Friends

I have the best of friends, I am so fortunate to know such good people. They are forgiving and giving. They hold you and help you. They listen and understand and I am so humbled by them. Our friends touch our lives briefly and yet are constantly with us.  We are better people because of who they are.

 And so for you, my friends I add a little poem.

For the Young at Heart

by J. J. Dutra

There's a magic place so oft' forgot

Where no line is drawn between real and not

How I happened there I'll ne'er understand

But I found myself in Elften-land.

T'is seen on the horizon at dawn's first light

To those with perfectly fearless sight.

Most often they laugh then call you a fool

Whimsy and mirth are a favorite tool

An elf will tell you we don't comprehend

What it means to have an Elften friend.

A slight disbelief and they won't appear

Then the magic words you'll never hear.

With them  you meet the most bizarre

as you journey beyond the farthest star

They live in a realm between time and space 

And you'll never find a more wondrous place

The deeper you go the more shallow it gets'

And to catch your fancy there's a variety of nets

Elfs sprinkle stardust in your eyes

And have you laughing at all their lies

So if you're around when an elf comes by

Ask him to teach you how to fly.

My Apple Laptop Pro, isn't a pro anymore, it's an unusable piece of sh__. So I have turned to the computer that I have used only for writing. Now it's hooked in --now the world can read my thoughts (not that they are anything special) and see pictures of me in a pool with my grandkid - (though I swear that didn't look anything like me - I thought I was younger). Now I can continue my blog, Facebook, mail, and all the rest that brings the world into my home.  I realize I'm hooked. I love to write. I want to see what my friends and family are up to, and I need to keep in contact with the outside world. I've done away with my TV. Gave it to my son. I still see films on NETFLIX, but no ads, no news, no reality TV. Sometimes I don't even know what day it is.  

My friend Sara said I should let everyone know that I'm surviving, that the loss of David has played heavy on my heart, and I have put off writing until I could see the screen through the tears. He was the apple of my eyes and my inspiration. Now he is my muse. Just before he passed into the mysterious unknown, he said to me, "You'll be alright, the boys will help, and you'll write ten more books."  So here's to you dear heart. I am working on a sequel of the Fishermen's Ball. A.J. Crowley will solve another murder in Provincetown in 1939.  In the novel Dead Low Tide  the years leading to WWII brought out the best and the worst in individuals and the town at the end of the cape is no different from cities everywhere, seeing violence on the streets while  hoping for peace throughout the world.

My granddaughter and I are also collaborating on a YA, chapter Book The Pearl Street Gang. We are having fun developing characters and stories surrounding a group of pre-teens who come together around a wharf known as "Nonny's". The kids find adventure, search for individual freedom, and develop their personal stories while belonging to a peer group that prefers to hang out at the beach near Nonny's Wharf in Provincetown in the 1950's.

The Arethusa is a second memoir for me. I've always wanted to tell that story and because Dave and I were able to retrace our voyage this past winter, I have a clear understanding of where we sailed, the people we met, and the storm that took our vessel but gave us our lives. David is gone, but his stories live on and the 'Arethusa' is one of the best.

Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your understanding, your sympathy, and your love. I will try to live up to the ideal that Dave created in me. He will always be my number one fan. Fair Winds.

First stop

Some days are difficult. I'll be chugging along then suddenly out of the blue I am washed with sorrow and I can't see because of the tears.  At other times like yesterday at the beach with my grandchildren I laughed with joy as they boogie boarded across the waves at Head-of-the-Meadow beach.  Low tide and the surf was just right. I saw a huge seal head rise from the sea about 100 yards from where the kids were playing in the water. I don't usually worry about the the ocean, but I had to ask my grand daughter to stay a little closer to the beach, she has a tendency to go out as far as she can and then dive into the waves and body surf to the beach. I got spooked, but the kids knew no fear. Thank God for children and yes - they are our future. My own experiences with the ocean have given me memories that have made the journey worth any fear I may have felt.

I am using the two log books I kept during our journey south last winter to fill in the gaps in memory.

Captain's Log: October 21, 2016 - Arrived Menemsha (one of the best harbors on the east coast) after a seven hour journey. Except for putting the lines on the poles,  traveling through the Cape Cod Canal was the best part of the day. Knowing that we won't be seeing it again for many months is a strange feeling: bittersweet.  The calm water, the narrow trench that splits the land, the tide pulling us along at 12 knots. We are flying and I'm loving it. I told Dave I knew this was going to be a terrific vacation because I loved traveling at 9 knots instead of 70 miles an hour down Route 95. We arrived 11:30 AM and  I made lunch after we were tied up in Menemsha Harbor. This time of the year is so quiet, different from the sunny summer days when the wharf is filled with tourists asking questions about the boat, the fish that Dave has iced in the tubs, and what it's like to be a full time commercial fisherman. In October the people that visit are friends or friends of friends. Sitting on Squid Row, yamming with Denis or his son Denny, or the Mayhew's or a lady named Grace who knows our friend Barry is a reward that we have given ourselves. We could have bypassed this sleepy hollow, but it just didn't feel right not to stop, after all Dave spent almost every summer fishing out of this harbor, over thirty years. Of course the harbor has changed in those years. There are fewer fishing boats, some friends have moved on, yet the sun is warming, the talk interesting, and the people always welcoming. It's the best first stop we could have chosen, appropriate Dave tells me. We spend only one night. We have many miles in front of us and the weather will be closing in before long. As Shakespeare wrote: "There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune." We leave after a hot breakfast of oatmeal and tea. The day is cloudy, the wind 10-15 SW, and the seas choppy, all in all a normal day on the water in October. We have consulted the charts, the computer, and have local info from Denis Jason about our next leg. On to Galilee, Point Judith RI. I've never been there, so my excitement grows with the waves.

