The Nova Scotia Heritage Schooner Rescue Society

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.

Hi Folks…We wrapped the Maritime Heritage Festival on Sunday and all agreed it was a success! It was fun. We met folks...
09/15/2026

Hi Folks…

We wrapped the Maritime Heritage Festival on Sunday and all agreed it was a success! It was fun. We met folks from all over Canada, the US and Europe. Every person was very interested and complimentary about what we do - after they learned what it was we did - note to file - do better at messaging; we’re still learning 😁.

Hi Folks…Key day today. Ken and I finished up the carlins. That frees up several new projects, the most important are...
09/15/2026

Hi Folks…

Key day today. Ken and I finished up the carlins. That frees up several new projects, the most important are the cabin structures - the top and side frames and the side planking. Ron continued making and installing the screw plugs around the new bow planking. The bow is finished except for the sanding and painting.

Key activity this weekend - the Maritime Heritage Festival. We are honoured to be invited to participate. We are also challenged because, this could be much more focused and valuable then the Boat Show to showcase who we are and what we do!

So, we need a plan, as we originally imagined a 10x10 booth, which we’ve already designed, but, we have the entire boatshop in which to display our work.

Looking for ideas, suggestions and volunteers!

We have enough stuff to display but we need to organize it to tell our story. I’ll confirm setup times but I’m guessing Friday, which I will confirm today.

This will be fun and timely!

Jim

Hi Folks…Another good day at the shop. 5 people representing 10 person hours were there and we got a lot done.Ken compl...
08/27/2026

Hi Folks…

Another good day at the shop. 5 people representing 10 person hours were there and we got a lot done.

Ken completed installing plank #3 on the starboard side. Warren and Callum (from our youth programme) finished the port side carlin and fitted the starboard side carlin in place. Once these are finished we can install the cabin side frames and plank the sides and replace a couple of top frames to finish reconstructing the cabin. Ron and I planed more deck boards. Tim and Ron continued plugging screw holes in preparation for sanding and painting the hull.

Thanks so much to everyone who donated to help purchase a stern post. We are still waiting on a response from the supplier.

Our youth programme continues this Saturday from 10 to noon. Most of the work mentioned can continue with the youth members with mentorship from our senior members.

Jim

Hi Folks…It seems that each report starts with the sentence, “Another good week.” or something like that. Well, it happ...
08/22/2026

Hi Folks…

It seems that each report starts with the sentence, “Another good week.” or something like that. Well, it happened again. I must say that my criteria for a given work session is “did it end better than it started?” It doesn’t matter how much because with volunteer organizations, deadlines or critical steps rarely happen. So my definition of progress is “ one foot in front of the other”. In a small organization such as ours, every step is valued and celebrated.

So, this week, Ken and Warren made and installed the second lamination of the port carlin. They didn’t glue it yet because it will become the pattern for the opposite carlin on the starboard side. Next week, we can glue up and officially install the port carlin and start to kay up the starboard. It’s important to note that an action like this frees up several next steps in rebuilding the cabin sides and repairing the deck planks. Tim continued cutting and installing screw hole plugs and I started fitting the plank piece to replace hull plank #3 on the starboard side of the hull.

We have a line on a potential piece of black locust for the stern post. It will cost $260, which we can cover if we deplete our bank account. We do have $50 pledged towards it already. It would be a big relief if we could get 4 or 5 more pledges like that.

Fitting a new stern post will mark the end of the structural repair of the hull! Next will be the caulking and painting.

Thank you for all your support. Every hour of work and every dollar of funding is vitally important.

Jim

Schooner Race Week is upon us next week, starting with Family Day this Sunday afternoon from 1 to 5 at the Hubbards wate...
07/30/2026

Schooner Race Week is upon us next week, starting with Family Day this Sunday afternoon from 1 to 5 at the Hubbards waterfront. It’s the NSSA’s 65th anniversary, so it’s something very special! We will have a booth there to tell our story. The organization was created in Hubbards in 1961. Every 5 years we race from Hubbards. All are welcome to stop by or join us for the afternoon. Starting Monday morning, the Skippers’ Meeting will be held at 10:30 am. There is a possibility some skippers will be looking to supplement their crew roster. If that appeals, stop by the meeting and ask around.

Hi Folks…Well, SailGP won the day I guess. Boat launching was a close finish… Just me, but…Managed to do better by the ...
06/21/2026

Hi Folks…

Well, SailGP won the day I guess. Boat launching was a close finish… Just me, but…

Managed to do better by the end of the morning than at the beginning of the morning… goal met…

I thought I would start measuring and thinking about installing the sampson post but decided to set up plank #13 for Wednesday’s work time by gluing the backer block behind the old plank end so that the glue will cure by Wednesday.

Gluing done, my mind ran ahead to installing plank #13. Then, I ran into a conundrum that happens regularly - how do you clamp a plank in place when there’s no room for the clamp?

Then, it occurred to me - an old strategy I had used many times before - a spring clamp! It’s a stick about an inch longer than the space it spans. You just anchor one end so it doesn’t slip and pull the middle of the stick up until the other end is where you want it - a single handed solution, literally… you pull it up with one hand! The photos will explain. I show the before and after the clamping.

It’s very strong and easily used, especially on a 9 ton schooner…

We have our AGM next Thursday, in person, at the conference room at East River. Invitation coming, with a map.

Jim

Hi Folks…Another plank on… Ken and Ron installed plank #12 and then prepared #13… In the video today they discuss how ...
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

Hi Folks…Another good day in the shop. Ken and Ron installed plank #11 and prepared plank #12… Interestingly as we di...
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

Hi Folks.. Another astonishing youth accomplishment on Saturday… inside an hour Peter Morrison and his two sons, Oliver ...
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

Hi Folks…Fun day on Wednesday this week. Ken installed plank #9 is installed and #10 poised… I’m in the process of se...
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

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Hubbards, NS

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