Ancestral boats

While I was in RI over the holidays, I searched out these amazing photos in my great-grandmother’s photo album.  My mother didn’t realize they existed and has no idea who these people are.  I assume they are my great-grandmother’s friends and are sailing off of RI.  Everyone who might know is now deceased.

I think the photos are of sailing out of Narragansett, RI because there is a place which still looks very much like the harbor shot, only its no longer a harbor.  Back in this time it was a big destination with a number of hotels and casinos and I’ve seen photos of a hotel there that looks like the building in the photo. 

Edwardian era people out a-gallivanting in boats.  I especially like the photos of the captain, I look at the picture and imagine him going, "yup, its mah boa-aht, ayah."  Presumably my great-grandmother (Bear) is among the women in the group shot.  The last photo is of 2 little girls by the fire place.  I include this because I think its one of the most stunning photos I’ve ever seen and the dark haired one grew up to be my grandmother, who taught me to travel, drink and swim and ultimately paid for the Indian Summer.  (The fair haired one is her sister Eunice who became schizophrenic but was a moderately famous equestrian, back in the day).

    

The boat is what in New England is called a cat boat, or just a cat.  Out here, if you say cat, it means a catamaran.  They’re very easy boats to sail, but apparently can’t sail close to the wind at all because the mast is so forward.