I've had a busy time lately. I spent the weekend on a trip down to the ACE Basin. I asked a fellow that I know to ride along, thinking that he would give me a hand at the wheel so that I wouldn't be at the helm for 8 hours. I found out that he really doesn't know much about boats. And that's really okay, because I had made the ASSumption that because he belonged to a boating organization, he might know something.
He is an affable fellow so we had good discussions on a lot of things. He lost his wife six years ago and is still sad about that. He said that his life pretty much went off track after she died. Not the drinking kind of off track but just not really there, if you know what I mean. We talked politics because he shares the same leftist liberal views that I do. I can tell you that if he weren't, we would have had a lot less to talk about because I don't discuss politics with most people. We talked about his being Jewish and his going back to synagogue. And we talked about what kind of boat he would like to get. He spent a lot of time on the iPhone too.
We passed the time and eventually met up with some fellow boaters and sailors at a marina. Happy hour was pretty happy but not over the top. And the dinner was at a resort restaurant. I was seated across from a lady and her husband who were doing the Great Loop which goes up the East Coast. Interesting stuff, except that she was really snippy and rude to her husband who seemed to want to talk incessantly. He was working on his third Dark and Stormy, repeating the earlier stories, and she was telling us how she knew who she was at 20 and didn't need to learn much more about herself. I finally said that I didn't have a clue who I was at 20 and was really getting to know who I was over the past decade. I am really happy that I have made that progress. And I know enough to realize that I can last through a two hour dinner with just about anyone, learn something, and then walk back to the boat.
On Sunday, we headed back up the coast to my home port. I was tired and in need of a good soaking shower when I got home. But here are some photos of the scenery on the trip.
At the dock
Lots of marsh and lowlands
Storm clouds coming in
Paddle boarders going by
A bridge opening on the ICW
Old boat shed along the way
Yes, that is a manned gun boat telling me to stay away.
And then there is the garden. It is coming along nicely. My wife has a green thumb. We have mulched, planted, amended, and irrigated. The flowers are her pride and joy. I like them but am partial to growing the edibles. I do like the strawberries and blueberry plants. I had best show you the way it looks now because later in the summer, it will not look nearly as pretty or lush.
The blueberries!
Irrigating the raised beds
Potatoes coming up
The walkway to the front door
Today is also my mother's birthday. I usually write a tribute to her here. My tribute to her this year is short. She was an inspiration in so many ways. I miss her every day. She loved me as her child and taught me about dedication, science, a love for books and research, and to pursue my dreams no matter what.
The time on the boat was really good, although the weather turned rainy and windy by Friday. We did manage to have a good fire on the beach Thursday evening. And our Labrador seemed to especially enjoy her time by the fire and on the beach. Here are some photos our excursion.
Today, we have been splitting logs from the fallen oak tree. I rented a hydraulic splitter, and so far we have split about 10 cords of wood. Much more remains to be done, but for today, we've both had enough. It is really good exercise and so far, we managed to not mash any fingers or feet. Time to get washed up and head to a meeting.
Sad stories and images of the damage inflicted by Hurricane Sandy continue on news channels here. The wind continues to blow and small craft warnings are still in effect. I see the images of the flooded tunnels, subways and streets of New York and New Jersey, yet I can't get out of my mind the story of the sinking of the HMS Bounty off Cape Hatteras.
Cape Hatteras, the graveyard of the Atlantic, and the watery depths off the North Carolina coast have gripped the sunken relics of 1,000 ships for more than four centuries. And now the masts of the Bounty are what can be seen rising from the water.
Of the sixteen crew members on board, 14 were rescued by the US Coast Guard swimmers and helicopters. One of the two lost crew members, Claudene Christian, a distant relative of Fletcher Christian who led the mutiny on the original bounty, was found on Monday afternoon but was pronounced dead that evening. Captain Robin Walbridge remains lost at sea.
The heroes in all this are the United States Coast Guard who put themselves in situations that give most people nightmares. My respect for them is enormous as they rescue people from the sea. The following video is a bit long but shows what they did during the rescue of the Bounty's crew members.
I enjoyed touring the ship when she was in town in May. I wrote a little bit about my fascination with the ship and the story of the original Bounty here. I want to share a few of my photos from my visit to the ship.
We had such a fun day yesterday. Two of the cruising groups I belong to had parties at the same location. We were anchored near the inlet with access to a nice sandy beach.
We were the host boat for the noon and early afternoon group. People brought shrimp, salads, cooked ribs and corn, making quite a feast. One of the boats rafted up was a Herreshoff Mobjack, a classic wooden boat. I really like the old classic boats, and there is nothing quite like a wood boat. But the maintenance is huge, especially in this climate.
After the one group left, it was time for dinner with the next cruising group. They are more of a partying crowd, but promptly at 7 PM, the food and drink were packed up and everyone said good night.
By this time, we were exhausted. Amelia, our dog, had been petted and hugged a lot. She was ready to lie on her dog bed, which she promptly did when we got back to our boat.
Thus far, we have been lazing about. I took Amelia to shore. We'll get underway later, after a nap. I'm sorry to see the weekend go because I start sea school next week. It will be intense with a lot of cramming of information. I hope that I haven't forgotten how to cram!
What are you doing today that's fun? I hope the day is going well.
The old clipper sailboat that was built in Shanghai sold yesterday. She was bought by a nice fellow who was thrilled to get her. He is going to do a year-long restoration on her.
I know how thrilled he is because I am still so glad to have bought my boat a little over a year and a half ago. It was a happy day but also a bit daunting too. But any hesitation I had is gone. Since then I have gotten so much pleasure out of her, even though I spent money on her too. I don't begrudge any of that. I want to live a life that gives me and those I love pleasure.
The man who owned the old boat was a fellow who spent no money on her. He ran her aground four years ago and did nothing to check for damage. When she was pulled from the water yesterday, about 3 feet of her rudder was gone. He had told me there were a few "chips". In the final deal, he let the boat go at a much reduced price because of the rudder damage. He did not gain anything from his inaction or from not being forthcoming. Frankly, I was embarrassed to have told the buyer that the boat was in good shape when there was such a flaw.
I take care of the things that I have. My father taught me to treat things well and to not expect replacements. I am mindful of the value of what I have. Plus, I like fixing things myself--a DIY mentality. And if I can't fix something, I pay someone who will.
There are all kinds of people in this world. I don't have much respect for ones who hide and conceal things from others. Eventually, we all are found out for the wrongs that we do. What goes around does eventually come around.
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