Trip To The Jersey Shore

Went down and visited David Beaton and Sons Boatyard in West Mantoloking, NJ. A really nice experience looking at all the old boats and working buildings and talking to Tom Beaton the manager. I wanted to shares these pictures with you guys. The little white koster boat has a blog, be sure to check out.

http://www.sjogin.com/?page_id=17

Ben

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This is the reason for the visit. We went to check out this Herreshoff S-Boat that has been languishing ashore for the last decade. Just a foot longer than a Ariel. These boats have running backstays and their jibs are self tending. They draft almost five feet, old style. There is still an active small fleet racing (5-6 boats) on the western Sound. I'd love to attempt her restoration and get her back racing, just a dream.

Ben

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I can almost smell the wood.

Here's a short video about building the Sea Bright Skiff. There's a 20-30 minute version on the internet I can't find right now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZOujiRfLA0

Edit: Here it is

http://www.folkstreams.net/film,41

My Dad used to keep the boat at this yard, back when it had a marine railway and old-timey craftsmen. Oh well

City Island is long past the golden age of yachting. Some remnants here and there. But it's really now a place for people to go eat seafood dinners and cause traffic jams on weekends. Got to blame it all on the tax man taking all of Harold Vanderbilt's money and the general decline in rich peoples tastes.

Three shots from the wonderful Rosenfeld Collection. Trader John, one of the old timers I've met on City Island used to work for Mr. Rosenfeld on the photographer's boat Foto.

Thanks for the links Commanderpete.

You can spend hours looking over this site.

https://www.rosenfeldcollection.com/index.cfm

The America's Cup sloop VANITIE's 168-foot mast stops traffic on City Island Avenue as two dozen men inch it out of the Nevins spar shop in 1928.

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Launching party of POLLY at Nevins, 1945

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M-Boats, 1935

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So much good stuff there. Somebody always buys me a Rosenfeld calendar every year.

Here we have the J-Class "Ranger" owned by Harold Vanderbilt, born at a local Vanderbilt Mansion.

"In 1930, Harold achieved the pinnacle of yacht racing success by defending the America's Cup in the J-class yacht Enterprise. His victory put him on the cover of the September 15, 1930, issue of Time magazine. In 1934 Harold faced a dangerous challenger in Endeavour, as the British boat won the first two races. However, Vanderbilt came back in his yacht Rainbow to win three races in a row and defend the Cup. In 1937 Harold defended the Cup a third time in Ranger, the last of the J-class yachts to defend the Cup. Vanderbilt's wife, Gertrude "Gertie" Lewis Conaway, became the first female to compete as a full-fledged team member in an America's Cup yacht race."

Next is a picture of "Ranger's" Afterguard

"Afterguard on the stern deck, from left to right: Rod and Olin Stephens, Professor Zenas Bliss, Mrs. and Mr. Harold Vanderbilt (Harold is at wheel), and Arthur Knapp dressed casually"

Now we have to be satisfied watching "The Jersey Shore" on TV and the modern America's Cup "yachts" that won't sail in over 15 kts. of breeze. But, they can make 22 kts. in 6 kts. of wind so what do know

I really enjoyed the Seabright skiff documentary. I know somebody who's family had a motorized Ulrichsen "Jersey Sea Skiff" that must of been derived from the fishing skiffs. I'll never look disinterested at those old lifeguard boats again.

Harold Vanderbilt was a expert bridge player. I wonder how much gambling was a factor in yacht racing back then? Do you guys in the SF Ariel fleet bet on your races?


These shots were taken a Brewer's Post Road Marina in Mamaroneck after I chickened out from going sailing in the Ariel today. Too gusty for me to be sailing alone. Tough call because I really wanted to go out. Ah, there will be other days.

The Herreshoff S-boat fleet still wintering. They have taken the canvas boat covers off them.

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This beauty was near by.

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The Hodgdon yard of East Boothbay, Maine launched the 55-foot "P-class" gaff-rigged sloop in 1916. BERNICE was designed by George Owen, a contemporary of Nathaniel Herreshoff. In the late 1920s or early 1930s she was re-rigged to a fractional marconi yawl

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people who collect cars are, ahem, missing the boat...

That S boat is something special. Not sure how much of it could be retained based on the photos. A shame to see it out in the elements like that.

If you are considering it, you might as well pick up a copy of "Sloop", which came out in the last couple years. Written by a friend of mine who ended up with his family Herreshoff 12.5 sloop, which he managed to put back in shape.

If the S boats are of similar construction, which I suspect they are, I would guess many ribs will need to saved for the wood stove. Or maybe pen blanks.

No question about the boat being worthy, though.

Here is a link to "Sloop"
http://www.amazon.com/Sloop-Restorin.../dp/0743202392

Frenna, thanks for the book recommendation. I'll defiantly try and get that book.

Ben

Another visit, this time to Barrons, a local yard on City Island. Another neat old crane and another languishing wooden boat. Purportedly a Herreshoff, maybe the R-Boat Scapa from 1914. Remodeled and altered, rumored to have lost some of her stern at some point. She must be full of memories.



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I finished "Sloop" by Daniel Robb that Frenna recommended. Nice book, I think most here would really enjoy it. The mighty Strand bookstore has new review copies for about what you pay for a cup of fancy coffee these days.

