Challenge Practice Session  - March 8th 2008

There never has been a winning team of the National Boatbuilding Challenge that has gone into the contest cold without practice.  That being the case, the committee decided that a practice session would be in order since this is the first year of the competition in Beaufort.  On a recent Saturday afternoon, the session cranked up at the Watercraft Center.  Almost all of the fifteen or so local teams showed up and listened to contest judge John Vang and three-time world champion Willie French of Georgetown, SC expound on some of the tricks of the trade in building the Monhegan 12 skiff, the contest boat.  A boat was built right on the spot by a pair of Watercraft Center volunteers (Walt Geist and Bill Trahman), while Willie did most of the coaching.  After four hours, the time limit in the contest, the boat had not been completed, but the gist of the story was gobbled up by the team members.  Copious notes were taken by many of the contestants, and overheard were several ideas on how to skin the cat in more expeditious manner.  The session had to quit at 5pm even though the boat was not finished, because the chili was getting cold and the accompanying libations were getting warm.

After the event, the boat was finished and “dressed up” by John Vang. The boat is now on display at the Atlantic Veneer Mill Outlet site in Beaufort.