Follow Up

Oriental, NC

We're waiting for parts to repair the rigging. They should come Monday.

The other day I posted Different Strokes. I found an additional picture of this intrepid vessel; this time with the tent up.

From Fall 2010

Now for something completely different. Years ago I nearly poisoned Libby with a mushroom I picked in the wild. I swore that I'd never pick one again. Nevertheless, I've also heard that puff balls, sliced and fried with butter are very delicious. Dave and I found this giant fungus near South Mills, NC. It is about the size of a large cantaloupe. Can it be definitely identified as a non-poisonous puff ball?

From Fall 2010

Loss of A Landmark

Oriental Public Dock
35 01.50 N 076 41.74 W

We are at the Oriental Public Dock this morning. You can see us on the web cam here. However, we're hoping for a visit from Dave and Cathy this afternoon so we're going to move to the Oriental Marina next door where they have more ameneties. We'll be slightly out of the camera view on the left.

In February 2005, Libby and I started out on this grand adventure. We began with a long shopping trip to find a Westsail 32. We looked at 14 of them; Tarwathie was the best. The first two W32s on our itinerary were here in Oriental. We drove down from New York and got here early. While we were waiting for the broker to open, we discovered a wonderful store -- The Inland Waterway Provision Company. It was a cross between a clothes store and a West Marine. We loved it

Each successive visit to Oriental, we always shopped in The Provision Company. Well, we sadly learned yesterday that The Provision Company has closed its doors. It is a thing of the past. It marks the passage of an institution that thousands of East Coast Cruisers will sorely miss.

Oriental Harborcam

Here

Different Strokes

Neuse River, NC

34 57.74 N 076 46.85 W

It is generally acknowledged that the Westsail 32 is the finest cruising boat ever made for two people. Really, it's not just me saying that. However, we keep encountering other cruisers who choose very different vessels. Tiny 23 foot sailboats, trawlers, big 60 foot yachts, kayaks, even rowboats. Surely the most unique of all is the pontoon boat in the pictures below taken in Vergennes, Vermont.

The couple on board this vessel live near the Hudson in Schuylerville, NY. We first met them last year in Whitehall, NY. When we met them this year, they were just finishing a 9 week cruise through the Trent Severn, Rideau and Richelieu Canals in Canada. It sounds lovely. They really enjoyed themselves.

In conversation we learned that they've been cruising for many years, and that they have cruised on almost every inch of canalway and navigable river way in New York. Certainly because of their shallow draft, they can go very many places that Tarwathie can't. Indeed, in many respects, their pontoon boat is ideal for inland cruising in sheltered waters and mild weather.

What about winter? Simple, they only cruise in the balmy months of summer. They revert to land-based living the rest of the year.

What about living facilities? You know that I've written many times about the advantages of living with less stuff, and about avoiding clutter on board. This couple chooses the opposite approach. Canvas walls make their pontoon boat into a kind of housboat. From what we can see, they filled every cubic centimeter with stuff. It looks like they brought everything they own on board. It is extremely crowded inside. Remember though, they only do it for a few weeks at a time and only in good weather.

They tried camping on shore, but they soon got into trouble camping on private land. Then they got the idea of pitching their tent on the deck of the pontoon boat. That's their standard procedure now and for them it works well.

Well, we have to tip our hats to these intrepid cruisers. They are courageous and they take the prize for original thinking. Considering the limited duration, season, and range of their cruising, they found a simple, practical, and affordable form of cruising well suited to their needs. Kudos.

From Fall 2010

Hammered Lessons

New Bern, NC

35 05.92 N 077 02.56 W

I promised readers to post an analysis of what went wrong out at sea last week. In engineer's lingo, it would take the form of a list of "lessons learned" that lists the causes of the incident and how to avoid future repeats.

I've given it lots of thought. I made a considerable number of errors out there. I could analyze each error, derive a lesson to be learned, and write a post about it. I could probably generate a dozen interesting and readable blog posts from that material. (Believe me, that's tempting. I have to dig deeply to find fresh things to write about after 1,500 posts. I'm always on the lookout for "bloggable" material.)

Reluctantly, I conclude that a list of errors and lessons would prevent readers from seeing the forest through the trees. When a whole chain of errors occurs in a short time, one must question why. I'm afraid that the real answer is that the captain (me) has slowed down, lost drive and energy and has been letting maintenance and operation of this vessel get sloppy. Just before things started going to hell out there off the Delmarva, I recall sitting in the cockpit thinking, "I'm too old for this s..."

Believe me, this is a hard confession to make in public. It is, I guess, the burden of a frequent blogger. If I failed to write about it openly, readers would sense anyhow that something big was being obscured. The truth is, that I'll be 66 next week, and in the past year I've been slowing down physically and mentally. I delayed posting this message for a while because this kind of talk is often a symptom of depression. I've thought it through. I'm not depressed. I don't despair. Rather, I recognize the need to change and improve. I'm not too old, I'm too lazy. That can be fixed and I resolve to do it.

An old saw says, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." That's generally true but it can be overcome. Five years ago, I recall impressing myself and everyone else by the fierce determination and boundless energy I showed to abandon shore life and start the cruising life. I also recall frequently telling sailing newbies that if they didn't enjoy boat maintenance as much as the sailing, they have the wrong hobby. I need to re-awake that spirit.

As most people age, they are expected to slow down and society generally lowers expectations for what they are supposed to accomplish. There are exceptions, airline pilots are expect to perform at peak right up to retirement. So is it with sea captains. When we're out at sea, I'm the captain of this vessel even if I don't have a uniform, a certificate or an able bodied crew. My responsibilities are no less than the captain of a cruise liner.

So, how to go about it? I could make long, detailed and highly technical check lists and action item lists, and then discipline myself to live up to them. I could make a budget, say 10 hours per week, to work on boat and crew maintenance and upgrades regardless of what else is going on. I'm not sure yet of the best approach. I'd appreciate advice from geriatric readers (only) who've faced similar problems.

What about Libby? I haven't discussed it with her. Nor am I about to judge her performance here. The reality is that she generally follows my lead. If I'm energetic, she is. If I'm lazy, she is.