I haven't read many books on sailing since I was a kid, Hornblower, Robin Lee Graham and all those Master & Commander books. Right now I'm reading an old copy of Arthur Knapp's "Race Your Boat Right" which though hopelessly out of date is a good book. Any other sailing book recommendations?

Ben


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Joshua Slocum's Sailing Around the World Alone, of course. And I like Tania Aebi's Maiden Voyage. My Old Man and the Sea - (I like the cicumnavigation genre) - that one is a father and son rounding of Cape Horn and they take turns writing chapters. More of a survival book as a whole, but Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage is an incredible story with an heroic sail as it's turning point.

There's lots of 'em out there. More are mentioned in these threads:

http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...ng-suggestions

http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...n-in-a-Electra

I discovered some of L. Francis Herreshoff's books. I found a used copy of this and "Sensible Cruising Designs" at the old Stand Bookstore here in New York.

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Sailing book of the week. Thanks to jury duty I finished it in one day!

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Got to crew on the Herreshoff S-Boat Iroquois racing against four other S-Boats out on Long Island Sound today. I wasn't able to take many decent pictures between the races but I did have a good time sailing.

And I had my first Commander sighting. Moored at the Larchmont Yacht Club. A contrast to my City Island neighborhood. But old beloved Pearsons turn up everywhere.

Ben


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S-Boat Dilemma

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Iroquois under sail.

Completing the L. Francis Herreshoff ring cycle. Great book, really corny, but a fun book.

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A Commander! This is my first sighting of a Commander. I guess the dues are so high at the Larchmont Yacht Club the poor owner can't afford a new mainsail cover. Second weekend of S-Boat racing and my first Monte-Sano (a dangerous rum drink that originated at the LYC).


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Have to say I've really enjoyed this thread.
Have come back to it a number of times.
Like your class book portraits, yes,

But the S-boat with the gaggle of menacing orange triffids in the foreground is my favorite!:cool:
(post #10b)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ebb

But the S-boat with the gaggle of menacing orange triffids in the foreground is my favorite!:cool:
(post #10b)

---

Last night, coincidentally, we went there for a barbecue. Barron's boatyard, right under their yacht hoist and it's nice view. Surrounded by triffids. Most of the delicious cooking was done by a Triton owner named Woody. Met a bunch of nice people. Later one of those classic Bermuda's cup yawls lazily sailed by while we were having fun.

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Scanned this from an old 'Yachting' magazine March 1965. I was more interested in Captain Kangaroo at this time.

A classic book about the sea, although not on sailing. Found on a Brooklyn street this past week in a pile of thrown out books. Cousteau wrote this, his first book, in 1953.


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Didn't think I was going to like this small book as much as I did. Adam Nicolson is a wonderful writer.

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S-Boats Kandahar and Eaglet during one of yesterday's pre-races.

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I must note that the S-Boat Iroquois, on which I've been crewing, went on to win it's class in the 112th Larchmont Race Week Regatta!

Sailed over to Manhasset bay to look at the mega-yacht "Mitseaah" which is in the background of this picture. Spotted this beautiful old yawl, way more interesting than the before mentioned run of the mill exercise in hubris.


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My friend Hans and I sailed a "free, just get it out of our marina" Ensign from New Rochelle to City Island. Nice, like a small S-boat.

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Hart's Island, Potter's Field from the new Ensign. Beats getting buried beside the expressway in Queens.
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I've been so busy with work and sailing that I've neglected the old Jersey Shore thread!

Here's the freebee Ensign my friend Hans was given. Nice boat, large cockpit doubles as a conversational pit, almost as fun as an Ariel / Commander.

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Went out day-sailing this Labor Day with the competition in the S-Boat fleet aboard Allegro with Bill, Wendy and their son Wynn. These guys are fast and win most of the races. Bill is in syndicate on Allegro with this great guy Howard. Who's retired and living in Maine but races still in the first half of the S-Boat racing season. Howard bought Allegro back in the early sixties and her name honors his profession of playing the french horn for the Metropolitan Opera for 46 years!

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I have been reading. This is a great book. I remember reading it when I was a kid and being so impressed by the line drawings in the book. How nice the world might be today if the internal combustion engine had never been invented and vessels like the ones in this book still plied the waves.

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I took theses running through City Island's mooring field on Noesis (Ariel 109) this morning. This is the boat everyone up here calls Walter Cronkite's boat. Don't know if this is true or not, but it is purportedly a John G. Alden design built in the 50's. For whom I know Carl Alberg worked during the thirties and forties. I think you can see Alden's influence on Carl's designs in this great old boat. It is being looked after. There's a pump aboard and she is parked at a protected dock during the winter. Hopefully she will soon be restored.


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Holy Moly!

That boat looks like it came right out of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Amazingly beautiful lines however!

also, how long is it? hard to tell from the photo

Quote:

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Originally Posted by C38

That boat looks like it came right out of Pirates of the Caribbean.

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That's good! I'll certainly be thinking that for now on when I sail by her. And I would say she is about 45' long not counting the bowsprit.

Saturday there is a classic wooden boat regatta up in Greenwich and the S-Boats are taking part. I know that some pretty spectacular old boats are going to be there. So I should have some more pictures to post real soon.

Sweet lines. Looks like a cutter, from the single mast and bowsprit. Strictly sail.
Cronkite owned a number of boats that got larger and wider as time went by.

