219 – Page 4 – Hove to off Swan Point

Yet another sail

And another designer signs on board. Paul Gartside of Nova Scotia has expressed interest in doing a version of Sjogin. Rod Brink has been in touch with him and it seems he may be able to have a design done by the Fall. Here’s a bit from Rod’s post on the WoodenBoat Thread:

“I talked with Paul Gartside just this morning and he agreed to develop plans for a close version of Sjogin for $2000. His plans would also include a couple of extra sheets for building an original Sjogin traditionally. Sailplan â€¦ gaff sloop most likely. Obviously the quality of Mr Gartside’s plans are well known along with the superb detail he provides.”

Here’s an example of Mr. Gartside’s work; a day boat with lots of strings to pull:

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Paul Garside cutter
He will certainly do justice to Sjogin. I can see a copy of his sail plan framed on our wall next to the one from Francios Vivier. What joy. Let a thousand Sjogin’s bloom.

Here’s a link to a delightful announcement of Mr. Gartside’s 2009 wedding and how he met his wife at WoodenBoat.

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Ghosting home. Took off Friday to practice non-weekend sails. Nice, fairly empty Bay.

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SASAIC
Sailing as slow……. Could have used a bit more breeze.

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Coffee time
Just cool enough for a fire and a cup of coffee. Read another chapter of The Voyage of the Seven Sisters. A book about a 1950’s raft voyage from Peru to Samoa by William Willis. Grueling to say the least but a good read.

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I changed Sjogin to her Summer position today. Tempted to go out, but it’s porch season and we need to get the screens up. No bugs on us now.

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I'm back!
The Barn Swallows have returned. They love Beaton’s with many many nesting spots. This one seems to be saying “You looking at me”?

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Perfect blue
Speaking of birds, I found this perfect nest with three pending Robins while taking down some winter damaged limbs from our soon to be gone Dogwood.

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Money!
Money plants in all their glory.

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Varigated Solomon's seal
Variegated Solomon’s seal. Very happy in our shade garden. More garden pics to follow.

Odds and Ends

Here are some pics from the last few weeks. No sailing since Easter weekend but maybe tomorrow if the wind lays down. I also hope to take some initial measurements for Sjogin’s re-designers if it’s calm enough.

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On the Flounder grounds
Paul and your Happy Skipper on the Winter Flounder grounds Easter Saturday. It was as raw as it looks.

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Early april sunrise
Sunrise earlier this month on my daily visit to make sure the tide’s on schedule.

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Happy bulbs
The Narcissus and Scillia are filling in nicely. The latter are showing up all over.

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Spring!!!
March showers have worked their magic. The lavender bits are the biannual Lunaria (Money plant). They are very happy.

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Rowboat progress
Quiet Saturday morning at Beaton’s.

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Old friend
Son David’s former Claire, ready for a season of club racing.

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Foggy
Hove to off Swan Point in the fog on Easter Sunday. It’s fun to sail in the fog in your backyard.

And still it snows

Time to pull out Mark Helprin’s Winter’s Tale. A classic for a classic Winter. Wouldn’t be surprised to see a few more “Blizzards of the Decade” pass through.

Here are a few pics from the last week or so.

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Windswept decks and the usual cockpit full of snow. Last Sunday after the first “Blizzard of the Decade”.

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Still shiney
The blocks are holding up well. We’ll see how they look next Winter.

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Surprise
As I walked out on the dock last Sunday I rudely interrupted Elevenses for the local Merganser family.

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Progress
Now that Speedwell’s out of the Duckboat room, rowboat building begins.

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And off the jig
Off the jig and in the main shop for finishing while the second one is started.

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And yet it snows
And finally, here’s a scene from today’s Blizzard of the Decade. Our offices were closed today and tomorrow looks iffy as well. Sjogin will need to be bailed in any event.

A belated Merry White Christmas

and the Happiest and let us hope, a more Peaceful New Years to all. Home yesterday for Christmas Dinner with family and friends, old and new. Just cool enough for an all day, all evening fire.

The snow of last weekend still counts as a White Christmas though it’s melting fast. We didn’t finish digging out from a knee deep northeaster till last Monday. Didn’t get down to Sjogin till then and found a cockpit full of snow but otherwise clean decks. “Bailed” her out and had a nice fire below.

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Fully Decorated
And there’s the full extent of Holiday Decorations on Sjogin. Before the snow of course. We’re having a light ice season in the pond so far. (Touch wood!)

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Snow load
The NE wind kept the decks clean with just the cockpit to “bail”.

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Ice beard forming. No serious ice yet. I put the pump back to work after a bit of ice formed in the bilge water. Warmer now.

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Happy Hollies. The morning after the storm.

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Instant Snowman
Ready made Snowman.

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Perfect
Christmas Tree and snow, perfect together. I think the Architect of our home had Christmas in mind when he drew this window.

Who made Thomas Hoving’s Rowboat?

Photo in the NYT obit today of this groundbreaking curator at the Met. The boat the happy Hoving is rowing appears to be a livery skiff but of uncommon grace compared to the slugs used today. It even has a bit of Bolger to it. Note the touch of bottom showing right aft.

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Right over the center of the Universe
Nice lines. She looks like she would be fun to know. Any ideas as to provenance? I could see her on Stockton Lake.

