CoastalCafe

Snow Cat Jan 21 2012 on the Warren River

2012-01-21T15:28:00.001-08:00

Impressions from the Providence Boat Show Jan 2012

2012-01-15T11:22:00.000-08:00

We scored a couple of tickets to the boat show last week, courtesy of SafeSea (boat towing & marine salvage) .

There was a marine bargain basement on the first floor at the entrance to the show. I read it was offering donated leftover supplies from marinas as a fundraiser for Clean the Bay. Although I'm a huge fan of marine consignment shops, I didn't see anything I would be willing to pay for at the "bargain tables". The good news for RI's East Bay boaters is that a marine consignment shop will be opening soon in Bristol RI. I should have stopped to ask about the details, but I'll have to keep an eye out for more info.

As usual, the main focus of the show was powerboats, but there were a few sailboats on display. .

The European Smartboat 23 was the most interesting powerboat I saw at the show. There were no sales people in sight at the display. I went on board and took a few photos. I looked it up online and saw a lot of mixed discussion. I won't pass judgement, but it was certainly an interesting and unconventional hull form. LWL = LOA

The Harbor 20 - The Classic Modern Daysailer was unquestionably the prettiest sailboat on the show floor. There was another sailor there, enthusiastically engaged with a sales guy while we were looking at it, and the prospective buyer told me after his conversation with the broker that he is looking to downsize from a Tartan 37, which is becoming too much for him and his wife to handle on their own, and he is looking for something he can race, but still enjoy daysailing with his wife. Sounds like a good fit.

Hunter had the two largest sailboats on display at the show, a 33 and a 41. They were very popular with the visitors. I didn't venture on board either. They appear to be heavily discounted off their list price to entice interest, but the so called "savings" are 2 to 3 times what I paid for my boat!

I stopped by the Points East booth (publisher of my favorite local marine periodical) a few times Saturday afternoon, but never found anyone at the booth. I usually get a chance to say hello to Joe Burke, but I missed him.

I also stopped by the Defender booth, to get the date for their annual spring sale. (March 29-April 1) An annual not to miss event for any boater who is looking to save on spring outfitting upgrades. They were promoting an interesting looking inflatable RescueMax MOB recovery system from Revere. It looks like a compact inflatable alternative to the LifeSling). I didn't really look at it that closely at the show, but their promo price is about half the LifeSling price. When I started to look into it online today, I couldn't find any indication it is USCG approved, and it doesn't even appear on the Revere website. I'm starting to wonder if they are clearing out inventory of a discontinued item that never really took off. I emailed them to ask about the USCG approval and will follow up on that. I'm interested in hearing from anyone who has experience with this unit. My old Jim Buoy horseshoe is getting a little tattered, and I really need to think about replacing it this season.

Weta 4.4 Trimaran from the multihull source. A neat toy if you've got $12K burning a hole in your pocket.

The show seemed a little better attended than last year, but I glad I'm not trying to make a living selling new fiberglass powerboats. That's a tough way to make a living these days.

Life jacket, whistle and a light. How simple it can be?

2011-11-18T04:38:00.001-08:00

From sailworld via Rhode Island Yachting:

US Sailing awarded the Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal Saturday, November 5th to Sociable’s skipper, Robert Arzbaecher (Brookfield Wis.), and his crew at the race’s awards dinner at the Chicago Yacht Club for their rescue of six sailors from the yacht WingNuts which capsized on Lake Michigan in the midst of a storm during the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac.

Sociable skipper Robert Arzbaecher said, "A life jacket, a whistle and a light. My God, how simple it can be? But that’s what it was," on receiving the Hanson Rescue Medal this week. During the awards ceremony Arzbaecher marveled at how effective basic mandatory equipment was, including the simple Lifesling that many yachts carry hoping they will never have to use it.

I'll be adding whistles and lights to my PFDs this year.
Let's stay safe out there.
Sitting on the hard, already dreaming of spring.

We made it through Hurricane Irene

2011-08-31T09:52:00.000-07:00

Almost every boat on the Barrington River was well prepared for Hurricane Irene with sails and canvas removed. I removed my sails and dodger and secured the boat with a second mooring line. The Yacht Club was emptied into safe storage and boarded up.

We were fortunate the wind diminished to Tropical Storm force before Irene passed to our west. I was pleased that I didn't see or hear of any boats damaged in the river after the storm. The water reached the front door of the yacht club during high tide, but the surge was not catastrophic.
The wind was sustained over 50 knots for nearly four hours with peaks over 70 knots at the nearby Conimicut Point weather station.

My home was without Power from about 8:30 Sunday morning until 4:30 am on Tuesday. Many in the area remain without power. I was surprised it was restored so quickly. In Hurricane Gloria and Bob, it took 5 to 7 days for power to be restored.

Heart of Gold 2011 shakedown cruise on Narragansett bay

2011-06-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I remembered why I do all that work to maintain the boat, when we had our first cruise of the season on Narragansett bay. Beautiful day. We got off to a late start, but caught the end of the Blue Angels performance at the airshow. 6 jets in formation made one pass directly over us, but I couldn't get my camera out quick enough to get a photo of them. (another one that got away.) I did get a few nice shots of this J 22 sailing from Warwick Neck into Greenwich bay. If you happen to know the owner, I am happy to share the photos.

slide show is here.

J Class Racing in Newport today Ranger vs. VELSHEDA

2011-06-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

I took a day out of work today to take advantage of the weather to get my boat ready for launching next week. Sanded the bottom this morning, painted the bottom in the late afternoon/evening. In between I took a quick drive down to Fort Adams in Newport and snapped a few photos of the race. Traffic getting to and from Newport was heavy, but it was worth the ride. I arrived just as the boats approached Ft. Adams coming downwind to the Gybe mark. i didn't stay for the upwind leg, but Ranger (sail number J 5) bested VELSHEDA (sail number JK 7) finishing clear ahead by 79 seconds, but only by 1 second on corrected time.

spectators:

At Ease of Aquinnah MA - seen at the Anchorage

2011-06-11T05:34:00.000-07:00

These pretty 29s were photographed June 10 at the Anchorage in Warren RI, home of Dyer boats.

Not a good night to be on the water

2011-06-09T16:49:00.001-07:00

Look what rolled through here at 6 PM Thursday night. The first few minutes were intense, after that the wind calmed down pretty quickly, but the thunder and lightning lasted a while with some strikes close to home.

