Master craftsman Christopher Augustus likes to take on new challenges.  So, when he received a request to design and carve an award that would be unique to Wiscasset’s Sheepscot River Race, he said yes. 

“It was an unusual invitation,” said Augustus, which he couldn’t turn down.  Augustus, who makes full-sized wooden sea kayaks, says he liked the idea of making something much smaller for an award. The award, he says, “is not a kayak, not a canoe, but an abstraction of a small boat.”

On Saturday, June 30, The Sheepscot River Race will begin at 3 p.m. at the Sherman Rest Area in Newcastle and finish at Wiscasset’s recreational pier.  The fastest competitors will complete the race in about 45 minutes and recreational racers could take up to two hours to finish.  At the end of the race, long-time race organizer, Scott Shea, will present the first place finisher in each category with one of Augustus’ miniature hulls.  “We wanted to give something to our winners,” said Shea, “that would be special and represent this specific race.”

The award, as crafted by Augustus, can be worn around the neck.  It will be sleek and streamlined, and expertly finished.  Although simple in appearance, it will be the result of a long career in crafting objects and experimenting with materials. Years ago, Augustus’ first foray into craftsmanship was designing and creating prostheses. Next came cuisine and developing the skills of an accomplished chef. Then, working with wood to design and build sea kayaks and small boats. Today, Augustus, who is based in Seal Cove, uses his refined woodworking skills to create meticulous reproductions of classic antique fish lures.

The lures are reproductions of early 1900s to 1950s antique, patented fish lures. This was the golden age for wood lures in the United States, Augustus explains. “After the 1950s, plastics dominated the market. So that 50-year period is the heyday of the wood fish lure.”  Each lure he creates has a distinct name, a history, and a back-story that's noteworthy, he says, to a fisherman or lure collector.

For the non-collector, Augustus collects scraps of choice woods from a guitar-maker friend;  “beautiful woods to work with like bloodwood, maple, ash, black walnut, and cherry,” and fashions small, abstracted fish for display or for wearing which he refers to as “the exotics.”  “It was seeing these charming little wooden fish,” says race volunteer Lucia Droby, “that inspired me to approach Chris for the river race award.”

To see Augustus’ Heirloom Lures collection, visit his website at www.heirloomlures.com. To meet the artist and see his work in person, attend the Nickels-Sortwell House craft show in Wiscasset Village on Thursday, July 26, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.. He’ll be there!

The Sheepscot River Race and pier activities are organized by Seaspray Kayaking in Brunswick, Maine, and the Wiscasset Area Chamber of Commerce.  Chamber member sponsors include Carriage House Gardens, Casey’s Wood Products, Chesterfield Associates, Commonwealth Financial Group, Cunningham Security Systems, First Federal Savings, Freedom Fellowship Church, Grover Auto & Tire, H.T. Winters Co., Marine Parts Express, Sarah’s Café, Servpro of Bath Brunswick, Sheepscot River Marine Service, Soule, Soule & Logan, and Wiscasset Self Storage.  For more information about the race, contact Scott Shea at info@seaspraykaying.com or 207-751-3450.