October 26-28                       Mystic, Connecticut

As predicted, the weather on Wednesday was cloudy but there was little wind.  Once again, we were captivated by the beauty of the area surrounding the river with its lovely homes and marinas surrounded by autumnal foliage.  The journey to Mystic was smooth and uneventful.  Returning to our familiar dock at Seaport Marine was a bittersweet experience as it marked the ending of our 2011 journey on The Bottom Line.

 On the following day, I rented a car in Mystic (they rent one-way only so we have to go to Groton to rent cars to the Boston airport) and drove  approximately sixty miles to New Haven for a visit to the Yale University art museums.  The drive was entirely on I95 and traffic was slight.  Misting rain enhanced the autumn foliage of the countryside giving the red and gold leaves a richer hue and making the huge granite outcroppings shine brilliantly. 

The Paul Mellon Center for British Art is the largest collection of its kind outside the United Kingdom.  It is rich in exquisite paintings by noted British artists, Reynolds, Gainsborough Romney, Turner, and many, many more.  In addition, there are works by artists such as Canaletto and Rubens which depict British scenes.  I was delighted to see several magnificent paintings by Richard Parke Bonington, whose luminescent work at the Kimbell is one of my favorites.  Henry Raeburn’s full-length portrait of a young lad is exceptionally beautiful and J.M.W. Turner’s seascapes are representative of his flamboyant use of color and loose brushwork. 

The collection is housed in a building designed by Louis Kahn and there are similarities to the Kimbell in the use of concrete, expanses of travertine, and allowances for flexibility to facilitate installation needs.  Kahn’s distinctive touches are evident in the beautiful interior with its open spaces. The exterior is nondescript, box-like, sheathed in aluminum, and housing retail outlets at street level. It appears to be overshadowed by the magnificent Gothic chapel across the street.  

The Yale Art Museum is readily accessible in the next block and it, too, is housed in a Louis Kahn designed building.  This one was built many years before and is much more traditional than its near neighbor.  The characteristic use of concrete with rows of holes where form supports had been placed is evident here as it is in the Mellon and the Kimbell buildings. 

Yale’s art collection has benefited greatly from the generosity of benevolent alumni and their collection is comprehensive and exceptional in quality.  Displayed over four floors, there are representations of Pre-Columbian, African, Asian, American, and European art and artifacts,  ranging from medieval to modern.   There are magnificent works by Van Gogh, Bonnard, Pollock, Warhol, and many others.

I spent almost five hours touring the museums before I returned to the car and headed back to Mystic.  The rain had accelerated and the traffic had increased.  My drive home was without incident but it was tense. 

Our final night on the boat was spent in front of the television watching one of the best baseball games ever.  Finally, at almost one o’clock in the morning, we turned in after our beloved Texas Rangers had fought back time and again before eventually losing Game Six of the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals. 

On Friday, we met Dan and finalized plans to leave the boat at Mystic until our return at the end of April.  We carried our heavy bags to the car, bade farewell to Andrew and Maribel, and began our trip to Boston with many, many happy memories of our summer on The Bottom Line.

October 24-25                        Essex, Connecticut

As promised, the mechanic came on Monday morning.  He inspected the steering mechanism, tightened a few nuts, and added some hydraulic fluid.  He did not find the feared leak.  The problem may have resulted from a line that had not been bled properly when fluid was added at Fairhaven before our departure from Boston.  The Clinton mechanic was very knowledgeable and David maintained that he had another “expensive learning experience.”

We were ready to leave Clinton for the historic little town of Essex, located a short distance off the Sound northward up the Connecticut River.  The mouth of the river is marked by a white stone lighthouse that has been in this place for almost two hundred years.  Although the river is wide, it is quite shallow and we were careful to follow the channel markers.  The shores were lined with large, beautiful homes in the grand manner of New England architecture.  Set into expansive lawns dotted with huge trees, these pristine shingled and/or clapboard houses shared magnificent views of the river.

The Brewer Dauntless Marina is a small facility adjacent to the Essex Corinthian Yacht Club and the Essex Yacht Club, both modest structures that reportedly have excellent restaurants.  After some careful maneuvering due to the strong current, David expertly brought the boat into the dock.  The afternoon was sunny and cool.  We were eager to see Essex, one of the most picturesque villages in New England. 

A short two block walk brought us to Main Street and the center of the downtown area.  Bright yellow leaves covered the green lawns and almost every home and business was adorned with autumnal displays of chrysanthemums, pumpkins, and colored gourds.  Replicas of antique street lamps were decprated with an amusing display of scarecrows.  A local contest had produced more than fifty very clever structures that hung from lamp posts, sat on benches, or were positioned near front doors. 

