Category: Uncategorized

Just about all of the preparation work has been done for taking off Sjogin’s lines. It was a busy week getting into the swing of the usual scraping, sanding and priming along with construction of the lines recording tools.

Today was supposed to see the start of the process with some help from a couple of WoodenBoat Forum friends but this recent heat slowed my usual deliberate pace. I’m hoping to try for Wednesday.

…

The hull’s had the loose paint scraped, sanded and spot primed. The 24′ floor joists have been delivered; ready to be made into the measurement platform.

…

This is the square that will be set up on each section. Pine fingers will be attached to record the lap locations.

…

The chain hoists are ready to lift Sjogin and set her up dead level. (Hopefully.)

…

The measuring platform and square have been assembled. Getting closer. She’s been leveled at this point.

…

Milled the pine “fingers” this morning. They will be attached to the square with the points marking the lap joints. I also managed to putty the chips and dings in the hull with epoxy fairing compound. Progress on a very hot day.

Thanks to Capt’n Charley we now have some pics of Sjogin tacking out of the basin last Friday. He keeps an interesting Flickr page going. Check out the winter sailing pics in Florida Bay.

…

And ready to go. With the tiller tied to starboard, a push off the pilings will see her through on the starboard tack.

…

Easing sheets to see what Charley wants.

…

Only about 3 feet inside the barge wreck. She’s kissing the bottom here.

…

An even rarer pic of landing Sjogin. When the winds out of the ENE, there’s barely enough room to come head to (mostly) wind. This approach was a bit brisk but just a slight bump. With the wind in the NE through W by N I land downwind.

Went down for a morning sail on Memorial Day. On the ride to Beaton’s I wondered when the Silent Maid would show up. I’ve been following John Brady’s Blog and expected her any day as she starts her Summer cruise this week.

I got to Beaton’s, walked down the dock and there she was; tied up on the T Dock, across from Sjogin.

…

Right there for my viewing pleasure. Almost as good as seeing her coming up the Bay under sail.

…

Acres (seemingly) of varnish. Damn near perfect. Nice Job John and crew.

…

Tacking out of the basin. The original Maid had a varnished hull in her early years.

Just checked John’s Blog and they are in New York harbor today, with a circumnavigation of the Statue of Liberty planned.

Once again my benign neglect has allowed our perennials to flourish. As always there was a list of plants to move and divide and prune but they remain pretty much untouched. I did do a little pruning around the edges but the center of the beach roses are six foot tall.

…

Self sown chaos. This started with a few of this and a half dozen that and time has done the rest.

…

Once cleared of volunteers the beds will hold summer herbs, vegetables and such.

…

Eventually it all fills in. Coreopsis in front of the Barberry.

…

Let there be roses. I remember when they were a grid of six inch plants.

…

That common Bayberry on the left. There’s square yards of Onethera, a kind of semi-wild primrose, ready to bloom in a week or so. Bright yellow, here for a month or so.

Here’s a bit of boat stuff:
…

Spyder tacking out of Jones Tide Pond, fresh from Beaton’s and ready for a new season.

…

The Beaton’s built tender to the Silent Maid. I hope to see her under sail this weekend. The photo is from John de Rouville’s shop on Toms River.

Her Summer Cruise to Maine starts soon. John Brady has started a Blog. Follow along here.

Meet Giacomo De Stefano, a Venetian on an improbable voyage from London to Istanbul to promote sustainable tourism and low carbon traveling. He and his crew Jacopo are now in Whitstable in the Thames estuary waiting for favorable weather to cross the Channel. They built an Ian Oughtred Ness Yawl in Venice in an art gallery. His Blog can be found here. He’s had a few other adventures, the last being a voyage up the Po to draw attention to how abused that river has become.

…

He’s a delightful host with a serious message; follow along on this grand adventure.

No sailing this weekend. Huge pressure gradient with Westerlies a steady 20 gusting to the 30’s. Here a few recent pics from Beaton’s:

…

Myth, just launched after an extensive refit. She’s a reproduction of the original Myth, a long time Bay Head native.

…

Marilda, a classic Jersey skiff.

…

A project interrupted. Nice dory skiff; an Amesbury I think.

…

Paul Smith prepping for varnish work on this pulling boat from Canada.

…

A long way from the Abacos. This little jewel has been around Beaton’s for years. Hope to see her restored one of these days.

Went down to clean off Sjogin on Thursday and found a streamlined boat. Unlike the last few storms, this one was full of heavy snow. While we didn’t get as much as places farther inland, it did a bit of damage.

