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| Photo from the Lesser Light blog |
To find out more about Luke and Michelle and their life aboard The Lesser Light, check out their blog.
~Pamela
Showing posts with label boat envy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boat envy. Show all posts
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Lesser Light...
To find out more about Luke and Michelle and their life aboard The Lesser Light, check out their blog.
~Pamela
Wandering and taking photos...
The sweet tug that just docked across from us. I LOVE this little boat!
Patrick, being kind enough to get Max and Carib's boomarang off the roof.
Salty Dog
Salty and Paul...what's a little kiss between friends?
Paul and Salty
Bert...asleep on the settee...
Bob, asleep on the other settee...
Notice that they leave no room for me?!?!
Monday, November 15, 2010
City welcomes Lynx...Replica schooner to make St. Augustine its home for the winter
The tall, white sails and 1812-era American flag of the naval schooner tall ship Lynx were visible to locals and tourists alike from the seawall of downtown St. Augustine to the sands of Vilano Beach.
The replica schooner from the War of 1812 era made its debut in St. Augustine waters midday Thursday, escorted by police and fire rescue ships and local boat owners wanting to get a closer look at the 122-foot high, 114-ton vessel. Cannons fired across the choppy waters of the Matanzas Bay as the ship and its crew passed through the Bridge of Lions and onward to the St. Augustine Municipal Marina -- where the ship will call home for the next five months.
The privateer Lynx is a man-made replica naval schooner and serves as a living history program through the Lynx Educational Foundation. The schooner will stay in St. Augustine until February as part of an East Coast tour in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 and "The Star Spangled Banner."
Yvonne McCaw and Rosemary Stasch left their St. Augustine homes by 11 a.m. Thursday to give themselves enough time to find a good place to watch the ship come through the bay. They settled with nearly a dozen others on the newly constructed wooden deck in between the seawall in downtown St. Augustine and the Bridge of Lions. There they watched the ship sail through the draw of the Bridge of Lions.
"It's a gorgeous day and a gorgeous boat," McCaw said. "It's not everyday you see a boat this fancy."
Lynx Captain LeeAnne Gordon and her crew of seven will be hosting educational dockside tours of the ship during their five-month tour of St. Augustine. Crew members wear period dress and the ship flies flags from the 1812 era.
"It's great to hear that the captain is a woman, too," said Stasch. "That's one for our team."
The crew traveled to St. Augustine from Charleston on Thursday. The ship recently arrived on the east coast after completing the 2010 Great Lakes United Tall Ships Challenge Series in Hawaii and California.
The ship could be seen from the Vilano Beach shores from as early as noon Thursday. One couple having lunch at an otherwise deserted Vilano Beach boat ramp could see the tall white sails whipping in the wind as the ship made its entrance into the inlet.
Children and adults are invited to attend a dockside tour or educational sailing adventure program hosted by the crew while the Lynx remains in the St. Augustine Municipal Marina. Those interested can learn how to hoist the sails, steer the ship, fire the man battery of 6-pounder carronades and experience life aboard a schooner.
ABOUT THE LYNX:
* The ship is 122 feet high and weighs 114 tons.
* It is an interpretation of a privateer or naval schooner from the War of 1812, the war that led way to America's "Era of Good Feeling" and gave the country its national anthem.
* The ship features flags and pennants from the 1812 era, a crew dressed in period costumes and operating the ship as sailors would in the 19th century, and six carronades, which are short, cast-iron cannons.
* The new Lynx, built in 2001, is a square tops'l schooner classed as "sharp-built" schooners based on the Baltimore pilot vessels of the early 19th century. They are known for their inherent speed, sea-worthiness, and ease of handling.
* The Lynx Educational Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan, educational organization, dedicated to hands-on educational programs that teach the history of America's struggle to preserve its independence, according to its website.
* For more information, go to http://www.privateerlynx.org/.