They all look like single malt and filet mignon yachts with biminis and pilot houses.
Maybe someone at the regatta can put a name on her?

He owned a Westsail 42 cutter, but that can't be it in your photo.
He also had an Al Mason designed Sunward 48' ketch, that is to die for.... if you got the hat.
google: SUNWARD 48 Sailboat details on sailboatdata.com

an affectionate tribute:
google: Cronkite: a sailor in a news anchor's chair
www.soundingsonline.com

Ebb I'll get to the bottom of this Walter Cronkite rumor. All the old codgers on City Island have a Uncle Walter story. Somebody has got to know.

We took the S-Boats up to Greenwich this evening. Some amazing boats arrived as we were mooring. Here's the bow of Nellie a Herreshoff from 1902.

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Some shots from yesterday's regatta. The overcast sky played havoc with my old trusty digital camera. But quite a day of sailing.

Nellie a N. G. Herreshoff design from 1903

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Nor'easter IV John Alden Q-Class design from 1926

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Great book, written in the early 1980's.

"The dictionary does the word proud. To coast is to proceed without great effort, to move by momentum or force of gravity, to march on the flank of, to skirt, to sail from port to port of the same country, to explore or scour, to bicycle downhill without pedaling, and to slide down a slope on a sled. The coaster--as my school report pointed out in no uncertain terms--is someone who uses the minimum of effort to go down a slippery slope on the margin of things."


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In one of those Francis Herreshoff books I read over the summer he mentions the importance of keeping a copy of this book aboard your yacht at all times. This is not the Arthur Quiller-Couch edition but close enough. Bought as somewhat of a personal joke I've found out it's a wonderful book to read. The mind being so receptive after sailing.

"Sound, sound the clarion, fill the fife!
Throughout the sensual world proclaim,
One crowded hour of glorious life
Is worth an age without a name."

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One of those books too old and musty to be worth reading? I found it magnificent, really worth the time. This edition has a nice introduction, includes an extensive dictionary of nautical terms and is cheap!


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First paying boat project! Building a new rudder for the Herreshoff S-boat Iroquois. She broke her mooring in a violent storm about a month ago and narrowly escaped destruction thanks to a good Samaritan who pulled her off a rocky beach in the middle of the night. Her lead ballast was mushroomed and rudder bashed as she bounced up and down on some rocks. Anyhow it could have been far worse, one less life out of nine!

The owner and I went up to the Berkshires last week and visited a sawmill called New England Naval Timbers, that supplies seasoned white oak for many of the wooden boat builders in New England. What a nice experience! Came back with a beautiful long piece of rift sawn 12/4 that should make a nice rudder. Start tomorrow and I'll post pictures of the progress. An Ariel rudder isn't all that different. And what about that rudderless Pearson Vanguard? Good grief!


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A British Seagull outboard, just like a good old Raleigh 3 speed bicycle. Part of all the junk that was aboard Ariel 109 when I cleaned out the cabin right after I got her. Hans did a workman like job of getting the old girl going again. I think it makes 2-3hp. It's kind of fun to motor around on the dingy. Will we all get fat now from lack of rowing?

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This book is from the Time Reading Program. A series of book reissues done by Time Life back in the Sixties. Some of the best used bookstore treasures I've found have come from this series.

"Logbook For Grace" is the story of a 1912 voyage on one of the last sailing whalers by the naturist Robert Murphy from the New York Museum of Natural History. It's based on letters that Murphy wrote to his new bride Grace during the year he was away. Nice book!

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Found these pictures taken by Robert Murphy on the voyage described in the book. The first is of the Daisy, Captain Benjamin Cleveland's whaler. The second is of a "Nantucket Sleigh Ride" during the harpooning of a sperm whale. Wooden ship and iron men!


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Another wonderful book by Jonathan Raban. Your missing out if you haven't read anything by this writer.

This book portrait, shot on the Johnny B's dock came out very atmospheric!

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Today's "nor'easter" came through and the abandoned sailboats of City Island started breaking their mooring lines. This still nice San Juan 24 has beached herself here a few times over the past year. Last word is she's back afloat and anchored.


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I have to admit that I've also put my boat on the rocks at City Island.

Next year I'll have to come over for a visit

Haven't read this guy yet.
He has a website with a photo across the top of a guy single-handing a skipjack of our proportions.

We thankfully don't do politics here.
But I did read some of his de Tocquevillesque (1835) observations on Democrasy in America.
A reviewer quoted on his blog calls him 'sane' - among other compliments.
I read his thoughts on Palin, and he is much much saner than I will ever be.

Think I'll get this book you recommend.
He obviously has a fine lively sane intellectual mind. Sanity is rare in this age. Refreshing in an intellectual!
Looking through some of the reviews:
More than just a travel book, It's a journal that tries to get to 'the meaning of the sea.' through native history, personal catastrophy, 'the dark sea within'.
He takes this vovage alone on a 35' ketch.

I have to find out how he keeps his sanity!

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE SEA?
(not even google can get you there.)

Commander Peter, would be great to have a visit from you at City Island. Your landing spot is very close to where Noesis was moored this summer. What's that lovely little boat, did you build it?

