She was greviously wounded but survived Sandy by hiding under the waves. It seems she parted some of her dock lines early in the storm and laid against the pilings to the west. When the surge was at the highest, Sjogin crashed on to the piling, holing her forward and causing her sinking. We were lucky that she went down and didn’t float into the wreckage and possibly break up. An astonishing result. What joy when Suzanne Beaton sent me a cell photo of her getting hauled last Saturday.
Sjogin will require a lot of work and may not make the water next year. It will be a while before Beaton’s can resume operations. I plan to do as much as I can but the planking I’ll leave to the art of Paul Smith.
Beaton’s was severely damaged with five feet or more of storm surge over the ground. The buildings still stand but the tools, patterns and wood were scattered by the storm. There are boats off their stands, ending up here and there. The A-Cats had a bit of a dance in the big shed but had no major damage.
I was able to get into Beaton’s Wednesday and took the following pics:
The pics below have been fixed. This was written originally on the iPad which is a bit cumbersome. More Sjogin pics (and others) on the Flickr page.
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A nasty hole but between the unharmed frames. The only structural damage was to the sheer clamp which should be an easy repair. Already I can imagine sitting below by the fire and looking at the new wood, Â marveling at what a lucky little ship she is.
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You can see the busted sheer clamp at the top. It’s a wonder that the piling didn’t pierce the deck. That would have been far more serious with Sjogin pinned by the piling and thrashing about in the surge. Ouch!
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It’ll be a while before there’s a sizzle down below. We’ll push on and keep trying to bring a bit of beauty to the waterfront.
We made out relatively fine at home. The height of the surge was just a bit above our first floor. The floors which had been refinished during the Summer’s renovation had enough water on them the get well soaked. We hope when we have heat again (all utilities ruined) that the floors will lay down and not have to be replaced. We were very lucky. Neighbors a block away have their lives on the curb.
Best wishes to all in this most trying time,
Russ
Whew! Takes my breath away.
I am so glad you are going to be able to repair her. I have been holding my breath hoping that the outcome would be repair and not loss ever since I heard how hard Beaton’s was hit.
You are very much in our thoughts.
Heartbreaking. I am so sorry.
Thanks all. It’ll take time and resources but she’ll be back on the Bay.
I’m so sad. She’s so wonderful.
Thoughts from a french sailor
First time at your site… I’m a neighbor in Howell originally from Cape Cod. Took my brother in law to Beaton’s about two weeks before the storm. I’m a descendent of the Crosby’s on Cape Cod and have to go to Beaton’s every so often see the cats. So sorry about your loss, which I figure you’ll remedy soon. What a wonderful craft.
Thanks for the report on Beaton’s – I miss my dozen crabs from across the street. Keep on sailing as slow as you can… I’ll keep on returning to Cape Cod to “renew the mud between my toes”.
H Don,
Thanks for the Comment. I stopped by the Crab Shack yesterday and it’s in the process of being rebuilt inside. It’ll be awhile before our favorite fish monger is back in business.
Russ
Just found your blog. Fantastic. Sjogin is a real beauty. I look forward to seeing her sail— I am new to wood boats. My pal Bob, and experienced and skilled second generation, boat builder and I are building 16′ Swampscott Dory. We live on short but beautiful New Hampshire cost. Every Thursday we meet over at his shop to work on “Lady Doc.” I love the old Swedish wooden boats and found you & yours searching for plans. Best of all in recovering from Sandy- I am originally from Charleston, SC and have some Hurricane experience. Can you say Hugo!
Cheers,
Wes
Oh Russ…… if there’s anything we can do to help on the work to come, please give a shout! The image of the stalwart SARDINE really makes me pause and take a deep breath. A/NSW
Thanks for the comment Wes.
Andrew,
I was going to drop you a line about the stove. It’s been about eight years since the Sardine was installed and it has seen heavy use. It’s starting to show rust in spots, especially around the door. Any tips on dealing with the rust? What are the options for having the finish renewed?
Thanks,
Russ
I’m sorry to hear about Sjogin! I guess it’s a mixed blessing, as you say. We live on the south shore of LI and while the boat made it fine, double-lined in its slip, our house did not. We won’t be back in until March, probably. I look forward to reading about the repairs. Tell me the rum made it!
Russ,
Oh dear. I haven’t been to your blog in a while. I didn’t imagine I would find this sad news. So glad you are going to rebuild her. Let me know if I can be of any help.
Matt Billey
Haven’t visited your blog in a while–for some reason I did not even check to see if the storm had harmed Sjogiin. Sorry to see that she got holed, but very happy to know that she can be repaired–she’s a great little ship.
Thanks again all for your comments and kind words. It’s a joy to know you all care so.
@Max It’s nothing more than a stuffed bread made by or local Italian Specialty store filled with hot sausage and provolone cheese, sliced thick and crisped up in a hot skillet. I may have lost a few pounds by not having it on a regular basis.
@Stirling I’d like to see some pics of your boat. I’m not familiar with Shaw Craft. As far as I know, Sjogin was home built by a man named Gullberg in Salem County.
I would love to take a look at her, where is she located ?
Patrick,
We’re at the north end of Barnegat Bay on the New Jersey coast, about 60 miles south of New York City. Stop by. Where are you located?
Russ