July 2       Portsmouth, New Hampshire                                               

The weather was sunny and the water was calm but we had to get fuel before continuing our journey.  We headed across the harbor to Beverly Point Marina in Beverly, Massachusetts. During our lengthy fueling process, David conversed with the friendly attendant and learned we could buy freshly caught lobsters at a store nearby.  We all agreed that was a great dinner solution and Blake and Amanda were dispatched for eight lobsters.  They soon returned with two large containers filled with eight one and half pound lobsters.  Total cost was $40.00.

Following the advice of the attendant, I boiled a large pot of salted water and tossed two of them at a time into the water for eight minutes.  The claws were secured with rubber bands so they could not fight me.  After cooking, I put them in the refrigerator to cool.

With minimal direction from David, Blake soon took over the piloting and in little time was demonstrating remarkable skill at staying on course and keeping careful watch for obstacles and other vessels.  David had time to rest and Amanda joined him on the sofa, looking wan from motion sickness.  Our cruise to Portsmouth was delightful with our only concern being the many lobster pots that surrounded us.  Fortunately, our boat has cutters to keep the pots from winding around our props but we have been warned they don’t always prevent problems.

Portsmouth harbor is a busy place with many commercial vessels.  Tugs and barges vied with numerous power and sailboats.  Marinas are few but we had chosen one that was easily accessible to downtown.  Unfortunately, we arrived at high tide and the current was strong.  The dock master advised us to dock with the bow facing south with the current but change in two hours to bow facing north to take advantage of the ebb current.

Blake, Amanda, and I left the boat and explored the charming downtown area.  It was an active place with lovely shops and carefully maintained older buildings.  We caught a bus and went to a grocery store to replenish our stores and to buy corn and potatoes for our New England lobster dinner.  When we returned to the boat, the strong current had subsided and we turned the boat without incident.  In an offhand remark, the dock master noted that a ladder similar to our small one had been lost recently by the strong current rocking the dock.  Determining that our ladder was securely mounted by special brackets, we chose to ignore his advice.

Dinner on the aft deck was a memorable event as we dined on perfectly cooked lobsters, corn, and boiled new potatoes.  All of us agreed it was the best lobster we had ever tasted. Dessert was ‘smores made with graham crackers, Nutella, and marshmallow cream. Satiated with good food and memories of a lovely day, we retired for a peaceful night.

June 30-July 1                   Salem, Massachusetts

The mechanic arrived early and immediately found a valve that had not been turned on and our steering problem was solved.  The water problem accelerated when we realized we had no water from shore connection.  The mechanic determined our water pump may be malfunctioning but could not discover what caused the shore connection problem.  We could go no further without a water source.  David examined the shore connection to the boat and found it clogged with seaweed.  The mechanic confessed that the marina had a problem with seaweed getting into their lines.  After a thorough cleaning of the connection, the water began to flow and we decided we could cope with the water pump problem until we had the time and opportunity to have it repaired. 

After exiting the circuitous route back to the bay, we deployed the automatic pilot and found it worked perfectly.  What a relief!! Going through the canal brought back happy memories of our last trip through it in September 2011 after spending a delightful weekend in Boston with Stephanie, Joe, Blake, and Amanda.  Massachusetts Bay at the eastern entrance to the canal was littered with hundreds of lobster traps but the water was smooth as glass.  We set the automatic pilot and with minimal adjustment, we arrived six hours later in Salem Harbor.  As we passed Boston Harbor, I was thrilled to see three tall ships with full sails on their way  for the big harbor parade on the Fourth.

The Marina at Harbor Place in Salem was located in a beautifully renovated historical dock area.  It was small but our docking was easy.  We soon discovered they had some electrical difficulties which prevented us receiving ample power to consistently run our A/C.  It was almost 90 degrees and the heat was predicted to continue for two more days.  We could run our generator but we were running low on fuel.  We had been eager to leave Mystic and planned to fill our tanks at Kingman Marina but their fuel dock was not operating. We were forced to continue to Salem without re-fueling.  Our long journey had depleted our tanks and we learned after docking that fuel was available only across the harbor.  We would have to be conservative in using the generator during the day to be sure we had A/C for sleeping.  One more challenge!

