WoodenBoat contributor Bruce Halabisky and his young family have been cruising in a 34′ wooden boat for the past seven years. Most recently the family crossed the Atlantic from Maine, via the Azores, and then sailed on to Senegal.
Our so-called “bateau” boat is not yet five minutes away from the dock before we spot our first gator. It isn’t very big–maybe four or five feet. I glimpse the crest of its head and the black, reptilian eyes glaring at me above the brown water. Then there’s the flash of a tail, and it is gone. I remember what “Mr. John” Benoit said after the fog had lifted this morning and J.B. Castagnos had launched our 20' cypress-planked bateau at Mr. John’s camp on Bayou Pidgeon.
Even on a calm autumn morning, it’s hard to imagine that it was ever quiet at Brooklin Boat Yard. The yard has been a Maine boatbuilding institution since naval architect Joel White bought out his boatbuilding mentor, Arno Day, to found the business in 1960. Arno had found it all getting out of hand, too big, what with three employees in addition to himself and Joel. These days, the parking area fills in quickly in the morning with ten times that many boatbuilders, who nod their greetings as they arrive at work and the first machine noises inside break the morning stillness.
The fishing vessel SKIPPER was launched in 1941 as a “party boat,” carrying deckloads of anglers on “deep sea” fishing expeditions from northern New Jersey. She continues in that role today, but now hails from Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
The art of gilding—applying thin sheets of gold leaf onto a surface—has been in practice since the ancient Egyptians and has been used in everything from book bindings to architectural features. On boats, gold leaf is commonly used for names, but it’s also common to see a gold covestripe or decorative element.
Bruce Halabisky and Tiffany Loney departed British Columbia ten years ago in their 34′ Atkin cutter, VIXEN. During their ensuing circumnavigation, they had two daughters and uncounted adventures while living on a modest budget.