The Ida May has pulled off the double crown of Skipjack racing by winning the 2017 Choptank Heritage Skipjack Race today, having already won the Labor Day race off Deal Island. Wow! We are ecstatic and so proud of the Captain, Shawn Ridgley, and his first mate, Michael Oh. The race was tight from the start with boats jockeying for prime position. We were sandwiched between the Rosie Parks on our starboard and the Lady Katie on our port. These boats were so close to us that I could've…
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Added by ida may on September 23, 2017 at 7:00pm —
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The Ida May won second place at the Cambridge Skipjack Races on 9/24/11 in a photo finish. Captain John Price and the Ida May beat out Lawrence Murphy and the Thomas Clyde by a nose. It was an exciting finish for the race and it was the culmination of six year's hard work. The race day gave us light breezes, which favors our light and small boat. The larger boats with more sail are faster than us, but in a light breeze, we have an advantage. Many thanks to Capt. Harold Whitelock of the…
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Added by ida may on September 24, 2011 at 9:30pm —
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We set the mast in the Skipjack Ida May today. Many thanks to Harold Whitelock and his expertise with the heavy machinery. We are that much closer to having sails on the boat and racing her on Labor Day!
Added by ida may on August 18, 2011 at 9:00pm —
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We delivered the mast and boom down to Scott's Cove in Chance MD and the next step will be to set the mast. First, though, we will need to work on the mast, get the rigging done, and make the bottom of the pole fancy. We are inching our way to completion!!!
Added by ida may on August 6, 2011 at 9:30pm —
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Added by ida may on July 31, 2011 at 9:26am —
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We launched the Ida May at Scott's Cove in Chance Maryland today!!! She is now docked and awaiting the mast and boom. We are beyond excited. This was the culmination of 6 long hard years of labor.
Added by ida may on July 30, 2011 at 9:00pm —
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Frank Antes and Gordon, Elbert, and David Gladden worked on the starboard side log rail of the Chesapeake Bay Skipjack, Ida May today. We feared that bending the salt treated lumber so far would crack the wood in half, and that's just what happened: the board busted, exploded really. We lagged and clamped the board to try to bend it, but a whole morning's work went up with a bang.
Added by ida may on May 28, 2011 at 9:00pm —
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Frank Antes, Tom Evans, and David, Gordon, and Elbert Gladden work on the outer stem of the Chesapeake Bay Skipjack, Ida May. We get a visit from Reverend Z, the former preacher of the Rock Creek Methodist Church. Watch as we also work on the bowsprit support, get the drill stuck in the wood, and have to use the vise grips to get the bit out. Gordon gets the nickname "Straight Gladden" for his prowess with the drill, but David grabs the moniker "Strong Gladden" for being able to pull the stuck…
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Added by ida may on April 30, 2011 at 8:30pm —
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Tom Evans, Alain Pratte, Gordon, David, and Elbert Gladden work on the mast step and the mast knees.
Added by ida may on April 2, 2011 at 8:30pm —
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Frank Antes, Tom Evans, Cody Donalds, and Elbert, Gordon, and David Gladden work on the inner stem of the skipjack Ida May. The stem fits great, or as Tom said, "She fits like a glove." Gordon gives Elbert a socket wrench that doesn't work very well and Elbert tells Frank to throw it in the river. This was a big job and we are happy to be over this hump.
Added by ida may on March 12, 2011 at 9:00pm —
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Gordon, David, and Elbert Gladden and Cody Daniels pull large, rusty boat nails out of oak wood of the Ida May's deck. Pulling old nails out of oak wood is not an easy task. The oak grabs the nails and holds them fast. After we finish tearing off the deck, we will replace it with deck boards and then marine plywood.
Added by ida may on March 5, 2011 at 10:00pm —
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Frank Antes, Tom Evans, Eldon Willing, and Gordon and David Gladden deliver the skipjack Ida May's cabin to Scott's Cove in Chance MD from Frank's wood shop in Tyaskin, MD. We built the cabin in the wood shop during the cold winter and now deliver it home to Chance. After we install the deck on the Ida May this spring, we will put the cabin on the boat. But that's a long way off!!!
Added by ida may on January 17, 2011 at 9:00pm —
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Gordon, Elbert, and David Gladden, along with Frank Antes and Tom Evans, work on the Ida May on a cool but comfortable fall Saturday. Everybody works on a different part of the boat. Frank and Gordon tackle the starboard sides and Tom paints the starboard rails that will go back on the boat once the sides are complete. Elbert and David, to their dismay, find that the stem piece in… Continue
Added by ida may on October 23, 2010 at 8:30pm —
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Sorry to report that the Ida May will not be in the 51st Annual Deal Island Labor Day Skipjack Race. Although we have made certain milestones, such as finishing the bottom, we are still many months away from completion of the boat. We have much work to do on topside now, but we vow to be in next year's race. For information about the 51st Annual Deal Island Labor Day Skipjack Race, click on link below.…
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Added by ida may on September 2, 2010 at 7:00pm —
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Thanks to journalist Brice Stump for highlighting the Ida May in this week's
"Shorelife" section of the Sunday Salisbury Daily Times.
Added by ida may on August 29, 2010 at 9:30am —
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Gordon and David Gladden spent the day tearing out rotten boards and pulling stubborn nails. Elbert Gladden took the day off to watch, get this, 5 games of fast pitch softball!!! Elbert loves fast pitch and tries to watch it anytime he can. He still plays softball (modified) at 75 years of age.
Notice on the video segment of this week's work the Skipjack Fannie Daugherty, owned by Capt. Delmas Benton, in the background, on blocks at Scott's Cove…
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Added by ida may on August 7, 2010 at 10:30pm —
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Gordon and David Gladden tear out rotten boards from the port side of the Skipjack Ida May. Elbert took the day off today to watch 5 games of fast pitch softball. Elbert loves his softball and at 75 years old, he still plays.… Continue
Added by ida may on August 7, 2010 at 8:30pm —
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Gordon, Elbert, and David Gladden and Tom Evans worked on the stern post of the Ida May. We struggled all morning with trying to fit the board just right, planing a little here, and a little there, but West System will hide any imperfections. The rudder will fit onto the stern post once both are finished.
Added by ida may on July 16, 2010 at 9:30pm —
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The Gladden family has recovered old VHS Tape Footage of the Ida May dredging oysters on the Tangier Sound on 12/14/1991. The footage is of Gordon Gladden as he escorts friends and family on a day of dredging. The Captain is Bobby Leath. Thanks to Dick Barr, who did the videotaping. The footage is significant in that it shows evidence of Dermo and MSX… Continue
Added by ida may on July 15, 2010 at 11:00am —
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Elbert, Gordon, and David Gladden work on the new Stern Post for the Ida May while Wesley supervises.
Added by ida may on July 10, 2010 at 6:00pm —
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