Take a Chance To Win Unique, Graceful Adirondack Packboat

By Hugh M. Carola

It may look like a canoe at first glance but don’t tell that to master boatbuilder Steve Kaulback. If you look at it again, you’ll notice the graceful oars resting in brass oarlocks, the handmade cane seats and the unique combination of 19th century form with 21st century technology. Canoes are fine, but this is definitely not a canoe. It’s an Adirondack Guideboat.

“I first met Steve two years ago at the New York National Boat Show and I was impressed by the beauty and workmanship of his boats,” says Captain Bill Sheehan, executive director of Hackensack Riverkeeper. “I knew instantly that I wanted to introduce them to the Hackensack.”

Located in Charlotte, Vermont, Steve and his partner, David Rosen, run Adirondack Guideboat, Inc., a company that has been manufacturing – by hand – traditional guideboats and their smaller cousins, the Vermont Packboats since 1979.

Adirondack guideboats date back to the 1830s when they were used to transport hunters into the wilderness of New York’s Adirondack Mountains. Although it’s several feet shorter and only weighs 46 pounds, the packboat is no lightweight. It’s designed to handle fast-flowing rivers, large, choppy bodies of water and even the open ocean.

“Our boats are works of art,” says Kaulback. “But they’re also strong, tough and built to give a lifetime of service.” These days, however, both boats are more likely to be seen hauling picnic baskets rather than a hunter’s quarry.

Graceful, light yet tough, this Adirondack Pack Boat is being
raffled as a fundraiser for Hackensack Riverkeeper

Normally, you’d have to visit a dealer in New England or upstate New York to check out one of Steve’s “tough works of art” but now you don’t have to. Just stop by the office of Hackensack Riverkeeper at 231 Main Street in Hackensack, NJ. We have a beautiful navy blue Packboat with cherrywood oars and trim just waiting for you to fall in love with it.

And once smitten, we invite you to try and win the boat for your very own in Hackensack Riverkeeper’s Adirondack Packboat Raffle. Chances cost only $5 each or five tickets for $20. The winner will be drawn on Earth Day, April 22, 2005 and proceeds will be benefit Hackensack Riverkeeper. “Virtually every ticket purchased will directly benefit Hackensack Riverkeeper since our members of our Board of Trustees have generously contributed to pay for the cost of the boat,” explained Captain Bill. “We are very grateful to them and appreciate their generosity.”

Of course if the boat already enthralls you, just fill out the ticket request on page 3 of the Tidelines newsletter, send it in with your check and good luck!

Specifications of this Adirondack Pack Boat:

Length: 12 feet, 2 inches
Beam: 36.5 inches
Stem height: 19 inches
Depth at center: 12 inches
Capacity: 350 pounds
Weight: 46 pounds
Materials: Kevlar with cherrywood gunwales and trim