More WBS pics

Mixing it up
Mixing it up on a Friday afternoon. That’s Mickey Lake in the sunglasses with the Bauer girls. Holly, on the right, (sorry if I got it backwards) built a Nutshell Pram with her Dad, Steven. They brought it to display in the I Built it Myself exhibit. Fine job with a bold royal purple sheerstrake.

In the white boat to leeward is Joe Foster (CSoH). He’s driving with Mary Bauer enjoying the view.

Joe to weather
Joe and Mary to weather. Lazy sailing; plenty of time for gawking. Nice ballet with all the water taxis, row boats and of course the 24 ton steamboat Sabino.

Rum Swap
Julia and I were ashore having a smoke when the great rum swap and seizure took place. As mentioned below, we had cocktails on the LGH Saturday at 5:00; fog right on cue. I brought Goslings Rum and Regatta Ginger Beer. The Goslings ran out far too early. Providentially, a Caledonia Yawl built by Two Daughters Boatworks stopped by as they needed ice for their rum. Presto; a quick barter and enough rum for another round of D&S’s.

While that was going on Joe, Phil and Paul commandeered a passing outboard skiff, pics somewhere, to go to Airlie. She’s a Nova Scotia built swordfishing schooner owned by Forum member Jamie, and was moored conveniently a few hundred yards upstream. Most importantly, she had a gallon or two of rum on board. More rounds!

More later,

Thanks for stopping by.

The WoodenBoat Show was in Mystic again this year

Julia and I drove up last Thursday, home yesterday afternoon. We had a delightful time with old and new WoodenBoat Forum friends. There’s a Set on Flickr here.

We stayed at the Whaler in downtown Mystic. Nice suite with a porch for post show gatherings.

Doug and Carter's
We started the weekend Thursday at Doug and Carter’s for their second and hopefully Annual WoodenBoat Show Party. Neat spot in the woods of Guilford.

NY 30?
One of dozens of beautiful boats afloat and on the hard.

Sea Harmony
Sea Harmony, an Albert Strange Canoe Yawl belonging to friend and Forumite, Thad. Wonderful old Shipmate stove on board.

At the helm
Classic picture taken by Jonathan Krabak, Port Captain of the Lettie G. Howard and Forum member.

Juia on the Lettie
Julia holding my Dark and Stormy on the Lettie while folks enjoy this treat. I managed to wrangle an invitation for a visit, bringing our own libations. The fog was appropriate…sometimes it’s just a matter of timing.

Our crowd
They’re everywhere. After an hour or so of this we all drove over to Abbot’s in Noank to eat some bugs.

Clubhouse
WoodenBoat Magazine had the Seaport arrange for Forum members to use the Oyster House as a meeting spot. Nice shade with plenty of breezes. Pleasant to sit and watch the livery fleet sail back and forth. (And listen to old and new friends chat.)

Beetle sailing
Friday afternoon a group of us rented three Beetle Cats and chased each other along the waterfront for an all too quick hour.

Rumor has it the show will be back in Mystic again next year. Some fun.

Jett came for a visit Friday

along with Bob and Amy, a friend from NY. Dinner at the Shipwreck and a lovely Saturday morning in the garden.

Thee ball Jett
Jett’s new trick; hoovering tennis balls.

Julia and Jett
Julia and Jett on a lovely Spring morning.

A chat
Inter species communication.

___________________________

Went for a damp and chilly sail this morning. Wind out of the N to NNE, about 5 to 10

Barge

Derelict barge still abandoned at Swan Point. Please call the NJDEP to complain at 877-WARNDEP.

Hot tea
Hot tea, hove to on Port tack south of Swan Point, near the Mantoloking shore. Good April sail.

Downwind landing
Downwind landing with the breeze out of the NE.

Easter pics.

It was Famiglia Day at 219 for Easter. Julia’s family came down for Easter dinner and an Easter Egg hunt with one huntsman.

Jason and bearer
Jason and his bearer on the hunt.

D'Amato's
The D’Amato Clan gathers; Michael, Julia, Mary, James, Laura and Jason. Gracie observes all through the window. Nice day out of the wind.
Easter Tulips
Easter tulips. Late Saturday afternoon.

A few pics

from this weekend. March came in decidedly lamb like. Managed to do some bed cleaning and early pruning. Bulbs all showing promise and fecundity.

Jeff
Son Jeff home for an all to quick visit.

Oil lamp
Finally installed a strap eye under the main deck beam from which to hang the oil lamp.

Yachting clothes
Illustration from a 1954 British learn-to-sail book.

Puffin
From a photo of Puffin, the 15′ Hankins beach skiff Jon Walters and I converted to sail in 1977. Jeffrey and David are on board, waiting for Dad. Photo taken at my first Winter rental in Manasquan in 1981.

Post Christmas sails (not sales, sails) this week

Went out on Boxing day and again Friday with Jeffrey, home for Christmas. At the end of our sail yesterday I dropped Jeff off with my camera and had him take some pics from the dock. Not often I have the opportunity to have someone take photos of Sjogin under sail.