Off today getting ready for our Christmas Dinner Party tomorrow and tending to a less than 100% Julia.

Signs of Winter

The off season is here with the rigging of the bubbler system at Beaton’s. It’s used to bring up the relatively warmer bottom water when ice forms to keep the pilings ice free. It helps keep the ice around Sjogin thin as well.

It may be a while before the basin freezes as we still have Impatiens blooming.

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Bubbler time
Compressed air is run through the pipes and eventually through small plastic hoses that are weighted and rest on the bottom next to the piles.

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Raw day
Raw day yesterday; wind out of the ENE at 12 to 18, spitting rain, about 35 or so.

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This about sums it up. Nasty on deck……

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Cozy
…but cozy below.

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The Duckboat room at Beaton’s being cleaned out. There are orders for a couple more rowboats that will be built in here. But first Speedwell, our Clarke Duckboat, will be brought in for a minor refit. Note the years of patterns hanging on the walls.

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Glowing marsh
Taken at dawn this past week. (Which arrives at a far too late 7:00 am this time of year.) I try to walk down to the water’s edge each morning to make sure the tide’s on schedule. The Buffleheads are back and in full force. Sorry Julia.

And as always, lots more pics on our Flickr page.

A belated Happy Thanksgiving to all

I’m sure regular readers will have no trouble imagining what I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving season but here are a few clues:

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My Julia
Of course my darling Julia and our life together on the edge of this great country is at the top of the list. Taken a few weeks ago after a northeaster roared by. Surf’s up!

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Kids and Julia
And my two sons as well. Taken in Annapolis where David (on left) teaches sailing. Jeff’s a Web whizz and DJ in SW Oregon.

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Ourhouse, literally at the edge and the source of much joy.

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Sjogin
And of course our dear Sjogin, a vessel into which we have poured so many good times. Taken this morning; no sailing as the recent strong Northwesterlies have chased the water down the Bay.

And thanks to all of you who have reached out to me over the last few years through comments, e-mails or visits to Beaton’s. It’s always a treat to hear from folks, whether from across the Bay or from the other side of this increasingly shrinking planet.

Thanks to all,

Russ

It’s a Northeaster!

Classic northeaster late last week. Three days of high winds with the highest tides in a while. We had a tide line up on the lawn, just short of the roses. Just a matter of time before rising sea levels close the road and the town gives us true waterfront property.

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Ring around the lake
High tide line on Friday. Only another three feet to get to the porch.

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Beach growth
A bit more sand has been added to our beach. Sometimes it comes, sometimes it goes. Such is life at the edge.

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Whitlin'
Picking away at the berth project. This is one of the supports being trimmed to fit. Guess where the cuttings go?

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Breezy
Last of the Northeaster blowing itself it out on Saturday. Still plenty of water. Let’s hope it doesn’t start blowing out of the south too soon. Cool enough for a fire and the usual.

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Randy
Randy taking possession of the Saturday tradition of Joe Leone’s Hot Sausage Bread. Yummmm.

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Finally, here’s a neat photo sent to me by reader Dave Wagner. He’s sailed on the Bay for years and remembers Beaton’s as a kid. Dave’s the blond in the pic, out for a picnic with family. Look’s like it’s from the early 60’s.

New bits

Julia and I went to Annapolis this weekend for an all too brief visIt with my two sons, Jeffrey and David. No sailing, as a nasty front came through over the weekend. Jeff was in DC for a web analytics conference was able to spend some time with his brother. Here we are at J-Port where David is an instructor.

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At J-Port
David, Shooby, Jeff and Julia.

We had lunch at the Boathouse in Eastport; a local spot for post race analysis. David called it “Yachtie Karate”, referencing the hand motions of all of the sailors describing racing tactics. Too funny.

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Back Creek
I had no idea of the amount of sailboats in Annapolis. Everywhere you look you see spars. Beaton’s is like that on upper Barnegat Bay but this was special. We need to return for an exploratory sail toot sweet.

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Late afternoon light
As the season advances, the low afternoon light lights up the spent roses and volunteer daises.

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Last rose?
Last rose of the season? We usually have them through Halloween. The foliage turns a bright yellow for a bit of late season color.

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A little too high tide. Taken last week during the first of two Northeasters. A gentle reminder of living at sea level.

Perfect September day on Barnegat Bay

Julia joined me for the last sail of Summer on Sunday and to make sure Sjogin’s new blocks worked. Of course they did but I still need to move the jib sheet eye bolts a few inches outboard and forward. Quite pleased but need new sheets. I think I’m going to try Hempex, a manila substitute.

Breeze slowly built to 5 to 8 knots. Perfect Sjogin weather. Reached down to Reedy Creek and had a one tack beat to MYC.

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Julia
Julia at ease. Temps around 65, bright sun, ideal day. (And decidedly less traffic.)

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Serena
The Beaton built Serena, stretching her legs. Tom heard from a surveyor who had just looked into the for sale Charlotte, Serena’s stablemate. The surveyor told Tom that “If everyone built boats that way he’d be out of a job.” Nice feedback.

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Sleeping?
Look Ma, no tiller. At ease and hove to off Sloop Point.

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Cormorants
Cormorant City. To the dismay of bipedal fisherman, this bird is quite happy here.

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Taken this morning: last sunrise of Summer.