The dock scene was interesting with its myriad of shops and historical buildings.  We had dinner at 65, a lovely restaurant absent of the crowds and noise that permeated the rest of the marina area.  I had a dish of delicious gnocchi that melted in the mouth and David had cod that had been seared on the outside but was moist and flavorful within.  We felt wonderfully rewarded after our long day on the sea.

Saturday was a perfect time for David to rest and heal while I walked the short distance to the Peabody Essex Museum.  The PEM is the oldest continuously operating museum in the country and is housed in a beautifully renovated historical building and a new contemporary addition with open spaces and soaring ceilings.  Its collection includes treasures amassed during Salem’s golden age of merchant shipping throughout the world.  Their impressive collection of Chinese and English porcelains, crystal, and silver are displayed in spacious galleries along with hundreds of maritime articles, maps, and models.  Fabulous priceless items from China fill several floors. There is a limited but select group of paintings by Gilbert Stuart, John Singer Sargent, and other American artists which are complemented by Impressionists such as Monet and Jongkind.  The PEM has benefited greatly from the largess of numerous prominent donors and collectors.  I loved spending four hours perusing their outstanding collection.

Blake and Amanda were scheduled to arrive on Sunday, July 1.  As scheduled at 2:30, they came by taxi from the airport in Boston.  Since their time in Salem was limited, we ate a hurried lunch at Victoria Station on Derby Wharf and then caught the Salem trolley for a town tour. This was a good plan since David was not able to walk very far.  The afternoon was warm but Blake and Amanda were relieved to escape the103- 105 degree temperatures they had experienced that week in Fort Worth. 

Salem was a prominent port in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s and wealthy merchants had built lovely homes, which had been carefully preserved. Many streets were adorned with large Federal and Neo-Classical style houses bordered by expanses of lush shrubbery and blooming hydrangeas, roses, and lilies.  Everything was clean and pristine, an indication of considerable civic pride.  In 1692 Salem had a spate of witchcraft trials and the history of those tragic events has been parlayed into a tourist phenomenon. Stores are devoted to merchandise promoting witches and their cults.  We were told that the entire month of October is a long, boisterous, and sometimes wild Halloween celebration. Hundreds of visitors come to Salem to participate in numerous events dedicated to witches and black magic.

June 29                Cohasset, Massachusetts       

At 7:30, Craig arrived to help us untie the multiple lines from the dock placed there to secure the boat so there would be no unexpected movement to cause difficulty for David.  Despite my trepidation due to the narrow channel and shallow water,  David negotiated a precise exit from  and soon we triumphantly passed through the open railroad bridge into the main harbor.  It was lovely weather and the water was calm as we exited Mystic River and entered Block Island Bay.  David attempted to execute the automatic pilot and realized it was not working.   Fluid levels had been checked before departure and we were assured they were adequate.  David could not determine what caused our problem. As we progressed, the wind intensified and steering became a concerted effort as we tried to stay on course.  Our destination was six and one-half hours away and one of us had to maintain constant and intensive vigilance at the helm.  Although it was a joint effort, we were both exhausted when we reached Cohasset.

We entered Kingman Marina, at the mouth of the Cape Cod Canal, and were pleased to have an easy docking site.  David requested mechanical assistance for the steering and was assured it would be available the next day.  Enroute we also realized we had no water pressure.  Kingman Marina was basic—no internet, a non-functioning fuel dock, and a town too far for convenient access but the staff was efficient and friendly.  We were pleased to have dinner on deck and relax after a stressful day.

2012

May 12-June 28                Mystic, Connecticut

With great excitement we anticipated our return to The Bottom Line.  As planned, we left DFW, arrived on schedule in Boston, and took a car to Mystic.  Before going to the boat, we decided to have lunch at S & P Oyster Company, our favorite Mystic restaurant.  The lines were long and parking was impossible so we opted for Bravo Bravo, a nearby bistro. Despite wonderful service and delicious food, this change in plans may have been an omen that more disruptions were in store for us!

