Reprinted from The Ash Breeze

Reprinted from The Ash Breeze – Winter 2004, Vol. 25 No. 4

Gardner Grant Update:

Island Star Project Gets New Life

By John Weiss

On October 1, 2004, John Calagero and his crew on San Juan Island, WA turned over the Island Star project to the Old Anacortes Rowing and Sailing Society (OARS) on nearby Fidalgo Island. The current state of the project consists of plans, molds on a strongback with a partially planked hull, fastenings, lumber, and an endowment for construction that includes a grant from the John Gardner Foundation.

David Jackson, representing OARS in Anacortes, WA, relates that “I met with John Gardner four times. Each time he was an inspiration, encouraging us with a kind smile and knowing, sometimes mischievous eyes.” David’s plan is to store the hull and strongback for two years while a prior obligation is finished, then complete the hull for use with the Anacortes Sea Scouts and the community based rowing club, OARS. The members of OARS have been rowing two 21’ gigs, Glide and Erica (named after Erica Pickett of the Flounder Bay Lumber Co. in Anacortes) for 20 years now. The boats have 12 regular crews and are starting to show the wear. The Island Star, a replica of the 27’ General Lafayette, which is in livery at Mystic Seaport, will be a working replacement. One other replica is known to have been built.

The John Gardner fund awarded the Island Star project a $500 grant in 2000, and several project updates have appeared in The Ash Breeze since then. TSCA member Colin Hermans of Friday Harbor is one of a handful of people who had worked with John Calagero on the boat for several years, and may know as much as anyone about the history of the boat. The project has been dormant, however, since John moved to Europe to continue his education. Further information on OARS and future updates on the Island Star project will be available at: