with all the marine hardware he'd collected over the years. The only thing finished was a 1985 sketch of what this dream boat would look like. We were both working in those days and we had families to take care of and so we had to set the project aside for about 17 years. The seasons past year after year at the Dickson's house on Broad Creek

nothing was done. The boat shed Crowdy virgin. Is. Crazy I but amazingly after a 17 year hiatus Sydney and John found their way back to working on their dream job both retired at the same time and got the urge to start again. At that point the bottom was halfway put together. The first task was to finish the log bottom 11 logs were shaped and came together with galvanized bolts to form the thick heavy bottom of the ship's hull. That took months to complete. The bottom is now complete no more logs just chunks frames points. Didn't need clamps for nothing. Well not great. It would be a 44 foot long ago. From the outset Sidney and John knew the historical importance of the ship that they were building.

This will be the only boat of her type under sail. Once she is finished. These boats with their thick log bottoms to mass and their canoe shaped Stern came from another century before roads were used prior to World War One. These guys were a major form of transportation on the bay. They were the pickup trucks of their time. A vital link for farming communities around the bay as well as the preferred vessel for oyster dredging. They came into their heyday after the American Civil War. The reason was the laws restricting dredging of oysters were lifted at that time and they needed a vessel that would do it. But the lineage of these log bottom boats goes back much further all the way back to colonial times when the settlers in the Chesapeake Bay region began widening the Native Americans dug out canoes. Pete Lesher is the curator of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

The idea of joining multiple logs together and then hewing them to shape is something that didn't happen anywhere else. For Lesher this project to build a bug guy is unique. Sydney is going back to the old form of instruction on the Chesapeake and that's something that nobody has done on that scale for a century. This project of Sidneys is bringing back old memories of life on the Chesapeake Bay. Of. Many old time boatbuilders like Maynard Lowery started out working on Oyster dredging bug eyes a young man. This is hard work. But in my day on Abunda. Which start out in the morning at about four o'clock in the morning bug guy and get underway beat the ice off the sale. We get home about 10 o'clock habitus see somebody build something like that again. In a sense there's no commercial reason to do this today. By doing this we

go back and rediscover ways that our ancestors built boats. Sometimes the old things which you might call traditional and simple are the best. The more you complicate stuff. The harder it is to deal with. From the working waterfronts to the scenic colonial era towns on the Chesapeake Bay. Word has spread about the bug guy project. This is a part of Maryland where history and restoring tradition are meaningful. Wade Murphy is the captain of a 120 year old oyster dredging Skipjack the Rebecca ruach. He now takes tourists out to tell them about the old days. Murphy's boat a national historic landmark used to dredge for oysters under sail amidst a fleet of Buckeye's long ago. When I hear about Sydney Dixon building I wanna know it's been a long while coming

but it really makes me happy to think we're gonna get something new in our tradition. That love of tradition resonates even in the loblolly pine forest. Lyn Spicer a third generation lager in this part of Maryland has donated several big trees already. It's a part of the past. It's nice to have something to do with something that's keeping the past alive. Not too far away at a local sawmill. Sidney and John pick up much needed white oak planks. Mostly they're using locally grown timber. This lumber mill owned by Alan Johnson has been in his family for three generations and tradition is important here too. Johnson says he's given Sydney the cut boards at cost. This is something you know I could go out and take a look at what he's doing and actually feel like I'm part of the project that we're seeing are being put into it.

Says very fascinating was what I thought was beautiful timber there. Each day Sidney and John put in four to six hours. John's planking boss. Fitting and fastening new boards onto the side of the boat. The fun part is you do make it on the bench and go stick it on the boat and it fits. Oh that's a rush. Pedophiles with little babies in there now. They're beginning to see visible progress. It's all the framing of a boat is finished all the beams and the frames are non. Essentially could put the deck on the. I quite often to check on them see how they're doing. Sydney's wife Bridget is amazed at how this old boat is coming to life. What's nice is just to go down and sit and watch John and Sydney work. They've been friends for so

long they understand each other's body language. When you start coming down about now start coming down about now. Oh oh oh my oh my my. Friends. Say I lost it there is an ecstasy. After three years of starting back up Sidney and John had finished the structural interior of the hall there's a lot of fun woodwork in there the knees the beams and the galvanized bolts that hold everything together. We're now in place from here on in it's easy slept with whatever tool works best sometimes it's electric saw the fans or sometimes it's a total of 200 years old. For years people thought that we would never get this done. Ten years ago there were a lot of folks who were betting that Sydney would never finish this boat. Now that he's really gotten this far along. I don't think there's any holding him back.