 The Bottom Line, newly washed and polished, looked wonderful from the outside.   The interior was another story.  We had emptied refrigerators and cabinets before leaving and they required cleaning.  A significant amount of dust covered everything but nothing seemed to be broken or damaged.  David immediately claimed his favorite place on the sofa for a nap while I began to straighten and clean.  Those are usually are roles on the boat!!

Later that evening, we decided I would continue the cleaning and David would go to the grocery store to replenish our supplies.  Upon his return, he loaded the bags onto the deck of the boat and then saw me moving about on the aft deck.  Trying to attract my attention, he hurriedly walked toward the stern of the boat, and looking up instead of down, he failed to notice the dock did not extend the length of the boat.  It was dark and there was no illumination on the dock.   David fell into the water but seemingly uninjured, swam to the back platform of the boat (about 10 feet).  When he tried to climb onto the ladder, he realized he could not lift his right leg. 

Desperate to get him out of the frigid water as quickly as possible, I called for help to the boaters across the channel.  Two hefty guys arrived and managed to lift David out of the water onto the swim platform.  I had called 911 and they came within a few minutes.  They quickly took over and would not allow David to be moved.  Somehow they were able to secure him to a board and lift him onto a Fire Department boat for marine rescue.  He was then moved to a dock, loaded into an ambulance and transported to the hospital in New London.  We were amazed to learn that the very efficient and highly capable 911 responders were all volunteers.

After a long night in the emergency room of the hospital, David was moved to a room and was examined by an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Christopher Hudgins.  He advised David to have a cast placed on his leg and make arrangements to return to Fort Worth for surgery.  The femur bone had been broken and his knee replacement prosthesis had been damaged. We spent the day talking with family members and trying to make plans to get David safely home.

 On Monday, we were finally able to consult with Dr. Kent, our orthopedic surgeon in Fort Worth.   He was adamant that David remain in Connecticut because there was significant danger of blood clots developing in movement.  Subsequently, Dr. Hudgins scheduled surgery for Wednesday.  We were greatly relieved by our decision.  I would stay on the boat and drive each day the short distance between Mystic and the hospital in New London.

Joe and Stephanie arrived on Wednesday morning.  They had aborted their Barbados vacation, flown to New York, and drove into Mystic.  It was great to have them with us.  Joe was a tremendous help in securing the boat in the marina and making the ladder and dock area accessible and safe.  He helped me choose a facility in Mystic where David could undergo rehab after leaving the hospital. Stephanie did a great job of caring for me and her dad.  

 The surgery went well and David was on the road to recovery!  On Saturday, he was transported by ambulance to Apple Rehab, a small facility only three blocks from the boat.  Joe and Stephanie returned home and David and I fell into a daily routine of care.  I would visit him daily and assist him in bathing and eating.  He had physical therapy twice daily.  He was determined to walk as much as possible with the help of a walker.  Two weeks after surgery, we saw Dr. Hudgins again and he was delighted with David’s progress.  He reluctantly agreed to allow David to return to the boat for continued physical therapy.

Blake’s arrival on May 30 was a strong morale booster for both of us.  With his characteristic charm and good humor, he was wonderful company.  David insisted on joining us for dinner one evening.  We went to the oldest restaurant in Mystic, the Captain Daniel Packer Inn, and enjoyed its quaint ambiance and wonderful food. The effort proved to be a revelatory experience as David realized he was not yet ready for such a strenuous effort.

On May 31, David was dismissed from rehab with a heartwarming goodbye from the staff who lined up as he exited to clap and wish him well.  Apple Rehab overall had been a good experience and we were grateful for their excellent care and constant concern.  Ken, the director made frequent visits to talk with David about boating and other staff members were always coming in to check on him or ask if he needed anything.

