Alberg Fellows

In 2008 the CDSOA, Inc. established the "Alberg Fellows" as a method to recognize members for their extraordinary contributions in support of the CDSOA and its mission. The initial inductees are Walt Bilofsky, Al Lawton, David Stump and John Dunn. Read more about the Alberg Fellows.....

Al Lawton

Al Lawton took to the water early in life. At fourteen he had saved enough "lawn mowing money" to purchase his first water craft, a gently used thirteen foot Grumman aluminum canoe. An only child, Al was encouraged to explore the rivers and creeks of central and western Kentucky. His paddling took him from the limpid water of Harrods Creek, to the muddy wastes of the Green River, then to the white water of the Red River Gorge.

As fate would have it young Al found a plan in Boy’s Life for a lanteen sail rig for a canoe and the fascination with wind and water began. Al carefully collected the materials and set about to build the rig. His mother sewed the sail made from an extra bed sheet. (Remember, this was Kentucky and sailcloth was scarce, if not unheard of.) After some last minute tweaking the “Owl” was launched in the Ohio River midst the skeptical looks of a collection of river bank fisherman at Cox’s Park. Al once remarked that the Owl sailed better down river than up but by hook or by crook he was able to get back to the park for haul out.

Al and his wife Ruth lived in several different locations within Kentucky but eventually settled in Lexington. Within a few months of their arrival Al heard about a new flood control dam, which had been completed on the Licking River, creating a small but well positioned lake on the edge of the Daniel Boone National Forest. Soon Al joined the local sailing association and purchased his first “real” sailboat, a 16’ Celebrity class open daysailer, “Zephyr”. The sailing association offered a series of competitive races and Al and Ruth joined in. One spring the association offered a bare boat charter cruise on Chesapeake Bay. Al and Ruth signed up. Ruth recalls she was not sure Al would get in the van when it was time to return home. Within one year of that cruise Al located and purchased his first Cape Dory, a 28’ sloop. After a couple of years spent gunkholing on the Chesapeake and a circumnavigation of the Delmarva Peninsula, Al came to two realizations: one, the CD 28, a worthy vessel indeed, lacked the fuel and water capacity he felt he wanted for the next phase of his sailing career, and two, there was no one to talk to about Cape Dorys -- no company, no owners association. The solution to the first realization came quite unexpectedly at the end of the sailing season when a buyer approached him with an offer too good to refuse. Al spent the winter searching for a replacement boat. By summer SarahGay a 33’ Cape Dory had been acquired and documented and the big adventures were to begin.

The second realization was less easy to resolve. It took another year or two of complaining until Ruth had had enough and challenged Al by saying “If it’s that important why don’t you organize one”? The gauntlet was down. Al had to act or stop complaining. He purchased a list of registered CD owners, mailed postcards inviting them to a raft-up on the St. Marys River and the rest is history.

SarahGay has taken Al on numerous passages south via the Intracoastal Waterway to Florida and the Keys, the Bahamas and once as far as the Dominican Republic. To the north there have been passages to Maine and cruises of the New England coast and most recently a passage to Halifax, Nova Scotia and the Maritime Provinces of Canada. The love affair continues.

After founding our organization, Al served two terms as CDSOA Commodore, and like George Washington, Al believed two terms were enough. He remains a member enjoys keeping in touch through the “MASTHEAD” and is particularly pleased as new fleets are added. Al always felt that the leaders who succeeded him would accomplish the most in the name of CDSOA. He has not been disappointed.

Walt Bilofsky

Walt created the first Cape Dory owners' web site in 1996. He is the owner/skipper of Golden Phoenix, a Cape Dory 30 flybridge cruiser -- a powerboat -- berthed near his home in Tiburon, California, on San Francisco Bay. Walt, along with Sandy Smith and Mike Fahy, were the founders of the California Cape Dory Owners Assn. (CCDOA) in 1994.

Walt wrote his first computer program in 1960 at the age of 14. He founded The Software Toolworks in 1980, initially to publish software for Heath/Zenith personal computers. Early products included MYCHESS, The Original Adventure, and the C/80 C compiler for CP/M. He was one of the three programmers who created the first versions of The Chessmaster (1986) and Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing (1987), two programs which are still best sellers.

