CAPE MAY — There are sand castles that look like two bucketfuls of sand with a moat and then there are castles that look like they would be at home in Walt Disney World.
When Matt Long, of Staten Island, N.Y. builds a castle, the latter is true.
He was on Cove Beach in Cape May August 7 and 8 constructing an intricate castle that included lettering welcoming visitors to the city.
Long said he does not start with a preconceived idea of how the castle will look when it is finished. He said he starts with a couple of turrets and uses his imagination from that point.
The sand is better in Cape May than in Staten Island, he said, although Caribbean sand is better.
Where do sand castle builders fail? Long said they don’t keep the sand wet enough.
“Pack it tight,” he advises.
Long said he likes sand that is not from dredge material, which is full of shells and stones.
He scooped bucketfuls of sand from the beach water line for his Cape May castle. Long said he has been building sand sculptures for 15 years.
He has developed a line of sand sculpting tools, which are available at his work sites and on line at Canyoudigit.com
Long said he is “hooked” on building sand sculptures, which he said has also taught him how to sketch.
Location is important. Long said he is careful to study the tide before beginning a sculpture, so it won’t be washed away too soon.
Long’s creations were seen coast to coast this summer.
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