Preppin'

Annie and I are leaving for a fall sail early next Wednesday. Have started to pack gear ... tested  motor this morning, running well. Planning to make it a work/pleasure trip. Need new sketches for studio paintings.

Found a marina in Shady Side, south of Annapolis on the western shore to launch from. Weather is looking pretty good. Steve is heading out of Cambridge on the Eastern Shore this weekend. I'll be watching out for three sails on the horizon. Plan to sail over and attend the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival in St. Michaels, Maryland on the weekend.

While in Solomons, Maryland on the buyboat cruise a few weeks ago, Vera and I noticed an old photo of John England and me from a small craft meet we attended years ago. See them and many more old friends soon...

John (with ultralight) and I, St. Marys City, c. 1990

"Once I dream it, I can build it"

That's a quote by Frances Goddard, storied boatbuilder from Piney Point, Maryland. He has built untold Chesapeake workboats over the last 60 years. He told me there are well over a hundred documented vessels. They include the skipjacks Connie Francis and the Dee of St. Marys, the latter has recently joined the preserved in-water craft at the Calvert Marine Museum. A few weeks back I had the pleasure of talking with Frances at Calvert where I curated in the late 80s and early 90s. I have long had a photograph of him from '83 over my desk.

At Calvert

Frances Goddard and the Connie Frances

Almost

Annie has been in the backyard for several months in Richmond. That's an hour's drive to our sailing waters. I have been quite busy with other projects but have found time and very much enjoyed working on her. Since we left Florida four years ago her maintenance has been on the fly, mostly quick repairs wherever we wherever- be it Urbanna, Mathews, Gwynns Island our on a sail in the Chesapeake or the Outer Banks. And she's turning ten this year... I want her looking young and fresh.

Here are some of the work done:
- prepped and repainted decks
- revarnished exterior brightwork
- built and finished new sculling oar
- cleaned and re-oiled interior
- replaced roller reefing line
- repainted boarding ladder
- replaced trailer tire
- built a new whisker pole to stiffen mainsail foot
- relaced mizzen sail
- replaced jiffy reefing lines on main

Soon the fence will be taken off again and it will be back to the Bay...

New Work

New in the Maritime Heritage series... Red Boot (after S Brown), acrylic on canvas, 18"x18"
More at CurtisBowman.com        ©2016

Buyboat Reunion

I joined the northern leg of the 2016 Chesapeake Buyboat Reunion Tour. It was be my third time crewing on the F.D. Crockett out of Deltaville. She had worked her way up the Bay from Cape Charles and I jumped on at Solomons Island, Maryland for six days as we crossed over to St. Michaels. At the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons we opened the boat for walk-on tours along with other restored boats. Having been a curator at Calvert in the late 80's and early '90s it was fun to talk with old friends and see the changes in the museum's extensive exhibits.


The next morning we set out across the Bay to rendezvous with buyboats from the northern Chesapeake. We headed toward the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Maryland. There we docked with 12 other boats, gave tours, ate a steamed crab feast, and participated in the annual Waterman's Festival. Four days later we returned to Solomons and I jumped off to return to Richmond. Really enjoyed the time on the water, the comraderie and the chance to be a part of an incredible preservation activity!

 

 

Solomons to St Michaels Maryland

1924 Buyboat F. D. Crockett

96 Degrees in the Shade

Finished painting Annie's decks. Started at 0800 when the dew dried and walked away at 1130. I'm toasting myself. We are going to take down the fence and break out soon. Sun baked enamel... mighty fine I'll say.

In Progress

Seeing if I Still Have It
acrylic on canvas, 24"x24" © Curtis Bowman 2016

New Home

This morning I received a note from my good friend Vera England...

John and I think of you often anyway, and are looking forward to having you crew from Solomons to St. Michael's and back. But now we think of you every day when we look at John's new painting, a retirement gift from a grateful client who had already purchased your "self portrait" for his own collection.  

May need to do some rearranging,  but it has center stage right here.

We're loving it.

best to Eleanor. 

Vera

John (restorer and captain of the F.D. Crockett) installing

F. D. Crockett (from Walker), acrylic on canvas, 24" x 36"  ©Curtis Bowman 2013

It is where it was always meant to be.