 Blake was a tremendous help in bringing David to the boat and assisting me in caring for him. One afternoon we walked to downtown Mystic and perused the charming shops.  It was fun to see Blake looking at “baby things.”  He is thrilled, as are all of us, with the happy prospect of becoming a father in December. We loved having our grandson with us and hated to see him leave when his four day visit ended.

Physical therapists came to the boat each day for a week and then three days for two weeks thereafter.  Connecticut medical care has been amazing! After returning to the boat, the walker was quickly abandoned and David ambulated with the help of a cane.  Pain was a factor for several weeks and David remained on medication.  This provided the rest he needed for healing but it also made him very lethargic. 

As the pain subsided, David became eager to see people and go out for short periods.  Andrew and Maribel Colton, our Mystic friends from 2011, joined us one evening for Happy Hour.  Although both are in their eighties, they are interesting, fun, and lively people who are always delightful company.  They inspire us with their adventurous and optimistic approach to life.

On June 12, we were visited by Broadway Baptist Church friends, John and Jane Freese.  They stated they came on a “Mercy” mission to visit David.  We were delighted to show them our boat and they graciously said “all the right things” that we love to hear.  We enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Skipper’s Dock restaurant in Stonington and toured the village with its many exquisite eighteenth and nineteenth century homes.  It was wonderful to see friends from Fort Worth and their visit was a great morale boost for both of us.

On the following day, we had another delightful experience when Linda and Phil Hardberger docked near us in their beautiful new Fleming 55’ motor yacht.  We had Happy Hour on our boat one evening and then went to Captain Daniel Packer for dinner on the next.  Phil was at Baylor when we were there in the fifties and he and Linda are experienced boaters.  We hope to join them in July in Maine.

On June 19, David saw Dr. Hudgins for the final evaluation of his progress.  The doctor was very pleased and dismissed him from further physical therapy.  He advised him to take frequent short walks to increase mobility and build stamina.  We celebrated with lunch at a local Tex-Mex restaurant to satisfy David’s incessant craving for Mexican food.  It was good but bland.

Pain continued to be a problem as the “good knee” rebelled from favoring the “bad knee” and began to cause considerable pain.  David returned to Dr. Hudgins a week later to have cortisone injections.  This resulted in almost immediate relief from the pain but lasted only two days before pain returned with a vengeance.  Medication provided only temporary relief. Despite the pain, David was determined to leave as scheduled on June 28 and we made plans to do so.

Throughout our time in Mystic, we were consistently cheered by many calls and cards from friends in Texas.  Frank and Beth Wilson, traveling on a luxury river cruise in France, interrupted their trip to call us several times. Our First Friday friends checked in often. Other friends were equally solicitous and family called daily.  A lovely plant arrived from Jeff and Judy Schemedelkoff and David received a card signed by members of his Sunday School Class.  It was great to have so many expressions of caring and concern.

Bob, our near neighbor on the dock, joined us for Happy Hour and we learned more about his 50’ wooden sailboat built sixty years ago in Norway.  Bob is a widower, retired, and lives in Pennsylvania.  He is restoring his boat and plans to take it to sea in a few months for extended cruising.  He worked on it sporadically for seven years but still has a great deal more to do.  He is doing all the work himself.  Part of the interior of his boat was made into a workshop where he made many of the parts he needed for restoration. He had a large cat on board that never went ashore.

Several nights later we invited Andrew and Maribel to join us again.  We were interested to hear about their daughter and her husband’s work with the Gameen Foundation which provides small loans to women in impoverished circumstances throughout the world.  This work was begun by Mohammed Yannis and was detailed in his acclaimed book Banker to the Poor.  I had read the book several years ago and was pleased to hear more about the program.  We always enjoy the Colsons and appreciate very much their many kindnesses to us.

Our last evening in Mystic presented us with perfect weather and a great opportunity to re-visit  S & P Oyster Company for a delicious dinner.  I enjoyed again my favorite avocado and lobster salad.  We had a lingering meal observing the lengthy sunset over the Mystic River.  Walking back to the boat, we both remarked how fortunate we were to have had this month and a half in Mystic.

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!