And so it comes to this

I have never watched the weather as closely as I have begun to today. Five days from now, the Monomoy Pulling Boat's crew will attempt to cross Chesapeake Bay from Cape Henry to Cape Charles - a trip which relies heavily on the weather to cooperate. So, for the next several days as the last minute preparations are made and finalized, the only reporting I'll be doing is re-posting the weather and its expected impact on our crossing, both Northbound on Satuday and Southbound on Sunday.

This is still several days out, so accuracy cannot be expected until we get closer.

Saturday:

Partly Cloudy, 20-30% chance of rain

WINDS: Westerly at 6-10 knots

Assessment: GOOD. Fair sailing until we reach Fisherman's Island, when we'll need to beat off a dangerous lee shore, dotted with fish traps and guarded by Lattimer Shoals - a minimum depth of 3 feet, dangerous even for the Monomoy.

Plan: steer NxW and cross the bridge/tunnel as soon as possible. If possible, keep off the Eastern Shore far enough to reach downwind on the approach to Kiptopeke.

ETA Kiptopeke: 1300

Sunday:

Same as above

WINDS: North shifting Northeast 8-10 knots.

Assessment: EXCELLENT. Not only will we be able to stand out and away from Kiptopeke under sail, but we'll have freedom to choose where we cross the bridge tunnel without worrying about position on the other side. Expect a smooth crossing entirely under sail.

Plan: Use the tide to run down the North Channel toward the Atlantic, then turn due South and run downwind on a starboard reach to compensate for the cross current in Thimble Shoals Channel.

ETA First Landing: 1200

Not too shabby, but keep your fingers crossed.

Will

Hey Joey Guns! I have a new toy for you!

It's clogging up my damned shop entry and weighs a sodding ton! Worse yet it's on one of those horrible green rolly carts and the tires are damned near flat. Someone had better get their hide over here and shift this thing into the gunner's cage where it belongs!

Or maybe I'm making too big a deal of this.

Here at the dockyard we just took delivery of our first gun - a light 3-pdr from Lion's Den Arms. The proprietor, Mr. Les Szabo was very helpful in not only arranging the transaction but also providing specifications for the gun's naval carriage. That carriage is currently back-burnered as the dockyard crew presses on with final preparations for the Monomoy's crossing of Chesapeake Bay. But very soon after, the attention will shift back to it, and hopefully by June we'll see her fitted out and afloat.

For now, I'm still making my calls to get some help here.

Will

NNNN

Something's lurking... don't think I don't see what you're up to

There have been many things rumbling around the dockyard lately, and I do mean rumbling.

For starters, the new ordnance carts we purchased to move the new 3-pdr gun and all its equipment have been shuffling in, out and about. I've noticed one of them is a little - um - bent up (?) and we don't even have the gun barrel in yet. Reports said the carpenters were moving trees? Riiiiight. Well at least we can look forward to getting that gun barrel in today (yes, it is arriving today, truck freight) so maybe that will keep those damned rolly rolly wagons out of my way.

Another rumbling around is the sound of the truck we use to haul the Monomoy trailer. The high pitched wisp wisp wisp is probably a clutch needing to be replaced. Where is our motor mechanized division when we need them? Maybe we need to start looking hard into something beefier.

And the last rumbling - that everyone thinks I know nothing about - I hear talk of a "secret weapon". In and amongst the conversation I hear the word "womper". Don't think I haven't seen that movie and don't know what you're talking about. Anyone who is planning on stuffing more canvas onto a boat needs to have it properly approved first. Don't waste your time trying to produce something that will only get shot down in the end. Enough said.

Now, on the same note, if you want to produce another, larger sail, you can start doing some math. Prove to me your concept could work and we'll talk about getting it made. I rather like the idea of an alternative "fair weather" rig for the Monomoy... just don't pretend that you're going to hoist anything up that mast so much as a napkin without my approval.

-Will

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There's no stopping this tough boat - or her crew!

Yesterday was our last training session for Conquer the Chesapeake 2010 - an event happening later this month where we will attempt to row and sail across Chesapeake Bay from Cape Henry to Cape Charles. The training sessions are meant to introduce new crew members to the boat, and exercise our skills, both in seamanship and teamwork. Yesterday was certainly the best training session we've had yet, providing both a great time and a fair share of challenges for the crew.

Getting underway from the MWR Marina at Naval Station Norfolk around 1000, we stood Northwest for Strawberry Banks in Hampton. Sailing well, we made about 6 knots as we entered Hampton Roads. However, it was there that we met our first challenge, when the yard sprung at the halyard tye. After unbending the sail from the yard, we bent it onto one of our oars, and hoisted that instead. The oar served well as a yard for the remainder of the trip, despite the unsightly oar blade protruding forward of the sail.