Blessings

Every day is a gift, a blessing. The people we meet, words spoken, our surroundings, even the simplest of things, all make our lives different,  precious, our own.  Did you hear about the dog that swallowed a firefly - he barked with delight!!!!!!!!!!    Did you give thanks for those minutes? All along the way Dave and I reminded each other to give thanks. So now I am reminding you, don't forget to give thanks. This weekend is the 69th anniversary of the Provincetown Blessing of the Fleet.  Captain Dave and I attended about 40 of them. Not too shabby.

Richard & Arnold Log: Star date Wednesday 10-21-16.  We left P-town harbor at 4:30 AM. It was pitch black, no moon. The wind was North East light, 5-10 mph. Five minutes into the journey I heard "OH Fuck. Shit. What the hell!" I was already so keyed up my eyes hurt from being fully dilated. I knew right away that something was not right. I tried to keep calm and asked the stupid question "what's wrong."  The reply seemed strangely loud-  "No depth sounder, no reading on the depth gauge." I'm thinking "oh is that all. What difference does that make?" Captain Dave says, "We're going to need a depth sounder in the future.  I should have bought the more expensive one, the one that would still be working!!!"

Well yes, ok, but let's get things in perspective: we're safe, the wind is light, everything else seems to be working, and we know our way blindfolded to Menemsha Harbor. We will sort it out or buy a new sounder. But no -  It seems the boat has to be hauled out to put the thing-a-ma-jig on the bottom of the boat, the transducer, so getting a new one is out of the question at this stage.  We will have to make due with what we have. We will not turn around.

Dawn is breaking. Inside the wheelhouse it is dark, shadows and outlines of grey against black. The glow of the computers are beaming their magical rays to us, giving us charts of the area. We have every chart from Maine to Florida supplied by NOAA and downloaded by our son Robert on a program called OPEN CPN. Try it. Every chart - free.    Dave and I laugh at how far we've come. We started out with the Wildflower in 1970 with just a compass. "We've come a long way, baby," I say. He gives me a big smile,  pushes a few buttons on the sounder, while I read from the manual. The machine finds itself and shows us the depth of the water in the middle of Cape Cod Bay. We are tracking our depths and happy about the outcome.  Its 6:30 and the radio crackles. It's Rex McKensey, the Provincetown Harbormaster calling to wish us bon-voyeuge. We are on our journey and now it is official. The air temp is 60 degrees. I make breakfast of oatmeal and hot tea. God's in his heaven all's right with the world.

Next stop Menemsha:

Remembrance of things past

How can I thank everyone? Is there a way to personally, I mean beyond the texted word, beyond the tweet or message, a way to thank you? I have felt your kindness in the exchange of words, a remembrance, a shared experience. Thank you for sharing stories, telling me about the man I knew for almost 50 years, stories from your meetings and experiences with Captain Dave. They are new to me, enriching, expanding, renewing my thoughts of David.  And so I thank  you.




This blog is begun after Captain Dave crossed the bar. June 2,2016



In October, 2016 Dave and I left Provincetown heading south. We had a destination, but no schedule. We knew where we would be stopping along the way. We looked at charts, always wondering about the next ten miles, the seas, and the weather. David's uncanny judgement of places, tides, height of the waves, the direction of the wind, the clouds blowing across the sky gave him a sense of well being, thereby relieving my an angst -somehow it worked. If things got bad he dealt with it, that's when he really excelled. Managing emergencies, high seas, gale winds brought out the real man in him. He didn't hesitate, he acted. And so I hope to give you a picture though the journal that I kept from October, 2015 into the spring of 2016 of the fun we had, the experiences and the love we shared.  The Captain is no longer at the helm, he's gone to higher ground. I think he'd like me to share with you a glimpse of what we had on our last voyage together.

Leaving Provincetown was more difficult than I could have imagined. There was a need to cast off in both of us. It pushed us. We knew somehow that if we didn't do it now,  then we never would. And so the journey began. It was a Tuesday evening, our first night aboard, but we spent it tied to the float where in 1980 Dave and I tied with our sailboat, The Arethusa.  I'm in the galley putting away supplies when Dave tells me he's going to go out with Bob for a quick ride to charge of the batteries in Bob's boat the Near Miss.  It's a farewell, a father / son special time, the way men do. They spend half an hour cruising around outside the breakwater, listening to the engine. Dave gives his approval and they head back to the wharf. Last night he took his grandkids out in the skiff to check out the ten horse engine hooked over the stern of the dingy.  For the past week we have been bringing supplies, clothes, utensils and every other conceivable convince that I could comfortable carry to the boat. The living quarters are small, but when we moved aboard I was surprised at how easily the Richard & Arnold absorbed it all, took everything in with ease, and it could have held more. When I commented on this to the captain he said, "Well remember this boat carried forty tons of fish in the hold - this is nothing."

