The present book focuses on a twenty-eight foot wooden Catboot called Ghost. She belongs to a class of boats unique to Bornegat Boy in New Jersey. The class originated in 1922 and by 1924 was recognized as a racing class under the name A Cat. The class was seriously affected by the Great Depression, but it survived and began a renaissance in 1980, when David Beoton and Sons built Wasp, a new A Cat, following plans dating to i923. Ghost was Beaton's second A Cat and was an immediate success. Not only did she win seven consecutive Bay championships, 1994-2000 but also exhibited extraordinary craftsmanship. We might say that Ghost was and remains a paradigm of excellence in the construction oi wooden boats. Happily the building process was photographed in detail and is now recorded in book form. Photos paired with explanation take the reader from making patterns and preparing the woodshop to a celebratory launch at Beaton's rigging dock. That is followed by an account of Ghost's initial disaster on the race course, a remarkable recovery and then twenty-two years of continuous competition. What made Ghost fast on the race course and what did not work are recorded for the reader's consideration. The conclusion focuses on Ghost's new home at the New Jersey Maritime Museum.

Summer visitors and year-round residents alike are sure to discover Jersey Shore lore that captures their fancy in this entertaining account of the people, places, and events that have shaped New Jersey's famous shoreline. From ghost stories and the comic misadventures of the early Miss America Pageant to the dynamics of the changing coastline and poignant portraits of traditional crafts workers, Russell Roberts and Rich Youmans have chronicled the fascinating history and heritage of the New Jersey Shore. In this book you'll meet the luminaries who've frequented the Shore--from President Ulysses Grant strolling through Long Branch to Grace Kelly learning to surf at Ocean City. You'll find out why the boardwalk was invented, and also why early ones were removable. Join the authors as they pay tribute to the Shore's forgotten inventors, including Simon Lake, who some consider the true father of the modern submarine. Relive the Jersey Shore's role in wartime and learn the story of the mysterious Nazi submarine sunken off of Point Pleasant Beach. Read about Lucy the Margate Elephant, as a well as her two long-gone "cousins." Discover all this and more as Roberts and Youmans explore the vast uncharted heritage of the New Jersey Shore.

The present book focuses on a twenty-eight foot wooden Catboat called Ghost. She belongs to a class of boats unique to Barnegat Bay in New Jersey. The class originated in 1922 and by 1924 was recognized as a racing class under the name A Cat. The class was seriously affected by the Great Depression, but it survived and began a renaissance in 1980, when David Beaton and Sons built Wasp, a new A Cat, following plans dating to 1923. Ghost was Beaton's second A Cat and was an immediate success. Not only did she win seven consecutive Bay championships, 1994-2000 but also exhibited extraordinary craftsmanship. We might say that Ghost was and remains a paradigm of excellence in the construction of wooden boats. Happily the building process was photographed in detail and is now recorded in book form. Photos paired with explanation take the reader from making patterns and preparing the woodshop to a celebratory launch at Beaton's rigging dock. That is followed by an account of Ghost's initial disaster on the race course, a remarkable recovery and then twenty-two years of continuous competition. What made Ghost fast on the race course and what did not work are recorded for the reader's consideration. The conclusion focuses on Ghost's new home at the New Jersey Maritime Museum.

The present book focuses on a twenty-eight-foot wooden Catboat called Ghost. She belongs to a class of boats unique to Barnegat Bay in New Jersey. The class originated in 1922 and by 1924 was recognized as a racing class under the name A Cat. The class was seriously affected by the Great Depression, but it survived and began a renaissance in 1980, when David Beaton and Sons built Wasp, a new A Cat, following plans dating to 1923. Ghost was Beaton's second A Cat and was an immediate success. Not only did she win seven consecutive Bay championships, 1994-2000 but also exhibited extraordinary craftsmanship. We might say that Ghost was and remains a paradigm of excellence in the construction of wooden boats. Happily, the building process was photographed in detail and is now recorded in book form. Photos paired with explanations take the reader from making patterns and preparing the woodshop to a celebratory launch at Beaton's rigging dock. That is followed by an account of Ghost's initial disaster on the racecourse, a remarkable recovery and then twenty-two years of continuous competition. What made Ghost fast on the racecourse and what did not work are recorded for the reader's consideration. The conclusion focuses on Ghost's new home at the New Jersey Maritime Museum.

The present book focuses on a twenty-eight foot wooden Catboat called Ghost. She belongs to a class of boats unique to Barnegat Bay in New Jersey. The class originated in 1922 and by 1924 was recognized as a racing class under the name A Cat. The class was seriously affected by the Great Depression, but it survived and began a renaissance in 1980, when David Beaton and Sons built Wasp, a new A Cat, following plans dating to 1923. Ghost was Beaton's second A Cat and was an immediate success. Not only did she win seven consecutive Bay championships, 1994-2000 but also exhibited extraordinary craftsmanship. We might say that Ghost was and remains a paradigm of excellence in the construction of wooden boats. Happily the building process was photographed in detail and is now recorded in book form. Photos paired with explanation take the reader from making patterns and preparing the woodshop to a celebratory launch at Beaton's rigging dock. That is followed by an account of Ghost's initial disaster on the race course, a remarkable recovery and then twenty-two years of continuous competition. What made Ghost fast on the race course and what did not work are recorded for the reader's consideration. The conclusion focuses on Ghost's new home at the New Jersey Maritime Museum.