Cruise In

07 Jun 24:

We wandered by the monthly Cruise In and saw lots of fun cars. It was too hot to pretend like the Mustang Convertible was fun, so we took our fun Ford Edge ST. We were wondering if we should pull a boat next time, the ST trim level has a twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine that boasts 335 horsepower. 

Most of the other cars did not have trailer hitches...

Now this Chevy 3100 pickup was sweet, but not a twin turbo or All Wheel Drive. 

HEUER GARAGE Upgrade

03 Jun 24:

The HEUER GARAGE (East) houses most of our vintage wooden boats, we have to keep them away from the squirrels that like to chew on wood. But it gets a bit too warm in the Summer, which can dry out the wood and adhesives. Ideally we could leave the boats under an outdoor cover, over a dirt floor...or on or near the water. In the meantime...

Today's upgrade, a small window unit to knock the high temps down on the really hot days. 

June = Strawberries

01 Jun 24: 

Welcome to June and strawberry pickin...

Image: Benjamin Mendlowitz

Biker Gang

30 May 24:

To recover from our 5K trail walk we took the Momentum bikes out for an 8 miler. They are set up with 8 speeds, plenty, and nice cushiony tires that still roll well. We also set my bike up as a Grocery Getter and Thrift Shop Raider. 

Physical and Mental Therapy

28 May 24:

Skipper hurt her back in 2022 and is lucky she didn't end up in a wheelchair, but, she's hard headed. As part of her recovery and our ongoing effort to keep pave with an active lifestyle, we walked a 5K at Lake Mariner in Newport News.

There are some small up and down spots to make the winding trail interesting, plus a lot of lake vistas. We highly recommend the Noland Trail if you are visiting Newport News, and of course the Mariners' Museum.

Boat Yard Critter Update

28 May 24:

We had two Inspectors on site today...I say on site, it appears that they both live under the deck and/or the sheds, which we so kindly provided for them.

Our buddy named Buddy, a Carolina Box Turtle.

And one of more than a few anoles at the boat yard. It seems to be wearing deck camo today, they are usually blue.

Our critters are boring. If you want to read about a sensational tale involving two anoles, check out Webb's post from Self-Portrait In the Present Sea, May 28th: Hilton Head Island: sex on the deck; ship’s weasel; unleaked; repair

Bath Time for CYANE

26 May 24:

Poor CYANE, our 1972 O'Day Day Sailer II, was turning kind of green in her shady porch spot, so we pulled out the pressure washer and gave her a 2000 psi fresh water rinse. The porch is getting hosed off as well.  

We are still scouting for a good spot to rig and launch. In the Old Timey Days we had enough pep to rig (step 22 foot mast), sail and downrig all in one day, but that didn't leave much time for sailing. So our 2024 Plan is to spread the rigging, sailing and downrig over at least a 2 day period, maybe even find a slip to leave the boat for a couple of weeks. If you have some ideas around Southside VA, leave a comment please.

Cheers,

Kent and Audrey

Log of CYANE.

Yard Sailing

25 May 24:

Skipper's Drascombe Lugger was starting to disappear behind flotsam and jetsam in the garage, and we prefer to not have to move a bunch of junk to get the boat out, so we did some garage TETRIS today followed by yard sailing. 

The purpose of yard sailing is to check that we have all the bits needed to get out on the water, and that we remember how to rig the boat. A dress rehearsal. 

Video: https://youtu.be/vgNFj773IQ4?si=TmF7Mv-RJfjso6UU

Check out Skipper's awesome winch, handed down from her Grandpa Nelson. 

Much better, now only one cooler needs to be loaded and one bike moved...

...and Mustang Super Sally...

Log of ONKAHYE.

Caulking a Seam - Inch by Inch

24 May 24:

We are caulking seams when we can, today we got another couple of feet done between chasing the Grandkid around.

Here's a tip. Leave a tail of cotton sticking out when knocking off for the day, so you know where to pick up the caulking next time.

Boat Works still life.

This little waxed canvas bag from the WoodenBoat Store has found a use, it holds our caulking irons, seam rollers, small mallet and a few other caulking related items.

There are several parts of this gunwale trim that are chowdered up, we need to come up with a plan to copy and replicate some new pieces. A medium size piece of braided line is nailed into the cove to act as a bumper. If you have ideas, please add a comment. 

All bunted for Memorial Day and July 4th.

Log of HENNING.

TSCA Warraskoyack Chapter Scuttlebutt Update

17 May 24: TSCA Warraskoyack Chapter Scuttlebutt Update

Howdy from Smithfield,

1. Gregg sent a notice about a workshop at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, they're inviting folks to learn about taking lines off of an 18 foot Abaco Sailboat 13-14 July.

2. Eric, Captain of the Jamestown Replica Ship Fleet, has checked in to the Chapter and invites folks to drop by Jamestown to say hi and see the ships. The Jamestown ship GODSPEED will sail this Saturday May 18 (Edit - Rained Out) for Jamestown Day and again on Sunday. There will be a film crew and chase boat out on Saturday, so Sunday would be a better day to spectate from the water. 

3. Steve E and SPARTINA are messing about in the Pamlico and Albemarle. https://logofspartina.blogspot.com/

4. Audrey and I are caulking tiny seams on our 10 foot Bahamas Dinghy HENNING, and boxes of Kirby primer and paint are stacking up. Maybe we should host a Prime and Paint workshop? FWIW it is safe to drop by now, all of the old paint removal and rough sanding are finished up....well, except for the mast. Swing by if you are in the Smithfield area. Our blog has the latest on HENNING's progress: https://smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com/p/bahamas-dinghy-henning.html 

5. We like to launch at Tyler Beach, Rushmere, Isle Of Wight County. There is a decent beach for dolly launching and also a ramp that leads into a protected slip area. Tyler Beach is on the shoal corner of Burwell Bay and the water is shallow quite a ways out, a fun spot not visited by many powerboats. Be careful in the water though, there are cinder block remnants from an old shoreline structure, but the water is clear enough to see most of those.

Bennett's Creek in Suffolk is another good launch spot. 3 ramps that are part of a City Park complex. Good water with marsh, and Decoys waterfront restaurant is not too far away with docks and slips. 

6. John is back from Walt Simmon's shop with his new 15' Lincolnville Wherry, hoping to splash it soon.

7. Holler back with your news and pictures to add.

Fair Winds,

Kent and Audrey

Warraskoyack Chapter of Traditional Small Craft Association Newsletter Archives