Katman and Little T met us in Oriental, NC ‘s public ramp next to the Route 55 bridge on Midyette Ave. About a dozen parked trailers indicates it is heavily used by fishermen in the area. This ramp is concrete and flanked by two nice floating piers. For the next three days, the winds are predicted to be out of the NE, shifting more easterly on the third day. Our goal, 40 miles away as the crow flies, was Ocracoke Island. That puts the wind on the nose outward bound. Around 10:30 we were rigged and under way.
The wind was crisp at 10 kts with gusts to 12-15. The NE direction was steady and only a few headers made tacking necessary with the inevitable Neuse River shoreline. It is a wide river with as much as a 5 mile girth in places. Once at the mouth, the wind dropped out. We anchored behind Swan Island on the north shore for the night. The evening gave a wonderful sunset while rafting and brilliant stars once we set tents for the night.
Una and Little T
At Swan Island
Katman (aka KMac)
At some point around midnight a motor boat roars into the anchorage which is protected by 1 foot shoaling at both ends of the island. I grabbed the flashlight, ready to point us out when the speeding boat was stopped as they dug up the bottom. Some choice country words were heard as the boat then slowly proceeded t the back of the small bay. They were out for the fish and could be heard having success as they came back rowing along the far shore. The mosquitoes were also out all night and only a towel over the head kept them at bay.
Morning was cool with winds strengthening. After coffee and rice cakes with peanut butter. We haul anchor, put in a reef, and head on out. Where the sound and river met was a confused sea state. It looked to be a rough and wet day. UNA did fine and gave no concern. At one point a stacked wave 5-6′ in height caught us off beat and UNA pierced the top to bring on a few gallons of water over the bow. Once past Brant Island Shoal Light, the waves became uniform as we rolled over the 3-4′ waves. I risked the phone for a video once waves and wind slowed.
Other than a few shrimpers and the occasional ferry, we saw no other boats. Not able to fetch Ocracoke we tacked above Cedar Island and again several other times negotiating the shoal waters along Portsmouth Island south of our destination. I don’t know if the waves had churned the waters to murky or if the cloudiness was typical, but even in 12″ of depth you couldn’t see the bottom. The centerboard took soundings. Winds abated as we sailed in the lee of Ocracoke and waves dissolved as we slipped in to survey Silver Lake. Once around the harbor and we tied up to the Community Pier which has an old shack housing an interesting waterman’s museum. Across from the pier was tied a Skipjack.
Skipjack “Wilma Lee”
Named the Wilma Lee, she is over 70 years old, donated to Ocracoke Alive, Inc. ( a non-profit), and is for hire to sail. She happens to be one of only 32 skipjacks left afloat out of a fleet of once 800. More of her history can be read here.
I hose off the salt from UNA, put on dry clothes, and we head to Dajio’s for a good dinner. Back at the pier we enjoy chatting with several of the locals. Like most small towns, Ocracoke is also suffering in this dismal economy. However there remains a strong pride int he locals who are hard working and now that Labor day has passed, may feel that their island is theirs once again. I suspect our mode of travel is our passport of acceptance by them.
Eventually we cast off and sail downwind under mizzen to the SE corner of the harbor for the night. New snaps for the tent have replaced the difficult velcro webbing and rusty “stainless” loops under the gunnel. Setting up is now quicker and much improved. With bedroll over army blanket and armatures, sleep for night number two comes easy.
Next morning we’re up before sunrise. Kevin motors around the lake before we head to Pony Island Restaurant for a good breakfast.
Morning motoring
We see a green heron at the pier.
heron
After a final roll around the harbor, we head out under full sail. Winds are 10 kts from the east.
Little T forges across the shoals bumping along (and she needs 8″). UNA reaches more northerly to save her ruder in deeper water along the entry channel. They meet again a mile or so out and we run for hours across the Pamlico.
Marsh Cat and Cedar Island ferry.
The ride is a dramatic difference from the day before. No spray and we slip along on a gentle sea.
Once in the Neuse again, we go wing and wing with the main to weather. Thankfully the day has been overcast, keeping the sun off yesterday’s burn. Around 16:00 we pass the shrimp boats resting at the foot of Oriental.
We choose to anchor off Dewey Point near our beginning. Kevin notes we’ve sailed over 95 nautical miles. That is a record for UNA. Knowing that she can and in those conditions is reassuring.
