Subject: Re: [Catalina-22] [OT] Sailing a beautiful wooden boat

From: "Jeff Fongemie" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 10:57:46 -0400

MessageThanks Chip.  
She's 35 foot plus one heck of a bowsprit. The owner is absolutely maticulous in keeping everything in perfect working order. 

He's got a blog here:
http://dovetails.wordpress.com/recent-posts/

While the boat itself is a reproduction, much of the hardware is antique I beleive. No Harkin blocks anywhere.  We took 4 and a half days, sailing about 50% of the time. We spent one day just motoring to get past Casco Bay. Luckily for us, the winds were often from the south-west so we spent most of the time on a steady beam reach. 

Having the dog on board was a plus I feel. It forced us to keep the days short since we had to row the dog to some land to go to the bathroom. This does does not swim! Ted, the owner has tried everthing including kiddie pools filled with sand with no luck. 

 -jeff

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Chip Ford 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 10:11 AM
  Subject: RE: [Catalina-22] [OT] Sailing a beautiful wooden boat

  Jeff, as you so accurately stated, "If you appreciate wooden boats, this one is a beauty."  "Black Star" - Portsmouth, NH -- surely is!  I looked at all your photos and all I can say -- thinking back to my big old wooden boat days -- is, whoa what a whole lot of work just to hold your own!

  How big is "Black Star" (LOD) -- 38-foot or so?  How old?  From the gaff-rig and wooden blocks (!), it's got to be from back in the late-20s, early-'30s, or an accurate reproduction.

  What a bowsprit, and some daring photos you took from it.  I recall one day on "Yankee Girl," our 60' Alden schooner (1926), standing on the bobstay beneath ours, hanging onto the bowsprit with one hand and stroking the dolphins swimming ahead of and crossing the bow.

  Davits are a nice touch.  We had them on the "Even Song," our 48-foot ketch (1928).  Never mind towing a dinghy, just hoist it up.

  An antique binnacle in the cockpit too!  We had one of those aboard the "Even Song" as well.

  The running lights are antique I'm sure.  I'm not certain whether your friend has running light boards (attached to the shrouds) or just brass lights on the shrouds, but so many nice antique touches -- belaying pins and all.

  There's nothing like that Sou'wester hat he's wearing.  I've got one for myself that's come in handy a few times (especially with the first new foul-weather gear jacket I spent a small fortune buying, then discovered the hood in the collar is useless).

  When I cruised with my yellow lab, Rip, doggy business was always a problem.  He didn't like pooping or whatever on the deck -- wanted to go ashore.  Usually I'd take the dinghy in with him -- but not the hard way.  I'd get myself settled into it while Rip was still aboard pacing the deck.  "Okay Rip, jump!" I'd tell him and overboard he'd leap.  I'd toss out the painter, he'd grab it, and tow the dinghy wherever I pointed, drag it right up onto the shore.  Other times when shore was nearby, I'd point and just tell him, "Okay Rip, jump," and over he'd go with a splash heading for the beach and relief.  When he was content, he'd swim back out and I'd hoist the barking dog back aboard.  (I had two good shoulders back then, twenty-plus years ago!)

  That's a nice cruise, Portsmouth, NH to Rockland, ME.  Portsmouth, with its Piscataqua River current, is a bit challenging if you don't time it right:  If you do, you fly.  How long did it take you?  It must have been fun, lucky you!  Thanks for the photos -- you should write up your experiences and tell us about them.

  Chip Ford --
  Marblehead, Mass.
  1974 Swing Keel "Chip Ahoy" #3282
  CTY032820374
  Chip Ahoy website:  www.chipford.com

  -----Original Message-----
  From: [email-masked] [mailto:[email-masked]] On Behalf Of Jeff Fongemie
  Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 7:35 AM
  To: [email-masked]
  Subject: [Catalina-22] [OT] Sailing a beautiful wooden boat

  Hi everyone, 

  This is very OT, but I've posted some pictures from my trip last week on a friend's Friendship Sloop called the Black Star. We sailed her from Portsmouth NH to Rockport Maine.

  http://www.fongemie.com/pubs/blackstar/

  If you appreciate wooden boats, this one is a beauty.

  -jeff

  ----------------------------------------------------------
  Jeff Fongemie
  1986 Swing Keel "Surprise" #13699
  Sebago Lake, Maine
  STATUS: lubber

---

From: "Chip Ford" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 11:30:19 -0400

Casco Bay.  That's my destination this year -- Chebeague Island just outside
it, a little northeast. (isn't everything up there after Casco Bay?)
 
