A Memorial Tribute to Captain J.C. Waters

August 18, 1941 - February 14, 2012

Captain J.C. Waters teaching a maritime course aboard his schooner Spirit of Independence.  Photo by Joe Elder.

We first met J.C. Waters in the spring of 2006 when he and his daughter Joy visited our store (then at 629 High Street) while on a voyage up the Atlantic coast aboard the"Spirit of Independence". J.C. had recently completed and launched the schooner in his hometown of Independence, Missouri, and was in search of a new location to relocate the schooner. We talked extensively during his first visit about the "Spirit of Independence" and told J.C. all about our quaint historic seaport, Olde Towne Portsmouth. He invited Alison and me to visit his schooner moored at Tidewater Yacht, so we met him after closing for a tour of the Spirit. What a magnificent vessel it was. 

We stayed in contact via e-mail and J.C. kept us abreast of his travel and search for a new place to call home. A year passed by when we received correspondence from J.C. about his plans to return to Portsmouth. After numerous visits to other ports of call, J.C. had chosen Portsmouth to be his new residence. He, like many of us had a vision and could see the potential of Portsmouth as his chosen destination. We all applauded his decision and certainly welcomed him, Marsha and Joy as new residents!

J.C., Marsha and Joy quickly became involved as part of the Olde Towne community and after careful   planning, started his charter business and the "Spirit of Independence" became a regular fixture at the High Street Landing and sailing along the Elizabeth River. Many of Portsmouth and other Hampton Roads residents have crewed along with J.C. and Joy aboard the "Spirit" on weekend sails on the Elizabeth, a sail to Bermuda and as participants in four of the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Races.  We at Skipjack have worked along side J.C. as a booking agent and to assist in marketing his sailing adventures. I personally had the pleasure to be one of the crew on his last Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race- an adventure that I will certainly remember for a lifetime.

Alison and I will forever miss J.C.'s visits to Skipjack, his wonderful Missouri demeanor, his pleasant manner and non-stop smile. Here's to you  J.C.. You will surely be missed by one and all!

Captain J.C. Waters raises the City of Portsmouth flag high above the schooner. Photo by Joe Elder.

Joseph Clinton “J.C.” Waters, was born August 18, 1941, in Independence, MO and graduated from William Chrisman High School where he excelled in track and football.  He earned his Bachelor’s degree from CMSU and his Master’s in Education from UMKC. He taught for many years in the Independence School District, retiring in 1997.

J.C. Waters standing by the hull of the Spirit of Independence. Photo by Joy Waters.

J.C. combined his love of sailing with business as the owner of Porte Des Voyageurs (translated as Door of the Travelers) boat shop in Independence for thirty-five years. He realized his life-long dream by building the seventy-six foot schooner, The Spirit of Independence, which was launched in 2005 from Independence. Following a maiden cruise through rivers and locks to the Atlantic Ocean, the Spirit made her home in Portsmouth, VA where she started charters and tours in 2009.

Captain J.C. Waters at the helm of his schooner "Spirit of Independence." Photo by Allen Graves.

J.C. was an Eagle Scout, a member of the Tribe of Mic-O-Say (Hard-way Warrior Sachem Swift ShootingStar) and a Sea Explorer where he was Skipper of Ship 204 and achieved the Quartermaster Award (similar to Eagle Scout). J.C. was a licensed Merchant Marine Captain granted by the U.S. Coast Guard and a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. He was also an avid flyer and previously had a pilot’s license. In addition to his sailing and flying skills, J.C. was an accomplished marksman, master carpenter, silversmith and metal fabricator. 

Captain Waters standing on the deck of the Spirit of Independence, Baltimore, Md. , Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. Photo by Allen Graves.

J.C. was preceded in death by his brother Michael Waters and parents Alfred and Verla Waters. He is survived by his wife of forty-five years, Marsha Waters, of the home; son Jarrod Waters and wife Melinda of Grain Valley, MO; daughter Janet Tracy and husband Carl of Independence, MO; daughter Joy Waters of Chesapeake, VA; brother Paul Waters and wife Nancy of Overland Park,

Schooner Spirit of Independence built by J.C. Waters in Independence, Missouri.

