WINDFALL II BEGINS FIRST SEASON

The Windfall II, our recently-purchased 32' schooner, is beginning her third week of cruising Pamlico Sound. She's already busy with nightly sunset sails (1.5 hrs. $40 per person) as well as 1-hour cruises departing at 5 p.m. ($25 per person). We've even had our first wedding aboard a couple of weeks ago. With our passenger capacity now limited to six, however, we don't expect to have nearly as many of those!

We've been seeing a lot of bottle-nosed dolphins out there which is a bit more exciting with the new schooner since the passengers are seated closer to the water and can practically reach out and touch them.

We donated some scraps of the original Windfall (gaff jaws, belaying pins, etc.) to the annual Firemen's Ball Auction this past weekend and they brought in big bucks. There's plenty more of that cluttering my tool shed, so if anybody's sentimental about it, drop me a line.

BLOG ENTRY May 6, 2010\

On Easter Sunday my son Emmet, two friends and I sailed the schooner Windfall up to Scott’s Boat Yard in Buxton. The wind was fair for sailing all the way, but with deteriorating weather forecast for later in the afternoon, I kept the old Yanmar chugging along and didn’t hoist the jib as it would have restricted visibility a bit. The old schooner performed beautifully as she always had in my nearly 25 years of owning her and we arrived more than 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Had I but known this would be her last trip, I would have shut off the engine and let her take her own sweet time. Probably would have invited several more friends and opened some champagne.

But life is like that. Who ever knows how much time we’ve got left?

For the past several months leading up to this haul-out, I’d become aware of a few issues that would require some serious attention. With biannual Coast Guard inspection due, I knew it was decision time. As the boat yard crew and I began to delve into the deteriorated areas, it soon became apparent that bringing her back up to the required condition would not be economically feasible. Rather than patch her up and sell her cheap, I chose to strip her and have her broken up. The least I could do for a vessel that had served me so well for so long was to give her a proper burial. We’ll never have to bear the pain of seeing her masts protruding from the mud of some neglected backwater creek.

A few years ago, when I saw this day looming on the indefinite horizon, my dear wife reminded me of how much I enjoyed sailing that schooner. “Hell, Rob,” she said, “She doesn’t owe you anything. Sail her till she falls apart underneath you!” And that, in short, is pretty much what I did.

So that’s the bad news for those many friends from throughout the world who have had fond memories of the Windfall. Although I’m sure many of you will be disappointed in my decision, believe me – I feel your pain.

On the other hand, I’ve been considering for quite some time what I would do when and if this day arrived. I’ve always been impressed by the Lazy Jack 32’, a production fiberglass schooner designed by Ted Brewer and built in New York by Ted Hermann. When I made the decision to abandon ship last month, there were four Lazy Jacks for sale on the East Coast of the U.S. I looked at two of them then recently purchased one in New Jersey.

Of course she was white with white sails. Sundae (my admiral) insisted that I couldn’t dock her in Ocracoke until she was black. So a couple of weeks ago, I drove up to NJ, had her surveyed, bought her, hauled her out and painted her black. The photo shows her about to be launched by the boat yard in NJ just before two friends from Ocracoke helped me sail her home. We arrived the day before yesterday.

Yes, WINDFALL II is smaller than her namesake. Capt. Rudy saw her yesterday and asked me what kind of detergent I used to wash her decks. “Why?” I asked and he said, “She’s shrunk!” She’ll be limited to six passengers but will be taking longer sails in a more relaxed manner.

I’m looking forward to that. I hope you are too and if so, I look forward to sailing with you soon!

INTRODUCING SCHOONER WINDFALL II

BLOG ENTRY May 6.doc

NOVA SCOTIA TRIP

My 11-year-old daughter Caroline, who is home-schooling this year for 6th grade, accompanied me on a two-week trip to Nova Scotia. We just got back Saturday evening.
We did some tent camping (colder than we had expected!), stayed with friends in D.C. and upstate New York and stayed in a few Canadian B&Bs. The fall leaves were just reaching their peak in New England and the Canadian Maritimes.

So what does this have to do with schooners?

In Lunenburg, Nova Scotia we visited the Fisherman’s Museum of the Atlantic where we went aboard the Theresa E. Connor, which fished the Grand Banks right up until 1963. Aboard a more modern side-trawler, we chatted with a docent who had fished those waters (under power) for more than forty years. And, of course, we saw the famous Bluenose II, which we could not board since she was undergoing maintenance. I’ve never seen bright work so meticulously cared for. From our hotel across the harbor, we had a terrific view of the museum and the Bluenose. (see photo).

On the way home we stopped in at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. I was surprised to see the Amistad docked there since she had been at The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race with us last year and I’d assumed she’d be there again this month.

This was the perfect year for us to visit museums: at 11, Caroline still qualifies as a child for admission purposes, while I (now 65!) have joined the ranks of the “seniors.”

Passing through the Hampton Roads area on Saturday, we swung by the Portsmouth waterfront to see the schooners just finishing the 20th annual GCBSR. Considering the weather they had, I can’t really say I’m sorry to have missed the race this year. I am sort of thinking of joining the race next year, however.

This coming week, I’ll be joining Philip Howard and David Senseney at the Third Annual Ocrafolk School (Gary Mitchell’s brainchild) where we’ll teach a combined course in the natural history, human history and nautical traditions of Ocracoke.

