Drift Away: Old Squaw Duck

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Old Squaw Duck

That's what it was.

In Sunday's blog, I posted a photo of this...

an unknown duck. An alert reader informed me that this is an Old Squaw Duck, now more politically correctly called a Long-Tailed duck. Click on this link and scroll to the very bottom and you'll see what the adult version looks like.

For all you birders out there, I found a good website dedicated to sea ducks called The Sea Duck Joint Venture. Interesting stuff. According to them, this duck can dive to 200 feet (which is a duck record) and bottom feeds on mussels, crustaceans, clams, snails, and small fish. Only the males have the long tail. He is also supposed to be in the Artic at this time of year. I wonder what he's doing here?

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Drift Away Specs

Drift Away is a 1980 Cheoy Lee 46' LRC (long range cruiser). She has twin 120 HP Ford Lehman diesels, 15 kw and 7.5 kw generators, and carries 800 gallons of fuel and 400 gallons of water. She cruises at 8 knots and has a top speed of 9.5 knots, plenty fast enough for this old sailor.

She is somewhat unique in that the inside helm staion is on the main level, along with the galley and saloon. There is also a helm on the flybridge. The lower level has three staterooms, each with a full head, plus the engine room.

Drift Away sat on the hard for many years before we bought it from an estate. She has suffered considerably from neglect, but we are amazed at all the things that work, like the two Ford Lehmans, and the Naiad stabilizers. There was and is much work to do, but we will return her to ship shape condition. Eventually. As long as it doesn't interfere with having fun.