Yankee Ferry Adventures

Out to Dry

2008-04-11T08:23:00.000-07:00

People often ask me if Richard wears the same striped shirt everyday or if he actually has a ton of them. This photo should answer that question.

WE'RE SINKING!!!

2008-01-18T05:07:00.000-08:00

We thought we had the world in the palm of or hand until today last night when I descended into the tank room and found about 800 gallons of water in the bilge. You can see a rust line in the photo to the right that shows how high the water was before I pumped it out. I wish I took a moment to snap a photo but I was a bit too freaked out at the moment. It took a day to get the place relatively dry and I broke a few pumps in the process. Luckily, the only sections that took on water were the forecastle and the tank room, both located consecutively at the forward most portion of the boat.

A problem like this could mean one of two things:
a) we have a burst pipe and the water is coming from within the boat or
b) something shifted while we were in dry dock and there are now one or more tiny cracks allowing water to enter from below.

The latter is more severe. Our good buddy Carter Craft bravely tasted the water and it appeared to be salty, suggesting possibility b. We shut the fresh water off overnight and found a slight rise in some sections of the bilge. This also points to the second possibility. Boats this old usually have to pump several times a week so perhaps time is catching up with the old Yankee. Either way, it is apparent that we are in worse shape after coming out of dry dock even though our insurance company is much happier.

Stay tuned for updates.

Boat Show!

2008-01-04T09:26:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to visit the New York National Boat Show at the Javits center and WHAT AN ADVENTURE! I felt like a spy while inspecting the luxurious accommodations inside these vessels. Only one thing really disappointed me about the show: I thought I'd see more historic ferry boats. What gives?

New Jewelry!

2007-12-31T06:47:00.000-08:00

Victoria and Richard have once again returned from China with a big bag of toys. You know what that means: they're working on new products for their company, Victoria and Richard Emprise! Here they are, huddled over the desk making unique beaded bracelets and necklaces for the masses. The closeup is a bracelet from the Glass Menagerie collection.

Mr Brown's Big Debut

2007-12-25T06:55:00.000-08:00

We were featured on HGTV's hit television series World's Most Extreme Home last week. Mr. Brown makes his way into quite a few shots while Pinky sticks to her usual perch atop various beds and platforms. They shot this back in March before Oliver the Cat went MIA but the producers opted to leave him out even though he was without a doubt the most extreme thing on the Yankee.

Goodbye, Forgotten Borough

2007-12-06T17:13:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited about getting out of Staten Island that I forgot to mention how we left that dump on Sunday. The Yankee swam effortlessly through the waters with the help of our trusty tugboat friend! Because our boat's rudder has been locked off center, we have to be pushed instead of pulled. The tug made up along our starboard side and helped us find our way home, fighting the current only when they maneuvered us into our usual position back home. Friend of Yankee Davey Saltz called in just after we cleared Battery Park. We also felt the caring eyes of Andrew Rizzi and Robyn Agin as they watched us pass the Newport section of Jersey City.

The Yankee was proud to host a pair of guests as well; Justin and his father Steve have been fans of the boat for years and drove in from Long Island to experience this historic ship on the waters again. Steve rode the boat to Block Island in the 1950's and told us some tales of how the good old Yankee braved storms and survived a series of challenges throughout her 100 years. Justin always watched the Yankee come and go while vacationing on Block Island but regrets never having the chance to ride her. He got his wish and enjoyed every second of the three hour cruise. Thanks to Steve and Justin for joining us.

Victoria Bakes Yet Again!

2007-11-27T19:41:00.000-08:00

Last night, whilst organizing the ice box, we found a mysterious bag of sour crout. I expressed my dislike for the smelly hot dog topping but Victoria vowed to get me to eat some. She told me about a chocolate cake that has sour crout as a moistening agent. I told her to go for it, but to not tell me so I'd be caught off guard. Of course, Victoria forgot about the not telling me part and whipped up the cake this very morning. We brought it out to the shipyard crew, who seemed to be waiting for snacks, and ate a bit ourselves. Yes, it was pretty darn good.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE SAUERKRAUT CAKE

Cream:
3/4 C butter
1 1/2 C sugar

3 eggs

Beat in:

1 tsp vanilla
Combine:
2 C all flour
3/4 C cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Add to the creamed mixture alternately with 1 C water.
Fold in 1 C sauerkraut (rinsed, drained, squeezed dry, finely chopped)
2/3 C flaked coconut
1/2 C finely chopped pecans.
Pour into 3 greased and floured 9-in round baking pans. Bake at 350º for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; cool completely.

