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My mother's obituary can be viewed at <http://www.struveandlaporte.com>. Click on the tab for obituaries, and you will see her name.

A video with music honoring my mother is viewable at...

The late naval architect Al Mason's widow, Christine Mason, died of Alzheimer's on June 18th, 2008 at home under hospice care with her daughter by her side. She was 92 years old.

Anita C. Mason

Does anyone know of a "charter" cruise on Monterey Bay, preferably sailing out of Monterey during the daytime? I'd like to take my advanced Alzheimer's mother for a "bit of a sail" on Monterey Bay....

Buddy: Thank you for your kind words.

I'm an only child who made a promise to my parents over 20 years ago that I would reciprocate. They spent 20+ years raising me from birth. It was my...

I sent a private response to the Ostkust inquiry.

Rick: Thank you for posting that message.

Everyone tries to tell me I've done everything a loving daughter could possibly do for her dementia descending mother but I've yet to convince myself.

Darrell -- She looks beautiful!!!

The past year has been difficult. Mother is now over 90 years old and her dementia has become quite serious. She is currently in the hospital. I've been her 24/7...

Hi Everyone,

I'm alive and well but have been extremely busy with a variety of community projects. Al's widow is doing great and will be 88 in a few days. She still has her mobility and smarts...

How about knot-tying for a rainy day project that's boating related. Each kid could learn how to do one fancy knot, then mount it on a plaque with a name label. I have a collection of seven knots...

Hi Joe, be sure to find out definitively exactly who owns that strip of land. Years ago Al built a house along a private road and when the power company tried to get permission to erect power poles...

She's looking beautiful Darrel! And I love the name!

The original Bart was a dachshund who litereally thought he could walk on water. Al and I had to net him out of the drink many a time. The dog...

Yes, "Intrepid" won the cup twice, in 1967 and 1970. She was not the only S&S design to win twice though. "Courageous" won in 1974 and 1977 as well. S&S's last design to win the cup was "Freedom" in...

FWIW, in Issue 108 there is a 12-page interview with Al and all the illustrations and one photo were Al's property. The authors asked Al for permission to have the magazine reprint the images with...

FWIW, in Issue 108 there is a 12-page interview with Al and all the illustrations and one photo were Al's property. The authors asked Al for permission to have the magazine reprint the images with...

FWIW, in Issue 108 there is a 12-page interview with Al and all the illustrations and one photo were Al's property. The authors asked Al for permission to have the magazine reprint the images with...

A little more history on the 12-Meter class in America's Cup racing - from Number #108 [October 1992] issue of WoodenBoat, "A. Mason, Naval Architect, draftsman, artist" by Michael and Debbie...

My copy arrived yesterday as well. Wonder if they are using a different distribution system?

Anita

Hi Again Howard - the only other scow hull was the 16'-6" "Lily Pad" designed for use with an outboard. She has a bit of flare to the sides and a modified curvature to her bow. It doesn't appear that...

Hi Howard! What small houseboat design of Al Mason's are you referring to in your post?

The only wood houseboat of Al's design I know of is a 31'-11" shoal draft called "Inland Clipper?" To my...

No smiling children, but worth a smile.

Several weeks ago my 87-year-old mother decided she wanted to roast a chicken. She did all the prep, put the chicken in the oven at the proper temp for the...

Al designed one sailboat that offered either a cutter or ketch rig. The cutter rig totaled 10 sq.ft. more sail area. The mainmast was located in the same position for both rigs, but the ketch mast...

Not sure if this helps but one of Al's clients was a real racing fanatic. Before each season, he put together a multi-page [12+] detailing all the boat rules and the assigned tasks for each crew...

GO!!! If anyone has experience dealing with a group of children, I'd say it has to be you. Plus there's all that enthusiasm and knowledge of wooden boats that you can use to inspire the children....

Happy Birthday Tess!!!

Anita

Bravo Joe!!! A birthday to remember for Tess!

Anita

Bummer Jerry!

I went to a doctor years ago because my knee had swelled to four times it normal size. That sorry idiot made an appointment for me to get fitted for a permanent leg brace, telling...

Thanks for the heads up! Really enjoyed the segments on The Center for Wood Boats. A nice homage to the unique qualities of wood boats. First time the show has featured wood boats in their special...

The all time classic example of taking alterations to a sound design beyond its limits was the 16th[?] century Swedish warship "Vasa." The designer and builders created a sound design but the king...

I'll take a stab at answering your question.

In past generations, boat builders began their apprenticeships while still children and basically grew up immersed in the theory and methodology of...

On the central coast of California it is illegal to use drinking water for golf course irrigation. The courses use treated waste water. The fines for illegally using drinking water are stiff and...

That dollhouse is a real cutey. I'd just clean it up a bit, wrap it up, and surprise Tess with it. She'll get a big kick out of choosing how she wants the rooms to look. Five-year-olds can have some...

The union labor set-up/take-down costs are almost impossible to bypass. The company I used to work for used to have a booth at Moscone Center in SF, about a three-hour drive from the company offices....

Shane,

Thank you for posting the pages. It's sad that imagestation no longer allows public viewing without becoming a member. I liked the old policy much better. I find their new policy very...

"WoodenBoat" magazine purchased the editorial archives of "The Rudder" when Rudder went bankrupt in the early 1970s.

When Al died, WoodenBoat was kind enough to send me photocopies of all the...

Thank you for the education! I knew that our Eucalyptus groves were originally imported from Australia but didn't realize that the Monterey Pine was also originally an import. The way they talk about...

Is Monterey Pine plywood even available? On the Monterey Peninsula area of California, where the tree is native, it is a protected species. A homeowner has to get a special permit to even cut one...

Best wishes from the "left coast!"

Anita

One method used in the inaccessible natural brush areas in my area is to bring in a herd of goats and turn them loose for a few weeks with a herder and some dogs. After some really bad firestorms...

From the March 1970 issue of "Sailing" was a brief article describing the following:

"A radical 23-foot sloop, iwth an exclusive expanding cabin and cockpit enclosure has been developed by The...

Warren & Mike: Do your areas have "weed abatement" programs? Here in my rural California county it is a well-enforced law that lanowners in rural areas whack-down all brush to less than 6 inches...

Your question is a tough one. Al was often asked to take the lines off an existing hull. In this case, the background info would be in the archives of S&S.

I have not come across a file folder...

Mark, you have asked THE Question that designers have been asking themselves for over 100 years, and none have ever figured out the answer.

In the case of my father and his colleagues, when they...

In the spirit begun by Dave & Bob, I decided to post the following.

I was just doing a little research on Ennals Ives and Transpacific Marine. They had marketing arrangements with Al for a number...

Wow - have I been lucky! Twenty+ years ago, having neither a husband nor children, my parents requested that I move in with them. Mother's logic was that they were getting older and at some future...

Hi Les, you might try contacting the manufacturers directly for scale drawings of their products. My father used to have file folders full of scale drawings of all the various products used in a...

Hi Again Steve,

I found what I was looking for - the January 1964 issue of "One Design Yachtsman - The Magazine of Sailboat Racing" which included a section entitled "A Rundown of 227 Class Boats...

I noticed on the website Charlie posted that the insignias are only for currently active one designs. I tried looking up the "Carinita" class that was active in the early 1960s and that insignia is...

Here in California, the organization that will come into the home to assist is The Visiting Nurses.

When my 87-year-old mother was hospitalized recently, her doctor was prepared to request their...

Some suggestions in your area:

• The Los Angeles Athletic Club historian [if the organization still exists];

• The California Yacht Club historian [again if they still exist, Wilbo was right...