Back from a quick Maine vist

Went to Maine to help my brother with a bit of small boat work last week. He’s started work on the 17′ Yawl boat designed by Eric Blake of Brooklin. She was one of three boats built last winter by Eric, Bob and a few others. They’re burdensome little vessels, designed for comfortable exploration of the nooks and crannies of Eggemoggin Reach. I helped get out the bed logs for the centerboard case and make a pattern for the curved coaming. Hope to see her done for our August visit. Drove up and back by myself with a stop both ways in Portland to visit with the Bauers. It’s tough to get Julia to head north this time of the year.

There’s also progress on the Sjogin front. Beaton’s has pulled her mast and she’s scheduled to go in the new/old shop perhaps as soon as next week. The mast’s already in there so I started taking the rigging off in preparation for stripping the varnish.


Yawl Boat work
Here’s Bob fitting the aft seat slats. The coaming pattern’s in place and ready for final fitting. The bow of Tendress hangs over all.


Barn view
Here’s an overview of the new Barn. Some may recognize it as the spot where Bob and Lorinda were married last Summer.


Vista
A view of the barn with Jet and Bob. Beautiful Winters day in Sargentville. I was very lucky with the weather with snowstorms bracketing my visit.


Brooklin Boat Yard
A visit to Brooklin Boat Yard is essential anytime I visit. The productivity of this world class shop always astonishes me. Here are two new 47′ sloops being built for June launchings. At right is a new 70′ Sonny. You may remember Julia and I sailing with Bob on the original Sonny a few years ago. The owner, who will be 90 at the time of launch, missed his old boat and is having another one built.


Mast in shop
Beaton’s has pulled Sjogin’s mast and it’s in the new/old shop on the rack at left. I puled it down today and started removing the hardware and stays. When stripped I’ll take off all the old varnish and build up new coats. This has long been one of those ‘next year’ jobs ever since I’ve had Sjogin.


Survived!
Amazingly enough her wind vane survived though quite mangled. At the height of Sandy, Sjogin’s mast was laying almost horizontal in the storm wrack that built up in front of the buildings. It’s a miracle that the mast survived, never mind the wind vane. It will live to fly again.


It begins
After a few hours of work the cap, sheave and crane were removed. It involved a bit of grinding, knocking out drifts and some heavy hammer work. The top three stays were labeled and removed. More on Monday.

Tom hopes to move Sjogin into this shop next week so I can start removing the broken bits. Progress indeed!

A quick visit to Maine

Julia and I had the pleasure last weekend of attending the wedding of my brother Bob and Lorinda. And we had the added pleasure of meeting family and friends, gathered from near and far.

There was a bit of boat messing as well. A treat was taking folks out for a spin in the Shellback.

Here are a few pics, more on Flickr:


The Ceremony
On the floats in the sun, breeze and tide. The weather held with no large wakes from passing ships. Izzy the Ring Bearer awaits.

The dinghy at the end of the float is one of the Bolger Elegant Punts I built ( I did build it!) in the early 90’s.


The Arrival
The Bride and Groom descend the ramp. There was a boat similar to Boss Lady to Port, both serving as stadium seating.


Richard Jarbo
Long time friend, poet and polymath Richard Jarboe recites one of his classics.


Happy Couple
Another Happy Couple.


BL at rest
Boss Lady at anchor off Buckle Island. Sixteen of us cruised down to this little island in Jericho Bay on Monday after a day of recovery.


Treasures
Gathering treasures (and trash) on Buckle Island, a nice cruise from the Landing.


Enter!
So you come upon a door in the woods….. Which is the out side?


Sonny!
We had our usual visit to Brooklin Boat Yard in …well, Brooklin. The one without Willamsburg. We ran across Sonny, on whom we had a wonderful idyll a few years ago. Across from her is an early 20th Century 15 Square Meter completing a full restoration at BBY.


Life finds a way
It was Sea Lavender season on Buckle Island. This plant was found at the very high water line, just enough sea water to keep it happy. Our Sea Lavender is a few weeks behind.

A great trip but happy to be back in our almost fully renovated home. Pics to follow.

Back from Maine

and still no rudder. When we were away I had hopes of hearing of a sighting but no such luck. I had planned (there’s that word again) to wait till December to haul Sjogin and spend the Winter replacing her rub rails, wooding the hull and such. Oh well, she’s getting pulled next week so the repairs and new rudder construction will just start that much sooner.

In the meantime I’ll be getting ready for the Duckboat worlds. They’re at Mantoloking YC on Friday, August 26th. Details here. I asked Peter Kellogg if I’d be able to use the sprit rig and he graciously said yes so Speedwell will be easy to find in the group pics. (Also look near the end of the fleet.) It’ll be interesting to compare the rigs side by side. (As they sail past to weather.)

Maine was wonderful as always. Only one day of showers which suited for our Blue Hill shopping expedition. We had two sails on Tendress and a great beat up the Reach on the 89 year old Malabar II. Sandwiched in between was a picnic cruise to Pond Island on Boss Lady with dramatic views of Acadia. Paradise indeed.

