sikaflex “quick and dirty” boat build competiton - Long Island Seaport ...

CONNELLY FAMILY WINS KAYAK
Benjamin tries out the
new kayak, not quite
sure what it means yet.
For many weekends this summer, a beautifully crafted child’s kayak was on display
at the Bayles Boat Shop. Constructed in the shop, it was used as a fund -raiser for
LISEC’s boat building projects with raffle tickets being purchased by people from far
and wide. The happy winner was Nicole Connelly from Port Jefferson shown here
with her children, Gwenivere and Benjamin.
Betty Ann Arink, our president, was a hard working member of the boat building
crew that put together this ‘stich and glue 8’ Chesapeake light craft Duckling kit. She
says, “It was a challenge to make the pieces fit, then to stitch and glue them to give
the boat its correct shape.” That accomplished, the craft was covered with a 4-oz
fiberglass cloth, six coats of resin and four coats of varnish. Made of Okkume (light
color) and Sampele (dark) plywood from South America, the boat is a beauty and
should last a lifetime.
LISEC plans to build an adult size kayak in the winter which will give volunteers another chance to learn
these boat building skills. It will also be sold in a raffle to support our programs.
SIKAFLEX “QUICK AND DIRTY” BOAT BUILD
COMPETITON
The two-day ‘Quick and Dirty’ event, held in August, saw eight
2-person teams construct eight different boats in five hours on
Saturday using only three sheets of plywood, wire cable ties,
several pieces of lumber and Sikaflex, a fast acting caulk and
adhesive. Each team came with their own design in mind. It
was interesting to see how they put the same materials together
in different ways with much discussion and camaraderie.
That was it. Five hours. No extra time allowed. On Sunday,
Eight Sikaflex Competition boats ready to
compete
the crews returned in the morning to decorate their boats and prepare to race them. The picture tells all. The
boat on the extreme right was decorated with the hand prints of the builders’ children!
In the afternoon, one hundred plus people lined the pier and park rail adjacent to the beach to cheer for the
teams rowing around an approximately 150 yard course. One boat sank, but that was part of the fun. The
winning boat captain was Grant Connelly and the sponsor for it was Gracie’s Restaurant in Rocky Point. This
boat was also presented with the prize for being the most attractive. More great pictures are on our website
at www.LISEC.org.
The main sponsors for the event were Nassau Suffolk Lumber Co. and the Sika Corporation, which also
supplied the Sikaflex material – as they do for competitions like this around the world! Teams were sponsored
by Jim Brite Home Improvement and Kirk Plumbing and Heating, M.H. Mandelbaum Orthotic and Prosthetic
Services, Rocky Point Electric, the Port Jefferson Fire Department, Mt Sinai Moose Lodge, and ASPCA.
Plaques were donated by George and Mary Dugoniths.
So much fun was had by all that we plan to increase to 12 teams for next year’s event August 18 and 19,
2012.