The eighth bell has now been rung,

Your watch is now complete.

But the ship must still be guarded,

and I will not fall asleep.

For tomorrow brings a new adventure

And though the seas be thick,

I will recall my Captain’s words

And hit another lick.

The Sextant Cruise: A Course and Sail in Celestial Navigation

 

Learn how to navigate with a sextant using today's advanced technology with Captain J. C. Waters aboard the Schooner  

SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE.

October 26, 2010

 

Schooner SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE sailing on the Elizabeth River.

The very technology that seemed to question  the viability of the practical use of the Sextant is now the tool that makes the Sextant once again an important navigation tool for the small boat cruiser as well as the professional navigator.   Traditional companion tools for the Sextant were the chronometer, almanac, sight reduction tables, worksheets, and plotting board.  All of these tools were required and were tedious and time consuming to work with and maintain.  Now enter the i-phone app “Star Pilot”, hand held computer with dedicated sight reduction program and the inexpensive digital watch.   Now the procedure to get a fix becomes:  Take the shot with the sextant, observe the time with the digital watch, enter the observed information in the i-phone app or the computer program and mark the fix on the chart.  Granted the i-phone is also a GPS tool but the i-phone app will still work even if the constellation of GPS satellites fell out of the sky.

Tamaya Spica Sextant

For the Sextant Cruise, we will have aboard, Sextants, handheld computers and will demonstrate the iphone app.  If you have an iphone or ipod that you wish to use, please load the app. STAR PILOT.  There may be other apps. available but this is the one we will be demonstrating.

The cruise  will  sail to the Chesapeake Bay in search of a  good sea horizon.  We'll take a series of sun shots to reduce, using programs that will give you feedback on your sextant skills and show you how easy it is to use a sextant.

Captain J. C. Waters instructing a course in celestial Navigation.

What you need to bring:  Required:  Watch.  Optional:  smart phone w/program, Sextant, etc.

 Cruise participants is limited to 16 people. Cost per participant is $65.00 and includes lunch aboard the schooner. Board the schooner SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE at Tidewater Marina, Olde Towne Portsmouth, Virginia  at the end of dock D. The SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE will set sail at 9:00 am and returning early evening.  No instruments required.

For additional information and to make reservations, call  Captain J C Waters at 757 971-1865 or Email  j.c.waters@earthlink.net.

Follow the link here for information about the Schooner SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE AT http://www.spiritofindependence.net/

Be a Patriot this Fourth of July Weekend

First Friday events: FREE. The Olde Towne Antiques to Flea Market: Admission FREE.  The Olde Towne Farmers Market: Admission FREE. Portsmouth, VA. Museums: Admission FREE. Patriot Days Celebration at the Portsmouth Shipyard Museum: Admission FREE. Watching the Fourth of July fireworks aboard the schooner SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE: SPECTACULAR. Celebrating the Fouth of July weekend at Virginia's quaint historic seaport: PRICELESS! Be a patriot! Visit Olde Towne Portsmouth, VA.

Nautical Living in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge

The stone fireplace mantle displays a Chelsea clock and a Bendix Friez barometer saved from salvage below Robert Lyn Nelson's "Extinction is forever." A Royal Copenhagen bowl, an Inuit soapstone fish carving,  part of an Alaskan Oosic and an old coin-dot lamp.

An unplanned excursion is certainly a great way to discover new horizons as well as promising prospects for upcoming blogs. So it was when our recent trip to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountain of Virginia took us to visit with long-time friend and photographer Allen Graves. Allen, while visiting us a few months back to photograph 360 degree panoramic views of the interior and exterior of Skipjack’s showroom and the interior of the Schooner “Spirit of Independence,” told us about a friend's farm house that we should view and include in a Nautical Living blog. So off we went to meet with Jacqualin Davies and preview her wonderful farmhouse -- her home is nothing like you might expect in the mountains of Virginia!


