[TO NARRATIVES AND PHOTOS LIST]
October 5, 1999
Page One
This is Russ's boat, a Tartan 27. Russ sails alone. He has sailed this boat to Ireland, England, the Med, Turkey
and back to the East Coast. We met Russ in a laundromat in Tenants Harbor, ME during a layover
waiting for heavy fog to lift. We both stayed there a couple of days and then moved on. We met again in Mystic
Seaport Museum, CT. Russ walked down the dock having seeing "Silver Heel" from a way off.
He said he had a friend in Niantic, and that contact, George, took some interest in helping cruising sailors.
George, an altruistic person for sure, invited Ellen and myself and Russ over to his beach house.
Lee, his wife, cooked a great dinner. Ellen and I enjoyed a hot shower letting the water run continuously.
This was our first nite's rest in a house since June. We had not been off of "Silver Heels" for three months. After breakfast I got a ride to
the local barber for a haircut and a trip to the supermarket to pick up valued supplies like asparagus,
cantaloupe, and fresh fish. George drove us around and would accept nothing for this. As he left he said "be safe," and he said he
hoped that we cross paths again. There's some sort of comaraderie in this cruising bunch. People part
and meet again repeatedly as they cruise. Each reunion along the way is a friendship
renewal and calls for a dinner, some wine and story telling. I do hope we see Russ and George again.
This is "Silver Heels" at the dock at Mystic Seaport Museum. Resting dockside is a pleasure. We can
easily step ashore, visit the museum, walk to a local grocery store. Here at Mystic Seaport the museum
caters to cruising sailboats if you are a museum member. We're members and thereby receive water,
dockside electricity, showers ashore, laundromat access and admission to the museum anytime. It's now
evening in this Connecticut harbor and about the time our good friends Russ and George (mentioned above)
stopped by. We had some wine, talked boats and went on for a nite's rest at Georges cottage in Niantic.
This view overlooks "Silver Heels" bowsprit to a "real" ship that is part of the Mystic Seaport Museum collection. Behind
the ship on the left side (I don't recall the name) is a whaling ship called the "Charles P. Morgan." You can
see several sailing ships in the distance in this photo nestled around the museum waterfront. This museum
in Mystic is a truly great achievement by the people in this state. In San Francisco things are different.
The Maritime Museum suffers from lack of interest and money. The "Wampama" and "Thayer" are
great West Coast ships that could be featured in the Maritime Museum. They are rotting on the shore in Sausalito.