Ebb, I think you'd enjoy Raban's writing. He takes so many interesting side paths in his writing, sharing and opening up all these ideals. He gives great book recommendations in all his books. I'm searching for a reasonably priced copy of Hilare Belloc's "Cruise of the Nona" because Raban mentions this book in "Coasting" and makes it sound so interesting.

Hilair Belloc has a nice Wikipedia.
A prodigeous literary giant but shackled to a huge bias that kept me from reading him
back in the days when reading authors was an obligation.
My daughter when she was an academic wrote a paper on the cultural bias
writers, professors, archeologists bring to their interpretations of the past.
EG, if your cultural view of man is men before women, that is how you will see the Neanderthal.
And by extension any accessment of the present state of man.

Evidently, like Belloc in 'The cruise of the Nona', Raban takes us down side paths in '..Juneau' that are on his mind when writing his sailing book. These side paths are the plate and color of the feast befor our eyes. However, for me, the lens of the writer has to be crystal clear not one filtered through rose colored glasses.
Maybe Raban has this radical CLEAR VIEW, sanity. Hope so.

That's all I'm allowed to say here.:cool:

Ebb,

Raban has none of the old prejudices which we all know were quite common in Belloc's time. In "Coasting" one theme Raban takes apart is the ideal of the what drives amateur sailors to take to the sea in small boats, a relatively recent human pastime. In earlier times people did not go to sea unless they really needed to. He writes about the early books on yachting and the bias of their writers, quite interesting.

From Raban's "Coasting", the four boats he names below are the yachts of early sailing writers.

"The "Rob Roy", "The Kate", "Perseus" and "Nona" are a lot more than mere yachts. Loaded down on their marks with testaments, theories, dogmas and solutions, that are like arks of the Covenant, holy vessels bearing sacred texts. Jesus Christ...Aristotle...Malthus...Mussolini..each of the lone sailors puts to sea with a ghostly first mate. And the boats themselves are miniature ships of state, their trim style of domestic ecomony set side by side with the ramshackle and disordered house of England across the water."

Another Herreshoff S-Boat. This one is Tern and she's the last one made, 1941. Trimmed in Teak, a rare option resulting from being originally built for a wealthy Newport owner. Also one of the few self-bailer S-Boats made, although now converted thankfully to the deeper soled cockpit. You want to keep that long wooden boom as far from your head as possible. If everything goes as planned she should be racing at the end of May. Anyone interested in crewing?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ariel 109

Another Herreshoff S-Boat. This one is Tern and she's the last one made, 1941. Trimmed in Teak, a rare option resulting from being originally built for a wealthy Newport owner. Also one of the few self-bailer S-Boats made, although now converted thankfully to the deeper soled cockpit. You want to keep that long wooden boom as far from your head as possible. If everything goes as planned she should be racing at the end of May. Anyone interested in crewing?

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ME ME ME!! I would love to crew that beauty! though I am not that great of a sailor so I can just be rail meat...

Michael,

It would be great to have you come out and crew on Tern next summer. As for your sailing skills, I'm sure you'll do fine. The S-Boat has a self tending jib so there's not much grinding going on. There is the spinnaker to fly, but only in the medium to light winds for the most part. A most important chores are tending the two running backstays and keeping the big mainsail trimmed.

Thankfully S-Boat racing is not like something out of a Gatorade commercial. More on the order of "simply messing about in boats" and keeping an old one design class active. There are some very fine sailors in the fleet and the racing is competitive and interesting. If all goes as planned there will be ten S-Boats racing in the Western Sound Fleet next summer. That many boats racing together hasn't happened since the fifties.

We're also going to sail the Wednesday night "beer can" races off City Island with the Ariel next summer. If anyone wants to join a quixotic campaign against modern "gear" laden sailboats.

Ben

Another one of those great forgotten books republished back in the sixties by the Time Reading Program. Richard Hughes doesn't disappoint in this classic hurricane survival story. Nice cover by an artist by the name of Tom Ballenger. This picture was taken while the book lay in the eye of the holiday season.

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Yesterday a friend gave me this little pamphlet of the history of the America's Cup, printed in 1930 by the Plymouth Cordage Company. It has these nicely drawn dinky (1" x 1") etchings of all the Cup defenders and some of the challengers. I scanned and enlarged these images.

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Another Richard Hughes book better known by it's original title "High Wind To Jamaica", the American publisher changed the title. Later made into a decent film starring Anthony Quinn and James Coburn. Read the book first, thought by many to be masterpiece. An easy find at used bookstores.

All these great books about the sea!

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Here's an early Carl Alberg design he did while working for Alden just after WW2. Called the US One-Design, the little picture below is of one they have awaiting restoration up at the International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS).

"Maria (1946)
Type: Alden One-Design; Designers: Carl Alberg, John Alden; Builder: Quincy Adams Yacht Yard
John Alden design #757 came off the drawing board of Carl Alberg during World War II. Thirty boats were built in 1946 and 1947 to the highest standards of the day by Quincy Adams Yacht Yard at Quincy, MA. The boats were available with or without a cabin trunk and a minimum of accommodations below deck. Maria's hull form’s short keep and narrow waterlines reduce wetted surface while the long overhangs increase her sailing length dramatically as she heels in a breeze. Her well-balanced long ends give her a stunning look. LOA: 37' 9"; Beam: 7'."


