Crew 407 / Sea Scout Ship "Tuvaaq" History Home

Crew 407 was formed in the summer of 2006 out of Troop 407, latter reformed as Sea Scout Ship "Tuvaaq". Tuvaaq is the name of our Boat (Umiak) and is IñupiaQ for hunter. During the winter of 2007 we began consulting with the Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union and hit upon the idea of building and crewing an Umiak, Alaskan Native Skin on Frame style boat. With help from Corey Freeman at the Skin Boat School in Anacortes we began construction in March. Crew members have helped mill the Western Red and Alaskan Yellow Cedar, scarf (join) the wood members together, form the wood into a hull shape and lash the boat together with seining twine. Final hull construction took place at the Center for Wooden Boats during the Wooden Boat Festival in July 2007, there we fit and sewed on the ballistic nylon skin (flak jacket material).  Our crew was given a very helpful boost through a grant from the Muckleshoot Charitable Fund that provided for the initial boat building cost.  The Umiak was launched during a ceremony on 3 July 2007 at the Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union.   The first expedition was undertaken in Summer of 2007, the crew camped on Hope Island in the South Puget Sound and explored the Hamersley Inlet, Totten Inlet and Skookum Inlet.  Crew used four sweep oars borrowed from the Center for Wooden Boats.   Once the hull was completed the Crew focused on designing and making oars and paddles, as well as two sails with spars. 12 foot sweep oars were hand planed from fur planks at the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle over the 2007 Winter Holiday Break.   Spars were made from Sitka Spruce planks.  Sails were designed by the crew, our design was then sent to a sail maker (Sailrite) who cut out panels to make a sail kit which was then sewn together by the Crew.   Our sails are two traditional style Sprit sails, a 55 sq ft fore and a 75 sq ft main, that are simple to use and provide a low center of effort that ideally suites our craft.  Sails and rigging were completed in April 2008.    The Crew participated in the 2008 International Pacific Challenge held at the Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union, Seattle.   June 2008 the Tuvaaq and her crew of seven youths and two adults participated in the Shipyard School Raid, an eight day 120 mile traditional open boat trek from Gabriola Island to Desolation Sound along the Straight of Georgia in British Columbia.    If you are interested in joining or supporting our Crew please contact Crew Advisor Brennan Phillips at Umiak407@gmail.com , our web site link is www.crew407.com .