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Richmond
Bob McVey Memorial Race, the final club race of the season.
But his legacy encompasses more than the race. Fast forward to 2019, when the all-volunteer boat crew at the nearby Havre de Grace Maritime Museum had recently constructed a wooden Opti that was then donated to the local youth sailing program. For their next project, what if they could find and restore an HOD similar to Ringer, the sailboat that set Bob McVey on his racing career?
Under Caffo’s unofficial guidance, the team set to work. HODs are still an active class, with an estimated 700+ boats still racing (though they switched from wood to fiberglass in 1961). To learn more, the team headed to the Hampton History Museum, which had an exhibit on HODs. The exhibit included a refurbished, fully rigged 1947 HOD on display in the lobby, along with tools and artifacts from Serio’s original workshop. During the visit, they met with curator Allen Holiman and shared their hope of restoring an HOD as it would have been when McVey started racing in 1948. Holiman knew people who had wooden HODs they might be willing to donate. David Wingfield had inherited a 1938 HOD from his father, Charlie: Hull 117, built by Serio himself. The hull was rotted in parts, from being stored outdoors, and the original fittings had been replaced by modern ones. Its mast, boom, and rigging had been removed and were used to construct the boat on display in the Hampton museum’s lobby. Wingfield agreed to donate the hull and his brother Ben, who had built an HOD of his own, donated a collection of related blueprints to help with the rebuild.
Holiman also connected them with Mike Evans, who added his circa 1940s HOD to the effort. This boat still had its wooden mast, boom, whisker pole, and bronze fittings. By combining
Volunteers at work in the HdG museum’s boat shop.
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elements from the two boats, they would be able to create a convincing replica of what McVey would have sailed in 1948.
The restoration work was done on the lower floor of the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum, much of it done during the pandemic. Following the faded blueprints and whatever images they could find, they cleaned and patched the hull, painted the deck and topsides, stripped and varnished the mahogany planking, fabricated and attached the mahogany coaming and gunwales, and varnished the king plank, decking, and centerboard. They removed the modern fittings and replaced them with Evan’s bronze originals, fabricating any missing details onsite from bronze and wood. “We learned a lot from YouTube,” says Caffo.
After a year’s delay due to the pandemic, the boat made her public debut in the 2021 Bob McVey Memorial Race, the season ender held on September 10 at Havre de Grace Yacht Cub. For the occasion, the club agreed to have a fourth start, just for the HOD class. “If we’re able to sail around the course, we’ll be able to declare ourselves the winner,” said Caffo the week before they put their project in the water. “But we do have to complete the course, it’s not a slam dunk.” Turns out, the boat performed beautifully on the water, and the win was well earned.
Going forward, Hull 117 will be on display in the boat shop at the museum, and then hopefully taken out each season to represent those early regattas. The whole project is a fitting testament to sailboat racers, then and now. In the words of Bob McVey, “The motivating force that defines the sport of sailing is the satisfaction of finding what your measure of ability is.” . Susan Moynihan writes about travel and food, and is the author of 100 Things to Do in Annapolis and the Eastern Shore Before You Die. Follow her at @susanmoynihan.
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Wintry Mix
An icy Bay blends up a spring meal.