In a bowl, combine 2 C melted semisweet chocolate chips and 2/3 C mayonnaise. Set aside 1 1/4 C for frosting. To the remaining mixture, add 1/3 C flaked coconut and 1/3 C chopped pecans: spread between cake layers. Spread reserved chocolate mixture over the top and sides of cake. Combine remaining coconut and pecans and press into top and sides of cake. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 12-14 servings. NOTE: Light or fat-free mayonnaise may NOT be substituted.

A Visit with Paris

2007-11-24T07:45:00.000-08:00

Most of you know Pinky. She's our adorable wire-haired miniature dachshund and just a couple months back, she gave birth to four even adorabler puppies. This is Paris, or as we know her, Furry Face. The shyest of the litter, The Puppy Formerly Known as Furry Face lives with a lovely family in the heart of New Jersey. I had the opportunity to visit her over the weekend while most of the shipyard workers were sitting at home revising their plan of how to keep us in dry dock for another week.

Brownie Points

2007-11-21T19:25:00.000-08:00

Victoria MacKenzie-Childs amazed me today with a batch of especially delicious brownies. She decided the guys in the shipyard needed a bit of pre-Thanksgiving cheer. We descended the ladder with a plate of yummies and dispensed them among the crew. We made lots of friends and now everyone in the yard greets us with a smile. They probably just want more brownies.

Welding the Hull

2007-11-20T19:42:00.001-08:00

Welding has finally begun. Weak spots in the hull are being reinforced with steel patches and old water intake ports are being covered. Very few exposed parts of the hull are original. Most sections have been patched three or four times throughout the boat's 100 years.

Waiting for Dryer Days

2007-11-17T19:35:00.000-08:00

Mr. Brown and Pinky have been down in the dumps lately. You would be too if your house was suspended in the air and you had no way to get off the darn thing to take a squirt when nature calls. They're also saddened by the droopy weather. We're all waiting for the rain to clear up so we can get some work done on the hull. We've approved all the welding the shipyard has suggested so we're anticipating waking up to the beautiful sound of welding torches any day now.

A Note About Drydocking

2007-11-15T14:50:00.000-08:00

I realize this may be a bit confusing to those who don't maintain water-faring vessels, so here's a quick rundown of what a drydock is and why we use it. I'm still new at this, so please correct me if I flub.

A drydock is essentially a floating auto body shop that boats use for work that can't be done while they're in the water. Yankee is using it for a thorough cleaning, a couple coats of strong paint and some minor patching. Here's what I understand to be the way drydocking works.

Step 1: The process begins when large wooden blocks on the floor of the drydock are arranged in such a way that they will support the weight of the vessel once it has been lifted out of the water.

Step 2: The drydock's water compartments are opened, allowing water to fill them. Once the drydock has been successfully sunk, your vessel is pulled into place between the drydock's walls.

Step 3: With the vessel tied securely in place, water is pumped from the drydock's compartments and the dock, along with your vessel, is lifted above water level.

There you go. Just credit my properly at the end of your term paper. How the boat stays balanced will forever be a mystery so don't even ask about that one. While she's up, salty sea dogs will be taking good care of the hull while Richard and I finish patching and painting the wooden sides that suffer with every bout of inclement weather. We shall protect you, Yankee.

We're Finally Up!

2007-11-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

Today we made the cosmic shift from "waiting for a sign from above" to "waiting for a ladder so we can get off this thing." As soon as we dry out a bit, they'll start blasting us with recycled glass!

Yankee on Staten Island: Day 2

2007-11-09T20:42:00.000-08:00

Today is Day 2 of what we are beginning to think will not be just a 10-14 day excursion to Staten Island, NY for routine cleaning. We still haven't received any new information regarding when we'll actually get into dry dock. On the brighter side of things, we did get a water hookup. So now we're sitting pretty, waiting for information and trying to make the best of things here in sunny SI, NY. Richard and I found a pretty good deli nearby, although we've been warned repeatedly not to go there after dark as tempting as it may be.

Yankee Ferry Moves to Staten Island

2007-11-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Today we made our big move to a shipyard on Staten Island for a routine yet overdue cleaning. Since the ship cannot run under its own power, we hired a tug boat to help us make the 15 mile journey. The boat's passengers include co-owner Richard Mackenzie-Childs, cartaker Scott Wiener and boat dogs Mr. Brown and Pinky.

I hope to maintain this page with updates about the historic Yankee's cleaning, repairs and future adventures. However, since it's pretty tough to get Internet access on a historic ferryboat, you'll have to hang in there while I make my way to public libraries and web cafes.

Here's a video from our big voyage. You can follow the link in the video window to see more from our big day.

Yankee On the Move from Scott on Vimeo.