Monday, August 28, 2006

Charleston Ships

Tall ships fans view and go aboard the visiting vessels in Charleston, South Carolina during the Tall Ships Challenge Series in 2004.

Vessels pictured (from right to left) are the Tenacious from the UK, Cuauhtemoc from Mexico, Mircea from Romania and Cisne Branco from Brazil.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Grand Nellie in Camden, NJ

65-foot Schooner Grand Nellie from Duluth, MN and Oriental, NC crosses ahead of the 887-foot Battleship New Jersey in Camden.

Grand Nellie's visit to Camden was during the Tall Ships Challenge Series visit to Camden and Philadelphia in 2004.

Link here for more info on the Grand Nellie and here for the Battleship New Jersey web site.

The 2007 Tall Ships Challenge Series will be back on the Atlantic Coast of North America with stops in Charleston, Norfolk, Newport and Halifax.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Sunfish Panorama

The Dutch Island Rounding is usually the final race in the annual Sunfish Super Sunday regatta at Saunderstown Yacht Club in Narragansett Bay.

Downwind starts keep the fleet together for half the race.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Appledore III

Appledore III operates from Rockport, Massachusetts and takes visitors out for daysail trips.

She recently returned from her third 'round-the-world voyage.

She will probably race in the Gloucester and Provincetown schooner races this fall.

Six Appledore schooners have been built by Herb and Doris Smith -- Appledore II is in Maine and Appledores four and five are in Bay City, Michigan. Not sure where the others are.

For info on Appledore IV and V, and a short history of the Appledore schooners, link here.

For info on Appledore III, link here.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Spinnakers Astern

The Ensign fleet starts at the same time we do in the cruising (non-spinnaker) division of the Wickford Wednesday evening series.

It pays to get clear of them downwind so we aren't blanketed by their spinnakers.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

There Goes Our Fleet

We were well below the line when the gun went off for our start -- but managed to make a strong comeback to place second that evening in the cruising division in the Wickford Yacht Club Wednesday series.

I was sailing aboard the wooden 8-meter sloop King Haakon, named for a king of Norway. The sloop was built in Norway in the '50s.

Friday, August 11, 2006

Jacksonville Square Dance

Four tall ships jockey for position for the best shot in a mock gunbattle in Jacksonville in 2004.

From left to right, Schooners Freedom, Pride of Baltimore II, Voyager and Brigantine Meka II participated in Tall Ships Challenge 2004 organized by the American Sail Training Association.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Messing About in Small Sailboats

Daughter Chelsea and her boyfriend Tom out for a spin on the simple, stable beginner's boat, the Escape Solsa.

I could hear them hooting and laughing from shore -- fun is what sailing is all about!

Saturday, August 05, 2006

A J Meerwald in New London

Schooner A J Meerwald from Bivalve, New Jersey alongside at New London's State Pier for the 2004 Tall Ships Challenge Series.

In the background from left to right are naval sail training ships Cisne Branco, Mircea and Cuauhtemoc from Brazil, Romania and Mexico respectively.

The 2006 Tall Ships Challenge fleet is currently in Chicago and will be open to the public through August 9 at Navy Pier, DuSable Harbor and on the Chicago River. Next year's tour will be on the Atlantic Coast of North America and will include stops in Charleston, Norfolk, Newport and Halifax.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Hyannis Mark Rounding

104 Club 420s competed in the Hyannis (Massachusetts) Regatta last weekend -- it was a windy weekend for the junior sailors, except during the last race which had to be abandoned when the wind died.