829 Southdrive

829 Southdrive

A New Jersey state of mind



Thursday, June 30, 2011

Indispensable


Recently, we were without a microwave for a week.  My daughter
wanted a cup of tea the other day and actually asked me, without
thinking, how she was going to boil water.  Really.  It's amazing
how often you rely on microwaves for otherwise simply cooked
or re-heated foods.  What do you use your microwave for most?

Stinkboat


A combination stinkpot/blowboat.  It's funny, I think I've seen these
MacGregors used as motorboats almost as often as sailboats.  And
it's kind of odd to see one under power, barreling down the bay.


Sunday, June 26, 2011

Graduation!



Our first baby.  Someone once told me to enjoy the first couple
of years when she's little because she'll grow up so quickly.  I
went to the fridge to get a beer, and when I returned, Wham!
There she was on the stage receiving her High School diploma.


We took advantage of the great weather forecast and the natural
amphitheater that is our backyard and invited family and close 
friends to celebrate the occasion.


Main course:  Roasted Pig.  Having never attempted this before,
I spoke with several people and watched countless Youtube
testimonials, ordered the pig from a butcher, the charcoal roaster
from the party rental outfit, and dove in head first.  It was quite
an experience, one I will never forget.  But there are a couple
things I may do differently next time.  I think I may expand on
this subject in the near future at a different location.


Lawrence High School's finest.  A great bunch of friends
who are all always welcome in our house.


Well this is supposedly a blog about sailing too.



Some watched from nearby, while others watched from the safety
of the hammock.  From any vantage point, it was a spectacle not
to be missed.  There's nothing more entertaining than watching
someone handle a hot, slippery, crispy roasted pig while trying to
grip a large, very sharp knife and carve enough meat to feed 50
people at one time.  Fortunately, a friend grabbed another knife
and made smaller serving-sized pieces out of the hunks I was
producing.  I would not have been able to do it without his help.




Happy-people sounds emanated from under the tent and umbrella.
Good conversations were had and friends, siblings, cousins, and
 relatives who don't always get to see one another as much as they 
should got caught up and re-acquainted.  It's what usually happens 
when we all get together.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Bygones


The garvey is a classic Barnegat Bay work boat whose salad days
are long since past, but there are still a good handful of them
still plying (love that word - plying) the local waters.  I wondered
about the name of the boat, but then realized that the pilot did 
have the right to bare arms. If I had a garvey, I'd name her Steve.
Now that guy had big forearms.  I was more interested in the 
home port of the boat than I was the name.  Aserdayton, the 
skipper informed me, is a small hamlet that no longer exists.
Where? I asked.  Between Warren Grove and Tuckerton.
If my memory serves me, Warren Grove is not more than 
a bend in the road, so it wasn't difficult to imagine Aserdayton
not being there anymore.  I do remember Lucille's as being the 
the main business at that bend in the road, one of many
quirky roadside attractions one finds in the Pine Barrens
on the long desolate drive to Atlantic City.


Monday, June 20, 2011

Railmeat


Will hike for watermelon.

Monday, June 13, 2011

More Meow



With the 2011 BBYRA season fast approaching, I once again am
hopeful to be asked to crew on one of the A-cats.  I've had the
good fortune to sail on Mary Ann alongside my Dad, and it's
an experience I won't ever forget.  It's hard to grasp the sheer
power the boats possess without being underneath the massive
sail and sitting high on the weather rail.  A true Barnegat Bay
rite of passage and an opportunity not to be passed up.  
These days, ties and boaters are optional.



Familiar scene from the Wanamaker course on a down-bay 
BBYRA Saturday:  the Seaside bridge in the background
and the unmistakable E-scows sharing the spotlight.




Eno's is long gone, but the A cat crews have been known to
meet at the Captain's Inn for cocktails after the annual
anchor-start race, hosted by Ocean Gate Yacht Club.



I don't know about stunned, maybe awed is a better word.



More proof that beer and sailing go hand in hand.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

In my own little office



I'm as mild and meek as a mouse
When I hear a command I obey
But I know of a spot in my building
Where no one can stand in my way

In my own little office in my own little chair
I can be whatever I want to be
On the wings of my fancy I can sail anywhere
And the sea will open its arms to me

 

I'm a brave Norwegian Viking and a wine connoisseur
I'm the greatest photog in the land
I'm an heir who always has his sails made
By his own sail loft in San Fran

I'm a man girls go mad for, love's a game I can play
With cool and confident kind of air
Just as long as I stay in my own little office
All alone in my own little chair

 

I'm a Captain on a round-the-world voyage
I love throwing good money after bad
They gave me a hero's welcome at every port
It's the biggest thrill they've ever had

I am lost in the ocean all alone and hove to
When a rogue wave rises up in the air
Then I'm glad to be back in my own little office
All alone in my own little chair


We hope you get the hell out on the water soon!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Toms River Tune-up



E scows start in the shadow of the Seaside Bridge.



Forget all of the generations of beachgoers and
vacationers that have made this town an iconic summer
destination.  Two seasons and a bunch of idiots from
Staten Island turned Seaside Heights, New Jersey
into a world-wide phenomenon.  A dubious distinction.



Unfazed by the recent notoriety of the town in the
background, two scows work to weather.



The precise reason there are tune-up regattas.



The precise reason for masthead flotation devices.
As aluminum masts became more prevalent in the
early seventies, so did the possibility of getting one 
stuck in the mud if you capsized.  Wooden masts 
were quite a bit more buoyant, and your chances
of righting the boat and finishing the race were good. 



All of a sudden, I have an incredible urge for a beer.



Which kind of scows are these again?



Picture yourself in a boat off of Bayville
A tangerine palm tree that catches your eyes


Friday, June 3, 2011

Hey Dude


Hey Dude, don't make me mad
Take your Jet-ski and go away from here
Appreciate the fact that we were here first
Go quench your thirst, and have your tenth Lite beer

Hey Dude, don't piss me off
You were told to give sailboats right-of-way
The minute you do donuts near my boat
I will take note, and flip the bird your way

And any time you feel the urge, hey Dude, think twice
Don't ride with your girlfriend on your shoulders
For well you know that you're a fool, don't try to be cool
The way you behave, you won't grow older
Na na na na--na, na na na na..........

Hey Dude, don't let me down
Slow your Jet-ski and watch my anchor line
Remember, there are folks here trying to relax
While having snacks and sipping on their wine

Don't speed it up, but slow it down, hey Dude, don't frown
You're wanting someone with whom to grow older
But don't you know that it's just you, hey Dude, boo hoo
The girlfriend you had fell off your shoulders
Na na na na--na, na na na na......yeah

Hey Dude, don't make her mad
Turn around and, go back to get her
Remember to bring a smoke and a beer
It'll be clear, you're making it better
better, better, better, better, better...Oh!

Na na na nanana na
Nanana, hey Dude!
Repeat several times