38 Winter 09 - Lord Nelson Victory Tug (LNVT)

LNVT OWNERS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
TUGGERS
Winter 2009
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April 6, 2009
Thirty-eighth Issue
FROM THE BRIDGE
Dave Howell, NELLIE D #63
So, exactly why and when did the tug-as-trawler concept occur? In 1980,
when the U.S. was coming off an economic recession and a fuel price
shock, the boat industry badly needed some good news. They got it in the
form of a new, innovative boat design which was unveiled at that year's
Seattle Boat show. No cruising boat had ever made such a big splash--54
sold within two weeks. The 26 Nordic Tug appealed to both men and
women, it sipped fuel, and it fired the cruising imagination. The Nordic
Tug spawned a whole industry in tug look-a-likes: Sundowner Tug in
1982; Victory Tug in 1983; and, American Tug in 2000.
Each year, beginning way back 2008, the Tug Trek Trophy (T3) is given in recognition of an
extraordinary cruise. This past year's T3 goes to Joe and Arvilla Glinski, OUR VILLA #56, for
their 11 month, 6,801 mile, Great Loop circumnavigation. Their daily blog, with pictures and
real-time position reports, allowed us armchair cruisers to tag along too. Congratulations Joe
and Arvilla.
This past October, and for the first time ever, LNVT’s rendezvoused on the east coast of the
U.S. Tugs came from 3 states while owners came from 11. It's hard to go wrong when the
venues include Ego Alley, the Annapolis Yacht Club, the Naval Academy, and the Fleet Reserve Club. Thanks to Jeannie Niccolls, Knock Off #66, Heather Laird, Whistle #42, and
Andy Mutch, Loon #57, for all their hard work putting the event together.
Keeping it simple and having fun,
Association Officers
President: Dave Howell
[email protected]
Treasurer: Bill Rothert
[email protected]
Website Moderators:
Macy Galbreath
[email protected]
Phil de l’Etoile
[email protected]
John Howell
[email protected]
Editor: Macy Galbreath
214 Eagle View Lane
Port Ludlow, WA 98365
[email protected] (new)
Welcome Aboard!
Rich Sellers from Discovery Bay, CA recently joined the Association. He is a wannabee and
has his eye on a LNVT in the future.
IN MEMORIUM
It is with sadness we note that Richard H. Hutchinson’s wife Ann passed away after a long
illness. Hutch is co-owner of J. EDGAR MOSER #76 , Jamestown, RI. We extend our condolences to him and his family.
brrrrr...Winter Cruising
Nellie's New Year's Cruise
Dave & Vicki Howell, Church Creek, MD
On 13 December Nellie D., loaded with Christmas gifts, decorations and a month's provisions, pushed away from the dock. Her
destination was Washington, DC, some 140 nm away. It was a leisurely departure as we planned to stay out until after the new
year. The Potomac is awash in history but docking at Mt. Vernon and touring the Washington's plantation stands out. Alexandria,
Georgetown, and the new National Harbor look completely different when approached by water. Our DC anchorage was only a
mile from the White House and we spent two wonderful weeks walking the National Mall and visiting many museums and galleries. We got to visit with some Tuggers too: joining us for a night aboard were John and Jeannie Niccolls, KNOCK OFF #66 and
past owners Garry and Carol Dominsse, YELLOW ROSE #47. Additionally, we had two fun days with Bob Allnut, VICTORY #2,
while moored at his dock--which, by the way, is just up the Potomac and only 12 nm off the ICW. Winter weather created some
challenges but the many advantages of off-season cruising far outweighed the discomforts. The ice breaker NELLIE D. made it
safely home on 4 January 2009, 56 engine hours and 325 nm later.
Christmas Cruise in Alaska
Tim & Dana Grams, Anchorage, AL
We decided to take a last minute trip to Cordova for Christmas on the longer winter
ferry. After an 11 hour ferry ride, we arrived in Cordova shortly after midnight. It had
been snowing most of the afternoon and over a foot of snow had accumulated. Being
it was Christmas, no road crews or harbor folks were working, so none of the snow
had been plowed or removed. Needless to say, it is a good 300 yards from the car to
the boat, so the bag drag was quite interesting. Couldn’t resist taking some photos of our
Christmas adventure.
We had planned to remove the back deck cover that had been added at one point, but
after our trip up the inside passage and across the Gulf of Alaska, we decided it was
quite functional, so we opted to keep it on for the time being until we could have one custom built for us. Knowing the cover probably would not last through the snow, we added
some reinforcement to it, giving it that real “Alaska” look. So far so good.
-2-
Cruising News
IN THE DETAILS
As you may know from past experience, trucking a LNVT cross
country is a laborious task. Getting everything snugged up for the
3,500 trip home from Maine to California was time consuming.
