Dreamboats - Points East magazine

 High Idle was one of my late friend Jeff Armstrong's great passions.  He told the story beautifully in one of his long mid-winter letters For Love of a Boat.  If you follow me you know about my now 24 year affair with North River 2.  We have a house in Friendship, Maine because when I was ten years old I fell in love aboard a Friendship Sloop owned by my Dad's friend Lou Peretti in Hempstead Harbor. And then there was the 15 foot Snipe on which I learned to sail, kept up with it through college and bought another - built by Hermann Gerber on City Island - when I won my first trial.

Snipes

So that's how Don Street started out - in Manhasset Bay, L.I. But he went on to cruise Iolaire a 46 foot wooden sailboat (that word meant NO engine - the Times used to list boats for sale as Sailboats and Auxiliaries.) that he cruised and wrote  A Cruising Guide to the Lesser Antilles. The first edition was a mimeograph but it went on to appear hard bound and in paper as a classic.

Don Street - now 92 shows that it's never too late to fall in love with a boat.  So last fall he fortuitously went for a sail on the restored Arion - a Sidney DeWolf Herreshoff boat.  He wrote of his enchantment in June's Points East. A "pierhead jump" onto a classic - - Arion - Don Street - Points East Magazine

Rumination continued.  How would I re-design that perfect boat with modern materials?  His answer is My zero-carbon-emissions dreamboat - Points East Magazine .

Arion

But the editors of Points East got the brilliant idea to ask sailboat designer and artist Chuck Paine to comment on Street's vision.  Paine's answer is a brilliant, friendly critique.  Read Designer Chuck Paine's comments on Don Street's dreamboat.

- GWC July 23, 2023

Archaeologists Find Maya City in an ‘Empty Zone’ of the Yucatán Map - The New York Times

Archaeologists Find Maya City in an ‘Empty Zone’ of the Yucatán Map - The New York Times

A wall of icebergs in a foggy Labrador Sea.

 

Thanks to Lisa Olson for passing on Lyman's updates on Felicity's voyages.

UPDATE Sunday 7/23/23:  Tracking Felicity is now live. It looks to me like they have made it to Cartwright, Labrador.

Monday, July 24:  

UPDATE - Departure from Cartwright,  NL 

 53.42N   57.7S  Predict Wind

Yesterday we left Cartwright after seeing that the southerlies we were concerned about did not develop. We stayed close to the coast, ending up in Domino Harbor after rejecting an earlier anchorage. The harbor was a 300 ft wide slice into the cliffs. We were anchored off an abandoned (in the 80s) fish processing plant. Since the guide was written, an indigenous community has grown at the head of the harbor. We left this morning under somewhat overcast skies,  making our way towards Frenchman’s tickle. We see more and more abandoned fishing communities as we head south. Leaving Frenchman’s, we came across a lot of icebergs. One was the size of a cruise liner. 

As usual, the fog rolled in so we made our way south using the radar. Labrador has quite a complicated coast. In this region there are multiple inland passages with hundreds of coves, bights, harbors, islands, etc. We turned into land so we could take Squasho Run, a narrow long passage lined in places by 80ft moss/lichen covered cliffs with a few small trees clinging for life. It’s a destination for many sailors. On the south end is Eagle Cove ( 53d 1.5m N,55d 49.6 m W) where we are now.
After anchoring, we climbed a nearby hill and got spectacular views. We went for a brief swim (the water is 55F). Later, another cruising boat, the first we’ve seen since leaving, came into the cove. Not too long after that, a whale joined us briefly. A seal is sunning itself on a rock 100 ft away.

In harbor

7/22/2023

Well it was quite a couple of days. Yesterday we had a beautiful sail. We followed our plan, which was to go to 55 d N, and the cut over. About 125 nm out we came across a set of 8 bergs where there should have maybe been one. We kept on hoping that it was anomalous. It was. By this time we were motor sailing. The number of bergs increased as we approached land. At times it was foggy and at times clear. About 40 nm out there was a berg every 4 nm. Lots of them split up. Early this morning, about 30 nm out we were fogged in and there was almost a wall of bergs on the radar in the direction we were headed (west). We pushed on at low speed relying on the radar. Then the fog lifted and we saw the path. At some point we just stopped counting. There were hundreds of bergs and bergie bits of all kinds of interesting shapes. We made our way to Edwards Harbor. The guide says the entry is 50 ft across. It is beautiful. We went ashore for more stunning views. We had to anchor four times
  to get good holding even with double anchors. There is a lot of kelp on the bottom. Of course there were other difficulties. After we shut off the engine for the first time, we noticed more diesel on the engine than usual. The fuel input line to the injectors had sprung a leak. A failure of the line would have been a disaster, but we fixed it and seem to be in good shape. At the moment we are eating cheese and crackers, drinking beer/wine, and soaking in the location. Tomorrow we head to Cartwright.

Maine - July days

 

End Tourism to Antarctica Now - The Atlantic

 

On the southernmost continent, you can see enormous stretches of wind-sculpted ice that seem carved from marble, and others that are smooth and green as emerald. You can see icebergs, whales, emperor penguins. Visitors have described the place as otherworldly, magical, and majestic. The light, Jon Krakauer has said, is so ravishing, “you get drugged by it.”