by Capt. John Page Williams
Ever see winter weather crack a concrete sidewalk or lift and bend the pilings on a dock? Freezing and thawing water expands and contracts, inexorably widening any space into which it can flow. Meanwhile, ice cuts and grinds, and snow crushes. If such “weathering” can break concrete and move timbers, imagine what it can do to the accumulated dead plant and animal debris left over after all of 2021’s spring and summer growth and fall’s withering throughout the Chesapeake’s watershed. Some of that material will decompose and become part of the soil under it, thanks to the actions of bacteria and fungi, but on frozen, concrete, and asphalt surfaces, winter rain will send it overboard into the nearest waterway. In every location, the timing and degree of the winter’s weathering process dictates the particle size of, say, maple leaves or bird feathers that go into the water. Some of it will be large enough to nourish insect larvae that live in the gravel of stream bottoms, while microscopic bits will feed bacteria that break it down into plant nutrient compounds of active nitrogen and phosphorus. The way each winter distributes decaying material around the watershed tells a lot about what
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NOAA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Climate Impact Summary: In an age of automated sensors, big data, and GIS (geographic information systems), it is now possible to map patterns such as seasonal precipitation and temperatures at high resolution to get a sense of how an ecosystem is working. A great source for the general public is NOAA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments Team (MARISA), whose website offers a summary and outlook every three months. It tells us, for example, that last winter “ranked among the ten wettest on record for sites in Virginia, Maryland and New York,” driving strong runoff into Chesapeake waterways. Temperatures ran above normal everywhere except a band along the watershed’s southern boundary from the lower Shenandoah Valley east to Richmond and Hampton Roads. By the time you read this column, MARISA’s Fall 2021 Summary and Outlook will be on the website at midatlanticrisa.org. Look for the Winter 2022 Summary and Outlook in late March. See how it squares with your own observations of this winter, and watch how the Bay’s new year unfolds. Eyes on the Bay: Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources offers Eyes on the Bay, a gold mine for Maryland tidal water quality data and information, at eyesonthebay.dnr.maryland.gov. Use the search function to look up everything from current conditions to a summary of winter 2020-21. One especially interesting section for generally understanding the Chesapeake is the Seasonal Conditions section, where a menu feature lets you select the month and the creature (i.e., blue crab, striped bass, eelgrass). which in turn will play huge roles in feeding larvae of spring-spawning fish. Yellow perch will lead the parade in late February, followed by white perch, river herring (alewives, bluebacks), shad (hickory, American), rockfish, and even a few Atlantic sturgeon. Crabs will begin to crawl and find winterkilled material to scavenge. Mature sooks will spawn. The Chesapeake’s complex, ecologically rich new year will begin, fueled by the legacy of winter.
I once heard a marine science professor remark that the Chesapeake system is several orders of magnitude more complex than a human body. It’s never the same Chesapeake even minute to minute, much less day to day, year to year, or decade to decade.
CBM Editor-at-Large John Page Williams is a fishing guide, educator, author, and naturalist, saving the Bay since 1973.
Relax & Enjoy
Lovely waterviews and gorgeous sunsets in a quiet marina setting, just minutes from the best fi shing and cruising the Chesapeake Bay has to offer.
KNAPP’S NARROWS DREDGED
Stamas 370 Aegean
by Capt. John Page Williams
Stamas 370 Aegean
LOA: 39'5" Beam: 11'2"
Draft: 21"/32" (engines up/down) Transom Deadrise: 18º
Weight: 14,400 lb (w/T-Suzuki 350s) Max Power: 850 hp Fuel Capacity: 356 gal Water Capacity: 40 gal Waste Capacity: 20 gal Bridge Clearance: 11'6" Cabin Headroom: 6'4"
For more information, visit stamas.com, annapolisyachtsales.com It was good to see Stamas boats back at the Annapolis Powerboat Show last fall, after an absence of nearly 10 years. Nick and Pete Stamas grew up in the Greek maritime community of Tarpon Springs, Fla., and won a prize for a wooden boat they built as high school students in 1938. They continued building commercial and recreational boats through the 1940s and incorporated Stamas Yacht in 1952. The brothers made the transition to fiberglass in the late 1950s and quickly developed a reputation for creating strong, able hulls that did the jobs they were designed for and held their value well. Four generations later, the Stamas family still owns and runs the company with pride.
The Stamas 370 Aegean we tested recently with Annapolis Yacht Sales reflects both proud heritage and modern design. It’s an express cruiser, a traditional model often overlooked with today’s emphasis on dayboats with multiple lounges. Instead, it’s fish-ready for a wide range of Chesapeake angling opportunities, it will serve a couple or a family well for weekend or week-long expeditions, and its large cockpit still adapts well to casual day use. The layout offers a large, bright cabin; a comfortable, elevated helm deck; a functional fishing cockpit with convertible seating; and a stern deck for handling fish or swimming. Instead of inboard gas V-8s
Clockwise from above: A port-side dinette converts to a double bunk; bait station and under-seat cooler; a generous V-berth and galley to starboard.
shoehorned under the helm deck (as was common on express cruisers until a decade ago), power is twin outboards up to 850 horsepower. The outboard configuration allows cavernous storage, with good access to wiring, plumbing, and mechanical systems. The 370 Aegean is built for a family to care for and enjoy for many years.
The hull’s design and structural layup reflect the long experience of the Stamas team. In all the company’s boats, each hull remains in its mold after layup for installation of the stringer grid and liner, all bonded together and allowed to cure fully before removal. That practice ensures the boat’s shape remains true to its design. Bottom deadrise starts with 18 degrees at the transom and sharpens progressively going forward to a wave-cleaving bow. Wide chines and bottom strakes with sharp edges damp spray and foster stability. Watch both of those features at work in the five-minute video of the 370 Aegean on the Stamas website.