We tour the harbor marinas in Little T. Few of the hundreds of sailboats seen are of interest. Its mostly miles of neglected plastic. The sunset is spectacular.
Oriental
UNA at anchor.
Back at anchor, a swim is refreshing. Dinner is good grilled chicken and rice. Night three is the most restful.
Morning is cool. A slight breeze beckons. Breakfast is coffee and pan made biscuits with butter. The sail to the ramp is short. We’re already planning for next time.
After hanging in the shed for months while the kayak took center stage, the final coats of varnish are going on our pram Gigi. She is decidedly an Eastport Pram in hull form and sail, but in all other respects she’s influenced by the Nutshell pram by Joel White. Ultimately she will likely be 6-8 pounds heavier. I hope to take some pics of her in the backyard rigged, or better yet, sitting atop the water soon. Before Luna was in the picture, the dinghy was to be painted the sky blue used on Una. Now that her role will be mostly as a tender to Luna, she is painted “white” to match Luna with Petit Easypoxy and her inside is the tinted “blue” of Una’s interior.
Rudder, thwarts, tiller and dagger board drying.
Transom view. Brass on rub strakes and keel. Dagger board is offset to port.
Running out of room.
As much as can be said of RIB’s (rigid inflatable boats), there simply is no comparison to the rowing and sailing this little dinghy will be capable of doing. After a good day of cruising to a nice anchorage, sometimes a sunset sail further up the same creek can be a whole other perspective.
More detail shots as she is rigged or splashed later this week. Ciao!
As the summer winds down, the days have been quite pleasant here in Virginia of late. So why go to Maryland? Because there in St. Michaels you can find a Delaware Ducker. A fairly rare bird, there are actually several at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. One you may even rent by the hour for $30. On Fridays you may get and extra hour for the same ticket. So, we went for a 2 hour cruise.
But to back up, long before I became a canoe stern addict, I had seen Thomas Eakins’ painting, “Starting Out After Rail”. I half thought the boat was fictitious. However, Eakins had made her look so right that I dreamed maybe such a boat existed.
Starting Out After Rail
Also, on previous visits to CBMM over the years, I’d often pause to stare at a simple moss colored skiff tucked under a shed. Seemingly cast off almost, I half thought they were on their way out or one step from a bonfire.
elegant deck beam
Only recently did the pieces of the puzzle begin to fit when I had saw photos of a boat built by Dan Sutherland at the Museum. Investigation revealed these craft to be versions of the Delaware Ducker.
Dan’s boat
My edition of Howard Chapelle’s American Small Sailing Craft describes this 16′ boat as “a lightly built double-ended skiff” used by “market-gunners of the lower Delaware”. The models varied little and were “exactly alike at both ends and were slack-bilged”. A two men boat, this canoe features
Forest and Stream: April 21, 1887
Much more history and detail are written by Ben Fuller in WoodenBoat Issue 48 and in their Small Boats issue 2010. The better documented models are the Greenbriar and York. The latter has a tad more stability in a slight turn to the bilge. I sailed the former. On with the show. After sorting out the rig’s tangled lines, we shoved off in light breeze. The boat was quick to move.
Selena II. A large Crosby design catboat.
the museum’s Hooper Straight Light and Skipjack
In the light breezes we were sailing around Selena II. Her current captain is the original boat owner’s grand daughter.
Sitting in the aft portion of the cockpit I was surprised at how balanced the boat was. Both sail and board are way forward. The steering was quite easy on all points. After 1.5 hrs we returned to the pier, left the rig, and went rowing. Again, the boat moved almost effortlessly. She is the best boat I’ve rowed really.
the 1888 Lawley designed 30′ cutter “Elf”
Back at the pier I took detail photos of the skiff.
stern
floors and sheet block
in the bow
Lazy day
rudder and tiller
Wanting to beat the traffic home, I was quickly on the road, but not before checking out “Greenbriar”. Hanging in the shop rafters, I got a few pics of her up close.
Greenbriar
The 3.5 hr trip home was well worth the visit. Wouldn’t this be a great winter project?
Some of the best rewards from “messing about in boats” are the people one meets that become friends. One guy I’ve met along the way started from a long chain of email correspondences over the Melonseed skiff, a late 19th century New Jersey gunning boat. This fellow had built 2 simultaneously in his basement. They are pieces of furniture as the saying goes. A high standard for sure, but Barry isn’t afraid to use his works of art. He and I got to share each others boats a few weeks ago. His write up of our sail and his blog are here. Enjoy!