We also visited with John Brooks at his shop in Brooklin. Looking forward to seeing the Silver Penny plans one of these days.


Bliss
Soaking it in. At Brooklin Boatyard in Center Harbor where Tendress was built. The black schooner over Julia’s shoulder is Malabar II. She was built in 1922 and under the stewardship of her current owner for the past 37 years. Her design was done by John Alden of Boston, the second in his eventual ten boat series based on New England fishing schooners.


Bliss II
Enjoying another beautiful sunset at the Landing.


Fiona driving
Seven year old Fiona driving Malabar II down Eggomoggin Reach.

More later and when I cull the iPhone pics. Also a Post this week on the Duckboat Worlds preparations.

Back from Maine

and making progress on Sjogin’s Summer refit. I’m getting the offsets ready to send to the designers for their pending Sjogin plans work as well as doing the usual painting.

Julia and I spent last week in Maine on Eggomoggin Reach at the usual spot. Mostly fine weather with a day or so of fog and showers. We planned our visit so we could watch the Eggomoggin Reach Regatta (ERR) last Saturday. The weather and racing were spectacular. Not a word I use often but truly so.

Our “own” Silent Maid won all three of her races. She’s now heading back home and should be in Cape Cod waters this weekend.


Matt Billey and Jette
Matt Billey and his dream made flesh. Jette is a 25 foot Danish fishing boat from the Bornholm area. I wrote about this project earlier this year. Here’s the Link. We stopped in Gloucester on the way to Maine.


Tendress at rest
Queen of the Reach.


Reaching home
Tendress on a close reach. We had just one sail on her but did have the thrill of seeing Sea Harmony under sail.


Sea Harmony
She’s up from Marblehead to race in the ERR. She’s an Albert Strange canoe yawl. Details here. This was taken last Wednesday. Perfect late afternoon SW breeze. Perfect for reaching up and down the….Reach.


At WoodenBoat
At anchor in the harbor by WoodenBoat in Brooklin. The folks on the sloop chattin’ with the kayaker are Forum friends. It was nice to meet Willin’


Sea Harmony
Here’s Sea Harmony at anchor at WB. Sorry we didn’t have time to chat with Dick Wynne and Thad Danielson. Dick is in from the UK for a cruise with Thad. Here’s a link to Thad’s web page. He’s a very accomplished builder.


At the Landing
Calm morning at the Landing.

More tomorrow…


Maid getting rolled
Even with her 1,000 square feet of sail, Silent Maid is no match for Joyant.

This and that and Gartside news

Here are some pics from the last few weeks. A mix of sailing and garden and family stuff.

I asked Paul Gartside if he would mind If I shared his instructions for taking the lines off Sjogin and he graciously agreed. If any one is interested, drop me a note and I’ll send you the PDF. Sjogin’s scheduled to be pulled on Wednesday for her annual refit. The lining off will take pace on the 24th.


How to measure the hull
This is one of the pages from the Gartside instructions. The boat as drawn looks just like Sjogin. Here’s a link to the PDF


Nice slick
Hove to off Swan Point last week. Just remove the tiller and relax. Note the nice slick to starboard.


Sculling oar
Sjogin’s sculling oar. Last week the wind was out of the NNW and rather than do a down-wind landing, I sailed up to the south end of the T dock. After stowing the sails and such I set up the sculling rig and sculled around to her slip. No real need but needed the practice.


Sold!
The last of this years Beaton’s rowboats is spoken for. Call Tom to get on this Winter’s list.


Big Shed
The Big Shed awaits. Sjogin will be hauled this week and placed in this shed near the open door for her refit. She’ll be moved in the the Wood Shop for her measuring on the 24th.


Jeff
Jeff down below. He and Sasha are here for an all too brief visit.


Jeff and Sasha
Jeff and Sasha watching the tide change.


Color waves
The upper garden in it’s pre-drought glory. Still doesn’t look too bad. We haven’t had any serious rain in weeks.


Mill Creek 15
My all too infrequently used Mill Creek 15 double paddle canoe. I figured if I cleaned her up I’d be more likely to use her. We’ll see.

A belated Happy Thanksgiving to all

I’m sure regular readers will have no trouble imagining what I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving season but here are a few clues:


My Julia
Of course my darling Julia and our life together on the edge of this great country is at the top of the list. Taken a few weeks ago after a northeaster roared by. Surf’s up!


Kids and Julia
And my two sons as well. Taken in Annapolis where David (on left) teaches sailing. Jeff’s a Web whizz and DJ in SW Oregon.


Ourhouse
Ourhouse, literally at the edge and the source of much joy.


Sjogin
And of course our dear Sjogin, a vessel into which we have poured so many good times. Taken this morning; no sailing as the recent strong Northwesterlies have chased the water down the Bay.

And thanks to all of you who have reached out to me over the last few years through comments, e-mails or visits to Beaton’s. It’s always a treat to hear from folks, whether from across the Bay or from the other side of this increasingly shrinking planet.