Fortunately, we had Key Stage’s (TITAN #31) help during the decommissioning in Rockland, ME. After arrival in San Diego, recommissioning gave me the opportunity to refurbish/recondition
items mounted on the pilot house roof.
ur salty, bronze handholds are easily overlooked
even though they're strategically located in the
pilothouse and salon. According to Loren Hart,
the handhold's provenance is from an 1840's
Scottish schooner. While touring the ship he admired the
handhold and although not knowing where he could possibly use it decided to procure one none the less. Years later
with LNVT about to go into production Loren remembered
the Scottish handhold and gave it to Tommy Chen. The
rest, as they say, is history. Except for minor modifications
in late 1983 or early 1984, when the flange's diameter was
increased and the handhold's length decreased, the same
handhold was used throughout the Victory Tug's production
run.
Back Home in California
from Bob and Sandy White, RENEGADE # 72
We cruised during the Christmas holidays to Oceanside (44 mi
from current slip in San Diego) to visit family— beautiful weather,
although cold by our standards - low of 40 one night. The Espar
keep us comfortable.
We're looking forward to marina hopping this summer prior to
spending time in the Channel Islands before final destination of
Santa Barbara. It will be relaxing after the previous 10,000 miles
with RENEGADE since 2000.
O
(Editor: Bob’s and Sandy’s travels have been written up in previous Tuggers as they cruised all over the US and Canada.)
Eventful Trip Heading South for the Winter!
Bill and Mimi Sharpe, Richard H. Hutchinson
J. EDGAR MOSER # 76
(Editor: Bill, Mimi and Hutch were at the Annapolis Rendezvous. They
headed south on October 27.)
The J. EDGAR MOSER is now resting out of the water at Tiger
Point Boatworks in Ferdinina Beach, FL. We had a somewhat
eventful trip South. Near Georgetown, SC. Hutch got the word
that his wife's poor health had taken a very serious turn for the
worse so he hurriedly flew back to Rhode Island. A neighbor in
Rhode Island flew down to complete the trip with Mimi and me. A
few days later we pulled up the Danforth HiTensile anchor to find
one of the flukes bent in a nice curve, nearly 90 degrees. A day or
so later as we approached a marina in Hilton Head, I found that
the throttle control had become inoperative. Broken cable for
which we were lucky to find a replacement. Then on to Tiger Point.
Next step is to start South toward Vero Beach on January 30. New
Forfjord anchor has been ordered. Early in April, we start back
north, and as in the past we will leave the boat in Deltaville, VA.
Mimi is lobbying to bring her back to RI so maybe we will do that
later in the summer.
J. EDGAR MOSER
leaving Annapolis in
October.
Special Thanks from Vicki and Dave Howell
We want to thank all of the attendees of the first East Coast
LNVT Rendezvous for the wonderful gift presented to us for
hosting last October's event. The original colored pencil
drawing of Nellie D. #63 in Glacier Bay National Park by
Northwest artist
Nancy Nelson is just
beautiful. It's a gift
that instills memories of our many
adventures aboard
Nellie D. #63 but
most of all it reminds us of the
amazing friends we
have made through
the LNVT Association. We cannot
thank all of you
enough for your
thoughtfulness.
-3-
Tug Talk
Tug Talk at the Annapolis 2008 Rendezvous
by John S. Howell, Jr., NELLIE D. #63
The Annapolis Rendezvous “Tug Talk” session delivered as promised…camaraderie with fellow Tuggers and nifty ideas and information on keeping our little Tugs safe, dry and running in top form. The brief notes below will give you a flavor of some of the
things discussed:
 “Always keep some extra socks aboard. ” Andy and Alice Much from LOON,
started our session with a hair raising story…one minute they were running
along smoothly and the next minute…for no apparent reason, utter chaos as
water started gushing in at the point where the bow thruster shaft penetrates
the hull. The three electric bilge pumps aboard LOON could not keep up, so
Andy wisely decided to run her aground to keep from sinking. The water flow
was finally stemmed by stuffing socks (yes, the kind you wear) into the gaping
holes that had opened up fore and aft of the bow thruster shaft. The discussion
centered around speculation about what caused the leak (vibration, poor instalAndy Mutch shows the bow thruster shaft
lation, who knows) and what one should do in the case of taking on water rapremoved from LOON.
idly (have a plan in your mind before hand, stuff things in the hole from the outside, run the boat aground, keep a set of wooden dowels aboard, etc.).
 Lesson learned: Check your bow thruster installation. Practice what you would do if taking on water.
-4

LOON’s incident led to a discussion about how to keep your boat out of a “salvage” situation (in the legal sense) which
potentially would force you to pay a percentage of the boat’s value to the salvage company. Lesson learned: If offered
assistance (a tow, a pump) try to clarify the terms of that assistance before accepting it – especially if you are a
dealing with a towing service.

An injector pump failure on a Cummins engine cost LOON $4k to replace.

