Chine bLog

I got out to Cuttyhunk Island for Memorial Day to open the house there. No boats to play with, but I did get a chance to snap a few pics. Enjoy!

Ah, and so comes to an end our Summer vacation, but what a good one it was. Highlights included some excellent paddling, as seen in the pictures below:

You can also see these plotted on a map.

One nice thing about knocking around Cuttyhunk is that there are usually a modest number of boats worth ogling. Here are a few choice ones from the trip:

And now we have the one we've all been waiting for (trust me, you were waiting for it): the Boat of the Trip Award, given periodically to that vessel that best encompasses the ideals of Chine bLog. And the winner is: GODSPEED, from Mason, NH! [Mad applause]

I am not very good with eyeballing boat size, but I am guessing she is about 28' or so with a gaff ketch rig. The lines, to me, suggest a scaled up life boat, with a multi-chine hull. She was designed and built by the owner, whose name I did not catch (but, based on a quick Google, I am guessing he is the proprietor of Godspeed Boat Works of Mason, NH). Here is why this boat wins the award, aside from being a nice-looking, not-what-you-see-everyday wooden boat: he and a family of five or six - plus a dog - have cruised all over the East Coast in this boat. Look at the view facing forward:

Of course no discussion of Cuttyhunk would be complete without a shout-out to my beloved Cuttyhunk Yacht Club. Pipe down - it isn't a yacht club like you think about - the main building is a garage with college-kid-Summer-dive appartment above it [having lived there for three Summers, I can tell you it is the best deal going - the view itself is worth a mint]. What it is is a quality sailing instruction program for ages 6 to 16 or so. We race other clubs around SE MA and do well, but have intraclub competitions that are low-key and good-natured. All in all, a great mix of seamanship and sportsmanship. It turns 50 this Summer - here's to ya, CYC!

I imagine everyone who loves boats and boating has a patch of water that eclipses all others. You love the views, you know the intricacies of the shore, you just "get" the rhythms of the winds and waves. For me, that spot is Cuttyhunk Island, MA.