Forty years ago my late, dear friend Louise gave me N by E - Rockwell Kent's account of his 1930 sailing voyage to Greenland in a 33 foot cutter.  They got there, but not back - the anchor dragged in a storm.  The two crew returned. Kent stayed.  That was the origin of my fascination with the high latitudes.  My friend Richard Hudson has sailed to those environs, north and south aboard his 50 foot steel staysail schooner Issuma. Very low impact.  I'm in favor of that kind of tourism.  But the case against any other sort is well stated here.

End Tourism to Antarctica Now - The Atlantic

The Last Place on Earth Any Tourist Should Go

Take Antarctica off your travel bucket list.

By Sara Clemence

Remembering Nancy Armstrong and Jim Salafia

Replacing the garboards. North River 2

We're blessed with Pat Montalbano, a master woodworker at Barron's boatyard. Once the home of the legendary Harold Nevins, Gerber, Kretzer, and Consolidated yards we are down to a precious few on City Island.

Last year's towing accident yielded a new rudder and Geico canceling its policy.

This is purely maintenance of my nearly forty year old mahogany sloop.

The garboard is the bottom plank where the lead keel meets the horizontal pieces that provide lateral stability.  It's made from 2x8 mahogany which now is clamped and fastened in a gentle arc.

GGR NEWS - Day 276: Jeremy Bagshaw ETA Friday 9th, final finisher 277 day out from Les Sables d’Olonne – GGR2022 over!

GGR NEWS - Day 276: Jeremy Bagshaw ETA Friday 9th, final finisher 277 day out from Les Sables d’Olonne – GGR2022 over!

Day 276: Jeremy Bagshaw ETA Friday 9th, final finisher 277 day out from Les Sables d’Olonne – GGR2022 over! Dateline: Les Sables d'Olonne, Thursday, 8th of June, 2023 After 23 days of continuous headwinds approaching Les Sables d’Olonne Jeremy Bagshaw (South Africa) in Chichester Class is on his final approach. ETA 1700 UTC on  1900 hours French time Storms, barnacles, water shortages and a broken forestay in the last run to the finish, nothing was spared to Olleanna’s skipper in the GGR2022 Guy Waites(GBR) out of the GGR but continuing his two-stop circumnavigation is 1000 miles behind and expected in 10 days just in time for the GGR official Prize Giving ceremony on June 24th ! GGR 2018 Film “The Voyage of Madmen” available Free to Accredited Media for review!

Olleanna, full speed towards les Sables d’Olonne, is keen to finish after nine months at sea! Credit:  JL Lhomond /GGR2022

Things were looking good onboard Olleanna last month on the 19th of May. After nine months at sea, Olleanna was 500 miles West of Cape Finisterre and 820 miles from Les Sables d’Olonnes, about a week away from finishing his circumnavigation after nearly 30000 miles and many adventures along the way. Jeremy had run out of coffee and sweets and was keen for a quick landing back to where he started! But then it all changed! Alas, on that day at 1900 UTC, Jeremy called the GGR Race Office to report the failure of the stainless plate holding the forestay, meaning he no longer had a usable forestay. His call is HERE. He was able to secure the reefing gear and removed the sail. The mast was not damaged, and all other standing rigging was fine including the outer forestay connected to the end of the bowsprit, the inner forestay and the two running backstays. This meant he could only use his staysail on the inner forestay and the light genoa on the outer forestay, taking longer to complete the course. However, adding insult to injury, the wind soon veered East making it harder and longer for Oleanna to point towards Les Sables d’Olonne, instead pointing towards Ireland or Gijon in Spain, two places he visited prior to the GGR start in September 2022. Unbelievably this headwind has not veered for 23 days straight dragging that one week to go, into another 23 days! He tweeted "I'm trying to remember what wind & sea from aft of the beam feels like. It must be nice?”

Jeremy cannot use the medium genoa pictured here, but is certainly pushing through to get to Les Sables d’Olonne asap! Credit: Nora Havel / GGR2022

Low on water, slowed down by barnacles, and sailing in storms, a round-the-world odyssey Two days later, he called GGR control running low on water with only 7 litres of freshwater only, using 500 ml a day, having lost his emergency water in a leaking container. He started drinking the fluid from canned vegetables as the slow days of sailing to windward with a damaged boat continued on and on as the wind remained from dead ahead. Finally he decided to use his emergency manual Survivor 06 watermaker, producing 250ml per hour of pumping. It was not the first time he was low on water, as he was in the same situation in the Indian Ocean after being slowed down by barnacle growth. After a good start-mid fleet despite sailing the smallest boat in the GGR 2022, Jeremy was soon plagued by a barnacle infestation that slowed him down enough that he moored several days in South Africa to scrape Olleana’s hull. The dreaded shells came back with a vengeance in the Indian Ocean forcing him to stop several days in Hobart, lift the boat, before continuing in Chichester Class.

