Back for Dinner

It was a beautiful day in St. Augustine. Clear skies and a high of 72. I put Annie at the Lighthouse ramp around 4 and sailed in Salt Run as the sun went down. We came in at 7 and I tied up and went home to build a fire and have mussels and pasta with the girls. Chloe is home from Virginia for a short visit. It great to have us all together.

Guess I'll go back out later and anchor out somewhere. There are lots of nice spots as long as you don't park in the City's new mooring fields. Arrgh!

10 Good Years

I sold my Scaffie Becky Thatcher just before I left for New York in September. Had gotten a call from a fellow in Alabama and soon after he was at the shop and the deal was done. I think it was love at first sight. He told me that he had been looking for a boat like her for a long time. His story started with his English grandfather who had taken him sailing as a kid in a small open craft and said that he would help him build one of his own. The grandfather died before he could fulfill his promise. Becky will be a nice substitute.

Autumn in the Catskills

I am back home after 3 weeks of working in New York with my brother. We got after several construction jobs he had going on and I cooked a bit at my sister-in-law's restaurant. Hurricane Irene had washed out large areas of lowland and the creeks running toward the Hudson were rushing hard even when I arrived at the end of September. The leaves changed as the days passed. They were quite beautiful as I left. We just don't get that pleasure much in Florida.

Tonight my daughter comes home from school. I have a good life. Back to Cayo Costa planning tomorrow.

Early morning at the cafe

Starting a batch of curried chicken salad

My brother's 10 acre lawn

No palm trees in sight

The Performing Arts Center at Bard College.... looks like a tsunami!

Late Fall Down South

I have started to look at a November trip to Cayo Costa. My sailing friend Terry and I are planning to take Annie down the 2nd week and set off to explore the islands around Charlotte Harbor. From St. Augustine, it is a good 5-6 hour drive through the middle of the state. It will most likely still be warm there and the blue water, white beaches, exotic flora and good fishing make for a tempting adventure.

My friend Ron (WaterScribe) is leading a group of West Coast Trailer Sailors the week after but with other commitments that time slot was out for us. I am interested in tapping Ron's knowledge of the area.

Good luck Steve and Spartina on your trip up the Chesapeake!

Cayo Costa from the north

Crossing the State

A possible launch at Bokeelia

Bro on the Beach

Last week my brother and sister-in-law came for a 5 day visit. They were just getting their twin boys off to college and needed a vacation. Chris builds sound studios in New York and Julie has a popular cafe where they live in the Catskills. With winds at 0-5. Ellie and I joined them in the decision to "just hang out at the beach".

We found a quiet stretch and set up our tent. On the second day we returned and Chris and I headed out on my sit-on-top kayak. The waves had settled down at low tide and we picked a calm set to head straight out. We made it through about 5 waves and felt we were clear. Wrong. A large one started building way out and by the time it made us we weren't going to make it. I told Chris to dive into it and we came out the other side as the kayak shot to the beach.

We both still had our paddles. He wore a ski-type vest and I, a self-inflatable. Being so far out and swimming hampered by the paddle, I inflated. The cartridge fired off and filled the vest. Very full. It felt like two cantelopes mashing against my ears. I side stroked with the paddle in hand and eventually started catching waves toward shore. Holding the paddle parallel to the waves let me use their force to my advantage. Eventually we both made it to the shore. The girls had grabbed the kayak and were glad to see us.

What I took away:
1. It is smart to wear a life jacket.
2. The self-inflator was the large size and forced too much air in the vest. By pushing down the valve at the top of the manual 'blow' tube you can release air while swimming. And blow more in if needed.
3. If you need to loose a paddle to swim.... they have more at the store.

It was a great visit and a couple of long, restful days at the beach. Oh and did I mention the steamed platter at Outback Crab Shack?!

A New Experience

I've been sailing since 1977. Yacht racing is new to me even after all these years. Guess I was never in a hurry. But I had a fun overnight this week. My friend Maury had entered an offshore race from Ponce Inlet north to St. Augustine... about 52 nautical miles. Another friend Eli and I were asked to crew on Maury's Bristol 29-9 cruising sloop.  Maury and Eli are from the LAMP Boatworks building traditional small craft at the Lighthouse Museum.

