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 use waders. 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.