Many homes and buildings bore plaques with names of first residents and dates of construction.  Most of these were built in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth centuries.  The Griswold Inn , with its locally popular bar and restaurant, first opened in 1776.  Across the street, nestled in a charming little square filled with chrysanthemums, we found The Christmas Barn.  This lovely little shop was filled with an assortment of Christmas ornaments and decorations—many locally made.  A search for a crèche for my collection was not successful.

We returned to the boat for a delightful evening watching the Texas Rangers win the fourth game of the World Series.  This was a special event as we had missed seeing the two previous contests because of satellite television failure.  The game was exciting and we were captivated by the action on the field.

Our planned departure for Mystic was delayed because of winds that produced 7 to 14 feet waves in the Sound.  Another leisurely day on the boat was followed by a late afternoon walk back to Main Street.  We visited The Griswold Inn for a glass of wine and a small plate of pate and toast.  The bar at The Gris is in a very rustic room with an ancient stove in the center.  The wide-planked wooden floor is worn from years of use and the walls are covered with old prints of sailing ships.  The adjacent restaurant retains the same historical charm of the bar but with a more formal ambiance.  We vowed to return here next summer to experience their menu. Essex is a lovely gem and definitely warrants another visit.

October 21-24                 Clinton, Connecticut

As we prepared to leave the dock for our journey southward to visit sites on the Connecticut coast, we were pleased to have a visit from Joyce and Jim Hancock, our dock neighbors.  They own a gorgeous Hatteras 58’motoryacht with a cockpit that appears to be in excellent condition.  They are residents of Old Lyme, Connecticut, only a short drive from Mystic, and will be winterizing their boat at Seaport.  As they have owned boats for many years in this area, they were valuable resources for information on proper procedures for winterizing the interior and exterior of our boat.  We were fortunate to meet them and look forward to exchanging information with them in the future.

The journey to Clinton was brief and pleasant.  They sky was blue and the winds were light.  Long Island Sound was a perfect place for boating.  The Connecticut shore was filled with beautiful homes and we regretted our view was limited by distance.   The many shoals that mark this area of the Sound keep boaters into deeper waters.  As we reached the channel entering the shallow waters into Clinton, we noticed our steering again had failed.  This was an unexpected and disappointing event as we had spent considerable time and money at Fairhaven having repairs to the steering mechanism.  With the same ingenuity he often applied to our motorhome/s mechanical problems, David took our small bicycle pump and managed to pump up the fluid in the steering mechanism to acquire sufficient control enabling us to cruise successfully into the marina.  This was a short-term solution for we apparently were faced with another leak in the system.  We decided to have a mechanic look at the situation on Monday before we left Clinton.

The marina was busy with fishermen coming and going in small boats.  Several were filleting their catches at the workstations in the communal area.  We walked a short distance to the local lobster and crab shop, bought lobster rolls for dinner, and returned to the boat to enjoy this local treat.  The rolls were fresh, toasted with melted butter, and topped with tasty chunks of lobster meat seasoned with lemon juice.  They were outstanding! 

Sunday was a day for leisurely enjoying the ambiance of this beautiful area.  We were on a face dock which allowed us an unobstructed view of the channel out to the Sound.  By noon, the sun had come forth and the day was lovely and cool.  Many boats were exiting with fishing gear prominently displayed.  Our planned bike ride together was aborted when David discovered a ruined rear tire.  I took a solitary ride but found little of significance to warrant further exploration.  The attractions of Clinton, including an upscale discount mall, were far from the marina.  We were not in the mood for shopping and decided to forego the offered shuttle to remain on the boat and complete plans to return home a week earlier than originally scheduled.  I needed to attend a meeting in Austin and David had an appointment with a prospective client.  Our decision to leave the boat at Mystic meant we did not need the extra time we had allotted to take it back to the lower Chesapeake.

On our visit to the grocery store in Mystic, we were introduced to a special brand of crab meat.  I decided to try it in Crab Supreme, a recipe we discovered last year at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Cambridge, Maryland.  With a little minced onion, celery, bread crumbs, butter, and Old Bay Seasoning, I made a dish that was fabulous!  The Crab Supreme was light and delicious.  We have “nailed” this recipe!

