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Apalachicola Maritime Museum Quark The Story Continues |
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Legacy of the Quark The Lore of
this L. Francis Herreschoff designed ketch The story
of how this fine boat found us and delivered her crew to Apalachicola begins
with the story of Henry Kendall, for whom the Quark was named. Henry Kendall received the Nobel prize in
physics for his role in the discovery of the sub atomic elements that became
known as a Quarks. There is a
fantastic article in the Apalachicola Times (see In The News link) that
explores the emergence of the name and goes on to note the unfortunate death
of Henry during a dive with National Geographic at Wakulla Springs, just to
the East of Apalachicola. We celebrate
the many achievements of Henry Kendall in physics, and also the Union of
Concerned Scientists, which he helped found.
Well it so
happened that after our exhaustive search, we finally came upon the Quark at
Steve Balentine’s Boat Yard near Marion, MA.
Steve’s boatyard is a candy land of fine wooden sailing vessels of all
types and with Quark, it was as she reached out and grabbed us saying I am
ready for this mission. Solidly built
at the Brooklyn Boat Yard by Steve White, son of legendary wooden boat
builder Joel White. She had been
commissioned by John Kendall in around 2000 and first launched in 2002. We never met John, but found his
construction of Quark was at the highest quality achievable. See the Quark brochure for more information
and the drawings link for the blueprints.
John Kendall had named Quark for his late brother. Interestingly, this is one of a set of
three boats it John had built to the Herreschoff designs. It seemed that John had correspondence with
L. Francis many years earlier. There is
much more to this story, but time does not permit a complete telling at this
point. Trade Route Cruise of the Quark Departing
Marion, Massachusetts, the Quark took five months to pass 1,600 miles into
Apalachicola. These are
the journals from George Kirvin Floyd’s epic journey along the passage that
his great, great grandfather took over 150 years earlier on his course from
Winthrop, Massachusetts to Apalachicola to take up a new life. This is the story of a journey of a
lifetime to bring the spirit back into maritime heritage in Apalachicola. Leg #1 –
Marion, Massachusetts to Newport, Rhode Island
June, 2nd,
2007 – Day 1. The
journey begins with the departure from Marion on a cool and breezy spring
day. This was a fine day of sailing
which afforded the new crew and captain the opportunity to shake down the
systems and get familiar with the electronics, sails and handling. Our wind borne tour of Buzzards Bay
included a spin through the harbor at Marion with full sail aloft. As we entered the harbor we passed the home
of John Kendall and the mooring ball where Quark had spent all of her summers
since splashing in on an autumn day in 2002.
As we departed we noted from local fishermen that the Striped Sea Bass
were running and watched as a good size specimen was hauled from the
sea. Departing Marion, wind and seas
continued to build as we headed East toward the southern tip of Cape Cod
providing Quark the opportunity to finely display the designs of L. Francis
Herreschoff and tell in her own way the story of the Mobjack, her eldest
sister from the 1930s. Entering the
hazardous straits of Woods Hole we navigated to the mooring ball provided for
use at no charge by a local resident whose admiration of wooden boats was
profound.
The Cape Cod Peninsula and the out islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard After we
had secured the mooring lines and done a final review of the sail plan, we
assembled the spritsail rigged sails on the Nat Herreschoff designed wooden
cat boat dinghy and went cruising about the harbor in the manner reminiscent
of the 1800s. Learning her handling we
took Paul and Bill ashore to be dropped off, their portion of the trip
ended. In that Bill had been a captain
under the employ of John Kendall, the owner who had commissioned Quark, his
council on this first day was of tremendous benefit. After what seemed like a passage of 100
years, we were at last underway. We
went ashore for dinner that evening in Woods Hole.
Quark resting easy
on her mooring ball in Woods Hole June, 3rd,
2007 – Day 2.
With plans to depart for Nantucket, we review carefully the tidal
charts, weather forecasts and navigation charts. Heavy winds building from the East make
departure a perilous endeavor, so we opt to stay on the ball, and sail back
into the docks to visit with our new friends and tour Woods Hole. During the day we found the local maritime
museum where a group of local retirees and their young apprentices were
collaborating on the continuing construction of a fine old cat rigged dory.
