Recent Events of the MTBE
The Mt. Baldy Expedition is happy to announce the establishment of its National Headquarters on the Southside of Chicago in Little Tuscany. On April 1, 2006, just a few blocks from Headquarters, the expedition rented another location for the MTBE Boat Works where the expeditionary sailing dinghy, the Boutez en Avant, is being built. Both locations are within walking distance of the site Marquette and Joliet wintered prior to their portage of the subcontinental divide in 1673.
Also during April, the MTBE official burgee underwent a rigorous equipment test as it flew for seven days in front of the University of Illinois Gallery 400 as part of Phillip Von Zweck’s installation, Temporary Allegiance. The flag endured a series of thunderstorms, torrential downpours, and gusts of wind up to 20-25 knots per hour. It shows no sign of wear or stress.
In September of 2005, the expedition participated in a performance of John Cage’s Musicircus at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. As their contribution, James Barry and Hui-min Tsen gave a lecture titled, “A Lecture on the State of Discovery in which The Mt. Baldy Expedition Participates in a Rendition of John Cage’s Musicircus on September 25, 2005 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.” The expedition also gave to the public cut-and-assemble replicas of the Boutez en Avant. (Click on the image to print your own replica).
Over the summer of 2005, the expedition published for its second time in InterReview Magazine contributing an article titled “Conversations with Our Parents on the Topics of Everyday Exploration, Play, Learning and Risk.” This followed InterReview’s Fall 2004 publication of “The Mt. Baldy Expedition Announcement Lecture.” (See sidebar for details).
Building the Strongback of the Boutez en Avant
The strongback of the Boutez en Avant is the temporary frame over which we build our dinghy. It gives the boat its shape. 
The strongback is comprised of three main elements: the strongback proper, the station forms, and the chassis. The first step was to build the strongback proper, which is a 2"x12" board cut down to the shape of the bottom of the dinghy. This shape is called the boat's rocker. Next we built the station forms. These are four frames assembled from 2"x4" and 2"x6" boards that replicate the angles created where the side planking joins the bottom planking at different cross sections of the boat. The combination of the strongback proper and the station forms create the overall shape of the boat. The final element is the chassis, a framework of 2"x4" boards that stabilizes the strongback proper and station forms at a working height. The last step was to level the station forms, square them up to a center line on the stongback proper, and make sure they were plumb before securing them in place. The following pictures were taken at the MTBE Boatworks as we started building the Boutez en Avant. We will continue adding to this section of the Push Forward Chronicles as the Boutez en Avant progresses. At right is a detail of the strongback plans on our shop wall.
The 2"x12" for the strongback (left) and Jim cutting out the strongback (right)
The strongback shortly after being planed to size
Hui-min routing station form notches in the strongback (left) and Jim fine tuning the notches (right)
Stacked lumber prepared for station forms
Assembling station forms
Adjustment of a station form
Testing the fit of station form #8
The strongback immediately after being installed on the chassis
Station forms #8 and #5 installed, leveled, and squared to center line
Detail of station form #1 prior to final adjustments
The assembled strongback
MTBE Announcements
The Mt. Baldy Expedition is pleased to announce the creation of its Board of Advisors and happily welcomes Sailing Advisor David Travis, a veteran skipper of eight Mackinaw races aboard his Tartan 10 Mischief; Medical Advisor Jennifer Blaire, a medical intern at the University of Chicago Hospital; Meteorological Advisor Rick DiMaio, the Chicago Fox Network's meteorologist and a severe weather specialist; Boat Building Advisor Matt Murphy, editor of Wooden Boat Magazine; and Boat Building Advisor Albert Gordon, a professional carpenter, lobsterman, and boat builder on Maine’s Isle Au Haut.
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