Retired designer Jacqualin Davies was the owner and creative force of Jacqualin Interiors. Her Virginia home reflects her personal tastes and interests after growing up with a father in the merchant marines.

Wyland's striptych "Hawaii" is viewable
from multiple floors.

Jacqualin  believes that a big part of good design is tying together items that may or may not seem to go together in a visually pleasing way. Here Wyland's contemporary striptych "Hawaii" is brought together with a Winslow Homer's etching "Life Line," a clever stormy sea watercolor, and photographs of tropical fish using an antique octant and a native South American oar.

Vintage rope fender lamp was
 found in the bargain section
 of a consignment shop.

A lamp made from an old rope boat fender, topped with a custom metal shade, furnishes reading light on a table beside the owner's favorite chair and is paired with a turk's head coaster on which to safely set a drink and a Spode ironstone bowl for a snack.

Custom lamp made from antique
round bottom soda bottles rests
upon a wine-barrel end table.

The only custom-made pieces shown are the cocktail table and the wine-barrel end table. They are both one-of-a-kind commissioned or created by the owner. The rope fender lamp was found, sporting a shade with orange-ball fringe, in the greatly reduced section of a consignment shop in Rancho Mirage, CA.


I asked Jacqualin a few specific questions:

What are your favorite items in your home?

“It is difficult to choose favorites. I love my Chelsea clock. The bell strike sound has been with me for a while. Recently I had the clock serviced. I not only missed its appearance, but its marking the hours with its chime. The one sextant always reminds me of my godfather. I think of him each time I dust it.”

A carved dolphin with pup swims
above a driftwood  base.

Any suggestions that you can share with our readers about creating a successful coastal home?

“Don't limit coastal decor to the beach. When I began working on this look in my home, I was living in the desert. Many people there were using the Santa Fe southwestern theme. I embrace being different. Don't get cutesy with it. There is nothing interesting about fifty little resin lighthouses. Buy quality pieces that somehow speak to you and blend them with other things you love.”

Take a 360 X 180 degree virtual tour of Jacqualin Davies Blue Ridge Farm house. http://www.viewva360.com/farm.html . Interior photos and virtual tour by Allen B. Graves.

Visit Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Gallery virtual tours @ http://www.skipjackmarinegallery.com/

Visit the Schooner "Spirit of Independence" virtual tour @ http://www.viewva360.com/bridge.html

Click here to go to Skipjack's Nautical Living home page.

Celestial Navigation Course Aboard the Schooner "Spirit of Independence"

Schooner SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE

Participants sight the sun using a sextant

Most of us are enthralled with the sea and are drawn to stories and movies that have a sea theme. We can all relate to the human experience of these stories and movies accept when we consider how they found their way across the featureless expanse of ocean. That to many of us is a mystery.

Peter Youngblood demonstrates the use of a sextant.

Recently, area sailors and crewmembers had a workup on celestial navigation in preparation for our cruise aboard Schooner SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE to Bermuda. The workup session was held on board at her berth, which is docked at Tidewater Yacht Marina in Portsmouth, VA. Sun sights were taken throughout the day, with emphases on sextant technique used to bring an object to the horizon. Between shooting sessions the group discussed the geometry behind finding ones position with a sextant. Additionally each person used his or her sight data for sight reduction using a celestial navigation computer program that removes the drudgery of using the almanac and sight reduction tables.

Captain J. C. Waters of the SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE

The workup continued the following weekend when the SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE cruised out to the Bay where they were able to take advantage of a true sea horizon for our shots.

If you and a group of your friends would like to plan a similar cruise with hands on experience let us hear from you.

Thanks goes to Joe Elder of Skipjack Nautical Wares, also of Portsmouth, who attended and brought with him several very nice sextants from his inventory.

Visit the Schooner SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE  by clicking on the link here. http://www.spiritofindependence.net/

Capt. J. C. Waters
Schooner SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE
j.c.waters@earthlink.com
757 971 1865

Click here to go to Skipjack's Nautical Living home page.