A Cruising blog with a Moth Boat connection

A Georgetown beach, courtesy of www.velocir.com

Long time readers of this blog no doubt recall the time I posted about a very pretty Ventnor Moth owned by a young couple in Annapolis.  On the day which I visited them, Grant and Amelia could only spend an hour or so showing me their Moth as they needed to finish bottom painting their big boat (an Albin Vega 27).  Since then they have worked their way down the East coast and are currently in the islands down in the Caribbean.  Amelia recently shared the URL for their cruising blog: 

http://velocir.com/ 

There you will find many beautiful photos and video clips to enjoy.  It looks like they're living the dream.  Oh, and not to worry; they still plan to get that pretty little Ventnor sailing after they return to "Nap-town".

Merv Wescoat's 5.2 Harpoon

Merv turned 85 this past January.  He started racing Moth Boats in the mid-1930s as a junior member of the old Evening Star Yacht Club.  ESYC was so named because it was founded by depression era, working class sailors who raced after work (when they had work) by the light of the stars.  Merv, thus, goes back to almost the start of Moth racing, and by virtue of growing up in Bungalow Park (the inlet section of Atlantic City, New Jersey) knew all of the founding members including Joel Van Sant. Merv only races his Moth a couple times a year now; he claims that he just can't go seven or eight back to back races like we do at the Mid-Winters anymore.  So instead he bought down the 5.2 meter Harpoon class sloop he and daughter Barb will campaign this spring at regattas near Ocala, FL.  Photo credits: Diaristwoman, IoW Len.

Merv Wescoat waiting to launch his boat at this year's Gulfport regatta.

The sail Nr 373 is the same one that Merv's first Moth Boat, The Juno, carried back in the 1930s.  Buckshot is also a reoccurring name which has graced several of Merv's Moths.  That's the dome of Tropicana Field (home field of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team) sticking up in the background.  Merv's at the tiller, his daughter Barb is forward tending the jib while Barb Parsons, in the center, holds on to a steadying can of beer.

Here's the Harpoon from the bow with a bone in her teeth..  Merv's obviously not afraid of sailing in a fair breeze.  I only hope that I'm that spry and daring if I make it to 85!

Even Isle of Wight Len is suitably impressed!

Images from the 2012 Classic Moth Boat Mid-Winter Regatta Part 2

The photos in today's offering are courtesy of Isle of Wight Len.  I'm still single finger typing so enjoy the pix!

First up is a nice off-wind bow shot featuring Greg Duncan in his Europe design Moth.  Note how Greg has lengthened the mast in order to get a bit more room to duck under the Europe's boom.

Jeff Linton's Mousetrap.  Jeff continued his dominance of recent regattas with yet another overall win.

John Zseleczky works hard to keep Y2K BUG flat on her lines as he drives to weather.

Mike Parsons seems pleased with life.  This bow shot of the Mistral design shows how little of the boat is actually in the water when correctly sailed flat. Great technique Mike!

Patrick!  Hike that boat flat!  Due to their narrow waterlines Mistrals are challenging boats to sail.

Part of the mark boat crew: two Amys, one Elisabeth.  IoW Len is also an important member, but someone has to hold the camera!

The view from the now empty launching beach.  Looks idyllic doesn't it?

Images from the 2012 Classic Moth Boat Mid-Winter Regatta Part 1

I've managed to break my right arm, (interested peeps can read about that here), so typed comments will be limted for the next few posts.  Meanwhile here are some images from the regatta.  Photo credits: Diaristwoman

30 seconds after one of Saturday's starts.  My boat is sail Nr 69.

The racing venue at Gulfport YC is Boca Ciega Bay.  The dome of Tropicana Field can be seen in the background.

Mark Saunders debuted an experimental sail shape during the opening race.  It performed well during the brief outing but will require an up or down vote at this year's AGM.

Part of the fun of a development class is the ability to tinker with various aspects of boat design.  This photo compares differences in boom height on two otherwise identical boats.

Earlier in this race I flipped and had my work cut out in an to attempt to reconnect with the rest of the fleet!  The water temp was "refreshing".

At times there was a bit of chop.

Port/Starboard situation.  John Z is on starboard tack and has the right of way over your Diarist. My choices as the burdened vessel are to either tack away instead of crossing, or duck his transom.  Sometimes it's a better call to put the bow down and go astern.

Another Port/Starboard confrontation.  Greg (sail Nr 80) on port tack, is hoping to thread the needle in that wall of starboard tackers charging across the starting line.  With absolutely no rights, his options are to immediately tack onto starboard and thus eat a lot of "dirty" (i.e. turbulent) air from the boats directly in front of him, (slow) or duck all of the boats and continue on port tack with clean air and keep his options open (better).