We told of our adventure and received their council on our mission and then
moved on to explore the rest of the town.
We are fortunate as there is a music festival in town and the
oceanography and fisheries students are celebrating the end of the
quarter. After dinner and taking in
some of the concert events along the water street we come to a classic
restaurant and pub structure where the ceiling is held up with knees salvaged
from a wrecked schooner of the early 1900s.
Everyone is whooping it up, professor and student alike, whereupon a
professors with the continence of Einstein noticed came over to say “It’s OK,
were scientists.” An incredible
warmth of interest in our vessel and trip came from all we spoke too and many
offered advice on making it through the narrow channel on the Atlantic
side. Tidal currents in excess of 12
knots and standing waves at the shoals promised a perilous passage for the
unwary sailor. We are advised that
many vessels are grounded each year on the passage and catching the tide is
essential. June, 4th,
2007 – Day 3. We
roust up before dawn and catch the outbound tide through the channel and out
on our way to Nantucket. It was a
sullen rainy day. Two hours into the
trip the drizzle tuned into a steady rain, but at least we had a beam wind
coming from the SouthWest (which would soon become all too familiar) running
about 10 knots. As we leave Woods Hole
in the distance, we put Martha’s Vineyard off to the starboard and then on
into the open water on the way to Nantucket.
Along the way, the navigation computer used for tracking course
suffers a database corruption and we quickly scramble to get the paper charts
out and begin plotting positions at the half hour tracking progress along the
outside of Tuckernuck shoal which rises to within five feet of the surface in
the blue expanse of Nantucket Sound.
Adding to the level of anxiety, as we monitored the weather channel,
we learn the big storm system is coming in earlier than expected with 20 foot
seas forecast by midnight. After
another 6 hours of tracking open expanse with a nasty rain system, we spot an
occasional ferry making way from Chatham Harbor at the Southeast end of the Cape
Cod peninsula to Nantucket. It is very
heartening to see those big boats showing the way. We entered the main channel into the inner
pond near dusk and pick up a mooring ball just off the marina docks in a
mostly deserted basin. Seems that the
summer season doesn’t really start here until the 4th of
July. We break out the oars and row to
shore for a fine dinner of locally harvested lobster and clam stew.
Making way to
Nantuck with Martha’s Vineyard off to starboard June 5th,
2007 – Day 4.
Awoke to howling wind and a three foot sea state in the inner
harbor. With the winds clocking at 40
to 50 knots we are very happy to be secure on a mooring ball in the inner
harbor. All day the winds howled and
the temperature dropped to around 40.
We fired up the propane heater and drank tea, read books and studied
the manuals and charts. There was no
way to get to shore even though it was less than 100 feet away. It was a good day for staying in the
cabin. Whenever we ventured out,
Nantucket Harbor looked like a wind whipped ghost town. June 6th,
2007 – Day 5. The
storm begins to abate by noon so we venture forth to explore the town. An incredible place with streets made of
Cobble Stones that have not changed much since the mid 1800s. Many fine dining opportunities and great
little shops. We visited the Maritime
and Whaling Museum to collect information, speak with the management and
join. We ran the museum pennant to the
top of the main mast as our new windex.
With warming weather and clouds giving way to sun, we became ever more
adventurous and seeing exercise after a day confined in the cabin, we
obtained bicycles and explored the island.
A fine cycling destination this was, with separate cycling trails running
parallel to the roads that occasionally ventured off to the more remote
points and beaches. The winds had now
bent to the Northwest and were giving the shore a magnificent pounding. June 7th,
2007 – Day 6. The
weather is shaping up for a run back westward. Northerlies running to 15 knots will make
for a nice beam wind on the passage.
