Wednesday is Cruising Photo Day - 2020!

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
The internet is great fun! Cruising Instagram, this little water color jumped out at me. I know that scene!

Screen Shot 2021-01-11 at 8.22.25 AM.png


I took the photo the artist used. It was just 'out there' somewhere. He nicely gave me credit from my watermark but I would never have found it except by chance scrolling.

This is one of my favorite photos.
North Haven dinghy.jpg With me, I cannot not sail. .jpg
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Nice image and watercolor. Hope you purchased the water color from the artist.

I hear that you can photoshop an image and filter it to make it appear to be a watercolor.
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
I have to say, not to take anything away from an amazing photo by one of our own, but the painter actually seems to have managed to add even more drama to your photo, Tom. :clap: And, what a compliment.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
I have to say, not to take anything away from an amazing photo by one of our own, but the painter actually seems to have managed to add even more drama to your photo, Tom. :clap: And, what a compliment.

-Will (Dragonfly)
I agree, Will. First, he didn't paint in the two boats flanking the mast. That's a great improvement.

And he embellished one of the best features of this image: The light reflecting off the sail onto the water. He also caught the skilled confidence in the girl at the helm. It's her relaxed posture.

If I can be a sailing critic though; I think he missed the power of the boat.

Bow down with a 'bone in her teeth', the hull is locked in the trough, as if propelled by the powerful stern wave. Probably too severe a critique but I don't think it's easy to capture the real essence of sail power. Probably because, you have to be a sailor to know what it looks like, and an artist that can reproduce that magic.

Another stickler point: The North Haven Dinghy has unique lines, maybe not as pretty as the ones the artist produced so I'm not critical of that.

However the lines and heritage of this unique boat are coveted locally. Here's a description of the North Haven Dinghy from a yacht historian:


Overview
The North Haven Dinghy is the oldest, continually raced one-design craft in America. Its prototype was a tender on early summer resident William Weld’s yacht ‘Gitana’, as depicted in the 1887 photo in our historical pictures section. Dinghies became exceedingly popular among the Casino community. Members recall a record 96 of them that competed in one Pulpit Harbor Race during the early Forties! And their sails and hulls then were gaily and variously colored (see the photo of the Pettit’s lovely diorama of a race in progress crafted at that time.)

(The 'Casino' is the Yacht Club on North Haven Island in Penobscot Bay)
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
Tom, I think you got it exactly right. Simplifying the background of extra distraction and highlighting the bright day by showing more light reflected of the water brings the viewers attention in on the boat and its relationship to the sailor and the environment better. Adding just a scoash more heel puts action into it. It is both a quieter place, with only the one anchored background boat and more active with the slightly hiking helmsman.

Interesting info about the North Haven Dinghy. A beautify and traditional looking vessel.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
i agree that the painting just "does not look real". capturing sailing vessels in paint and looking real is very rare.
fun note: i had heard/told that the Ascow was the oldest continually raced one design race boat class in america, 1901. so now, i guess that's wrong. i'm thinking that we mid-west sailors had not heard of this maine racer. :cool:
 

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
i agree that the painting just "does not look real". capturing sailing vessels in paint and looking real is very rare.
fun note: i had heard/told that the Ascow was the oldest continually raced one design race boat class in america, 1901. so now, i guess that's wrong. i'm thinking that we mid-west sailors had not heard of this maine racer. :cool:
Your info on the Ascow could still be right, Jon. One historian's opinion is no better than another.

The fleet of NH dinghys is a mixture of glass and plank on frame. They are reported to be tough to sail. To get the most out of them takes a real sailor who can also, 'tweak' a gaff.
North Haven in shed (1 of 1).jpg
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
well we all know that sea stories are akin to fairy tales. one starts out with "once upon time", the other starts out "this ain't no sh**". both are fun to listen to.

buddy melges is the person that told us about the Ascow. of course, he sells them. is a used sailboat salesman akin to a used car salesman :yikes:? i prolly should not have written that. buddy was great in helping us finding a really nice used scow and it was every thing he said it would be. the boat was in killer shape.
just being silly on a cold winter's morning here in ohio
 
Last edited:
Sep 22, 2018
1,869
Hunter 216 Kingston
Bow down with a 'bone in her teeth',
Not to hyjack the photo thread but I’m curious about what happens if the boat is pushed too hard at this angle? Get to a point where it just stalls and rounds up, turns into a submarine or ..... :)
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
Not to hyjack the photo thread but I’m curious about what happens if the boat is pushed too hard at this angle? Get to a point where it just stalls and rounds up, turns into a submarine or ..... :)
I wonder too. That seems like a lot of sail area.