Month: June 2009

Onawind Blue arrives in Ibiza after crossing 68 miles of open Mediterranean sea

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onawind-blue-3

Onawind Blue with her new sails back in April. Hopefully we’ll be able to replace this with a shot from Ibiza shortly!

I’ve just heard that Ben Crawshaw sailing his Light Trow named Onawind Blue has arrived in Ibiza after leaving Javea on the Spanish mainland at 1am on Monday morning.

With favourable southerly winds she covered the 68 nautical miles from Javea to to Talamanca Bay on the east side of the island in 19 hours. I seem to remember I originally designed this little boat for sheltered waters, but Ben’s steady progress in adapting it to his purposes has been impressive. Well done Ben!

For more and to leave your congratulations in his comments, go to Ben’s weblog The Invisible Workshop.

Rowing in surf, with windows?

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Jersey skiff

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.

Steamers and veteran motorboats and craft – photos from the Aussie Wooden Boat Show

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Jeff's photos from the Hobart Boat Show 2a

Jeff's photos from the Hobart Boat Show 1 Jeff's photos from the Hobart Boat Show 3 Jeff's photos from the Hobart Boat Show 4

Jeff's photos from the Hobart Boat Show 6 Jeff's photos from the Hobart Boat Show 5 Jeff's photos from the Hobart Boat Show 2

Intheboatshed.net regular Jeff Cole has sent us a disk of splendid photos from the Australian Wooden Boat Festival at Hobart, Tasmania some weeks ago.

Jeff has kindly sent us many photos and images over the past couple of years, and his interests range far and wide across the boating and shipping scene, I rather liked some of these steamers and motor-powered craft – and of course the steam driven outboard is a hoot. There will be more to come over future weeks.

Many thanks Jeff!

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