We make a final run over to the docks to pick up supplies in
preparation for our departure. The
dock master learns of our mission and provides a couple of old cherished
collector items taken from salvaged sailing ships and bestows advice and good
wishes on our journey. We are back out
to sea by late morning and with a fresh wind, make good time on the way back
to Martha’s Vineyard and the port of Vineyard Haven. A grand afternoon of sail, we arrive into
port and pick up a mooring ball by around 5 PM. Connecting with our new found friends from
Woods Hole who have come across to visit, we have an extraordinary dinner and
meet the owner operators of a fine old bed and breakfast inn where we sit,
sip and talk the night away. Returning
to the marina around 1 AM, the sky is filled with stars and a half moon is on
the rise reflecting off the water looking out to the Cape. A very careful rowing trip aboard the
dinghy (as a spill at this hour would certainly be fatal) we are back aboard
Quark to continue speculation on the stars, wooden boats and the meaning of
life June 8th,
2007 – Day 7. Up
early and on to shore to investigate the wood boat building operation of
Benjamin and Cane and the Black Dog sailing program. While making a running tour of the shore, I
come across two older fellows unloading rough sawn lumber near the nearly
complete frame of a 50 foot schooner in a large wooden frame building aged at
least 100 years. Well, that was Nat
Benjamin, hard at work with a group of apprentices all bent on learning the
skills. Nat was very accommodating and
provided a tour of the complete operation.
And the boat on the ways was his own.
His retirement vessel. From
there he insisted on taking a tour of Quark and then to take us aboard
the 65’schooner he had built three
years earlier. A great morning spent
with a master of the art of wood boat building. We returned to Quark for an early evening
meal and much needed rest.
The schooner that
Nat Benjamin built at Vineyard Haven June 9th,
2007 – Day 8. We
took in a tour of one of the two sailing school ships of the Black Dog
operation and found them to be in great repair and manned by a young crew
preparing for the students arriving in the coming weeks. The enthusiasm for wooden boats in this
town was exemplary of these hearty new England peoples. We wrapped up our visit and made way out of
port and on towards Woods Hole where we passed with great caution back into Buzzards
Bay with building winds and seas. With
the leeboard rail buried we were riding hard in a close hauled sail set when
water started to slosh out from beneath the floorboards. After a few moments of panic, we discovered
that the automatic bilge pump had failed and that the situation could be
easily remedied with the manual override, but the source of water was left as
a mystery for the moment. Our run
along the Elizabethan Islands on the inside on our way to Cuttyhunk was
exhilarating. As evening fell, we
nudged our way into the tiny shallow harbor and found a mooring ball for the
evening.
The sunrise view from Cuttyhunk looking northward along the Elizabethan Islands. June 10th,
2007 – Day 9.
Went ashore for some brief exploration. A walk up to the rise and the opportunity
to pear out to our destination on the distant horizon, Newport. We set sail and made the run along the
shore as the clouds broke up and the sky turned blue. With one of the best sail days of the
entire trip, we made passage along the shore gazing upon the mansions of the
gilded era where many of the Mobjack sisters have plied the waters since the
1930s. As we tuned into Newport
harbor, the good day had over 50 boats plying the waters. Several of the former America’s Cup
contenders raced past on our bow and other sailing craft of all types filled
the bay with white canvas and spirit.
As we passed into the marina in Bristol, we brought this first leg of
the trip to a close and provided a long list of maintenance and fine tuning
items to our friend Paul who would look over Quark for the next couple of
weeks. Leg #2 –
Newport, Rhode Island to Annapolis, Maryland
July 2nd,
2007 – Day 1.
Having arrived into town the previous day, we were wrapping up
provisioning and chasing down loose ends from the repairs and improvements
applied by the local artisans during our absence. The Newport are is a haven for wood boat
enthusiasts and the yard we were at in Bristol had around a dozen wooden boat
projects in various stages of completion.
The most significant of these was the complete restoration of a 120’
large cruiser that was being financed by a syndicated group that had sold
week long time slots aboard her to raise around three million. A team of artisans were about mid way through
the two year project. Other restoration
projects included a 1920’s era sloop, a 1940’s era schooner and a rebuild of
a classic New England lobster boat.
Newport, Rhode
Island, a haven for wooden boat enthusiasts We were
invited to a social outing at the Herreschoff Museum where we Met Halsey
Herreschoff, grandson of L. Francis, the senior executive of the Museum. The Museum is located at the site of the
original Herreschoff ship yards in Bristol and provides an incredible display
of restored and renovated boats on display in a large climate controlled
facility. In these exhibits, the lines
and interior finish demonstrated well the features so evident on Quark. Graceful lines, Spartan accommodations,
white interior with varnished cabinet and cabin doors. Our friends from the Herreschoff Museum
set us up with mooring accommodations at Block Island where we are heading
the next morning. Generosity and
support is ever so forthcoming as they provide well wishes for our Southbound
journey. A great sendoff for the
Quark, the 63rd Mobjack sister, on her way to Apalachicola and the
founding of a new museum.