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http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=5023

http://www.iyrs.org/boats/boatstober...9/default.aspx

Bundled up for an afternoon of winter sailing off City Island in Hans' Ensign "Pleasure". We each had a fortifying brandy served in a plastic cup during the run back to the mooring.

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I'm the one steering the boat. Hans is the one filming and almost falling off the boat.

Met Bill Schultz the ninety five year old previous caretaker of the S-Boat Tern, the boat I'm beginning to look after. I felt really honoured when he gave me this old hand painted necktie emblazoned with an image of Tern, sail number 70.

Bill told me the first sailboat he went cruising on was a Pearson Ariel back in the early sixties. Remembered having to sleep up in those tight fitting vee berths Also told me there's an Ariel moored in Hempstead Harbor, which is not too far from City Island. The beginnings of a one-design fleet?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ariel 109

Michael,

It would be great to have you come out and crew on Tern next summer. As for your sailing skills, I'm sure you'll do fine. The S-Boat has a self tending jib so there's not much grinding going on. There is the spinnaker to fly, but only in the medium to light winds for the most part. A most important chores are tending the two running backstays and keeping the big mainsail trimmed.

Thankfully S-Boat racing is not like something out of a Gatorade commercial. More on the order of "simply messing about in boats" and keeping an old one design class active. There are some very fine sailors in the fleet and the racing is competitive and interesting. If all goes as planned there will be ten S-Boats racing in the Western Sound Fleet next summer. That many boats racing together hasn't happened since the fifties.

We're also going to sail the Wednesday night "beer can" races off City Island with the Ariel next summer. If anyone wants to join a quixotic campaign against modern "gear" laden sailboats.

Ben

---

Thanks, I would love to! Just let me know when the season's getting close! ( I am in eastern LI so it should only take about an hour for me to drive out )

I would love to come on Wed as well but I have my own quixotic campaign Wed night races to attend to!

Michael, won't forget you and I'll keep you informed. It's great that you're going to race your Commander this next season. You have to post descriptions of the races for us like Rico does.

I'll sketch out the current plan to get Tern racing this summer.

Tern is being worked on up in Newport after being stored in a barn for almost a decade. She's in the hands of the boat builder Jim Titus, a kind and quiet craftsman who I feel lucky to have doing the work on the old girl. The plan is to sort out as much of the many structural issues as to allow the boat to safely sail in this upcoming season's regattas. I hope myself to spend at least three weeks in May working on the boat in Newport. Then transporting her down to City Island to splash and install the rig, she's got a beautiful mast. It an ambitious crazy project but I'm getting much support from fellow members of the S-Boat fleet down here on the Western Sound. I don't think I'll be the prettiest S-Boat out this summer, but give me a few years.

Here's a picture of Tern sailing with Bill Schultz back in 1995. That's the Shields class starting in the background.


http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...tart1995-2.jpg

Ben, in re-reading your thread here, I finally put it together - Tern was the reason for your "Trip To The Jersey Shore"! Doh! It'll be fun to watch her progress from the early posts here. What a beauty! Wish I were closer, I'd love to get out there with you guys this Summer.

Mike (MBD),

The whole thing sort of evolved on it own.

The boat we visited down at the Jersey Shore early last spring was the S-Boat Volunteer not Tern. It's been languishing down there for about decade. I've been pestering the owner this past year with a phone calls every now and again to help motivate her resurrection. I actually enjoy the conversations and have learned many things about the S-Class from him. He bought Volunteer after she sank at her mooring some twenty five years ago. Raised her and got her racing. As we all know life intrudes on our best laid plans and I'm sure that's why Volunteer has been dry docked for so long. Still she not yet firewood and she's got her winter cover on this season.

I'll keep an open invite to you for a sail on Tern.

Ben

More yachting ephemera. Stumbled across this old lockspike knife, made in England. They make these still, so maybe it's not really that old.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2182.jpg

Here's another nice shot of Tern being sailed by Bill Schultz and Donna back in 1995.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...naTern1995.jpg

Niiiiiiice!

Found this great old picture and caption of an Ariel sailing with this strange sail arrangement. Sorry about the small size and quality of the photo.


http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...or/Ariel41.jpg


"Vanitie" Hull ID #41, Owner: Milton Thrasher writes: Here is a photo from 1963 of my Pearson Ariel #41 sailing on Barnegat Bay, NJ. It shows a Star Class jib set off the backstay like a mizzen sail with a missing mizzen mast. I sailed the Ariel for about 10 years on Barnegat Bay and Long Island Sound. I ran an Ariel-Commander YRA newsletter for about 4 years with about 140 subscribers.

Had an enjoyable phone conversation with Milton Thrasher, original owner of Ariel #41, last night and learned some of the early history of Ariel / Commander sailing.

Milton told me about getting to go sailing with Carl Alberg on his Commander up in Marblehead. Designing with his wife the yellow star logo that's on the Ariel / Commander Yacht Association burgee. The difficulties of creating Ariel / Commander one design racing fleets. Seems that the Cleveland Yachting Club had a fleet of about 10 boats racing in the sixties and of course the mighty long lived San Francisco fleet may have been the only two.

