Spring Sail 2

Here was the first time I used this title.

America II looked resplendent bathed in a last burst of late afternoon sun yesterday.

She was one of several sail vessels out;  here Pioneer seems headed over to a new loading point.

On a meteorologically different afternoon a few weeks ago, I caught Lettie G. Howard out headed for the Kills. Here was another spring when I caught Lettie under very bare poles.

 

 

I saw Topaz briefly only once, so far away she was only a tall mast, but Claude Scales caught this from his daily vantage point.  Click here for a close-up of Nantucket WLV-612 from three years ago.

No words . . . no gilding the lily!

Pioneer heads back to the dock.

Anyone know where Mary E is sailing from these days?

Thanks to Claude Scales for use of his Topaz photo.  All other photos by Will Van Dorp, who has used the title “autumn sail” much more frequently.  And if you have not yet read my article about sailing to Cuba last winter, you can read it here.

People on the Boro 19

For context, let’s look back here. And last year among some of the great photos shared by Harry Thompson, here (scroll) was a crowded harbor photo I really liked.

Last Saturday saw threatening weather; even so, lots of small boats and crowds braved the possibility of rain to see the races.

Vigilance prevailed and I heard of no incidents.

And yes, I paid a lot of attention to the Bath Maine-built 1906 Mary E, but that’s because I haven’t seen her in 9 years . . . obviously I was looking in the wrong places.  Click here and scroll for a photo of Mary E in Greenport almost 9 years ago.

Harvey was there.  Scroll here for one of my favorite photos of the 1931 Harvey, cutting through the pack at the 2013 tugboat race.

The 1885 Pioneer was there. Click here for a sail I did on Pioneer a few years back.

A raft of small boats clustered yet kept orderly.

The 1935 Enticer  . . . well, enticed, spectators as a platform.

as did a range of people movers. 

including the 1983 Arabella.

The captain of the heavyweight out there, the 2014 Eric McAllister, treaded lightly through the crowd.

Of course, out in the mist along the Jersey side there are more heavyweights, a Moran tug and its huge NCL gem.

And as for my ride, Monday morning it was earning money going for a load of scrap.

Another tall old ship that might have been present–the 1928 Bivalve NJ-based A. J. Meerwald had other missions to perform.

All photos by will Van Dorp.  And for photos of some of the people on the boro who were working during the race, check out NYMediaBoat’s blog post.

 

 

Still More Sail 5

Can October already have arrived? Summer 07 chucked into the memory?

 

Surely autumn winds must be hurling this cute sloop. Anyone know the name of this vessel in Greenport last weekend?  And the four sails’ names?  jib, staysail, gaff-rigged main, and topsail?

Not a day younger than a century plus a year, the Mary E sails towards the east and soon headed west. Catch her as she heads through the west end of Long Island Sound.  By the way, what name goes with the forwardmost sail currently set here?

 

Other than that this schooner with tanbark sails goes by Gallant and has sailed out of Greenport for decades, I offer nothing.  I gather the color came originally from a bath used to preserve sail cloth?

I caught a glimpse of Kalmar Nyckel, Delaware‘s tall ship, the other week as I crossed westward on the Verrazano. Thanks to Daniel for sharing this foto and to Fielding for helping me identify what I saw. It looked tiny as it motored toward Sandy Hook past an anchored tanker.  As to sail names here, guess I’ll just have to go to Delaware and take a tour.

Other photos, Will Van Dorp.