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Apalachicola Maritime Museum In The News Recent
Articles about Museum Happenings |
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Following are articles from The
Apalachicola Times that document the arrival of Quark into Apalachicola.
February 7th
issue
The link below provides an interesting
perspective of the passage through St. Augustine, Florida. I have also included a couple of articles
from the local paper reflecting the support of the media and community
regarding this vessel.
A
collection of blogs and musings from the people that work at the St. Augustine
Lighthouse & Museum - Florida’s Finest Lightstation.
LAMP caught a ketch.
Posted by: Brendan Burke in First
Coast Maritime Archaeological Project, LAMPosts, Shipping News
Brass and wood aboard the Quark.
The ketch Quark came into St.
Augustine's waters this week for a brief stay. Fortunately for us here at the
Lighthouse, the boat’s crew has good taste and a mind for all things
historical. They visited the Lighthouse. It was here at the LAMP office we
first met George Floyd, owner and master of this amazing wooden boat. He came
into the LAMP office to discuss his ventures into a Maritime Heritage Museum in
Apalachicola. Towards the end of our chat, he dropped the bomb to say he was
currently in town on board his reproduction ketch, docked a few cables length
away at the Conch House Marina. An invitation was all we needed to go see and
tour this piece of replicated history.
A view from the stern.
We met the crew, minus one on provender
duty, dockside and didn’t need but a moment to pick out the Quark from the rest
of the masts and flying bridges at the marina. While waiting to go on board a
small pod of dolphins provided a nice show for us by schooling baitfish and
then thrashing their way through. Quite a display!
View from amidships, note the dolphin in
the left background.
Very soon we were on board and noting
the complexity of the sailing rig as well as her tender, a beautiful dinghy
riding on her painter at the bows. Mimicking the mother hen, this small boat
was similarly adorned with high levels of polished teak, scuff-less paint, and
brightwork.
Quark's dinghy riding at the bow.
Quickly convertible to sail.
Now, when I say replicated, I cannot
understate the high quality of craftsmanship evident throughout the vessel. The
deck of the Quark was a well-organized sea of brightwork and well-varnished
teak. Rigging, both running and standing, was well appointed with whipping and
bronze fittings. The masts, both of wood and delicately kerfed, also gleamed
with the bright midday sun and were topped of by a Nantucket Whaling Museum
pennant, more about this later.
The bow. Note the intricate carving, for
which Herreshoff boats were famous.
At 45’ long, the Quark was constructed
by the Brooklin Boat Yard of Brooklin, Maine in 2002. She resembles to a ‘t’,
minus modern amenities and navigational upgrades, a Herreshoff boat from the
early 20th century. Nathaniel Herreshoff, an illustrious boatbuilder in
Bristol, Rhode Island, designed many successful yacht, punt-hulls, scows,
ketches, fin-keelers, and other sailing craft during the late 19th century and
into the 20th century. A powerhouse in American sailing design, the Herreshoff
family drew up plans for several America’s Cup defenders and other notable
quick-sailers. The Quark represents a mid-sized Herreshoff design and
demonstrates the beautiful and sleek lines of the Herreshoff family, most
notably and recently L. Francis Herreshoff.
On board and inside. L-R: LAMP's Sam
Turner and Chuck Meide, Quark's Scott Harden (crew), Cpt. Rod Baker (sailing
master), George Floyd (Master and Owner)
As we were invited below to tour the
doghouse all eyes were glued to the efficient and welcoming living space. An
integrated galley, wardroom, and berthing space was set off by the clear
influences of New England efficiency and elegance. Overhead supports were
laminated white oak, cabinetry and woodwork of varnished mahogany, and deck
planking of teak-in-the-white. Forward, a cabin was similarly outfitted with
berths and a small library. A small cabin heater, chronograph, barometer,
clinometer, and thermometer in the old style of brass bezel and crystal
demarked a clear mixing of old and new when juxtaposed to the computerized
navigational systems, broadcast by flatscreen to the cockpit.
View of the cockpit and entrance to
cabin.
The crew, hailing from diverse places,
included one Swede, one Texan, one sixth generation Conch from Key West, and
one from the Clearwater area. Rod Baker, the sailing master and captain for
this leg of the voyage, entered our names into the Quark’s registry as George
explained the name of the ship. Quarks, hypothetical particles with an
etymology going back to James Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake, form part of a complex
theoretical physics conundrum known as string theory. As part of this theory
quarks make up the ‘strings’ floating in a space-time much unlike conventional
dimensional understandings and have been hypothesized to allow a form of time
travel. Thus, this ketch mimics a real quark’s ability to float through the seas
and allows one to drift back into a time where wooden boats ruled the waves.
The ketch's name board on a beautifully
rounded transom.
Other stories from the crew included a
recent event of weathering bad seas off of the aptly named Cape Fear, North Carolina.
Fighting the tiller and shipping water through the redesigned (not period
hardware) portholes, the Quark was once overtaken by a rogue wave. Apparently a
roller on the port beam engulfed the deck, submerging it long enough for water
to seep into the fuel tank vent. While making way for the nearest safe port,
they realized water had filled the primary fuel strainer and was now entering
the secondary stage on the engine. Fortunately, once at dock, they just
happened to meet a trained diesel mechanic who was able to fix the problem.
We climbed back on the weather deck and
as our eyes adjusted to the harsh brightness we said our goodbye’s to the crew
and expressed our thanks. After having sailed down from Maine the Quark is
bound for the Bahamas. One more thing, that infidel flag of the Nantucket
Whaling Museum has now been replaced. The St. Augustine Lighthouse Museum
pennant trails as the Quark stand out to sea!
Full compliment! (Scott Harden, Sam
Turner, Chuck Meide, Rod Baker, George Floyd, unid. neighbor, Brendan Burke
Comments (2)
What a wonderful vessel and story. When
you are back around stop and say Hi!
Kathy
Posted by Kathy | August 28, 2007 2:43
PM
What a concept in conservation
of the earth and her ocean.
Sail her through the keys ahoy.
String theory of the water and sting ray
of the bay.
On at sea with Capt. George
Counting by each day
Till we're off for Apalachee
around the cedar key
the Quark is out to sail
what ere the wind may be
But Please no hurricane
I this land lubber will pray
Till save at pier in Apalachicola River
and Bay
dale crider
She is the blend of a sloop and frigate
A low energy cruise
She'll be sailing ore the Ocean when
there's no more fossil fuels
With no nuclear devises or
vices otherwise
there be solar in her future and her
sails are on the rise
Blow blow blow ye wind blow
What a concept in conservation
of the earth and her ocean.
Sail her through the keys ahoy.
String theory of the water and sting ray
of the bay.
On at sea with Capt. George
Counting by each day
Till we're off for Apalachee
around the cedar key
the Quark is out to sail
what ere the wind may be
But Please no hurricane
dale crider 9 12 07