The Pond Yacht
Chapter 39
New York
Spring 1936
Since Franklin Wilder was a boy, he loved making boats.
He and his family lived on the outskirts of Savannah. The 900-acre farm was a kingdom to him. It contained vast areas of fragrant pine trees that were harvested for timber. There was a lumber yard and verdant horse paddocks. But the most beguiling aspect of the farm was the fast-running stream that ran across a large portion of the property. Franklin spent many of his early years at the stream and exploring the surrounding woods.
During the day, he would fashion paper boats from sheets of notebook paper and take them to the stream. In the evenings, when the air was still, he could hear the water calling to him and inviting him to come back and play in the morning.
His mother always packed him a lunch in a brown paper bag. It usually had a ham sandwich with her tomato conserve and a small tin of her homemade chow-chow. She also would pack a brownie because it was his favorite treat. She would give him his lunch, kiss him on the forehead and tell him she loved him as she hugged him.
Franklin would travel a distance upstream and wade in the water to put his paper craft in the center of the current. Then with a long cane pole in hand, he would guide his “mighty” vessel down the creek. He would nudge it gently out of the rocky shallows and tree roots. Along the way he would listen to the quiet sounds of his surroundings and observe the small chipmunks with cheeks full of pine nuts as they played along the creek banks. Life was ideal.
Today, was a different story. The creekbanks were replaced by the concrete surrounds of the Conservatory Water in Central Park. There was no quite hush of nature, but over 5,000 people in attendance for the annual Central Park Model Yacht Club’s Regatta. Franklin’s notebook paper sail boat was replaced with a 6’ model Schooner named the Te Amo. The cane pole was now an oak prod over 5 feet long. It had taken the young man over a year to build the craft. He would work on it during his off times between studies of landscape architecture at Cornell. He would then carefully transport the various parts for assembly when he travelled to the city to visit his friend Sebastian de’Alba.
Sebastian understood Franklin’s passion. He himself had a sloop back home in Havana and loved sailing. Both young men realized that the models were not just a hobby, put an expression of one’s ability to understand the intricacies of sailing and boatwright. Knots, sails and hulls were exact replicas found on larger vessels. The precision and craftsmanship that went into the construction was the hallmark of an analytical, detailed and exacting mind.
Unlike a traditional sailing vessel, where man and nature work in tandem, here nature was the key skipper. Rudders could be set and sails could be adjusted at the beginning of the race, but after the initial push, the craft was left to the fates. The overwhelming hope of each skipper was that the vessel would make it to the other side of the lake! Although, the body of water was only 3 feet deep, the retrieval of a stranded pond yacht was not a pleasant affair.
After three short blasts of a whistle from the “Commodore” of the CPMYC, the crowd fell hush. The skippers placed their vessels in the water, pointed them toward the finish line on the opposite side. Everyone prayed for favorable winds.
After another two blasts of the whistle, the skippers gave their crafts a push with their prods and off they went. The crowds would cheer the name of their favorite vessels as the skippers ran round the surround of the lake.
Today, the winds favored the Te Amo. She crossed the line first. Most of the other vessels struggled and stalled about mid-lake. Sebastian, who had been following around the basin with the crowd broke the ranks and ran to Franklin. With joyful exuberance he embraced his friend and with one arm pumping the air, he shouted, “Te Amo Te Amo!”
Chow Chow
INGREDIENTS
12 ½ lbs green tomatoes, chopped
8 large Sweet Vidalia onions, chopped
10 green bell peppers, chopped
3 teaspoons salt
6 chopped green chili peppers
2 c. distilled apple cider vinegar
2 c. Southern Conserve Sweet Vidalia Onion Peppercorn Dressing
1 ¾ c. white sugar
½ c. prepared horseradish
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground cloves
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large bowl combine tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and salt. Let stand overnight.
Drain the tomato/pepper mixture and add the hot chili peppers, vinegar and Southern Conserve Sweet Vidalia Peppercorn Dressing, sugar, and horseradish. Wrap the cinnamon, allspice, and cloves in cheesecloth or a porous bag, and add to tomato/pepper mixture.
Boil for 15 minutes, or until tender.
Pack tightly in sterilized jars and seal.
The Southern Conserve is the Products Line from Chef Theodore Paskevich + Donald Holland. It is sold at Provisions SAV and online on our website.