COLD WAVE and PLATTER on display in Greenport, LI last weekend
photo by Mike Acebo

A trio of Eagles kept watch over the
Hudson River Ice Yacht Club Fall Cocktail Party

Most of the major timbers are in place by 3 pm

Lowering the mid plate on the east side. Temporary strong back reinforces the splice.

...and the mid plate on the west side as the cross braces are slid in at the same time.

Fall 2012 EAA fly in at Klein Kill -- N8AS 1943 Grumman G-44 Widgeon seaplane.

Eggemoggin Reach Regatta 2012

Fife designed and built yacht ADVENTURESS in Castine, ME this summer.
 

The Eggemoggin Reach Regatta (ERR) is an annual event for wooden sailboats held on the first Saturday in August in Brooklin, Maine. It is the culmination of a series of races and maritime events in "Downeast Maine". Castine, home to the Maine Maritime Academy, kicked off the event this year on August 1 by hosting an open house for a number of historic yachts designed and built by William Fife III and a late afternoon lecture describing the incredible efforts and struggles by their current owners to restore these yachts to their current pristine condition. The ERR yachts begin the race in staggered fleets in the Reach in front of Brooklin Marine, fly down the "Thoroughfare" past our vantage point on Hog Island,  round Egg Rock and Halibut Rocks, and return past us once again to the finish line at the headquarters of Wooden Boat Magazine. There are more photos in the online web albums.

Early leaders close hauled and beating into the wind

Chasing Butterflies

 The boys about to get swallowed up by split rock

Post race fleet moors at Wooden Boat for the party on shore.

Many people were surprised to learn that we still actively sail our fleet of historic old yachts and that the Hudson River still does freeze with a regularity that makes our sport possible. When you look at the evidence, it is hard to deny that global warming is occurring -- but there will be "normal" winters and "colder than normal" winters for many years to come that will continue to fill the river with a foot or more of ice for weeks or months and allow us to keep the tradition of ice yachting here in the Hudson Valley alive.

August in Maine

It was uncharacteristically hot, humid and rainy most of the month of August in Maine -- this made it difficult to get many of the tasks done in the blueberry field that we were hoping to accomplish. A wet and late spring had many disease and insect problems in high gear all along the coast -- working in the fields when they are wet just exacerbates the problems as you tend to track them around and spread infections which would affect us adversely in the 2013 crop year.

The boys erect the first shelter on the new land.

A foggy view from the summit of John B. Mountain in Brooksville.

Mechanical harvester working the blueberry field they rocked and leveled two years ago.

Victory Chimes, one of three remaining triple masted US schooners, sails by Hog Island.
In 1989, this boat traveled up the Hudson River on her way back to the Great Lakes via the NYS Barge (Erie) Canal. While pulling the masts in Rensselaer, local rigger (HRMM loft) Nick Benton was killed when the rotten center mast collapsed while he worked aloft.
Currently for sale again -- $1.2 million and you can own a National Historic Landmark.

Maine sunset from the hill

Current Jetstream Forecast and Surface Conditions -- Image by Environment Canada

<  Right click images on this page to view them full size and resolution >

Ice Opti used in the junior sailors program -- photo by Mike Acebo

Hudson River sloop CLEARWATER is at the dock to celebrate it's new winter home.

Fife designed and built yacht  BELLE AVENTURE at the HRMM Saturday.

Fall 2012 EAA fly in at Klein Kill -- NC32168 1941 Waco UPF-7 minus the wheel fairings.
 

The first wave begins to arrive at Hog Island

Spectators following along in a nice sailing trawler

Our group enjoying the day on Hog Island

The fleet returns -- some on spinnakers, some without.

Stormy Maine sunset from the top of the hill.
 

View towards Acadia before the tree cutting began.

After a few days of cutting, the water view and mountains are starting to come to the fore.

High altitude contrail casting its shadow on the clouds below.

Happy Hour at the top of the hill at sunset.

Sunset -- with the sun just below the band of clouds to our west.