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| November 10, 2018 Post 54 |
| 2018 Season |
Docked at Waupoos |
The year began with the departure of Sara B’s mooring neighbor, Titania, the 32 foot Chris Craft Cherokee. She went off to Ithaca with a new owner, and hopefully had a good summer there. Later in the summer Sara B picked up a new neighbor on the moorings- a smaller “cousin” the schooner rigged Tancook Whaler formerly owned by Edgar Denton. And at summer’s end the Pleasant Beach Hotel, Sara B’s home since 2007, appeared to be getting a change of ownership.
A couple of stalwart Sara B associates swallowed the anchor this season, but Jim Aspenwall and Elliot Smith stuck with her for some day sails as did Teresa LaMond, John P’s sister. We had a grand romp with some of Chris’s Colorado relatives, and in July Sara B’s former owner Charlie Deroko brought his wife Laura and daughter Julia up for a couple nights at the hotel before heading off on a canal adventure with a rented Lockmaster boat. Since we ourselves had just gone on a canal cruise with our 23 foot trailer sailor the month before, we spent a fair amount of time talking of canal politics and points of interest. The weather and schedules didn’t allow for a sail but Charlie and company did go out to the mooring for a visit with his old boat.
It was great fun to gam with the old salt, who now does survey work on historic vessels, and who has so much knowledge of rigging and other aspects of 19th century shipping. One bit of advice he has for those who venture into the restoration of an old wooden boat is if it’s really hard to take it apart, you probably shouldn’t have! We also enjoyed his daughter with her lively curiosity and sharp eye for the natural wonders of the dock and village landscape. We got word after their canal adventure that it had been a great success.
Sara B made it over to Canada for a very short visit to Waupoos and Main Duck and enjoyed a good visit with Bruce and Diane Milem. Bruce re-activated Sophie after a lay up of several years and it was fun to see her afloat again.
The summer featured a lot of hot weather and light winds so much of July and August was less than great schooner sailing. However towards the end of the season we did get H and Bonnie and thirteen(?) friends and family out for a gentle farewell to Fair Haven sail around the bay. We had Sara B down a couple inches on her lines with that crowd.
All too soon the Pleasant Beach staff said good bye, packed up their furniture and drove off to life without a restaurant. As far as we know the new owner is on track to re-open it in the spring, still with docks and moorings. We surely will miss the Scovilles as they were real “FOSBAS” (Friends of Sara B) right from the start when we brought her over to their dock back 2007. A week or two after they left, Sara B chugged up to Fairpoint was downrigged and hauled out.
We decided it was time to renew her ‘arch’ (aka Sara B’s boom gallows) and so have removed the old structure to use as a pattern for new steam bend wood. We are also going to replace the knees that hold it in place. So that’s the project for this winter/next spring. Now it’s sit back by the fire and watch the darkening days of winter pass by as we dream of spring schooner sailing for one more year.
Main Duck Island |
No sailing today! |
Edgar Denton's Tancook Whaler, about to be christened Elliot's "Heather". A couple of fine old salts, Tom and Wayne, attending. |
"Heather" with a bone in her teeth |
H and Bonnie's gang |
Susan, downrigging the triatic |
On the way to get her bottom washed |
And covered for the winter |
Steam bending white oak for the new arch |