[Alberg30] Careening an A30

[FINNUS505 at aol.com]

Oh boy, Chris,

I went to see the 'careening' photos out of curiosity to see how you did it, 
as it makes good sense, and I have some family stories about the practice.

Imagine my surprise as I recognized your spot as my old stomping grounds, 
Miramar, in Sheepshead Bay. I used to launch my Albacore from that hoist!!!!!  
The members may not remember me, but they will certainly remember my dad, Norman 
Trachtenberg, who was a member there until his passing in 1988.

Well, I have shared stories of my dad with some of you. He started sailing in 
the late '40's, when he came home from flying PBY Cartalinas with the Navy. 
After a few years sailing with partners on old wooden boats they could just 
barely afford at City Island, he moved his sailing to Brooklyn, where he lived 
with his new wife (who would become my mom years later) to sail old wooden boats 
he could barely afford there. Then, he sailed out of Dead Horse Bay, just 
across Rockaway Inlet from Sheepshead Bay, as I'm sure, Chris, you know.

He had an old Bar Harbor 30, a 47 foot LOA Herreshoff from 1905 or so, for a 
while in the early 50's. He found her just before she was to be broken up. Her 
lead keel had been used for bullets in the war, and her rig was gone, she 
needed some planks, etc. etc. He did the heavy work in a yard in Mill Basin. 
(Muller's Boat  Works, on E69th street; is it still there?) He replaced the 
ballast with iron window sash weights,  something cheap and plentiful, put in the 
bilge.. He put a ketch rig together, and got her sailing.

To the point, though. Next season, he wanted to save the haulout fee to paint 
the bottom. He made her fast to the pier in Dead Horse Bay, just as you did 
to the bulkhead in Sheepshead Bay. I've got a photo of that long ended old 
wooden boat at low tide, leaning against the pier, with the barge that served as 
an office to the marina back then in the background. It worked, for him 
too!!!!!!!!!!

So, so much for nice memories.  :)

Stargazer is getting close to going in. Still some things to do.

Thx for the lump in my throat, Chris,
Lee, now in Fairhaven, Mass, but still a Brooklyn Boy at heart !
And not for nothing, your boat looks beautiful.
 +---------------------------------------------------------------+
 |                This Old Boat by Don Casey                     |
 | http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0071579931/alberg30-20 |
 +---------------------------------------------------------------+

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