October 16-21                   Mystic, Connecticut

We were delighted to be greeted by Andrew and Maribel Coulson when we returned to our boat in Seaport Marina at Mystic, Connecticut.  We had misplaced their information and had not been able to inform them of our impending arrival.  We quickly made plans to have drinks together on the following evening.  Our boat looked exactly as it did when we left more than a month ago.  We were pleased to be onboard and spent our first evening enjoying the scene from our aft deck.  Boats were still cruising the river but the large replicas of early ships were stored for the winter.  Autumn foliage was evident on the hills rising above Mystic River.

As we had several errands to complete and a desire to see more of the area near Mystic, we arranged to keep the car for another day.  This gave us an opportunity to buy winterizing supplies from West Marine and drive to the scenic town of Noank.  This small community, with its lovely Colonial homes, greets boaters entering the Mystic River.  A magnificent white clapboard church topped with a commanding steeple, is an architectural triumph from the nineteenth century.  We had to return the car to the agency in Groton and decided to take a leisurely trip through the countryside.  We wanted to enjoy the autumn foliage highlighted by colors of rust, gold, yellow, and red.  Many homes were decorated with pots and plantings of blooming chrysanthemums.  Hydrangea blossoms, once bright pink, blue, or white, had now turned brown but remained in abundant display and gave an extra touch of autumn to the setting.

Andrew and Maribel joined us on the aft deck for a brief happy hour.  Andrew is an avid Republican and was eager to watch the Republican debates on television.  He is supporting Herman Cain and was touting his credentials as we enjoyed our cocktails.  The next day was predicted to be rainy and for once that forecast proved to be more than accurate.  Rain was consistent throughout the day and rose to a torrential climax that evening.   The Coulsons reciprocated our invitation and we joined them for cocktails on their boat.  We were saddened to learn they had decided to winter their vessel at Mystic and return to their New Jersey home rather than making the journey back to the Bahamas as had been their habit for many years.  Health issues were now a consideration.  The following morning, we bade them farewell and promised to stay in touch. The weather on the next day was sunny but extremely windy and we wisely decided to remain in the marina.  We noticed the piers adjacent to our boat were rocking to and fro in the strong wind and were startled to see that two of them had blown into the aft deck of the Coulson’s boat.  The marina staff quickly removed them and noted that little damage had resulted from the impact.

We met with Abby and Dan to obtain more information about the winterizing process and made our decision final to remain at Seaport for the winter season.  We were still apprehensive about the extreme cold of the winters in this area.  We tried to anticipate and prepare for the worst.

September 8-9                                 Mystic, Connecticut

Our last day of cruising began with rain and fog.  Confident it would soon change, David departed Newport harbor on schedule—shortly before 9:00 AM.  The waves were choppy and visibility was very limited.  With radar scanning, he and Joe continued on course.  As they predicted, the rain lessened, the fog lifted, and the waves calmed.  Within two hours, the sky was blue and we were having a great day for cruising to Mystic.

We docked at our familiar slip next to Andrew and Maribel Colson’s boat.  The huge bronze frog and neon palm tree were missing from the aft deck—a sign they were not onboard.  Everyone quickly ate lunch and went to the downtown area to peruse the shops and admire the quaint buildings and homes.  Blake and David took a taxi to Groton to pick up the minivan we had rented for our trip to the airport the following day.

The scene from the aft deck was less busy than on our previous visit but the boat traffic on Mystic River continued to enthrall everyone.  To our astonishment, the Double Eagle returned to dock next to us.  This was the large yacht that had been our neighbor for several days in this marina before we departed for Martha’s Vineyard.

We planned a dinner of fried fish (using the fish purchased the day before in Newport) and elaborate preparations took place to do the job on the bridge.  Joe’s Dairy Queen experience and expertise proved valuable as we cooked large quantities of flounder and sea bass in my small deep fryer.  It was done to perfection and every bite was eaten with gusto.  Joe is a great guest as he is very competent and helps with any task without being asked.  Having him on the boat gave me much more free time.  He was eager to put out lines, plan routes on the GPS, and pilot the boat in addition to anything else needed. 

The following morning was spent cleaning and packing for our departure.  I prepared a brunch from “everything left in the refrigerator,” which turned out to be quite tasty.  The weather was lovely and everyone was reluctant to leave.  We all agreed that our Labor Day weekend together had been wonderful.  Hopefully, we can do a similar trip again next year.

September 6-7                      Newport, Rhode Island

Morning presented a significant challenge:  The tide was low and the boat was now four feet below the fixed dock.  David had realized when securing the lines that this would occur and had wisely adjusted the lines to accommodate such a drastic change.  Joe wanted to somehow climb up onto the dock but realized this was not a wise move.  He could easily slip and fall between the boat and dock and if he had been successful, he would not have been able to get back onto the boat.  They called the dockhand who came through the pouring rain to help us cast off.

