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Home My WebLink AboutFebruary 20, 2003 - That first boat, never forgotten The Suffolk Times • February 20, 2003 `You get to know the water in all its moods when . you float but � �� O � a few inches ' above 6t.' never or o en THEY TELL ME A PBISOri 1S made up of his life experiences. + . �`� �, � `�� ,;� Some of my best experiences ,_ � � � 'z�� '� �_ ,.>'�� ° came from boats I owned ' � � � g ` �` ; si : � ,�F. through the years.I guess rt f s , �= , 4�'- � �� - '��, ��;-. IIlUSt 178V1,' bP.e.11 8T'OU17Cj 8g0 l�) � �� 4�'v�� b��,,' y �"` � s � ' � � 2 g � �� x z Fn : �*'� �� .�'��«�.�'„��,�':� �� .�F 1� a,,� � x ti 1z , v � r 1 when I first became aware of „� + � � �x��a�af�;� � � ,� �� 3 � a �� , � � ?� � 9jl f s �, z� ��'r;. the wonders of boats.The � � �� s �� ,�� Y ��A �� x,�� a,� �, � weren't too elegant but they �'��° ,�`�� `�' ; }` ��Y xa�� ., introduced me to the fascinat- �� - � � � � ing world of our bays and �� ' � ' •,,{. creeks.It � '� `' �. �� . �" �, � T was an a �� ^�s�yu�� `� 3 �'� � ,� -� ' � � `�'� �� FOCV$ entirely � �� `� �' � � �,,, � different �� ` ,� `� � � � ,« � `�� O N world � � '` �� `' `' ` '� a x �' NATURE than thc .'� . � � �" �' � _ w.� � ,_ .___ _. _ by Paul one I'd r - � �� „_ viewed �'� Stoutenburgh `" � s , . .�. ... from N� �r .,_,Y..�a� . , shore. � e � �M,��.��,, That first boat was a big row- � s`� ��, �'�� s. boat of my Uncle Henry's(at ,� .� � �� >, .,"�i least it looked big to me at tha; � # �. -� � � �� .� ` age) and it took us on many � . � wonderful fishing trips.In those 3��-� � � �'� � � � � E �� a ��¢ =� �� early days I didn't do much of ' � ,,,`,a�`,: . � :�: �. � �___._.�__ t�le flslllrig but ITly C18C�1riCl 6uffou�Times pl�oto iaken January f�Gt;iry I'aui Sroutenburgh Uncle Henry were good teach- y�ooden boats and winter ice don't mix. Rather,old boats creak and groan under the pressure ers,with me just watching and of ice. Then the water pours in and eventually the boat sinks. This one didn't sink just once, listening. but three times.That was too much.She was given a fiery funeral off the end of Nassau Point. � I was amazed to see how my Rest her soul. Uncle Henr "bobbed"for eels. Another experience I remember Other rowboats would later play a His bait was a ball of worms tnat wa5 about that boat was once when we covered with rounds and rounds of were fishin over b New Suffolk.We Part in my getting to know our creeks. g y We d row or pull the boat up to a cer- fine thread.The eels would bite at the weren't very far off shore but people tain spot and start raking for clams, ball of thread-wrapped worms and get were all around us anchored in small and in no time at all we'd have a full their teeth caught on the thread,then boats.I saw a man pull a gigantic fish bucket.Or perhaps we'd stop at the the trick was to get the eel in the boat over the side of his boat.It must have sandbar that was right in the middle of before it realized what was happening, been 10 or more pounds.What a sight the creek.If the tide was out to expose and it worked.To this day I can see seeing that fish being pulled aboard, those slimy eels slithering about in t}le flopping and jumping in all its silvery bottom of the boat. beauty. e' sit for hours out in t e creek fishing for weakfish and yarn away the hours.lt was on this catboat,' the sand we'd go soft clamming.Do during duck hunting,that we'd you know how you dig soft clams? It must have been a few years ater melt away all the cold and wind First you find the squirt holes in the when 1 was in high school that a man in the cozy cabin with a cup of sand and then you dig a deep hole in gave me an old,dilapidated duck boat hot coffee.It all came to an end the sand,a big one.As the water for the price of cutting up his wood- when a hurricane passed comes in,the sides cave in gradually. pi1e.How I worked over it! I recan- through and she was pounded Then you'll see the clams hanging vased it,painted it and made it look to death on a dock.We were there as the sand drops away,and you like new.It was my pride and joy,"my away at the time,but later gave just pick the clams off.In that way you fi"rst boat."It was so easy to row and it her a Viking's funeral.We don't break their soft shells. sat so low that from a distance all you burned it on the beach and Those were the days before dredg- could see was a bump on the water.I saluted it with cans of beer. ing gutted our creeks.It was a time would go everywhere in Then came the wonders of marriage when you became part of the shallow that little boat.Later I'd and kids and a return to college.Here creek that flowed out into the bay.You use it for duck hunting. canoes took