Beaton’s – Page 14 – Hove to off Swan Point

On Barnegat Bay

yesterday morning. Went out from 9:30 or so, back by noon. Had my first encounter with the afternoon “hot dogs”; seems they wake around 11:00 and then go forth to go round and round and round the Bay.

Still, there was a nice southerly tending to a sea breeze, about 4 to 6 kts. You could feel the heat building but enough of an air to cool you off. Managed to catch the start of an E-Sloop race on the Bay south of Swan Point. Video later (maybe.)

There’s progress on Quest, it’s A-Cat season and I went to the beach. (Noteworthy for my usual absence.) Pics follow:

Quest
Progress on Quest; planking continues. I saw a pile of nice cedar flitches in front of the shop last week. The best will be for Quest.

They’ll never look better. Ghost and Lightning waiting for battle.

Fine morning, coolish breeze. Too warm for the usual fire; finally.

Slick
Hove to off the marsh near Reedy Creek, waiting for the E-Sloop race. Note the slick as Sjogin crabs her way to weather.

Elevenses…..just right.

Watching the race from my easy chair as it continues hove to on the Starboard tack. With a good breeze, the severe degradation of sail shape does no harm.

Master E-Sloop skipper Peter Wright sails by to say hi.

Bang!
Clean start for the fleet. This was the Runnie Colie E-Scow regatta; The BBYRA season starts on the 21st.

I just may try to sail down for the A-Cat start; Bay Head and Manasquan co-host the first race of the ten regatta season. Last time I tried there was 0 air that morning. Nice tactical breeze this morning.

Finally, evidence of my first beach visit this year:
One...
and counting.

Julia
And Julia at the edge as always.

Sjogin pics from the last few weeks

Floating barge
Derelict barge progress. From Memorial Day weekend.

No barge
And poof! Barge is finally gone, now more room for me to run aground.

Last Thursday before going out for a quick sail.

Summer position
When I got back I set her up for summer sailing. Easy in and out with the summer southerlies.
Frisky

Frisky, the 1938 Beaton Sneakbox, the first boat they built. Restored by Beatons in 2007.

Meet Spyder,

the new John Brady A-Cat. She was built at the Independence Marine Museum in Philadelphia for a member of Seaside Park Yacht Club.

She’s caused a bit of a buzz on the Bay as she was built with longitudinal bulkheads to form a box structure instead of the usual hanging and lodging knees. Both methods are used to resist twisting. This is very important in large cat boats as the mast carries a huge load all the way in the bow where there is limited structure to counter the twisting moment. John’s method uses these bulkheads along with the cabin sole and decks to create a type of box girder. Interesting boat.

Spyder
Spyder afloat and waiting to be finished. Seems like a tradition for these boats to start the first Bay race with tacky varnish or some item being installed on the way to the starting line.

Knees
Note the laminated knees tying the cockpit/cabin sole and the longitudinal bulkheads together.

Spyder's cockpit
I imagine there will be seats along each side of the cockpit. Maybe not for the first race, but eventually. Don’t ask how I know the name of that tune….

Should be an exciting time June 21st; there will be 12 A-Cats on the starting line.

Happy Memorial Day

Sitting here on the porch with our flag waving in the brisk breeze, thinking of my father on this beautiful day. He was in WWII on a Coast Guard troop ship the Joseph P. Dickman, a converted Moore McCormack freighter, built in the 20’s. The stories he could tell.

Joseph P. Dickman
This is a photo of a pen and ink drawing I did for him years ago. He had copies made and would hand them out at the reunions.

_________________________

Here are some pics from the last few weeks. Been busy with spring garden duties. The bind weed in the rose beds is getting out of control.

The barberry needs shaping but when it glows like this with the early morning light I keep putting it off.

Our side yard; outdoor shower on the left. Just six steps from the kitchen door; a delight from May through October.

Fine prospect
Lake side “garden” cleaned up and well weathered sling chair installed. Absent the summer high tide infestation of jet skis, it’s a pleasant place to watch sunsets and such.

Bagatelle returns
Bagatelle is 20′ sneakbox once owned by our good friend Wally. One of my first paying boat jobs was to help him fix some stubborn leaks. She’s back at Beatons looking for a new home.

Not much new

as evidenced by the moss growing on Sjogin’s jib halyard. Under the weather last weekend so little new “content”.

Moss!
Need to air things out. Maybe this week after work; Tuesday sounds good.

Last sip warming up yesterday morning. Quick visit and then edging and such in the garden.

H-15 back in shape
Progress on the H-15 with the framing done and a new mahogany sheer strake. As you can see her sweet sheer line has been restored. Planking next.

Finally, here’s a pic of the back steps at Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan. I was in the city for a business lunch and retraced my 9/11 steps. I’m working on a narrative about that day and will post same here.

Steps

Tempted

to go out yesterday morning but garden duties prevailed as we had three Blueberry shrubs to plant. (two Low, one High bush.) Which involves moving some roses and so on. Hope to go far a sail this week after work.

Settled for a quick fire and the usual. Nice day with occasional showers and a bit of thunder.

Sjogin
Tempting as the breeze wasn’t yet up to the forecast 10 to 15 but I had unplanted Blueberry bushes to plant.

Happy Skipper; bright sun, cool breeze , full of tea and toast.

_______________________

Floors and frames; all riveted joints
Lots of progress on the H-15 in the shop. Just about all of the new frames are in and riveted to the floors. The plywood form is temporary; it’s used to get her shape back. The form is from a laydown taken from handwritted offsets from the Herreshoff shop.

Quest bow
The backbone’s been trued and fastened together. Note the forward planking and sawn frames are in good shape. That’s because Tom Beaton replaced the stem, planks and ribs after Quest was hit by a jet ski at speed. That must have been 20 years ago.

More later. Today’s the 100th Birthday of Olin Stephens, one of this country’s finest yacht designers. WBF Thread here.

Odd bits

Pics of a few different items from the past few weeks or so:

Sunrise
Sunrise, March 12th

Slips
Empty for now; view from Beatons, March 21st.

One of the pieces from our “Permanent Collection”. It’s a 1907 canoe engine built by the Waterman Marine Motor Company of Detroit. It was given to me years ago by Phil Clarke, noted local boatwright.

Another view. I found (of course) a web site for old marine engine collecters. I’ve had daydreams of having this engine restored and using it in a small skiff. Pocketa, pocketa, pocketa…..

Welcome spring

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.

Osprey family

Stockton Lake, first light of Spring 2008.

Sjogin
Late Thursday afternoon, March 20th

More later….

Progress at Beatons

on the Lucas boat, a 1932? Herreshoff 15. The transom and framing have been removed and the new keel and deadwood is nearly done.

H-15 deconstruction
Say Ahhhh…. Note the plum bob to keep everything in line. Suspended from an overhead wire.

Old bits
Original transom, grown knees and transom frame.

New bits
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 Beaton
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.

Snow day!

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.

Ourhouse
Cottage sur la mer. Occasionally a dark and stormy mer.

Brant
Brant on dawn patrol.

Library view this morning
Snow still fluffy. Rain later will dispose of most of it. First significant snow this season.

Sunset; northeaster on the way.
Sunset yesterday. Going over the Mantoloking Bridge to pump Sjogin. Swan Point just left of center.

Sjogin, sunset on Jones Tide Pond
Finally another ‘last look’ shot in calm conditions last evening. Pumped her dry and had a token fire. Very pleasant.