|
As a student at Keuka College students are required to do 4 field periods before they graduate. These field periods
are a minimum for 140 on-site hours. These can compare with the idea of an internship and can be done individually or
as a group field period. My name is Kelly Bolton and as junior I know how valuable these field
periods can be. They can do much more than just keep you busy for 3 weeks.
As a sophomore at Keuka I took the colleges small craft boating course which taught me how to safely use many different boats
from a canoe to a Jetski. This was an amazing experience for me as I haven't had much experience out on the water.
The most important part of this story in that the class was taught by Ed Wightman, husband of Keuka College's synchronized
swimming coach Nancy Wightman. Ed is retired now and to keep him busy he restores old wooden boats mostly canoes and
smaller trout or row boats. I was fascinated by this as were a few of my fellow classmates. We talked with him
about having a class inwhich he would teach his students that basics of boat restoration. Because that would have been
a slightly longer process than we wanted to wait for we decided to speed things up by making it a field period.
My parents, excited about the thought of this opportunity (mostly my Dad), sought out to find a boat
for myself and two other students, Scott Johnson and Matt Piche, to restore. Advisors at the college were talked to
and paperwork was filled out, a boat was found, and that brings us to the present. Matt, Scott, and I, are now living
with Ed and Nancy in his home in Hammondsport NY and restoring a 1963 Lyman, which I am proud to call my own.
We are currently working on this boat and on this page you will be able to find pictures of what the boat originally looked
like and as a work in progress.
|
|
Above is the boat that my family has found and the one that Matt, Scott, and I, with the Ed's help, knowledge and shop,
will restore! We have not yet given her a name however I am sure one will arise while working on her. Built in
1963, she has some rough spots buts its nothing that we can't fix and bring back to life. Being 16 feet long she is
a good size boat for family and friends to enjoy, however because of her size she will be a challenge to restore.
This however, is one challenge that I am ready for.
|