Inside the
Herreschoff Museum in Bristol, Rhode Island July 3nd,
2007 – Day 2. We
cast off lines early heading out on our way to Block Island. We pass through the harbor at Newport
putting Fort Adams off to port and the lighthouse at Bull Point to
starboard. The passage to Block
Island was among sullen weather with a largely calm sea. A long passage, but it afforded us the
opportunity to get all of our gear stored, check out all of the systems and
to get the new crew familiar with Quark’s rigging and handling. As we cruised past Point Judith, we left
the mainland astern as it dissolved in the horizon and gave way to the open
expanse of the approach to Block Island Sound.
A classic wooden
sloop with Fort Adams in the background The weather
continued to deteriorate throughout the day and as Block Island appeared on
the horizon, a steady drizzle turned into a steady rain and the wind began to
build. We swung around the great sand
cape and lighthouse at the northern tip of the island giving wide clearance
to the bar extending well to sea. From
there we made the inward run to the little channel and into the Great Salt
Pond and an expansive field of mooring balls and a large number of vessels,
although less than normal, given the ominous weather forecasts coming in over
the VHF radio. A large low pressure
system moving up from the south promised a very wet fourth of July for 2007.
A view of the Block
Island coast line facing Northeast July 4th,
2007 – Day 3.
Mother Nature is to provide the fireworks for this day. Pounding rain and howling wind keep us in
the cabin for most of the day where we keep close watch for a break in the
clouds. When that break does finally
occur, the bakery boat is quick to start rounds bringing fresh bread and
pastries to vessels moored in the harbor.
We hail them on the radio and request a delivery for fresh croissants
and assorted other fresh baked goodies for the coming days. Back to rain again with no sign of a letup
in store, we finally don the slicker suits and hail the water taxi for a ride
ashore. This is not to be a day of
exploration, but at least we are able to take in some of the harbor sights
and meet with the wet celebratory crowd held up in the local harbor side pub
from whose ceiling is hung several hundred paddles and oars making for a
spectacular display.
One of the many
fine lighthouses on Block Island July 5th,
2007 – Day 4. The
storm has waned overnight as predicted and we are off at daybreak heading out
the narrow channel in a thick blanket of fog.
No more than a few hundred yards out from the last channel marker we
have only the radar to remind us that moments ago we were near land as we
cruise off southward toward Long Island.
The air horn is on the steady pulse mode all morning as we push
through long Atlantic swells in the mystical surrealistic atmosphere created
by fog blankets. We have several boats
pass in close proximity. We hear their
horns, but never see them as we continue to make way. Around mid day the fog begins to lift as we
enter Gardiners Bay on the approach to Plum Gut and the passage into Long
Island Sound. We have decided to pass
on the overnight visit to Montauk Point at the end of Long Island due to the
fog, and while we missed that adventure, we are making up time for the day
lost at Block Island.
The trip from Block
Island into the Long Island Sound The passage
between Orient Point and Plum Island is a shoal saddle of a passage known as
Plum Gut. With the whole of Long
Island Sound being pushed in and out with the tides, it makes for a
magnificent tidal rip. The passage
through the Gut is very symbolic as well in that we are now entering the body
of water that will lead us into New York harbor. With a steadily building northwest wind we
are riding close hauled just along the Long Island shore.
The lighthouses at
Plum Gut As the day
wears on all sign of fog disappears and thunderstorms begin to build. We watch as thunder squalls roll around us
pushing up white caps and providing for a great ride in our magnificent
wooden time machine. Finally the
inevitable, we are trapped with a big storm moving in from the West. Keith volunteers to brave the torrents
while the rest of us drop sail and then go below. A half hour of pounding rain and lightning
show and we emerge to re launch the canvas and continue westward. As evening approaches, we are looking for a
good overnight anchorage. Something at
the end of a peninsula that does not require a long cruise into a
harbor. We find the ideal gunk hole in
Eaton’s Neck. We arrive around 10 PM
in pitch black, navigating into the little channel not really sure what we
would find. Worn out after a long day
at sea we found the entry and anchorage suitable so we dropped the hook and
turned in promptly. Well, the next
morning, we awoke early to find one of the sweetest little remote harbors any
of us had ever seen. In addition there
was a Coast Guard station at the head of the inner pond.
