WIIITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1985, PAGE 7 Rosebud being built in'Opera House' By JAN DODGE Free Press Staff Two Scarborough teachers are building a tugboat in "The Opera House" at Port Whitby. It may sound like fic- tion, but it's ahl true. Del Fisher, principal ting the Volvo TMD30 four cylinder diesel engine. They are doing the rest of the finishing topsides. "Even the design of the boat is mine," Del said. "I read books, and did profile sketches. I tankage of 96 gallons fuel and 120 gallons water. It swings a 20- inch, four-blade propeller, and has an anticipated cruise speed of 8 to 10 knots, with an expected draught of 3'&2- feet. When finished, the tug will be a very comfor- table home away from home. In the main cabin on the starboard side (right) the galley will have a sink cabinet, a propane stove and oven, Marjorie Fisher looks out the wheelhouse window to confer with her husband, Del, who is on the port side deck fitting tongue and groove cedar to the wheelhouse wall of their canal tugboat. This construction is continuinrg in Port Whitby, just east of the marina office, in "The Opera House." Free Press Staff Photo at Donwood Park Junior Public School, and his wife, Marjorie, primary teacher at Emily Park have been working on their canal tugboat sin- ce a year ago May, when they took delivery of the huli. "The idea had been growing for years," Del said. "Four years ago we decided we wanted to get something to do the canal system: the Trent, Erie, Rideau, and the Hudson River. " The couple, both in their mid-forties, decided they wanted something a littie dif- ferent, but with com- fort. "lWe liked the roman- ce of the turn-of-the- century river tug, the kind that puiled barges on the Erie Canal," he said. Af ter spending a couple of years looking for a small tug that could be converted for their own use, they visited the S.G. Powell Shipyards in Dutinville, and became convinced the best plan would be to seil their sailboat (an Alberg 30, bult at Whit- by Boatworks) and commission the building of a tugboat hul from this yard. The 40-foot, 9-gauge steel huli for the Fishers' boat is the smallest tugboat and the last Steve Powell ever bult. He retired at 68, after being in the business for more than 5oyears. The Fishers take pride in thre fact that since they took delivery of the huli, no other craftsman besides the family has worked on the boat. Their 23-year-old son, Scott, an aircraft main- tenance engineer with DeHavland, is connec- wanted it the same as a working tugboat, but to My style. "I've always wanted to finish off a boat. It's been a goal ormine, a challenge," Del said.* Marjorie pointed out that Del had made ahl the cabinetry from his own design. "I like working with wood. I've just done lit- tie things before, ike spice cabinets and plate rails. Marj has been waiting for a new kit- chen now for five years. I tell her P'm practising on the boat." The Fishers' fondness for wood shows up in the finishing. Topsides they have used tongue and groove cedar; the wheelhouse is birch; the cabin, pine; the head, pine and cedar; the galley, oak; and the main salon, walnut. "Although teak veneers are usually used now, we wanted a Canadian boat, made with Canadian woods. And these woods are suitable too. Cedar was probably the most common, historically. " When the Fishers couldn't fimd a shower staîl small enough, Del made it of wood: pine and cedar. Marjorie coated it to a glossy shine with three layers of epoxy resin and a final coat of marine varnish. Marjorie does the painting and var- nishing. She has etched glass cupboard doors in nautical patterns of her own design. She also did the wooden plugs needed in the tongue and groove cedar on the exterior of the main cabin - more than 670 of them. The tug has a beam of 13-feet, 2-inches, a TAKE NOTICE THAT a Public Meeting of the Liquor Lic- ence Board of Ontario will be held ut THE MICHAEL STARR BUILDING. 33 KING STREETWEST OSHAWA, ONTARIO on TUESOAY AUGUSI 211h. 1985 i the heur ot 100OU ocloch in the torenoon. aI wlich ime the Board wîll hear an application in accorlailce wth the I ictor, Licence Act ancd Relultiensthi'reinder The lllowing ,illilinfl li,,pplid for a licence et thieclass îndic,îled, and tlli.,ililii.tiiiiiwtt >i'entertained'( aI the' alorementioeîillocationa iIn Application For New Licence Michael Holiday Restaurant 1800 Dundas Street East, Whîtby Oîning Lounge Licence Applicant: Michael Holiday Restaurant Lld. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE tht ,ny person who is resîdent in the înunîcîpality and w ho wishî's te niake rep resent,îtîoilrelative tlte eaptplic.at ion. sliall make tIliîr subnission 1 the Board in writin g prier te the date of fli hearîng. or in persen ,t the ime and plaîce of the he,îrîng (Copies ot written submissiens w 1I l be torwarded te the a pp lica nII Lîquer Licence Board et Ontaîrio 55 Lakeshore Boulevaird East TORONTO, Ontario. M5E 1A4 MINISTRY 0F CONSUMER AND COMMERCIAL RELATIONS THE LIQUOR LICENCE ACT a ref by a pani cabii AJI galle book sofa. Th side. shap for heali chah doul the schoi trini open Th have foui jumi navi heli A vani fore( fridgerator powered the wheelhouse in the basement workshop a DC generator, and hull which has its own when he wasn't working try and china skylight. inside the cabin with a nets. Port holes are framed propane heater. It (behind) of the in bronze and f ittings for Uneasy about starting ley will be a bar, navigation lamps and such an ambitious work kcase, and smnall hand rails are ail brass. in full view of his frien- 1. *Del admitted there ds, Del chose to do the rie head is on the port will be a lot of brass to construction at Port ýAt of it will be a U- polish but said, "This is Whitby instead of Fren- ed settee with table our toy, so -wýe've got to chman's Bay, where he dining, a cabin do the little extras." is a member of the ter, and an easy Referring to the opera yacht club. He also r. There will be house, Marjorie said, believed he could get ble doors leading to "We're here ail the more done, hidden away aft deck, and a time." from people. ooner style skylight Del added, "You have "But it didn't work out nmed in brass that to enjoy it, or you'd that way. I just met rs for ventilation, neyer survive. 1 have no other -people .. .On a busy rie Whreelhouse will idea how many hours day we might have up to ,e a wet locker for we've put into this. " 10 sightseers ... I'm used 1weather garb, a On summers days he to it now, and I don't p seat for guests, a said he often arrives at worry how the boat igation table, and a 6:30 a.m. and leaves at 6 looks to their eyes. 've nsman's chair. p.m. During the school met a lot of retired double pine bed, a year he works on the seameti who've worked et area and a small boat in the evenings and on commercial boats." ity will ail fit into the last winter he build the "The Opera House" castie (forwarcl of cabinetry for it in hîs CONT'D ON PG. 8 Pip>e&riGlift&oppe SOLID OAK & PINE FURNITURE 110 DUNLOP ST. E., WHITBY 666-1331 OPEN MON.-WEO 106,THURS. FR1 109,SATUROAT 105.SUNOAYS 11.5 - - - - - - - - ~ ~ - - - - $9I I *'..0 (T I140 Simcoe St. S. 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