The Nova Scotia Heritage Schooner Rescue Society

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The Nova Scotia Heritage Schooner Rescue Society

Our mission is to refurbish old Nova Scotian schooners while engaging our youth and communities in their restorations, heritage and in sail training.

06/17/2026

Hi Folks…

Another plank on… Ken and Ron installed plank #12 and then prepared #13… In the video today they discuss how we are doing it as we approach the keel. We have been consistently having to deal with increasing curvature of the planks due to the stem reaching deeper in the wster snd closer to the turn to the keel. Up until mow we’ve been able to bend the planks to meet the curve with clamps and screws. Today, with #13, a prophetic number, we needed to actually carve the planks to fit. Fortunately our plank thickness allows that see we thinned the plank slightly and bent it in. Ken and Ron explain how. I spent the time measuring the beak preparing to drill the bolt holes securing the beak to the stem. I’m showing the old stem as it was when Elsie L was younger and more sound. I also show the jig Ken made to carve the planks on the bandsaw…

Bonus shot illustrating the deterioration og Wind Hawk as she sits on the hard in Mahone Bay

Jim

06/10/2026

Hi Folks…

Another good day in the shop. Ken and Ron installed plank #11 and prepared plank #12… Interestingly as we dip below the waterline and approach the keel the curvature of the planks becomes more pronounced. A bit of a challenge with a 1” plank that’s only 2’ long but we haven’t considered steaming so far. I finished refurbing our last bench power tool, an old bandsaw that, I think, Alfie stopped using about 25 years ago when he got the larger bandsaw we’ve been regularly using, but we thought it would be useful for finer cuts with its 1/4” blade…

In the photos today I’m showing the full bow rebuild and you can readily see how the old stem had a slight curve to starboard as it dried out but, our new stem curved the other way, to port as it dried, forcing us to lengthen the planks on the starboard side…

As soon as the bow planks are installed we’ll be fitting the beak that supports the bow sprit.

Elsie L’s original stem and beak are in the second set of photos…

Jim

06/09/2026

Hi Folks..

Another astonishing youth accomplishment on Saturday… inside an hour Peter Morrison and his two sons, Oliver and Simon, after John, our newest member, finished preparing the strakes for installation, refastened both garboard strakes. Again, our youth group exceeds expectations. They have now gone “upstairs” to the deck and are working on getting new cabin sides, frames and all, made up and installed.

Ken installed planks 9 and 10 on the bow which is nearing completion. Next, installing the new sampson post and caulking the new bow planking and the disturbed caulking on the old planks.

We are still looking for black locust wood to remake the stern post, which we can replace/refasten the hull planks at the stern.

I have now recommissioned the drill press and the chop saw recovered from Alfie’s old shop.

Our newly acquired/shared caulking and reefing irons will be turned over the the MMA Boatshop along with some unique boat books acquired from Dave Tennant.

A reminder, we have an AGM planned for Thursday, June 25 at 7 pm in person in the conference room at the East River Shipyard.

Jim

06/06/2026

Hi Folks…

Fun day on Wednesday this week. Ken installed plank #9 is installed and #10 poised… I’m in the process of setting up the chop saw Alfie had in his shop. It will be portable to be set up on sawhorses then put away.

John continued preparing the starboard garboard strake for reinstallation. The port garboard is ready and will be the key job for the youth group tomorrow (Saturday).

John also donated his surplus boat wood from a former job. Thanks, John.
More good news: I picked up the set of caulking irons yesterday. They were very well cared for by former boat builder, Dave Tennant. I will have them on 10 am Saturday for the youth project and for next Wednesday at 10am for the work party then. I have a demo unit made so folks can try their hand at caulking, all in preparation for caulking Elsie L in the near future. Huge thanks to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and Ed Sturgeon of their Boat School for making this possible. We will be sharing those irons with the museum as needed at the time.

You will have received a note from me already about our participation in Schooner Race Week, particularly on the Sunday, August 3, for Family Day and the chance of crewing on one of the schooners.

As mentioned earlier, we are now fundraising for paint to repaint the restoration work being done. Guesstimated it will be somewhere around $600 or more…
Jim

06/01/2026

Check out this article https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/new-exhibit-explores-400-years-of-african-nova-scotian-seafaring-history-9.7218431

05/31/2026

Hi Folks…

Another productive session. Each session is a success if another step forward is taken.

