This bulletin board, hosted by the CDSOA, Inc., is the on-line meeting place for all Cape Dory owners and groups. We welcome everyone's questions, answers and comments about Cape Dory sailboat
I can't think of a better bit of therapy from the routine of military service and the effects of such a life with its ardor, its pace, and the combat operations that one encounters along a career, than to "go aboard." Too, I've found the relationship one takes on with a boat and its personality becomes a bit of personal restoration and renewal for Veterans as they return from our recent years of combat and find themselves adjusting to civilian life. There is goodness for the mind and heart in falling in with a boat project, especially with a classic! Would be great to see some Veterans' photos with their classic ladies. I'll be the first.
Here I am with my new girl in 2012 after purchase of "La Belle Vie" and before renaming. I think the smile on my face should be the indicator of how this colonel engaged with renovation on the Classic Cape Dory Typhoon! Even have my "bear jacket" from days in the 10th Mountain division LOL....
Skeep
Supporting Member #1576 of the CDSOA
Current Vessel, Alberg 30 Hull #614 to be named yet
Formerly S/V Hull #729 "Baggy Wrinkles"
Blogsite for Alberg Ty and Alberg 30 continues athttp://baggywrinkles.blogspot.com
Located at Lake Murray Sailing Club, Chapin South Carolina
When I finally earned a year of shore duty in the US Navy I chose Newport RI. We arrived in time for the Newport in the water Boat Show - Of course I wandered down to the docks and saw a cute little gem of a boat that they were taking reservations to go for a sail. Unfortunately I didn't sign up due to the long wait - but vowed that someday I would own a Cape Dory Typhoon! Finally 35 years later I saw an ad for a Cape Dory 19 on our boat club bulletin board. I ripped the ad down, took it home and made that fateful call - a week later it was mine - full of holes, dirty and missing 1/2 of its toe rail. What an experience for an old vet - to restore the boat he lusted for many years earlier. She is a great sailing boat - everything I had expected from such a beauty that I had seen in 1971. Victoria gets long lustful looks from everyone who sees her - both at the dock and in the water sailing.
Our own Tom Ricks wrote a tremendous story for the New Yorker about PTSD and how sailing soothed a wounded soul. After 26 years on active duty in the Marines this story really resonated with me as I suspect it does for many vets.
Not sure why I'm picking up on this post now but here it is in front of me. There was an article in the Cape Cod times last summer about a captain in the annual Figawi race from Hyannis to Nantucket. The captain had participated in the wounded warrior program and invited a wounded warrior abroad to crew. The statement that sticks with me and I'm paraphrasing " once I gave him the wheel and saw the look in his eye both he and I knew that I was never getting the wheel back." The captain went on to say that although they did not win the race and did not even come close that it was the most memorable race that he and his crew had ever been in. As a side to this captain had won the race several times in the past.
I hope that this puts a smile on your faces as it did for me when I first read it and again now as I'm recalling it.
Wow, I wish we had a "wounded warrior" program where we keep our boat in Nova Scotia. Maybe I'll just have to start one for the Canadian vets. I'm a vet myself and would love to meet some of these brave folks.
Speaking of warriors, my dear older brother passed on Thursday. He was a proud Marine colonel who served two combat tours as a pilot, followed by a fine second career as a project manager for Boeing. He loved to sail as a boy, not on anything a fine as a Cape Dory, but on my Dad's old hunting boat, a Barnegat Bay sneak box. I can still see him lugging the old, wet cotton sail up the road to dry under the house. He loved being on the water nearly as much as he loved his country. Semper Fi, Greg!
Terry
Jennifer & Terry McAdams
Kearsarge, New Hampshire
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
CD 31 #33 "Glissade"
Way too many other small boats
Semper Fi to you both. I would like to thank him, and you, each for your service. Enjoy your Cape Dory and the memories of your brother. Brothers are special.
While I don't own a Cape Dory, I do happen to be on active duty having recently gone over 18yrs. I've been through a few memorable "events" during deployments one of which had me explaining to my dad, a retired US Army Warrant Officer of 29yrs, how I received a Purple Heart. An interesting conversation.
Anyway, I think the idea of service members on sailboats is a great idea. I myself find it so much more relaxing and the stresses of "life" just fade away. I know I saw something about a Wounded Warrior type program for soldiers to get out on the water, but I don't know anything about it. I personally think it's a great idea.
My Nor'sea isn't in sailing condition right now, but when it is, I plan on inviting some co-workers to join me out on the Chesapeake, or wherever the boat is when it's ready.
Thanks to you, who have served before me.
Daniel - Rhapsody Blog
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” — Lao Tzu
I did my ocean crossings (both Atlantic and Pacific) in USS Newport News, the last of the all gun heavy cruisers.
I was also lucky enough to spend a summer (1970) in Newport, RI, attending Signalman Class A School, with access to the Navy's fleet of recreational sailing vessels.
141's could take off at 357,500 lbs, they were the workhorse from 1960 'til just a few years ago and are all decommissioned. C-17s have replaced them.
C-5's still fly the outsized cargo and can take off at 750,000 lbs
There's as much cargo space in a C-130 as there is wasted space on a C-5
My overseas Army tour was in Korea, '72-73. I traveled for work a lot, mostly on 130's (noisy) 141's and C-5's. I never liked the C-5s, even though they had a quite comfy passenger deck forward of the tail. It seemed that, more often than not, we'd get on one and then the take-off would be aborted with a long delay. Finicky things, those old C-5s.
I actually flew on the old C-47 a few times with a local Korean cargo airline. Nice old planes.
Terry
Jennifer & Terry McAdams
Kearsarge, New Hampshire
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
CD 31 #33 "Glissade"
Way too many other small boats
Yes, the 141's were reliable, fast and overpowered even.
They were actually stretched from 10 pallet positions originally to 13. something like 25 or 30 feet!
The C-5s were very problematic. They have 28 main landing gear wheels and could "Crab" / "Yaw" on landing.
But the complexity caused many problems.
They settled down after a while but were only used for cargo that required the size.
The 141 did the volume for all the armed forces as well as state department for years.
Air drop, air evac, rolling stock, passengers and any combination thereof.
I did a few trips on Gerald Ford's trips abroad and a few crazy trips like Tehran just before the Shah was ousted and humanitarian stuff too. And stuff I can't even talk about still.
But Sailing is my thing now and we're so lucky to have our Robinhood 36 now for 19 years.
