Hello Shipmates,
March 21st was the first day of spring and Mother Nature reminded us that spring in Maine doesn't always mean sunshine and warm temperatures. We had 6 to 8 inches of snow last Monday and the temperatures are still in the high thirties most days.
Regardless of the weather, there are always projects that can be tackled indoors. Last fall it was the yawl boat, and now it's New Meadows, our one-person rowboat. Doug and Sam have spent hours and days refastening, and in places replacing, frames.
Once the structural work was finished it was time to varnish and paint. Sam has been spending time each day building up the coats of varnish, giving her that golden glow.
During the summer, Linda loves to take New Meadows out for a row early in the morning while the harbor is quiet.
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There are projects that can be done outside too, before the days warm up and we're busy aboard the schooner. The anchors weigh 500-700 pounds so having the forklift to twitch them around is very handy. The forklift, vintage 1944, has its own set of issues and requires TLC on a regular basis, just like the boats. Sam was busy using the needlegun to chip away loose paint on one anchor while Capt. Doug and Capt. Kip of the Victory Chimes try to coax the forklift to run.
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It's not all work around the shipyard. Before April rolls around and we ramp up for the season, we all try to get some time away. Doug and Linda drove one of their Excaliburs from Maine to Florida to visit family and attend the Daytona 500, one of the first NASCAR races of the season.
Once they got home and could watch over the office, Shary and her husband, Kevin, took off for a week in Washington DC, seeing the sights and visiting museums. Favorite spot: the transportation area of the National Museum of American History. This exhibit highlighting coasting schooners really caught her eye.
The placard read:
Coasting Connections
Shipping along America's coasts was vital to the nation's economy. Lumber, bricks, cotton, and other bulk cargoes from different parts of the country spent time at sea.
Many American cities were built with materials carried over coastal waters. Limestone quarried in Maine was made into mortar and shipped to New York and Boston, where it was used in building construction. Quarries in Maine also supplied granite to complete the Treasury Department building in Washington, D.C., between 1855 and 1869. Matching stone was later shipped to New York and Philadelphia for new, grand central post offices.
She had to read the credit for the large photomural twice. That's right, the photo was provided by Doug and Linda!
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From the Galley
SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Mix together
2 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 t. salt
Cut in 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened.
Use fingers to mix until dough is formed. Roll into 1" balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten to 1/4" thickness. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes until tops start to crack and then watch them like a hawk. When the edges start to brown, remove from the oven immediately.
Makes approximately 3 dozen.
These are sooooo good!
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Left to right: son-in-law Justin, brother-in-law Jeff,
Capts. Linda and Doug and daughter Rachel
tailgating before the Daytona 500 Race begins.