Two barnacle infestations, storms and water shortages were not going to stop Jeremy from completing his circumnavigation! Credit GGR2022/DD&JJ

Hero’s welcome in Les Sables d’Olonne on the 9th of June Jeremy faced several severe storms on his way to Cape Horn making him the record-holder of foul weather days in the GGR, and some more in the Southern Atlantic where he encountered the worst conditions of his round-the-world voyage. None of the hurdles Jeremy faced, from storms, breakage, barnacles or water-shortage deterred him from completing his voyage around the world. Never did he depart himself from his sense of humour and his entertaining tweets. Against tides, winds and overwhelming odds, Jeremy is planned to be in the channel of Les Sables d’Olonne tomorrow Friday 9th of June at 1900hrs local (UTC+2). Come and give him the hero’s welcome he deserves! One more Sailor expected in LSO before the June 24 prize giving. Guy Waites (GBR) is no longer in the GGR after he did not make the Hobart Gate before the time limit, but for him either this was not enough to deter him from his dream to solo-circumnavigate the planet. He too was slowed down by barnacles, having to lift Sagarmatha in Cape Town, therefore going in Chichester Class and later stopping in Hobart to replace his liferaft, lost overboard in a severe storm in the Indian Ocean.

Guy Waites (UK), Tradewind 35, Sagarmatha out of the GGR but continuing his two-stop circumnavigation is 1000 miles behind and expected in 10 days just in time for the GGR official Prize Giving ceremony on June 24th ! Credit: Nora Havel / GGR2022

Guy is around 1000 miles behind Jeremy and should arrive in Les Sables d’Olonne on time for the Golden Globe Race 2022 Prize Giving ceremony planned on Saturday 24th of June at 18:00 local on the Place du Tribunal, followed by a concert and festivities. All the GGR 2022 skippers will be there, come and join them for this great closing event for the Golden Globe Race 2022! FREE REVIEW Copy of the GGR 2022 Documentary “The Voyage Of Madmen” available to Accredited Media.  If you would like to write a review of this outstanding film released NOW please contact us below.

The film of the GOLDEN GLOBE RACE 2018 is now available for order, watch trailer here!

The Cult of the Boston Whaler - Boston Globe

 The cult of the classic Boston Whalers - The Boston Globe

Unsinkable

In 1958, in a garage in Braintree, an eccentric Harvard grad named Dick Fisher revolutionized nautical design when he began crafting a little boat that looked like a blue bathtub.

He called his creation a Boston Whaler, and the unusual shape of the hull was only half of the radical design. More important was what was inside of the hull, the result of a cutting-edge foam-and-fiberglass construction process that allowed Fisher to make an unbelievable claim. IT'S UNSNKABLE.

“They’re everywhere,” said Quentin Snediker, curator for watercraft at the Mystic Seaport Museum, which has one of Fisher’s original sawed-in-half boats in its collection. “They are the right combination of seaworthiness and fun, which continues to strike a chord.”

Today, the classic Whalers — built until roughly 1993, when the company was sold and then moved to Florida and pivoted to more traditionally hulled boats — remain prized for their nostalgia factor, but also their “affordability.”

Classic Whalers come in various sizes and models, including many that were steered standing up from a center console, a Whaler innovation. Today, they can usually be had for between $5,000 and $25,000. With many new center consoles retailing for well north of $100,000, those old Whalers remain the top recommendation for people looking to get into boating safely, without a lot of experience or deep pockets. In addition, the lightweight construction means they can be towed by the average car.

KEEP READING

Kirsten Neuschafer wins single-handed Golden Globe race.

Kirsten Neuschafer wins single-handed Golden Globe Race.

Sir Robin Knox Johnston - sole finisher in the 1968 -1969 race.

                                                    Kirsten Neuschafer - this year's winner
 

Not just single-handed - one person, on a boat, no outside assistance and NO modern navigation equipment save an emergency position indicating radio beacon, and a satphone!

Sailing like it's 1968.  No routing software. Compass. and one piece of emergency equipment. Wikipedia captures the story of the first race - the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race of 1968:

Nine sailors started the race; four retired before leaving the Atlantic Ocean. Of the five remaining, Chay Blyth, who had set off with absolutely no sailing experience, sailed past the Cape of Good Hope before retiring; Nigel Tetley sank with 1,100 nautical miles (2,000 km) to go while leading; Donald Crowhurst, who, in desperation, attempted to fake a round-the-world voyage to avoid financial ruin, began to show signs of mental illness, and then committed suicide; and Bernard Moitessier, who rejected the philosophy behind a commercialised competition, abandoned the race while in a strong position to win and kept sailing non-stop until he reached Tahiti after circling the globe one and a half times. Robin Knox-Johnston was the only entrant to complete the race, becoming the first man to sail single-handed and non-stop around the world. He was awarded both prizes, and later donated the £5,000 to a fund supporting Crowhurst's family.

The BOC Challenge, Around Alone and the French Obsession the Vendee Globe followed the tragic Golden Globe - after the sole finisher the now legend and still sailing  Sir Robin Knox Johnston. 

Sir Robin was the first single-handed round the world race winner.  And we now have Kirsten Neuschafer - the first woman to win a single-handed RTW race.

- GWC