What a vessel, the sparkle in the captains eye! Oh he loved me, without a doubt, and I am forever his mate, but the Richard & Arnold was something special to him. Fortunately I understood the term 'the other woman'.  We've owned, operated, sailed, fished and lived aboard many vessels. I'll give you their names and then you'll understand a little more about the captain. The Fanny Parnell, The Wildflower, Julie D, The Kingfisher, The Office, The Arethusa, The Osprey, The Vast, The Opel, The Richard & Arnold, the Last Tango and a couple of good sized skiffs that had no names. We've owned them, worked on them, and learned to love the sea from them. Some we owned for years and one we owned for three days before it broke loose in a February NE gale and sank. All  of the boats were given his time, his money and his love. He wanted to save them all. I learned that if I had faith, went along with some of the wild ideas, I'd get to live a life that held excitement, humor, and shear terror, but would never be boring.
And so because of who he was, leaving Provincetown for a six month cruise was inevitable. We both faced challenges, surprises and risks. Our faith was tested. That first night onboard, that Tuesday Dave asked if I was excited I told him I was too busy to think about it. I had a million loose ends. He had one loose end and that was the sixty foot Casey built, 1924 fishing vessel tied to the float on MacMillan Pier. For Dave his journey began the day he was born. Casting off lines was what he'd been doing for over fifty years. I had to remind him a few times that I was new at this. I came to visit a couple of times when he was fishing, stay a couple of days, but I was the homebody, the shore captain, and not a seasoned crewman. He put up with the newbie, the inexperienced crew, the landlubber. And he had the patience of a saint.

To be continued:

Family, Friends and Fishing

The F/V Richard & Arnold arrived at MacMillan Wharf on a sunny Friday afternoon. Dave and I waited on the dock as the boat was made fast to the pier. Our son Jackson was on hand, as were a few friends and the harbormaster, Rex. Dave recalled that this was the second time in 35 years of owning the boat that he watched her come in with a different captain. The first time was when our son Jackson brought the boat across Cape Cod Bay on his own. David and Jackson finished a fishing trip and when they got to the Cape Cod Canal, Dave told his son to take her home. I picked Dave up by car and Jackson captained the boat. While we waited for the Richard & Arnold to be tied to the poles, Jackson told me how nervous he was that day bringing the boat in on his own. I can relate, I don't think I could do it. Our son, Bob (has a BS in Marine Navigation from Mass Maritime) and his friend Eric (the Red) Johnson made the trip from Norfolk VA in five days, stopping along the way in Ocean City MD, Cape May, NJ and then after a very difficult night in 10 foot seas off the Jersey coast, into Mannesquan, NJ for the last stop-over. From there Bob decided to keep going. After 36 hours at a steady 8 knots, with a 671 Detroit Diesel humming in the background our pride and joy, the oldest vessel in our fleet, returned to her home port. I don't know what we would have done if our sons were bookkeepers, or doctors, or bankers. Both have grown up around the Richard & Arnold and both are capable of making a journey as captain of the vessel. This past winter was wonderful. The boat was tied in the safest place imaginable, a secure, protected dock in the heart of Oriental NC. Our time there was so different from the usual winters of shoveling snow, bundling up in a dozen layers of clothing, turning up the heat and carrying logs in to feed the wood stove. We spent our days on walks, having coffee at the 'Bean', and looking at boats. Our evenings were filled with good food and good company. What's more Dave and I grew closer, literally. Tiny spaces, small everything, less need and enjoying our environment and each other's company. We met the most remarkable people. Heard stories that will stay with me forever. We hope to someday return to the small town on the Neuse River and visit again the places and people that make it so unique. In the meantime the Richard & Arnold will have to stay tied to the wharf. Dave has been in the Cape Cod Hospital for five days, we just got home. His calcium blood level was sky high caused by cancer in the bones. The doctors, nurses and staff at the hospital were terrific. Dave is feeling better, eating and telling me stories again. His blood levels are normal, but we will need to keep a close eye on this as it can lead to serious heart problems and we certainly don't need any other medical issues popping up. The past two weeks have been just plain awful, but thank the good lord, we on the upswing, heading in the right direction. Dave had a PET Scan, a CAT scan, and MRI of the brain and a biopsy, as well as many blood tests. The doctor said there is nothing in his brain, but we knew that already, he's a fisherman after all, ha ha. We meet with our Oncologist, (the best there is) this week to discuss a treatment plan. Dave's a fighter, tough as nails, he's always been a super-hero to me, so I know we have a good chance. Life is precious, but finite to us all. Keep the faith, give thanks, and mention Captain Dave to God. Fair winds dear friends.