Yesterday was fantastic. My oldest boy is just back from working at a dude ranch this summer, and like music to my ears, he asked to go sailing. I couldn’t think of a better idea. He got no protest from this old sailor. We went and had one of those rare August days, easy temps, good breeze, and a lunch in the cooler. Darn near perfect.
Cowboy
We’re still struggling with getting Luna out of her berth when driving NE winds force her back in. This go-round we used our small 2hp Honda thinking its ability to swivel 180 degrees would provide reversing action and drag us out of the slip. Initially successful, the progress degraded as the wind won by grabbing the stern. We had no real steerage. So, like last outing we docked on the outer berth, but this time with jib and jigger we slipped to weather past a crumbling wharf and into the clear.
“Dory”: a Cape Dory 28
Aside from a marina mate, “Dory”, there were no boats out there. With winds 12-15 kts we rushed out of East River on a run, jibed and sailed to port out past New Point. There it got windy (18-20 kts) and lumpy quick. The standing NE wind bucked outgoing tide producing short, quick 6′ seas. Reefing the main settled things down. Dropping the main altogether may have been a better decision. After 20 minutes of taking our lumps, we turned back into Mobjack and reached far up into the Ware River. Pretty. I look forward to seeing this river in the Fall.
siesta
As we turned, the crew was quick to catch up on shut eye.
The reach was strong across Mobjack into Ware River.
wet decks
sweet rig
slicing through
colorful
my good buddy
The day ended with a beat back up the East River watching the sunset. As I said, a fantastic day.
One evening in Maine at the Small Reach Regatta, I got the opportunity to introduce my girl to some of the “riff-raff”. Only after walking away from some introductions did I hear my buddy Mike say, “There goes a patient lady”. I laughed, and then, I didn’t. What was he implying? I think I know. I’m blessed.
More recently, over the past10 days I’d been watching for a weather window and saw predictions for a day that seemed ideal for August in Virginia. 82 degrees, sunny with NE winds at 5-10 mph. I wanted things to be as perfect as they could to introduce my number 1 girl to girl number 2. As luck would have it, the winds were virtually non existent, but the acquaintance was made and I think a friendship struck. Guess they’ll start trading tales?
my cowgirl and Luna.
Our actual moments of sailing were fleeting. Several porpoise entertained us as we drifted up river. They were chasing bait fish along our way. For the most part, it was a flat day, but … on a boat … no harm.
Dwindling breeze
To be enjoyed, the outing demanded patience. You had to pause and take in the lovely view. Luna made the best out of the wisps of air. She continually impresses. Like Una, her hull is so easily driven. And just like a dinghy, Luna is small enough that shifting our bodies to leeward helps shape the sails. That’s all she needed. She loves to sail.
Schedules intruded calling us back home mid afternoon. No sooner had we tied to the dock, the breeze began to fill in. Still, all in all it was a pleasant afternoon. I’m glad the girls met. As always, it’s tough to leave either.
It is not often one gets to go sailing. It is rarer still to sail three different boats in a single day, but that is what happened this past Sunday. Sailing in the early morning was fantastic with Luna up East River. The boys and I then trucked across Mathews County to meet Barry at Freeport Landing. Upstream from the Route 3 bridge on the Piankatank, a private ramp and pier exist now where once a long gone ferry landing was. A $5 honor system allows you acess. A few boats, some more neglected than others rest in sheds along the loop drive in front of a 2-story building. Known as the Freeport Store, it was once the “overnight” building for the Piankatank Steamship Line before ending in 1932 when the automobile eclipsed the ferry’s need.
A nice view of the surrounds is in Barry’s blog from an earlier visit. He really captures the feel of the place. It was his idea to meet there and I’m glad we did. Aside from a few always annoying jets skis, you couldn’t pick a better place for a Sunday sail. Winds were light and temperatures in the low 80’s. The boys and I launched UNA and chased after Barry’s midnight blue Melonseed named “Aeon”.
Barry built two such boats at once in his basement. Talk about pieces of furniture! He lovingly thought about every detail, some I’m sure he borrowed, but others I know he created. All in all, these elegant boats are truly something to gaze at.
Aeon
Farmer Brown and the paparazzi.