For a reproduction, your friend Ted did a remarkable job of keeping it
traditional.  When you see him next, tell him I'm very impressed -- and that
I'll be in Portsmouth sometime in early- to mid-August on my way up to
Chebeague Island.  I'll have an eye out for "Black Star" on the river.
 
Chip Ford --

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked] [mailto:[email-masked]] On
Behalf Of Jeff Fongemie
Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 10:58 AM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: [Catalina-22] [OT] Sailing a beautiful wooden boat

Thanks Chip.  
She's 35 foot plus one heck of a bowsprit. The owner is absolutely
maticulous in keeping everything in perfect working order. 
 
He's got a blog here:
 
While the boat itself is a reproduction, much of the hardware is antique I
beleive. No Harkin blocks anywhere.  We took 4 and a half days, sailing
about 50% of the time. We spent one day just motoring to get past Casco Bay.
Luckily for us, the winds were often from the south-west so we spent most of
the time on a steady beam reach. 
 
Having the dog on board was a plus I feel. It forced us to keep the days
short since we had to row the dog to some land to go to the bathroom. This
does does not swim! Ted, the owner has tried everthing including kiddie
pools filled with sand with no luck. 

 -jeff

 
----- Original Message ----- 

From: Chip  <mailto:[email-masked]> Ford 
To: [email-masked] 
Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 10:11 AM
Subject: RE: [Catalina-22] [OT] Sailing a beautiful wooden boat

Jeff, as you so accurately stated, "If you appreciate wooden boats, this one
is a beauty."  "Black Star" - Portsmouth, NH -- surely is!  I looked at all
your photos and all I can say -- thinking back to
<http://chipford.com/interest.htm> my big old wooden boat days -- is, whoa
what a whole lot of work just to hold your own!
 
How big is "Black Star" (LOD) -- 38-foot or so?  How old?  From the gaff-rig
and wooden blocks (!), it's got to be from back in the late-20s, early-'30s,
or an accurate reproduction.
 
What a bowsprit, and some daring photos you took from it.  I recall one day
on " <http://chipford.com/yankee_girl.htm> Yankee Girl," our 60' Alden
schooner (1926), standing on the bobstay beneath ours, hanging onto the
bowsprit with one hand and stroking the dolphins swimming ahead of and
crossing the bow.
 
Davits are a nice touch.  We had them on the "
<http://chipford.com/even_song_adventure.htm> Even Song," our 48-foot ketch
(1928).  Never mind towing a dinghy, just hoist it up.
 
An antique binnacle in the cockpit too!  We had one of those aboard the
"Even Song" as well.
 
The running lights are antique I'm sure.  I'm not certain whether your
friend has running light boards (attached to the shrouds) or just brass
lights on the shrouds, but so many nice antique touches -- belaying pins and
all.
 
There's nothing like that Sou'wester hat he's wearing.  I've got one for
myself that's come in handy a few times (especially with the first new
foul-weather gear jacket I spent a small fortune buying, then discovered the
hood in the collar is useless).
 
When I cruised with my yellow lab, Rip, doggy business was always a problem.
He didn't like pooping or whatever on the deck -- wanted to go ashore.
Usually I'd take the dinghy in with him -- but not the hard way.  I'd get
myself settled into it while Rip was still aboard pacing the deck.  "Okay
Rip, jump!" I'd tell him and overboard he'd leap.  I'd toss out the painter,
he'd grab it, and tow the dinghy wherever I pointed, drag it right up onto
the shore.  Other times when shore was nearby, I'd point and just tell him,
"Okay Rip, jump," and over he'd go with a splash heading for the beach and
relief.  When he was content,
<http://chipford.com/graphics/Rip_Good_Ole.jpg> he'd swim back out and I'd
hoist the barking dog back aboard.  (I had two good shoulders back then,
twenty-plus years ago!)
 
That's a nice cruise, Portsmouth, NH to Rockland, ME.  Portsmouth, with its
Piscataqua River current, is a bit challenging if you don't time it right:
If you do, you fly.  How long did it take you?  It must have been fun, lucky
you!  Thanks for the photos -- you should write up your experiences and tell
us about them.
 
Chip Ford --
Marblehead, Mass.
 
-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked] [mailto:[email-masked]] On
Behalf Of Jeff Fongemie
Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 7:35 AM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: [Catalina-22] [OT] Sailing a beautiful wooden boat

Hi everyone, 
 
This is very OT, but I've posted some pictures from my trip last week on a
friend's Friendship Sloop called the Black Star. We sailed her from
Portsmouth NH to Rockport Maine.

 
-jeff