Full Moon Rising

Many of you may be wondering what, where, why, and with whom our journey continued and ended. Well it's been quite a trip - but ending not exactly the way we expected. We left Oriental on March 28, spent three days traveling. First day we bumped bottom leaving Oriental, the water is skinny and even if you don't cut corners, that's buoys, you can end up in heavy mud. I told Dave that if we got stuck on the mud without even leaving it means we would stay longer. The river gods were on our side for we crossed the Neuse, Pamlico, and Pungo rivers as well as Bay River and Goose Creek. We arrived in Belhaven (birthplace of the Inter Coastal Waterway) in the afternoon. Tied into the River Forest marina, great showers, helpful dock master and nice small town. In the morning we left before sunrise because it was going to be a long day, cruising at 8 knots took eight hours nonstop. We headed Northwest and into the Alligator River and the Alligator / Pungo Canal. This is a strange place, a ditch dug by the Army Corp to provide access from one waterway to the next and kept open for barges and commercial traffic. It's important that the boat stay in the center as much as possible except when passing or meeting another boat coming in the opposite direction. There are huge stumps from downed trees just below the water. The ones you can see are enough for any boat owner to know that a sharp lookout needs to be kept. We had to wait for the Alligator Swing Bridge to open, which it does every half hour and then pass into the Albemarle Sound, a large body of water that is well marked with red triangles and green squares each numbered so that your exact location is known. Dave likes the electronic charts provided by NOAA, I prefer the paper, to open a chart book that I follow as we go along, much like the old fashion road maps that gas stations gave out free of charge. Remember those? So onto Coinjock, the only stop with a marina, store and restaurant between Belhaven and Portsmouth VA. Most boater stop there. We had a good supper, the best crab cakes and enough prime-rib to last three more meals. A fellow tied up in back of us and we introduced ourselves and told him a bit about the Richard & Arnold. To our surprise he said, "I looked the boat up, you guys are famous." I had to laugh at that, not the reaction I expected. I think David Dunlap must have something to do with that because of his book Mapping Provincetown.
Next stop Rebel Marina, Norfolk, VA. One of the best places we've ever visited, minus the helicopters that flew close over head, but hey thank God they are there. The Briggs family was so helpful, kind, and knowledgeable that I can't say enough about them. For the week we spent at the marina the wind continued unabated, 20-30 and higher with gusts to 50, and then it turned and blew from the north 20-30-40-50. What a week. Now that I look back I believe the wind gods were looking after us. Dave was not well, he had been complaining of rib pain for weeks (refusing to go to a doctor). Well our son, the master mariner with a BS in Navigation told his dad that he shouldn't take mom off shore until he got checked out because holy moly what would she do if something happened to him while we were voyaging? So Dave and I borrowed a car and went to the Urgent Care office, from there we were sent to the ER at the DePaul hospital where he was admitted. Three days later, totally exhausted, we stepped onto a plane that flew us up up and away. Three planes later, that same day we landed in Provincetown. The medical news is not good. Three broken ribs (Pathological fractures) and some serious lung problem. We are glad to be home. I can look out the kitchen window and see a full moon coming up over Truro. I imagine the same moon over Oriental. We plan on beating it, rising above, and fighting every step of the way. I probably won't be writing much in the coming weeks, but I will let everyone know how the captain is doing. He's actually watching 'Deadliest Catch' as I write. All prayers are welcome. Thanks for your support. Nothing like coming home to family and friends. God Bless you all. Fair winds.

Update from Willoughby Bay

I'm sitting in the club house at Rebel Marina. Dave is in the shower and I thought I'd take a few minutes to update. We are still attached to the dock and waiting for the wind to give us a southerly flow and calm enough to take us safely up the coast to our next port of call, either Ocean City MD or Cape May, NJ all depends on the wind. Never thought I be so dependent upon what direction it came from, but here we sit. I'm not complaining, we have it pretty good here, a car to use, showers, internet and lots of nice people. Dave and I went to a get-together Monday night and had a feast with many other boaters, travelers and dock masters.  Food was great, company fun and talk lively. Im just getting a bit homesick and I have lots of catching up to do when I get home. Cleaning and getting the beach point house ready to rent. That's going to take time and I have guests coming in on June 11, so I'll have to hustle when I get home. Painting, rug cleaning, windows, curtains, the works. And then there is our house, I can just imagine what the yard looks like, there will be lots of raking and picking up. Moving from the boat to the house shouldn't take more than one day. There is the cleaning up, but that can wait - I can do that after we move back in. Dave has had a bit of a problem, seems he pulled muscles in the lower rib area and maybe even cracked a rib, but he's a trooper and is actually getting better. Two weeks ago he couldn't even move, taking lots of Ibuprofen, but now he's moving, less pain and less Ibuprofen. So this being tied in and waiting for the wind to let go  has helped Dave heal, a blessing in disguise. We are getting better, hope all is well with you. Fair Winds.