Ward Dunning from LADY HAMILTON reported that she had very little use in the 10 years before he acquired her, and as
a result her six fuel tanks were so full of gunk he was replacing filters every 10 hours! This led to a more serious incident
in rough seas (which caused the gunk on the bottom of the tanks to mix with the good fuel more than usual) where the
engine shut down while underway in the race near Stonington, CT. Ward dropped the anchor in 100’ of water and waited
for a 3 hour tow back to safety. Lesson learned: Clean out your fuel tanks regularly!

Bill Sharpe from J. EDGAR MOSER, reported that he rewired his DC power to the instrument panel and installed a separate alternator to supply the house · batteries for increased reliability. He has also installed a high brightness display at
the helm linked to a computer below which runs his navigation software.

Joe Sass from Cummins Chesapeake Power was the featured guest speaker. Joe is a certified Cummins mechanic who
clearly knows his diesels and has a wealth of experience. He generously provided much time and some great tips on
diesel maintenance for Cummins owners - only a few are listed below:
 Use 10 micron fuel filters. Use Stanadynetm marine fuel additive to increase the octane level (12 pints / $39)
and extend the life of the injectors. Change fuel filters annually. Use a fuel stabilizer to keep fuel from turning to
sludge (once per season). Use algae killer.
 Change coolant every two years. Correct engine temperature is about 180 degrees. 205 degrees wide open.
Change the thermostat on the engine regularly because they always break closed.
 Recommends 15/40 API oil.
 Change the impeller and adjust the valves annually.
 The worst thing you can do is start your engine and leave it running at the dock to warm up. The best way to
bring your engine up to running temperature is to start it just before you are ready to cast off, and then bring the
temperature up by pushing the boat for 5 -15 minutes at slower RPMs. If you are not using your boat, do not
start the engine once per week at the dock to exercise it!
(Continued on page 8)
First LNVT East Coast Rendezvous a Hugh Success
ANNAPOLIS, MD
October 24-27+ plus cruise out
Jeanne Niccolls, Knock Off #66
In spite of a little rain the inaugural East Coast Rendezvous was an enjoyable time for
all. Boats tied up along the sea wall at the Annapolis Municipal Marina on Friday. An
evening potluck gathering gave everyone a chance to mingle and partake of various
tasty dishes, including Sue Fahndrich’s, CONCINNITY #17, homemade tugboat
cookies. During dinner Steve and Julie Sell’s cell phone rang with the good news
their contract on GROWLER #33 had just been accepted!
Tug Talk took place the next morning at the Annapolis Yacht Club (see pg. 4) We
ducked in and out of rain showers to visit one another’s boats, answering questions and
humbly accepting admiring comments from folks strolling by.
Potluck on the sea wall.
Our evening progressive dinner was elegant, fun and dry! It began with appetizers
hosted on board six of the boats and accompanied by bottles of wine with the CONCINNITY label, a gift of Sue and Joe Fahndrich. Then folks proceeded in their finery
to the Annapolis Yacht Club for an elegant dinner and program hosted by our esteemed President Dave Howell and Vicki Howell, NELLIE D. #63.
Awards went to Phil de L’Etoile, BRAVE DUCK #67, John Niccolls, KNOCK OFF #66 and Tom Blackwood, THISTLE DEW
Tug talk at the Yacht Club
#46 for their respective practical and eminently useful inventions
of a fuel tank gauge, window lock and chart magnet. Ward and
Renee Dunning, LADY HAMILTON #12 received awards for tugging the longest distance (400+
miles) and best dressed tug. The award for boat with the most work done on it went to Jo and
Key Stage, TITAN #31. LNVT officers Macy Galbreath, LADY #8, Phil de L’Etoile, and John
Howell, NELLIE D. #63 were recognized, along with Treasurer Bill Rothert, LADY and past
President Tom Blackwood. Thanks went to Rendezvous Committee members Andy Mutch,
LOON #57, Heather Laird, WHISTLE #42, John and Jeanne Niccolls.. Cheers, whistles and a
Dave Howell presents a big round of applause went to Dave and Vicki Howell for all their work in organizing the event.
giant “tank sounder” to
The Silent Auction followed, ending with coffee and dessert aboard host tugs.
Phil de L’Etoile. Walter
Laird enjoys the joke.
Best dressed tug!
Tuggers visit the Naval Academy
Tug parade leaving Annapolis
On a glorious sunny calm Sunday we paraded around the harbor,
then seven boats chugged down the bay in more or less stately
fashion and followed NELLIE D. to her home dock on Church
Creek. We disembarked to find a grand outdoor party in the works,
complete with bonfire, Chesapeake Bay crab and oysters, shrimp,
burgers, and more. Lucky for us, we were joined by several Howell
neighbors, who baked the oysters just right, gave crab picking lessons to the uninitiated, served a fabulous warm crab dip (see the
wiki for the recipe) and fixed personal omelets the next day.
