May 2009 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 5.
PROFILE: Giffy Full, More than a Surveyor
BROOKLIN – There are certainly a lot of coal barges into Salem and Beverly. Occa-
people along the coast of Maine whom have sionally a coal barge would be towed up
had a very interesting life, however, none through the middle of Marblehead harbor to
more than the noted marine surveyor Giffy unload. I wonder to this day how they snaked
Full. Anyone who has been around the boat them in and out of there.”
yards, especially those dealing with wooden Like many of us looking back on our
boats, all along the Eastern Seaboard at least childhood there are some things we should
knows the name. However, there is more to have done different. Full explained, “The big
Full’s life than just surveying. mistake I made as a young person, I said to
Full grew up in Marblehead, Massachu- myself. ‘I can learn all the details about this
setts. He added, “My youngest memories are later cause this will always be here.’ It wasn’t,
of the waterfront about 1933, which was the because when the war came along that ended
height of the Depression. The only thing the it. So I lost the opportunity to learn a lot more,
family had for a boat was a double-ended but of course that was my fault.”
punt my father had built. I was in that punt as There were freedoms then that most
soon as it was in the water. Wasn’t much of children today will never experience. Full
a thing to row, but it was afloat. Later on when explained, “My mother never worried about
my father got back to work, probably about us kids when we were playing in a skiff or
1936, he got enough money together to buy something. When we were a little older, half
Giffy Full at his work shop at his home in Brooklin.
a 14-foot lapstrake skiff built by the Toppins the time we lived on Brown’s Island in the
Boat Company up in Medford, Mass.” summertime. We had a tent over there and this happened. There was a one man boat pretty disgusted. I saw that situation and I
“I remember one other depressing come home to get groceries. If you got into shop over on Fort Sewall in Marblehead, said I wonder if he’d sell it to me, you know,
thing,” said Full, “There was a barn near our trouble you got a boot in the fanny and that where a man by the name of Ralph Crowell he is pretty disgusted. So I took all the money
house which had a nice 14 foot centreboard took care of it.” built some very nice lobster boats. Over in his I owned with me, which was 35 bucks and
carvel planked sailboat in it. It had been in Several lobster fishermen were working shop, which was actually under his house, went up to his house. I went to the door,
there for years and hadn’t been used much. out of the cove where Full grew up. “When I sat a Rice Brother’s launch. Little narrow knocked, and he opened the door and he
He had a couple of relatives who were boat got to be 12 or 13 I used to do a little work for launch about 21 or 22 feet long, and the looked at me and said ‘what do you want?’ I
people come down to work on it and they them and that is how I really learned to work.” engine was up forward of the cockpit under said, ‘Well, I’d like to talk to you about your
decided it was too far gone and they cut her Said Full. “I did a lot of work for the lobster the deck. What happened was, the man that boat.’ ‘What do you want to know about my
up. That just about killed me to see that boat fishermen. They didn’t want to sand the owned it painted her up, and she was in a boat?’ I said, ‘Well I’m kind of interested if
cut up. I never forgot that.” bottoms of their boats so I sanded them. I also cradle and they moved her down the road and you want to sell it.’ He said ‘Darn right I do.
Full was fortunate to live right down on worked on trap gear and stuff like that. It was launched her with the cradle. What we always What do you give me for it?’ I said, ‘Well, I’ll
the water, very close to the well-known just a wonderful, wonderful time to grow up, did if the boat had dried out any at all, we’d give you everything I’ve got, I got $35.’ He
Grave’s Yacht Yard. This was a thriving place but then of course as I say the war raised heck leave the boat tied in the cradle and moor it said, ‘Good enough.’ He wrote out a bill of
even during the Depression. Full added, with it.” bow and stern on the beach and let her soak sale and the boat was mine. So of course the
“They were building yachts there all the time The yards in Marblehead, like most up with the tide. Well the poor guy put her next afternoon after school I went right down
and when a yacht was going to be launched, yards around the United States, shifted to down there and forgot to put the plug in her. put a plug in her, touched her up with some
there would be a launching party. That was building boats for the war effort. All the The tide came, she filled up with water and
always kind of a big affair. As a kid I know I beautiful yachts of any size went either to the then she rolled over in the cradle. He was
Continued on Page 16.
was probably a pain in the neck, but used to Coast Guard or some other service. Full re-
hang around the boat yard all the time watch- members sitting in the high school audito-
ing the men work, seeing what they were rium and watching the convoys making up
doing, and how they were putting the boat just outside Boston Harbor.
Great Island Boat Yard
together. I have seen boats come in there so As time went on the Fulls were able to
badly damaged you’d say well put the rest of purchase an unfinished 21-foot sloop that
her in the stove. They didn’t. I remember had a couple of bunks and two cylinder
seeing one boat come in; there was only half Universal engine in her. They put the bunks
the boat. She was split lengthwise. They set in, got a rig for her and fitted her out, which
her up and built the rest of her back.” was a pretty big achievement.
Growing in Marblehead at this time was Full’s father was William Sanford Full GREAT
at the height of the golden age of yachting. and went by W. Sanford Full, who worked as
There were lots of big boats with professional an architect out of an office in his home. He
Service, Access, Value
skippers and crew. Some of these crews got designed houses and large buildings, but he
to know Full and he was able to get aboard also had a rare specialty, renderings. The
and at times got to help out. There were also buildings he designed he would do a render-
Big boat yard service expertise delivered with
the racing fleets, from Brutal Beast up to 8 ing, which offered the prospective buyer a the personal care and responsiveness of
Metres and Q Boats. Full said that racing was drawing of what the building would actually
a family business. Call or visit us to discover
a big affair in those days and boats would look like. He was also a man that you did not
how you can benefit from our exceptional blend
come from all over Cape Ann and the South defy.
of traditional craftsmanship and state of the
Shore to compete. Like all kid’s who are obsessed with
Another aspect of life around the North boats, they want to own their own and at
art technology.
Shore was the commercial ship traffic, which times it can get you into trouble. Full ex-
Full found interesting. Full said, “There were plained, “Talk about getting yourself into hot
Protected marina with 110 slips and moorings
always steam tugs coming and going with water. I was 14 or 15 years old at the time when
20,000 sq. ft. of indoor, climate-controlled work space
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