Photos along the Waterfront Warren, RI - May 1 2011

2011-05-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

Spring fitting out.

click here for slide show

Resources for troubleshooting marine VHF radio

2011-04-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

Marine VHF Radio FAQ

Shakespere Automatic Radio Tester ART-3 ART-3 tests receiver function as well as output power and VSWR (antenna efficiency).

VSWR = Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) meter ( build your own )

Wooden boatbuilder and his apprentice build a sailboat - Laurie Schreiber - Bar Harbor - MDI - Hancock - Bar Harbor Times

2011-04-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

This is a nice article in the Bar Harbor Times about a young apprentice working at Great Harbor Boatworks. He is one very lucky kid!

Wooden boatbuilder and his apprentice build a sailboat - Laurie Schreiber - Bar Harbor - MDI - Hancock - Bar Harbor Times

I've enjoyed following Great Harbor Boatworks on facebook for about a year. VJ & I visited their yard last summer during Maine Boatbuilder's open boatyard days. Lorraine is a great photographer, and Richard was very generous with his time showing us around the yard, telling us about their boats and projects. They are preserving a rich piece of American folk history.

Here is Richard in one of my photos taken during the Aug. 2010 Open Boat Yard days

Sloop Providence to sail after 3-1/2 years

2011-04-15T04:11:00.000-07:00

From the projo news blog:
Captain Thorpe Leeson, who purchased the 110-foot sailing ship from the city of Providence in February, said he will launch the vessel around 2 p.m. Friday April 15. At noon Saturday, he plans sail down Narragansett Bay -- the first time the Providence will have sailed in 3 ½ years -- and to moor her at Bowen's Wharf in Newport, where visitors will be free to visit over the weekend.

He spent "tons of money." repairing and restoring the replica Providence. The original was built in 1768 then purchased by the colony of Rhode Island after British attacked Rhode Island's shipping and the General Assembly ordered two ships to defend the sea lanes.

The original ship, which at one time was under the command of John Paul Jones, considered to be the father of the American Navy, went on to participate in 60 battles and to capture 40 British ships

He said that starting next week the replica sloop will return for the purposes for which it was built -- tall ships education and training, and for charter trips.

I wish Capt. Leeson success in his venture.

read the full story here:

P28-1 window seals

2011-04-07T04:12:00.000-07:00

http://poolio.net/120/sailing/pearson-28-1-window-resealing-and-cleanup/

Thinking of Summer

2011-03-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

I put a deposit down to have a new dodger made for Heart of Gold this morning. Canvas guy said business is strong, he has a substantial backlog. A positive sign for the economy.

Points East sponsors "The Golden Pastime: Icons of Classic Yachting" 3/24 at Hereshoff in Bristol

2011-03-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

Thursday, Mar 24 sailor-writer John Rousmaniere will present an illustrated show "The Golden Pastime: Icons of Classic Yachting" from 7 to 9 pm at the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, R.I. Admission is $5, free for museum members. Refreshments provided by Cisco Brewers of Nantucket. More info here.

Heart of Gold is out of the water for 2010

2010-10-09T17:32:00.001-07:00

Garboard Drain Plug info

2010-10-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

Collecting info for one of my off season projects:

Perko UL listed Garboard drain plug (with some dimensions) Why don't manufacturers post dimensions with their product info? I have to call to see if this will fit.
SeaSense one way plug
JD ordering page for Perko Garboard Plug (no backing plate)
more Perko Garboard plugs

Windsurfing at Barrinton Beach - Labor day 2010

2010-09-08T04:22:00.000-07:00

Photos by Sal C.

Photos from Herreshoff Classic Regatta August 28, 2010

2010-08-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

Classic sailboats racing off Bristol RI in light air conditions. The full photo set is available on Flickr

Photos from the Ida Lewis 2010 Distance Race

2010-08-23T09:03:00.000-07:00

VJ & I were sailing from Cuttyhunk to Newport on Friday afternoon and our course took us just outside and parallel to one of the early legs of the Ida Lewis 2010 Distance race, a reach from Brenton Point to the "SR"MoA Whistle, south of Sachuest Point. I was able to photograph many of the boats making their way downwind as we sailed past. The course was shortened from 177 to 122 miles due to light winds. We anchored overnight in Newport and were awakened multiple times before first light on Saturday morning by the horn as leaders finished. Once daylight broke, I emerged with my camera and photographed many of the finishers. Here are a few samples. Many more are on Flickr.

Rambler finished first overall.

Barbie Mermaid Figurehead seen at Newport

2010-08-11T19:01:00.000-07:00

This figurehead greeted visitors to the West Extension St. Dingy Dock in Newport last weekend.

Evolution of the Maine Lobster Boat from Maine Boats, Harbors & Homes Magazine

2010-08-11T04:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.maineboats.com/files/u2/Lobsterboat-EvolutionLG.jpg

by Doug Alvord

more great artwork here: http://douglasalvordart.com/

Barrington River Barge Removal Scheuled for Aug. 7

2010-08-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

Notice to Members of the Barrington Yacht Club:

On Saturday, August 7th at 11:00AM, the large construction barge from the New Bridge Project will be moved down the Barrington Harbor. The process should take only take 30 minutes once the Tugs get underway. The Harbor Patrol will be monitoring Ch12 and all harbor traffic will be stopped. Both BYC launch service and fueling operations will be shut down during the transit.

Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors

2010-08-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.maineboats.com/

S Boats racing on Narragansett Bay July 10

2010-07-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

Egbert - 1885 Oyster yacht

2010-07-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of Egbert at Stanley's Boat yard in Barrington taken with my camera phone during one of my morning bike rides earlier this week. She is an antique yacht built in 1885 in the style of a traditional oyster boat.

The marina still has quite a few open spaces, which is unusual for this time of year, and I hope is not a sign of more economic trouble to come.

P-28 Heart of Gold fired up the diesel today!

2010-05-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

Still have a lot to do before the boat hits the water, but I fired up the diesel today. Great to hear her start right up.

