Tribute to John Harris
Dear Editor,
We love our boats. Every time we cast off, it’s a new adventure. We love our boats even more when we construct them. Boats are shells, and some are more complex than others. Time and materials change: along come epoxy adhesives, marine plywood, computer-aided design, and stitch-and-glue joinery. And then along comes John Harris (see WB No. 309), a talented young man with a lifetime love of small boats. He puts it all together so semi-skilled boatbuilders can now assemble precut components in a fraction of the time required to build a plank-on-frame craft. With his knowledge and love of small boats, Harris has produced a range of designs to appeal to everyone. Add marketing skill and hard work, and it’s a formula for success. We who love our boats owe a great deal of thanks to John, and wish his company, Chesapeake Light Craft, continued success.
C. William Rich
Rockingham, Virginia
Still Going Strong
Dear WoodenBoat,
I appreciated the article “Aging with a Boat” (WB No. 309), which is exactly what I have done. I have owned a 41' ketch since 1975, when I first subscribed to WoodenBoat, and have kept it in Bristol condition. I’d started sailing in 1958 and fell in love with the breathtakingly beautiful boats of that era. I have no children, so my ketch is truly part of my family. I have lived aboard and cruised extensively along the East Coast of the United States and Canada, to Bermuda several times, and back and forth across the pond. I have always cherished the ancient Phoenician proverb, The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span, those hours spent sailing. It seems to have worked for me. I’m 86, still going strong, and have never missed any of your issues.
Arthur Kramer
East Hampton, New York