Our next challenge was on landing at Strawberry Banks, where our tandem anchor rig fouled and caused some confusion. Designed to moor our chase boat offshore, the messenger line became twisted at the buoy block. The monomoy crew re-embarked, got underweigh and fished the anchor and re-rig the messenger line, maneuvering without the aid of the steering oar with great success. Rack up one more victory for teamwork and good oarsmanship.

Getting underway from Strawberry Banks, we rowed Southwest into Hampton Roads and anchored for lunch. The transfer of stores from the chase boat to the Monomoy went much more smoothly than last weekend, the packages being securely sealed and tossed from boat to boat as the chase boat made a quick pass.

On the way back to Norfolk, we made good time until swept by the ebb tide over the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, where we stepped our mast and rowed back into Willoughby Bay under the East bridge. Again, some teamwork and a hard pull at the oars managed to get us the half-mile into the bay directly into the wind and a three knot current.

Hard rowing, great sailing, repairs on the fly - a great session.

So to all who came out, thanks for another great day on the water!

BT

A new yard for the Monomoy (a solid piece this time) is being measured and trimmed from one of our spar blanks later today. The shop will be open from 3-7 pm, so come on out and lend a hand.

BT

All Monomoy crew for Conquer the Chesapeake have been notified. Due to privacy concerns, we are not posting the names online. Stand by for more information about event preparation later this week.

That's all for now!

Will

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What? Doing what I planned on? Can't be!

At long last... it's FULLBORE FRIDAY! Yes, thats right, I remembered my regularly scheduled but seldom published Friday blog entry where I highlight something awesomely nautical and motivational. This week, I'm keeping with the spirit of yesterday's entry and highlighting some of the awesomeness that is the Brig Niagara. But first, a word about a word that I intend to change the meaning -or at least use of, slightly.

When I set out to paint my living room, I decided to be slightly different and cool, so I chose a color of turquois called nautical. It was very quickly agreed by all concerned that this was a very good choice in not only color, but that the color is aptly named, most of my interests being nautical. That word came up more and more as an adjective - make that a little more nautical, more nautical here. At one point someone said it like a surfer says radical - that's nautical, dude! So yes, from this point onward, when something would be said to be awesome, cool, radical etc.... it is nautical.

Yeah, okay I know.

BT

Without further adieu - Fullbore Friday, your Moment of Zen... can I steal more terms for this?

The Brig Niagara was discussed yesterday, and I hope at least some of you now have an itch to go up and see her. But one thing I didn't go into too much detail about is her use of her carronades. Originally the ship carried 18 or 20 32-pdr carronades (I'll wait while you decipher that). Today, she has six, but usually carries four. Those, however, she makes spendid use of. Aside from the regular "for the kids" shoots, they also fire LIVE occassionally - that is, with not only powder but with a ball as well! In fact, one of my favorite things about the homeport museum (as I stated yesterday) is that they reconstructed the side of a period ship using period tools and techniques, then took it out to a range and shot the living crap out of it with the ship's guns.

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And my personal favorite was a page out of the chapter from last year's trip to Put-in-Bay, Ohio. Some of the crew found a candy shop and purchased an enormous jawbreaker - I mean that thing was massive. It also happened to fit the bore of the carronade perfectly. So one day - and I can imagine how this must have gone - there's these crewmembers in front of the captain, holding out the jawbreaker - "please?" Of course, the skipper being an awesome guy and never short on imagination or nautical know-how, agreed. And from the firery jaws of the smasher that day flew a giant ball of sugar. Just like a regular ball, it skipped at least twice, but held together.

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I can only take off my hat and bow respectfully, even at the memory of those fun days.

Hoping to do that again this year,

Will

Brig Niagara underway!

Since my first stint on board the Brig Niaraga last fall, I've been following her with great enthusiasm. Despite the best efforts of her remarkable crew and office staff, she is little known in the navy. And little known is an understatement. The fact that Oliver Hazzard Perry's flagship at the Battle of Lake Erie is afloat and sailing today is amazing in and of itself (more on that in a minute) but the fact that nobody in the navy really knows about it or cares to do anything once they find out is even more astonishing.