Sheeves from the masthead of my P28-1

2010-05-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

Here are my sheeves, removed from the mast, before and after polishing with a fiber wheel. Replacement halyards ordered Friday. Yesterday I managed to cut off the mounting screws with corroded threads stuck in the masthead fitting to hold a bracket for the windex. The screws were over an inch long and nearly touched the halyards above the sheeves. Had to grind a metal cutting blade for the sabre saw down to less than 1/4 in width to squeeze it into the slots separating the sheeves.

Here's the bugger on the left.

What a pain! Next drill and tap new holes for the windex bracket. Looking forward to removing the winter cover from the boat today.

Defender Annual Spring Sale

2010-03-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

I drove down to Waterford today to Defender Marine's annual spring sale. It was my first time there and it was really busy. At times the check out lines were snaking around inside of the building, fortunately that cleared up before I got to the check out. I threw lots of dough into the hole in the water. I bought a bunch of maintenance items and safety equipment that needed to be updated. I also got a bunch of little stuff that we needed for the new dingy and a GPS Chartplotter. I ended up spreading the wealth around a little though the GPS was out of stock at Defender. They said I could order it online. I stopped at my local West Marine store on my way home, and they matched Defender's price. That put a good sized dent in the credit card. I'm doing my part to shore up the economy.

Heart of Gold - Stripping peeling paint off the boom

2010-03-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

I started today stripping paint off the boom. It was a beautiful first day of spring today hitting the low 70's with clear blue sky. It's coming out so nice that I'm considering leaving it un-painted.

I got about 1/3 of the way through it today. I bought a variable speed Dewalt Random Orbital sander with a vacuum hook up. It took me three trips to the store to get the right vacuum attachment and sanding disks with the proper vent holes to line up with the 8 hole pattern. Once I got going, I made progress faster than I was expecting.

Also last week, I cleaned up the propeller, which was crusted with many years of paint and barnacles.
before:
after:

Ralph W. Stanley, fine wooden boats Southwest Harbor, ME

2010-03-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

Arial views of Narragansett bay

2010-03-13T06:19:00.001-08:00

I had a chance to take a few photos over Narragansett bay while flying out of Green last week.

Adams Point and Barrington River (bottom right), Providence River (top left)

Prudence Island (extending from bottom left), Potters Cove, Patience Island (top center) , and Warwick Neck (top right)

Newport Harbor, Goat Island, Rose Island, Coasters Island, Gould Island, and the south end of Prudence Island

Point Judith Harbor of Refuges and Great Salt Pond

Heart of Gold - spring preparations underway

2010-03-06T18:22:00.000-08:00

Finished stripping the hardware off the boom today. Need to decide what to do about the finish. Got a quote for powder coating ~ $480 includes sandblasting, phosphate wash, primer, and two coats of white. That seems like a lot of money to make it look good. I'm exploring other options.

Also cleaned the barnacles and old paint of the prop. It looks much nicer now.

Speed Sailing

2010-03-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

Plastiki eco catamaran made from recycled bottles

2010-02-28T07:40:00.000-08:00

Feb 26 2010 - San Francisco, CA USA: Adventurer, environmental advocate, and National Geographic Emerging Explorer David de Rothschild unveiled Plastiki, a sailboat constructed of more than 12,000 recycled plastic bottles, with inspiration from Kon Tiki. He plans to sail from California to Sydney, Australia, to show what can be done with ingenuity, determination, and reclaimed materials.

More info at: De Rothschild's Message in a Bottle: Plastiki - NatGeo News Watch

Plastiki web page (under construction) The Plastiki Expedition

Validus of Boston MA at Cove Haven Marina

2010-01-21T18:47:00.000-08:00

Pretty vessel waiting for warmer weather. Yes that's a thin glaze of ice near the stern.

Winter photography

2010-01-16T04:43:00.000-08:00

Sailing vessel Aurora of Riverside, RI on the hard at Cove Haven Marina, January 9, 2009

1885 British screw schooner Amazon at Bristol RI Columbus Day 2009

2009-10-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

Higher resolution images are available here

The British screw schooner Amazon was built at Southampton in 1885 from designs by the renowned Dixon Kemp. Kemp intended her to be fast and a good seaboat.

Carvel planked in teak and pitch pine on oak frames, with alternate wrought iron strap floor reinforcement, bronze fastenings, lead keel and copper sheathing, Amazon's survival reflects the high quality insisted upon at build - her hull is still largely original.

Her builder and first owner, Tankerville Chamberlayne, Esq., personally supervised her construction by his own 'Arrow Yard' at Northam on the River Itchen. This small non-commercial facility was established by the Chamberlayne family for the maintenance of the famous cutter Arrow (1822), which was adapted continuously and thereby kept racing competitively into the 1890s. Amazon's engine and boiler were supplied by the adjacent works works of Day, Summers and Company.

Amazon was used for summer cruising, to attend sailing regattas along the south coast of England, and to visit France. She was sold shortly after Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Royal Fleet Review in 1897 to a prominent French yachtsman an was based at St. Malo as Armoricain until 1900, when she returned to British ownership.

A new owner took her to London and after 52 years, her original engine and boiler were removed on her conversion to diesel in 1937. she became a houseboat in a west London Yacht Basin.

Arthur Lowe (1915 — 1982) an English actor best known for playing Captain George Mainwaring in the popular British sitcom Dad's Army bought "Amazon" as a houseboat in 1968, but realized her potential and took her back to sea in 1971. He used Amazon as a floating base while touring coastal theaters, accompanied by his wife Joan. Amazon pursued a successful charter business in the 1980s, before migrating to the north of Scotland in 1990.

This unique vessel is currently registered in Guernsey, a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy. I photographed her on Columbus day 2009 on a mooring near the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, RI.

References:
http://www.worldshiptrust.org/links.html
http://bygonederbyshire.co.uk/articles/Lowe,_Arthur

Short Video from Tuesday night Racing June 30

2009-07-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

Matt Asaro's Quest 33 Cepheus before the BYC Cox series race.

Kayaks on Barrington River

2009-07-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

There was a large group of kayaks out paddling on the Barrington River tonight.

Rescue from capsized center console off Newport RI Fri June 19

2009-06-21T11:14:00.001-07:00

The front page of the June 20 Providence Journal featured a rescue story of a capsized center console with 2 men aboard off Brenton Point Friday morning.

