This has been a busy Spring of boatbuilding on Pier 40. The work has been carried forward this spring by a steady team of volunteers working Wednesday and Sunday afternoons, augmented by members and visitors who want to experience the magic of beautiful wooden watercraft coming to life under The work has been carried forward this spring by a steady team of volunteers working Wednesday and Sunday afternoons, augmented by members and visitors who want to experience the magic of beautiful wooden watercraft coming to life under their hands. 

This has been a busy spring of boatbuilding on Pier 40. Here are six volunteers who worked on the new canoe. It has just come off the forms. An exciting moment!

Our newest Whitehall gig, David T. Heim, slipped into the Hudson just in time for a ride up to Hull, Massachusetts for the annual Snow Row. Here we are stretching a protective rope bumper around the Heim. We want to keep the woodwork looking good for as long as possible!

Our latest project is a partly built dory that we inherited this spring (tentatively named Sgt. Edwards). Here it is right-side up on the strong back, getting trimmed out with gunwales, seats and oarlock pads.

The floorboards and footrests receiving a custom paint job from Andrew, Nancy and Mai.

At 2:00 the boatbuilding crew stops for lunch. Improvements in both heating and lighting this spring have been much appreciated.

On a cold cold wet Sunday, February 24th, Cedar-strip built Whitehall Gig David Thorleif Heim was launched into the chilly waters of the Hudson River. The gig, named for David T. Heim who helped build many of the Whitehall Gigs in the VCB Fleet, was built over that past year by VCB volunteers under the guidance of VCB boatbuilders Marcel Dejean and Lorne Swarthout. Judy Heim, VCB volunteers, and friends came to Pier 40 to celebrate and take the new gig for a row around the embayment.

The gig is bound for the Snow Row, an open water rowing race in Hull Massachusetts. Later in the Spring when it has warmed up a bit, there will be a christening and formal naming ceremony for this new addition to the VCB fleet.

After major moving and purging, the VCB boat shop now has three working bays with three projects well underway: Cedar strip built Whitehall Gig David T Heim, strip built canoe, and repair of Whitehall Gig Nonpariel