We lost one of the few remaining branches of our native Dogwood. I’ll try to force one last bloom but the poor thing needs to be put out of its misery. Anthracnose claims another victim.

…

The weight of the snow pressed her down by four inches or so. I thought she might be full of water but, bless her heart, only a few inches of slush in the bilge.

…

Heaviest snow I’ve seen in a while. Sjogin looks like she’s been sculpted by old man Winter.

…

Back on her lines after a bit of cleaning and bailing. This is becoming an all too common chore this winter. More snow predicted tonight.

…

Before I started to clean off the snow I made a fire to warm my soon to be frozen fingers. Good exercise with a bit of the sauna feel at the end.

…

Our Winter Palace once again covered with a Northeaster’s leavings.

…
And congratulations to Larry Ellison and his team, regardless of how you feel about Billionaires racing in exotic yachts, for bringing the America’s Cup back to America. Word on the street has the next Defense being held in Newport. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

I just realized I never managed to post a PDF of my Sardine review. (Could have sworn I did but here it is.) The January/February 2008 issue of WoodenBoat magazine published my review of Sjogin’s Sardine wood stove. It also appeared in a recent issue of Messing About in Boats.

Here’s the link: Sardine Review.

…

The ice is back. Thin but back. Taken by iPhone this past Wednesday. I’m posting during our current blizzard and will not get down to clean off Sjogin till tomorrow.

Interest is building in having a full set of Sjogin plans available for either traditional or glued ply construction. Watch this space.

Paul Smith has worked his magic and built a fine new center board trunk. Beaton’s just got a load of prime Atlantic white cedar and Paul used some to fashion a new trunk for a sixty year old boat.

…

Prime cedar and mahogany should last another sixty years. This will be painted in Kirby’s finest when installed.

…

The number was cut out of the original trunk and set in the new one. Nice to have a bit of Phil Clarke’s hand work in the new trunk. Number 14 was the last Duckboat he built before selling the plans, patterns and mold to David Beaton in the early fifties.

…

Ice still fills the basin. One of the f****glass boats went out though and opened a channel. This may help to break it up; all we need is a good westerly breeze.

…

Ice free bilge for the first time in a few weeks.

…

Myth, pride of Bay Head in the shop for a makeover and a little TLC.

Delighted to find a Duckboat in the Duckboat Room off the main shop at Beaton’s yesterday. And especially so since it’s Speedwell, our Clarke Duckboat. She’s number 14, built in the very early 50’s and undergoing a Keelectomy.

…

Here’s Tom Beaton and Speedwell with her keel removed. This will allow the extraction and renewal of the trunk. I want to preserve the upper part as it has the number 14 carved on one side.

…

She’s getting a new mast step and floors in addition to a new keel. The rest of the planking seems sound as the original rivets are still doing their job.

…

Tired centerboard trunk. The wavy bit is a canvas gasket that was set in bedding compound when built.

Paul Smith is doing the work. Nice to know Speedwell is in the hands of a craftsman who has kept wooden boats alive and well on Barnegat Bay for over forty years.

…

Just time for a quick fire and tending to Sjogin’s Christmas decorating. I’m using the stored cane seat as a backrest. It’s the warmest spot on the boat as the heat from the stove rises and spreads to the other side. Plus good reading light from the port.

…

Sjogin’s ready for Christmas. Note the low water. On Thursday there was a flood, with the Bay up over the docks and yesterday precious little.

…

Ready for our annual Christmas Dinner Party. Cool and bright day. Cool enough for a fire inside….

…

…and nice enough for one outside as well. Fine dinner and dancing with friends and family.

Happy Holidays All.

Went out for about an hour or so this morning, beating down to and almost hitting Reedy Creek Point. Cool enough with a 5 to 8kt breeze from the south. About 40 when I got under way with a building breeze and a hot stove.

Had a visit from a reader today. He’s a long time sailor/racer on Barnegat Bay and remembers Sjogin always being in that great slip at Beaton’s. Speaking of which, the breeze was just about perfect for sailing in to said slip. Tom was there to hand me my bow lines. No pics though.

…

Ready to go. Sjogin’s (and her Skipper’s) favorite breeze.

…

Beating up to Swan Point. Breakfast at the ready, I sailed up past the Point and did the usual.

…

Thought I had Reedy Creek Point on my starboard bow when I hove to and went below to get warm before heading home. Shift of wind and Oh S***. Tumbled into the cockpit, eased the jib and pulled the tiller line to weather and bore off in time. Fun.

…

The aforementioned reader, Dave Wagner. Nice surprise to meet a correspondent. Hope to have him out for a sail this season.

…

Fall bits.

These are all iPhone photos; left my regular camera home.