Relief Crew 13

Here was RP #12.

Jim Reilly noticed a picture of Dolphin III on this blog and wrote the following cautionary tale . . .   “I bought Dolphin III from a less than honest gentlemen up in Portsmouth, New Hampshire back in 2005.  She is a 45′  Young Brothers built in Corea, Maine. She was originally a “stick boat” used to harpoon giant bluefin and swordfish in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. When I bought her she had a 25′ bow pulpit that the harpooner (stick man) would stand on to be over the fish before they ever heard the boat. That is also why there is such a high tower on her…for spotting finning sword/tuna. She is powered by a single Detroit diesel.

The original steam down from New Hampshire to Brooklyn, NY was quite a trek. My crew consisted of my father, who only came to escape my mother and sneak a few beers, and his buddy who was escaping his wife. Not exactly a “fit crew”…LOL  The first day of steaming was beautiful as we steamed through Cape Cod Bay into Sandwich, at the foot of the canal. We berthed in Sandwich over night and waited for the sun to come up. All I can say is FOG, FOG, FOG for the next three days we were socked in.  With food, beer and money running low, we headed out in the soup [and tide]. Dolphin III does about 8kts and the canal does about 6kts for a net total of 2kts…LOL.  Two kts in pea soup fog with the chart plotter not reading a course because forward speed was too slow…hair raising to say the least. It seemed like days before we emerged in Buzzards Bay. A lessoned hard learned…wait until the canal is flowing with you before shovin off…LOL.     We made Montauk by nightfall and as we were pulling into the fuel dock at the Montauk Yacht Club the steering went. We spent the next day getting funds wired to us, making repairs and hitting Liars Saloon in Montauk for a few laughs. The next morning it was blowing a gale, so we remained at the dock. By this time my fathers buddy (a true land lubber) had enough and summoned his daughter to drive east and pick him up…LOL

We set out the next morning and had flat calm seas as we cruised through the Long Island Sound. We were making good time when once again the steering gave way. We weighed anchor and attempted to make repairs. No matter what we tried, we could get no steering from her. I attempted steering with a pipe wrench on the rudder post, but knew we would never get through Hell Gate like that, so we radioed Sea Tow and were towed into Norwalk CT. A resident marine mechanic there said I was looking at $5,000 in repairs.  Me and my father sat in the cockpit, feet up on the transom and laughed at how we should change the name of the vessel to Jynxie or Jonah when a man at the dock inquired about purchasing the vessel. He was a commercial diver from Jersey and was looking for that type of vessel. I explained that the boat was going to need work and as we shared a few drinks he decided to buy the boat from me right then and there. I took a down payment and a cab home to Brooklyn. A week long trip that should have taken no more than three days and we show up with no boat…….just a typical story that is my life.

A week later the buyer met me in Brooklyn with the remainder of the payment and steamed the boat down to Barnegat Light for awhile where she was dry docked for at least a year. It looks like he is finally working her.   My father, who is very sickly now, still shakes his head and laughs at the entire trip. Last year I bought a 44′ wooden lobster boat from Maine and the trip went a lot smoother.  Sorry for the long drawn out tale. I feel like I am lying on a couch talking to a shrink about a traumatic ordeal…LOL   Next time you see the Dolphin III have a laugh and tell  your pals she’s an ex-stick boat originally from downeast Maine. Best of Luck to you.”

Jim . . . thanks much for the story.    Fotos taken last summer by Will Van Dorp.  I’ve not noticed Dolphin III in the sixth boro since then.

Anyone have a great sixth boro story, please get in touch.