Shortly after passing through the hurricane barrier, the rain ceased and we had good weather for our trip to Newport.  We docked at the Newport Yacht Club to a very different scene than that of several weeks ago.  Labor Day had ended the summer crowds and drizzling rain was keeping Newport inhabitants off the streets.  The town seemed almost deserted.  We walked several blocks to the Visitors Center  and boarded  a trolley for an overview tour to acquaint the kids with the history and sights of the area.

Dinner was at The White Horse Tavern and was once again an exceptional dining experience.  The restaurant was uncrowded and we had excellent service and food.  Seated in a small private dining area, we enjoyed an intimate family occasion with an abundance of laughter and good conversation.

The following morning was a flurry of activity as everyone arose early to prepare for a busy day of sightseeing.  To maximize our time, Stephanie and Blake rented a car and with it we (David remained on the boat to work) were at The Breakers before 10:00 AM. Although I had twice been to this fabulous Vanderbilt “summer cottage,” I was as awed as the others by the opulence and magnificence of the house and its furnishings.  It is truly “what God would do if He had the money.”  The audio tour was very good and allowed us to leisurely see the many rooms on the tour.

After exiting the house, I returned to the boat with Joe and the others continued on their mission to see as many mansions as possible before closing time. Joe and David walked to an area where fishing boats dock.  They talked to an incoming lobsterman, who was off-loading his pots, and were sold sea bass and flounder that had been inadvertently caught with the lobsters.  To their surprise, he threw in fourteen crabs.  David paid thirty dollars for the entire catch.

When Joe and David returned to the boat, the hard work began.  They had to clean the fish (neither had done this task for years) and fillet them.  I had to find a recipe for cleaning and cooking crabs.  The internet was a valuable source and I found a method for steaming them with liberal amounts of Old Bay Seasoning.  I was glad Amanda was not onboard when I threw the live crabs into a pot of steaming water.  As an avid animal lover, she would have been distraught.  After the crabs were cooked, they were chilled for several hours in the refrigerator. 

Dinner was on the aft deck with a white sheet covering the table to catch the mess made by cracking crab shells.  Joe repeatedly stated, “This is a lot of work”--and it was—but we all agreed it was a fun experience.  The crabs were very good and had more flavor than any others we have eaten.  With boiled new potatoes, a great green salad, and home-baked chocolate chip cookies for dessert, it was an excellent dinner.  Afterwards, we threw the shells overboard, washed the sheet, and vacuumed the floor to remove all traces of our mess.

September 5                                      Fairhaven, Massachusetts

Following our plan to depart early, shortly after 7:00 AM we crossed Boston Harbor to the marina on the opposite shore where diesel fuel was available to fill our tanks for a long day of cruising.  Weather reports indicated we would have this one day of sunshine before encountering three successive days of rain.  We wanted to go through the Cape Cod Canal before heading into a marina.  Unfortunately, Fairhaven Shipyard was filled and we had to secure a reservation at Pope Island Marina, near the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge.

We spotted a school of black porpoises as we neared Plymouth.  For a brief time, they followed the boat, playing in the wake.  We enjoyed again going through the canal and watching the activity on shore. Leaving the canal introduced us to the turbulence of Buzzard’s Bay.  The wind changed and became a strong force against us, the waves buffeted us, and the rain began.  Fortunately when we reached our marina, the wind was blowing with us and we were able to dock easily to the fixed face dock.  Since the tide was up, we could step off the boat onto the dock without a ladder.

Blake, Amanda, Stephanie, and I walked the short distance into the downtown area and I gave them a quick tour of the significant architectural treasures of Fairhaven.  We returned to the boat and had a great dinner.  We had brought prime steaks from home just for such an occasion.  David grilled them perfectly and everyone was sated with good food and wine.  We watched one of our favorite movies, A New Leaf   before bed.

September 1-4                       Boston, Massachusetts

Our voyage to Boston took us through the Cape Cod Canal, wide, deep, and scenic, to the Atlantic Ocean.  We were pleased we went through on a rising tide from the bay, considerably increasing our speed.  Unexpectedly, we encountered turbulence when we neared the ocean and the incoming water met the outgoing tide.  Numerous eddies pushed the boat back and forth but David was able to maintain control.