The history behind the vessel
* Lynx is an interpretation of an actual privateer named Lynx built by Thomas Kemp in 1812 in Fell's Point, Md. The original Lynx was among the first ships to defend American freedom by evading the British naval fleet then blockading American ports and serving in the important privateering efforts.
* At the outbreak of the War of 1812, the American Navy consisted of only 17 ships - eight frigates, two brigs, and seven assorted smaller vessels including a few schooners that saw service in the Barbary Wars, according to its website.
* As early as the navies of the world engaged in combat, privateers crossed oceans in search of prey. This practice became widely accepted during the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries. These were not "pirate" ships, but armed and sanctioned vessels authorized to attack the enemy ships of whichever country their own nation fought. They were owned and operated by civilian -- private -- individuals, hence, "privateer."
* When a nation went to war, owners of private vessels were granted special permissions, called "letters of marque," to prey upon the enemy's shipping, thus they were called "privateers." While rarely engaging enemy warships, their impact was felt by English merchants who insisted on warship escorts for their vessels. To perform this duty, warships were drawn away from engaging the scant American Navy and blockading our coast, and thus did the privateers.
The replica schooner from the War of 1812 era made its debut in St. Augustine waters midday Thursday, escorted by police and fire rescue ships and local boat owners wanting to get a closer look at the 122-foot high, 114-ton vessel. Cannons fired across the choppy waters of the Matanzas Bay as the ship and its crew passed through the Bridge of Lions and onward to the St. Augustine Municipal Marina -- where the ship will call home for the next five months.
The privateer Lynx is a man-made replica naval schooner and serves as a living history program through the Lynx Educational Foundation. The schooner will stay in St. Augustine until February as part of an East Coast tour in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 and "The Star Spangled Banner."
Yvonne McCaw and Rosemary Stasch left their St. Augustine homes by 11 a.m. Thursday to give themselves enough time to find a good place to watch the ship come through the bay. They settled with nearly a dozen others on the newly constructed wooden deck in between the seawall in downtown St. Augustine and the Bridge of Lions. There they watched the ship sail through the draw of the Bridge of Lions.
"It's a gorgeous day and a gorgeous boat," McCaw said. "It's not everyday you see a boat this fancy."
Lynx Captain LeeAnne Gordon and her crew of seven will be hosting educational dockside tours of the ship during their five-month tour of St. Augustine. Crew members wear period dress and the ship flies flags from the 1812 era.
"It's great to hear that the captain is a woman, too," said Stasch. "That's one for our team."
The crew traveled to St. Augustine from Charleston on Thursday. The ship recently arrived on the east coast after completing the 2010 Great Lakes United Tall Ships Challenge Series in Hawaii and California.
The ship could be seen from the Vilano Beach shores from as early as noon Thursday. One couple having lunch at an otherwise deserted Vilano Beach boat ramp could see the tall white sails whipping in the wind as the ship made its entrance into the inlet.
Children and adults are invited to attend a dockside tour or educational sailing adventure program hosted by the crew while the Lynx remains in the St. Augustine Municipal Marina. Those interested can learn how to hoist the sails, steer the ship, fire the man battery of 6-pounder carronades and experience life aboard a schooner.
ABOUT THE LYNX:
* The ship is 122 feet high and weighs 114 tons.
* It is an interpretation of a privateer or naval schooner from the War of 1812, the war that led way to America's "Era of Good Feeling" and gave the country its national anthem.
* The ship features flags and pennants from the 1812 era, a crew dressed in period costumes and operating the ship as sailors would in the 19th century, and six carronades, which are short, cast-iron cannons.
* The new Lynx, built in 2001, is a square tops'l schooner classed as "sharp-built" schooners based on the Baltimore pilot vessels of the early 19th century. They are known for their inherent speed, sea-worthiness, and ease of handling.
* The Lynx Educational Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan, educational organization, dedicated to hands-on educational programs that teach the history of America's struggle to preserve its independence, according to its website.
* For more information, go to http://www.privateerlynx.org/.