Rebel

Rebel Marina. We couldn't have chosen a better place to sit out the wind, waiting for a weather window. Last night it blew a gale, west at 50-60. Today its North 15-25.  As cruisers we get used to waiting for the right wind from the right direction. With today's technology we have the tools at our fingertips, literally on IPhone, to get a very accurate forecast of everything we need to know before setting out on the next leg of the journey. David Briggs along with his brother Steve gave us a quick tip on a really good APP called Sail Flow. Not only does it give us wind speed and direction, it gives wave height, wave direction, seconds between crests, temperature, cloud cover and all free. Dave and I have been checking it out as it gives a ten day outlook and right now the outlook doesn't look so good for traveling up the outside of MD, DE, NJ. I'd say we are here for a week. That's what cruising is all about: stop, wait, and meet new friends, hear their stories, and tell a few of ours. We have been welcomed here, even had the opportunity to go to a chili cook-off yesterday for lunch in the rain. The club house has all kinds of get togethers. Yesterday's get together was to help raise money for the local sailing club. There we met a couple who has lived aboard their sailboat for 13 years, they're from Australia now heading south to the Virgin Is. I got to be part of their conversation with another couple who are preparing their sailboat to head to Sweden, they have to be in Newfoundland by June to make the crossing without running into icebergs. We've invited them to stop in Provincetown Harbor and use our mooring if they get that way. Sounds like they might. Today Dave brought a man aboard who along with his wife bought a sailboat after only sailing on small lakes. They retired and wanted to try something different, so they set sail and went from Arkansas on the Gulf of Mexico around FL to the Bahamas and then up the east coast to here, an eight month trip for them. They are from Kansas and have decided that boat life isn't quite what they had in mind, their boat is for sale. We talk to sailors and cruisers daily, long distance blue water sailors and folks like us who wanted to give it a try. No matter what your experience, how much training you've had, or how expensive your boat, everyone has a story, that's part of the fun.
David Briggs who runs this marina along with his brothers has some of the best stories. He and my Captain Dave spend hours talking and swapping tales. Briggs has done it all, barge towing and salvage with his family, boat survey, scalloping and fishing in Alaska, hook fishing for Swordfish up and down the east coast, he teaches U.S. Coast Guard safety training classes and runs the marina. A true mariner and lover of all things boat related. His brother Steve works professional tugboats. He gave us a tour of the tugboat that belonged to his father that he is restoring. It's a tugboat/ schooner called Norfolk Roller, what an interesting little ship. He is fixing it for live aboard and for use with tall ships as tug, towing, helper and education. The boat is really beautiful, he's doing a great job.
We couldn't have picked a better place to lay low for a few days, thanks to Perry Davis owner of the Schooner Alert from an island in Maine who told us to try and stop here if we were in the neighborhood.We met him, his wife and little girl in Oriental.  Then we found out that our friend Gwen Wells who is married to Richard Quest and came to visit us with Jeff Parker all from Willmington, NC - worked here at Rebel Marina as a teenager, and Grassy/ Francis Santos has stopped in here many times, and Robert Harris who is sailing up from the Virgin Islands as I write, is planning on stopping in.  Small world this cruising business.
I can't wait to get home but I've so enjoyed meeting so many interesting, adventurous people. Fair winds ye mates.

Rebel Marina, Willoughby Bay, VA

March 31, 2016
In like a lamb, out like a lion. We are tied in at Rebel Marina in Willoughby Bay, Norfolk VA and the wind is expected to blow SE 15-25 with gust possible to 40. We are tucked in and safe, slept like babies. The owner's here, the Bragg family, couldn't be more welcoming. David Bragg was here at the dock to take our lines, he's fisherman, charter captain, marine surveyor, and dock master - and many other things I imagine.  My Dave and he were able to swap sea stories when we arrived. It would have gone on for hours but I had to tell the Captain that his crew was tired and needed supper and sleep. This morning Captain Dave has gone to have tea at the marina lounge and to check out the local color. There are some really beautiful boats tied up here and our old dragger somehow fits right in. She may not be as polished but she sure is unique.
We are planning to scoot up the outside coast of Maryland and Delaware then on to Cape May. We are waiting for a weather window, but according to my IPhone weather channel it doesn't look too promising for the next few days. This seems to be a nice protected marina, just across the bay from the Navy Station. I feel so very protected. Last pm there were helicopters, jet planes, and car traffic to listen to as we fell asleep, didn't seem to bother us one bit. My internet connection is not the greatest, we are too far from the marina office to pick up a signal, so I'm using my hot spot on the IPhone. Now I really miss Keith Smith, I know he'd have us set up with internet in no time. We were saddened to learn of the passing of Bob Andrews, the early bird at the Bean, he'll be missed all over Oriental. At the same time we learned that Jimmy Morgan turned 92, that old rascal of a fisherman out of Menemsha, MVI, Happy Birthday old salt. Yesterday was my grandson's birthday, Alex is 8 and my son Jackson celebrated his on the 27th, I hope they had the best birthday yet, hope to be there to celebrate with him next year. Love those kids and grandkids!!!!!!!!
This morning we listened to revelry being trumpeted out across the bay while our little cabin rocked with the wind and incoming tide, warms the cockles of my heart. Thank you to all the service men and women who stand ready to serve and protect. God Bless and fair winds.

