10 Comments

Ah Janice! I'm reading Dan Blank's Substack this morning. And imagine my surprise at discovering you, a writer and a woman my age, living 45 minutes South of me. Eastern Shore stories. Nice to read you neighbor!

Expand full comment
author

That's delightful! Let's stay in touch and I look forward to it as well! Thank you for reaching out!

Expand full comment

My boatyard neighbor had a freshly built little wooden sloop and oh how I lusted after that beauty. There’s something inherently more beautiful about boats that originate in a forest rather than an oil well.

As you say, some things are not worth saving, like a big wooden trawl that sank one weekend on the Eastern Shore in the slip next to us. It was kind of sad. They used an excavator to remove her from the water and load her into dumpsters.

Have you ever caught a glimpse from Key Bridge (RIP) of the Baltimore Clipper hulls that were burned to the water line, sank, and are visible during low tides? Or the wooden merchant marine hulls in that big marsh at the southern tip of MD? During WWII, someone decided that it was a good idea to build a bunch of cargo ships from wood, but the war ended so they towed the unfinished ships to the marsh to rot away.

Expand full comment
author

It's a completely different feel. We know of your pieces of history except the southern Marsh so will explore that.

Did you read my post last week THE WOODEN BOAT PHENOMENON? If not, I think you will enjoy. Thanks for the fabulous comment and for following along!! Love the engagement and the history.

Expand full comment

I did read it and I enjoyed it a bunch. I made me think of that little wooden boat in the next slip to mine. It still smelled like fresh wood. He replaced a big Bennetau that sat so long the diesel in the tank turned into black cottage cheese.

I can’t imagine what it’s like now to sail around Sparrow’s Point and seeing what’s left of the Key Bridge.

Expand full comment

Also, I noticed in one of the pictures that someone was removing a big strip of caulking. Do you need to recall all of it?

Expand full comment
author

TBD....we pulled reamed all the bow seams...not sure how far and how many planks need to be replaced....but yes. We have 12 pounds of cotton ready for insertion!

Expand full comment

When we lived in Elkridge, there were a couple of ship projects that really intrigued me. The first was when they towed in the USS Coral Sea and scrapped her just north of the freeway tunnel. The entire venture was a disaster and they finally decided to tow it to India to complete the salvage, but the Navy wouldn’t allow it. I think it took them 6 or 7 years to cut it up.

The second was when they restored the Constellation that is now in the Inner Harbor. The last time I saw it, it was a finished hull and they were still building decks.

https://www.navsource.org/archives/02/43s.htm

https://historicships.org/explore/uss-constellation

Expand full comment

Ah, a stranger who gets it -- as many seem to do. What is it about us humans, that can make connection with someone we've never met before feel richer and more meaningful than a full conversation with someone we've known for years? I think it's being reminded of just how much we do share in common with others, and that it doesn't always take a lot of words to discover that.

Glad you've landed with the Deadrise Maritime team. Good guys!

Expand full comment
author

I always try for that commonality but as I age have less time for folks without it so perhaps I judge too quickly as I think most strangers don't get me.....and my lifestyle. Perhaps I should offer more? Something to consider.

Oh, and the family thinks I'm a big bag of nuts, too!! 😆 Ah well. Nothing to prove. Deadrise we love...fixed our mast last year (see Woodenboat #298 first feature article) but the boys didn't show up this morning!!! They will.

Rock the day.

Expand full comment