Thanks to all,

Russ

New bits

Julia and I went to Annapolis this weekend for an all too brief visIt with my two sons, Jeffrey and David. No sailing, as a nasty front came through over the weekend. Jeff was in DC for a web analytics conference was able to spend some time with his brother. Here we are at J-Port where David is an instructor.


At J-Port
David, Shooby, Jeff and Julia.

We had lunch at the Boathouse in Eastport; a local spot for post race analysis. David called it “Yachtie Karate”, referencing the hand motions of all of the sailors describing racing tactics. Too funny.


Back Creek
I had no idea of the amount of sailboats in Annapolis. Everywhere you look you see spars. Beaton’s is like that on upper Barnegat Bay but this was special. We need to return for an exploratory sail toot sweet.


Late afternoon light
As the season advances, the low afternoon light lights up the spent roses and volunteer daises.


Last rose?
Last rose of the season? We usually have them through Halloween. The foliage turns a bright yellow for a bit of late season color.


Too high
A little too high tide. Taken last week during the first of two Northeasters. A gentle reminder of living at sea level.

Just back

from our all too short visit to Maine and Brother. Different this time as we met Bob in Portland for weekend on Sonny, ending up on Eggomoggin Reach at the Landing.

For the first time, we had a week of sunny days and clear nights. We had lots of quality Milky Way time as well. The only serious fog we encountered was at sea between Boothbay and the Reach.


Oktusk waiting
Julia and Mary Bauer waiting for Steven and their 50 year old Oktusk, Talisman.


On Portland harbor
Sailing Talisman in Portland Harbor. The start of our run of good weather last Friday afternoon a week ago. Talisman is an Al Mason design, an original down to her canvas decks.


O M G
Julia with an OMG moment as Sonny is revealed in all her glory.


Post racing
Sailing back to the barn after almost racing in the MS Cup last Saturday.


Julia waving
Julia waving to the folks on a Schooner. We were moored in Boothbay Harbor. We stopped here after motoring from Portland in very light air and quite warm. It was our first time in Boothbay. A little touch of the Jersey Shore town with all the shops. Nice meal at a Tapas restaurant of all things, three flights up, overlooking the harbor.


Bowling for laughs
We found a Candlestick bowling alley right on the waterfront. A developers wildest fantasy but built and managed for the last half century by the owner who is now 96. I won, narrowly defeating an obviously focused Julia.


Glowing Julia
Headed back to Sonny in perfect twilight. Or is the glow coming from Julia?


Elevenses
Elevenses with Bob watching for lobster pots that are thick on the ground in these waters. At one point visibility was down to 50 yards. We heard a few other boats but no sightings. No whales either but a few seals and dolphins to keep thing interesting.


Reaching up the Reach
Reaching up Eggomoggin Reach. It’s named a Reach as the wind usually blows across this stretch of water from the SW, allowing an easy point of sail in either direction.


Home
Sonny and BL at the Landing.


Shelbacking
Julia at ease as we knock around the moorings. Bright warm sun and a steady 4kt breeze makes for an idyllic outing.


At ease
Res ipsa.


Evening light
Another beautiful sunset on my beautiful wife. Bella vista.


OK?
OK? Julia threading her way through the moorings in the Benjamin River. That’s a replica of Joshua Slocum’s Spray on the Starboard bow.


Spray
And here she is. I believe she’s gone around the world following in Mr. Slocum’s tracks. I’ll check and report further.


Punt messing
Our seventh straight day of great weather finished with a little messing about in Elegant Punts. I built these Phil Bolger tenders almost twenty years ago for a client of my brothers. Nice to see them lovingly refurbished and given regular use.


Last sunset
Last sunset on the Reach. We spent last night in Portsmouth. Had a very pleasant dinner at the Library on State Street.

And now home with garden and Sjogin efforts tomorrow.

Sailing with Phil Heffernan

As mentioned below, our now analog friend Phil was down for the weekend. After a blissful evening and longish morning we bestirred our selves and went for a sail on Sjogin. Usual short sail; over to the club and hove to on starboard for half an hour, just yammering away in the steady southwesterly, watching the traffic go by. Wing and wing, we ran home and just managed a one shot landing with some deft boat hook work. Sorry ’bout the MOVE order Phil.


HTw/Phil
Hove to with Phil a fifty yards off the Mantoloking waterfront. Slight ebb tide so the scenery moved by quite slowly.


Russ, Phil and Walker
Your host, Phil and Walker, quite the sailor.


Ready to haul
Sails off, halyards pulled, Sjogin’s ready to be hauled for her late Summer refit.


Silent Maid
Here’s the new Silent Maid, all sanded and ready for a fresh coat of varnish. She’s racing with the A-Cats this Saturday at Ocean Gate. The race is the sixth in the BBYRA season. For this race only, the A-Cats start in a line at anchor with the crew in the cockpit. At the gun the anchors are brought home as fast as possible while the boat falls off (hopefully) on Starboard tack at the last minute. Exciting stuff.


Favorites
Our favorite day lilies, drunk with the late afternoon sun. Another iPhone pic.