Also saw my review of the Sardine wood stove in the current issue of WoodenBoat Magazine at Beaton’s. Tom got his copy but mine’s yet to show up.

Finally a couple of pics from Christmas Eve with Julia’s family.

But first a bit of video from Fiday:

Video removed temporarily. New Theme pending…..RM 02.14.08

Boxing Day tea
Boxing Day tea. Raw on deck, comfortable below.

HTOSP
Hove to off Swan Point on an empty Bay, Boxing Day 2007

Jeff driving
Jeff driving on a beautiful December day. About 45 degrees, light breeze from the east through south.

Driving by wire
Using the tiller line while sailing along the marsh south of Beatons. Plenty of water today.

Easing sheets after droping Jeff off on the Tee Dock
Easing sheets; main sheet in the left hand, starboard tiller line in the right.

Docking
Coming up to the dock under sail. (As if I had a choice!)

Julia and James
Julia and James, Grand Nephew number seven. Also Gracie and Jason.

Rocking in front of the fireplace
Julia, Rachel and Marissa, dancing in front of the fireplace.

Happy New Year all and thanks for visiting and your kind messages over the last year

Russ

Merry Christmas all.

Here’s our tree waiting for the skirt to be covered in gifts. Also a few odds and ends from the last week.

Christmas 2007

Seine net
A gift from Andy, our Jack of all trades. A genuine seine net; full of holes but a first class object d’art.

Northeaster
Plenty of water but a cap full of wind. Nice and raw, about 45 degrees making a fire mandatory.

Ahhhhh
Yesterday morning, getting ready for a shopping spree in town.

Snug Cabin
A Chapter on Snug Cabins from William Atkin’s Of Yachts and Men; my current read. I just realized a few weeks ago that it’s a signed first edition.

William Atkin
The symbol to the right of his name is an anchor. I’ve seen it used in his hand-written stories in the collection Book of Boats.

Calm
Calm after last weekends Northeaster.

We wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

Russ and Julia

We hosted our annual Christmas dinner party last night.

The same faithful friends and family gathered round our hearth for an evening of very good wine, food and conversation. Oh for a transcript or two. It was just cool enough for an all day and night fire. Still had live embers this morning; late morning actually. Moving pretty slow right now and looking forward to a nap.

Sorry you wern’t able to make it Jake. Next year.

Sjogin and Beaton stuff follow.

Our Crowd
Our Crowd.

Reflections
Calm Saturday morning.

Rudder April 1956
Messy Shop. Cover of the April 1956 Rudder magazine.

Tom Beaton told me this story yesterday: His father, Lachlan Beaton (Lolly) was sitting at home reading the April 1956 issue of Rudder magazine. He glanced at the cover and remarked to his family what a messy shop it was. After a moment or two he realized that it was HIS shop. An artist had done a wood cut of Nealy Campbell, one of his boatbuilders a while before and there it was on the cover of the Rudder, a long gone favorite. The transom and rudder on the cover is the White Whale, a Nantucket Sloop built by Beaton’s for the Kellogg family.

A Sunday sail

last weekend for Julia and I. A perfect November Sardine morning. I got underway about 10:00; light southwesterly with bright sunshine and a few scattered cirrus. Temps in the high 40’s, certainly cool enough for a fire. Grilled an English Muffin in butter on the stove. Good smells. One on these mornings I’m going to try a full bacon and eggs breakfast.

Julia joined me later with a pier head leap from the Tee Dock. Reached over to the club and hove to on Port for a while till I realized we had a knot and a half (well at least one) northerly current setting us down toward the bridge. Eased the jib to get going and tacked over to Swan Point where we were out of the current. I had a watch below with Julia and a second cup of tea and rum. Simple pleasures.

Ready to go
Ready to go; very light breeze. Perfect for lazy sailing as slow as I can.

Muffin
Cinnamon muffin at the sizzle.

Julia keeping warm
Julia keeping herself and her coffee warm. No puff backs since I started stuffing a rag in the forward vent.

Cool Skipper
Waiting for a watch below

Charlotte
The Flatfish Charlotte hoping for one last sail.

No sailing today

as little water and plenty of wind. Perfect weather for a fire below.

Also a couple of pics from our visit last weekend to Cold Spring on Hudson to visit one of our Forum friends Phil Heffernan. Neat little town filled with antique shops, interesting restaurants and a world class view of the American Rhine.

Little water
Water level down by a foot or so; chilly and spitting rain out of the Northeast.

Cozy below
Cozy below. Had another two fire weekend.

Tom Beaton
Tom Beaton stopped by for a visit below.

Walker, Julia and Phl
Walker, Julia and Phil at the Foundry Cove marsh. West Point is in the distance.

Julia and Walker
Julia and Walker in the Foundry Cove woods. Site is litered with remnants of the iron works that supplied most of the Union’s armanent in the Civil War.

Here today....
Here today… An old Manasquan cottage in our neighborhood ready for “improvement”.