Boat Launching Piscataqua River, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Author Topic:   Boat Launching Piscataqua River, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

GreatBayNH posted 12-13-2011 04:33 PM ET (US)
I often talk about the swift current and challenging launches and dockings where I put my Montauk 170 in the water in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Last weekend I witnessed a boat launching at my ramp to end all boat launchings. They made it look so easy. Talk about a ramp hog!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gundalow/sets/72157628336156863/show/
You may notice what boat make they called on to tow the gundalow to its final destination (slide 49). Also a classic Whaler is in view on the dock.
Enjoy!
-Seth
jamesmylesmcp posted 12-13-2011 05:27 PM ET (US)
I also frequent the ramp on Pierce Island and have watched some less than graceful launches. Wonder how they made the turn into the Island to go over the bridge ? I have been alittle nervous a few times at that corner with my 25 even the 21 is tight. We have gotten pretty good at dealing with the current there.
GreatBayNH posted 12-13-2011 06:06 PM ET (US)
There is a slide in there showing them "turning" on Marcy Street towards Peirce Island. It looks like they either pivoted the cradle or came straight across from the Prescott park property. I overheard an old timer, involved with the project, talking to a reporter. He said they had to take out extra insurance because they didn't know if the Peirce Island bridge would hold the weight of the gundalow.
What the photographer missed was the near miss of the gundalow slamming into the fishing boats docked at the NH Fishing Pier. It was a real nail biter. Thank goodness they had that boat on the rear to help slow down and turn the gundalow at just the right moment. It was right of that scene in the 1997 movie "Titanic" when they have the rudder hard over and are just waiting for the ship to start turning away from the iceburg.
GreatBayNH posted 12-13-2011 06:29 PM ET (US)
Here is the turn on to Mechanic Street picture with detailed caption.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gundalow/6486265639/
jimh posted 12-13-2011 11:42 PM ET (US)
The series of photographs is great. I really enjoyed them. Thanks for posting.
boatdryver posted 12-14-2011 10:15 AM ET (US)
Can someone please explain Briefly what a gundalow is and what this event is about?
The whole thing looks fascinating.
thanks, JimL
GreatBayNH posted 12-14-2011 10:32 AM ET (US)
From Wikipedia:
"A gundalow is a type of flat bottom cargo vessel once common in Maine and New England rivers. Up to 70 feet (21 m) long, they characteristically employed tidal currents for propulsion, shipping a single lateen sail to harness favorable winds."

From Me:
Gundalows were the "18 wheelers" of the 1700's in the Piscataqua River/Great Bay region of New Hamphire and Maine. They moved goods, such a brick and cord wood, up and down the rivers to the communities of Exeter, Durham, Newmarket, Dover and Portsmouth (all reachable by water via the Piscataque River and Great Bay - one of the largest estuaries on the Atlantic Coast and at 10 miles (16 km) inland is one of the most recessed). They were specially designed with flat bottoms to help navigate the shallow waters at low tide and had a sail that could lower to the deck so they could go under the low bridges of the time.
Gundalows are indigenous to the New Hampshire and Maine's Great Bay region much like gondolas are indigenous to Venice, Italy.
-Seth
GreatBayNH posted 12-14-2011 10:45 AM ET (US)
Now to explain the event.
29 years ago some people got together to build a working gundalow as a local history teaching tool. It still exists and you see it in the last few slides where the new gundalow ended up docking. The 29 year old gundalow was named after the last known gundalow captain in the region, Captain Edward H. Adams. The new gundalow was named after the primary river gundalows used to sail, "The Piscataqua".
More recently the Gundalow Company decided to build a new gundalow that could carry passangers as the old one was not Coast Guard certified to do so nor did it have self propulsion. The new gundalow has an engine/prop and the Coast Guard was involved heavily throughout the building process to make sure it was a safe vessel for passengers. This new gundalow can carry up to 49 people.
Here is Gundalow Comapany's web site for more info.
http://www.gundalow.org/
Come to Portsmouth if you want to take a ride. You can't sail a gundalow anywhere else in the world.
-Seth
elaelap posted 12-14-2011 12:33 PM ET (US)
Thanks for this, Seth. It always amazes me that the restoration of an old boat/ship often leads to so much more.
Here's a link to a nice little video about Pete Seeger's work with Clearwater on the Hudson River:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tE8fmv1onA
Enjoy!
Tony
Phil T posted 12-14-2011 12:56 PM ET (US)
I can attest to the challenge of launching/retrieving on the Piscat. Thank heavens for my rear side guide rollers.
While Seth or Brian can correct me, I measured a 5-7 mph current on one trip with the tide going out with my GPS.
Holding your position in some places on the river can be very challenging. Going under one of the many bridges during a full rip is a mini roller coaster. One minute you are in the middle of a 20 ft wide opening and the next moment the current is pushing you sideways toward the bridge abutment.
It's a great river to run with Boston Whalers in abundance.
The tidal current is rated as one of the fastest in the US.
Cf: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piscataqua_River#cite_note-0
Jerry Townsend posted 12-14-2011 03:47 PM ET (US)
Seth - thanks for the information. I was wondering what it was, was used for and the water conditions.
But, given the water conditions, the flat bottom would be a requisite. And even just thinking about towing it in an outgoing tide would cause nightmares. --- Jerry/Idaho
GreatBayNH posted 12-14-2011 10:11 PM ET (US)
Since gundalows depended on the tides to take them upriver on the rising tide and downriver on the falling tide the sail acted only as auxiliary power.

