Chine bLog

I have written in the past about the Alexandria Seaport Foundation. I love this organization. They are currently building their endowment and have a commitment from the Ohrstrom Foundation to match donations. Think about supporting them now.

I mentioned the Northern Forest Canoe Trail a bit ago. I see in Paddling.net's newsletter today that they are holding a benefit auction online. Check it out.

Today was World Ocean Day. We boaters need healthy oceans, so think about taking action to support this cause. And then get out on the water and remember why you did.

It was nice to see my recent post on traditional boats from Vietnam caused a huge stir in the wooden boat world. No sooner did my post hit the 'net than WoodenBoat had not one but TWO pieces on boat building there. I am DEAD sure there is a connection. Really.

I am a big fan of training young people to build boats; all the more so if doing so if doing so positively transforms their lives. I was, therefore, particularly interested to learn about the Degenhardt Foundation's Cam Kim Boat Project. The program trains young people in traditional boat building techniques, thereby both preserving the techniques and providing opportunities for the students. I call that a win-win.

And the boats are quite nice little craft, aren't they? Godspeed to this program.

Location: Vietnam

WoodenBoat was also good enough to highlight the Vietnam Wooden Boat Foundation, which is:

Dedicated to preserving the maritime history of Vietnam with an emphasis on the art, craft, lore, and history of traditional Vietnamese wooden boat building.

I can buy into that. They seem to be small, but ambitious. They are collecting and publishing information and also seem to be intent on making some sawdust on both sides of the Pacific. And there are some really interesting boats to preserve.

One project is to build a boat called a Ghe Nang in Vietnam and bring it over here. I like this boat - it looks great and, according to the foundation, was known as the fastest of all Vietnamese sailboats. Interesting rig description too:

It was double ended and had a slotted stem-post forward which held a removable centerboard, and a slotted stern post aft which held a removable rudder. It fished using driftnets secured to booms set fore and aft. The centerboard and rudder were raised out of the water during fishing operations and when beaching the boat. Another unique feature was that the hulls were typically made from woven bamboo attached to a top wood frame. Woven bamboo hulls are common in central Vietnam.

Their web site includes photos of a number of other types of boats. A taste:

If anyone is looking for a great wooden boat-oriented non-profit to support, I would encourage you to look into the Alexandria Seaport Foundation, based here in Alexandria, VA. While it does many things, its core mission is using boat building to bring hope into troubled young lives. The organization's purpose:

Through the building and use of wooden boats, the Alexandria Seaport Foundation helps young people turn their lives around and provides families, community groups and schools with meaningful educational, social and recreational experiences.