One of the boaters reached shore on his own, after their 19 foot Grady White center console capsized in rough surf off Brenton Point. Two brave Newport police officers, Scott Moody and Joseph Lavallee, judged that the man who was still in the water didn't have much time. Rather than waiting for rescue crews, who were donning wetsuits at the scene, they dropped their belts and bulletproof vests, walked over slippery rocks into the 60 degree surf and swam to assist the exhausted victim. They tried to help him walk when they got closer to shore, but he could barely stand after 35 to 40 minutes in the water. The victims were treated for hypothermia at Newport Hospital. Neither of the boaters was wearing a life jacket.

more details on the story are on the Projo news blog:

Hats off to officers Moody and Lavallee!

A couple of summers ago, I witnessed a similar incident when a center console with 2 fishermen aboard capsized in breaking surf at nearby Kettlebottom rock. Fortunately in that incident, the two fishermen were picked up unharmed by a nearby boat (after the current washed them clear of the surf zone.) Boaters and fishermen need to be extremely cautious in these waters. When large ocean swells roll into the shallows around these reefs, dangerous breaking waves appear suddenly.

BYC Cox Series Tuesday Night racing June 16

2009-06-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

We took 2nd place and are third overall in the series so far.

BYC Cox Series Tuesday Night June 9 Racing Photos

2009-06-11T18:11:00.002-07:00

June 9

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

BYC Cox Series Tuesday Night June 2 Racing Photos

2009-06-11T18:11:00.001-07:00

June 2

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

BYC Cox Series Tuesday Night May 26 Racing Photos

2009-06-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

May 26

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

BYC Cox Series Tuesday Night May 19 Racing Photos

2009-06-11T17:56:00.000-07:00

May 19

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Fishing is looking up

2009-06-11T17:46:00.000-07:00

Striper fishing is in full swing in RI. I landed this 34 in bass last evening on the Warren River trolling a tube. I found success on the rising tide at about 7:30 pm. As soon as I hooked up, I realized it was a nice fish and I had left the landing net down below. I was alone on the boat and didn't want to take a chance putting the rod in a rod holder to grab the net from the cabin, so when the fish came up to the boat, I stepped down onto the swim platform and lifted my catch out of the water without a net.

Best,
Chuck

My first fish of 2009

2009-05-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

No longer skunked.... Fishing off the Whaler in Narragansett Bay I caught a keeper tautog and a schoolie striper (throw-back) yesterday morning. My first fish this season.

Lots-A-Luck is running

2009-05-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

It always feels good to get the engine running for the first time of the season. I replaced the gaskets on the exhaust elbows because I was starting to get a little rust around the edges of the gaskets. The castings look good after 4 years of service. I cleaned them up, bolted them back up with the new gaskets, touched up the paint. No leaks when I started her up! There is nothing like the throaty rumble of a V8 that's been sleeping all winter long.

The engine is a fresh water cooled LM318. It has a 4" dia. Sen-Dure heat exchanger. Every year, when I replace the pencil zinc I have to grind it down because the zinc's I can buy hit one of the legs of the heat exchanger.

Here is what the stock pencil zincs look like from most marine supply places.

Here is what it looks like after I grind it to fit

Here is what it looks like installed (with the end cap of the heat exchanger removed. It's not that easy to see in the last photo, but the zinc hits that bottom leg of the heat exchanger. If you try to force it in, I think it's possible the zinc could snap off the brass plug and you might not even know it if the end cap wasn't removed from the heat exchanger.

I posted a question about it over on the marine engine discussion forum. I'm pretty sure that others must have run into this too. It's a pain in the neck, but I stick the zinc in the chuck of my drill press and grind away material with a 60 grit abrasive. if I had a lathe I would turn it down. I'm probably removing about 1/3 of the zinc to get it to clear the bottom leg of the heat exchanger.

Tuesday night racing starts this week at Barrington Yacht Club. I'll be crewing on Glamorous Glenice with Ray and many from the old crew. I've been away from it for years and am looking forward to getting back to it.
Best,
Chuck

Kathleen a sweet cat from N. Falmouth

2009-05-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

Kathleen caught my eye a couple of weeks ago when I was out for a bike ride, and stopped by the Warren River to see what was going on in the yards. I regretted not having my camera, that first time I saw her when she was out of the water. I was out biking again this morning and took along my camera. I was surprised to see she is in the water, rigged and almost ready to go.

Wood hull, new wood spars. Purr!

Commissioning the Whaler

2009-05-05T17:09:00.001-07:00

I packed the tailer wheel bearings a couple of weekends ago, but the real fun came this past weekend. Charged the battery, tightened up the spark plugs, fresh gas in the tank, she started right up on the first crank! I love the sound of the engine the first time it starts up in the spring. I had to scrub the terminals on the battery cables to get the power tilt working.

Now all we need is some sunshine!
Chuck

Block Island Southeast Light July 2008

2009-04-12T14:29:00.001-07:00

Frostbiting off Newport March 21 via webcam

2009-03-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

I was tickled by this image of the Newport Frostbiting fleet in front of Fort Adams this morning via the RI Yachting webcam.

Spring is here and the crocuses are up.
Best,
Chuck

Impressions from the Providence Boat Show

2009-02-01T16:57:00.000-08:00

I visited the boat show Saturday evening. It was awfully quiet. I counted only 14 people in Charlie Soares seminar on striped bass fishing, which historically draws big crowds. Charlie, as usual offered an informative and entertaining program. The show floor space was reduced and I would say that exhibitors outnumbered visitors. One difference I noticed compared to past shows was I didn't see exhibitors asking visitors to remove their street shoes before going aboard. I think the salesmen were just happy to see a warm body, and weren't about to discourage visitors.

I had a pleasant chat with Joe Burke, publisher of Points East about his magazine, which he said is doing well despite tough economic conditions.

SafeSea was showing some very impressive video of rough water rescue / recovery operations around Newport.

I held on tight to my wallet this year. I bought a cup of coffee and paid $1 for 3 hours parking at the Providence Place Mall. That's a huge reduction compared to last year, when I renewed 2 boat registrations, updated my SafeSea membership, bought a $99 set of Bad Dog drill bits.
Chuck

Update on Goetz Yachts - back in operation.