He retired in 1996 but continued to program. The following year he released the freeware program Tide Tool which computes tides and currents, as well as providing sun and moon data, for the original Palm Pilot and all subsequent Palm devices. Jeff Hawkins, creator of the Palm, sails on San Francisco Bay and has cited Tide Tool as his favorite Palm application.

Walt holds a Coast Guard Master's license, and amateur and commercial FCC radio operator licenses, including one that qualifies him to be a ship radiotelegraph operator.

So, with Walt's expertise in boating and computer programming, it's no wonder that in 1996 he created the CCDOA's web site which included the message board and the registry of boats and their owners, and became their webmaster. Shortly afterwards they also hosted a single web page for the CDSOA, which was founded in 1996 by Al Lawton. Walt also created and initially hosted www.tyc.org, the web site for the Tiburon Yacht Club, of which he is a past Commodore and Board member.

In 2002 the CDSOA took over control of the message board and most of the CCDOA's online resources with Cathy Monaghan becoming webmaster and Walt becoming her assistant. Without Walt, we wouldn't have the single most-used Cape Dory resource on the web today -- the Cape Dory Board -- which has been THE meeting place for all things Cape Dory since 1996.

John Dunn

John Dunn, known to the Cape Dory world as the one and only “Oswego John” or simply “OJ” was born in the late 1920’s on the north shore of Long Island. His family owned a small boatyard in Hempstead Harbour and as a kid OJ was in his element in and on the water. The boatyard afforded OJ exposure to all sorts of boats in various stages of repair.

A water-rat from the beginning, OJ was introduced to the nuances of living in and on the water by his dear Aunt Nellie. She taught him many life lessons over the years. Growing up in the depression years, everything was scarce and nothing was wasted.

Early on he was exposed to an extensive world of wooden boats and it wasn’t long before his Aunt Nellie had taught him not only to row but to scull about the harbour in all sorts of small wooden craft. This was a vital tool for a young seaman with no access to a powerboat.

From the “ole-timers” that passed through the boatyard of his youth, OJ learned a building and working knowledge of vessels from skiffs to large masted schooners. Recognizing his keen intelligence they would take the time to tutor him in the use of hand tools and other marine gear. These important associations helped to mold young John into the skilled craftsman he would become.

A few years into his unofficial apprenticeship he was given a decrepit old Snipe that was cast off for junk. Soon he had her bones bared and was well into her restoration. Helped along by those ole salts, doling out their knowledge like a wee tot of rum, OJ soon had the boat shipshape and ready to sail. However there was one major problem, no one knew how to rig the Snipe. On cue, Aunt Nellie enters to show the boys how to rig the Snipe and soon they were plowing Long Island Sound, all sails flying, rooster tails spewing from the stern with their grins as wide as her beam.

Early on, in his son’s life, Mike was given an old Lyman motorboat that was in very sad shape. OJ tackled the rebuild and using some unconventional means, soon had the boat on its way back to a serviceable life. During the reconstruction the old masters would stop by and, while puffing on their pipes, would affectionately make jokes about OJ’s methods. OJ had the last laugh when the beautifully restored Lyman once again graced the waters of Long Island Sound. Over the years OJ has restored over 70 boats and built quite a few more. His restorative skills are without peer. Many an old wooden or fiberglass boat, given up for lost, is once again motoring or sailing across the waves.

The years passed quickly and in the early 1980’s OJ began to get involved in trailerable sailboats which soon led him to the Cape Dory and the nautical equivalent of the love of his life - the Cape Dory Typhoon. It wasn’t long after discovering Carl Alberg that he bought his first Typhoon and, finding a small flaw, soon had it modified to his perfection. Over the next few years OJ applied his knowledge to more and more Typhoons until he literally became the expert in their maintenance, reconstruction and repair. There are many sailors who are indebted to OJ’s generosity in expending his time and energy to solve their problem and get their baby back on the water.

OJ’s gifted spirit and extensive knowledge of all things nautical prepared him for his next mission as a founding member of the Oswego Maritime Foundation. OMF was started to help young and old experience the joy of sailing and preserve the unique maritime heritage that resides in Oswego, New York. During his tenure, the members have constructed the “85’ OMF Ontario” from scratch. Recently christened, the OMF Ontario is the premier sail-training vessel on Lake Ontario.