Here's some more vintage pictures of Milton's boat down at the Jersey Shore, Barnegat Bay. The spinnaker is cast away from a International One Design. He told me it eventually tore apart in a spectacular fashion during a sail. And I think that's him in the water with his two kids. Imagine beaching your boat like that and going swimming.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...lordoor/-1.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...lordoor/-2.jpg

Some more images sent by Milton.


Brand new from the Pearson factory, Ariel #41 being launched in 1963.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...unchin1963.jpg

Ariel #41 laid up for the winter with Milton's Mercedes 220 Ponton.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...ercedes220.jpg

Nancy, Jim and Carolyn on Ariel #41 in 1968. This was taken before disposable plastic picnic utensils became the norm. :)

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...elcica1968.jpg

Here's a copy of the Ariel-Commander Yacht Racing Association newsletter that Milton produced. This one dates form 1969.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...er51969001.jpg

Another foray into nautical reading. This book recommend and belonging by my good friend Hans.

Alan Villiers was an Australian sailor and writer of great accomplishments. "Sons of Sinbad" is about two years he spent, just prior to WW2, sailing with the Arab seaman of the Indian Ocean. Voyaging from Kuwait to Zanzibar and back in a sea dhow named "Triumph of Righteousness", great name, during the final days of a tradition descended from the Phoenicians. A remarkable book of great insight.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2198.jpg

Miltons photos are terrific! thanks for posting them!

By popular request more Milton pictures!

This is a neat photo of Miton's wife Nancy single-handing Ariel #41 back in the good old days. I like how the jib sheets are rigged using blocks attached to those mysterious strap-eyes mounted just behind the mast on the cabin-top. I just took those mounts off my Ariel #109 this week and epoxied up the holes.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...anitie1964.jpg

Here's Nancy again at the helm this time while racing on Barnegat Bay. Good view of the original Pearson off-white gel-coat color.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...arnegatBay.jpg

Milton made this Ariel / Commander half model. He's an accomplished model maker and model kit manufacturer. Check out his website.

http://www.angelfire.com/fl4/mft/

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...ielmounted.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...l1-24Scale.jpg

I learned during my conversation with Milton that he was stationed at Pearl Harbor at the time the Korean War while serving in the Navy. While there he sailed many times one of the Navy built Herreshoff S-Boats. Said it was made on base in their wood shop and that he met the Boatswain's Mate who built it. The Hawaiian S-Boats are kind of legendary in S-Boat circles. Seems a fleet of five(?) Herreshoff built S-Boats were purchased by the Navy and brought to Pearl Harbor for the enjoyment of the officers in the 1928. By the end of WW2 none of these original boats survived so the Navy went about building a new pair for themselves. Herreshoff Manufacturing being no more, their hallowed shipyard patiently waiting for the Pearson brothers to one day take over.


One of the S-Boat skippers sent me this picture and description.

Hey Ben,

Funny you mention this. I've been in contact with a gentleman in Pearl Harbor for about a year. It started as a secret, odd tale he told of the last remaining S-boat in HI (he was trying to keep it out of the hands of a local who was known to take over care of wooden boats and then let them rot in a yard). It is the Mokulele, one of the S-boats built by the US Navy. As you can see by the picture, from ~2004, she is barely recognizable as an S-boat. Since the picture was taken she has been on the hard and suffered....9 cracked ribs, lots of dry rot, LOTS of modification, and unfortunately, she had been glassed over. He just took on ownership of her from the US Navy and put her up on blocks to determine if she can even be resurrected or not. He is hopeful and intends to put together a syndicate and/or get funding from the Navy to have her completely restored. He is, however, realistic and knows this is a long-term project. I've put him in touch with Jim Titus for advice.

Of other note, he also has the lead from the S-boat Panini, which hit a reef and sank.

Best,

Sean



http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...rdoor/-1-1.jpg

A fun book. Cult classic amongst the cat boat crowd, is there is such a thing? If you're thinking of a long coastal journey you can conveniently get it out of your system by reading this great book.

Order this book real cheap from the link below. It's a print on demand copy, but nice done.

http://www.alibris.com/booksearch.de...&qsort=&page=1

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2204.jpg

Here's that S-Boat rudder project getting started. This is a picture of how I tapered the thickness of the rudder blank with an added strip of MDF glued to the stern side of the rudder. This lifted that side off the planer table and allowed me a cut a precise bevel across the width of the rudder. The two boards that make up the blank are glued temporarly together with a strip of thick drawing paper sandwiched between. The paper rips and allows the joint to crack open with a screwdriver driven into the ends of the joint.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2206.jpg

Nice trick... I have seen it done before but never used it myself.

BTW I lust after stationary sanders like I see in your shop. The large belt/disk sander in the background and the large edge sander you showed us previously. I bid on a nice edge sander in an auction a couple weeks ago but someone else was willing to pay almost new price for it. Guess I'll just have to keep my eyes open for a deal.

Sanders, I lust (like Jimmy Carter) after a wide belt!

That Crouch edge sander is a great machine. I was lucky to get it cheap ten years age because it had a burned out bearing. With sanders it's the more horse power the better, I think my Crouch has a 7.5 HP motor on it. The Earth moves when you turn it on. I remember talking with old Mr. Crouch on the telephone years ago, he was a pisser. "You're an idiot if you think you need an oscillating edge sander", he told me.