Like the boat in the video, power on our test boat was a pair of Suzuki 350s, sophisticated 4.4-liter V-6s with dual, contra-rotating propellers that provide powerful lift and grip on the water. They happily boosted this three-quarter-ton rig onto plane around 17 knots and cruised happily at 19–26 knots (3600–4200 rpm), burning 17–22 gallons of fuel per hour. Top speed with three people aboard and a light load was 42 knots. At the same time, the 350s throttled down happily to 3 knots (600 rpm) for trolling, and we could drop below that by turning off one engine, if necessary to tune speed for specific lures like spoons and hoses. On test day, the open Bay gave us northwest winds in the 10- to 12-knot range, which the 370 Aegean handled easily at cruise speeds and more. Drifting was comfortable, with easy movement at all angles to the seas. The express deck helm is high enough to give a commanding view, excellent for piloting and spotting fish as well as close-in maneuvering. Our test boat included an Optimus joystick for maneuvering (optional, $16,709), but we found that the big Suzukis’ propellers were powerful enough for easy maneuvering with the throttle and shift levers.
So what does the somewhat retro express layout offer families and anglers? First, the cabin is spacious, air-conditioned, and bright, with large, thoroughly modern windows. It offers a generous V-berth forward; a four-person dinette to port that converts to a double bunk; a full galley with microwave, cooktop, and refrigerator to starboard; and an enclosed head and shower just
aft. Headroom throughout is 6'4". Layout of storage reflects designers who cruise their own boats. Beneath the helm deck lies a small cabin athwartships with sitting headroom and a lounge with table that converts to a single berth. Accommodations would work easily for a cruising couple or a family’s weekend trip.
The express deck is compact and businesslike, with twin adjustable seats port and starboard. Each tilts forward to reveal an insulated, dry storage compartment with overboard drain. The helm dashboard to starboard offers a compass above, space for a pair of 12-inch electronic displays, linked VHF radio, engine display,
The 370 Aegean is fish-ready for a wide range of Chesapeake angling opportunities.
stainless-steel wheel with turning knob, switch panel, and “the sticks.” The dash on our test boat included a pair of cooling vents from the air conditioner (optional, $1,031). It tilts back for access to the devices and wiring. A curved windshield provides twin wipers and a sturdy aluminum frame that fits the human hand well, though Stamas has also added grab handles in appropriate places. The hardtop stands on a sturdy, powder-coated frame with additional handholds and rod holders. On our tester, it also included cooling misters hanging overhead (optional, $2,453) and a remote-controlled spotlight (optional, $2,123).
Then there’s the cockpit. It’s businesslike too, self-bailing and large, with room for two anglers to work jigs on each side. An aft-facing seat to port
allows two anglers to watch trolling lines, with an insulated cooler beneath. To starboard is a tackle center with freshwater sink, cutting board, three drawers, and a compartment to stack five 3600-size tackle boxes. There’s a step on each side for climbing up to the side decks for going forward to handle the anchor (a windlass is standard). Each gunwale is bolstered, with horizontal storage beneath for rods and vertical rod holders on top. The transom mounts a folding seat for three on its forward side, with a 235-quart, insulated fishbox on top and a 92-quart livewell to port. On the after side, our test boat included eight vertical rod holders (optional, $1,760). To starboard is a transom door with a stout latch. It leads to a full-beam platform for netting fish, swimming, or checking on the engines.
Oh, yes, about access for maintenance and storage. Put outboards on an express cruiser and you’ll free up a huge space under the cockpit sole for access to wiring, plumbing, and mechanical systems. On the 370 Aegean, that includes the fuel tanks port and starboard, a Westerbeke gas generator (with its automatic fire suppression system), and a SeaKeeper (not necessarily needed). There’s plenty of space left over for anything else a boating family might need to stash. Access comes via a huge hatch forward that lifts on electric rams and an after hatch that’s manual. Both areas are sized for humans.
Traditional and modern all at once? Yes, that describes the Stamas family’s boat company in general, and it certainly applies to the 370 Aegean in particular. Base price with twin Suzuki 350s is $498,047.
CBM Editor-at-Large, educator, guide, and author of three quintessential Chesapeake Bay books, Capt. John Page Williams was named a Maryland Admiral of the Bay in 2013. Celebrating 30 years of bringing the thrill and freedom of learning to sail for anyone with a disability, recovering warriors, and children from underserved communities.
Coming soon in 2022!
The CRAB Annapolis Adaptive Boating Center
For more information about Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating: www.crabsailing.org or 410-266-5722