The ocean was beautifully calm and we had no difficulty arriving at the expected time in Boston Harbor.  Weaving through the archipelago of small islands leading to the downtown area, we easily found our marina, Boston Waterboat Marina, located at the end of Long Wharf, a Boston Landmark.  We were in a small family-owned marina that held small sailboats and motorboats as well as four large yachts.  It was in easy walking distance of many shops, restaurants, and the Italian district.  We were delighted with the location.  To celebrate the completion of our northward journey, we grilled veal chops on the boat and opened the bottle of Silver Oak red wine given us by Suzanne for a “special occasion.”  Dinner on the aft deck with the lights of Boston all around us was a highlight.

On Friday, we left the boat early to have breakfast at a nearby Dunkin Donuts.  This chain is very popular in Boston and there are many locations throughout the city.  We enjoyed the food, ham, eggs, and cheese on croissants, and the delicious iced coffee.  A large fresh produce market was opening in front of the Haymarket area and we were able to replenish our supplies. Returning to the boat, we stopped at Crocs to purchase several pairs of their wonderful shoes.  Originally designed for boaters, they have great soles for traction of decks and docks.

Stephanie and Joe arrived on the water taxi at 3:00 PM and were ready for adventure.  We decided to have a late lunch/early dinner before returning to the boat to watch the TCU-Baylor game.  They had been told to go to the Union Oyster House for good seafood and historical ambiance.  It was a pleasant walk from the marina and we were quickly seated near the famous “Kennedy Booth,” where JFK came often when he lived nearby to read the morning newspapers.  Our waitress was a delight and unusually engaging.  With blond, curly, short hair, Karen resembled Jessica Lange in the movie Tootsie. We loved the service and the restaurant but the food was not exceptional. 

The football game between TCU-Baylor was exciting to the last few seconds when an interception by Baylor cinched the win for the Bears.  Like other TCU fans, I was shocked my team had lost.  David and Stephanie were ecstatic and obnoxious in their celebratory glee.

Saturday was a good day for shopping.  Stephanie and I left early, caught a subway to the Beacon Hill area and slowly perused the boutiques on Charles Street.  We lunched at Toscano, a beautiful Northern Italian restaurant. The shops were busy, restaurants were packed, and streets were crowded.  Boston was an active place for the Labor Day weekend.

That evening, we left the boat early to walk to the Italian area.  The weather was lovely and all the restaurants had opened large windows facing the street.  Lines had formed outside most of them and there was no immediate possibility of entering the famous pastry shops on the street.  People were everywhere.  The lovely Catholic church, established by Italian immigrants a century ago, was open and we were able to see the beautiful interior, similar to those we have seen in small towns in Italy. 

On our previous visit to Boston in July, we had dinner at Mamma Maria and we wanted to share the experience with Joe and Stephanie. Reservations had been made several days before to secure a table.  Considered by many to be Boston’s finest Italian restaurant, it is very popular and the small interior limits seating.  Dinner was exceptionally good and we finished with Brandy Alexanders and fabulous cannoli. It was an extravagant indulgence in expense and calories. We had no regrets.

On Sunday, we turned into slugs, eating a late brunch on the boat and reading the morning newspapers.  David and Joe finally responded to my “gentle hints” and spent several hours adding molding to the port side of the boat.  The project was completed in time for the arrival of Blake and Amanda.  Since we were leaving early the following morning, they had limited time to see Boston so they quickly left to board a trolley tour. 

After their return, we went to Legal Sea Foods Long Wharf for dinner.  Blake wanted crab cakes and our internet search had shown this restaurant to have some of the best in Boston.  Located only two blocks from the marina, it was an easy walk and the crab cakes were worthy of their reputation.  With drooping eyelids, Amanda and Blake were soon ready to return to the boat and bed. It was wonderful to have our family with us and we were looking forward to sharing with them the fun of cruising in this beautiful area.

August 26-31                       Fairhaven, Massachusetts

The news was filled with warnings about Hurricane Irene and our marina staff was busy with boats, many of them large yachts, coming in to be placed in dry dock on the shipyard.  All spaces in the water were filled so owners were forced to pay for their boats to be pulled and placed on supports.  This appeared to be precarious in strong winds but apparently no danger existed as boats continued to be pulled until well after 7:00 PM.  David spent the morning removing cushions, securing curtains, and re-tying lines.

As we had the rental car for most of the day, we went to the grocery store and hardware store to replenish supplies.  Lunch was at another local favorite, Margaret’s, a small family-owned seafood restaurant.  David had sautéed crab strips that he deemed exceptional and my salmon with dill sauce was also very good.  We returned to the boat to find another large yacht had moved into the space behind us.  With two massive shipping vessels on our side facing the river, a large dock and building in front of us, and  two yachts behind us, our exposed areas to the wind and waves were now completely shielded.