Early the following morning VICTORY #2, LOON and J. EDGAR
MOSER #76 cast off in “somewhat breezy” conditions (25 knots),
while the rest of us lolled around the Howell’s breakfast table. Two
hours later a call came from LOON reporting 4-5 feet waves and a
decision to pull in. KNOCK OFF needed no other marine data to
decide to stay put. The clay pigeon shoot was canceled in favor of
trips into St. Michael’s, frequent dock line checks, and more good
conversation, food and drink.
The next day was even windier! An unusually low tide put the de l’Etoile rental boat aground. The Blackwoods kindly
taxied folks to land destinations. The Dunnings elected to leave LADY HAMILTON’S engine issues in the capable
hands of an Eastern shore mechanic. The house party at the Howell home continued for several nights until the
-5
(Continued on page 7)
Through the Hawse Pipe
Tom Blackwood, THISTLE DEW #48
-6-
Galley Hand Pump & Annapolis Rendezvous, Phil de l’Etoile, BRAVE DUCK #67, Sacramento, CA
So we're all packed in a row along the Annapolis seawall. A display of really fine looking boats (you know the ones - see pictures elsewhere),
and we’re going from boat to boat looking things over. Every once in awhile someone says "Hey, that's not really like ours", and so it goes,
boat after boat.
I think most of us have come to realize that giving advice to other LNVT'ers about how to remedy a problem or modify a feature, has a higher
than expected likelihood of being only partially applicable. So as I wandered throughout Natalie Ambrose's beautifully decorated ALEGRIA#19, I wasn't really expecting to find anything that might be useful to BRAVE DUCK. But, what do I know?
In the galley, I absent-mindedly put my hand on one of two galley hand pumps. "What the ...", I thought as I casually moved the handle down.
Unlike ours, this thing worked as smoothly as could be. Both of the pumps did!
When I asked Natalie what she had done to her pumps, she said, "They've always worked like that". That certainly didn’t help! I had already
taken our hand pump apart once, and I had gotten it to work reasonably well, but nothing like this. A week later when we got back to Sacramento, I decided give our now completely frozen-up pump one more crack.
Here's what I found out in the end: 1) the 5/8" through-hull fitting along with the 5/8" pump barb were tightly secured to the 1/2" hose that connected them. 2) The "O" ring on the base of the plunger seemed a little stretched and
was a little loose. 3) There was no check valve on the line (other than the one within
the pump), so it was always necessary to pull the water all the way up the dry line each
time the pump was used.
After replacing the 1/2" hose with 5/8" hose and replacing the stretched "O" ring, our
pump worked as well as Natalie's. I also added an in-line check valve just above the
through hull so that the water always stayed in the line and did not dry out. (The real
problem seemed to be the stretched “O” ring, which apparently was too big to slide up
and down the cylinder without rolling over and causing a bind.)
I’ve enclosed a picture of the disassembled pump as a reference for any of you wishing
to take on this project. As you can see, our pump comes with a chicken!)
(Continued from page 5)
winds died down. Eventually NELLIE D. floated alone at her dock. The first East Coast Rendezvous was over, but the
memories live on – check out more photos on the LNVT wiki!
Vicki Howell & Jeanne Niccolls worked Don Surratt, Ann Prentice and Tom
hard on the rendezvous!
Blackwood (center) enjoy the day.
Peter Nordlie has the bar open on
LAST CALL.
Key Stage, Bill Rothert, & Dave Howell
clean up nicely!
COVER PHOTO
Annapolis photographer Bill Tongue surprised us with the cover photo
with 5 tugs and a second photo (shown here) taken later in the day
with 9 tugs. He says, “Given the grey rendezvous weekend weather,
the original photos were flat and lacked adequate color. These prints
have been saturated and slightly texturized to "POP" the colors.” Either photo is available on Fine Art Museum paper or canvas. Inks are
archival pigment and will last for generations. Mounting on Foam
Core is available. Each print will be signed and numbered. Turnaround time is 7 - 10 days. Contact Bill for larger proofs, prices and
sizes at [email protected].
-7-
More on Solving the Water Tanks Dissimilar Metals Problem
In the last issue of Tuggers Craig Smith, ROSE BUD #34 told of his solution to
the water tanks' dissimilar metals problem. To recap, the problem is that aluminum oxide forms when stainless, aluminum, and hard water are brought together. Craig's solution was replace the aluminum lid pieces with stainless steel.
Here's another solution as seen on Bob Allnutt's VICTORY #2, replace the aluminum lid pieces with non-metallic parts. This can be a do-it-yourself project that
doesn't cost a lot. In VICTORYs case the clear baseplate is made of Lexan. It's
held in place with stainless fasteners and sealed to the stainless water tank with
silicone. Then a PVC round inspection hatch is attached to the Lexan with
stainless fasteners and silicone. This solves the dissimilar metals problem while
still providing a good seal for the water tank.