I wish I had taken closer pics, but the day was just about messing about in boats as we slid from shore to shore, looking for that ideal shack and pier along the water’s edge. Several met the mark.
Ideal place. Just sink the jet ski.
Luna took us for a morning sail, Una carried us through the afternoon, and I got to take Aeon for a tail end sail. Just me and a small boat. That’s sailing at its essence. Toes dragging in the water as we slid along. I felt like 9 years old again. Thanks Barry!
The heat dropped and the couple days of rain gave way to a strong NE wind this past Saturday. We decided to go sailing. With my two youngest boys as crew, we hitched up UNA and a couple kayaks and headed down to Mobjack to see Luna. Coaxing her from her berth posed a problem. Winds were in the upper teens and pinned us into the slip. Our little engine that can, a 5.5 hp Seagull ( yes, that’s the original one), couldn’t on this day as she has no reverse. Never did. We had to warp Luna from her berth to an outer pier 2 slips down.
Prior to first attempt.
With a hardy shove of the bow to windward and full forward throttle engaged we headed out, or so we thought. The wind would not allow Luna to take her bow to weather and we glided back past our slip and headed for the rocks. I immediately cut the engine and ran forward to jump from the bow onto the marina’s rip-rap saving us from striking. Somehow we avoided any damage (other than ego). Not a scratch. We coaxed Luna back in a vacant slip. That is something impossible to have said with a 42′ boat. 6,500 # is a far cry from Emily’s 22,000#. Undeterred, we sat and pondered for 30 minutes or so before the next attempt.
The pondering pause. Seagull ready. Nice stem!
I figured not only had we not gotten past the eye of the wind, but we really had no steerage.This time we waited for a momentary wind decrease, got the engine rolling, slingshot the stern with her docile while a stronger shove of the bow passed it through the eye and we were free. (I’m still not satisfied with this technique ad will figure out a better answer). Once out in the river we raised the mizzen and jib to sail up river. I’ve said it before, but I’m continually amazed at the increased cruising grounds in a boat that only draws 4′. We scouted both the east and western branches of the East River. Selecting the western end, we dropped anchor in the mouth of Woodas Creek.
Fetch up Woods Creek. Perfect evening.
There was still enough fetch to the NE to allow for knocking down bugs. We swam, scrubbed the bottom (the Hydrocoat is performing well), had cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, “dined” on black beans and rice, played cards, and watched the sun set.
First mate and mate 1.1.
A good find in Maine from Texas.
Mate 1.1 beat the skipper in gin. How he did it with 5 aces, I don’t know. Incredible. First mate had hurt his back. He mostly lay in the cockpit reading. Accordingly his rank was in jeopardy. He didn’t seem to mind.
Sancho Panza and First Mate taking his siesta.
We watched stars in the cockpit under our new oil lantern. It is a W. T. Kirkman #350 “Little Giant” and functions so much better than the Chinese brands we’ve used. They may look the same, but that’s it. This model has a larger tank and nice wide base. The light is very clean burning and consistent.
1.1 exudes his winning card playing smugness.
Wonderful scenery.
Dropping sun.
W.T. Kirkman in action.
We all slept well. The evening was cool. Luna’s deep ballast hardy gives notice to the slight wavelets pushing down the creek. One sailor berthed in the cockpit on an air mattress and 2 slumbered below. For some reason I awoke at 1:00 am and caught sight of a brilliant falling star.
Breakfast was simple, if not nutritious. Donuts, milk and later, oranges. A short 8:00 am sail further up river was sparkling. However, by 9:15 all went glassy and we fired up the outboard after getting past flooding it. Shutting off the fuel flow and 7 pulls later, we were rolling along back to the pier when the engine sagged and died. No more fuel. Had planned to go sailing, not motoring, and had left the extra fuel in the back of the truck. With only a tenth of a mile to go, we raised the jib and mizzen to creep back to the marina and into the slip. Nice and easy. No sails would have been needed yesterday. It was a short trip, but a fine trip.
Hi! my name is Sebastian (You can call me Seb!) ...welcome to my Blog. I'm a photographer from Worcester, Worcestershire, England. Thanks for dropping by! I hope you enjoy my work.
Gavin Atkin's weblog for the sort of people who like looking inside boat sheds. It's about old boats, traditional boats, boat building, restoration, the sea and the North Kent Coast
Lingering Lunacy 