Fort de la Presentation in Ogdensburg, NY

July 23-24 2011, we made the trip up to Ogdensburg again. This year is different. Usually the 27th Inniskilling goes  as land troops, but this year they were supporting Springfield, VT's celebration. So the Dark and Stormy crew brought the boat instead and we had a blast. 

 It was a beautiful weekend, plenty of time on the water for all of us.  We participated in our first bateau race at Fort de la Presentation this year. We came in third, although thats up for debate as not everyone followed the same track to the finish line.

We also spent a fair bit of time trekking from the Navy camp on one side of the site to the British camp and the Sutlers.  We did make our usual trip to the Freight house next door for dinner. These folks have good food and are very welcoming to the reenactors.   A few things were different - we didn't get lost downtown this year. We knew ahead of time of the doughnouts and breakfast goodies the community donates, so morning coffee was not a struggle. The weekend went smoothly and we're looking forward to bring the boat back next year.

For Memorial Day

Below is a roll of honor for my direct ancestors that served in wartime. Many thanks for your service to our country.

Korean War and World War 2:
Robert H Dykeman, Navy

World War 2:
Warren Cornell

World War 1:
Lester A Cornell 

Civil War:
John Whaley, Charles S Beatty, Orrin Harrison, and William Hooker

War of 1812:
Noah Denton, Isaac Dykeman, and  Junia W Dykeman

Revolutionary War:
Obadiah Chase, Joseph Dykeman, William Hooker, John Varney, Heziekiah Dykeman, Benjamin Dykeman, Gershom Hubbell, Jonathan Silliman, Moody Howes, Jacob Reed, Henderick Van Blarcom, Ezra Mireck, Zenas Warren, William Rhinevault, John Knox, and  Jonathan Reynolds

Culloden May 21-22 2011

First event of the season,  we were off to celebrate Culloden. The 27th Inniskilling played government troops at this event and we were badly outnumbered by the Scots. We were in the upper field at Fort Plain, NY above the museum.  Along one side of the field were dozens of scot groups, most who took a first-person approach to the events over the weekend, which is different from our third-person approach to reenacting. The British camp was far back in a corner, a slight hike to just about everything. 



MizRebecky & Lord Brigader PennyPacker



We had nine Brits encamped; two of which were soldiers. Luckily for us Lord Brigadier Pennypacker came to our aid and added to the ‘army’ by a third. Our battles turned into the type of squirmishes that lead up toCulloden, even after a few Scots transformed themselves into Government troops to help us out. Hopefully we’ll have a few more redcoats next time.

 We had a fair bit of Tourists come visit the site; many even hiked over to the British camp to chat with us. The Scots entertained us with a maypole dance and Highland Games. Their ladies invited ours to tea with the Prince. A “market fair” was held as well, which was excellently attended by both sides.

All of us Brits took a walk down to the museum together and thoroughly enjoyed the exhibits there along with very friendly staff to entertain us. Some plans were made for the next Culloden there, which should happen in 2013. Although we had a small turnout, it was an enjoyable event for all.

Captain said "Bring out your Tar!" and we did.

Not only tar, but also varnish, paint, caulking, mother’s polish, hot water and elbow grease… all necessary ingredients in getting the Dark & Stormy ready for another season on the water.

 Most of the boat crew spent a Saturday at the captain’s home with all the above and more to do just that, ready the boat for the 2011 season.
Jen Parillo took some pictures to share of the day.

Starting with pieces removable from the boat, the duckboards, rudder and dagger board all were refreshed with varnish and paint. Luckily we had a nice sunny day in the 60s which helped all the pieces dry in record time. Cleats were removed, repaired and reattached.

Some customized nooks and crannies to help our gunner were repaired and replaced. Aftercleaning and vacuuming up debris we painted the inside of the Dark & Stormy so she’s looking good for the summer.

A short break for lunch and we were back for the next tasks at Hand. We had to lift the boat up to work on the hull. We’ve learned a few things over the years, so this time it was much easier. We had braces ready and used some modern equipment for the lifting. Out came the tar & paint. Since we all wouldn’t all be able to work on the boat bottom together, we split up to work on other projects.

A new set of sweeps needed to be done to replace the ones we broke last year. So it was at this point Tim began sanding and then drawing the oar pattern on the boards we had readied the night before. The gunnels got a new coat of varnish and the sides of the boat bottom got some freshening up as well.

Brendan and I started by cleaning the swivel gun, a one inch bore that really should have been cleaned up before the winter started.. I decided to put a little Mother’s polish on the gun, to clean it up a tad… and while talking for a hour or two, managed to get Precious bright and shiny. Jp and Jamie also whipped a new anchor line in place.

Kathy, Jen and Sue gathered the goods to put on a great feast for us all. It was a lovely way to end a hardworking day. While we accomplished much, the Caulking of the sides, oar-making and a few little tasks still need some attention. However the Dark & Stormy is well on its way to being ready for our summer. I believe we’ll have the boat at The Fort at Number 4 the first weekend of June for some  fun. Come out and see us.

The remainder of the reenacting season

July 30-Aug 1 Galway Lake, NY
The crew of the Dark & Stormy along with other naval units will be setting up on a private beach and sailing on the lake.

Aug 14-15 Crown Point, NY
27th Inniskilling.
http://nysparks.state.ny.us/historic-sites/34/details.aspx

Aug 21-22 Rabble in Arms at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT.
The crew of the Dark & Stormy
http://www.lcmm.org/museum_info/visit.htm

Sept 11- 12 Battle of Plattsburgh (War of 1812)
Plattsburgh, NY
The crew of the Dark & Stormy.
http://www.battleofplattsburgh.org/blog/?page_id=5

Sept 25 - 26 Rogers Island
Ft Edward NY
27th Inniskilling
http://www.rogersisland.org/