The anchorage at
Eaton’s Neck July 6th,
2007 – Day 5.
This is the day for the sail into New York City. With great anticipation we are underway
moving down the ever narrowing girth of Long Island Sound with a steady line of
aged lighthouses proving guidance to mariners into the passage known as Hell
Gate. As the day progressed, the winds
built with the thermal air currents providing a nice push as we passed Sands
Point on Manhasset Neck, Hewlett Point on Great Neck and entered into the
mouth of the East River.
The passage into
New York Glorious
mansions on the Long Island shore gave way to the commercial operations along
the East River and even a huge prison barge covered with barbed wire. Passing Ricker’s Island and West Stack
Island, we enter the middle ground off of Stony Point and enter Hell
Gate. Well we caught the tidal surge
just wrong. A great wind had us
driving an 8 knot speed, but the ebbing tide was running out to the sound
such that we were sailing in place and even losing ground.
Sailing in place in
Hell Gate on the East River This kept
up for a couple of hours and as the ebb subsided we began to gain forward
progress again with a glorious cruise along the eastern shore of
Manhattan. As we came to the South
Street Sea Port and Pier 17, a large group of bystanders began to cheer wave
as we passed by appreciating their enthusiasm, we pulled a 180 degree
turnabout to sail back past our fans and give them a closer look and a
wave. Just off to the south were the
classic schooners of the seaport museum.
Sailing past Pier
17. Note the wooden ships berthed in
the distance. Exiting the
East River we were at last in the mighty Hudson river and the main New York
Harbor. It could not have been a
better afternoon for making way. Great
winds abeam gave us the ability to go wherever we wanted in style and off in
the distance, Lady Liberty beckoned us forth.
And so we followed with a passage to Staten Island and that great icon
of the American Spirit. We were all so
proud to be Americans that day and to bring the quark past this landmark on
her way to her new home. To carry the
flame from Liberty on into Apalachicola Bay was our pledge for that day.
The most magical
moment of the south bound trip was this passage by Lady Liberty. After
cruising about and exploring the harbor, we headed on to our pre arranged
berth at a marina along the New Jersey shore.
We pulled in near dusk and toasted to a most magnificent day. As day gave way to night, the lights of
Manhattan on the opposite shore lighted up the horizon and gave us all to
appreciate the glamour of New York City like never before. July 7th,
2007 – Day 6.
This was a day of relaxation and stocking up for the offshore of the
coming days. We loaded provisions and
checked the rigging. We did a couple
of hour run along the shore exploring the local environs. Overall the New Jersey shore was very
impressive with friendly folks.
Quark at dock on
the New Jersey Short with the Manhattan skyline in the distance. July 8th,
2007 – Day 7. We
set off early for the passage out of the harbor and on down to
Annapolis. Leaving our brief but
incredible experience in the distance we made way out to sea down the Hudson
River and into the Atlantic. We made
another pass by Staten Island on the way out bidding farewell and watched the
Manhattan skyline fade off into the distance.
Thumbs up on the
experience with the Manhattan skyline in the distance. Our sail
plan continued out past Sandy Hook and into the open Atlantic. As we moved into the big offshore swells we
settled in to the routine associated with offshore passage making. We decided upon our watches, had a great
sunset dinner although a bit tumbled about.
And so we went on into the night with Keith on the first watch and I
taking over at midnight for the early morning watch. A long lonely night at sea with an ever
building wind and sea state.
