Schooner Races
Cap’n Mike’s Report on Dove II’s schooner races in 2011:
How did she do?
The short answer: Dove II strutted her stuff!
Dove II (left)—2011 Provincetown Race (Nancy Bloom Photo) In late August, she had to endure Hurricane Irene—she bucked 15 ft waves in southern Penobscot Bay, Maine without a scratch. Five days later, we were off the Maine Coast on our way to Gloucester, Massachusetts for their Schooner Festival and Schooner Race. In the Sept 4 Race off Cape Ann, I entered Dove II in the fleet of larger schooners than we are supposed to race against, and we finished 3rd !
A pre-dawn engine hrrumph kept us away from the start of the Fisherman’s Cup Race Sept 6, but we sorted it out and arrived at the Provincetown ferry dock late that night after a snatch in the dark by one of the Cabral Wharf’s piles, followed by first-rate professional maneuvering and sawing by Alex and Luis of the Harbormaster’s Office. Again, not a scratch!
We raced for the Bennet Cup off P’town Sept 10, winning 1st place after a tight tacking duel with well-known local schooner Estrela. Two memories endure of these two great schooner and fishing towns of Provincetown and Gloucester: the heartfelt hospitality of people in P’town, and the master schooner-builder and prince-of-a-fellow of Essex and Gloucester, Harold Burnham.
We went to sea Sept 11 to return Dove II to her marine railway slip near the mouth of the Potomac, but first, we had to negotiate the massive junk and log jams of the upper Delaware and Chesapeake Bays! Dangerous, especially during the night, but we made it, yes, without a scratch.
Chesapeake Bay Race (L-R) Lisa Goodwin, Doug Martin, David Rhodes, Mike Taber. Absent: Ben McCracken, Pope Barrow. (Goodwin Studios)
Then we sailed on to Virginia where she placed 3rd in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race Oct 13-14! We had the most experienced crew I've sailed with since refitting Dove II. All 6 sails were flying full! The 2011 Race was a grueling slog in 20-30 KT head winds and 6’ head seas. Of 38 starting schooners, only Dove II and 15 others finished. Thanks to our friends who followed us via real-time satellite feed!