Maury and his wife Phyllis had Impulse built in 1977 (coincidence) and have cruised a good bit on the Chesapeake before moving to Florida. The name comes from the fact that the decision to purchase was made in a couple days. It's been a good decision for them for 34 years and counting.

We started at 1810 Friday with the other Cruising class boats. The Performance and Spinnaker classes were 10 minutes out ahead and pulled away. Wind was out of the east sailing north on a 90 degree beam reach. The set course carried us a bit east of the rhumb line to the St. Augustine sea buoy but we were making good time in the sea conditions. Waves were a couple of feet with a choppy interval. Most of the faster boats reached farther east and ran in in the early morning hours before the wind backed around more to southeast and dropped off. Maury wisely decided to start the downwind run earlier than a number of other cruising boats and we made the sea buoy at 0733, 13 hours and 23 minutes. A couple of boats dropped out finding themselves to far east or south when the wind dropped and the confused seas made it futile and uncomfortable.

It was a lot of fun. I enjoy a stiff breeze and comraderie but I'm still a backwater, dreamy get-there-when-you-get-there kinda' guy. Nevertheless... thanks guys!

Ready to Race

Holding on

Capt' Maury adjusting the genoa

Eli at the helm

Sundown

Sunrise!

Impulse approaching the St. Augustine sea buoy

Mark!  We cross the line.

Oriental, North Carolina

We have been keeping up with TownDock.net

Keith and Melinda have reported the storm through last night and up until noon when all communication options ran out. The town sustained extreme flooding. We are hoping they all came through OK and that the damage is not too severe.

Photo by TownDock.net

Pepper and Irene

Hurricane Irene just passed offshore. The surf has been pummeling the beach and rain bands are dropping needed water. I have finished repairs on Annie and moved Becky Thatcher into the shop. We are still between jobs and the opportunity to catch up on the boats is hard to pass up. Becky of getting new oars... her old ones are worn out. I've been listening to classical tunes and enjoying the breeze blowing through one roll-up door and out the other.

Glueing up the blade

Tools from my fish carving days in Santa Fe

My drawknife was last sharpened in 1993. Pepper Langley, the master carver and modelmaker at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons Island, Maryland, put an edge on it for me. I have used it on many oars and spars over the years and it is as sharp as the day he honed it. Pepper has passed on but not the edge.

Working down the shaft

Wood whiskers

Becky in the shade

Pictorial inspiration

Northwest dreamin'

Glue Station

WaterScribe

I found Becky Thatcher, my Drascombe Scaffie, in a dairy barn full of hay 10 years ago in Ocala, Florida. Since then I have been an avid trailer sailor. This type of boating has taken me all over Florida... down both the east and west coasts, over to the panhandle, and through inland lakes and rivers. Many of my favorite sails were with the West Coast Trailer Sailing Squadron. The group meets at prescheduled locations throughout the year. From the blue waters of Cayo Costa to the islands off Cedar Key to spring-fed inland lakes... sailors gather a share good times.

 Ron Hoddinott, WCTSS founder, plans, oversees and documents the activities of the members and friends. Ron is a great guy and a very knowledgeable sailor. Known by Watertriber's as WaterScribe he is no stranger to a challenge. I am glad he is my friend.

Varnishing

I have been spending most early mornings lately putting on coats of varnish. It's quiet and doesn't take much thinking... that's a welcome change for a guy that has his own business and usually working to keep complicated projects moving forward.

There are many ways to look at varnishing from 'why put yourself in the situation of having to do it at all' (workboat ethic) to perfection at all costs.

If you are out for "a fine shine" check out The Brightwork Companion by Rebecca Wittman. Or you can 'dip and git' like my hero Charles Stock.

I personally like varnish (I am a visual person) but don't want it to be in the way- too precious- effecting my time sailing. Annie has an edge... like other trailerable boats... she is mostly covered and away from the deterioration of the sun's UV rays. So here I am going at it.

From top down: whisker and boat hook (Home Depot closet rods), and boomkin

Mizzen mast (turned by Shaw & Tenney, Orono, Maine

Sapele washboards

Shop Time

I got over to the shop early this morning to get in a few hours of cool temperature. I had towed Annie over a couple days ago and prepped the bit of brightwork that needed attention as brightwork does. She has teak rails and tiller that were recycled from church pews in Maine where she was built. I, like most, like the look of bright trim. But, like most again, feel that a little goes a long way in respect to maintenance. In the shady shop, fans blowing and surrounded by tools and quiet, I am dipping and flowing. A very enjoyable morning.