Everybody we talk to. Everybody when they know we're doing this once we get to watch it. Yeah. I want to come and drink beer there for how long it is. But Sydney's health had other ideas. During a hot summer of steady work. He developed serious breathing problems. Really thought the end was near. Because I'd get out of breath just get up from my desk to wind the clock. Then I was having a hard time working on a boat and I'd get down there and I couldn't lift anything. I have a stick showing people how to lift stuff. But amazingly a few months later with cold weather setting and city bounced back. His doctors had installed a pacemaker to regulate his heart problem. Make sure you sign the book. He invited neighbors and friends over for a pre-Christmas tour of the boat. Donations of all kinds kept coming. Well thank you very much we'll put them on the guest book. Thank you. For a great pleasure to come again. Merry Christmas.

Chesapeake Bay Water men and boat builders came to admire the boat and talk and laugh with Sidney about the old days of the boat. Put your hands in the water and I'll hand my hand right down a little. With all that encouragement Cindy was back working on the boat that went. With the boat now partially decked Sidney and John needed more lumber. Once again they turned to friends for help. About a year ago we dropped the great big pine trees back 30 inches in diameter that were getting ready to fall down. And right near that site. A friend of mine just so happens to have a privately operated hobby style sawmill and he's been doing a lot of lumber cutting for us. Here we are Peter's place. Peter stifle is a retired geology professor from the University of Maryland. He's also an expert at milling wood and he likes Sydney's boat project. Going to saw these big timbers some three and a half inch

which is our plan. We hope we can use as the covering board on the decks of the boat. I have respect for Sydney's interest and the traditional way of doing things. I'm sure that many people will get a good feeling about how things worked in the past if they have a chance to sail on this boat. It's going to be all right nice looking nice good here. There's a pretty wide what we're looking for. With more freshly cut pine lumber Sydney and John are ready to finish decking the boat. We try to use the heartwood which is the inside of the tree it has more Safieh resin in it you want on the same to imagine because they're going side by side on the boat deck and they'll be just like this. That ear was another hot summer. It's been over a hundred in here. We run these

fans. Despite the heat. Sydney and John are holding up well. I was run out of gas last summer. John and I are both hovering around 70 years of age but we've come down here every afternoon. Nevertheless we put in about four or five hours. I don't think we've missed a day from the day we put our time in just as I would have done in the old days. We kept at it with the arrival of fall in the cooler winter weather Sydney and John are now caulking the seams on the deck. Sidney begins to inventory some of the Marine hardware they'll need for the boat. It's all hanging from the rafters. I have been collecting tools for quite a long time that's what enables me to do this work in this intricate stuff you really need specialized tools. Sidney begins working on carving the name boards for the bugga he's naming the ship after great and who was a volunteer ambulance driver in World War One. Her name Kathryn Edwards Sidneys and a wonderful wonderful

gal. She was very adventurous. She took life by the horns. And she looked after my education educate my brother and sister. So. When he left her. For Sydney this project was getting sentimental. And wanting to build a boat like this little boy. When she's done what his boats on the water he won't ask why we did it. Her existence will answer that question. A watershed moment comes later that winter with the decking of the boat completely finished. And we read a role Sidney and John install the ship's bow sprint. All right. Now you can lower both a good line up pretty good. With the arrival of spring.

Word soon got out about the launching date. More help was on the way painting the whole building the masts and polishing up the cleats. These are cleats for tying up the boat. They're going to oil it and they're just going to scrape it. Joe JoCo runs a boat building program in Alexandria Virginia. His group of apprentices were eager to get started right away. And Roll us up again. Even with this help there was still lots to do. We're moving right along. Dog got a leg up on the cabin house. I'm come along here I've got a good handle on a patent stern which is a little back porch built on here to hold the davits for the all boat. It's got to be nice and beefy. Several weeks later the dramatic moment came when it was time to take the now varnished and painted chips coming out of its ship. Throwing the trailer down to the next set. We got five six feet to the next and. More than 20000 pounds of boat slowly moved. Onto the trailer.