Half-Full or Half-Empty?
Dave Howell, NELLIE D. #63
Since LNVTs didn't come with fuel gages it's a perennial problem determining how much fuel is aboard. Many owners use wood
dowels, or the Tank Sounder as featured in last quarter's Tuggers, to 'dip' their tanks. Unfortunately the tank's irregular bottom
shape complicates converting wet-stick length to gallons. However, the dowel gives another measurement which is most useful:
inches of air in the tank or dry-stick length. So instead of knowing how many inches of fuel each tank has, we're measuring how
many inches of fuel each tank is missing. And, since the missing fuel is measured from the tank's top down we avoid, except in
very low fuel conditions, the tank's bottom shape problem. For each tank the gallons per inch of dry-stick are easily and accurately
calculated by the following formula: (tank width in inches) * (tank length in inches) / 231 inches3/gallon. Combined my port tanks
average 7.6 gallons/inch while the combined starboard tanks average 7.2. Before fueling I measure the inches of air in the two
port tanks, add the numbers together, and then multiply by 7.6. I repeat the process for the starboard tanks but multiply by 7.2.
Using this method for my last fill-up I estimated 129 gallons were needed; subsequently 130.6 gallons were taken on. I no longer
think about how much fuel is on the boat but rather how much fuel has been consumed. Certainly 'how full' vs. 'how empty' are
opposite sides of the same coin, but by focusing on the consumption side I'm always aware of the engine's burn rate and how
much fuel is needed to fill the tanks.
(Continued from page 4) Tug




Talk
Pull the air cleaner to see if there is oil in there. Worn seals on the turbo could cause oil to burn. Occasionally
run the turbo to 2k RPM.
Be sure the radiator cap is a closed system cap (has 2 gaskets). The plastic expansion tank should be half way
full when the engine is cold.
Joe encouraged the group to call him with questions which he is happy to answer at no charge. His direct line is
(443) 677-5469. When was the last time a mechanic offered you that?!
Lesson learned: An ounce of prevention……

Key Stage TITAN, replaced his black iron fuel tanks with 3 aluminum tanks and put in a fuel polishing system. The old
tanks came out without having to cut the boat. Cost was about $4.5k to fabricate the tanks with baffles and inspection
ports. Uses a Heart tank tender.

Macy Galbreath talked about her findings on replacing window gaskets. (see her article in the LNVT wiki under hull #8
LADY). Steve Cooper and Ping Zhao from LITTLE BOSS recently replaced their gaskets with material from a local glass
company and replaced the vertical piece with weather stripping from Home Depot.

Walter Laird WHISTLE explained that the strange ‘gel’ most of us see in the water tanks is caused by galvanic reaction
between the aluminum cam on top of the tank, and the stainless steel tank itself. Adding chlorine to the water just makes
it worse! The solution is to change the O ring on the cover to create isolation between the two metals. (see story above
regarding dissimilar metals problem)
Lesson learned from attending Tug Talk: Hang around other Tuggers if you want to learn useful stuff while having fun with
-8- a great gang!
Meet Bob Allnutt, VICTORY #2
St. Inigoes, MD
B
ob Allnutt lives on Church Cove in St. Inigoes, Maryland, in a home he moved into two years ago. Just 100 yards down a gentle incline is VICTORY #2 sitting proudly at her new dock. Bob selected this quiet tidewater area for retirement after 35 years working in
Washington, DC for National Geographic. It was there, at the magazine known for its high quality photos, that he ran the photo lab.
This also explains why you seldom see him without a camera around his neck. Like so many other Tuggers Bob is a former sailor.
His previous boat was a Pacific Seacraft Crealock 37. In 2005 Bob purchased SEDNA on Lake Union in Seattle, WA and renamed her VICTORY. She was trucked east but not before a cruise through the San Juan Islands. VICTORY was splashed in Port Clinton, Ohio. Bob reports that the 300 mile Erie Canal and its many locks were a highlight of his cruise back to the Chesapeake.
VICTORY was purchased with the goal of fixing her up. To that end Bob's tackled some very major projects--like replacing the engine.
The160hp Yanmar 4LHA-HTP and Velvet Drive transmission were selected—the same used by ALAGRIA #19. He removed the BMW pieceby-piece and also did the majority of the Yanmar's installation. Unlike the BMW, the Yanmar turns counter-clockwise, so a new 24”x16, four
bladed, left hand prop was installed. Needless to say, Bob enjoys doing things himself and is a very 'hands-on' owner. He solved the perennial
window channel problem in a unique way. Rather than force the existing 3/8” glass into an ill-fitting replacement channel, he elected to replace
the glass too. After several futile attempts he found not only a source of the auto glass but also one willing to cut the glass to size. Bob's genius however lies in the fact that he got all this in exchange for several bottles of whiskey!