 

Painting Boats

My friends Steve and Barry are great champions of my paintings... you may have seen a few here on Barry's site
Here is a bit more you may be interested in...

I started painting in the early '80s not long after learning to sail. I was trained as a marine biologist and sketched to interpret my observations in the field. For years I put most of my career efforts toward interpreting natural and cultural history, finding some time to paint- both for my exhibit work and as a fine artist.

The maritime world and adventure sailing always informed my work. I would visit different places and do my best to bring out the feeling that that place, that boat, that natural environment brought up in me. Four years ago we moved to Virginia and I started painting full time. It has been a continuing learning experience and a great reason to rig up and explore the Chesapeake Bay and the Outer Banks.

If you are interested in seeing my current work check in on CurtisBowman.com   I update the available work often. And if you would like a painting of your boat I enjoy the challenge of commissions. If you are as tight as I am- like two coats of paint- maybe your wife or daughter aren't. And the holidays are just around the corner. Ho, ho, ho.

Recent work...

Schooner Reach

Turning In

Blue Sweater

Images above  © Curtis Bowman 2016. All rights reserved.

Hope your having a great summer!

Barry Up Early

Proud New Owner!

My Florida friend Lew sent this note...

You may recall an email from me letting you know that I bought your Scaffie from Walter Ross. Below is a photo from today near a little island in Perdido Bay, just west of Pensacola. 

Walter painted Becky Thatcher gray, not the color I would have picked, but it is growing on me. I renamed her Marcach (Irish for Rider, my grandson's name). She still sails great, easy and fast. I have no trouble tacking, and she makes windward progress well enough for my needs. 

I am delighted with her, and I thought you'd enjoy knowing that she's still kicking.

Blow Out

Annie's 'restoration' is going well although it has slowed down with the current temperature in the mid-90s F. It's hotter here than in Florida.

The first task was to get her in the back yard. Seeing that we live in an old residential neighborhood with a narrow alley brought on some head scratching. 16 feet of fencing was removed and a removable common post fashioned. I cut 4 x4 and 2x8 timbers to span the storm swale so as not to drag the trailer and started down the alley.  Then it was a crawl, negotiating many trees and many trash cans. Once by the opening it took several attempts to finesse the rig in far enough to replace the fence. It worked... mostly.

Feeling pretty good I noticed that one of the trailer tires was flat. The sidewall had exploded. I have ideas how but not at all sure. Ugh.

Studio has a new neighbor

Urging the rusty lugs

Many tasks yet to accomplish but still, it is mighty fine to have her near.

The Cost of Goods Used

On the recent sail, specifically when docked at Bath, I fell against the sculling oar and a crack rang out. It broke in the middle and I attempted at no avail to splint it for continued use. This past week a new one was fashioned and hopefully, like the old one, will last another ten years. At least. 

Dang!

I've been working in the studio all day. It's hot here down South. I went in the kitchen to snoop around. This was in the 'fridge. Going to leave it at that. True story.

Reentry

Pamlico 2016    May 12   
Day 9

No one was around the boatyard at dawn. I had been a damp and sticky night that I was ready to shake off. With the mast down from the night before, trailer loading went quick. Shawn had pointed out a hose so I rinsed Annie and flushed the motor. Off to Greenville.

Greenville is the largest city in the area and where I went to undergraduate school. It was the college furthest away from home but still in-state. I spent the first two years partying, quit and moved to California (yeah, to find myself) and returning with a purpose to pull it together. It worked, I guess. Pulling into town I waited on a prearranged meeting at City Art Gallery. I had brought samples of my maritime paintings and got a good reception. Maybe a show on the horizon?

Finished I turned toward Richmond. Annie is 9+ years old and in need of a bit more TLC than I have mustered running back and forth to Mathews on the Bay. The decks need painting, the bilge cleaned and a new sculling oar shaped. That's a post yet to be written.

Although the mystery, of getting her in the narrow urban alley and through the fence into our backyard beside the workshop, loomed... we slowly but steadily tooled in the right lane up Interstate 95. 

Arriving late I parked on the street and was happy that I had gone, that Annie had again shined and that the old guy still had it going on. Yippee!