Cetol has worked well for me and the Natural Teak seems to have the least colorant

First coat on, second tomorrow

Back in the Hood

I spent a three great weeks in Virginia with my family. Ellie was taking digital photography classes over the summer and my daughter Chloe, who is in college there, was working and dancing. I practiced guitar everyday and ate great food. We cooled off in the mountains and visited a number of museums. The only downside was that the hot weather and logistics kept me from sailing with Steve of The Log of Spartina. We tried hard but it just didn't work out. It would have been a super plus for me!


One day I checked my email and opened a snapshot my college roommate Tracy sent from Austin, Texas. I am standing with his wife Dianne in front of my garage apartment in Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I had been living on the Banks for a few years and working on Roanoke Island as the head of exhibits at the North Carolina Aquarium. My place was connected to a house that sat back a couple from the beach road. It was taken around January, 1978.

On July 31 of that year it all changed. A friend, Walter Gresham from the camera shop in Nags Head tells it best... 


"It was a hot lazy summer day on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Then, without warning, the tranquility of the day was violently shattered. A huge waterspout developed just off the shore of Kill Devil Hills. Over a period of about 10 minutes it wobbled slowly northwest toward shore and hundreds of terrified fleeing beach goers. As it made landfall the funnel turned from a light blue color to black. It proceeded to cross the dune line and in its path was the Wilbur Wright Motel, which was destroyed. Then crossed the beach road just north of the Stop 'N Shop on Collington Road. At this point continued generally west down Collington Road destroying a number of homes in its path. Unfortunately there was one person killed in that area, but could have been many more. As the tornado was nearing the By-Pass it finally dissipated and went back up into the clouds."

© 2004  Walter Gresham III
www.gresham-photography.com

I got a call at the aquarium that I needed to get home as soon as possible. It took about thirty minutes and when I turned on my road the devastation was intense. My street, that was a part of Colington Road, was soaked, power lines down and debris scattered everywhere. A large 'spear' of timber from the Wilbur Wright was stuck through the house's roof exiting through the back door. The couple in the attached house had seen the waterspout- alleged to be a mile at its base- jumped in their car out back and literally outran it speeding west up the street. I climbed my stairs to find all the windows sucked out, all my possessions scrambled and wet, and luckily my dog safe under a bed. 


I looked north out the window hole and below the old wood beach house next door had been turned into a huge pile of sticks. No one was home at the time although an older lady from another house had, after running and lying in a ditch for safety, been crushed to death by a refrigerator thrown from the hotel. 


I moved out the next week to Duck, a then small village to the north. 

✳

Its good to be home again. The pool is clean and there's summer and sailing left to enjoy. I just hope the tropical weather stays fair.

On the Road Again

I have foresaken St. Augustine for a while and headed north. But only from a directional standpoint. Have joined Ellie in Richmond, Virginia for an art escape. It is hot. Very hot. 108 F. apparent temp. Sticking to the chilly, free art museum ... and the pubs.


Before I left last week I put Annie and Becky Thatcher to bed and took a last morning walk on the beach, the last for a few weeks. A storm rushed in that afternoon from the west. I ran to catch it by the Bridge of Lions and barely outran it back home.

Wrapped Up

St. Augustine Beach 7 am

Cars stopped... shrimper underway

The waterbirds know when to leave

Looking forward to a day in Norfolk, Virginia (the world's largest naval base) in a few days. There is a new Waterman exhibit at the Mariners Museum and a possible sail with my friend Steve aboard Spartina. Sounds fun, right?

Sailors Exchange

When Annie needs a replacement, a bit of bling or just a random screw we go to Sailors Exchange first. Located on West King Street this treasure trove is where the local and drifting boaties come to root around.

Oh I see the one I need!

Bilge 'colanders'

Sunbrella... cheap

I don't use one of these... but I hear some do 

Fence reinforcement

Just go ahead and dig

Sometimes you just can't think of a use

I wonder where they have been

Some pieces are in better condition than others

Fun for the whole family

What more can be said?

Oh yea

Wayfinding aid

I venture to say that you may never find another chest of cigarette lighters

Festive

Do you have any 1/8"?

Hosiery