2009-01-31T18:17:00.000-08:00

The Providence Journal reported Friday that Goetz Yachts is back in operation, rehiring 40% of its workforce last week and 40% this week after a client recommitted to an $8 M project that had been halted due to economic conditions. Eric Goetz reported that many of his employees were working over the last couple of weeks despite not being paid for their effort. That's dedication that you won't find in most businesses. The downside is that the company is operating in receivership. I'm rooting for them to pull this one out.

Chuck

Dewaruci Indonesian tall ship at Newport RI, June 2007

2009-01-24T17:16:00.000-08:00

At the end of June, 2007 I was lucky to visit and photograph the largest gathering of tall Ships at Newport, RI since the 1976 Bicentennial. I motored around the harbor in my Boston Whaler. Traffic in the harbor wasn't too heavy the day before the parade of sail. On a cold day like today, the photo makes me think that spring can't be too far off.

Dewaruci is a 58.3 m (191 ft.) steel hulled barkentine sailed as a training ship by the Indonesian Navy. Construction started in 1932 but was delayed by world war II. The vessel was completed and launched in 1953.

Keep Warm,
Chuck

Signs of the Economic times: layoffs at Hinckly, receivership at Goetz

2009-01-13T18:08:00.000-08:00

The Bangor Daily News reported today that Hinckley yachts laid off 25 more employees from it's Trenton, ME facility after laying off 49 from the same plant last October. The slumping economy remains the reason the luxury yacht manufacturer is cutting back. The latest layoffs reduce the number of employees Hinckley has in Maine to 215.

The layoffs at Hinckley come just a week after Eric Goetz Custom Sailboats, Inc. of Bristol, RI was petitioned into receivership and all of its 75 workers were laid off on Jan. 6. Eric Goetz told the East Bay Newspapers that the inability to obtain refinancing along with termination of a contract by an international customer precipitated the situation.a statement was issued, saying “The company is hopeful that this project will be restarted, however, in order to preserve its assets and to protect its workforce, the company laid off workers on 12/31/08 after having met its payroll and health insurance obligations,” You can read the story about Goetz atEastBayRI.com. Not that I could ever afford a boat from either of these companies, but I hope that this works out. There are a lot of related businesses that benefit from their high-end projects.

Hand Carved Wooden Striped Bass - Realisitic

2009-01-12T16:37:00.001-08:00

A few years ago, a friend of my Dad's carved this replica striped bass to commemorate a beautiful fish that was caught by his son. That's some very impressive woodworking!

Last week the bills for the yacht club and the mooring arrived. Sure signs we are headed toward warmer weather.

Best,

Chuck

Sailing Ship Jeanne Johnson visiting Providence July 2003

2009-01-08T19:25:00.000-08:00

I photographed the Jeannie Johnson, a 3 masted barque during her visit to Providence in July, 2003. My webshot archive of photos is here.

The Jeanie Johnston is a stunning replica of a 19th century sailing ship, one of the last before the steam ships took over. Her construction was completed in 2002, and she now operates as a Sail Training vessel, a Famine History Museum and a Corporate Entertainment venue.
Specifications:
Length : 45m (148ft)
Beam: 8m (26ft)
Draft: 4.2m (14ft)
Displacement: 510 tonnes
Rig: 3-masted barque, with 4-square sails/mast, and single topsails.

More fishing - 31" striped bass July 2008

2009-01-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

Here is the best shot I have from fishing last summer. Caught near Kettle Bottom Rock off Jamestown, RI. Thanks to my son Nick for taking the photo!

I always enjoy seeing that glimpse of red in the western sky when I leave the office at the end of the workday during these first weeks of January. It's the first indication that the days are getting longer and spring is on its way.

Best,

Chuck

My legendary fishing outing - July 3, 1966

2009-01-04T15:06:00.000-08:00

It was just after my 8th birthday. I went fishing with my Dad at Rocky Point off Plymouth MA, where the Pilgrim nuclear plant is now located in Podunk, our 19-1/2 foot Grady White runabout. We were bottom fishing with sea clams on dual hook rigs. I said, "Dad, I think I've got something". I couldn't lift the rod. He took it from me, pulled on it and said, "You're caught on the bottom. Try to work it loose." I played with the rod for about 15 minutes or so trying to get it up, but couldn't budge it. It was time to head in, so my Dad took the rod again and started pulling on it. Surprised, he said you've got a fish! We were very surprised when the fish came into sight and it wasn't one, but two big cod, close to 10 pounds each. Those were the days. I posed for the photo in our backyard when we got in. A priceless memory.

Chuck

Happy New Year, more winter photos

2009-01-01T18:06:00.000-08:00

2008 ended with another 6-8 inches of snow and a frigid blast from the north. Here are more photos taken the week before Christmas.

This isn't the same Moonshine mentioned in my recent post

These geniuses left their brains at the dock

2008-12-23T19:07:00.000-08:00

Tuesday Dec 23, the Providence Journal banner headline reads, "Storm leaves sails, voyage to Puerto Rico in tatters." It should have said, "Four sailors rescued off RI in winter storm are lucky to be alive."

Starting early in the week the forecast called for a major winter storm to hit Rhode Island, and extend over much of the east coast with a foot or more of snow, temperatures in the 20's to 30's, and NE winds at 25 mph. Most of the schools in the state were closed Friday morning on account of the snow, which eventually accumulated about 14 inches over most of Rhode Island. Here is an excerpt from the weather page of the Providence journal Friday morning. It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it was not a good day for sailing in open water.

According to news accounts the 45 foot sailing vessel Moonshine departed East Greenwich, RI with four aboard on Friday morning, the 19th. By evening, their sails were shredded in an icy gale and the engine was disabled in 12 foot seas. According to the Providence Journal, with the wind blowing 30 to 40 knots and heavy snow falling, the Coast Guard launched a 47 foot rescue boat from Pt. Judith at 7:45 pm along with a search and rescue helicopter from Cape Cod. The search went on for hours until the vessel was located at 1:00 am about seven miles south of Block Island with the aid of flares, an EPRIB, and 911 mobile phone calls picked up on Long Island. The Coast Guard towed the Moonshine toward Montauk, N.Y. for nearly seven hours, where a Coast Guard lifeboat from Long Island took over the tow brought it to the harbor about 9:00 am Saturday morning.

The skipper's mother later told the Providence journal that her son said his father and their two sailing companions had gotten seasick. She said, “It was so rough, they didn’t have the strength to help him.”