Cat'n Around

Acrylic on canvas, 18x24, copyright Curtis Bowman, 2016

Back to Hobucken

Pamlico 2016    May 11   
Day 8

Boots had offered me a shower so I came in when I woke up. It was fine... and time. We had coffee on the porch, I thanked them both for the hospitality and cast off. The wind was light but with no hurry Annie drifted with the tide. By late morning Indian Island came into view. The sun was high and hot and as we approached I decided to anchor and take a dip.

Back onboard I motored into the canal to return to Hobucken. It was a bit of a challenge to locate the cut, but it was found and as I tied up I could hear the sounds of Happy Hour. Joining in, a good time was had by all. Decided to sleep at the dock and was saved from the oppressive by battery fan. Life saver.

29 nm, 3.6 kts avearge, 6.2 max

30 Years Later

Pamlico 2016    May 10   
Day 7

I awoke to a beautiful day. After a nice breakfast of 'fortified' MH Breakfast Skillet. I pulled out the painting composition book and continued drawing studies I had started in Oriental. Noticed people stirring on the shore and before long there was a kayak headed my way. The fellow pulled up alongside and when I introduced myself he immediately remembered me. We were acquaintances from college days and had many mutual friends. He has always gone by Boots and he had built the house on the bay where I was anchored. We reminiscenced for a while and he invited me to stay over and have dinner with he and his wife Lou. I had decided to work upriver to Washington (Little Washington to eastern Carolina folks) but agreed to stop back in later and take him up on his dinner invitation. Duh.

Tidying up on a sunny day. Coffee filter drying on the tiller.

Avocado and sunscreen still life

Light wind and a little kick from the motor carried us up river. The dockmaster in his golf cart pointed out a free tie-up slip and helped me by taking a line. We chatted and he said it was fine to stay while I explored the town. Grabbed a sandwich the size of a small canteloupe at the local bar, ate half and asked for a small bag of ice to keep it fresh.

I sat on benches and drew the architecture. Pretty quiet all and all... a few people passing from time to time. As I returned to Annie I noticed the wind had picked up from the east. Afternoons often bring a 'sea breeze' that funnels up the rivers that feed to Pamlico Sound. With it came a lot of  forest material dislodged by the rains and high water. The current was wind-driven and I fended off a large log that barreled down on Annie. It was time to go.

Watch out

Old railroad bridge, Little Washington

Little Washington

Motoring into a stiff headwind, we finally reached Blounts Creek as the sun went down. I slowly pulled up to Boots' dock, tied up and enjoyed a steak dinner and vibrant conversation. It is somewhat amazing we all survived the late 60s!

•

News...

My friend Steve is in the bay inside Cape Lookout on his current spring cruise. The Cape is a bit southeast of Harkers Island. Did he enter from the north or run the inlet, go offshore and slip in from the west? Will find out later but I sure of one thing... he is having a great time.

Another Oldest City

Pamlico 2016    May 9   
Day 6

Overnite the wind changed. I was set up for the wester but in short time it had gone north, then around to the east. There was a bit of land about three hundred yards or so to the east but with the whole northern Pamlico Sound to fetch up on, it got bumpy. With the darkness of the new moon I decided to let out scope and stay put, not wanting to seek another anchorage. She did well rocking and bashing but left me with little sleep. I had decided to head east for Swan Quarter, fill up the fuel and continue to Ocracoke. I had a feeling that it would not be wise and aborted.

With three days left in the trip I decided to take my time and explore the Pamlico River. Tacking downwind I reached the town of Bath mid-morning. It wasn't apparent where to tie up until I saw a cruising boat that had passed me tied to a long dock. They said it was a state dock and was free for the day. I went ashore and walked the streets looking at old houses. Bath is the oldest city in North Carolina. Not anywhere as old as my previous home of St. Augustine, Florida but very well kept and interesting. I met a fellow named Jim who was photographing for the NC Department of Culural Affairs. He worked on exhibits and we had a lot of stories to share. He took me down the road to get gas and bought me lunch at the local barbecue place. A real nice guy. 

On our return I broke out to take pictures and draw on the quay. Cast off in the late afternoon and ghosted on light air upriver toward Washington until 'bug hour'. Motored into Blount Bay and anchored near the creek feed for the night.

Bath, NC

Photo courtesy of Jim

Edward Teach's (better known as Blackbeard) house