His new and growing wood workshop is playing an ever bigger role in Victory's many improvements. For example he's been able to install new
Formica counter tops in the pilothouse and galley, install a drawer under the stove and, build a removable shelf which bridges the pilothouse
navigation-table and the helm station.
Bob's a single-hander who likes to do two or three day trips on the Chesapeake Bay. He's a very gracious host who'd love to have you stop by.
There is ample room at his dock for another tug and he's not far from the Intracoastal Waterway.
new countertops
Bob on VICTORY
drawer under stove
Calendar of Events 2009
JANUARY 22-24
Trawler Fest
Stuart, FL
www.trawlerfest.com
Northwest Mid-winter Dinner
Galbreath/Rothert home
Port Ludlow, WA
[email protected]
FEBRUARY 26-28
Trawler Fest
San Diego, CA
www.trawlerfest.com
MAY 7-9
Trawler Fest
Anacortes, WA
www.trawlerfest.com
JUNE 26-28
Trawler Fest
Greenport, NY
www.trawlerfest.com
OCTOBER 2-4
Trawler Fest
Solomons, MD
www.trawlerfest.com
FEBRUARY 7
-9-
Transit on the Sea—A Golfer’s Daily Log
By Mel Ludovici on board WHISTLE #42
Heather & Walter Laird, Richmond, VA
Day One
”Annapolis or Bust” is what it says on my tee shirt. My regular foursome has just teed off back in Roanoke, VA and here I am at age 66, sitting
in my “Annapolis or Bust” tee shirt. I am part of a two person “volunteer” crew to help my son-in-law, Walter, reposition WHISTLE from Yorktown, VA to Annapolis, Md. WHISTLE is a 25-year-old Lord Nelson Victory Tug now in tip-top condition. The other “volunteer” is my 32 year
old son-in-law and soon to be father, Darin Conti. That makes me a soon to be grandfather.
The plan today is to go to Deltaville but the weather forecast is doubtful. “Small craft warnings” the captain says. Books today, beer today but
no boat today. I have been on a boat….once….and Darin has seen one in a movie. Walt has taken us through seamanship101 so we’re
ready, but not for small craft warnings
Later….
The captain took WHISTLE out for a quick spin, found the small craft warnings to be unfounded, and we headed North. Birkenstocks, power cables and docking lines were left behind. Riding with both the wind and most of our stuff on the dock, WHISTLE is clipping along
at 9 ½ knots. The captain has taken his mulligan and instructed ground support (my daughter Heather) to police up our belongings and meet us in Deltaville. We’re back on schedule.
Annapolis or bust!
Day Two:
No command decisions needed. Clear skies, calm seas, we’re off to Tangier Island. The
captain has assigned me to lunch and lines. Darin has been assigned to navigation. I am
thinking the captain finds Darin to be more cerebral than me. The captain sailed off with all
our stuff on the dock in Yorktown. I think I’ll be fine.
Tangier Island, like the crab population that serves it, is dying. It’s sad because the island
has a wonderful heritage, great charm and huge potential. Settled by the Crocketts and the Parks, the population has dwindled from 1,000 to
550, 549 of whom are either a Crockett or a Parks.
We are greeted by unassuming, scooter riding, dock-master, marina owner, Milton Parks: salt of the earth and owner of six cats. He won’t accept a tip and is overflowing with free advice. Milton offers a tour of the island. Now understand, you can hit a five iron from the end of the
island to the other, and there are folks giving tours in golf carts. We opt to heel toe it on our own. A point of real interest is the museum. Every
able-bodied man on the island volunteered for service during WWII. A homemade plaque commemorates those lost at sea plying their trade as
crabbers. A recording plays Pentecostal hymns. I know all the words.
1600 Hours, Tangier Island, VA. The only open restaurant on the island closes at 1700 hours. Invoking the often used rule that “It’s five
o’clock somewhere,” Jack Daniels and I spend about 30 minutes getting reacquainted. We head off to Hilda Crockett’s Chesapeake House
arriving just shy of the five o’clock deadline. Our table is waiting, filled with food. Quick introductions are made with Hans, a cancer doctor
from Washington and David, his lawyer son-in-law. They too are sailing north. There’s little time for small talk as crab cakes, clam fritters,
sweet tea and pound cake are coming from every angle. In at 5:00 pm, out at 5:30 pm-filled to the brim! Pay Hilda on the way out.
We waddle back to Parks Marina. Once again we are greeted by Milton who says the problem with the island is that young people won’t work.
Employers are available, but employees are not. The few young people we saw seemed to validate Milton’s theory.
One more social event before calling it a day - meet the neighbors dockmates Kurt and
Sue. Kurt and Sue are from Fort Myers, FL-sort of. They explain that they have lived
on their sea going vessel for 11 years: sailing north in the summer and south in the winter. I am not sure that ancient mariner routine would suit me, but it seemed to make
Kurt and Sue happy. We said our goodbyes, watched a beautiful sunset and headed off
to bed.
