Just when you think the wildlife has left the pond and things are quiet for the winter, this stately vessel shows up. It could be pirates, although it looks peaceful enough - but it is surely way off course to be here in the cold waters of Joe's Pond . . . here's the story, from George Parizo:

You have all heard the expression "when our ship comes in."
Well here she is! First picture is of the ship coming in to our dock, second is the ship docked at the end of our dock at 94 Sandy Beach Road.

Now the rest of the story:

I not only build model cannons, I also build model sailing ships. The one in the picture (a no name, 3 mast, sailed merchant ship) was built without a kit, plans, or prints ! (stem to stern - 16 " long).

All the hardware was made from fishing equipment that was purchased from Wal-Mart. The "dead eyes" are fish hook shanks(cut off fish hooks) the "turnbuckles "are fish line swivels #10, and the "pullys" on the rigging lines are fishing lure spinner bushings. The hull was hand carved from a solid piece of basswood found as junk wood in a lumber yard. The mast, yardarms (the things that go across the mast that hold up the sails), were made from dowel rods purchased from a hardware store. The rigging lines are cotton/poly thread, black for standing rigging as the original standing rigging (rat lines) were coated with tar, and tan (natural flexible replaceable hemp rope) for the running lines. Ballast laid on and crewed, it might sail if the right running lines were to be pulled and let out. The yardarms would swing quartered into the wind and if the sails were installed, they would "snap to " with the sound like a cannon going off as they filled with the wind. Arrrrr - mates, sad ye say, I have more money in the ship then what the value is in the cargo hold. (Most model builders prefer not to install the sails as it hides the rigging lines.) With all the sails up, a real ship like this could have produced up to 20,000 sail horse power, and make 6-8 knots.

Food for thought:

The Clipper sailing ship Cutty Stark with 90,000 sail horse power in 1890s crossed the Atlantic from Liverpool, England to New York Harbor with a full cargo in six days, only one day more than the best ever time posted for the Queen Mary1, with out using a drop of fuel oil !!!

George Parizo

Thanks, George, for sharing the pictures and the story. The ship is just beautiful! Great work.

Some of you have probably wondered what we do here at Joe's Pond to keep from going bonkers on rainy, dismal days or when the snow is coming down upon us continually for days on end. Now you know - living here brings out not only creativeness, but a whole lot of Yankee ingenuity!