A PIRATE’S CHRISTMAS

By popular demand, we’ve finally put a recording of my poem, “A Pirate’s Christmas” up on itunes, available for downloads. We’re working on cranking out a gift CD of it to be available for purchase on the website in time for Christmas. Stay tuned.

“A PIRATE’S CHRISTMAS” TO COME OUT SOON

Aarrh!

As you’ve no doubt noticed, this blog isn’t one of those “must have a new entry everyday” types that keeps you up to date on every event of my life: “Washed the dog today and gave him his heartworm treatment!” On the contrary, this blog only reports events of earth-shaking importance and today’s occasion is, of course, International Talk-Like-A-Pirate” Day.

In honor of this special day, I’m announcing the release of my single-track Christmas gift special CD called “A Pirate’s Christmas.” This piratical parody of the famous Clement Moore Christmas poem has been performed onstage at Deepwater Theatre in Ocracoke as well as on the Pirate Cruises aboard the Windfall for the past three years but has heretofore been unavailable for purchase or download. Finally, in response to popular demand, I’ve made a studio recording of it complete with fiddle pieces by David Tweedie at either end. This will be available for purchase as a Christmas card CD through the “merchandise” page of the Schooner Windfall website. It should also be available for downloads from iTunes by Thanksgiving.

I also produced a recording of “A Pirate’s Easter” (another Capt. Rob original) at the same time but it probably won’t be available until after we get the Christmas CD up and running. To all of you dedicated fans I just want to say thanks for holding my feet to the fire on this and thanks for your patience, which I hope will soon be rewarded.

And here’s my contribution to “ITLAP” Day:

How long have I been sailing?

Why I’ve been sailing since Moby Dick was a wee minnow!
I cut me teeth on salt horse and ship’s biscuit,
First learned to walk on a heaving deck
An’ I’ve poured enough salt water out of me sea boots to float a ship-o-the-line

I knows the ways of a ship from keel to truck, from taffrail to cranse iron
I’m known to every seaport crimp and dockside doxy from Liverpool to Singapore

I can sail any vessel afloat
And hold a course in a hurricane
With palm and needle I can hand stitch a sail
And spit to windward in half a gale

And, cross my heart and hope to die
The only blessed thing I CAN’T do….. is LIE!

THIRD ANNUAL OCRAFOLK SCHOOL CONVENES OCTOBER 25 - 30

The faculty and staff of the Ocrafolk School met yesterday morning for a planning session over a delicious breakfast at the Flying Melon. The folk school which started three years ago is the brainchild of Gary Mitchell who was inspired by the Campbell Folk School in the North Carolina Mountains.

The school draws on the talents of various local and regional artists and craftspeople, sharing their expertise with participants from all over the southeast. Although the "classroom" is basically all of Ocracoke, the Soundfront Inn is the focal point.

In the past two seasons, the school has offered courses in photography, pottery, basketry, jewelry making, water color, music and songwriting and cooking. Also, David Senseney, Philip Howard and I have collaborated on an "Ocracoke Sampler" course with David teaching the natural history and ecology of the area, Philip teaching the human history, and yours truly sharing what I know of the nautical lore and seafaring traditions of the Outer Banks.

It appears likely that our good friend Jim Goodwin will be joining us this year to teach his specialty, ships in bottles! Jim is one of only 150 ships-in-bottles modelers in the whole nation and some of his work will be featured in the motion picture "The Lovely Bones" which will be released this fall. He usually has several models for sale at The Village Craftsmen shop on Howard St., some of which feature the Schooner Windfall. Jim has given me the enviable task of assisting him in preparing the bottles to receive the ships (the have to be empty!). He's rather partial to the old-fashioned bottles used by Pyrat Rum of Anguila which works out nicely since he and I are both rather partial to the product itself.

For more information about the folk school, log onto www.ocrafolkschool.org.

THE 2009 SUMMER SEASON BEGINS

 

Last weekend we held the 10^th annual Ocrafolk Festival.  The weather Saturday morning looked as if we might be driven indoors by rain but it cleared off beautifully and we had sunny (but not hot) conditions for the rest of the weekend and I can’t remember a better festival.

 

 

With the festival behind us and school adjourned for the summer, the 2009 season has officially begun.  This past week saw our first Ocrafolk Opry at Deepwater Theatre Wednesday night followed by the first “Rumgagger” performance by yours truly and Fiddler Dave.  We had pretty good turnouts for both performances. 

 

 

Last Tuesday we did a special pirate cruise for Donald Davis.  Donald is a world famous storyteller who makes his home here on the island when he’s not out globetrotting with his yarns.  Twice each summer he hosts a storytellers’ workshop on the island and he always brings his group out on the Windfall.  This time he came with a camera crew who were making a documentary about him for PBS so perhaps we’ll all be on TV sometime this fall.

 

Right before the festival, I got in a new shipment of our “Rumgagger” CDs so if you’d like to order one, just click on our “merchandise” key on the website.

 

This season we’re offering morning pirate cruises at 10 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

We’re also offering pirate cruises at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.  Every day, weather permitting, we offer 1.25-hr. sunset cruises.  As things get more lively during the summer, we may ad an additional 1-hr. sail.  For up-to-date information, please call us at (252) 928-SAIL.