BOSTON - (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Anthony Figueroa) The sailing vessel Moonshine is pictured at the dock at Coast Guard Station Montauk, N.Y., Saturday, Dec. 20, 2008. The Coast Guard rescued the four-person crew when they were caught in an off-shore storm that shredded their sails.

These guys were fortunate that a tragedy was averted. One comment that I saw on the sailnet forum said anyone of average intelligence would have known it was not a good day to go sailing. You can draw your own conclusions.

90 days to the first day of spring!

2008-12-21T08:43:00.001-08:00

I talked to my Dad last night and he said "The best thing about the first day of winter is that there are only 90 days to the first day of spring!" I stopped by Cove Haven Marina and Stanley's Boatyard in Barrington this morning to take a few winter photos. I found an old wood express cruiser, Restless tucked in the back of the yard at Cove Haven. She looks sad now, but you can imagine her past glory.

Keep Warm,
Chuck

Watching the waterfront from the comfort of my computer room.

2008-12-14T09:29:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting at my computer in Barrington, RI on a brisk December Sunday watching the Northeast Marine Pilots head out of Newport harbor, to meet an incoming ship no doubt, via the webcam at the top of the Newport Hyatt.

It's time for me to stop goofing off and go buy a Christmas tree.

Keep warm,
Chuck

APHRODITE commuter yacht

2008-11-29T17:31:00.000-08:00

APHRODITE was built by the Purdy Boat Company and launched in May of 1937 for Wall Street financier John Hay (Jock) Whitney of Manhasset, Long Island. She is a sleek and elegant 74-foot "Commuter Yacht", and was originally used to transport Mr. Whitney from his boat house on Long Island Sound thru the East River to his Wall Street office. After Pearl Harbor, APHRODITE was offered to the government for war service and she was commissioned in April 1942 as a Coast Guard auxiliary vessel (CGR-557). In the fall of 2003 a complete restoration was started at Brooklin Boat Yard bringing her back to her original appearance and updating her ship's systems up to today's standards. You can read about the restoration, and view photos of her undwerway here. I photographed APHRODITE while she was tied up at Fort Adams, near the Museum of Yachting at Newport, RI in July 2008. APHRODITE is also featured in the November/December issue of Classic Yachting Magazine where several paintings by Robert Webber are published. She is a stunning sight!

Classic Yacht Magazine

2008-11-15T14:57:00.000-08:00

A gorgeous resource with photos and stories about classic sail and motor yachts as well as smaller classics. Browse the current issue and archives here.

Classic Yacht is a free online magazine dedicated to beautiful, capable yachts and their colorful owners. Lovers of great boats, power, sail, old or new, fiberglass or not, large and small, will discover stories to fuel their dreams and enrich your time time on the water, and lift your spirits during those necessary interludes ashore until you can get back on the water.

Classic Yachts is available either in PDF format or using zegapi which dynamically displays high quality print-like materials online. Using a sophisticated and natural page flipping web interface, zegapi is changing the way people interact with digital publications.

New URL for NOAA charts online

2008-11-01T18:43:00.001-07:00

I was looking for charts online and there is a new URL for online access to up-to-date coastal charts. Check it out.
http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/OnLineViewer.html

Newport RI WebCAMs

2008-10-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

Longing for a peak at Narragansett bay? Check out these webcams. Still images update about every 5 seconds. Results will be best during daylight, there's not much visibility at night.

Webcam #1 looking North West toward Rose Island and the Newport Pell Bridge. http://www.riyachting.com/webcam-hyatt-cam-one-large.html

Sample image: The blurred light in the foreground is the high speed ferry headed north toward the Pell Bridge.

Webcam #2 looking South West toward the entrance of Narragansett Bay with Fort Adams shown on the left. http://www.riyachting.com/webcam-hyatt-cam-two-large.html The Hyatt is the sponsor of webcams 1 & 2, which are are on the roof of the Hyatt in Newport.

Webcam #3 points East North East toward the Lower Thames Street area of Newport and the inner harbor. http://www.riyachting.com/webcam-museum-cam-three-large.html The Museum of Yachting is the sponsor of this webcam.

re-packing a traditional stuffing box

2008-10-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

This link is a great resource on traditional stuffing boxes.

Long White Cloud

2008-09-15T17:04:00.001-07:00

Friday night, Stephen and Paula Pepperill of New Zealand spent the evening at the Barrington Yacht club, presenting the story of their six year voyage on the 45 foot Herreshoff Mobjack ketch, Long White Cloud which they built on their front lawn. The journey brought them many adventures and so far, halfway round the world. They are preparing to sail for home via the Panama Canal after hurricane season. Check out their sailing blog for fabulous photos and compelling stories. God speed on your journey home.

Bull & Bear Sailing team at IYRS Newport, summer 2007

2008-04-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

I photographed the pair of sandbaggers Bull & Bear at the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport during one of my visits there in August 2007. The pair of 28 foot sandbaggers are replicas of working boats used on the New York harbor in the 1860's. They were built by John Brady in 1996 and 1997, based out of the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, PA. Bull and Bear are are serious boats and a serious operation, helping youth organizations learn to sail, get experience on the water, learn leadership and just enjoy themselves. The Bull & Bear Sailing team also donates time and effort to race for charities.

Black Knight undergoing rebuild

2008-04-12T10:37:00.000-07:00

There is an article in the April issue of Points East describing a major restoration project being undertaken by Buzzards Bay Yacht Services on the 83 foot motor yacht Black Knight, which served as the 1983 America's Cup committee boat. I photographed Black Knight last summer at the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport. Black Knight is an 83 foot Eldridge McGinnis design, built in 1968 by Goudy and Stevens of East Boothbay, Maine, who also built the replica of the original schooner yacht America.

I was overwhelmed by Black Knight's beauty, craftsmanship, elegant details, and finish during my up-close encounter last summer. What a gorgeous yacht. At first, I had a hard time believing that such a restoration was necessary, but my own experience with maintaining older boats should have made me realize my impression was unrealistic. The photos of the restoration available from Buzzards Bay Yacht Services show the effects of 40 years of ocean exposure despite obvious considerable maintenance effort.

Scales & Shells Restaurant & Raw Bar, Newport, RI

2008-03-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo I shot in August 2007 of an attractive sign for Scales & Shells located at 527 Thames Street in Newport. I haven't eaten there, but the reviews sound terrific!