In the late 1990’s OJ became a member of the Cape Dory Sailboat Owners Association and with his first computer he became a valued contributor to the CDSOA message board. OJ has become the “dean” of the board and there is certainly none better qualified to advise current and prospective Typhoon owners on the minute details of their beloved little sailing ship.

John’s unflagging loyalty to his fellow mariners is legendary. The knowledge he shares with us and the humor and grace he brings to our board is truly an inspiration. The Alberg Fellows committee is proud to honor our friend and fellow Cape Dorian with his election to the highest honor the CDSOA can bestow upon its membership - The Alberg Fellowship.

John's favorite life lesson is “if I rest, I rust.” We say OJ "long may you run".

David Stump

Dave learned to sail on Long Lake while growing up in Michigan. At 17 he enlisted in the US Navy under the "Kiddy Cruise" Program. After Boot Camp and Hospital Corpsman School he was assigned to a Marine "Recon" unit in Vietnam. Upon discharge from the Navy, Dave’s career was in Health Physics/Radiation Protection. When assignments took him to California, he would rent/live aboard sailboats.

Fast forward to 1985 when his brother Don purchased a CD30B; Dave would participate and enjoy many cruises and "delivery" sails (each spring the boat was moved from Southport, CT to Westbrook, CT - more wind). During this period Dave came to appreciate the construction and design of our CDs, vowing one day to own ("command") one himself. And around this time Dave discovered the Patrick O’Brien nautical adventure series of novels with their 18th century verbiage.

By January 1998 Dave and Carol were looking for their own Cape Dory. By March they found a well-maintained CD30C owned by Gordon Swift (aka Swifty – a wooden boat builder) in a field in Exeter, NH. The price was a bit high (~$28K), but, as mentioned, she was in very good shape. As they discussed it over lunch, Carol eventually said “I think you just bought yourself a boat.” They returned to the owner, made the deal and shipped her to CT.

The soon to be re-christened S/V Hanalei became part of their family (although the Renaming Ceremony was to include "virgin urine", Dave was unable to locate any on the docks in Noank, so he settled on champagne) and a part of Cape Dory history. Dave and Carol, with Hanalei, sailed Long Island, Fishers Island, Block Island and Rhode Island Sounds as well as the forks of Long Island and associated bays and coves.

From 1998 on, Dave (and Hanalei) was a most notable presence on the Cape Dory Board, occasionally asking questions, often offering advice and almost always speaking with a traditional nautical tongue, to the enjoyment of all! Entries ranged from the building of a dink to maintaining seacocks, from stove black on props to the making of "Hard Tack" and much more.

In July 2000 Dave, Carol and Hanalei attended the rendezvous at Millstone Harbor/Niantic Bay, CT -- the first event of the newly formed Northeast Fleet of the CDSOA. That fall, after dinner and wine at the Lonesome Dove, and a little arm twisting, Dave joined the CDSOA and the Northeast Fleet (with a pointed notification that he was just a "member". OK, Dave.

Dave’s next contribution to the CDSOA and Cape Dory history came at the first Northeast Fleet Annual Meeting in January 2001. He and Cathy Monaghan, unbeknownst to the Fleet Captain, conspired to give the appropriate nautical/naval “signals” for summoning the ship’s captains to the Fleet Captain’s quarters -- to the delight of those assembled. As a direct result, Dave was spontaneously elected "Nautical Traditions Officer". At this meeting we planned a CD race for the summer 2001 activities. As it turned out, Dave won by a wide margin -- hence forth, added after his name on the CD Board, “CDSOA Number One".

Dave was the Chairman of the Northeast Fleet’s 2002 rendezvous committee, with Watch Hill/Napatree, RI as the port of call. He also had new sails made for the anticipated 2002 Cape Dory Race. But before the event, Dave experienced a debilitating stroke and was unable to attend his perfectly planned rendezvous dinner and celebration, the CD race or any further CDSOA activities.

Dave now occasionally sails as part of the "Sail Connecticut Access Program", which is dedicated to providing sailors with disabilities quality time on the water.

Dave’s enthusiasm for all things Cape Dory, and subsequently the CDSOA, is extraordinary. His spirit is ever present in the Northeast Fleet.