For those of you who are not familiar, the original Niagara was built in 1813 at Presque Isle - today Erie, Pennsylvania. After the famous battle where Perry reported "We have met the enemy and they are ours" she was laid up and sunk (yes, sunk!) to preserve her timbers in the cold muddy waters of a place called Misery Bay in case she should be needed again. Raised in 1913 to celebrate the centennial of the War of 1812, she was kept in Erie as a display piece and poorly cared for. Several restorations ensued, but the final restoration in 1988 was the only real long-term preservation effort. There, she was completely rebuilt by a crew led by Melbourne Smith in historically correct methods. Now - on that score - the ORIGINAL ship was hauled out, dissassembled, and the ship rebuilt. To me, that means that she is the original ship, restored. Others, including the National Parks Service claim that because the only original timbers remaining after the restoration were used in non-structural areas, she is a replica. Sorry, but I have to raise the BS flag on that one. She is as much the original as is USS CONSTITUTION, the Navy's very own "grandfather's hatchet". We replaced the head three times and the handle twice but it's still grandfather's hatchet. But I digress.

Today, Niagara sails out of the port where she was built almost 200 years ago. People can pay to sail in day classes or for extended periods aboard her and get the most hands-on experience of life in the Age of Sail that exists. Learn to handle lines, climb the rig - for crying out loud you even cook on a wood-burning stove and sleep in hammocks! It is utterly and completly AWESOME and I urge every single person who has an interest or has ever had an interest in fighting sail to GET YOUR KIESTER OFF YOUR CHAIR AND DOWN TO HER BERTH, ASAP! You will not regret a journey of any length nor anything you have to put off to see her - guaranteed.

Even the museum that was built around and for her in Erie is amazing. Inside, one of the best displays is a reconstructed side of the ship, which they took out to a firing range and actually shot at with the ship's guns. Battle damage and all, the recreated side is on display with a full summary and explanation of each shot hole and shattered timber - along with a video of the destruction. It is incredible, and something you won't find anywhere else. Because that's how they roll.

Today, Niagara is underway on her annual shakedown, ready for another season. To her crew: rock on, guys, I hope to return and join you soon! To NHS members and the navy at large: read, learn, support - get hot!

And in the words of Perry's Battle Flag - "DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP!"


- Will

Playing nice together - OR - dude I'm not going near that guy.

Aside from our scheduled trainning session this past Saturday I also volunteered to join another crew on Sunday for the 400th reenactment of settlers landing at Hampton, VA. John Collamore of the Colonial Seaport Foundation coxswained the shallop Explorer for the event.

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Altogether the event was rather small - being principally made up of only a handfull of reenactors ashore. However, we in the shallop had fun. Separate from the rest of the speeches and festivities, we waited patiently with our cargo of three settlers waiting to land. We got underway from the marina at Fort Monroe and stood out the short distance to the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, where we anchored on the North side for about an hour. Then we picked up and shifted to the other side of the bridge and anchored again. All the while, we had a relaxing afternoon in the shallop, talking and joking around. Conversation ranged from sea storiesfrom the various sea service vets present to a discussion of vampire hunters in 17th century Europe. Being around these folks - mostly from Blackbeard's Crew and the Crew of the Archangel - is always interesting and highly enjoyable.

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So finally our moment in the sun came. Dutch (the afore mentioned John Collamore) got a cell phone call coordinating our landing, and in we went. We landed on the beach at Strawberry Banks without a problem, and just as everyone looked up to see the crowd, we realized that the biggest Indian (can I say that? or is it Native American. No offense intended) anyone had ever seen is standing on the beach with a spiked club. Of course he was there to 'greet' us as part of the scripted friendly landing but whoa geez was that guy huge. And I'm 6'5"! There was a collective moment where everyone kind of looked at everyone else and said, "you go first". I mean seriously, talk about one of those "flash" moments - imagine what that would have been like to land at for real. We knew he wasn't going to use the club, but crap - I mean this is the kind of person that can only be characterized as a serial crusher, a huge frickin guy [hear Boondock Saints]. The worst part is that I'm sure he's completely awesome - for those of us in the boat crew, we may never know.

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We got underway as soon as we'd dropped off our three "settlers" and stood off shore about a hundred yards - aiming to run West the quarter mile to the Hampton River and the marina that would haul us out. Afterward, we all dropped by Marker 20 in downtown Hampton for a few drinks and an early dinner.

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All in all, I spent a highly enjoyable afternoon with some great people.

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Lessons learned:

1. Don't let the huge guy with the spiked club smell your fear.

2. Going to a random event once in a while can be a lot of fun - even if it's not your group you go with!

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Thanks again, guys - it was fun. Big guy - if you read this, get in touch! And not with the club please - send an email!

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Will