"Clam Crusher" Boat Term

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

IIRC, the term "Crab Crusher" was coined by the fictional character Lee Helm in the "Max Ebb" series of articles in Latitude 38. In her eyes it was not a complimentary name!

Lee Helm's ideal boat:

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by zeehag

is careening cove in st thomas still safe?? that wharf looked really old when i was last there, 2008, dec...

St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, has lessthan a two foot tidal range. Are you talking about winching it down? There doesn't seem to be enough tidal range to stand anything up for a worthwhile amount of exposure. Is this Careening Cove in another St. Thomas? I much rather careen by laying down at high tide and molding into a sand beach than standing up,- 'seems safer to me.



This is an old photo from 1975, but still my choice for careening a "clam crusher".

[ReMetau]

We sat aground on our keel in the Keys for hours until a storm came through and knocked us over.

[zeehag]

careening cove is cove across from yacht haven, charlotte amalie, and is gorgeous--only a few boats anchored there dec 2008---was out of the way, quiet water, and had an old wharf for careening boats--i think hasnt been used in forever...

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by zeehag

careening cove is cove across from yacht haven, charlotte amalie, and is gorgeous--only a few boats anchored there dec 2008---was out of the way, quiet water, and had an old wharf for careening boats--i think hasnt been used in forever...

....but what did you do for careening? The tidal range in Charlotte Amalie is rarely as much as one foot. Did people pull the boats over with winches such as was often done back in the 1800's?

[brutb]

Zee, you may have a crab crusher, but you need a steel hulled full keel boat to be a gravel maker......

[zeehag]

rodl, brut!!
i havent careened there--i was enquiring, so my enquiring mined could know--i saw the cove and its name when i was there in 2008 december, so i was curious......

it is with some other really ancient looking wonders i was perusing when i was there---looked like it was from 1800s, but i didnt get close enough to see what was going on or not....

[Hudson Force]

I think Zee's hull is thick fiberglass like mine. I'm not concerned about a soft grounding now and then, but even if I had steel, I would not risk rock. No gravel making for me!

[Sailmonkey]

I think this qualifies as wide enough to crush a few of whatever finds it's way underneath it.

[westsail374]

Those of us who have had the joy of Westsailing the world have crushed many an unwary marine creature as we have kissed the occasional unmarked sandbank or shoal...

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

I think this qualifies as wide enough to crush a few of whatever finds it's way underneath it.

Sailmonkey, You look like your holding your breath in the photo,- I thought you excelled at underwater photography, but then I see the chain that I believe holds the jack stands togerher. Yes, a great qualifier for crushed-taceans!

[Paul Elliott]

I asked the author of the Latitude 38 "Max Ebb" series, and he says he first used "Crab Crusher" in a 1982 column, or possibly a year or two earlier. He heard it from a marine architect friend, who may have coined the phrase, in the late 70's or early 80's.

[Paul Elliott]

Typo correction from "Max Ebb": The term appeared in Lat 38 in Feb '89, not '82.