July 3-July 23                          North Kingstown, Rhode Island

With partially inclement weather, the Fourth of July was subdued with less boat traffic than expected.  We enjoyed a great fireworks display from the nearby beach. Cleaning and packing for our Netherlands trip began, Shannon, the designated dog sitter came for Pretzel and we scheduled a car to take us to the airport in Boston.

Before leaving, I was surprised to learn the first part of my article on our journey through Canada was published in the American Boat Club magazine, The Ensign.  The title is Octogenarian Odyssey and will be serialized in four issues.  One of my photographs is on the cover.  Sometimes I impress my children!

We arrived in Amsterdam early on July 8, met Joe and Stephanie and took our arranged transportation to Willemstad where our chartered boat was docked.  After our stay in a charming little hotel, we boarded the boat, a 35-foot Linssen motoryacht with two staterooms and two heads.  

Our first stop was Annalind in South Holland but we decided we would go north to the canal area.  We visited Oudewater, Dordrecht, Gouda, several small charming villages on the River Vecht, went through Amsterdam on a lovely summer day with thousands of other boaters, Weesp and finally Delft.  Here our trip was aborted due to serious engine problems.  We spent three nights at the Hilton in The Hague then moving to the Hilton Schiphol before our departure on July 23.

 We visited the magnificent Mauritshuis and the incredible Louwman Car Museum in The Hague.  Our final day in Amsterdam, we visited the Rijksmuseum and marveled at the many changes since its renovation. 

Despite problems with the boat, too many low bridges (or closed bridges) and one day of very hot weather, we had a great trip made even more so by Stephanie and Joe who were delightful companions and always considerate and flexible. 

As with any long trip, one of the best parts is returning home and finding all is well.  Pretzel came the following day and we began unpacking and washing clothes.  Back to normal!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 20-July 2       North Kingstown, Rhode Island/New York City

After a lengthy delay due to a Covid scare which proved to be nothing more, our good friends, Jill and Jerry came to the boat.  Always good company, we had a long visit on the aft deck before driving to Matunuck Oyster Bar.  This popular restaurant is located on an obscure road near Point Judith and advance reservations are mandatory.  Great food and delightful ambiance.  We plan a repeat visit soon.

John and Maria Carpenter invited us to dinner at Trio, a Narraganset restaurant known for great seafood and Italian dishes.  The Italian population in Rhode Island is significant and reportedly they are demanding in the quality of food served.  Trio did not disappoint us.  Another great find!

Charles Martin, a Houston friend, arrived on June 29.  As a homebuilder (now retired), he was eager to visit several mansions in Newport.  I took the opportunity to visit the studio of Oone van der Wal, a noted yacht photographer, on Bannister’s Wharf.  His wife, Tenley is the daughter of my good friend and fellow Kimbell docent, Barbara Sims.  I had a delightful visit with Tenley and we plan to have them to the boat for dinner after returning from the Netherlands.

Torrential rain caused us to cancel dinner reservations at the Coast Guard House.  Instead, we had salmon steaks and blueberry pie on the aft deck.  As often happens after a rain, the sunset was spectacular.

Tuesday morning, we left early and headed for Danford’s marina in Port Jefferson, a charming Long Island village surrounded by an enclave of magnificent homes and estates.  The wind was less than 10 kts and the water was smooth.  Of course, there is always something!  Our stern thruster quit working (only two years old) and David had to dock in a narrow slip with little space for turning.  Years of practice paid off and he docked perfectly.  We enjoyed a great dinner at the Danford Hotel restaurant.

Our journey into New York was uneventful as the weather remained favorable.  Charles became very excited as we neared the city and constantly was on his phone and taking pictures.  Cruising down the East River, we saw our friends, John and Maryanne McCormack waving to us from the walkway near 34^th.  Their new condo is located only two blocks away.  