Ken and I finished off plank #8 and started on plank #9. Progressing steadily. New member John McCallum continued work on the port garboard, cleaning off the old tar and caulking. John also said he has some surplus boat wood he wants to donate, Thanks, John.

We also have paid for another year of insurance and also, a partnership with the museum in Halifax (MMS), we have secured access to a full set of caulking irons. We will need them in the next number of weeks.

Jobs to do now, besides the one mentioned above, are finish cleaning the starboard garboard plank (I thing I miss named the current garboard plank in previous comments), installing the cabin carlins, and, reinstalling both garboard planks.

Still looking for a piece of black locust, 72”x11”x4”, air dried. If anyone has a lead, please let us know. After caulking and sanding the hull, we will need paint, as I said last week, a SWAG of between $500 and $600.

Jim

05/24/2026

Hi Folks…

Just Ken and I. Family priorities for everyone else. Not a problem, family comes first…

Turned out to be very short. I arrived late, dealing with some car trouble. Ken had already cutout the new #8 plank end but… went to plane it down and the v-drive belt on the planer blew. Done for the day… Ken took the pieces home to his own shop. I went home and ordered a new belt. Quick side note… for our planer, acquired from Alfie Lohnes with Elsie L, is a Delta TP305… nobody has parts locally because the brand was discontinued years ago. I did find an aftermarket belt in Edmonton and ordered it… however, if any one has an old TP305 in their shed, we can use one for parts… 😊 They were quite popular in their day. For us it’s been a good machine…

Jim

05/22/2026

Hi Folks…

We’re down to plank #8! Pretty soon Elsie L’s bow will be complete! Thanks in very large part to Ken Lamb for his leadership in getting this done! He made the stem then he remade the planking. The beak, which he also made, will be attached shortly. Of course he had help and numerous adults and youth participated as well…

We welcomed a new member to the team, John McCallum. He did more cleaning of the starboard garboard plank in preparation to reinstall both the starboard and port planks now that the bow is winding down. Last item on the bow will be the beak, and, that takes us to the other end of Elsie L as we start ti focus on the stern, firstly, securing a proper piece of hardwood, hopefully black locust, to form the stern post.

We’ve also been able to turn our attention the the cabin sides and top. First job there is to laminate two new carlins. Callum has already picked out the wood so we can begin shaping the pieces and gluing them in place.

A new job is on the horizon - finishing the hull - stripping the paint, sanding and caulking the new planks and painting the hull. We will need a fundraising campaign to acquire the proper paint.

05/14/2026

Hi Folks…

Ken and I spent yesterday’s time installing new plank ends on the bow of Elsie L. We have a very good system now that has proven effective. We’re at plank #7 to be installed next week. The work may seem slow but the pace is consistent, each work time sees progress. That’s the most important part of our programme.

I completed the overhaul of our small jointer, which, along with all our tools, came from Alfie Lohnes’ shop when we acquired his Elsie L. It now works well. As Ken, who has many years as a woodworking instructor at NSCAD and is a boat builder, has said - this piece of equipment is the most dangerous in the shop. It looks small and safe, however, like many shop tools, it can hurt you in a fraction of a second. To that end, it’s important to note the accepted way to use it, and other power tools, in the shop - safety first… no gloves, shirt sleeves rolled back, use aids such a a push block to feed material into the cutting edge and for our youth programme especially, but for anyone unused to these machines, don’t use them alone and get instruction on how to use them.

Jim schoonerrescue

05/10/2026

Hi Folks…

A good youth work day, but lightly attended. Callum and his dad, Colin, mapped out a plan to rehab the cabin, which Callum recorded in our project book. We decided to use spruce material we had to laminate the carlins in place. The plan to install new side frames and new roof frames was put together. Callum and Colin then moved to cleaning up the garboards, getting ready to reinstall them now that we have the hull frames repaired. Ken couldn’t make it today and recommended that we wait for him to go back to working on the bow planking. I dug out our jointer, which arrived along with all Alfie Lohnes’s tools and Elsie L. It needs more work but new blades are available…

Jim

Address

Hubbards, NS

Website

https://schoonerrescue.org/

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