A Gallery of Small-Boat Photographs

Photos and Words by Bill Jacobs

EVERGLADES CHALLENGE: As the sun boils up from Tampa Bay and under the Skyway Bridge, the sailors and paddlers push their craft from the beach into the bay, the bows pointed SSE on course for the 300-plus nautical mile race finishing at Key Largo. The experienced sailor tucks the warmth of the rising sun into her hull for the long cold nights to come.

ANNIE: The owner of Annie, Curt Bowman, at an ancient dock getting some local knowledge on the shallow waters from a resident  fisherman. Cortez is one of the last commercial fishing harbors on the west coast of Florida. The sleek lines of the Drascombe Coaster’s lapstrake hull reflect in  the mirror-smooth waters, completing a scene reminiscent of an early 19th century seascape.  

ZEN AND THE ART OF SAILING: …“slowly breathe in for peace, slowly breathe out for joy”… is an essential message in Zen teaching; to be in the moment, not the past, not the future but only in the now. The small, simple single-handed dinghy has found an invisible breath of air to propel the fortunate skipper skimming across the harbor in Gore Bay, Canada.

SILHOUETTE SAIL ON SARASOTA BAY: Sometimes the sun, wind and atmospheric conditions conspire to create the opportunity for an arresting image . The Marshall 18 catboat “VICARI” is running free down Sarasota Bay shortly after sunrise. The angle of light combined with a hazy sky created this scene. Sparkling water, shadows, a translucent sail, and the even alignment of portholes make the shot .   A cropped and colored copy of this image was used on the cover of the November/December 2013 cover of Small Craft Advisor.

RELAX, MAN….Cedar Key is swarming with small boats the first week of every May. Although the sail from the downtown dock to the white sand beach of Atsena Otie Key is less than ½ mile and the beach is jammed with boats and sailors, this guy has found his quiet place.

A BIT OF HERRESHOFF HISTORY: Nathanael Herreshoff designed Coquina for his own use in 1889. She was one of his favorite designs and he sailed her for many years. Here we see Slipper, a replica of her, sailing smartly 120 years later. Owner Rob Hazzard and crew even appeared dressed for the era, the modern life vests the only clue. This boat is a prime example of good design that transcends generations. Or, as the famous architect Mies van der Rohe noted, “Less is more.”

THE MAESTRO: Hugh Horton is the transcendent person who quietly orchestrates the annual Cedar Key Small Boat Meet.  The entire event is emblematic of his personality: informal, no announcement, no registration, no fees, and no organized events. Hugh is there and it just happens. But a large fleet of small boats appears on the he first weekend of May each year. This shot was taken on a breezy, cloudy day aboard Clam Girl, built by Hugh for the unique waters he sails in.  I was crouched in the bow of the boat with Hugh at the helm when a sudden shaft of light beamed down to create a religious moment.

GOOD AFTERNOON! We  were docked for a couple of nights at the Fort Lauderdale Yacht Club where they had an active junior sailing program. The club is situated at a wide part of the causeway allowing them room to do training and short races. The small identical dinghies were sailing to and fro out in the bay. I was watching from my foredeck when a lovely young lady instructor walked out to the end of the dock. Apparently I was not the only one watching—one of the boats made a sudden run for dock and threw in a quick jibe just to say hello.

ONBOARD A DRAGON: It had been years since I sailed on a one-design racing boat and, frankly, never on one so beautiful! It was a breezy northwest wind ruffling the waters of Green Bay, Wisconsin as we knifed through a light chop, the spray sliding over the varnished mahogany rails. But Hubris is far from a custom all-out racing Dragon—she was built in Denmark in 1954.  After about 50 years of heavy use and occasional abuse she was close to abandonment when her current owner picked her up in Michigan for only the promise of a restoration. He took her to Door County Wisconsin, where Yachtwerks did an 18-month total restoration including a new custom-made 38-foot Sitka Spruce mast. She was restored to be used as an elegant daysailer offering excellent sailing characteristics that only a boat designed to race can provide.

THE LAST BOAT: The time had come. After more than 50 years of sailing, racing, and cruising on more than 20 boats, both sail and power, it was time to stay ashore. The realities of pushing 80 made it increasingly difficult to properly own and care for a boat. But through divine intervention my last turned out to be one of the best. I became a partner with a friend who owned a beautiful Alerion 20—a small but sophisticated keel boat. He was in a similar situation, so the partnership was perfect. After several years  of sailing one of the best sailing boats ever on Sarasota Bay, both of us knew the time had come. The boat now belongs to the Bird Key Yacht Club for use by its younger and newer members.

SANDPIPERS AT SUNRISE: Useppa Island is a small luxurious private island in Southwest Florida.  Only accessible by boat the island features lush tropical foliage concealing about 100 private residences and an historic hotel. Many of the residents keep Sandpiper catboats at their docks or anchored along the eastern shore of the island. During season they hold weekly races and an occasional regatta. This photograph, made just before sunrise, speaks to renewal and peace—two very desirable conditions, particularly now. As I write this, Useppa, along with many shore properties in south Florida, has begun the recovery phase following the devastation caused by hurricane Ian.