Day Three:
No fishing from the fantail today as we plow northbound through four to five foot
southbound waves. The captain’s confident, the galley is closed and navigation hasn’t a
clue. WHISTLE’s doing a great job. Two hours of serious sailing, and we get into
deeper, calmer water. It is smooth to Solomon’s Island and Spring Cove Marina.
(Continued on page 11)
-10-
FOR SALE
Winter 2009
Looking for a boat? Listing a LNVT? Be sure to utilize the following sites:
www.yachtworld.com Brokerages post listings on this website (YW)
http://lnvt.wikidot.com/tug-index Boats for sale are highlighted in blue. Owners may post info on their boats.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LNVT Our website offers the opportunity for owners to post their boats for sale.
1983
1983
Truancy # 1 (YW)
Raven # 4 (YW)
37’
37’
1983
1984
Jenny B # 7 (YW)
Elizabeth Noble #16 (YW)
37’
37’
1985
1985
1986
1986
Loretta May # 27 (YW)
Whistle #42 (YW)
Annie #44
Bodacious # 44
37’
37’
37’
37’
1987
1987
1987
Mikfin #51
Equinox #58 (YW)
Brutus #64
37’
37’
37’
1988
Nelson’s Lady # 9
49’
360-293-4945 (also fax)
WA
163,000
fax 208-862-3846
WA
225,000
[email protected]
[email protected]
ME
163,500
[email protected]
NC
139,000
bow thruster, chart plotter, BMW
706-669-4886
GA
129,000
Walter or Heather 804-357-1870
MD
199,900
Dick Behan, [email protected]
WA
172,500
845-647-1390
NY
120,000
website: www.lordnelsontug.com, [email protected]
[email protected]
WA
189,000
[email protected]
WA
149,000
419-294-7043, [email protected]
OH
164,000
bow thruster, restoration work in 2002, freshwater boat, + more.
[email protected]
Turkey under 500,000
“Very keen seller. Delivery back to US is simple”
(Continued from page 10)
A tale of two cities from day two to day three. Day two, check out the oily engine parts contaminating the water at Parks Marina. Day three,
admire a Claude Monet print as I face the urinal at Spring Cove Marina. Day two, a 30 minute injection of Hilda Crockett’s family-style seafood.
Day three, roast duck and white wine with the country club crowd. Only in America! Three down, two to go. Having a great time.
Day Four:
We sail with tide at 0900. Calm seas, blue skies. It’s great to be alive. A revelation! I have double bogeyed the term “bilge”. I assumed that
the terms bilge and head were one in the same. The captain had made it clear that if needed, we could use the head at sea but never in port.
Before pushing off this morning, the captain appears with a five gallon bucket and announces his intention to “pump out the bilge”. “And do
what with it I ask?” “Dump it overboard if it’s clean” says the captain. “Oohhhh! That can’t be a good idea”. Knowing my earlier contribution to
what I thought was the bilge, I question the captain’s wisdom. Along with his explanation of the two-and how they worked-comes a “you idiot”
smirk from navigation. Who knew?! Bilge pumped, lines clear, galley secured-off we sail to Knapps Narrows.
Wait! Just when you think you’re out of command decisions, up jumps another one. The captain has decided to do a drive by Knapps Narrows
and continue on to Annapolis. Conditions are perfect and Annapolis is well within reach. We pause briefly at Thomas Point for a photo op, and
then press on to WHISTLE’s new homeport, Annapolis, the sailing capital of the world. The first thing I see is a striking blonde perched on the
bow of a slow moving sailboat. I am going to love this place!
The 19th Hole:
Throughout my life, I have had the good fortune to enjoy good things and good people
but none better than the past four days. I have totally enjoyed the time I spent with Walter and Darin and even more the opportunity to meet the “boat people”. From those with
a 40 ft. Schooner named “Ultimate Pleasure” to those with a 20 ft. crab boat named
“Dog Bite”, boat people are a special breed. Perhaps it’s that they share common pleasures as well as common dangers. Perhaps it’s the universal need to return to our
source. Whatever the reason, they are a good bunch. A cut above the rest. As a nonboater, I am appreciative that they are part of the human mix. We are all better off because of it.
-11-
-11-
Ships Stores
Make out checks and send to LNVT, 214 Eagle View Lane, Port Ludlow, WA 98365
LNVT Pins
We have these great little (1 5/8 x 1 in.) pins in blue and off-white.
Order them as gifts for family and souvenirs for your guests. Cost:
$5.00 includes US postage.
LNVT Tee Shirts
New supply—all sizes and colors. Available in red, green and
blue, sizes S, M, L, XL XXL. Cost: $12.00 includes US postage.
LNVT Burgee
LNVT burgees are 22 in. long Cost: $25 includes US postage.
