The boatbuilders include several volunteers from the 100-plus membership of OARS, as well as Andy Stewart of Emerald Marine, where actual construction took place. The Island Star joined 2 other OARS boats in passing in review. After that, the party, a potluck, continued on the north shore of the marina, in an area where a small boat center may someday be constructed.
The Island Star is a four-oared Gig, loosely patterned on the American Star, a winning race boat, and the General Lafayette, both built in the early 19th century.
Construction of the Island Star was actually started ten years ago in Friday Harbor by a group of wooden boat enthusiasts. But, they never finished the boat. OARS acquired the frame and building materials. OARS volunteers tore apart the Friday Harbor work and started again from scratch, using the earlier plans, They hired Emerald Marine to oversee the project while a dozen or more volunteers hand-crafted the new boat.
The Island Star is scheduled to race against a similar boat, the Salish Star, at the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend on Sept. 11. The Salish Star is owned by a crew in Port Townsend.
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