March 29, 2016 Hey all you mates, we're at it again. In our case it means that we're rolling on the river: the Neuse River, the Alligator River, the Pungo River, the North River and a couple more I can't remember. It's been a busy, yet somehow a slow two days of travel. We've covered 126 miles in two days, so yes slow would be the word. Doesn't sound like much but steaming five hours the first day and eight hours today is tiring. The wind has been from the north so the rivers are up. For those of you who don't understand the southern river system it seems that when the wind blows from the north the water in the rivers rise, but from the south - the levels fall and when you are plowing through skinny water it's a good thing the wind has been northerly. Had a bit of spray on the wheelhouse windows crossing the Albamarle Sound, ten mile across and blowing 10 -15 N. so a bit of wind on the bow. What I have found amazing in this our first two days of traveling northward to Provincetown Harbor, is that so far we have passed miles and miles of uninhabited woods, wilderness and swamp. There's so much land, at least it looks like land, without a house or any sign of a human touch. It's great to see. There isn't much boat traffic yet. We passed two sailboats and two power cruisers passed us. Last night we stayed in Belhaven at the River Forest Marina. It was a tight fit, took a bit of maneuvering from the captain, but he got us tied in just like a pro. They have great showers there, if you ever get a chance to stop. We were the only boat tied up there last night. Hank the manager said the northward exodus doesn't start for a few more weeks, peaks in May, but he gets a lot of local boat traffic in June as well. The wind blew hard but we had a good safe berth. We left at 6:30 just before sunrise. Beautiful. Today was uneventful, just the way we like it. The Richard & Arnold is currently tied up in Coinjock. It's the only stop between Belhaven and Portsmouth VA unless you are up for anchoring and this spoiled crew woman likes to put the lines around poles. I sleep better. We are going out for supper, Dave remembers having a really great crabmeat supper here on our way down.
We are looking forward to home, family and friends and deep water. I am missing our berth in Oriental and all the wonderful people I can gladly call friends. We are hoping that life will be kind and we will be able to return to the Bean for morning tea.

Water Water Everywhere

It was a water day. When I was living at home I just took it for granted that if I turned on the tap water would come out and if I flushed everything would disappear. Not so on a boat. Water means work. So today in order to take care of the water business, we first had to go look for Jerry, who works for the DPW and ask him to turn on the pump-out station. They had to close the station a couple of weeks ago because of the freezing weather. So Jerry spoke to his boss who said yes, turn it on. Then we had to move the Richard & Arnold, not far, just across the harbor. Tie her up, pump out and then go back to our nice berth at Styron's- Garland / Fulcher Wharf.  Great, we're good to go for about another month. When Dave built the foc'sle for me, he put in a septic tank that would hold about 150 gals. We've only had to use the pump out stations on our trip about five times, but it's good to know that those stations are available all along the waterway. Our next job - when we were back at our spot on the wharf - was to put water aboard. Another tank, in the bow, holds about 100 gals. We ran a hose from Mr. Styron's off loading building, to the boat. This process involves hooking up three sets of hoses and pulling it across an open stretch of water. That water is fresh, but only used for cleaning. We have a hot water tank under the sink that produces very hot water. It runs on electricity when plugged in at the pier or heats up the water from the engine when we are underway. I wash dishes, the boat and our bodies with that water.  Drinking water is a different process. We buy gallon jugs for cooking and tea. We buy cases of 16 oz bottles for straight water. Last week we ran out of the gallon jugs and I couldn't find any in Oriental so we had to drive about 25 miles to the Food Lion in order to stock up. We bought 10 gallons, I use about 1 gal a day for cooking. Then today I noticed we were out of the 16 oz bottles - I have two bottles left and I drink at least one a day. I think we'll be able to buy these in town at the Dollar General just up the street.  It never ceases to amaze me how important water is, how necessary, how precious. It even makes a difference in how the boat feels. Really. With the tank in the bow full of fresh water and the holding tank mid-ship empty, the bow comes down just a little and  I can tell the difference when I'm lying in the bunk. It's level. As the water tank goes down and the septic tank fills up there is a change in how the boat sits in the water. We are surrounded by water, but you couldn't drink a drop of it. It looks like chocolate soda. I wouldn't even swim in it. When we are back home at the wharf the water is salt, but that water I can't wait to swim in again. This all leads me to what I've been reading about in the news, poisoned water in Detroit, Flint, and other areas of the country. 70% of uranium mining is done on Reservation (Native American) owned land and the water supply around these operations are contaminated, undrinkable. What a disgrace. This resource is our most precious, without it there is no life. I can't help but think about what water means to us, it is not something I can take for granted here onboard the Richard & Arnold.

In more upbeat news I am working on my next Provincetown mystery. The title was supplied last year by Emily Bunker, who edited the Fishermen's Ball. "Dead Low Tide"  -  Chief Crowley is faced with another murder. A body is found on the beach with no identification.  After discovering who the man is, the chief puts together a picture that points the finger at a man who is suspected of betraying his country during the pre- WWll days in 1939. There is a fishermen (of coarse) who comes into the picture because of his relationship to the prime suspect, but Crowley along with help from Boston Detective C. Shiff soon learns that there is more to the story. Some of the characters have returned to the story, but I hope you won't be disappointed not to see the Diogo's or Davy Souza. James Crowley takes the lead and is the protagonist who must solve the crime.

I don't know when it will be finished. I'm about half way through a first draft. I have the story in  my head but not complete on paper. Hopefully out by summer, in time for beach reading.
From the Richard & Arnold's crew "Fair Winds, stay safe, warm and dry."