On Saturday, the sun was gone and the sky had turned gray.  We sent messages to family and friends  we were in a safe place and would remain there until all possible danger was past.  SGA projects and computer work filled our time.  We enjoyed a great movie classic, The Razor’s Edge on television.

We awakened early Sunday to strong wind and rain.  The rain quickly subsided but the winds continued and, at times, seemed to be deafening.  The boat rocked but it was never unpleasant. The gates on the hurricane barrier had been closed and the surges were strong in the river but much weaker in the marina.  Fortunately, we had television reception and could keep informed of the progress of the hurricane.  It was now called a tropical storm but the widespread damage was impressive.  We comforted ourselves with good food—a frittata for brunch and beef stew with cornbread for dinner.  By bedtime, we were aware the winds had subsided and the worst was over.  Weather reports for the rest of the week were optimistic for our cruise to Boston.

We stayed in port on Monday, a lovely cool sunny day, to avoid debris from the hurricane that would have floated offshore.  Our beautifully clean boat was now covered in a film of salt and grit.  I spent considerable time washing the exterior.  The marina was busy with boat owners checking their vessels and washing away accumulated salt. 

Our plans to leave on Tuesday were abruptly changed when we discovered two significant problems:  our steering was gone and one generator would not start.  Fortunately, our marina was part of an operating shipyard and an electronics repairman was available (Bring Out Another Thousand). He determined the problems and presented us with possible solutions.  New parts would have to be found and acquired.  This was a challenge as our boat is more than twenty years old and some parts are no longer available.  After several hours, we were told the parts were enroute and the repair should be completed on Wednesday.  Our planned trip to Gloucester and Marblehead would be cancelled.  We were now hoping we could arrive in Boston in time to meet Stephanie and Joe on Friday.

Using our unexpected delay time, David and I began working on our project to cover some peeling paint areas around the exterior side panels.  It was not a difficult job but it had taken considerable time to come to a manageable and inexpensive solution.  We would cover the peeling areas with aluminum molding.  Working together, we almost completed one side before SGA work interrupted. We are very pleased with the result and will continue the project as time and opportunity permits.

Our electronics expert arrived as promised with the needed parts (UPS Red Label is a valuable resource for stranded boaters).  Hours later, the new starter was installed and the steering had been repaired.  We were finally ready to start for Boston.  A long day of cruising through Buzzards Bay, the Cape Cod Canal, and the Atlantic Ocean would take us to our marina in downtown Boston a day before our kids would arrive. 

August 25               Fairhaven, Massachusetts

David was scheduled to arrive before nightfall so I finished my cleaning chores and prepped for dinner.  Hurricane Irene was off the East Coast and was predicted to hit by the weekend.  Several large yachts had come into the marina and the limited available space was rapidly decreasing.  Our boat was moved forward to provide additional dock area for a yacht whose massive white prow seemed almost to be coming into our aft deck area.  It looked as if a large whale was rising from the water.

I rode my bike to the Unitarian Memorial Church and was fortunate again to have an excellent guide for an individual tour.  Designed by Charles Brigham and completed in 1904, the church was wholly a gift from Henry Huddleston Rogers in memory of his mother.  The construction budget was unlimited and Rogers never revealed the total cost; but is estimated to have been considerable even in 1904 dollars.

More than forty stone carvers from Italy and wood carvers from Bavaria worked for three years to execute the multiple details and figures that adorn every wall, pew, pillar, and niche throughout the sanctuary, office areas, and fellowship rooms.  Eight ten feet tall angels of wood, covered in beaten gold, are attached to huge beams supporting the wooden ceiling of the sanctuary.  The nave is 71 feet long with 24 feet tall stained glass windows, executed in the Art Nouveau style of Louis Comfort Tiffany.  They are breathtakingly beautiful.  Above the choir area is “The Nativity” depicting Mary, the Christ Child, a shepherd, and the Magi in glorious shades of blue, turquoise, violet, and mauve.  At the other end of the nave is the “Sermon on the Mount” window depicting the twelve Apostles with a glorious image of Jesus depicted in shades of yellow, green, and brown.  Reid used a layered stained glass technique, usually seven to twelve plates, to produce multiple colorations that seemed to “melt” from one hue to another.  These two windows are, in my opinion, equal or superior to any produced by Tiffany and many others renowned throughout the world.  It was difficult to walk away from them.  Smaller examples of Reid’s work, memorializing family members or honored notables, were installed in the nave and clerestory.  The walls, pews, choir, baptistery canopy, and pulpit were made of intricately carved bog oak, a rare material imported from England.  The master carver, John Kirchmayer, a worthy vocational descendant of Riemenschneider, another woodcarver whose famous work I greatly admire, executed a pulpit and baptistery canopy that magnificently depict multiple figures with individualized faces and poses. 

