Friendship

The best Christmas present we will receive was constantly leaping from dock to dock and no less than five hundred pounds total!  The Henson family drove over four hours to visit us and it was the sweetest encouragement of friendship which strengthened our resolve and spirits!  Art, Darrah, Darius(8), Ariana(7), and Markie(6) filled our boat with laughter.  They spent the night at a hotel nearby....showers for all of the B's in the morning.   YES!!!!!  Thank you so much, dear friends, for that wonderful visit...

Speaking of friendship, the sunsets leading up to last night's solstice have been not only cliched spectacular but, somehow, a magical invitation to a lifelong relationship between us and these waters we travel.  We have discovered beaches at their edge and giant piers over their white curls.  The infinite sparkles on their surface simultaneously breed daydreams and flashes of clarity within the lines of my December smile.

Have to run....Merry Merry Christmas!

Cabin Fever

It was bound to strike.  The dreaded phrase...the silent torturer...the demise of many a happy crew!  CABIN FEVER!!!  I'm not talking about the "sailing boredom" that some books reference with questionable authority.  I'm speaking of the the type of complaining and horseplay that would drive any mother, clinging to any spiderweb of sanity, to plunge deep within the icy water and seek immediate spa treatments.  It was short lived.  The whining from both boys came to a grinding halt as I channeled Salacia, howling louder than the wind to all on board, ENOUGH!  After extensive dock running and human pyramids, peace was restored...and then our beautiful dolphin shadows returned.  I am sure that they sense the energy radiating from the different vessels!

We arrived in Southport, NC yesterday.  Initially, we were going to try to push on another 140 miles to be in Charleston by Christmas.  However, the wonderful free docks dripping with character, local ice cream  candy parlors, wide sidewalks ending in snug library chairs, and sailing friends Bill and Rob tied up next hatch convinced us to remain here until the 26th.

Our hearts ache for the sounds of your voices and the smells of New England Christmas pines and yet, we are living our days with delight...relishing this country's many scenic surprises (Cape Fear River is all you might imagine!) and the phenomenal individuals whom we brush destinies with. We do feel that our decisions impact those we meet and encourage them to Carpe diem!

May you be discovering your own unexpected small surprises and good samaritans this holiday season.
Peace,

Rebecca

Head Musings

We

The wind's whispers have swelled throughout the night.  Morning shrieks have replaced the soothing murmurs.  We have cut off Vincent's ear and he appears to be duly disgruntled with the gale.  If we had not already decided to stay here until Sunday AM the weather would force that decision.  Amidst 30-40 MPH winds little Dante and I walked to the yacht club and discovered a hammock at dock's edge.  The view was majestic and as I swung my few cares away, he played inside a dinghy next to me.  Then, returning with already glad and soaring hearts, I allowed him to stompjump in every puddle that his little heart desired.  Pants, socks, and sneakers soaked through, he returned exalted back to our bobbing vessel.

We all ventured out again to the post office...pecans and fellow sailors blowing down everywhere!

Stopping by chance at the Village Food Emporium where we bought seafood chowder (heaven in the form of talapia, scallop,shrimp, butter, cream,and herbs), a fresh baguette and whole wheat boule we were happier by far than royalty!

I had promised in one of my first blogs to get to the bottom (pun intended)  of why the toilet on our boat is called the head.  Leave it to Wickopedia to explain all.  The term originates from sailing ships in which the toilet area for regular sailors was placed at the head or bow of the ship.  This was for two reasons.
 1. Since most vessels of the era couldn't sail into the wind, winds came mostly from the rear.  The head was downwind!

2.  If placed above the water line, vents or slots cut near the floor level would allow normal wave action to wash out facility.

Hmmmm.  Only the captain had his own private toilet near his quarters, located, of course, below the poop deck.  What is a poop deck you ask?  A poop deck is a deck that also forms the roof of a cabin built in the aft (rear) part of the ship.  The name originated from the French word for the stern (rear), la poupe.  To be pooped means to have a wave come over the stern from abaft (behind).

O.K.  Now you know.

Incidentally, actually, mainly, our head has been a nightmare.  I wont go into gory details but, every time I see a toilet on land I am in awe.  I have always thought, being female, that bathroom humor was in very bad taste.  Now, however, having humor about the bathroom is neccesary for sane survival!  On that cheeky note I bid you avoir until next time.    

