| To Part One
To Part Three
After a nights sleep and a quick breakfast & cup of coffee at the campsite, Steve and I drove the 5 - 6 minutes down to the beach to find Norm Wolfe already back and reporting a quiet night at Cabin John Creek. The guys sleeping aboard at the beach reported some rocking for occasional wakes, but a restful time at anchor. And people were arriving even as others headed out on the water. The sun was out, the temperature moving towards 80 and the wind had shifted around to SW & was a bit lighter at 7 -10, but fairly steady.
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My "Terry Jeanne" sans sails anchored aside Eric Hughes "Ashley Leigh" (the blue trim is masking tape as it awaits the rest of the hull repaint). |
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Doug Oeller's Marshcat sailed early and often .. it was a perfect day for sailing. |
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I'd never seen a Pacific Pelican until the "Kasin Maru" Eliot & Jack Bensel brought it in for the day Saturday. |
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And Ted Kilsdonk arrived with his Michalak Oracle "pulling boat"along with his wife and both sons .. Paul T. assisted with the short carry. |
Saturday was shaping up as a lovely, busy day and the beach became very busy withy folks launching, checking out others boats, and family play. No way to recall a play-by-play, so we'll let "a picture be a thousand words".
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Vaughn (left) and Tom Maurer (right) arrived late Friday and launched their new, father-son PDR build Saturday morning. The first sail was a huge success ... across the river, up Cabin John Creek & back, with exploration of the South shore, too! (And as it happens, they're neighbors of mine). |
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I know Paul Helbert sailed his PDR, but I missed it ... PDR's are real sailboats. Plans for a bit of "racing never developed ... but never mind ... |
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Ted Kilsdonk and his "crew" .. we had met Ted at the smaller 09' gathering when he got me in that Oracle and gave us a splendid row on Rancocas Creek. |
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Sail and talk ... talk and sail ... all day long - the nearest boat is "Bunky" No question but that the new venue at Elk Neck improved attendance. |
It should be noted that a couple skippers came without boats to take in the possibilities for next year. Karissa Hendershot will be finishing up restoration of her classic Lightening; Susan Hawkes hopes to have her "little rehab project ", a Skimmar Sea Gull, done too. She did get on the water with Ted K. rowing.
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"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream" Hope Jim Michalak see this. |
Kids played at the waters edge, families picnicked on the grassy lawn. If there was a "down" side to it all, it's simply that there was too much of interest for the hours in the day. It took till late afternoon to get my new sprit mainsail rigged. I would have liked to see every boat and ask questions ... maybe invite myself aboard. Folks were readily agreeable ... not enough time!
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The white marshcat is Kevin MacDonald .. sorry, don't recognize the kayak. These waters are prime boating water ... big enough to stretch out, small enough for most any type of boat ... we proved it. |
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Looking SW ... Alex Sydnors son and boats, boats ... The logs at high tide mark there weren't in evidence last January - not a problem. |
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Looking opposite - NE ... more boats ... and children of all ages It's a "no swimming" beach, but that's playing ... a swim beach is found on the opposite side of the peninsula ... Elk Neck State Park is a fine facility. |
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Steve & Debbie Kaba - Sanabel 18, "Merlot I" Eric H. motored Steve back and his boat and Debbie Saturday. |
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Keep an eye out for BIG boats in the shipping channel ... I'm not aware of any issues with wakes, but discretion is the better part of valor. |
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Picnics ... the Truszkowski family knows how to do these things Of course. Paul has been to four 'Eastern Messabouts' - 07', 08', 09' & 11'. |
One skipper and boat drew enough attention to warrant a paragraph. Jim McKelvey - as easy going and congenial as you're ever going to meet - brought the long "Sharpton Barge", a Pete Culler design he built some years ago. It's long and skinny ... and sails so easily, with such pleasing grace. Jim took it out several times, revealing how readily it handles on and off shore. (Oh ... and it's for sale.)
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"Sharpton Barge".. long and lean and lovely admired by everyone. Yes, fuel is available (2-cycle oil too) ... the jet ski was the ONLY one, thankfully. |
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Distinctive, traditional, able ... well sailed. Those are folks fishing out on the jetty ... walked by and asked a few questions. |
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Skiper Jim McKelvey .. whom I DID get to talk with ... the beach was partially shaded by mid day ... a 'moveable feast' of boats and personalities. |
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People and boats kept arriving into the afternoon, each one drawing eyes ... smaller, lighter boats paid no ramp fee - just drop 'em off park your vehicle in the upper parking lot ... there was always someone there to watch them. |
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And "skin on frame". Dave Gentry from VA, I think ... we got most folks name and boat(s), but meeting them all and matching up 100's of pictures ... well ... |
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Paul H. in the Quick Canoe modified for sailing ... a larger & smaller sail. By the time this is published I'll have met Michael Storer & (finally) Chuck Leinweber at the Wooden Boat Show at Mystic, Ct. |
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Catspaw Dinghy "Vairea" ... I think ? ... Jack Mizrahi. Very pretty and it sailed well ... traditional, stitch & glue - they all showed up. |
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Many folks got to sail in a boat that was new to them ... the wind came right up the river Saturday making it a reach or starboard tack to get off the beach. |
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Somebody remembered to get a picture from the water ... thankyou. At any given time half of the messabout fleet would be out sailing. |
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Later Sat. Ted K "borrowed" the Maurer's new PDR - he may want to build one I'm very tempted to build one "for the grandchildren" ... un huh. |
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Bill Moffitt at the end of the dock captures son Paul sailing in with his Slam Dink. I think this was Paul's first build ... it's a family thing at this point. |
(To be continued ... Final part 3 covers later Saturday and some "summing up").
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