Thursday, October 1, 2020

Irish Supreme Court: Subway bread is not really bread

 

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Lofting



 Lofting

image: ship half hull models – scottisch maritime museum

Written by: R.O.Neish – www.theloftsman.com


Saturday, September 19, 2020

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

'Just fire away'- When Nazi subs had free reign of the East Coast - Task & Purpose

My father George W. Conk, Jr.., Lt j.g. commanded SC 1355 from 1943 - 1945.  The 110 foot "subchaser" was on convoy escort duty ranging from Jamaica to Iceland.

The favorite targets of the German U-boats were bauxite ore carriers coming up from Jamaica to Baltimore.  Crippling aluminum production was their aim.  I recall my Dad speaking of the sinking of the Libertad.  I've not found it in the official history but the SC 1355 picked up the surviving crew, he recalled.  - gwc

'Just fire away'- When Nazi subs had free reign of the East Coast - Task & Purpose



SC-497-class submarine chaser - Wikipedia

Monday, September 14, 2020

Fishing Fire Island Inlet - Captree and Robert Moses State Parks

We grew up on South Oyster Bay about five miles from the Captree Bridge across the Great South Bay.  On summer mornings in our 15' Snipe I sailed east to the bridge in a light offshore breeze, then turned back west against the reliable southwesterly blow - rails buried, water pouring in through the leaky side deck, put it in irons, bail, and head off into the wind again. On a couple of occasions I made it to the Fire Island Inlet before heading back home.
In the evening our mother Clare would throw us boys out of the house to go fishing for snappers at the mouth of the canal across the street.  The baby bluefish would wait off the point for schools of shiners, like the one that was skewered on a snelling hook below the red and white bobbin at the end of our bamboo poles.Snelling a Hook, How to Tie a Snell Knot | Sport Fishing Magazine
So it was an occasion for reminiscing to visit Captree yesterday, seeing dozens of people (mostly Asian - men and women) fishing for snappers, perhaps a fluke or sea bass, or tossing a chicken baited crab trap into the waters at the eastern end of the Jones Beach Island where the ocean gushes into the Bay. 
At the Captree State Park boat basin on the bay side a dozen 80 foot party boats vie to take out a dozen or so in these covid-constrained days to snag fluke and sea bass until the striper run starts later in the fall.  The flocks of gulls hovering over the returning boats signal success as they wait for returning fishermen, cleaning their catch, to throw the scraps overboard.  For fifty bucks the fluke boats will hand you a rod, rig, and bait then take you out for three hours of hoping for an 18 inch or better keeper or three.
- GWC










 

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Teen boat builder

 One clever kid

https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2020/08/27/when-the-pandemic-shut-down-schools-this-naples-ny-teen-built-a-boat/5641945002/



Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Ian & Sylvia Reunion 1986

Four strong winds only carried Ian and Sylvia Tyson so far.  They divorced in 1975.  But did a reunion concert in 1986.  Ian is 86 now and still performs.  Sylvia is a member of the all-female folk super group Quartette.

Ian and Sylvia are joined by Gordon Lightfoot, Judy Collins, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt.


Four Strong Winds - Ian and Sylvia Tyson

 Many have covered this song, but none better than the great Canadian folk duo Ian and Sylvia Tyson.


Tomorrow is a Long Time - Keb' Mo