After the Brooklyn Bridge and a salute to Lady Liberty, we turned port off the Hudson River into Liberty Landing Marina, one of our favorite places.  Unfortunately, the two restaurants were closed until the weekend and we had to improvise dinner on the boat.  Prime steaks came from the freezer, small new potatoes in a butter sauce and a pear-Gorgonzola salad made everyone happy as we watched the lighted skyline from the aft deck.

On Thursday, we took the ferry from the marina to Tribeca and then parted ways.  The guys went across town to meet the McCormacks and I taxied to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a day of indulgence in art.  Having earlier learned, the former Trustee’s Dining Room on the fourth floor had a new chef and significant menu changes, I went there for lunch.  The room was serene as always, the service was excellent and my light lunch of yellow tomato gazpacho was delicious.  I was seated where I had a great view of Cleopatra’s Needle, the giant obelisk from Egypt and marveled again at the engineering feat that brought it to Central Park.  I perused the Modern Art galleries (which I had never visited) and then moved in and out among the crowd to find my favorites.

At three o’clock, I taxied to the McCormack's condo on the 34^th floor of a black glass high rise on First Avenue.  As expected, it was magnificent with floor-to-ceiling views of the East River and Downtown Manhattan.  Maryanne had excelled in decorating with tones of gray, white and silver.  Everything was gorgeous and we were awed by the décor and the views.. Carolyn Martin flew in and joined us just in time to leave for dinner.

Dinner was at The River Café, underneath the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn.  We went there by ferry. It is partially located on a barge and the exterior is no impressive but the interior and entrance courtyard are beautiful. Famous for years for its food and views across the river to Manhattan, it was definitely one of the best restaurants we had ever been to in New York.  Entrees were preceded by several exquisite amuses from the chef and the coffee souffle for dessert was a wonderful finale to an exceptional dinner.  David and I said goodbye and took a different ferry to Wall Street, found a taxi and returned to the boat.

Weather predictions for Saturday were not favorable so we planned to leave on |Friday and make our return trip to Wickford in one day.  We left the marina at 5:20 AM and had little traffic on the East River.  Long Island Sound was busy with freighters, fishing vessels and ferries.  Fortunately, there is plenty of depth so we could negotiate the route and stay in the clear.

About 2:00 PM, we realized our auto pilot had failed and then all the steering was gone.  David was reading manuals, checking systems, adding fluid, etc.  After about 30 minutes, we recovered steering but the auto pilot remained a problem.  We were relieved we did not have to call for a tow.

As we neared Block Island Sound, the wind changed and we experienced 3-foot swells which caused some discomfort as we rolled back and forth.  After passing Point Judith and turning into Narragansett Bay, the wind subsided and the waves were light.  Wickford Shipyard’s sign was as welcome sight.  We were home—well, almost!  The fellow we had engaged to meet us and catch our lines was nowhere in sight although he had promised earlier he was on the way.  Fortunately, several fellow boaters dropped everything, ran to us, caught our lines and secured us to the dock.  The guy who was supposed to have helped us never showed.  No matter, we were home after a 13-hour cruise from New York City.

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 7-June 19                North Kingstown, Rhode Island

With no one expected to visit until Charles Martin comes on June 26, we focused on boat chores.  With Rupe’s help and David’s supervision, new surface paint was applied to the bridge and bow areas, engine rooms were cleaned, storage compartments were emptied, no longer useful items were discarded and small repairs were made as needed to the interior and exterior.  The Bottom Line is ready for inspection!

With beautiful, cool weather, we enjoyed a steak dinner on the aft deck with John and Maria Carpenter.  It was an opportunity to renew our friendship from last year and learn more about their interesting professions (she is head of the elementary section of a prestigious private school in Connecticut and John is an entrepreneur who manufactures various objects for industrial clients) and delightful family.  Their knowledge of the local scene is extremely helpful.  Maria has promised to take me shopping at some of her favorite places and I am ready to go!