Points East content is available online

2008-02-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

Points East is a great publication focusing on the New England recreational boating scene. The magazine is supported by advertising and is distributed free of charge at boat yards, yacht clubs, and other marine businesses from New York to Maine. The publisher is Joe Burke of Portsmouth, NH, who took the reins a couple of years ago, and continues to grow and improve on this fine publication. One of the things I like best about Points East is that it doesn't cater only to the upper crust of high budget yachting like many of the glossy boating magazines. There are many of us who treasure being on the water while operating on a shoestring budget. Points East stories have a down to earth realism that everyone can relate to. The articles used to be available only in the print version of the magazine, but I was happy to learn when I visited their website today that most of their articles and features are now available on the web.

The online content includes articles from the current issue, adventures, profiles and destinations dating back to 2000. Check it out. I'll still enjoy the print copy, but I'm going to become a more frequent visitor to http://www.pointseast.com/.
Best,
Chuck

Lobster boats & dingies at Ogunquit, Maine

2008-01-26T07:37:00.000-08:00

Last October, my wife, VJ, and I visited Ongunquit, Maine where we had honeymooned 27 years earlier. She went to high school in Kennebunk, which is where my in-laws lived until the time of their passing. Visting the area brings back great memories.

Best,

Chuck

The 2008 Providence Boat Show

2008-01-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

I attended the Providence Boat show Saturday, which was scheduled a week earlier than usual. Too early for me. I'm not really ready to start thinking about boating yet, but I wanted to renew my two boat registrations and my Safe/Sea membership.

My quick impressions:

I arrived on Saturday just after 3:00 pm. I expected it to be packed, but the main floor was quiter than I expected.
The show filled the RI Convention Center, but not the Dunkin Donuts Center this year so it was quite a bit smaller than recent years.
There were almost no sailboats. I saw a couple of Hobies, some sailing Kayaks and a Sturdee Cat Boat, but that was about it for sail. Despite the price of fuel I guess that we are still pretty hooked on petrol.
I was hoping to see some windsurfer dealers, since I bought a board this fall and am looking for a harness and to line up some lessons in the spring, but there were none to be found.
Safe/Sea was offering 3 years for the price of 2 on membership renewals, which I think is a great deal. On top of that Captain John Andrews offered an attractive discount for my second boat, so don't be bashful about asking what they can do if you own multiple boats.
The 5:00 pm seminar by Charley Soares field editor of The Fisherman Magazine on mid summer striped bass fishing was also almost empty. Charley's presentation was as usual full of fish, good advice and opinionated but enjoyable and informative.
I met Joe Burke, Publisher of Points East Magazine and told him the story about how I lost the Points East hat that I had won in their Mystery Harbor Contest a few years ago.
I finally gave in to the temptation to buy a set of guaranteed for life Bad Dog Drill bits which are made in Bristol, RI and have been sold at the show for as long as I remember. Seeing the demonstrator drill though a bastard file, then a brake rotor and the head of a hammer convinced me. I'm rebuilding the windshield on Lots A Luck and have to drill out about a hundred 35 year old stainless screws in the aluminum frames. I'll let you know how that works out.
One of the neatest things I saw were some very reasonably priced laser cut wooden tool and tackle boxes made by Van & Company of Pawtucket, RI. It's sadly rare, but refreshing to see some fine craftsmanship made in the USA at very reasonable prices.

Motor yacht CARINA moored at the Newport Museum of Yachting

2008-01-04T16:55:00.000-08:00

These photographs of the Carina were taken in August 2007 in Newport Harbor off the Museum of Yachting.

Photos of Adirondack II in Newport RI

2008-01-01T10:26:00.000-08:00

Photos of Adirondack II sailing on Narragansett bay and at the dock in Newport, RI taken during the summer of 2007.

Squid Salad with peppers for the Holidays

2007-12-31T13:34:00.001-08:00

May is squid fishing season in RI. I had my most successful year yet. Before the holidays my friend, George, told me the squid is getting too old to use for bait so we would have to eat what's left. (just kidding!) I came up with this squid salad recipe right before Christmas.

2 lb. squid cleaned - rings and cut up tentacles
12 oz. wine vinegar - for extra flavor use garlic vinegar
1 med. onion diced
1 sweet red pepper diced
1/4 cup mild yellow pepper rings
1/4 cup diced hot cherry peppers
1/4 cup celery diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Ground black pepper

Rinse the squid and simmer for 35 minutes in the vinegar. Add just enough water to the vinegar to cover the squid. Stir occasionally. You can add a dash of red pepper flakes and/or a bit of "Hot Shot" to the vinegar to spice it up a little. Drain and rinse the squid in cold water.

Toss the squid in a bowl with the diced onion, peppers and celery.
Sprinkle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the mixture, and season with ground black pepper to taste. Chill and serve with crackers or crusty bread. Enjoy!

Happy New Year,
Chuck

Madeline at Sunset during the 2007 Newport Jazz Festival

2007-12-29T07:32:00.000-08:00

One of my highlights of 2007 was spending the weekend on Lots A Luck in Newport on the Jazz Festival Weekend. Here is a photo of Madeline cruising past our anchorage taken Saturday evening, Aug 11.

What's lurking in your gas tank?

2007-11-25T15:29:00.000-08:00

I was running the outboard on the Boston Whaler yesterday to winterize the motor. The motor started up OK, but died after warming up for a couple of minutes. I tried and tried to restart it, but couldn't get a kick out of the engine. Although there were a couple of gallons in the 6 gallon portable tank I was using, the engine sounded suspiciously like it was out of gas. I switched over to the second tank and after a couple of false starts, it started right up and ran. Using a large funnel, I drained the gas from the first tank out into a can. As the tank neared empty, the fuel started looking milky. The photograph shows what it looked like after the gas and water separated. This is my first exposure to serious ethanol/water separation. I filled up the tank in September, and it sat 2/3 empty until late November. Glad I didn't run into this while out on the water!