Here's a picture with both sides of the rudder blank beveled. The next step is to repair on the hull the rudder fairings on the S-Boat's rudder post so that they will line up nice with the new rudder's width, eighty years of wear and refinishing.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2208.jpg

Indeed,

"Why Not the Best?"

Thanks Ebb! Admit I didn't get it and I had to look it up.


From a review on Amazon on Carter's book "Why not the best?".

"He takes the title from the question Adm. Rickhover asks of all naval cadets, 'in your life was there ever a time in which you did less than the best?' He would follow up the question with "Why not the best?" as a way to focus young men, including James Earl Carter, on striving for excellence."

Some more shots from the S-Boat rudder project. We need to increase the thickness of the S-Boat's rudder post in order to match the thickness and fair to the front edge of the new rudder. The ideal is to epoxy two thin boards to each side of the post that we can then form down to shape. I had to chisel and hand plane down the surfaces to a flat plane first. I still have so more work to this end. Kind of exciting and intimidating hacking into a boat like this one, slow and easy. I held off the power tools for now.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2209.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2210.jpg

Seeing as how this thread seems to have become, in part, a reading list, I offer up the following:

The Water In Between by Kevin Patterson.

I have read most of the cruising narratives out there in my day, especially the "classics", by Miles Smeeton, John Guzzwell, and so on.

Found The Water In Between in a used bookstore, never heard of it, and thought "ah, what the hell". Turns out to be one of my favorite vicarious cruising reads. Answers with some credibility what it would have been like to have both the resources and lack of commitments in one's late 20's or therabouts to have actually gone cruising on the Pacific. Especially as I would have wanted to do it, with minimal experience and vague expectations.

What I really like about it though, is how well written it is. I really found myself appreciating Mr Patterson's perspective and self-depricating honesty and self curiosity.

Since this seems to be going down as the coolest spring in recorded history in the northwest, the Pacific cruising fantasy seems to be coming on strong.

A local weather blog had the following image to remind its readers of the crappy weather:Attachment 7374

Here is the book and amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Water-Between-.../dp/0385498845#_
Attachment 7375

Frenna, I really enjoyed your last book recommendation "Sloop". I'll keep an eye out at the Strand for this new book.

Everyone has always been welcome to post on the "Trip to Jersey Shore". If you have something you want to share and it kind of fits into the general theme of the devil and the deep blue sea I beseech you to add to this thread.

Ben

I was given this teak and rope boarding ladder, great simple design. Put some new white rudder bumpers on the rungs and oiled up the teak.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2214.jpg

Here's another shot from ongoing the S-Boat rudder project. Epoxying two boards onto the rudder post to allow the new rudder to be properly faired to the keel. It would have been a whole lot easier to make a new rudder post except that would have entail removing several large 3/4" bronze lag bolts that seem very firmly entrenched.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2227.jpg

Ben

I'm not sure I fully understand what it is you are doing on the S-boat. But then I've never seen an S-boat rudder assembly so I don't know what it is supposed to look like.

Right! Can see what Jerry's talking about.
So you got those timbers tight against the keelpost
but it sure don't look like there's any radius there for a rudder to turn.

Would seem to me that the rudder shaft would be a single piece of wood
if it is indeed built that way.
The ruddershaft would be round in the trunk (up to the tiller) but carved out and flatted on the aft side for the first plank of the rudder blade to be attacht to.
Built a small one like that once outta teak.
But the round rudder post or shaft was carved from a single piece of timber that became part of the rudder blade.

It's just that the pieces you have blocked and clamped for gluing look rather light.
Perhaps it IS the keelpost (stern post) that you repair not the rudder or rudder shaft. Damn words.:confused:

Sorry for the confusion. Keelpost or sternpost is what I was calling the rudder post. From this moment on I will refer to the said structure as a keelpost. Note that in the future if by the off chance that I refer to the rudder post I mean the rudder stock which everyone refers to as the rudder shaft.

The S-boat rudder hinges on the keelpost. The rudder's leading edge is rounded convex and the keelpost back edge is rounded concave. The rudder nests into the keelpost's concave back edge. The boards I added to the keelpost are to rebuild the sides of the concave back edge. Ah, it will all be clear soon, I hope......

The next little step. Roughing out a block of wood that will fair the bronze rudder stock as it passes through the keelson of the S-Boat. It's like making a little Henry Moore sculpture. As you can see the old one has seen better days. I need to take the new piece up to the boatyard and check the fit on the hull before I can begin carving away.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2235.jpg

Looks like white oak. Not the easiest thing to carve.

Certainly looks like the bamboo wrapped handle of a Japanese pull saw in the photo.
No blade showing, but it could be you have there a favorite of mine:
The Azibiki.
Seldom seen in catalogs or hardware stores.
Lee Valley carries one size. You have to go to the Japan Woodworker for selection.
The large size (5" blade, eg) would definitely be useful on your S-boat restoration. An amazing tool.
Known as a mortise saw, but I've used a small one for everything around the shop.

Every boat builder (indeed, every carpenter) should have one or three in his kit.
(Course it's not going to slice whiteoak like a bandsaw can!)

imco THE most versatile - and best kept secret - hand saw ever invented.:cool:

Jerry, I think I'll do most of the hand shaping on that piece of oak with with rasps and finish with sandpaper.

