4 Days on Silent Maid-day 2

Saturday, Sept. 12, 09
Barnegat to Cape May
map

Up anchor at dawn.


Motoring inside the bay.







Coffee, pancakes and homemade blueberry syrup on deck. The galley is improving.


We pass under the bridge to Island Beach.








Cleaned up the galley, The kettle with hot water rides in the sink. The GPS is in the locker to the left. It shows the ship's position and coordinates.




Pete drives for a while. More odd jobs are completed.











A bayman out working.


The forepeak. The arch of wood up there is the house side forward. It and my head became close aquaintences. I can stand everywhere in this cabin except on the forward berths and I cracked my head on this structural element more than once. Slow learner I guess.



We pass an old menhaden plant and this.


Still motoring.


The foredeck from the grand height of the cabin top.





Atlantic City appears in the distance. It is squally Rain off and on. Low ceiling.



Heading out the inlet we are passed by a dragger. The swells are quite large. John decides to try the sail to smooth the trip. I make grilled cheese and zucchini soup.


Here is our position on the GPS. In the Atlantic.

After I clean up from lunch, I get to sail a bit. We are close hauled motor sailing, tacking in and out since the wind is dead ahead.
The engine smooths out the pounding to a tolerable level. Maid kind of shoulders her way through the chop and the engine gives a bit more thrust.


This is good fun. I am so glad to be here.


It is kind of cold for summer weather, I have a hat and mittens on. The cockpit would be really dry if it weren't raining.The guys get the sail in and I get to run the inlet up to the Cape May CG base.


We wash her down and head for a shower ourselves. Chuck is our host and shows off his hometown to the best. Dry, clean, and well fed, the day ends well.



Good Night, Maid.

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.