The First Fall

What shocked me the most was the speed with which I catapulted from the pleasant cockpit chitchat...instant smackdown by the hatch as I plummeted head first down the stairs, dangling only by a foot which John clasped tightly.   Dazed and crying I realized we had run aground.  We had veered ever so slightly from our course in the narrow river.  Ever so slightly was more than enough for the shock wave of shallow waters.  John checked my head, kissed me properly and examined my eyes with the flashlight.  I was put on bed rest as he swung us out of the mud.

Imagine your worst migraine mixed together with severe body aches.  Of course, any Mom knows the first sentiment "Thank God it was me and not one of the kids".  Then followed many bruised musings about life's brevity.  "In the blink of an eye", "a slender thread", "a new york second"  on and on they careened in my brain combined with Natasha Richardson sadness...the only person I had read about who had been taken so tragically by a fall.  Someone I really admired.  So not only was I in pain but, I became depressed over her untimely death all over again.  ARRRRRGH! Why had I been spared head trauma and she hadn't?  Nothing like an injury to get the tangent brain cells working over time! 

That was a few days ago and what a difference a day makes.  We are in Oriental, the "sailing capital"  of North Caroina.  We tied up at the coveted public dock steps away from the unbelievably cozy Bean Cafe with free Internet.  Our cell phones are useless here however, thus the lack of calls to loved ones...

A charming lady gave us a ride home from the grocery store...turned out she and her husband own a small yacht club...blissful hot showers and an invitation to dinner tonight.  It will be our first time dining in a house since the start of our voyage!  We feel continuously blessed by strangers kindness.  Thanks to all who are keeping us in your prayers.

Check out the YouTube link for more movies and please follow and comment....

Grace,

Rebecca  

Slowing WAAAAY Down in North Carolina

We are weathering some nasty rain tied up tightly to the free town docks of Elizabeth City, North Carolina.  The large mural at the landing reads "Harbor of Hospitality"  and we have found it to be so.  The Harbormaster, Sam, an elderly gent sweeter than peaches and cream has provided free rides in his pickup for propane, broken engine parts, diesel, etc for us and our small compadre of fellow voyaging vessels.

The running joke is a water fountain off of the docks which sprays a stream of water out about six feet...Sam tells us this is a source of endless delight for many during the summer afternoons and the city has decided not to repair it.

We plan to leave Th morning for South Carolina...creeping slowly for Florida which we think we will arrive at sometime around the New Year.   Our food supply is doing extremely well...except for our cookie/chocolate stash which is dwindling at an alarming rate.

Blake and I have been tucked in at the local library...time to make a mad dash back to the boat!
Lots of love from us all...

Heading South

The days dissolve in  ordered disarray.  John and I strive to maintain plans yet, the hours  laugh at us as they unfold according to their own hidden wishes.  The weather, too, changes as it desires.  The blissful balmy breeze of Thanksgiving gave way to thirty mph gales that screeched like harpies later that same night.

We are still so in love with each other and the excitement of the journey as we head for the Carolinas...However, we continually  pray for more patience and grace when the boat's walls shrink in on us...
We also continue to meet phenomenal people.  Thanksgiving day, as we prepared to search out a canned turkey, the owner of the marina we were anchored off of came in his boat and like an angelic apparition offered us free showers and a Thanksgiving feast at the marina.  Blake and Dante raced up and down the docks with other "boat kids".  Seldom have we met people so kind and giving.  They treated us like family and in true form, we feasted!

They also gave us the inside scoop on some free docking in the beautiful city of Portsmouth...right across the river from Norfolk...home to an incredible fleet of navy ships.  We are resting here until Monday morning when we will depart early and head for North Carolina.

I think we are beginning to look more like live aboards...ragged sweaters and carefree unsteady saunters...for me it finally begins to feel normal.  

