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For those already members, stop by and say hi. I use my name, Russ Manheimer, as my ID. Here’s the Link.

Other WoodenBoat Forum users have joined so I knew I’d have a few friends.

Enjoy?

and our best wishes for a Bright New Year. The prize for best gift again goes to Julia, who, in a lapse of her usual good judgement, gave me a Flip video camera. Be forewarned that the initial thrill may not wear off for some time. In any event here are few pics and videos from the past few days.

After a great Christmas and Boxing Day I was granted a gift of a pleasant sail yesterday. Though somewhat dreary weather, it made the warmth below that much more appreciated.

Please excuse these first efforts.

View from the cabin off Swan Point. Hove to in a gentle southerly with a bit of fog. With the North going current she moved very slowly over the ground.

Christmas greens still intact. Nice quiet day.

Delightful sail.

Coamings faired on Quest. Note the nice ogee by Mr. Smith.

Ready for a crowd. We were 14 this year, shy a couple of usuals.

Paula, Julia and Mary, with a just past Full Moon over their shoulders. It was so clear you could watch it rise over the dunes. Most impressive.

Almost everyone danced. First time at one of these parties we had a little R&B and a lot of fun. Amazing how we still respond 40 years on. Helped digest the beef as well.

As Bob said in the video below, it’s the Supremes and Ed Sullivan.

Like Bob said. Though I don’t remember Mr. Sullivan enjoying himself quite so much.

From last nights Christmas Dinner Party.

Scary:

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The dancers have been blurred to protect the innocent.

Please forgive the extra stuff around the video. Jeff, can you fix this?

Roast is in the oven, gratin potatoes done and ready for warming. Pics tomorrow but first a few from the last week or so:

Ready for Christmas.

Plenty of water last Sunday.

More tomorrow….

Since Thanksgiving I’ve been unable to access my Sjogin account on Flickr. Somehow my personal information has been corrupted. No matter how many ways I try to convince them I’m who I say I am, they refuse to let me in. Anyone else with a similar experience?

In the meantime I’ve set up Sjogin 2.0 on Flickr as a temporary fix. The main Flickr site seems to be working and the prior pics show up. Let me know if you have any problems.

Moving along in a nice SW breeze.

Kent Mountford, dear friend driving Sjogin along the Reedy Creek marsh. Just over his right shoulder you can see a duck hunter calling it a day.

Wind out of the SSW made for an easy landing.

More later.

Going to Gracie’s tomorrow for Thanksgiving Dinner. Gracie, Julia’s mom and head of the D’Amato Clan, is again cooking for a crowd. Bless her heart, she’s 91 and still loves to prepare a feast for the family.

Off today and went down to Sjogin for a fire and a cuppa. Plenty of water in the Bay with a brisk breeze from the WSW. Tempted to tuck in a reef and go out but decided to have a quiet watch below instead.

Taken last weekend after shifting Sjogin to her Winter position. Facing North allows the off-season sun to warm the cockpit and let sun into the cabin when the hatch is open.

This morning’s fire and tea. Full load of fire wood should keep things cozy for a few weeks.

View from Mark Beaton’s sail loft. As you can see Sjogin’s slip makes for easy sailing on and off the dock.

New coamings for Quest. The mahogany was steamed and then bent over the shop built forms. Note the twist in the ends.

Hope on “death row”. This is the back row at Beaton’s where abandoned wooden boats go to await their fate. The covered one is the boat designed and built in the 30’s by David Beaton, Tom’s grandfather and founder of the Boatyard. The boat was just turned over to Tom by the prior owner who had let the boat sit for the last twenty years or so. A restoration may be in the cards.

The boat on the right is a Herreshoff S-Boat in a similarly poor condition. There was talk of having her restored but that was several years ago. There’s an active fleet I believe in Narragansett Bay.

Down to check on Sjogin and have the first sizzle of the season. Tom came on board for a bit and wondered what the noise was. Just a little Joe Leone stuffed bread just about done.

Tom Beaton

Just about ready; you can almost smell it.

Progress on Quest. The deck’s on and getting ready for the Xynole covering. Looks just like canvas when done and painted. The hull’s been faired and sanded; expect primer soon. She’ll be finished this winter and put away ready for Spring.

Spitting rain out of the SSE. Tomorrow looks like it’s set to blow from the W. Leaks seem to be slowing down.

Particularly nice bit of our infrastructure. This is the Amtrak bridge over the East River.

Wavertree, Peking and Pioneer at the soon to be diminished South Street Seaport.

The view from Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City. Not too many wooden boats here. This area was all wharves and warehouses when I was an eight year old, messing about on a very different Hudson. (Early 50’s)

Lower Manhattan from the Upper Bay. Fair wind for home; 18 to 25 out of the NNE. A bit lumpy from the last of the Ebb

Approaching Manasquan Inlet. Interesting entry with the last of the Ebb against the building Easterly swells.

Safely inside. Doesn’t look so bad from this side.

Great trip.

by way of Norwalk and New York. Joined Bob, Jet and Boss Lady in Norwalk last Thursday for a couple of legs on his journey South. Nice weather Friday for the trip up the Sound, through Hell Gate and around Manhattan to Liberty Landing in Jersey City. We passed through Hell Gate at the top of the tide and carried the Ebb down the east river. Practically no other traffic, so the water was calm, allowing some reflections. Bright sun, about 60. Like magic.

Left Liberty Landing in a very brisk breeze out of the NNE. Spent the last of the Flood going up the Hudson for a bit, then south for home. Very lumpy trip outside; fresh chop from the NE laid over Easterly swells to 8′. Thrilling Low Water Manasquan Inlet entry under full control. Phil would have been proud.

New York in view from just outside Norwalk; about 22 miles. Extremely clear; the buildings seemed to float just above the horizon. There’s a meteorological term for that.

A bit of traffic here and there.

Getting closer. Well into Queens and the Bronx.

Manhattan, reflections and all. Strangely calm.

Hanging Gardens of the Upper East Side. Note the crisp high tide line.

Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges and the Financial District. My building at 40 Wall has the green pyramid left of the center. We had the East River practically to ourselves. Very peaceful.

More tomorrow.