“VICTORY TUG” Caps
New supply of caps have arrived! Available with red, green and
blue bills. Cost: $16 includes US postage.
LNVT Drink Koozie
Keep your beer cold and show LNVT pride with these new koozies.
Available in green or blue. Cost: $3.00 includes US postage.
REMINDER OF WHAT IS AVAILABLE ON THE Wiki
For members of the LNVT Owners Association we've created a 'Members Only' area which contains:
 Every issue of Tuggers in PDF format
 LNVT 37' and 49' blueprints in PDF format
 LNVT Captains and Wannabe List (Sent only in the Spring)
 LNVT OA Financials
To enter the 'Members Only' area click on the LNVT burgee (like the one pictured here) which appears in the top left of most
of our Wiki's pages or point your browser to lnvt-oa-members.wikidot.com. The password, which is only needed the first time
the site is entered each year, is listed at the top of your Captain’s List which is only sent to members. NOTE: your editor
can’t get into the ‘Members Only’ section from MSN, but can from Internet Explorer. We don’t know why we are having this
problem, but it appears to be a MSN related problem. We wanted to give others a heads up in case they are seeing the
same thing.
-12-
LNVT Roster
** Original Owner
?? Last known owner/boat name
Boats for sale in red.
HULL #
NAME
OWNER
2
VICTORY
Allnutt
1
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
TRUANCY
HIAQUA
RAVEN
CARLA B
BOLD EAGLE
JENNY B
LADY
TUGBOAT ANNIE
ALICE M
DRIFTER
LADY HAMILTON
Coram
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
2
5
CONCINNITY
ONEIDA
ALEGRIA
BLUE JACKET
LITTLE BITT
TESS II
LA SALLE
LE PAPA
ANNABEL LEE
PUFFIN
LORETTA MAY
ANNABEL LEE
DOREEN
LITTLE BOSS
TITAN
PERSERVERANCE
GROWLER
ROSE BUD
NEPTUNE
JOSEPHINE
ELNORA
ANNIE
CAPT. MIKE
SHERYL ANN
49
Dunning
50
51
52
Reich**
53
54
Fahndrich
55
Egan
56
Ambrose
57
Portlock
58
Eldred
59
Griffiths
60
Capitan
61
Findlay
Weaver
Oplinger
70
Sell
71
Smith, C&R**
72
Isaksen
73
Goetz
74
Mitchell**
75
Behan
76
Campanelli
LNVT 41
Toews**
DUN WURKIN
THISTLE DEW
LAST CALL
AFTER ALL
MOCKO JUMBIE
KATIE LYN
MIKFIN
MONKEY
MINOTS LIGHT
BRIGADOON
ECCO DOMANI
OUR VILLA
LOON
EQUINOX
SEMPER FIDELIS
PET TUG
Peterson**
Garofalini
Barker
Blackwood
Nordlie
Skinner
Riggs
Field
Leader**
Bates**
Ludwigsen
Hugdahl
Grams
Glinski
Mutch
Elliot
Bauer
Steplock
Whitehead
69
Mehrkens**
BODACIOUS
Laird
BRUTUS
68
Stage
KEDGE
Shrier
64
67
Cooper
WHISTLE
Shann**
66
Benedict
THEODORE BAYRE
Sharp
TUG E BEAR
65
Geserick??
MORNING MIST
62
63
Surratt/Prentice
6
NELLIE D
GEORGIA J
KNOCK OFF
BRAVE DUCK
LARSHOLM
TORTUGA
LORD NELSON
GREYMALKIN
RENEGADE
TORTUGA
CRUZ-IN
KUKUI
J EDGAR MOSER
CAROLINA
Howell
Nusbickel**
Niccolls
de l’Etoile
Mackie
Gabriel**
van Dommelen??
MacPhail
White
Kelly
Sterling
Spatola
Sharpe/Hutchison
Sousa
(NOTE: hulls 1, 3 and 4 not finished as Victory Tugs)
4
VICTORY
Markus
SOUNDER
48
Brown
Smith, Ed
5
47
Colabella
MARY K
URSA
46
Yano
2
3
Giove
45
Rothert
Rodman
SEA TURTLE
44
Bahan
ELIZABETH NOBLE
40
43
Mazure
16
TEDDY BEAR
OWNER
42
Butterfield
Oates
NAME
41
Mullard
MOBY
HULL #
39
Payne
14
15
LNVT 37
Winter 2009
LNVT 49
Fogg
6
LADY JOANN
Campbell
8
GUINEA RIDER
Morris
7
Windecker
9
POLAR MIST
NELSON'S LADY
(NOTE: hull 1 was never built)
Smith, K
Bayne
-13-
LNVT Newsletter
Macy Galbreath
214 Eagle View Lane
Port Ludlow, WA 98365
Photo by Bill Tongue, Annapolis, MD
Information about the photo on page 8