Third Anual Duckworks Messabout
by Sandra Leinweber

The Texas Coast changes in subtle ways. Shorelines shift minutely, structures decay slowly from the salt and sun, plants that survive grow slowly in the less than optimum soil. The occasional hurricane can bring dramatic changes, but most of them we never notice because our visits there are relatively infrequent. We value the coast for the things that stay the same. The wind that often changes direction but rarely stops, the birds who are the true owners of the real estate, but never get too pushy about it, the water that is the defining feature, the difference between here and desert, boats and no boats. As a kid, I always tried to be the one who spotted the water first. Blue water stretching off to the edge of the earth, waves lapping or crashing onshore, sunlight reflecting off every little facet; I could not wait to see it. Toes in the water was the next step, and it was the same this trip. The water was the perfect temperature, gulls were squawking overhead, the pelicans were flying bomber squadrons, and a fish jumped and hit the water flat sided just out from shore.

This year was the 3rd annual Duckwork’s Messabout (or Mess-o Boats), and once again we were at Magnolia Beach on Lavaca Bay.

We arrived Friday afternoon, just in time to see the Raid participants sail away and to greet the first arrivals to the messabout.

Jason Nabors brought his PD Racer, Sea Flea, a tiny PD racer with a cabin, the first I had seen.

She slipped easily into the water, and sailed neatly away.

Chuck took the Ladybug out for a sail, and I paddled around in the Toto. Later, all three boats were pulled up part way on shore when the “tsunami hit”. It was actually the wake from a giant tanker that had come into the channel maybe ¾ of a mile out from the beach. We saw the long diagonal waves coming from a long ways off and stood there like nit wits while they came rolling in.

The first one licked up and picked up the Toto which I ran and grabbed just in time. Then it hit and lifted the Ladybug and slammed it into the Sea Flea. Jason and Al (whose boat was not in the water yet), ran to get between them before the second wave hit. Everything inside the Sea Flea got soaked, including Jason’s sleeping bag.

After a series of half a dozen waves, things settled back down. The next day, another one hit Richard Spelling's Chebacco (left).

Al Meyer brought his beautiful Penobscot 14, Wee Lass.

My first thought was, “How can he possibly let that beautiful boat get wet?” He was a bit hestitant, not on account of her perfection, but because he had not been out solo as yet...

... so he and Chuck took her out and sailed up and down for an hour. After that, he was all over the bay.

The two Bob’s, Bob Williams (Kerrville, TX) and Bob Shipman (at left) (Hunt and Houston, TX) came in just at bedtime, pulling Bob William’s Shanteuse.

Saturday morning we were up at 6. I walked over to check out the camping arrangement on the Shanteuse. Bob has used PVC and an old tent resewn to shape for a slot top tent. He has a few bugs to work out in terms of fit and screens, but the details are all there.

Another PD Racer was there, and it was in the water, sailing smartly past. PD stands for puddle duck, and John Wright (Bastrop, TX), the builder, had added a duck head bow sprit to the front. What a cool looking boat, and it performed well too.

Cecil Carnes (Los Alamos, NM and Sargeant, TX) brought Pink Possum, and two new boats. One is a recycled sailboard with seat...

... and the other is the World’s smallest boat, a recycled car top carrier.

We told Shorty about that one as soon as he arrived.

He immediately tried it out.

Joseph Mittelstaedt tried out the smallest boat and Cecil's sailboard.

Joseph's dad, Gerard, brought his "Ocean Breeze" (at right) and Dave Hetrick as crew.

He even let his wife, Mona steer for a while. The Mittelstaedt crew drove up all the way from McAllen, Texas for the third year in a row.

Tom Jensen (Grand Prairie, TX) sails in his West Wight Potter, Dim Sum.

Skip Johnson (Houston, TX) was back with his strip plank canoe and AC/DC, his nifty proa which began life as his entry to the $50 boat contest. She is losing her edge as she ages, and he said he will soon strip the hardware and sacrifice her to the bonfire of the boat gods.

In September, Chuck and Skip will be competing in the Colorado 100, a canoe race on the TX Colorado River. Skip is designing the boat and there will be a report on that.

Greg Rinaca and Christina Wycoff attended with Lady, their dog. They brought their $200 sailboat. Lady is a good sailor, but she is always happy to get back to dry land.

Roger Harlow and Gay Calloway and Roger’s son Brent came over from Portland, TX. Roger brought his Bolger Surf.

The Raid fellows returned after lunch on Saturday. They had sailed out to Keller Bay Friday afternoon and spent the night on the beach. (Campfire, beer, and sailing stories).

The raiders included Richard Spelling, Tom Cole, and George Fulk and his wife Mary - all from Oklahoma.

Richard brought Pat and their 2 kids and his beautiful Chebacco.

Tom made everyone jealous with his elegant Bolger Shearwater, Magic Dragon.

George and Mary were sailing their classic Bolger Micro.

Louis Cisneros from Jourdanton, TX was sailing solo in his Compac 16, Isabel.

Noel Nicholls, San Antonio, TX proclaimed that he was always bringing up the rear in his Cortez 16.

Bill Tosh (Rusk, TX, at left) and Chris arrived in Bill’s Meadowbird.

Wayne Yeargain from Manvel, TX, sailing his classic Montgomery.

Most of us spent the heat of the afternoon relaxing in the shade. Later, as the sun began to set, we enjoyed a delicious pot luck dinner and a fire on the beach.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I was asleep before I climbed in the tent and did not wake up once until the sun came up Sunday morning. See you next year!

Additional photos