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 The Traditional Small Craft
Association was chartered in Maine in the 1970's in response to
proposed federal boating regulations that would have effectively rendered many
traditional small craft such as the Banks dory, the peapod and the Seabright
Skiff legally "unsafe." John Gardner (curator at Mystic Seaport), Jon
Wilson (of WoodenBoat Magazine), Pete Culler, and others conceived of
an organization to resist these proposed regulations and further the interest
in traditional small craft. TSCA was formed as a non-profit educational
organization "which works to preserve and continue the living traditions,
skills, lore and legends of working and pleasure watercraft. It encourages the
design, construction and use of these boats and it embraces contemporary
variants and adaptations of traditional designs."
Dues in TSCA are $20 annually and include full membership rights, a very
nice quarterly journal named The Ash Breeze, and some other odds and
ends.
Local chapters organize events, classes, messabouts -- basically anything
they have the interest and energy to put together. Some chapters sponsor more
than a dozen events a year; others seem to function only sporadically.
Scheduled events are usually listed in The Ash Breeze by chapter.
The chapters function with great autonomy and their members make their own
decisions about activities, organizational level, etc.
John Gardner was not only a founder but probably the most influential
person in making TSCA what it has become. Reading any one of his books -- with
their emphasis on building, enjoying and appreciating the designs and methods
of our maritime tradition -- pretty much sums up TSCA, in my opinion.
-- courtesy of Larry Feeney
The Traditional Small Craft Association, Inc., is a
tax-exempt, non-profit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code. Dues and contributions to TSCA are tax-deductible to
the extent permitted by law.
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