and sailing as slow as I can….
Had my first Osprey sighting yesterday. Looking out the bathroom window post business wondering when the Osprey’s would return when poof; a young one hovering at tree top height. Very weird.
Saw another pair hanging out at the Beatons platform. Here’s a shot of the platform a few years ago.
Stockton Lake, first light of Spring 2008.
Late Thursday afternoon, March 20th
More later….
at Beatons.
The H-15 has its new transom in place and floors are growing on the new keel. While construction continues, deconstruction proceeds apace. The sheer strake and some of the bilge strakes have been removed in anticipation of bending in hot new frames.
Steady progress. The removed planks can be seen standing in the background.
New floor frames being fitted. Note the missing planks and frames.
Transom framing bits.
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The new A-Cat mast has been put together for a trial fit and also to work out gluing up eight fifty foot staves. It’s a new way of doing masts at Beatons. They will still end up with a light, stiff mast, ready to power a new Bay champion.
Tom Beaton with a change in the mast building procedures. Change at Beatons!
Sample mast section laid up to work out how the staves will be glued and laid up on the mast bench. Note the mahogany form and hose clamps. Stressful gluing job.
as taken from a 2004 Atlantic piece on selling his boat of many years. Classic Buckley prose, evident in the following description of dealing with an hurricane near Bermuda:
“Cruising in October to Bermuda*, we had to make our way through the eastern end of a hurricane. After a very hard day’s combat using only the storm jib and trysail, I finally hove to for a long night of furious wind. This capitulation at sea is achieved by adjusting the reduced sails to vie against one another in such a fashion as to induce relative immobility.”
My sentiments exactly! Though in Sjogin most heaving to is done with full sails as I try to avoid heavy winds. Sjogin’s getting on in years and I try not to push her too hard.
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Here’s a pic from this morning; foggy and waiting on the next front to come through. Plenty of water and a light breeze at 10:00. Tempting…
*William F. Buckley: wrong on McCarthy and wrong on the time of year to cruise to Bermuda.
from this weekend. March came in decidedly lamb like. Managed to do some bed cleaning and early pruning. Bulbs all showing promise and fecundity.
Son Jeff home for an all to quick visit.
Finally installed a strap eye under the main deck beam from which to hang the oil lamp.
Illustration from a 1954 British learn-to-sail book.
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.
on the Lucas boat, a 1932? Herreshoff 15. The transom and framing have been removed and the new keel and deadwood is nearly done.
Say Ahhhh…. Note the plum bob to keep everything in line. Suspended from an overhead wire.
Original transom, grown knees and transom frame.
New white oak knees and frames.
Keel and deadwood. Piece on top is upside down; it matches the keel profile from the plans. The straight side is mated to the lead ballast. The ‘L’ shaped piece is the aft end of the deadwood.
Tom came below for a visit today. Discussed space for Sjogin’s mast in one of the shops this Spring. It’s long overdue for a refinishing.
Breezy on deck, warm enough below.
Enough water for a March sail but gusty from the NNW, up to 20 kts or so. Home for some Spring clean-up work. Bulbs are busting out all over.
This image is from Page A11 of the New York Times, Friday, February 29th. Any idea what this is about? March on Washington? Ad campaign for Google? Obama? Inquiring minds want to know.
Honor those who stepped forward when others were thinking backwards
In their infinite wisdom my employer declared a Snow Day. The office, at least the analog one, is closed while half an eye is kept on the virtual office. No too much actual snow here, about three inches – enough to please the eye but not enough to strain the back.
Cottage sur la mer. Occasionally a dark and stormy mer.
Brant on dawn patrol.
Snow still fluffy. Rain later will dispose of most of it. First significant snow this season.
Sunset yesterday. Going over the Mantoloking Bridge to pump Sjogin. Swan Point just left of center.
Finally another ‘last look’ shot in calm conditions last evening. Pumped her dry and had a token fire. Very pleasant.
Managed to figure out how to change the banner photo. All without the help of son Jeffrey I might add. There are additional minor changes to come (Jeff?) but I think I’ll stick with the new format for now. Comments?
Back to regular fare:
Considerable progress on the Herreshoff 15 being rebuilt at Beatons. The new keel has been scarfed and the rabbet cut. The bed logs for the centerboard case have been fashioned and installed.
New and old keel. Seems Quest was held together with tradition! As if I don’t know the words to that tune. Phil Bolger had an observation that I like: ‘there’s a lot to be said for overbuilding; when it’s half-rotten it’s still usable.’ There are parts of Sjogin that are….we’ll, never mind.
Also, Beatons has started on a new A-Cat mast. For the first time they will be using the birds-mouth technique. This involves milling a dozen or so 50 foot staves that have a rabbet on one side that matches the edge on the other and gluing them all together.
Here’s a test spar Beatons built to try the birds-mouth technique.
Spruce planks being scarfed prior to gluing together to make a 50′ by 12″ by 1 1/2″ planks. In the background you can see the planks being glued with WEST Epoxy. After gluing they will be milled into the individual staves.
Spruce spar stock, fresh from a very old planer.
Finally a view of the marshes next to Beatons. The little lump just to the right of center is Hankin’s Island.
Hope you like the new format. A little more tinkering to follow. Still the same old heaving to, same old stove stuff, same old Sjogin. Ain’t it wonderful. Thanks for joining me here.
Russ
Just fooling around with a different theme. Links and such are in the usual place ( or at the end of the page if your work machine is like mine); should be fixed soon (as well as the banner photo). Jeff?????
Russ
Mild breeze out of the SSE, under 8kts for most of the morning. Was able to heave to on port for about an hour from just outside the basin to near Curtis Point. Usual breakfast. Great stuff.
Back by noon. The breeze picked up later and today; half a gale blowing now.
Ready to go. Easy to sail off the dock with the wind in SE.
Happy Skipper; waiting for the tea to brew and a watch below.
The view aft, Beatons to leeward.
Reaching along the Mantoloking Bay front. Went up to the bridge, gybed and reached back to the Yard.
One of my very few watercolors. Taken from the cover art from The Catboat Book. Photo in response to a WBF thread on members wall art.