Henry Huddleston Rogers left a bequest of two million dollars to maintain the Unitarian Memorial Church.  This considerable amount was lost in the stock market debacle of 1929.  Today the church has only about 150 active members and there are limited funds.  This great treasure is threatened but the members are mounting a capital campaign that hopefully will fill their coffers and provide for needed maintenance.

David arrived and was glad to escape again the Texas heat.  The news regarding the hurricane indicated we were definitely in its path.  We decided our present position was secure as a giant hurricane barrier, with massive steel doors that closed when needed, guarded the mouth of the river leading from the bay. This would prevent surges that could inundate the marina.  We would remain in Fairhaven until the storm was over.

August 22-24                   Fairhaven, Massachusetts

David departed early for Boston and then on to Texas.  I enjoyed breakfast on the aft deck and looking across the harbor at the lovely homes hugging the shore.  I was eager to see more of Fairhaven but decided to take care of other matters first.  With internet connections, I am able to receive notice of bills due and pay them online.  I also needed to correspond with friends.

The boat badly needed washing by a professional with the tools and ability to reach areas I could not.   I walked to the dock office and left word to have such a person contact me.  Steve Tucker arrived shortly after lunch and immediately began working.  It quickly was apparent that he knew how to wash large boats. I learned a lot from watching him.  Five hours later he stopped but promised to return the next day and finish the job.  He started again before nine the next morning and worked another five hours.  The boat sparkled when he finished.  It was great to meet someone who really took pride in their work, charged a fair price, and did what was expected.

Tuesday was a lovely cool day and I rode my bicycle around the neighborhood before stopping at the small Visitors Center in the downtown area.  I was just in time for the daily tour and the only person present.  My guide, a young volunteer, was very knowledgeable and articulate.  We took an hour and half walking tour of the buildings and sites related to Henry Huddleston Rogers.  Mr. Rogers, a Fairhaven native, who returned to live there after amassing an enormous fortune as an executive with Standard Oil, was extraordinarily generous with his hometown.  His favorite architect, Charles Brigham was not bound by budgets.  He had carte blanche to spend funds for expensive design and details that makes Fairhaven a destination for architectural buffs.

 Rogers Elementary School was built in 1885, electrified in 1890, and is still in use today.  It is French Gothic in design and when it was built, incorporated the latest features in education.  The Millicent Library, an Italian Renaissance style structure with large stained glass windows and terracotta reliefs referencing literature and science, was named for Rogers’ deceased daughter and dedicated by his friend, Mark Twain.  The massive Town Hall (1894) is built of red granite in French Gothic style and still houses many municipal offices.  The interior features beautiful oak paneling, solid brass fixtures, and leaded stained glass windows.  The magnificent auditorium on the second floor has been the scene of many meetings and events including appearances by Mark Twain.  All were gifts from Henry Huddleston Rogers.  In addition, he was responsible for the construction of a Masonic Temple, a large Tudor style hotel, presently a nursing home, and a beautiful park in an area where once existed a stagnant pond.

Rogers, who had a high regard for education, gave Fairhaven a magnificent high school, still in use, which is an architectural triumph.  Opened in 1906, the school is of Elizabethan design with spires, leaded glass windows, marble floors, oak paneling, and stained glass.  It incorporated the latest in educational innovations and included the nation’s first indoor basketball court.

Our tour included walking through the grounds of Rogers’ most expensive and impressive gift to Fairhaven, the Unitarian Memorial Church.  With a 165 foot spire, this English Gothic cathedral-style building is a landmark to everyone in the area.  Built of gray granite from a local ledge, it is ornamented with carved stone figures and images.  The magnificent bronze doors are beautifully detailed and held multiple depictions of prominent figures in science and religion.  I noted a tour of the interior was available on Thursday and I immediately made plans to attend.