Valentine's Day on the Richard & Arnold

It may be frigid, but my thoughts of home and family warm the cockles of my heart. Here in North Carolina it is 30* with a wind chill to 20*, the sun is out and it will warm to 35, in two days it will be 50 degrees and then wow - 60. Spring will come to Oriental sooner than the Cape and if Dave and I time it right, we may get to see two springs this year. On our daily walk along the Neuse River I noticed that Daffodils are peeking out of the ground 8 inches.  I know Cape Cod won't see them until next month. We are planning on heading north sometime in March, most likely toward the end of the month and with travel upon the water it all depends on wind and tide. It will be with mixed feelings that we head home. We've met some really terrific people here and this experience has opened our eyes to all that we are still capable of. Perhaps we will be fortunate enough to be able to return next year. We know it won't be with the Richard & Arnold. She's too big, too deep for the inter-coastal waterway. But we thinking about different arrangements.  Today being Valentine's day I wanted to tell so many people how much I appreciate their friendship, support and kindness over the years. I won't name names, the list is too long, you all know who you are. Listen to me - You All. Love the way the people say that here, with just a little southern inflection. I have worked out how to drop a picture into this blog, sometimes these things are easier when you don't know what you're doing, this one just happened. Nice. I thought you might like to see what our lifestyle is like. It's a little smaller than my kitchen table in Truro, but we have everything we need. I keep a list of books I've read this past four months, I count 18 so far. Dave and I have computer CD's and now we are streaming Netflix - Dave has discovered Facebook -  sometimes I have to tell him to turn it off. "I can't believe how much stuff is on here!" he tells me. I catch him laughing at the jokes and grumbling about some of the stories, but it is entertaining.                  Roses are Red, Violets are Blue
                                                                If it wasn't for Facebook
                                                                We wouldn't see you
                                                                So keep up the posts, the jokes and the pics
                                                                And we'll follow you're food, your pets and your flix's.
                           
                                        Y'all have a  Happy Valentine's Day- from the crew of the Richard & Arnold
                                                               

Not a flake to be seen

We didn't see any snow, not even a flake, but lots of rain - for when it rains in North Carolina - it pours. The wind seems tamer here, not as heavy.  It could be that it doesn't come with a bite below 32*. Today it will warm to 40 and by Tuesday it will be 60. Not bad and since we are trying to avoid the bitterness of winter, I guess we are doing just fine. Maybe next year we will go further south, but that's for summer planning. For this winter we plan to stay here on the Neuse River. We walk every day, spend time reading, writing, visiting with friends and sometimes go out for supper. That's our day in a nutshell. The news around Oriental is all about the only grocery store closing. That would be the WallMart, the small size that was suppose to be the super market for the area. They've been here one year, put the only local grocery store out of business and now they are pulling up stakes, leaving the community scratching their heads and looking for rides to the nearest supermarket which is in Grantsboro about a half hour ride. Like driving to Orleans to buy a loaf of bread. Good old WallMart took the only pharmacy with them as well, after putting the only pharmacy out of business as well.  If you need a prescription filled you drive 20 minutes. Many of the town's elderly are looking for rides. There is no bus service here. This also doesn't bode well for the sailing transients who were able to purchase supplies by walking or biking the mile to the now defunct market. Dave and I have been blessed to have friends like Ellen and Randy who have loaned us their old truck to do the big shopping. We stocked up before we left home so there is plenty in the freezer and in the cabinets. We pick up fresh farmed eggs at the farmers market on Saturdays and purchase milk and a few other essentials at the Inland Water Ways Provisions Co, just feet from the boat. We buy water for drinking and cooking by the gallon, I have a week's supply left so we will have to make a trip to the closest supermarket next week. We will lay in 10 gallons of drinking water and I'll stock up on paper products at that time. I admit it was convenient having Wall Mart close by,  but I swear I'll never set foot in one again. It is my belief that their experiment in the grocery business was a way for them to get some kind of a tax break, or earn points for credit or some other scheme to put more profit in the pockets of the Waltons. They had to have had this planned out to the penny. There's no way that they could just close up after only one year and then say it didn't work out. They didn't even try. So screw them, just like they screwed this community. I'd never been in one before I came here and I don't think I'll ever need anything from them again. So that's my rant for today. Stay out of Wall Mart if you can. I know they are cheaper, but sometimes cheaper isn't better.

I'm glad to be able to use FaceBook.  Keep snapping those pics of Provincetown with snow on the streets, the wind howling a gale. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Miss the people, but not the weather. 

Fair Winds my friends. Stay safe, warm and dry.