The passage along
the New Jersey shore. Note the tacks
to the West to adjust for shifting winds. July 9th,
2007 – Day 8. As
the morning broke we were making way with 8 to 10 foot rollers and a 15 to 20
knot wind bending from Southwest toward the South. In the early morning haze we saw the glass
buildings of Atlantic City off on the Western Horizon and tacked in for a
closer look. The shore was completely
shrouded in fog and haze, but the taller buildings stood out like the golden
towers of Atlantis. An incredible
sight. We continued on for the rest of
the day as winds built to 25 to 30 knots providing for an incredible
ride. An incredible ride until the
bronze knuckle on the staysail club boom gave way and sent the boom and
sheets flying off the bow. With bow
plunging into the waves, we took turns securing the wrecked rigging. I went first and for twenty terrifying
minutes I clung to the bowsprit as we plunged through breaking waves. Partially secured and thoroughly exhausted,
I gave over to Keith to finish the job whereupon he was nearly swept over as
we dropped the mainsail and began to look for a nearby port. Our bad luck was compounded by no easy or
convenient port so we kept on our southerly course into the night making way
for Cape May at the end of New Jersey where the shore transitions into
Delaware Bay. Arriving near the port
at around midnight the sea state had built into a fearsome state with howling
winds and big seas. Approaching the
jetty entrance into Cape May, the entrance lights were of little benefit and
had it not been for our electronic navigation, we may well have run her up on
the rocks. As we made
it into the port, we were looking for an anchorage in the near pitch black
and in circling in preparation to drop the hook we were grounded with an
onshore wind pushing us further up on the hill. A bad situation getting worse with the
falling tide and winds called for quick and decisive action from weary
sailors. I jumped in the dinghy and
rowed about testing for depth. Finding
the passage back into deep water we assembled the spare anchor and I rowed it
off toward deep water about 100 feet, dropped the hook and then went back to
help pull Quark off of the hill. Well
the anchor gave way and we were left with no option but to increase scope and
try again. So tying the spring lines to
the bitter end of the anchor rode, I rowed out again to the end of the available
line, dropped the hook again and went back to pull. Fortune was with us on the second attempt
and we were off the hill. Gingerly we
pushed forward and found a spot on the windward shore that held us through
the night. Time from laying down to
rock solid sleep was about 1 second. July 10th,
2007 – Day 9. We
slept in a bit and emerged to see the Coast Guard recruits on their morning
drills at the Cape May training center.
Looking to freshen our provisions of ice and fresh water, we set out
for one of the local marinas in the harbor area and grounded two more times
trying to find the way in this very shallow harbor. At last topped off with fuel and supplies,
we set out around the cape and then up the Delaware River toward the C&D
Canal.
Passage around Cape May The passage
back through the jetties was uneventful as the sea had calmed since the
evening before and the passage around the cape was among the long Atlantic
swells.
The Cape May
Lighthouse After
rounding the point in the early morning we ran all day up the very shoal
Delaware Bay and were impressed with it’s natural beauty and the absence of
development. The shallow waters of the
bay have apparently detracted prospective commercial and residential progress
and kept the bay somewhat pristine as a wildlife sanctuary. The passage along the channel is well
marked and a series of lighthouses along the waterway.
One of the many
Delaware Bay Lighthouses Along the
way up the Delaware Bay we passed this incredible ship reminiscent of the
1600s.
One of the many
Delaware Bay Lighthouses As the day
gave way to dusk, we made the turn into the C&D Canal and thus began our
transition from the Delaware to the Chesapeake Bay. We had a fine meal aboard and then resumed
the shifts that would carry us down the canal and into Annapolis,
Maryland. Along that passage, we
encountered a large amount of commercial traffic often indistinguishable from
the lights on shore. The radar proved
to be an invaluable ally again. July 11th,
2007 – Day 10.
The cruise ended with a 4 AM arrival into the docks at the inner
harbor of Annapolis. A few hours of
rest and then we were packing up and preparing for departure. We had a long list of repairs and
improvements that would keep the artisans busy for the next few weeks while
we returned to the world and prepared for the next leg.
The final passage
into Annapolis brought the second leg to a conclusion. Leg #3 –Annapolis,
Maryland to Savannah, Georgia
July 28th,
2007 – Day 1.
<narratives in progress> Leg #4 –
Savannah, Georgia to Key West, Florida
August
25th, 2007 – Day 1.
<narratives in progress> Leg #5 –Key
West, Florida to Apalachicola, Florida
September
22nd, 2007 – Day 1.
<narratives in progress> And below
is the chart from the arrival into Apalachicola Bay after a forty-eight hour
passage from Key West among wild winds and huge seas.
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