 The weather on Wednesday was exceptionally beautiful.  I enjoyed a lengthy bike ride through the neighborhoods and Fort Phoenix State Park, bordering the bay. Many homes bore plaques indicating they were built in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.  Most were spacious structures with beautiful cornices, moldings, and other architectural details that reflected the wealth of their owners.  As most of the homes were wood, they are today covered in vinyl siding, giving the exteriors an appearance of having been newly painted.  The lawns were mostly unfenced and landscaped with masses of impatiens, lilacs, hydrangeas, and hollyhocks.  Returning to the downtown area, I perused a needlework shop and a gift shop before having lunch at Pumpernickel’s, a local favorite.  Everyone I met was friendly and helpful.  Again, I realized how fortunate we were to have come to Fairhaven.

August 20-21                             Fairhaven, Massachusetts

Saturday we departed under blue skies for our journey across Nantucket Sound.  Many more boats had come into the harbor since our arrival.  Hundreds of mooring balls held boats of all sizes and types.  Launches were busy shuttling people back and forth.  Shortly after leaving the harbor, we saw a large group of racing sailboats, possibly the first of many more scheduled for this last day of Racing Week.

After several hours, we passed Martha’s Vineyard and ran into a squall that came suddenly with wind and blinding rain.  Fortunately, it lasted for only about ten minutes.  We turned on our new radar to detect any objects about us and discovered we had forgotten how to operate it.  By the time we found the manual and read the instructions, the rain had stopped and visibility was good again.  We are now prepared for the next squall!

By cruising through Woods Hole, we could save considerable distance and time.  This area is reputed to be treacherous because of the many rocks, narrow channel, and dangerous eddies.  We studied the charts, plotted our GPS, and entered the area with some trepidation.  Woods Hole is the home of the National Oceanographic Institute and Marine Biological Laboratory.  It is a beautiful area, isolated between Nantucket Sound and Buzzards Bay with the famous Nobska Light standing tall in the southern entrance to the channel.  Carefully following the markers, we avoided the rocks, held steady through the eddies, and emerged unscathed into Buzzards Bay for our northern heading to the New Bedford/Fairhaven area.

New Bedford Harbor, at the mouth of the Acushnet River, is entered through a massive stone hurricane barrier.  New Bedford is on the western shore and Fairhaven is on the eastern side.  Together, they hold more fishing vessels than anywhere else in the United States.  Our marina was located just past the barrier on the Fairhaven side.  We were assigned a great location, had excellent dock help, and were promptly invited to a marina party to be held later that evening.

The cool, sunny weather had brought many boat owners to the marina for the weekend and the dock party was well-attended.  One of the fishing boat captains, whose vessel was across the dock from us, brought freshly caught swordfish and grilled it for everyone.  Fabulous!  We also feasted on broiled chicken, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, and a great assortment of salads and desserts.  Pirates Punch, a concoction made from chopped citrus fruits in vodka, was served with warnings that “it was strong enough to knock you off the dock.”  We had a lot of fun talking to others and learning about the area.

On Sunday, we took a taxi and went to the New Bedford Airport for a rental car which David would drive to Boston for his return trip to Fort Worth on Monday.  Our taxi driver proved to be a fount of information and we followed his recommendation for lunch.  Antonio’s, a local favorite for Portuguese cuisine, was a lovely, very clean family restaurant in a neighborhood that was obviously Portuguese and/or Hispanic.  All the food was very good but the steamed Littleneck clams were outstanding.   Apparently, Martha Stewart thought so, too, for she reportedly raved about them during a recent visit.

 Before lunch we had driven through the neighborhood  and stopped at the massive church of St. Anthony of Padua.  Constructed of hewn blocks of red granite with a towering spire, it sits in a working class area of multi-family homes and small businesses.  The front doors were open so we walked inside.  Mass had finished and the sanctuary was almost empty.  We were awed by the magnificent interior.  Great columns of simulated golden marble (an Italian process called scagliola) bore sculpted images of angels and saints more than six feet high.  The ceiling was frescoed with biblical scenes and there was a huge three-dimensional depiction of the Christ Child with St. Anthony at the end of the apse, surrounded by numerous pipes for the 1912 Casavant Frères organ.  Large stained glass windows, in the clerestory and on the main level, had multiple scenes from stories of Jesus and the Saints. It was a surprise to see such baroque splendor in New Bedford, an obvious reminder of the considerable prosperity of the area in times past.

Fairhaven is smaller and much more pleasant than its neighbor across the river.  There are many lovely private homes, large churches, spacious parks, and beautiful trees.  Fortunately, our marina is well-located and our bicycles can easily take us to nice restaurants and small shops.  I plan to use mine often to see more of Fairhaven while David is in Texas.