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Opening November 2007
Hershey Violins
11 West Main Street
Mechanicsburg, Pa 17055
717.697.6341
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Saturday - 10am to 3pm
Catboat Craftsman Completes 10-Year "Lazy Lucy" Project
 |
As Scott Hershey prepares to transport "Lazy Lucy" from
Dillsburg, Pa. to the Chesapeake Bay, he says, "After 10 years, it
is finally time. Time to enjoy this creation. Time to go sailing!" |
(Dillsburg, Pa.) - The "Lazy Lucy" circa 1934 was officially
launched August 14, 2006, marking the end of a 10-year backyard, boat building
project.
Click here for more photos of "Lazy
Lucy" at the Chesapeake Bay
Scott W. Hershey of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, built a Cape Cod Catboat from a set of plans he bought from Fenwick Williams, a boat builder famous for his early catboat designs. "I chose this builder and designer after personally sailing and studying his work," Hershey explained. "His boats have great lines and shape, and I wanted to build a stable vessel capable of withstanding harsh weather conditions. This boat will do just that. She's 24' long, 10' wide and 6500lbs with internal ballast and a draft of 30," he added.
This is Hershey's fourth boat building project and the most ambitious to date. "I built a few smaller sailboats over the past 20 years, but this one was the most challenging and time intensive," Hershey said. "From ordering the lumber at a local sawmill to crafting custom cabinets and louvered doors, everything had to be just so."
Having spent more than 25 years making and repairing violins, violas and cellos, Hershey is no stranger to fine wood craftsmanship. He applied the same set of skills while making this exceptional craft. "I must say that without the support of my wife Debbie along with other family members and friends, this boat would still be sitting in 'Irons'," Hershey admitted.
The building process began by attaining a good set of plans, locating a skilled sawyer and finding the right materials. The grunt work started by laying up the white oak keel or the backbone of the boat. Once this was completed, forms were built and mounted directly to the keel. The forms define the overall shape of the boat and, once in place, minor adjustments were made to suit the eye. The next step was to attach the outer skin (in this case Hershey chose clear Spanish cedar for it's rot resistant qualities and workability). Once the shell was constructed, the focus shifted to the vessel's interior, motor and electrical components.
"When the hull is finished, you are only one third of the way towards completion," Hershey explained. "It looks like the boat you had in mind, but the inside is one big cavity. There's not a straight line in sight so the real challenge is to keep everything lined up and fitting properly."
The first step was to construct the floor. Then Hershey turned his attention to the cabinets, bunks, storage compartments, the built-in head, laminated deck beams, plumbing, etc.
"Of course, just when you think you are nearing the end of this massive woodworking and construction project, you realize it's a sailboat and you haven't made your mast, boom or gaff boom yet," Hershey chuckled. "I still had to build the 30-foot hollow mast from Douglas Fir and two other booms that measured 29' and 24' consecutively."
This presented quite a challenge said Hershey. First, the main mast was made of eight pieces of fir-all birds-mouthed and tapered to boot. The mass of sticks was carefully adhered together simultaneously and kept straight during the drying process to prevent the mast from curving in the future. Once it was built, the sail and rigging was designed, configured and assembled to the mast.
The final stage of the project was beautifying the catboat's exterior and focusing on the finishing touches. "Sanding and fairing the hull, painting, adding the deck details and making a few final enhancements was the last stage to this long journey," Hershey said. "But, I guess you're never done. I look at her in the slip and see things I would like to do to make her look just a bit better. That's what I enjoy about working with my hands. I guess I'm never going to be satisfied with the end result," Hershey adds.
The name of the boat, "Lazy Lucy", came from his wife's childhood name. Debra Hershey's father called her "Lucy" growing up. "Lazy" was chosen because it describes the catboat's nature and reputation for being a little slow.
"After 10 years, it is finally time," Hershey said. "Time to enjoy this creation. Time to go sailing!"
The "Lazy Lucy" is currently spending the balance of the season sailing and slipped on the Chesapeake Bay, Middle River, Maryland. To view photography that captures the process of building "Lazy Lucy", please visit www.hersheyviolins.com.
Click here for more photos of "Lazy Lucy"