us to the freshwater lakes, knew where the crabs were and you You get to know the wate ponds and streams.Back home we had could walk almosi anywhere except in all its moods when you a chance to get a big inboard boat for where there was deep mud.It was a float but a few inches �;�00.It was a 38-foot vessel that need- wonderful time to explore. above it. ��i all kinds of work.Hours were spent Those were the days of the It was during my high in scraping and painting,caulking the Depression and to earn some money school years that Herman bottom and tuning her engine.For on weekends,my dad would work the Moeller and I built an ice- years we used it with the kids and banks of our creeks for oysters.When boat and learned the won- friends for day trips,week trips and he'd get two or three bushels he'd cart ders of rumbling across yes,we even attempted to go up the them home,where he'd apen them and the ice at what we thought was an Hudson River to Lake Champlain.We sell them for 50 cents a quart.Our dri- unbelievable speed.We'd get to know got as far as the Tappan Zee Bridge, veway was white with crushed oyster the winds and the cold and the joy of but the old boat couldn't stand the shells. ice boating. strain and leaked so badly we had to Other boats that had a powerful It was the time when the summer head home.We had fun anyway with influence on me were the great ghost- people would come out to their four teena ers aboard. like sailboats that dragged the bay bot- closed-up summer bungalows.They all Each year we'd leave tom for scallops.Once again,one par- had kids my age and I got to know her in the water,but one ticular scene sticks out in my mind.It them well.These were the"money winter was particularly was a day when the wind had died people,"the ones who could afford the severe with ice and snow. down to a whisper and the scallop �=�mets,Lightnings,Lawleys,Thistles It must have crac�Ced her boats were moving ever so slowly back —�ll the sailboats that raced here and weary planks in the frozen and forth.It was like a dream.In those there.I crewed for many a boat.We ice and she eventually days only wind and rowing boats were �'�n some and lost some of the races sank,not once,but twice, allowed to dredge for scallops.Today but it gave me a new insight into the then the third time was too power has replaced the sail.We can W�ncls and tides that could win or lose much.I had Bob Tuthill,of see powerboats dragging for scallops, a race.It introduced me to the sailing Robins Island fame,tow but nothing like the quant�ies we used world,a love that would follow me her out off Nassau Point.I to get.I was paid 50 cents to get a man throughout my life. anchored her in the deepest spot I a half-bushel of scallops.That was the 77ien came the war and everybody could find on the chart.There I gave fastest and easiest 50 cents I could enlisted,including me.It was then that her a funeral of flame and burned her earn. I went to sea in both the Atlantic and to the water's edge.It was a sad day My Uncle Henry lived over on West pacific oceans.I got to know the watching that wonderful hull burn.It Creek near a place called Boatman's meamng an ury of the water. `�<:s in the days before regulations and Harbor.It was at the time when party Luck was on my side and I ;�crmits for such things.All I did was boats went out to catch the silvery came home richer in many ��<��ify the fire department and got the weakfish that came into our bays in ways. �'�'s�Y• the spring by the thousands.The I got my next boat when My dream was always to have a sail- streets wou�d be lined with cars from someone offered me a 17-foot boat of modern design and one that the west end that had brought the converted catboat with a one- didn't leak.We bought a Cape Dory 25 eager fishermen out to go fishing over cylinder Grey Marine engine,a and sailed her for two seasons with at Rose's Grove.If you looked at that boat that probably served me family and friends,only to buy a bigger area in its heyday,the bay would be better than any other boat I've one,a 28-foot Cape Dory.Once again just a mass of boats anchored there,all ever owned.It was on this boat we cruised for a day at a time,or for chumming for weakfish.Never has that we used to do night eeling weeks on end. there been such a run of weakfish in or firelighting.lt was on this Boats let you get closer to the water our bays as in the late '30s and early boat that we'd catch the elusive in all its moods.I am one who enjoys weakfish each spring and tl�e world around him whether it be in '40s. where Pd learn the wonders of an old wooden rowboat,a canoe,a companionsl:ip oi�my friend sailhoat,a powerboat,or even the Harry Waitc �� a '�� i � '�� ,. ,.