Here's the rest of the saw. I bought this Dōzuki saw, my first, about 20 years ago in an old hardware store in the Little Tokyo section of Los Angeles, like a movie set in a Roman Polanski film. Use it all the time from cutting dovetails to PVC pipe. I own a little japanese metal file for keeping it sharp, which is easy to do. I have a few other japanese saws but this is my favorite. And it's hand engraved on the blade with the makers name.

Ebb, the only Azibiki I own is the Marples one they sell at Home Depot. I need to find a nicer one.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2236.jpg

Pondering Ebb's coffee maker, I don't like bitter coffee. Would this be right for me?

What did fly off that boat in New Orleans?

More progress on the S-Boat rudder stock fairing.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2238.jpg

Ben

If that is your attempt to copy the original piece you seem to have a few things wrong. See how the original has really irregular shaped sides? Not at all like your remake. And the rudder shaft hole in the middle... it's perfectly round on your remake which is not al all like the original. I think you need to work a little more at it my friend. :D:D

Seriously... it's looking good. I'm enjoying the progress photos.

Thanks Jerry. I love posting progress pictures. Small groups of individuals sharing obscure information and techniques online is all that keeping this culture from barbarism, ah!

Got out the trusty round Stanley Sure-Form and finished roughing out the rudder stock fairing. When it's attached to the hull I don't think it will take too long to match up with the hull's curves. This was fun to make. If there had been Sure-Forms back in Old Nat's day I'm sure he'd have been using them to make his half-models.



http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2246.jpg

Here's that rudder stock fairing being fitted onto the S-Boat hull. I'm actually going to try again making this piece. I need to use a thicker piece to make the protruding hump extend further downward and match the original specs. I'm currently epoxying two thick boards of white oak together for second try blank.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2264.jpg

I don't even want to talk about the things I made over for Destiny....everything from the structural support beam to the tiller. But a thing worth doing is worth doing right so I do what I must. It sounds like you feel the same way.

Totally agree with you Jerry. I learned a great deal making that first attempt. I'm really enjoying all these sailboat projects, there's some kind of poetry to the work. It's a nice break from my regular fabricating work.

Ben

OK, the second try on the Brancusi like S-Boat rudder stock fairing. Early tomorrow up for the fitting. I left more meat on this one, I'll hog it down after it's been on the hull.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2276.jpg

Some S-Boat details I took last week:

I love these old spinnaker sheet cheek blocks. I got these on my mind because I'm installing spinnaker sheet blocks on the Ariel right now, something modern though, Spectra loops.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2224.jpg

The curved S-Boat mast. These are built curved. The dreaded running backstays are also pictured. You can straighten the mast with an adjustable headstay that is controlled by some kind of leverage in the cockpit. The bow shot shows the headstay running through the deck.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2219.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2220.jpg

Very cool pics! Beautiful! Maybe I'm missing something, but I gotta say, that little piece of hardware attached to the stem, holding the block and the ENTIRE mast up, makes me quite nervous. :eek:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mbd

Very cool pics! Beautiful! Maybe I'm missing something, but I gotta say, that little piece of hardware attached to the stem, holding the block and the ENTIRE mast up, makes me quite nervous. :eek:

---

Thanks!

Well the jibstay, that green turnbuckle thingamajig behind the adjustable forestay is what holds the mast up from the bow. The adjustable forestay is just to take the curve out of the top section of the mast. Most boats that are fractional sloops, like the S-Boat and the Pearson Triton, have masts that get most of their forward support from a cable that is not attached to the top of the mast.

After you see one of these S-Boat masts under load in a heavy wind the Ariel's mast and rigging looks very oversized, which is great.

Up this morning to fit the rudder stock fairing block and this view greeted me as I walked in the boat shed. This is Dilemma and Kandahar floating in the ether.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2277.jpg

The "second attempt" roughed out fairing block fit very nicely, a big relief. Now I'm going to start planing, rasping, filing and sanding all this into shape so we can hang the new rudder. It's all still fun.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2288.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2289.jpg

Here's the latest sailing book I've been reading. An unsentimental record of a journey from Chile to South Africa by an Irish poet.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/DSCF2293.jpg

This nice boat was put back in the water today after being stored inside for the past five years. She's a Sparkman and Stevens design built by the famous Derecktor yard in 1955. I really like the tiller lock, winch stands and the trove of other nice details. There's a pretty Commander in the background of some of these photos.


http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/IMG_0018.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...IMG_0019-1.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/IMG_0020.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...IMG_0021-1.jpg

I've been progressing on the S-Boat rudder. Roughed out more of the shape and started to attach the hardware. It's all gudgeons and pintles for awhile now.


http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...rdoor/-2-1.jpg


http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...lordoor/-3.jpg

I needed to drill holes for the bronze drift pins that hold the S-Boat's rudder together. The challenge being to drill the long holes as straight as possible and not pop out somewhere along on the rudder's surface. First I leveled the rudder's centerline and clamped it to a surface. Next I used an electric drill, 1/4" installers bit and small bubble level which has a vee notched on it's base, for leveling pipe, and rested that on the drill bit to control level while drilling. With the 1/4" pilot holes complete I dug out my old childhood brace and a long 5/16" bit to drill the full sized holes. The large holes you see on the rudder's leading edge are for countersinking the drift pin heads and allowing for wood covering plugs. Next stop red lead paint.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...or/photo-1.jpg