I Have a Dream

Brrrrrr. It does get cold in North Carolina. There was frost on the dock this morning, but the sun is out and the temp will rise to almost 50* We can live with that. Our little cabin is warm and dry with just one small electric heater. We had a late breakfast after Dave returned from the 'Bean' - that's the local coffee shop, the only one in town I might add. He's just left to help load ice for the local draggers. They are getting ready to go out. The boats are bigger here, more like New Bedford, but fishermen are the same no matter where you go. They just want to make a living and are struggling to make sense of the rules and regulations. The talk on the dock is about flounder. Seems N. Carolina fish are not as abundant as they once were, just like at home. The politicians, scientists, environmentalist, and fishermen are speaking about what they each believe are the problems. So far I've not heard one solution. It's like Henny-penny running around shouting the sky is falling. She gets everyone worked up and they all believe her, so they are easily led to the cave where the fox who started the rumor, is waiting to eat them all up. So is everyone running around shouting the sky is falling. Yes. Should we all be led to that dark cave, No. Oh ye of little faith.  There is evidence that the fish, their habitat and our oceans are changing. Isn't that what life is all about, change! If we could all just stop pointing fingers, running around in circles, and start working together then maybe we can begin to talk about solutions. How about we start building hatcheries, We did it with lobsters in New England. How about catching wild spat for sea scallops, We did it in Cape Cod Bay. How about for every pound of fish landed one penny is put aside for producing fingerlings. How about letting fishermen do the survey work, after all they are the ones affected, they know where the fish should be. And let's have less finger pointing at the draggers, that's not a solution and frankly they've been fishing the same way for over a hundred years, maybe it's not dragging that is the problem, maybe it's gill nets in the estuaries, maybe it's hooks by the billions, maybe it's the crap that has been dumped in the ocean, and maybe it is greed (those who wish to control all the fish populations), or maybe it's zealots who just want everyone to think the way they do (like some of the environmentalists that I've met). The fishermen I know love the ocean, profoundly. They are the watchdogs. They're the ones who know what's going on out there. We landlubbers, and I include myself in that category, we just listen to Henny-penny running around shouting and try to make sense of it all.
I thought Dave and I could take the winter off, I mean really get away from all the fishing rhetoric, all the notices from NOAA, all the heartbreaking rules that have been foisted on us over the years, but we've found there is no getting away from it. Dave is now talking about getting out of fishing, hanging up his boots. It's time and I think that this winter has helped him see that there is life after fishing. We will always love the fishermen's ways, the boats, the fish, the oceans, but it is so hard to watch some of the senseless things going on, like putting a lock on someones fishhold, letting the fish rot rather that allow the fish to be trucked out of state. There's no common sense left and we're frustrated by it. I have a dream, to see fishermen as the valuable men and women they are. Fair winds, stay safe, warm and dry.

God Bless the dreams of Martin Luther King, Let's hope his spirit lives on and that all men will live as brothers, in peace.

January at the dock in Oriental

January and it's chilly but not freezing. When the sun is out it's down right lovely and it's lovely today. We've had some wonderful visits these past couple of days. Met new friends and old friends here at the dock in Oriental. Yesterday we had five visitors in the foc'sle before 10 AM. Everyone talking about their adventures on the water. It's music to our ears. Jay and Sarah live aboard the Sea Angel and are salty to be sure. They have crewed and cooked aboard schooners, Roseway and others, They have sailed from West Coast through the Panama Canal and up the east coast to Maine and now they are on their own private sailing adventure. Then surprise / surprise we hear someone calling out across the dock, "Hey Dave, It's Brad Pease from Chatham." He and his wife C. Louise Moye (a fine artist) are sailing the Sea Chanty to Florida and hopefully to the Bahamas. We visited their boat. It has that WOW factor, wood, traditional, classic. A real beauty. We had a delightful visit with them first at lunch at the M & M's and then along with Randy & Ellen for BOGO Pizza at Silo's. This place has been terrific to and for us. Our days fly by, we get to visit with great people and most of them are sailors. Dave also gets to talk with the fishermen from the shrimp boats that surround us. This small wharf is a place where if you take out your fish here - you can get your ice and tie up here at no cost. There is a steady coming and going of boats, shrimpers and draggers. When the shrimp season is over, they go for flounder and/ or fluke. When the flounder leave, they change over to sea scallops. Just like it used to be at home in Provincetown.
    In the North east we have the Gulf of Maine closed, sector allocations, days-at-sea, and now the National Marine Fisheries has added a cost to the boat of $710. per day that you go out for ground fish - if an observer goes with you. And you have no choice, you have to take the observer, after you notify big-brother 48 hours in advance of going fishing, they decide if you have to take an observer and if you do, the boat has to pay $710 to NMF to take him/her. For us that means we will never be able to go fishing, we only make about $1000 for the day, then take out expenses (fuel etc) add in the new observer cost and you are left with nothing. If we are lucky we may break even. There is a law suit going on, many many Congressmen and women, senators, scientists, and fishermen have asked that NMFS not put this burden on an already overly regulated industry. All pleas have fallen on deaf ears- thus the law suit. Dave and I both agree that this is another tactic of NMFS to get rid of fishermen and their boats. No small boat owner will survive. The bigger boats will pay, maybe not like it, but they'll cough up the 710 bucks. We are definitely a changing industry, a changing country and a changing world. It's just that I don't particularly like how it is shaping up. I don't even recognize it as the America I grew up in. I've never been very political, but I may have to start shouting, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore." Remember that line, I keep hearing it said and it worries me. We do need to rethink where we want this country to be in 5 or 10 years. Will only the biggest corporations be allowed to own the water, the land and the businesses? It seems to be where we are heading.
    I'm so glad Dave and I got to take the Richard & Arnold south this year. No freezing lines to deal with, no severe storms causing the boat to be pitched against the wharf and no filling out the daily log books for NMFS. We had to keep our tracking device turned on at all times even though we are not fishing, not even in the northeast. We had to put a new device onboard (cost $3000) because we are considered transiting. Oh and it costs us $69. a month to track us. We're not fishing so we are paying  for absolutely nothing. We'd like to get the federal permits off the boat, but there are so many rules about that, that we're afraid to make a move. We would most likely end up with no permits, no money and no retirement.
    Thanks for letting me vent. Fair winds, stay safe, warm and dry.