Steve Sanford
Well-known member
All~
Some recent e-mails and other communications have put me in an especially reflective mood. I shake my head in wonder when I learn of the many connections that keep my life-long passion fully-nourished. Although I had truly anemic season hereabouts, I am in full swing preparing for the March 8 LIDCA Show - and also back in the shop with decoys and duckboats.
Before we left for Berlin - spending the holidays with my daughter's family - a friend asked me to find a buyer for a pair of Pintails. They had been carved by Larry Udell of Center Moriches - no longer amongst the carving. I bought them from Great South Bay guide Red Oster at the Tuckerton Show several years ago. I brought them back to the shop and did some minor repairs before tuning up the paint for my gunning partner - and duckboats.net member - Jamie Woods. Pretty sure I posted them on a WORKBENCH back in 2019.
I sent an e-mail blast around to a bunch of friends on Long Island. They were snapped up by another old friend - Paul McDuffie. I got Paul his first birds ~35 years ago.....
Paul bought them for another old friend - Tim Rousseau - whose Dad I knew from back in the day when I was the DEC Waterfowl Biologist on Long Island. Tim put them to good use.
BTW: Paul owns the 1920s-30s Dodge & Krowl Scooter that will be featured as our Vintage Vessel at the March 8 Show. Dodge & Krowl built boats on Orowoc Creek in Islip. My grandfather worked at O. H. Doxsee. He was not a bayman. He worked behind the counter and drove the fish and shellfish into Fulton Fish Market. And, in 1953, my Dad took my Mom across Great South Bay from Fire Island up Orowoc Creek so I could be born in a hospital.
This other thread involves one of the many South Bay Duckboats I have restored/customized over the years. It is melancholy in that the owner-at-the-time did not live to hunt it. Old friend Jim Tuffin succumbed to brain cancer this past summer. I helped his widow find a buyer - a fine young outdoorsman new to waterfowling. Then, I met the gunner who sold the South Bay to Jim - his work colleague Eric Raynor from Riverhead. Eric and his sons are still going full-bore with ducks and geese.
But, I learned just now that the new owner changed his mind - and sold it to another old friend, Rich Figlia. Rich did an exceptional job covering it with Salt Hay. I like the way he added a few extra bundles over the thatch rails - to break up the line. And, he did my outboard cover justice.
Rich put this boat to work right away. His double on Black Ducks included one with 2 bands - including a reward band.
These are just a few of the connections that keep me in the world of waterfowl every day of the year. I will be meeting in a couple of weeks with other LIDCA members to continue the prep for WILDFOWLER & HERTERSs - Fowl Factories from the 40s, 50s & 60s. I just painted this Herter's Model Supreme Canada yesterday for use in the title banner (it still needs a bit of attention). My Dad bought it shortly after WW II; it now graces our library - atop an old Pine secretary that Susan's Dad restored around the time this nice feeder was made.
Ted Sadleir is both a friend and a relative (by marriage via my nephew). He has one of the best WILDFOWLER collections. Later in the month, Craig Kessler and I will be meeting with Ted to select items for the Show - and I will be photographing parts of his collection. Ted's wife is a "Hallock". Benjamin Hallock built my Great South Bay Ice Scooter....
I know I am a very lucky fellow - and these connections are a very rich part of that luck.
Stay tuned!
SJS
Some recent e-mails and other communications have put me in an especially reflective mood. I shake my head in wonder when I learn of the many connections that keep my life-long passion fully-nourished. Although I had truly anemic season hereabouts, I am in full swing preparing for the March 8 LIDCA Show - and also back in the shop with decoys and duckboats.
Before we left for Berlin - spending the holidays with my daughter's family - a friend asked me to find a buyer for a pair of Pintails. They had been carved by Larry Udell of Center Moriches - no longer amongst the carving. I bought them from Great South Bay guide Red Oster at the Tuckerton Show several years ago. I brought them back to the shop and did some minor repairs before tuning up the paint for my gunning partner - and duckboats.net member - Jamie Woods. Pretty sure I posted them on a WORKBENCH back in 2019.
I sent an e-mail blast around to a bunch of friends on Long Island. They were snapped up by another old friend - Paul McDuffie. I got Paul his first birds ~35 years ago.....
Paul bought them for another old friend - Tim Rousseau - whose Dad I knew from back in the day when I was the DEC Waterfowl Biologist on Long Island. Tim put them to good use.
BTW: Paul owns the 1920s-30s Dodge & Krowl Scooter that will be featured as our Vintage Vessel at the March 8 Show. Dodge & Krowl built boats on Orowoc Creek in Islip. My grandfather worked at O. H. Doxsee. He was not a bayman. He worked behind the counter and drove the fish and shellfish into Fulton Fish Market. And, in 1953, my Dad took my Mom across Great South Bay from Fire Island up Orowoc Creek so I could be born in a hospital.
This other thread involves one of the many South Bay Duckboats I have restored/customized over the years. It is melancholy in that the owner-at-the-time did not live to hunt it. Old friend Jim Tuffin succumbed to brain cancer this past summer. I helped his widow find a buyer - a fine young outdoorsman new to waterfowling. Then, I met the gunner who sold the South Bay to Jim - his work colleague Eric Raynor from Riverhead. Eric and his sons are still going full-bore with ducks and geese.
But, I learned just now that the new owner changed his mind - and sold it to another old friend, Rich Figlia. Rich did an exceptional job covering it with Salt Hay. I like the way he added a few extra bundles over the thatch rails - to break up the line. And, he did my outboard cover justice.
Rich put this boat to work right away. His double on Black Ducks included one with 2 bands - including a reward band.
These are just a few of the connections that keep me in the world of waterfowl every day of the year. I will be meeting in a couple of weeks with other LIDCA members to continue the prep for WILDFOWLER & HERTERSs - Fowl Factories from the 40s, 50s & 60s. I just painted this Herter's Model Supreme Canada yesterday for use in the title banner (it still needs a bit of attention). My Dad bought it shortly after WW II; it now graces our library - atop an old Pine secretary that Susan's Dad restored around the time this nice feeder was made.
Ted Sadleir is both a friend and a relative (by marriage via my nephew). He has one of the best WILDFOWLER collections. Later in the month, Craig Kessler and I will be meeting with Ted to select items for the Show - and I will be photographing parts of his collection. Ted's wife is a "Hallock". Benjamin Hallock built my Great South Bay Ice Scooter....
I know I am a very lucky fellow - and these connections are a very rich part of that luck.
Stay tuned!
SJS
