Category: On the Bay

Last sail of July

After the quick sail shown in the YouTube video below, I sailed up to the dock in front of the south shed and tied off. I then proceeded to strip the halyards and sails and got her ready for her haul out. She’ll be in the big shed from tomorrow I suspect until sometime in mid to late August but then this is Beatons and Beatons time is different from everywhere else in the world. For which I am eternaly grateful. Stay safe all, it’s getting nasty out there again.

The video has us very slowly leaving Beaton’s to get past Swan Point. Then a Starboard tack heave to for lunch.

https://youtu.be/1wDms5DSPfE

Boat work tomorrow. Let’s see how much of my scrapping and sanding muscle memory remains.

Slow sailing again and few boats looking Beaton Fresh

After a few week haul out for bottom and topsides paint, Sjogin is back where she belongs.  A week or so of swelling has her as tight as she was before the haulout.   Which means that she always takes a bit of water as she’s just over sixty years old.

Here are two videos of a slow sail last week and a series of pics of recent launchings at Beaton’s, all looking ‘Beaton Fresh’.

So very grateful that I can do this and share with folks who enjoy seeing our very tiny adventures.  Hope this provides a brief distraction from these difficult times.
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Even with a clean bottom and no other boat wakes there are times when even this slow sailor finds it necessary to break out the sculling oar.  The no see ums found me at this point so it was time to resort to my ash breeze to travel the last hundred yards or so.
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Foamranger is an elderly Chris Craft skiff that’s been well cared for at Beatons for a long time.
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Myth looking ready for another season of sailing like it was done in the 1890’s  She’s a replica of the original late 19th century catboat.
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Here’s Suzanne, the Beaton family boat.  She was built in Maine to serve folks on an offshore island.
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One of the Beaton yard workers Patrick’s dinghy, ready for another season of messing about.  This very able boat was built in fibreglass by Cape Cod Shipbuilding Company.  Details here.
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This is Quest, a Watch Hill 15 built by Herreshoff in the 1920’s I believe.
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Legend is one of Charles Hankins skiffs.  A very simple and handy boat for day cruising and such.
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I expect we’ll have some videos soon of Sjogin sailing a bit faster then as shown above.  Stay safe all and hold fast.

 

 

 

 

All the way to Reedy Creek

Managed to get out for a sail last week and made it Reedy Creek, all of a mile or so from Beaton’s. Once reached I hove too for an hour for lunch and more Tilman adventures near K2.

Here are a few pics and videos from the sail:

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As far as I can tell, this is the only Osprey next on their preferred foundation. It’s just north of Reedy Creek.

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Sailing past the Oyster Farm. The floats are attached to cages which are full of happy Oysters.

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Here the cars are upside down and empty of Oysters. The farmers do this to dry and remove the usual growth of grasses and such.

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The Sloop Point platform has a pair of young Osprey almost ready to fly.

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Beating out of Jones Tide Pond with Juniors to weather.

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The nest across Stockton Lake from us has three little ones with the largest itching to fly.

Beaton bits and a sailing video.

Here are a few pics of goings on at Beaton’s over the past few months.  Spring has long sprung with the usual bustle at Beaton’s.  The docks are getting full and the average water levels have reached ideal Sjogin conditions.

Serena, the Joel White Flatfish and the A-Cat Lightning looking Beaton Fresh.  Serena was built at Beaton’s a while ago.  She’s a sistership to Charlotte, built by them in 2003.  The building mold is in the yard and ready to go.  They’re great daysailers with shallow draft.  Give Tom a call.

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The rebuilt foot of a very large catboat mast.  This one will live again thanks to the attention of Paul Smith.

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At the other end of the mast work at Beaton’s scale is Speedwell’s new mast foot.  I had Paul remake the foot to match the existing Duckboat mast step.  With the limited bury it will make the rig more secure.   It had a round foot that would allow the mast to rotate as spritsail did.  This may give me a chance to setting up the sail as a lug.  We’ll see.

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New decking in front of the South Shed whose East wall still bears the sctatches and dings from Sandy.  Our community will have them for a long time.

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Once again WoodenBoat has seen fit to have me write an article for them.  It’s in the May/June 2018 issue of WoodenBoat Magazine and tells the story of a boat that once again graces the waters of upper Barnegat Bay.  There’s also a sidebar celebrating 54 years of Paul’s work at Beaton’s.

And here’s a video taken a few weeks ago just as the marsh was starting to green up.  If you keep you focus narrow it’s easy to imagine what it was like a few hundred years ago.  Hove to of course.

Recent Sjogin pics

And the first sail of this year and the bright, new Spring we are supposed to be having.  Too dry and cold so far and little water in the Bay.

Sjogin has been taking up nicely with just a slow weep.  She hasn’t been out in brisk winds yet but she seems as tight as ever.  (Touch wood.)

Enjoy the pics.

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Last snow of the year on deck.  It makes the warmth from the stove just that much better.

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View from the spar shed.  Nice spot protected from the northeast.  There’s a greater chance of icing over in here but the protection’s worth it.  (and little persistent ice this past Winter.

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Calm day waiting for water and a breeze.  Please excuse the temporary blue tape mast boot.  Better system on its way.

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New tiller from Paul Smith.  It’ll weather for a bit and then be finished bright.