To our delight and amazement, Wes, the owner of the marina, had a railing constructed and installed on our dock after he learned David was worried I might fall into the water.  No one wants to have to rescue a drenching wet octogenarian who has lost her balance.  The railing is very helpful and I am grateful to have the additional safety feature.

My early morning breakfast and reading session on the aft deck was recently disturbed by the muted voices of several guys in canoes fishing near our boat.  Within a period of less than fifteen minutes, one of them caught three large stripers. Suddenly, other boats were joining in the fun and fishermen were vying for what they hoped would be more stripers.  We regretted Lincoln and Lochlan did not experience such luck when they fished off our dock last week.

We were delighted but not surprised when USA newspaper named Wickford the best small historical town in the United States.  With blocks of well-preserved eighteenth and nineteenth century homes, this small community is truly a jewel of civic pride.  The oldest home is dated 1735 and is a charming little cottage which is still occupied.  George Washington could have slept there!  We love being here.

We enjoy a boat show from our dock as magnificent yachts, small fishing boats and commercial vessels pass by to and from the bay.  For a few days, we had a charming little boat, recently restored, as our dock mate.  

With perseverance, an appointment was finally made with a dog groomer for Pretzel.  Apparently, this profession is highly in demand and we were quoted times in late4 July and August.  Perfect Paws in Wakefield had an opening and we left Pretzel there while we enjoyed a Mexican lunch (with a great frozen Margarita) nearby.  It was delicious food and satisfied our need for an infusion of salsa!  Lisa, the owner of Perfect Paws had four assistants and was swamped with dogs in the process of being groomed.  Pretzel, the smallest dog in the room, survived the chaos and was returned to us beautifully clean and trimmed.

 

 

June 3-June 6                  North Kingstown, Rhode Island

We were excited to have Jackie, John, Lincoln (age 6) and Lochlan (almost age 3) come for a visit.  They flew into Boston, rented a car and arrived at the marina a little after 8:00 P.M.  We had lobster rolls waiting.  Our local supermarket has an exceptional seafood department.  They sell chunk lobster meat which is already out of the shell.  It is expensive but worth it!  No cracking shells, no picking meat and no lobster juice sprayed all over me!  David enjoyed teaching Lincoln how to play dominos.  Lincoln quickly learned the game and won the final match!

On Saturday, we went to the nearby beach and its adjoining playground.  The boys were ecstatic!  After playtime was over, we enjoyed a picnic lunch of fried chicken and all the trimmings.  Reluctantly, we returned to the boat for naps, snacks and fishing on the dock.  We had a late dinner of grilled salmon steaks, potatoes, caprese salad and ice cream. 

John had researched the zoo in Providence and planned a trip.  They left before noon and spent the day enjoying the animals and activities at the zoo.  After retuning and resting, they took the dinghy for a long cruise in the channel.  Dinner was the usual New England feast of lobsters, oysters, clams and corn on the cob.  I had made a blueberry pie for dessert.  We enjoyed long conversations on the aft deck while the boys amused themselves in the salon.

We waved goodbye to them on Monday as they departed for Cape Cod and eventually to Boston.  Always considerate and thoughtful, we found a sweet note and a gift card to a local favorite restaurant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 28-June2               North Kingstown, Rhode Island

Kennedy and Taft’s flight to Rhode Island was canceled on the morning prior to their departure.  Options for other flights were not appealing.  Taft was certain better choices could be made.  With determination and resourcefulness, he finally booked a flight on Saturday morning to Boston.  We chose to have them Uber to the boat rather than drive through heavy traffic to the airport.  They finally arrived at 2:00 P.M. tired and famished.  We sated their hunger with lobster rolls on the aft deck.

Sunday was spent in Newport touring the area and the crowded streets near the historic mansions.  Kennedy and Taft visited (among throngs of others) The Breakers, once home of the very wealthy Vanderbilt family.  Kennedy is a shopper and she scored a homerun with a lovely dress from one of the charming boutiques on Bellevue Avenue in Newport.  After naps on the boat, we went to Narragansett for dinner at The Coast Guard House.  The views of the bay were gorgeous and the food was exceptional. 

