On Friendship
Dear Friends, Recently I was down in Florida for a visit and do some business. My friend, Ted Conklin, has planned a trip to take his Trumpy yacht “America” up through the Trent-Severn Locks heading to Montreal and the Great Lakes. His captain, also named Ted, did a little measuring and realized the mast was too tall for the locks and bridges. Through the years the mast has been repurposed to hang a radar and other electronics. Now, due to that it no longer folds down. To ke


Top 5 Wooden Boat Shows on the East Coast, Making M/Y America Great again
Dear friends, Just when I thought things might be getting a little boring life proves me wrong. So where do I start? Matthew. This season it was so quiet. The little storms posed no threat. Then came along Matthew, big and ominous. First he had Florida in its sights and then the Carolinas. He finally landed in South Carolina and when he hit ,the storm moved inland. With wind and rain he pounced for days. Before the storm we prepared, no boats would fall. We dotted all the “I’


Ocean Reef Vintage Weekend & Return to Grace
December 2016 Dear friends, It seems this year flew by and now it’s time to celebrate the year that was. I just returned from Vintage Weekend. I know I have said this in the past, but this year was particularly spectacular. There was a great lineup of yachts that included three Trumpy yachts including two Auroras and “Flying Lady,” two pre-WWI antique boats including “Nymph,” a 1910 Mathews owned by Tom Robinson. This is an absolutely masterful restoration, taking her back to