My fleet is put to bed for the winter now. I'll be rebuilding the windshield for Lots-A-Luck in the garage, and dreaming of warmer weather. Keep warm!
Chuck

Peter Duck a Haven 12-1/2 built by Eric Dow visits Newport

2007-08-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

I met a gentleman visiting from CT, who was rigging a gorgeous Haven 12-1/2 sailboat with his daughter at the Fort Adams launch ramp in Newport last weekend. She is a new boat, built by Eric Dow of Brooklin Maine and delivered about six months ago. He told me the hull is cedar.

I did some looking on line and and took the following excerpt from an interview with Eric Dow by Pauleena MacDougall and Amy Appleton published by the Maine Folklife Center

We still try to stick with wood as much as possible but it’s still the same design pretty much. I’d like to continue to build wooden pea pods but when I started out I think I sold the first one for $700 and you couldn’t begin to paint one for that now. The fiber glass ones are about $2,500 now and they take no time compared to a wooden would take to build. I don’t know a wooden pea pod like that now would be in the $11,000 range. There aren’t many people willing to pay that kind of money for a rowboat. They are very rare so we jumped up a step and we’re building the Haven twelve and a half. It’s a 16-foot day sailor, sailboat, very traditional design. It was adapted by Joel White from the Brooklin Boat Yard. He took a Herreshoff design and based this on the Herreshoff style, which had been a very popular boat. Woodenboat magazine was interested in that project and did a how to build boat and fairly publicized the design. We went into that and it got the price where we could and still do produce those boats and are able to earn a living at it. When you can build a 16-footer and get in the $30,000 range for it then the numbers work better than they would in a smaller boat.

What a fine piece of craftsmanship! I felt privileged to have a chance to get a close look at this rare beauty. After a bit more poking around the web I found another one listed for sale in Southwest Harbor Maine. The price is equivalent to a year's tuition at a good private college. For more on the Haven 12-1/2 see http://www.havenbuilders.com/

I hope to see you on the water!
Chuck

NOAA Raster Nautical Charts are available online

2007-04-02T18:42:00.000-07:00

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) decided to make Raster Nautical Charts (RNC) available online at http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/ These charts are geo-referenced, full-color images of NOAA's paper nautical charts, and are published by NOAA in the BSB format (Note 1) . NOAA updates the RNC for Notices to Mariners on a weekly basis. They are an official product of NOAA and meet the S-61 Standard - Raster Navigational Charts - of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO).

The following corporations/organizations offer a number of charting related products that may provide useful important information. This listing is for information only and neither the Office of Coast Survey nor the Government endorse any of the products or services provided by these corporations/organizations. The links for raster chart navigation software connect to Web pages outside of the Office of Coast Survey Web site.

Free "Demo" Raster Chart Navigation Software
(for viewing NOAA RNC™ (BSB format) files)

Global Navigation
Software Co .
Maptech Raster Chart Software The Cap'n Raster Chart
Software
GPSNavX
Rose
Point
Fugawi
Marine ENC Software
Caris Easy ENC

Free online viewing of NOAA raster charts is available using the links below
(for use as a reference or planning tool).

US Atlantic Coastal Charts are accessible using the free NOAA Raster Chart Viewer. The free viewer offers limited image size and resolution; however, the online charts provide an accessible reference.

Note 1. BSB format is named after one of Maptech's predecessor companies, BSB Electronic Charts, which had an exclusive license with NOAA to produce official electronic editions of NOAA's library of paper charts. Soon, BSB Charts became the official standard for electronic navigation, with many other companies creating software to use these charts.

Regards,

Chuck

Why trailer wheel bearings need to be re-packed every year

2007-02-25T19:28:00.000-08:00

After every season, I pull the wheel bearings off my trailer, clean them out and and re-pack them with fresh grease. This year, when I pulled the right hand wheel off the trailer, the seal was in perfect condition. The grease looked like the day it had been packed. There was no evidence of water infiltration. I started to wonder if I really needed to re-pack the bearings this year. When I pulled off the other wheel, it was a different story. From the color of the grease, it was immediately obvious that water had infiltrated the seal. The grease was milky white with rust mixed in. Letting that side go through the winter and into another season would have been a recipie for disaster. Each season, I put a few hundred miles on the trailer. I mostly use the local launch ramps around town, within a few miles of my home, but I do make a few trips to Newport, Point Judith and Charlestown each summer that rack up some highway miles. We've all seen too many boat trailers left along the side of the road due to a bearing failure to let this go. If you haven't pulled those bearings out yet, now is a perfect time to take care of them.
Regards,
Chuck

Fishing humor: Give a man a fish...

2007-02-25T08:34:00.000-08:00

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

Top 20 Reasons WHY FISHING IS BETTER THAN SEX... courtesy of Jim "Lead Rod" Boland, Sr.

#20 - No matter how much whiskey you've had, you can still Fish.

#19 - A limp rod is still useful while Fishing.

#18 - You don't have to hide your Fishing magazines.

#17 - It is perfectly acceptable to pay a professional to Fish with you once in a while.

#16 - The Ten Commandments don't say anything against Fishing.

#15 - If your partner takes pictures or videotapes of you Fishing,you don't have to worry about them showing up on the Internet if you become famous.

#14 - Your Fishing partner doesn't get upset about people you Fished with long ago.

#13 - It's perfectly respectable to Fish with a total stranger.

#12 - When you see a really good Fishing person, you don't have to feel guilty about imagining the two of you Fishing together.

#11 - If your regular Fishing partner isn't available, he/she won't object if you Fish with someone else.

#10 - Nobody will ever tell you that you will go blind if you Fish by yourself.

#9 - When dealing with a Fishing pro, you never have to wonder if they are really an undercover cop.

#8 - You don't have to go to a sleazy shop in a seedy neighborhood to buy Fishing stuff.

#7 - You can have a Fishing calendar on your wall at the office, tell Fishing jokes, and invite coworkers to Fish with you without getting sued for harassment.

#6 - There are no Fishing-transmitted diseases.

#5 - If you want to watch Fishing on television, you don't have to subscribe to the Playboy channel.

#4 - Nobody expects you to Fish with the same partner for the rest of your life.

#3 - Nobody expects you to give up Fishing if your partner loses interest in it.

#2 - You don't have to be a newlywed to plan a vacation primarily to enjoy your favorite activity.

#1 - Your Fishing partner will never say, "Not again? We just Fished last week! Is Fishing all you ever think about?"

CoastalCafe

2007-02-20T04:13:00.000-08:00