intheboatshed.net

Some more photos from Intheboatshed.net regular Jeff Cole’s disk of splendid photos from the Australian Wooden Boat Festival at Hobart, Tasmania.

Looking at Jeff’s shots of cruising yachts is rather like taking a stroll around the docks at any show of this kind where most of the time, the casual visitor has only a hazy idea of what he or she is looking at. Sometimes the boats in question are beautiful, sometimes they belong to a particular age, and sometimes they spark one’s curiosity.

Jeff seems to be off-line for the moment – I trust he’s ok – but if anyone out there can add any information about the boats in these photos, I’d be delighted to hear from them. Please use the comment link below!

Click on the thumbnails for some nice big photos!

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‘I have had more fun on the internet since signing on to your site than I have in the last three years. You do a great service. Thanks A. Reader, USA’

Claude Worth’s book Yacht Cruising includes many
charming pen and ink drawings

Claude Worth became a legendary cruising yachtsman, but everyone has to start somewhere – and Worth’s description of sailing his first yacht in his legendary book Yacht Cruising is highly entertaining. Click on the thumbnails below for readable scans.

‘We who adventure on the sea, however humbly, cannot but feel that we are more fortunate than ordinary people, and that we have something which we could not tell nor they understand.’

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‘I have had more fun on the internet since signing on to your site than I have in the last three years. You do a great service. Thanks A. Reader, USA’

The skiff in question – photo published with the permission of photographer Walter Bachteler. Thanks Walter!

A reader has been in touch to ask what this boat might be. Does anyone know? And why does it have windows to allow the rowers to see the level of the water?

See the photos in question at Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/65538230@N00/3405009991/in/set-72157616150345313/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/65538230@N00/3428080202/

PS It turns out this is a Jersey skiff used in lifeguard competitions, and that the ‘windows’ are holes intended to free the boat of water when it starts to fill in surf.  The point is clearly made by a series of astonishing photos from the 2008 Asbury Park Lifeguard Challenge – thanks to Jim Mason for indicating the way, and to everyone else for a splendid set of comments and links.

PPS

Jim later sent me some more links, which are too good to miss.

http://www.lifeguardart.com depicts the men and women of the South Jersey beach patrols using the version of the Jersey beach skiff that originated in Atlantic City and environs. It is round-bilged and fuller-bodied than the flat-bottomed Seabright skiffs used up on the northern beaches. It is also heavier by 50 lbs. and not self-bailing.

Also check out the http://www.lifeguardraces.com galleries at http://web.sendtoprint.net/proofbook/galleries.asp?CouponID=Lifeguard

Thanks Jim! Some of the Lifeguardart images in particular are superb.