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Another breathless day at Beaton’s.  It never gets old.

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Ready to go for the first sail of the New Year and Spring.  It’s always a thrill to go for that first one after a lay-up.  Thanks to Paul and the folks at Beaton’s Sjogin’s ready for another season on Barnegat Bay.

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Hove to off Swan Point once more.  Sjogin hasn’t forgotten how.

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Your Happy Skipper under way.  The new tiller allows sitting on the seats when driving.  Most comfortable.

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Back at the dock after two missed attempts; one too fast and one to slow. The last one was just right.  Need practice.

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Back in her Summer position.  A bit early but hope springs eternal…

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A fine draw with the raised smoke head with far fewer puff backs.

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Sjogin’s nod to the Modern Age.  New Solar panel keeps the battery topped up.  When on board it slips under the seat with no visible wires.  Then its back to the 19th Century.

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Recent read down below about sailing a 22′ Catboat sans engine in one of the finest but challenging cruising grounds anywhere.  Mr. Cheney (not that one) and I have a similar sailing philosophy.  He too sails slow.

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Bosun’s work: making a strop to be used as the jib tack.  Note the new bronze snap from the extensive legacy of a local legend.  RIP Bad Bob.

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New sounding lead salvaged by Paul.  It works far better than a two inch square nut.

Well, here we are after another pause.  The above pics had their captions removed and order changed with a dumb click on my part so you may find new details and a changed pic.

Trust some still enjoy this format.  I seem to treat it as a monthly than as a more frequently updated Blog.

Under sail videos soon.

Do write.

Mostly Beaton’s pics

Busy Winter in the wood shop.  After Sjogin’s recent refit, the Hankins’ skiff Legend was brought in for the same treatment.  There’s also the elegant rowing skiff awaitng return of the principals to salt water to continue her re-construction.

If you have a project, I’m sure Beaton’s could fit you in.

Here you go:

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New tiller for Sjogin by Paul Smith.  Bespoke indeed. 

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 And a proper sounding lead for Sjogin from the collection of a local legend.  Thanks Bob.

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 Here’s Paul tending to last seasons wear and tear on Myth bits.

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 Here’s Paul with Sjogin’s new/old boat hook.  The natural Swamp Maple crook was carved by Phil Clarke in the 1970s.  Long enough to sound my way around Barnegat Bay.  No bottom, no problem. 

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 Steaming cedar planks for the new rowing skiff.

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The seemingly eternal search for fair enough. 

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 Look familiar?   It’s the job made form used to set the curve in Sjogin’s coaming.

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 Dave explaining the virtues of the new, larger bilge pump.  

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The new skiff .  Plenty of twist forward.

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Pleasant sheer.
So this was fairly easy.  Sjogin stuff soon.

 

New photos

If, for some reason you come here just for a glimpse of a beautiful boat and reasonably taken snaps of our particular place of Earth, then I’ll not disappoint.  I’ve been at this now for more than a decade, reaching folks all over our watery world and now ask for your indulgence if one of the pics below makes reference to current events.

First up is one of Sjogin through a Prisma algorithm.

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Given the right photo, the painterly effect works well.

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A very shiny Lighting.  Nice off season work.

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Here’s another Prisma example.  Some of the algorithms work better than others.  I think this one is called Dallas.

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Finally, here is one taken at noon on Election Day.  After the tumult of the past year or so, a quiet sail before voting seemed necessary.

Will we need to find a term to describe the time before that day and the time after?  I hope not.  Patience, good will and manners will see us through to remembering this past Election Day as just another one, a bit of a Black Swan, but none the less one of many more to come.

Your considered comments are welcome.

Sail slow America.

A Cats and a video

I see that once again I’ve managed to allow another month to go by without a Post. But then again here I am with another month’s sailing and having watches below at the dock under my belt. And a straining belt due to said watches below with sausage bread.

Anyway, here are a few recent A-Cat pics as the first races are but four quick weeks away.

And a video to close of a very quiet sail last Saturday, May 14. Surprisingly few boats out.

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Cats!
Raven and Lightning ready for another Season and looking Beaton Fresh. First race is on June 25th. Hope to be back in the water by then after a fresh coat of bottom paint and such.

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Myth and Vapor
Myth sporting her Summer Cabin and a very yellow Vapor.

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Vapor's next
Vapor’s mast getting ready for raising.

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Two Pauls
Another fine varnish job by Paul Smith. Beaton Fresh indeed.

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Your very happy Skipper out on a beautiful Saturday morning in the middle of a too cool May.

This and that

Here are some pics from the last few months, especially Beaton’s pics.

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Spring!
A sure sign of Spring: the Garvey afloat and ready for another season.

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Quiet
Homage to Jay Fleming. A very quiet morning last month.

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Circa 1991
A quarter Century ago. Fitting the step scarf on Ghost’s coaming/cabin joint. Note my initials on the cork sanding block. Valuable item.

Photo courtesy of W. F.
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Model painting
Even the half hull models get a fresh paint job.

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Good draw!
Healthy draw from the stove on the Starboard tack. This is a big plus. Extending the bulkhead to the keel helps keep a positive flow.

More to come but I just realized it’s been a month since my last Post. Not much new, just the everyday joys of being able to go “check on the boat” and maybe squeeze in a quick sail or a watch below. Happy Spring all.