Duane Saetveit relished in the sound of power tools and smell of freshly applied paint wafting through the Longshed building at Canalside on Wednesday, as workers moved in lockstep to complete finishing work on the replica Seneca Chief line boat.
The effort made its own kind of symphonic harmony for Saetveit, one of 15 volunteers that day, and 218 in all since the project began in the Longshed in October 2020.
He should know. He played French horn in the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra for 45 years.
“An ensemble orchestra only works when everyone is working together,” said Saetveit, performing his part by spot priming a section of the boat’s cabin.
There was a sense of urgency among the volunteers as the days ticked down to Tuesday’s launch of the replica boat, but there was visible joy, too, knowing the project was headed toward a successful conclusion.
“It’s a flurry of activity at the end, and it’s been great every minute of the way,” said Tom Glynn, working on the cabin decking.
Completing the ship’s hull – the most difficult part of the project – is nearly complete, and plans are to launch the boat in May 2024.
The original Seneca Chief, with Gov. DeWitt Clinton in tow, traveled in 1825 from Buffalo to Albany, and on to New York…
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