Annapolis

www.flickr.com/photos/familyinabottle

The long awaited reunion finally arrived...the boat looked the same...no small miracle considering all of the men who had been living aboard...John looked completely transformed.  Bearded.  Bemused.  Beautiful.  I felt like Alice descending down the rabbit hole as we departed Cape May.  The 14 hour motor sail to Chesapeake City only deepened my sentiments of confusion.  Crossing the Delaware Canal at midnight was surreal.  I would have sworn I was dreaming except for the fact that I couldn't stop shivering.  John and I spoke of many things...too many things...childcare challenges...middle age biting....love not fading...and we followed the little white lights that led us to the city dock around 1:00 AM.  We spent the day searching for moments of surprise.  Beautiful evening picnic of pizza on the town gazebo...another grueling 9 hour motor sail to Annapolis the next day...we were all singing the diesel engine blues!  I am still perplexed at how quickly the children and the felines have adapted to this lifestyle...it seems it is hardest for me.  I desire to be barefoot, tan, and carefree yet, I am still bogged down by financial worries and tote bags filled with all sorts of nonsense.  Slow shedding of things in every port is easing the process of my freedom.  Like a snake I'm just taking the time to emerge into my new skin ...Boat people are full of personality...shooting sparks of splendor whenever they speak...truly like they are from a different planet all together. You are dubious I know, but I'll soon send some photos to prove my point!

We all took showers today...Annapolis actually has 1.00 showers reserved for sailors... FABULOUS!!!
French fries from PIPS  tasted like manna in the desert (before they tired of it)  and now Blake and I are ensconced in a magical coffee shop City Dock Cafe owned by a man with infinitely kind eyes named Gordon.  AHHHHH.  Life IS beautiful when you take the time to breathe deeply and aim for the middle.

WAITING

Asked to name one of the things that I detest the most, I would not wait a moment before shouting at the top of my lungs, WAITING! Ironically, that has been my life's paradigm these past three weeks. Women are instinctual waiters...we have waited for men to return home from the sea, from the wild, from the wars. We have waited months in pregnancy for our bodies to prepare for birth. Sometimes, we find that we have waited years for someone to change who never will. Is patience possible without surrendered waiting? Surely, patience can be active and not only passive?!

John and our two cats have arrived safely in Cape May, NJ this afternoon!!! While I am delighted at their speedy progress, I wish that we all could have been aboard as the Vindhler pulled in to that beautiful town. My parents are driving us there on Friday...we will take a few days to readjust to family survival in a living space the size of my sister's deck. Hmmmmm.

The kids got the H1N1 vaccine today. Very bizarre four hour affair. With only 400 doses, many were turned away. The whole thing was very Twilight Zone...complete with a groggy 7:00 arrival. In the front of an already long line stood a nondescript man in a nondescript suit who we were told was giving out the "numbers". He wrote down our names, how many children were with us, and told us we were number 86. Shortly before the clinic was set to open, he moved down the line bossing people about, making us all move back, checking the order of our names. A few minutes later, a mousy woman with a megaphone told us to remain calm...we would all be given a number as someone moved down the line. "WAIT A MINUTE", shouted one irate parent and then another...what about the man with the list..."WE HAVE OUR NUMBERS!" The guy with the "list" had disappeared and the clinic staff knew nothing about him. See what I mean? Very weird. If you go to any clinics look out for those bossy nondescript types with spiral notebooks asking for your name.

My next post will be from our boat...FINALLY! My sister, brother-in law, and their two beautiful girls have helped me deal with "The Great Wait"  with much patience and laughter.  The boys and I feel so loved by their kindness...My parents also have been remarkable during this time of waiting.  I love my family... Miss my friends so much...please send me an e-mail or comment.

Rebecca

Lady Landlocked

Stubborn is as stubborn does. (What does that mean exactly?) I fiercely refused to give in and admit that our beautiful sons could no longer stay aboard as we finished our final preparations for our beloved home to be safe on the open water. But, somewhere between the snowfall and the concerned call from my father I surrendered myself to the fact that the boys and I needed to abandon ship until John and the cats sailed to slightly warmer waters. Dante, especially, was losing his battle with a bad cold and I realized that perched on a cozy chair in front of my parent's crackling kitchen fireplace was where we needed to be.

Hauling bags off of the boat was bittersweet...ultimately a relief as I watched Blake and Dante's health improve at my parents. Now we have all driven to Virginia to be with my sister Christine, brother-in-law Sam, and two nieces, Catherine and Margaret, for Halloween festivities and general joie de vivre before our voyage.

John has had a revolving cast of great guys who have tasted the salt of the ocean and his tears. Today they are slightly South of Boston. We plan to rendezvous in Annapolis next weekend if all goes well...

My new digital camera arrived in the mail!!! Pictures finally will be forthcoming...hope that all this text alone has not been too DRY...or, as Blake loves to say with the authority of an ancient executioner, boooring!