Loading...
October 29, 1992 - Warm Memories of a Cold Boat Ride6A • The Suffolk Times • October 29, 1992 Warm Memories of a Cold Boat Ride By Paul Stoutenburqh As I sit here in the warmth of our home with the wood stove over in the kitchen throwing out a heat that only wood stoves can do, my face feels flushed from the rigors of a few hours ago. Today was not one of those beauti- ful fall days we all like to see but rather the exact opposite, rain in the morning with a shifting wind to the north which brought a cold, raw, overcast day to end the week. I'd spent the last two days working on a whole new filing system for my thou- Focus on Nature sands of slides and had just about had it by afternoon. To break away I called my son to see if he still wanted to go out in his boat to charge the batteries, which are always a concern when you have a leaky boat and an automatic bilge pump that relies on them. "Sure, why not ?" was the reply and in no time we were down at the dock bundled up for the day and ready to shove off in the skiff to the boat. I couldn't help noticing how clear the water was, a big difference from sum- mer's cloudiness. It seemed as if it had cleared up over night. I could see to the bottom as if there wasn't water there. I could spot the small, black mud snails plainly plowing across the bottom in their endless task of vacuuming. The great sheets of cabbage or sea lettuce, suspended as if in air, had now grown to their fullest. From here on their growth rate will slow down as the days grow shorter. Only the rise and fall of the tide will remain the same. The crabs and eels and the dogfish that curled up in an old tin can and others will work them- selves into the mud to sleep away the winter while above the temperatures drop. Time to Wrap Up We were seeing the closing days of fall and the cold wind snapped at our faces and found us walking with hands in our pockets and collars drawn up tight around our necks. The trees of the marsh edge had the typical Long Island deep maroons and yellows of fall. Noth- ing as spectacular as the maples and other hardwoods of New England. Ours are milder and a more quiet conglomer- ate of colors compared to the vivid, bright extravaganza of the New England fall. How the wind did blow and how the cloud covering with its grey rolls of fluff hovered above. The tall marsh grass waved like a sea of golden brown for now the tall thatch grass was ripe with seed and it too would soon be looking to lie down for the winter and sleep. As usual, an engine the vintage of Roger's boat needed much coaxing to get started but though it resisted and coughed, it finally took hold and started. There wouldn't be too many trips out into the bay before the boat would be pulled and it too put to bed for the win - `We were glad we had taken time out to charge not only the boat's batteries but our own.' Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh FALL BEACHES —Our beaches have taken on a winter look. Gone are the hot summer days with gentle breezes from the south. ter, but for now she purred along as we slowly headed out into the bay, the wind behind us. Our entrance into the heart of the creek put up a pair of black ducks. They rise like no other duck, the two of them up and then swinging off into a great arc with the wind behind them. We passed an old abandoned . osprey platform which reminded me I had seen an os- prey passing through just three days before. It's getting late for them now, most are fishing in the warmer waters to our south. Some eventually go as far as the Amazon River in South America. Once out into the bay we moved in the lee of the land until we came to a spot which was open and the wind grabbed at us. My mind flashed back to when I was in high school and Herman Moeller and I took an ice boat out at night on the bay. It was in this exact spot that same wind out of the north spun us around and almost tipped us over. In the black and howling winds we were shaken and dropped the sail and walked the ice boat home, only to find the next day some distance ahead of where we turned around, open water that had been kept open by that howling north wind. Something To Keep Warm We had brought along a little sherry to warm our spirits and innards, so as we motored across the bay we gave a toast to each other's health, which was being tested that very moment on such a cloudy, windy day. We worked our way ■ wVaa ■ wwL Oww16 78 Years Ago Nov. 7, 1914 The Talk of the World: Mr. L.H Hallock of Orient has placed his order for a new eight - cylinder seven- passenger 1915 Cadillac touring car. This car is the talk of the automo- bile world and Mr. Hallock will be the fast motorist in this section of the county who will drive an eight - cylinder car. New Contract at Beebe: The F.C. Beebe boat shops of Greenport received the contract on Tuesday to build for the United States government 20 power surf boats. This job will keep the shops busy for nearly a year. Although the contract price is not given out, it is said to be in the neighborhood of $50,000. 50 Years Ago Oct. 29, 1942 No Rallies: On Tuesday, which is Election Day, the political campaign will be over. Although no rallies were held by the Southold Town Republicans it was not for lack of interest in the success of the party. In accordance with the conservation of motor car tires, the rationing of gasoline and other wartime economies, it would not be in keeping with the spirit of the times to hold political rallies. Halloween Curtailed: Saturday night is Hal- loween, the night boys and girls look forward to fun. But along the shore of Robins Island which lies between Southampton and Southold towns and found only gulls, like weather vanes heading into the wind, crouched along the beaches. There were a few loons that must have just returned from their far north lakes looking curi- ously at us as we approached but then they dove to their world of wealth be- low leaving us to the elements. We took a ride into Schoolhouse