Monday was a great day for exploring the shops in Wickford and walking through the neighborhood near the marina.  The rhododendrons were blooming profusely with some plants tall as small trees.  Dinner was on the boat with our standard fare from the nearby seafood market:  steamed lobsters and oysters on the half shell.  With corn on the cob and a blueberry dessert, it was a New England feast.

On Tuesday, Kennedy and Taft slept late, breakfasted on the aft deck and made a long walk to the nearby beach before returning to pack.  We had one more opportunity to let them experience the great seafood of this area.  We enjoyed a late lunch at Blu, a popular restaurant in East Greenwich.  The short trip to the airport in Providence ended their visit to Rhode Island.  We reluctantly said goodbye.  They had been delightful, considerate and fun guests. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 22-May 27                      North Kingstown, Rhode Island

Once again, Mario came early to take us to the airport for our long-awaited flight to Rhode Island.  Following an easy check-in (Pretzel requires a special check-in procedure), we went to the Admiral’s Club and enjoyed the amenities and comfort.  After an hour or so, we leisurely strolled to our gate, joined the line to board and were told our plane was boarding at a different gate in a different terminal.  The change had occurred during the past few minutes.!

We quickly boarded the Skylink, departed at the correct terminal, made our way to the gate and were among the last to board the plane.  Take-off was delayed and we reached Charlotte just in time to again be among the last to board our connecting flight.  Of course, our luggage did not make the transfer and it would be the following day before our bags were delivered.

Rupe met us and we were soon again in the marina looking at our boat, newly waxed, in our new dock position farther from the end position and more protected from wind and chop.  The interior of the boat had been beautifully cleaned but the exterior needed help.  Rupe came the next morning and soon had everything clean and shining.

Multiple trips were made to shop for necessities and extra preparations for Taft and Kennedy’s visit from May 27-May 31.  John, Jackie and their two boys will come on June 3 for a short visit.  We are pleased and excited to welcome them to the boat and Rhode Island.  The rhododendrons are in bloom and the neighborhoods are almost like botanical gardens.  With sunny days and cool weather, plants thrive and reward us with flowers and lush foliage throughout the summer.

 

 

 

 

 

October 5-October 13             North Kingstown, Rhode Island

Our two weeks in France were wonderful!  We had lovely cool, sunny weather, met great people, experienced a pleasant stay in Paris and an exceptional cruise on the Rhone River.  We saw a lot, we did a lot and we learned a lot.  No drama for the entire trip—all went well.  We happily returned home on the afternoon of October 5 and drove through the expected heavy traffic from JFK to Connecticut and then made good time all the way to Wickford and our beautiful boat.  We were delighted to be back!

Rupe had finished varnishing the railings and cleaned the exterior and aft deck.  The refrigerator was working great (due to David’s cleaver improvising several weeks prior0.  Pretzel arrived the following day with a good report from Shannon, her dog watcher.  She immediately ran to David and stayed next to him throughout the evening.

Shannon is a first-year teacher in a challenging seventh grade position.  She has daily “strategy meetings” with administration about behavioral issues.  With thirty-two students in her science classes, she is struggling to focus on teaching and not discipline.  Trans-gender issues are one of her concerns!!!!  Girls are demanding to be treated as boys (with appropriate name changes) and boys are presenting themselves in feminine roles.  These are challenges for psychologists not educators!

Jill and Jerry came on Monday for lunch at Matunuck Oyster Bar.  David and Jerry devoured an assortment of oysters which reputedly come daily from the oyster farm in the channel next to the restaurant.  Afterwards, we returned to the boat for dessert on the aft deck as we watched a lovely sunset in the distance.   Packing has begun and we will leave tomorrow for home. Once again we are thankful for a great summer on The Bottom Line as we look forward to soon being with family and friends in Fort Worth.