MY LIFE IN BOATS

I assembled this a few years ago because even I forget some of the boats and events I sailed. Still fond memories; and still making more.

BAND OF BROTHERS

I am about to start my 9th transatlantic race on 7 different boats. I have sailed with a number of people as a result; and have warm memories of each race, each boat, and each and every person.

It is a fraternity that one can only join by competing.

I had news a few days ago that another of that fraternity had died. Peter Van Dyke passed away. A loss to our group.

PETER VAN DYKE, '72 TRANSATLANTIC RACE
PETER VAN DYKE, ’72 TRANSATLANTIC RACE

RICH DUMOULIN '72 TRANSATLANTIC RACE
RICH DUMOULIN ’72 TRANSATLANTIC RACE

HARRY MORGAN, JACK CUMMISKEY
HARRY MORGAN, JACK CUMMISKEY

LARRY HUNTINGTON AND CREW
LARRY HUNTINGTON AND CREW

ROBIN KNOX-JOHNSON AND DAVID AISHER
ROBIN KNOX-JOHNSON AND DAVID AISHER

TRANSALANTIC TROPHIIES
TRANSALANTIC TROPHIIES

PARTY TENT
PARTY TENT

THE RACE
THE RACE

COLLEGE AND AMERICA'S CUP
COLLEGE AND AMERICA’S CUP

SAILING THROUGH LIFE

This is in response to those who asked:”Who are you?” It is a least a dimension.Boats have always been a part of my life. Naturally interwoven with the story of Newport.

CARINA 1971

THEY WAY WE WERE STEPHEN LIRAKIS, JACK CUMMISKEY, MARTHA SMITH, RICHARD B. NYE, CHRIS WICK
THEY WAY WE WERE
STEPHEN LIRAKIS, JACK CUMMISKEY, MARTHA SMITH, RICHARD B. NYE, CHRIS WICK

 

A recent post by Ian Walker about a visit from the New “Queen Elizabeth” while crossing the Atlantic to Newport in preparation for the next Volvo race reminded me of our past encounters with the “France”, and the “Queen Elizabeth II”; in each case they passenger ships altered course to come by and chat with us.

As indicated by the log entries we were far enough north that it was almost always damp and cold. Martha Smith, was our cook for the crossing and somehow imagined it would be much warmer and packed a bikini.

milbay docks (3)

AIR TEMP: 50 WATER TEMP: 48 CABIN TEMP: 55
AIR TEMP: 50
WATER TEMP: 48
CABIN TEMP: 55

LOG ENTRY QE II
LOG ENTRY QE II

MARTHA SMITH DRESSED FOR A TRANS-ATLANTIC CROSSING
MARTHA SMITH DRESSED FOR A TRANS-ATLANTIC CROSSING

QUEEN ELIZABETH COMES ALONGSIDE FOR A CHAT MID-OCEAN
QUEEN ELIZABETH COMES ALONGSIDE FOR A CHAT MID-OCEAN

STEVE COLGATE AND LARRY HUNTINGTON
STEVE COLGATE AND LARRY HUNTINGTON

AGROUND
AGROUND

ME AT THE HELM CROSSING PROSPECT
ME AT THE HELM CROSSING PROSPECT

THE WAY WE WERE

1971 STEPHEN LIRAKIS, JACK CUMMISKEY, MARTHA SMITH, RICHARD S NYE, CHRIS WICK
1971 STEPHEN LIRAKIS, JACK CUMMISKEY, MARTHA SMITH, RICHARD B. NYE, CHRIS WICK

 

This photo remains one of my favorites. A memory, a happy one; taken with a polaroid camera. I do not remember who took it.

We were in Harwichport at David Steere’s house. He was the owner of “Yankee Girl”, which along with “American Eagle” and our boat “Carina” were leaving the following day to sail to Cowes for the Admiral’s Cup and Fastnet Race. It was 1971. My good friend Mickey Spillaine was the pro on “Yankee Girl” and Joe Kennedy was his mate along with John Scott, a classmate from St. George’s.

We crossed the atlantic in 14 days, as I remember, we beat “Yankee Girl” and American Eagle” boat for boat by a day. They sailed a more southerly and warmer route.

This was before GPS. We navigated by sextant and dead reckoning. Crossing the Grand Banks in the cold and fog we had not had a fix in days. Dead reckoning put us about 20 miles south of  Sable Island. I was off watch when I felt something strange, we were running with a spinnaker at about 8 knots. My immediate thought was that we were going ashore on Sable Island. I leapt out of my bunk and headed on deck when there was a second bump.  I arrived on deck in time to see a whale pop up astern.

 

 

WEATHER AT SEA

TRANSATLANTIC 1975
TRANSATLANTIC 1975

TRANSATLANTIC 2003
TRANSATLANTIC 2003

TRANSATLANTIC 2011
TRANSATLANTIC 2011

TRANSATLANTIC 2005
TRANSATLANTIC 2005

FASTNET RACE 2003 FASTNET ON THE BOW
FASTNET RACE 2003 FASTNET ON THE BOW

1973 FASTNET, ROCK ON THE BOW
1973 FASTNET, ROCK ON THE BOW

1973 RUNNING IN THE SOLENT
1973 RUNNING IN THE SOLENT

REACHING IN THE SOLENT 1969
REACHING IN THE SOLENT 1969

TRANSATLANTIC 1968
TRANSATLANTIC 1968

BERMUDA RACE 1966
BERMUDA RACE 1966

BLOCK ISLAND RACE 2009
BLOCK ISLAND RACE 2009

1971 trans-atlantic

In 1971 we cruised “Carina” to England for the Admiral’s Cup and Fastnet Race. we sailed from Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich, Ct. to Harwichport, on Cape Cod; where David Steere the owner of “Yankee Girl” had a summer house, compound might be a better description. A big party the night of our arrival and we left across the ocean along with “Yankee Girl”, “American Eagle” owned by Ted Turner, and “Carina” belonging to Dick Nye.

We sailed the more northerly route, closer to the great circle, crossing in fourteen days , which would have likely won a race had we been competing .
A few days into the crossing, still on the Grand Banks, but not having had a sun sight in a few days, we only had a dead reckoning position. we calculated that we were perhaps 20 miles south of Sable Island, more or less. That night, I was off watch, we hit a whale that had been sleeping on the surface. I ran on deck, in a panic, thinking we had hit the island, just in time to see the whale pop to the surface behind us.