Lovely T
Her website and occassional blog is here:
I know a lot of guys who have wooden boats or Melonseeds, or both, and have artists for wives. Must have something to do with placing such a high value on aesthetics, even above more practical things. I can think of seven off the top of my head without even trying hard, guys that I know personally. Definitely a pattern to it.
Emily in her kayak
One nice thing about a big loop in a river… It doesn’t take much driving to set up the shuttle to float it. Saves a lot of time.
On Sunday, we left Emily’s car at the ramp at Four Locks, then loaded up the boats and headed over to McCoy’s Ferry. It’s a short trip, but we passed through tunnels under two canal aqueducts and a really high train trestle to get there. The ramp at McCoy’s Ferry isn’t in great shape, but we got loaded and launched without too much trouble.
Bill watching the clouds build
I alluded to this story back in the summer, but was so busy then I couldn’t take time to tell it. Roger Rodibaugh recently reminded me that he and a few other folks have been waiting quite patiently to hear it. Actually, several adventures from last summer slipped by unaccounted for that I should revisit. Now, with it cold and snowy outside, seems a good time to get back to them.
Gannet takes it’s spot in the shed.
The Gannet is too big to fit through the door to the basement, I knew that already, and Terri is using some of that space as her studio now, anyway (she has a show coming up in March, yay!).
So for now, the Melonseeds have given up their place of privilege in the shed, and are parked on the trailer under a tarp arrangement, enough to provide some reasonable protection I hope, and the Gannet has moved inside.
Helen Marie
Beaufort is about halfway to Bradenton, Florida, land of Dave Lucas and his band of merry boat builders. So this trip offered a good opportunity to make a quick raid on “Sure It’s Wood” Forest to abscond with the new boat project (about which more presently). But doing it in a day meant leaving before daylight and returning long after dark, with only a brief visit in between.
optimistic trailer
We’re heading south for Beaufort, SC, to visit family in what’s becoming our typical chaotic fashion. Multiple cars, overlapping schedules, etc.. The girls left at 4am from another city. Christmas Eve, we’ll be driving most of the night hauling this empty trailer while Santa makes his rounds. Less than 48 hours later, after a bit of musical vehicles, a different mix of us will return. I’ll stay longer, but plan to make a mad dash to Tampa and back before heading for home. Zaniness.
If it all works out, I’ll return with another boat project in tow. Just what we need! That will make a total of five craft in one form or another that can carry sail.
Mmm. Maybe I should think about this a bit more.
Up before the sun
The South Wind blew itself out overnight, left everything warm and quiet in the morning. Very quiet. Just birds and crickets and the occasional splash of minnows along the water’s edge. Got up early before sunrise, made some coffe, and watched the wildlife wake up slowly. There’s some nice video at the end of this post. It will give you a really good feel for what it was like.