Annapolis Wherry Tandem Log book

Annapolis Wherry Tandem Log Book

Richard Pellessier

Started April 11, 2025

April 11, 2025. Maiden voyage. With Staci at Lake Martin. Talked with people at the landing who wanted to admire the beautiful wooden boat. Met Ted Spillers, who keeps several boats in a hangar near the Lake Martin landing. Found rowing to be difficult. Ted offered rowing suggestions and advised practice. Saw Black Bellied Whistling ducks.

April 12, 2025. With Staci at Lake Martin. Saw an Anhinga sunning itself, Great Blue Heron, Alligators, and Osprey. Visited Ted Spillers at his boat hangar.

April 15, 2025. Stored boat upside down by hanging from rafters in the farmhouse garage.

November 25, 2025. Took boat down from storage with assistance from Maurice Martin and placed it on trailer.

November 26, 2025. Added second Piantedosi rowing station.

November 26, 2025. With Maurice and Tracy Avant Martin and their son Ben at Lake Martin. Took Maurice rowing, he had many of the same problems I did on my first attempt. Saw a Great Egret. Maurice declared fun level 3 on a scale of 10.

Took Ben rowing. Went across lilies. Saw a Great Blue Heron land near and startle a Great Egret. Ben declared his fun level to be an 8, which he later upgraded to 9.

Took Tracy rowing. Suggested that learning how to catch and recover oars was more important when learning than pulling on them. This seemed to be good advice, Tracy was very smooth. Saw and photographed a White Ibis feeding from shore.

December 7, 2025. With Staci at Lake Martin. Staci practiced oar feathering from the bow seat. I got my feet wet in 18” boots while launching. Might need waders or wet sandals. Solo launching in trailer’s current configuration would be difficult. I got help from two Indian fellows to put the boat back on the trailer.

Longest row yet. Saw lots of Great Egrets and a few Great Blue Herons. Two blinds were being used by duck hunters, did not hear any shots. Saw a curious activity by dozens of waterfowl flapping loudly without taking off, like they were trying to make a disturbance in the water on the west side. Saw a flock of a dozen ducks, maybe teal, but they were not interested in the many dozens of decoys the hunters were showing them. Saw a brownish bird something like an ibis, walking on the shore near the landing. When leaving saw a Pileated Woodpecker.

January 7, 2026. With Oscar at Lake Martin. Rowed across Lake Martin to other side. Saw a Bald Eagle, and a Greenwing Teal. Saw a tornado of soaring birds in the direction of Anse La Butte to the north. Rumors of good fishing, there were about 8 trailers at the landing, a guy said the fish were biting.

January 16, 2026. Rich, Staci, Oscar and Tater at Lake Martin. Ate at St. Johns in St. Martinville before going to Lake Martin. Heard of another wooden rowboat in New Iberia. Conditions were windy with waves. Boat performed well with heaviest loading yet. Staci used her cane chair and liked it.

February 2, 2026. Oscar and Rich at Lake Martin. Saw Ted Spillers at his hangar, went and chatted. Ted and his son, Aaron, were working on a 6 cylinder Honda motorcycle. Ted has started a stitch and glue "Chesapeake Racer," a narrow racing shell. Rowed across Lake Martin and back, had rowing station in the forward position and Oscar on the back deck. Not enough weight to keep the skeg down in the water, boat had a tendency to fishtail or wander. Saw Great Egret and possibly bald eagle. Saw several cormorants. When loading boat onto trailer talked with a fellow who was loading several dozen decoys. He said he was picking up the decoys for the season, the season ended Saturday. He commented that it was the worst season he's ever had.