Creek where most of the boats were wrapped in winter gear. A few brave men at the boat yard were still working on their "pride and joys," putting the last touches to winterizing them. These boats too would sleep through the win- ter while their masters kept warm at home and dreamed of far -away places they some day hoped to cruise to. The trip back was right into the wind and by now a nice chop had come up, throwing a cold spray over our bow. How nice it was to feel the security of the cabin as we plowed along through the wintry sea, the engine now content and purring as if it were new. The marker buoys in the channel had already been taken up, which gave us an excuse for running aground but with a little luck and rising tides and an offshore wind we were soon off. We were both glad we had taken time out to charge not only the boat's batteries but our own. To most, the day was a complete loss as far as the weather went but to us it had worked out just fine. We moored the boat in the exact op- posite direction from where we started for now the majority of winds would be in the northwest not southwest. Holding the wet lines reinforced the feeling of cold that was trying its best to find a way into our inner souls. We picked up some gear that needed to be taken off for the winter and rowed ashore glad to be back. Now as I sit here and think it all over I feel good about it. As I said, my face still tingles a bit but the warmth of the fire will soon correct that. Our outing had surely brought home the feeling that fall weather was telling us something. Seasons continually change and at this time of the year it's best to take advan- tage of every day whether it's good or bad. Make the most of it. this year our nation is at war. This year many of the plea- sures of Halloween must give way to more serious busi- ness. Under Army orders this section of the Island is experi- encing a nightly dimout. Street lights and electric illumina- tion have been curtailed. Boys and girls who in the past have dressed in fantastic costumes and have played pranks in the village and roamed the streets after dark will not be permitted this Halloween activity. Children will be permit- ted to dress up and roam the streets until darkness sets in. After dark the police have strict orders to put all children in Halloween costumes off the streets. 25 Years Ago Nov. 3, 1967 Halloween Vandalism: Despite the fact that the Greenport Police Department assisted by the Fire Police patrolled the community on Halloween night, especially in the business section, two store windows were smashed on Front Street. At the former A &P store owned by the Barth Realty Corporation, which is being used as a Republican headquarters, one of the large plate -glass windows was deliberately broken. Also one of the show windows in the Schiavoni Bowling Lanes was smashed. Such harmless pranks as marking windows with soap or shaving cream are to be expected but the destruction of property is an act of vandalism which cannot be tolerated. 6A • The Suffolk Times • October 29, 1992 Warm Memories of a Cold Boat Ride By Paul Stoutenburgh As I sit here in the warmth of our home with the wood stove over in the kitchen throwing out a heat that only wood stoves can do, my face feels flushed from the rigors of a few hours ago. Today was not one of those beauti- ful fall days we all like to see but rather the exact opposite, rain in the morning with a shifting wind to the north which brought a cold, raw, overcast day to end the week. I'd spent the last two days working on a whole new filing system for my thou- Focus on Nature sands of slides and had just about had it by afternoon. To break away I called my son to see if he still wanted to go out in his boat to char &e the batteries, which are always a concern when you have a leaky boat and an automatic bilge pump that relies on them. "Sure, why not ?" was the reply and in no time we were down at the dock bundled up for the day and ready to shove off in the skiff to the boat. I couldn't help noticing how clear the water was, a big difference from sum- mer's cloudiness. It seemed as if it had cleared up over night. I could see to the bottom as if there wasn't water there. I could spot the small, black mud snails plainly plowing across the bottom in their endless task of vacuuming. The great sheets of cabbage or sea lettuce, suspended as if in air, had now grown to their fullest. From here on their growth rate will slow down as the days grow shorter. Only the rise and fall of the tide will remain the same. The crabs and eels and the dogfish that curled up in an old tin can and others will work them- selves into the mud to sleep away the winter while above the temperatures drop. Time to Wrap Up We were seeing the closing days of fall and the cold wind snapped at our faces and found us walking with hands in our pockets and collars drawn up tight around our necks. The trees of the marsh edge had the typical Long Island deep maroons and yellows of fall. Noth- ing as spectacular as the maples and other hardwoods of New England. Ours are milder and a more quiet conglomer- ate of colors compared to the vivid, bright extravaganza of the New England fall. How the wind did blow and how the cloud covering with its grey rolls of fluff hovered above. The tall marsh grass waved like a sea of golden brown for now the tall thatch grass was ripe with seed and it too would soon be looking to lie down for the winter and sleep. As usual, an engine the vintage of Roger's boat needed much coaxing to get started but though it resisted and coughed, it finally took hold and started. There wouldn't be too many trips out into the bay before the boat would be pulled and it too put to bed for the win - `We were glad we had taken time out to charge -not only the boat's batteries but our own.' Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh FALL BEACHES —Our beaches have taken on a winter look. Gone are the hot sumrrier days with gentle breezes from the south. ter, but for now she purred along as we slowly headed out into the bay, the wind behind us. Our entrance into the heart of the creek put up a pair of black ducks. They rise like no other duck, the two of them up and then swinging off into a great arc with the wind behind them. We passed an old abandoned osprey platform which reminded me I had seen an os- prey passing through just three days before. It's getting late for them now, most are fishing in the warmer waters to our south. Some eventually go as far as the Amazon River in South America. Once out into the bay we moved in the lee of the land until we came to a spot which was open and the wind grabbed at us. My mind flashed back to when I was in high school and Herman Moeller and I took an ice boat out at night on the bay. It was in this exact spot that same wind out of the north spun us around and almost tipped us over. In the black and howling winds we were shaken and dropped the sail and walked the ice boat home, only to find the next day some distance ahead of where we turned around, open water that had been kept open by that howling north wind. Something To Keep Warm We had brought along a little sherry to warm our spirits and innards, so as we motored across the bay we gave a toast to each other's health, which was being tested that very moment on such a cloudy, windy day. We worked our way i afts %m I w..L naftwL 78 Years Ago Nov 7, 1914 The Talk of the World: Mr. L.H Hallock of Orient has placed his order for a new eight - cylinder seven- passenger 1915 Cadillac touring car. This car is the talk of the automo- bile world and Mr. Hallock will be the first motorist in this section of the county who will drive an eight - cylinder car. New Contract at Beebe: The F.C. Beebe boat shops of Greenport received the contract on Tuesday to build for the United States government 20 power surf boats. This job will keep the shops busy for nearly a year. Although the contract price is not given out, it is said to be in the neighborhood of $50,000. 50 Years Ago Oct. 29, 1942 No Rallies: On Tuesday, which is Election Day, the political campaign will be over. Although no rallies were held by the Southold Town Republicans it was not for lack of interest in the success of the party. In accordance with the conservation of motor car tires, the rationing of gasoline and other wartime economies, it would not be in keeping with the spirit of the times to hold political rallies. Halloween Curtailed: Saturday night is Hal- loween, the night boys and girls look forward to fun. But along the shore of Robins Island which lies between Southampton and Southold towns and found only gulls, like weather vanes heading into the wind, crouched along the beaches. There were a few loons that must have just returned from their far north lakes looking curi- ously at us as we approached but then they dove to their world of wealth be- low leaving us to the elements. We took a ride into Schoolhouse Creek where most of the boats were wrapped in winter gear. A few brave men at the boat yard were still working on their "pride and joys," putting the last touches to winterizing them. These boats too would sleep through the win- ter while their masters kept warm at home and dreamed of far -away places they some day hoped to cruise to. The trip back was right into the wind and by now a nice chop had come up, throwing a cold spray over our bow. How nice it was to feel the security of the cabin as we plowed along through the wintry sea, the engine now content and purring as if it were new. The marker buoys in the channel had already been taken up, which gave us an excuse for running aground but with a' little luck and rising tides and an offshore wind we were soon off. We were both glad we had taken time out to charge not only the boat's batteries but our own. To most, the day was a complete loss as far as the weather went but to us it had worked out just fine. We moored the boat in the exact op- posite direction from where we started for now the majority of winds would be in the northwest not southwest. Holding the wet lines reinforced the feeling of cold that was trying its best to find a way into our inner souls. We picked up some gear that needed to be taken off for the winter and rowed ashore glad to be back. Now as I sit here and think it all over I feel good about it. As I said, my face still tingles a bit but the warmth of the fire will soon correct that. Our outing had surely brought home the feeling that fall weather was telling us something. Seasons continually change and at this time of the year it's best to take advan- tage of every day whether it's good or bad. Make the most of it. this year our nation is at war. This year many of the plea- sures of Halloween must give way to more serious busi- ness. Under Army orders this section of the Island is experi- encing a nightly dimout. Street lights and electric illumina- tion have been curtailed. Boys and girls who in the past have dressed in fantastic costumes and have played pranks in the village and roamed the streets after dark will not be permitted this Halloween activity. Children will be permit- ted to dress up and roam the streets until darkness sets in. After dark the police have strict orders to put all children in Halloween costumes off the streets. 25 Years Ago Nov. 3, 1967 Halloween Vandalism: Despite the fact that the Greenport Police Department assisted by the Fire Police patrolled the community on Halloween night, especially in the business section, two store windows were smashed on Front Street. At the former A &P store owned by the Barth Realty Corporation, which is being used as a Republican headquarters, one of the large plate -glass windows was deliberately broken. Also one of the show windows in the Schiavoni Bowling Lanes was smashed. Such harmless pranks as marking windows with soap or shaving cream are to be expected but the destruction of property is an act of vandalism which cannot be tolerated.