Alumni Profiles

Hank Drude – IYRS ’06:  Working on Roann –Transitioning from a Beetle Cat® to an Eastern Dragger

In 2004, after 25 years with the Cigna Insurance Company, I retired as vice president of human resources and entered the full-time program at IYRS.  My goal was to pursue a very different career in wooden boat building. Prior to coming to IYRS, all I used a chisel for was to open a paint can! But after restoring a Beetle Cat in the first year and working with a great team to restore a Manhasset Bay One Design  in year two, I felt comfortable to apply for a position at the Mystic Seaport Museum to work on the restoration of Roann, a 60 ft. Eastern Dragger fishing vessel. My IYRS experience made this transition possible.

Built in 1947 of white oak for her keel, frames, planks and deck beams, Roann is not the same vintage as many of the Seaport’s vessels on display, but she represents the last of her kind. Because steel fasteners were used in her original construction, only her massive oak keel could be salvaged. The restored Roann will be true to her original Albert Condon design, although silicon bronze fasteners have replaced the original steel. When completed, Roann will be a working exhibit making trips out to sea for educational purposes.

On the surface, there are few similarities between a 14 ft. Beetle Cat sailboat and a 60 ft. Eastern Dragger fishing vessel. Yet, beneath the obvious differences, the construction techniques are remarkably similar. The process of determining, cutting and fitting a deck beam’s compound angles is basically the same, although the scale is a tad different. Working on Roann is also less forgiving than a smaller boat. Making an error on a Beetle’s 4 ft. fir deck beam is much less costly than a wrong cut on a 30 ft., 400lb beam of white oak. But it was that experience that began with the Beetle Cat that has prepared me for the challenges of working on Roann.

Walter Ansel, the lead shipwright on the project, manages a team of experienced and rooky shipwrights. He is a great teacher and maintains high standards for his team. Walter sets the tone and reminds us that we are not just restoring an old fishing boat; we are creating a museum piece. Achieving that standard of excellence on every cut is challenging. Knowing how to perform a task and executing that task with perfection is often easier said than done. Working methodically and utilizing the individual expertise of team members, lessons reinforced continually at IYRS, have served me well here at the Seaport.

Big boat construction is hard work, but the environment and people at Mystic are fantastic. At least once a week a museum visitor will remark that it appears as if I really enjoy my work. In my previous work life, I never had anyone say that to me!