The history behind the vessel
* Lynx is an interpretation of an actual privateer named Lynx built by Thomas Kemp in 1812 in Fell's Point, Md. The original Lynx was among the first ships to defend American freedom by evading the British naval fleet then blockading American ports and serving in the important privateering efforts.
* At the outbreak of the War of 1812, the American Navy consisted of only 17 ships - eight frigates, two brigs, and seven assorted smaller vessels including a few schooners that saw service in the Barbary Wars, according to its website.
* As early as the navies of the world engaged in combat, privateers crossed oceans in search of prey. This practice became widely accepted during the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries. These were not "pirate" ships, but armed and sanctioned vessels authorized to attack the enemy ships of whichever country their own nation fought. They were owned and operated by civilian -- private -- individuals, hence, "privateer."
* When a nation went to war, owners of private vessels were granted special permissions, called "letters of marque," to prey upon the enemy's shipping, thus they were called "privateers." While rarely engaging enemy warships, their impact was felt by English merchants who insisted on warship escorts for their vessels. To perform this duty, warships were drawn away from engaging the scant American Navy and blockading our coast, and thus did the privateers.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Irwin 28
So there's a new sailboat for sail that's coming into the marina either Sunday or Monday. It's an Irwin 28, which is a couple of feet longer than The Mystery, but has a wider beam. Wider beam = wider boat and more living space:-) Bob and I are going to take a peek and see if maybe this will provide a better living solution for us for the winter.
According to the owner, it was very well maintained until a couple of years ago when it was placed on the hook and "forgotten". It does need a really good scrubbing and the rub rails need replacing, but the engines work (which is a huge plus considering we have none), it's already set-up for shore power (which we are not), and the galley is a little more functional. It's not bigger, mind you, but it's at least set to the side so it can be used without stepping in the cooking area so you get on and off the boat. Perhaps the biggest plus of all...are you ready for it? There's a working head and a working shower on board! Oh to be able to use the head on the boat instead of trekking up to the showers at night! Think of the luxury! No more walks in the dark! Let's cross our fingers that this boat will suit our needs:-)
Photo's of a Irwin 28. *This is not the interior of the boat we're looking at, but extremely close...
According to the owner, it was very well maintained until a couple of years ago when it was placed on the hook and "forgotten". It does need a really good scrubbing and the rub rails need replacing, but the engines work (which is a huge plus considering we have none), it's already set-up for shore power (which we are not), and the galley is a little more functional. It's not bigger, mind you, but it's at least set to the side so it can be used without stepping in the cooking area so you get on and off the boat. Perhaps the biggest plus of all...are you ready for it? There's a working head and a working shower on board! Oh to be able to use the head on the boat instead of trekking up to the showers at night! Think of the luxury! No more walks in the dark! Let's cross our fingers that this boat will suit our needs:-)
Photo's of a Irwin 28. *This is not the interior of the boat we're looking at, but extremely close...
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| This is a 1075 Irwin 28" - basically the same boat |
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| Two settee's - a must with all three of us! |
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| Galley to the left (notice the covered stove AND there's a small refrigerator) Quarter berth on the right |
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| Storage behind the settee's |
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| Oh...my dreams come true~roflol A working head and shower! |
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Power vs. Sail...I have boat envy!
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| HUGE improvement in livable space...and cost |
I now have a major case of "boat envy". This morning, Bob and I went to see a few boats that are available at auction in a neighboring marina. After checking out a little Catalina, we stepped aboard a Chen Wa power boat...talk about impressive! It has 2 separate sleeping quarters on opposite ends of the boat, 2 separate heads with shower and bathtubs for each of the berths, a huge state room and plenty of outdoor space. The storage on board was impressive AND there was a stove, oven, refrigerator and double sink! There is a huge difference in size once you go "power". Unfortunately, there's also a huge difference in price, maintenance and gas usage. I guess that we'll be sticking with sails! Besides, The Mystery is actually starting to grow on me:-) For such a little boat, she's suiting our purposes at the moment.
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