4 Days on Silent Maid-day 1

Friday, Sept. 11.
deRouville's Boatshop, Tom's River - Barnegat
map
It is blowing like crazy, Tom's River looks like soapy dishwater stirred by a giant. The rain and wind are pretty impressive. So we go out to breakfast. Nothing like a full tummy to ease anxiety. Great diner. The Bayshore. Bennies with T-ham, about as down Jersey as you get.

Back at the Boatyard, we look at a big old Carl Adams boat in need of a lot of TLC.

Then onto the boat to stow the ship's supplies in lockers.

John tries to hook up the stove for the first time. No Go. so we do. Off to the gas dock to get fuel. Topped off, back to deRouvilles to have running lights looked at, Bill goes up the mast (in the wind) to check the mast head light.

Off comes the tri-color.




We depart to make the run down bay to Barnegat. Silent Maid is a comfortable boat. She is awful wide, and kindly.


I get to steer for a while. It is pouring rain and I am ridiculously happy. The guys are rigging a reefing line. Turns out to be a very useful thing. Set sail and we start moving.



I get back to stowing gear, Chuck drives with Pete as nav.

John returns to stove fixing.







Flags standing proud. Close hauled against the breeze.


We leave Toms River in our wake and come up to an anchorage behind Barnegat in the marsh. Such a sweet boat. It stopped raining. John got the stove running, we have salad, pasta and garlic toast for dinner with strawberry shortcakes. Good sleeping for me on the v-berth, but the bilge pumps kept someone else up.

Sept TSCA

Mike Bill gave a talk on the round Cape Ann Island rowing race. CALEB looks great on her trailer sitting behind Mike's classic car.
http://www.blackburnchallenge.com/Blackburn.html
there are also a bunch more of these type races posted at water tribe.
http://www.watertribe.com/

Acat Middleton Cup

Have been out 3 times this summer on TORCH. Awesome boat, good company. Thesis almost done. Took URCHIN out for a sail on the river. Was driven back by flukey winds and two foot waves on the river. Too choppy for comfort.







Some pictures from the
Down Bay Regatta. August '09











Andy driving TORCH.



Rail meat.



VAPOR leading GHOST around the mark.

VAPOR's boa.


























TORCH's battle flags.

Small Reach 2009

Fun in the Maine sun. Two nice days, cold water, and thunder on Saturday night. Snug and dry in the tent. Photographs here

Sailed Marion

Sailed MARION Brewington from Gloucester City to the Seaport with Tom & Pete. Caught the tide and a few puffs for an uneventful trip up river.

June TSCA

TSCA evening meeting at Union Lake Sailing club. Pond Boat night. Millville. Phil's canoe almost qualifies as a pondboat. Look how light it is.

Memorial Day Weekend

At the Cape. Made Outriggers for FIDDLEHEAD, a 6 hout canoe that stays at the cape.

April TSCA

Met at the seaport. John gave a great talk about the upcoming wooden boat festival in June and a neat slide show on the sandbagger build and rigs. We have to supply painters for the seaport tuck-up so it will be ready to put in the water.

Core Sound

Dreaming about sailing, but the reality is here. Still gluing side panels. Hope they will look as good as these from
http://roguepaddler.com/princess.htm and fivenineclimber.com
March is always a hard month for sailors. It is warm enough to be outside, but the water is too cold to risk immersion.

TSCA March Homebuilt

Snow Day

Snow night at the Dragon for the February TSCA meeting. Phil showed us his movie of the Maine Boatbuilders show from last March. Lots of nicely finished wood for high prices.
Here is a pic of URCHIN in her snow coat.

Nov. TSCA

Phil Zuchman came to Red Dragon and shared highlights of his journey down the Delaware in a home made kayak. Elections were held, mostly by decree. Mike is President again, Wendy is VP, Tom is going to share secretary with a new guy. Ron will be treasurer one more year. Pete has officially stepped down from the getting programs spot. December's Christmas meeting and dinner is at the Cafe Gallery, movies by Phil Maynard.

Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival

The whole idea behind MASCF is messing about in boats and sharing that wonderful spirit of "rattiness" or enthusiasm about the water. Here's an England daughter launching off the museum;s steep ramps, next a couple putting the finishing touches on their pram - a first launch, then Roger Allen's crew from FL (Cuba, this time).





I love it when Chesapeake Light Craft brings their boats. CLC folks are very creative and usually have some new ideas every time. In the apprentice boatshop, there was a really nice old Leineir ducker. I like the color and the two tone effect on the following boat.







The log canoes are fascinating, but a tough way to build a boat, hacking it out of solid timber.Our own Karen Rutherford gave a well-attended watercolor demo, and it turned into a wonderful low key social event with painters littering the docks.

The usual Saturday sailing race used up the afternoon calm. Everone sailed out to where the wind dies, had a chat-up and drifted back in on the tide, just in time for the chantey folks from Delaware River Chapter and friends.

I paddled Pete's kayack in the women's long race since he was still drifting in on URCHIN. (I had sailed with Tom on MARION.)


Nice boats on the docks, Peapod.

I rowed out for the 3-legged race, tried to sail round the mark losing leeway to a stuck centerboard and rowed back for fun. Great weekend. I love St. Mike's and all the folks at CBMM who host this event.

Round the Island Race

Max & I sailed the "round Burlington Island" race from the Dragon. The Comet had a solo sail, a tow, turtling, I missed the boat twice, we started a half hour late and still didn't come in last. I am sure there are some funny pics from some of the folks on the beach.
It was a great sail though, nice wind, beat on the way up, run back, and then we reached for some fun & speed.

Three in a row

All the small boats from Maine.

Nice Pictures from Maine

from Eric Slosser