SPRING TRIP TO HANG OUT WITH CAPTAIN CLYDE

[bob mitchell]

     In March Deb and I took a trip up the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake to Lewes, a very cool old town on the Delaware Bay, where we caught the ferry across the Delaware Bay to Cape May, New Jersy. At that point we weren't far from the home ground of Captain Clyde Phillips and the Dorchester Shipyard. Clyde, of course, worked at the Dorchester Shipyard building that most famous and loved (or cursed?) of all boats, the Newporter 40 (if you want more info there are articles by and about Clyde and his experiences building Newporters all over the site - you just got to look).

     Clyde and I have been communicating, and one of us pontificating, for a couple of years about the rebuilding of my Newporter. All kidding aside, he has dedicated tremendous amounts of his time, energy, and knowledge. His friendship has been at least as enjoyable, if not more so, than any other part of the project. So obviously it was time to shake hands.

      The first day we spent touring the abandoned Dorchester Shipyard on the banks of the Maurice River. Not much to see besides flapping tin and the old marine railway, but with a wave of his arm Clyde made it all come alive! Four boats

at a time were built, in various stages of completion. When the boat in the front of the line was completed it would be launched in the river, and the rail dolly would be taken apart and brought back up to the beginning of the line.

      Next we headed over to see the A. J. Meerwald, a schooner launched in 1928 as an oyster dredge, but commandeered during WW II by the government, which removed the sailing rig and turned the Meerwald into a fireboat.

   After the war Clyde's dad bought her and went back to oystering. At one point Clyde was actually captain of the Meerwald, which had been renamed by that time as the Clyde Phillips (by his dad)!  Ultimately the schooner became part of the Bayshore Discovery Project and was fully restored.

          While we were there the Meerwald was on the hard for repairs. Clyde walked up and asked if we could go aboard, but no such luck. Clyde then reached out his hand and introduced himself. After a second or so a quisical expression came over the captain's face as he realized he was talking to a Captain of real times. Then we were in luck!  The Meerwald is an incredibly beautiful boat, with lines you can feel gliding across the water. Captain Clyde recreated the deck layout during his time to the current captain.

   All in all, it was a great trip! Recalling what a wonderful time I had last summer meeting up with Niel Penso of the Sirenuse at Port Townsend, and Jasper and Karen of Viajador on Bowen Island, British Columbia, and now Clyde on the backwaters of the Delaware Bay, where the eastern Newporters were built --- all I can say is that meeting and getting to know other Newporter owners is half the fun, so make it happen!

[Justine]

Oh wonderful story !!! 

[Eddie Offermann]

Hahaha!

 

Bob, I'm not sure how I feel about that movie (I think J & K are referring to "My Blood Runs Cold") - there's a HUGE amount of footage I just put up on YouTube yesterday - and linked on my blog here - of a pristine Newporter, but the movie itself... ehh! Not many movies of that era hold up 40+ years later (not that many movies of today will still be considered good in 2050 either!) but I can't stop watching bits of it just for the excitement of seeing a brand new Newpie 40 under sail.

[bob mitchell]

DREADFUL MOVIE???? ARRRG - YOU MUST BE OUT OF GROG...!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jasper & Karen]

Thanks for the travellog, Bob--

That was a great read and fantastic to see the pics of Clyde on his home turf!  I hope the video of that dreadful  movie "In Cold Blood" (the sole saving grace of it being the use of a Newporter for the boat scenes) made it to Clyde in time for your trip.  We really enjoyed watching the scenes on the boat and picking out details that we don't see on our boat.  And trying to figure out how they got the camera angles for the scenes in the cabin!

Karen & Jasper