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Author	Topic: Boat Launching Piscataqua River, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
GreatBayNH	posted 12-13-2011 04:33 PM ET (US) I often talk about the swift current and challenging launches and dockings where I put my Montauk 170 in the water in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Last weekend I witnessed a boat launching at my ramp to end all boat launchings. They made it look so easy. Talk about a ramp hog! http://www.flickr.com/photos/gundalow/sets/72157628336156863/show/ You may notice what boat make they called on to tow the gundalow to its final destination (slide 49). Also a classic Whaler is in view on the dock. Enjoy! -Seth
jamesmylesmcp	posted 12-13-2011 05:27 PM ET (US) I also frequent the ramp on Pierce Island and have watched some less than graceful launches. Wonder how they made the turn into the Island to go over the bridge ? I have been alittle nervous a few times at that corner with my 25 even the 21 is tight. We have gotten pretty good at dealing with the current there.
GreatBayNH	posted 12-13-2011 06:06 PM ET (US) There is a slide in there showing them "turning" on Marcy Street towards Peirce Island. It looks like they either pivoted the cradle or came straight across from the Prescott park property. I overheard an old timer, involved with the project, talking to a reporter. He said they had to take out extra insurance because they didn't know if the Peirce Island bridge would hold the weight of the gundalow. What the photographer missed was the near miss of the gundalow slamming into the fishing boats docked at the NH Fishing Pier. It was a real nail biter. Thank goodness they had that boat on the rear to help slow down and turn the gundalow at just the right moment. It was right of that scene in the 1997 movie "Titanic" when they have the rudder hard over and are just waiting for the ship to start turning away from the iceburg.
GreatBayNH	posted 12-13-2011 06:29 PM ET (US) Here is the turn on to Mechanic Street picture with detailed caption. http://www.flickr.com/photos/gundalow/6486265639/
jimh	posted 12-13-2011 11:42 PM ET (US) The series of photographs is great. I really enjoyed them. Thanks for posting.
boatdryver	posted 12-14-2011 10:15 AM ET (US) Can someone please explain Briefly what a gundalow is and what this event is about? The whole thing looks fascinating. thanks, JimL
GreatBayNH	posted 12-14-2011 10:32 AM ET (US) From Wikipedia: "A gundalow is a type of flat bottom cargo vessel once common in Maine and New England rivers. Up to 70 feet (21 m) long, they characteristically employed tidal currents for propulsion, shipping a single lateen sail to harness favorable winds." From Me: Gundalows were the "18 wheelers" of the 1700's in the Piscataqua River/Great Bay region of New Hamphire and Maine. They moved goods, such a brick and cord wood, up and down the rivers to the communities of Exeter, Durham, Newmarket, Dover and Portsmouth (all reachable by water via the Piscataque River and Great Bay - one of the largest estuaries on the Atlantic Coast and at 10 miles (16 km) inland is one of the most recessed). They were specially designed with flat bottoms to help navigate the shallow waters at low tide and had a sail that could lower to the deck so they could go under the low bridges of the time. Gundalows are indigenous to the New Hampshire and Maine's Great Bay region much like gondolas are indigenous to Venice, Italy. -Seth
GreatBayNH	posted 12-14-2011 10:45 AM ET (US) Now to explain the event. 29 years ago some people got together to build a working gundalow as a local history teaching tool. It still exists and you see it in the last few slides where the new gundalow ended up docking. The 29 year old gundalow was named after the last known gundalow captain in the region, Captain Edward H. Adams. The new gundalow was named after the primary river gundalows used to sail, "The Piscataqua". More recently the Gundalow Company decided to build a new gundalow that could carry passangers as the old one was not Coast Guard certified to do so nor did it have self propulsion. The new gundalow has an engine/prop and the Coast Guard was involved heavily throughout the building process to make sure it was a safe vessel for passengers. This new gundalow can carry up to 49 people. Here is Gundalow Comapany's web site for more info. http://www.gundalow.org/ Come to Portsmouth if you want to take a ride. You can't sail a gundalow anywhere else in the world. -Seth
elaelap	posted 12-14-2011 12:33 PM ET (US) Thanks for this, Seth. It always amazes me that the restoration of an old boat/ship often leads to so much more. Here's a link to a nice little video about Pete Seeger's work with Clearwater on the Hudson River: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tE8fmv1onA Enjoy! Tony
Phil T	posted 12-14-2011 12:56 PM ET (US) I can attest to the challenge of launching/retrieving on the Piscat. Thank heavens for my rear side guide rollers. While Seth or Brian can correct me, I measured a 5-7 mph current on one trip with the tide going out with my GPS. Holding your position in some places on the river can be very challenging. Going under one of the many bridges during a full rip is a mini roller coaster. One minute you are in the middle of a 20 ft wide opening and the next moment the current is pushing you sideways toward the bridge abutment. It's a great river to run with Boston Whalers in abundance. The tidal current is rated as one of the fastest in the US. Cf: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piscataqua_River#cite_note-0
Jerry Townsend	posted 12-14-2011 03:47 PM ET (US) Seth - thanks for the information. I was wondering what it was, was used for and the water conditions. But, given the water conditions, the flat bottom would be a requisite. And even just thinking about towing it in an outgoing tide would cause nightmares. --- Jerry/Idaho
GreatBayNH	posted 12-14-2011 10:11 PM ET (US) Since gundalows depended on the tides to take them upriver on the rising tide and downriver on the falling tide the sail acted only as auxiliary power.