Looking at Cape. I'm sad that just leaving the barn happy that she's going to get in the water. It's just an emotional day. It's the end. Of one ethnic novel want to start another. There was a little adrenaline rush when she first moved. But then it was time to pay attention. And. Make sure we didn't have an adventure. I. Just want to just roll and keep rolling because you're tired a second. The dirt road to the water was song from spring rains. And it was narrow with trees on either side. When we were out through the trees there were strictly makeshift on the edges of the road where the heavy trailer wheels had to run. Down the trees along the side were closed. There were places where we did not want two inches of clearance on either side. But after two hours the boat arrived safely at the shoreline of Broad Creek. Where she would be launched the following week. The. One extremely well. It went perfectly. Best emotional thing in working on a boat for going on 30 years. It was exciting just to see her first

move all together in one place. Of cake. One week later the deadline arrived. John was still busy installing the boat's name boards. He got me an iron man to drive back. It does not have power steering. For many of the locals. This was a Memorial Day event not to be missed and Sydney pulled out all the stops with food and music. He even invited civil war re-enactors members of the 2nd Maryland regiment in honor of the bad guys. Hey. That you got down here. It's all good. Eighty eight year old Maynard Lowery a veteran of the bug II era was one of the locals who turned out. This is the work of art and I tell you you told me about a year ago to come up look at the boat and I thought let's hope he paid the bill above guy. But I'm not a Cumberledge a. You've done a wonderful job.

I'm going to tell you now oh this is your helper. I'm tryna help or just feel that you never. Want. To fail. Come. That. Man is the man. She here. Now. Oh wow. Oh. Boy. And my Sydney sister Margot was given the honors of Chris and Michelle. As the Katherine Edwards was lowered into the water. The Civil War re-enactors fired off a 21 gun salute to mark the occasion. The first log bottom bug to be launched in the Chesapeake Bay and nearly 100

years. I think I was among the skeptics that he would make it today. This is the mantra of log built. She is heavy and solid. This is what a water man. Would love to have. For keeping a steady platform through the waves on those wintry days. But there was still much to be done on the boat. The installation of the masks was one of the last major hurdles. One more. Ok come down. Come down. Come down another four inches this year he said. From. Now on the ban. On. The fan. Is not dropping I think it must be good. After a little bit of planning both mass slipped into place with a stylish rake that they were designed to have. It wasn't until weeks later that Sidney and John were ready to sail the boat.

So. They. Were out. There on. A brisk autumn wind was sweeping across broad creek a perfect day to test a working sailboat will show leaving here. Good job coming up. There you go. There were no shortage of volunteers to head down when get ready for another job. Here she goes. With John tending the sails at the front of the boat. Sidney steered the Katherine Mae Edwards out toward the open Chesapeake Bay. John we want to make it so. Well they're coming out of a creek. The two slanted masts the large boughs spread and the working platform on the stern identified her as a traditional

Chesapeake Bay Buckeye. For John it was a sentimental voyage. I go back to when we filled the first trees in 1980. Each one of them came down and went to the mill. I see every piece of work every little slug that went in the screw hole the rail every little piece of work and each one of them was a challenge in itself. We've accomplished what we set out to do. We want to bring back the life of a forgotten type of sailboat that was once prolific on the bay. But has now vanished. And we want to bring it back. Into the notice. Of people so they can see how pretty she was and how well she sailed. They knew this 100 years ago. It's been our dream to recreate such a vessel and we did. And we've been successful. I wouldn't change a thing. She works.

She works. Toward a dead downwind John. Slack it up or pull it up. For Sidney Dixon and John Hawkins in their lifelong dream had now been fulfilled. Their nearly 30 year long journey to build the Chesapeake Bay. Bugga I was over the bridge there I believe. What the voyage for this ship that they brought back to the Chesapeake Bay. Had only just begun. We're going to stay on this tack here for a minute. Will be right. Big guy a Chesapeake legacy was made possible in part by. Chesapeake area Yamaha dealers.

And by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources DNR inspired by nature guided by science this program was made by NTT to serve all of our diverse communities Freeview and support our programs at NPT dot org slash real changes