July 16, 2009

Ahoy from Namaste on Judith Point Pond, Rhode Island.

How is everybody? Hope you all are enjoying the fruits of a lovely summer.

A big thanks to Katie, Anne and Sam for a memorable July 4th!

We left Larchmont and family on July 7 and began our trek north. We have anchored in the Norwalk Islands and the Thimble Islands in New York, Mystic River in Connecticut and at present Judith Point Pond in Rhode Island.

We decided to spend the remainder of our time out here on Namaste exploring the beauty of the Cape Cod ponds, rivers, bays, sounds and islands. We enjoy taking our time in the many places we visit. We have been getting out the kayaks and seeing the water sights up close. We continue to keep up with boat projects although at this point we are letting some wait until our return to Deltaville. I have taken lots of time for watercolor. We are enjoying the crisp, cool summer that is New England.

The air gets fresher as we get further from New York. It is good to breathe deeply of this clear, blue air. I have been spending time learning to breathe mindfully, sinking into the inner body and living from that center. Practicing presence. I am learning to surrender thoughts of past and future for a life lived more fully in the present. I am continually amazed by the way mind likes to stick with a program, any program. But the heart is willing to be open to a new experience…so I continue to practice, practice. Both kayaking and painting are great portals into the present moment.

We had a really great time at Mystic Seaport. The museum truly offers the flavor of life in a port village in 1876. There is a full replica of a seaport with market place, bank, a cooper, marine supplies, hardware store and more. We enjoyed reenactments of children’s games, a rescue, and town entertainment. Some number of years ago the museum received a gift of the Charles W. Morgan whaling vessel. It has become one of the central features of the museum. It is on the hard for restoration this year. We were still able to take a tour on this historic vessel.

At present we are enjoying the peace and quiet on Judith Point Pond. The canal entrance to the pond parts the water between the towns of Galilee and Jerusalem. Gives one pause. We are near the town of Wakefield and can dinghy in to get supplies. We met up with Julie and Mark from Rachel while here. We had a lovely dinner on Rachel and met new friends Beep and Ed from Midwatch and Evie and Jack from Distant Star. Beep and Ed have family in Wakefield and Beep spent a morning driving us to the grocery store and showing us her hometown. We have felt very welcomed here on Judith Point Pond.

We are waiting for weather to sail up to the island of Cuttyhunk at the southern tip of the Elizabeth Islands and then on to Martha’s Vineyard for a couple of days. We have a good friend, Malcolm, on the Vineyard and plan to spend some time with him there. We have altered plans to go to Maine for more quality time spent around Cape Cod. We will also head to Peconic Bay to see Pete and Michelle before we head back to the Chesapeake Bay.

We intend to be back in the Deltaville around September 1. At that time we will put Namaste in a slip for two months and head back to Altamont Street. We are hoping to spend as much time as possible on Namaste this fall in the Chesapeake. Knowing that the year is drawing to a close makes it all the more precious. While we both look forward to being home surrounded by family and friends, we value the gift we have here and now on Namaste.

Peace and Love

July 5, 2009

Ahoy from Namaste

How is everybody? Hope you are all well and enjoying summer.

New York! New York! Just like I pictured it. We left Solomon’s Island on Wednesday, June 24 and arrived in New York Thursday, July 2. The last two weeks have just flown by.
Before we left Solomon’s Island we had a lovely evening with friends, old and new, on Namaste. Franci and Bob from Barefootin’, Nura and Russell from Varuna, and Carol, Scot, June and John from Wanderer all joined us for dinner aboard Namaste. We had a great time trading stories and getting to know one another. It was a very special evening. Chris and I also celebrated our anniversary by giving each other kayaks and have been having a great time exploring creeks more intimately than we can in Namaste.

After we left Solomon’s island we anchored in Plaindealing Creek, Selby Bay and Mahogothy Creek. We made plans to meet with friends from 2 other boats, Barefootiin’ and Rachel, to meet on the Sassafras River on June 27th to position for a trip down the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal to Reedy Island, then down the Delaware River to Cape May. From Cape May it is an overnight to Sandy Hook, New Jersey. And then a day trip into New York Harbor, up the East River through Hell’s Gate and into Long Island Sound. At Sandy Hook we called Chris’s brother and sister-in-law in New Rochelle, realizing we could make it to their neck of the sound by the 4th of July.

So a long story short, after nine days of sailing we reached Larchmont and joined our family, including Isaac and Chappell, Katie, our niece and Sam and Anne. We spent Friday on the water playing all day. We got out the kayaks, swam in the harbor, explored in the dinghy, sailed, swung from the halyard (some of us), laughed a lot, and ate wonderful food. We took the Namaste out for a short sail on Saturday the 4th and ended up taking a 6 hour sail, beating our way back just in time to dine at the yacht club and watch the fireworks from Namaste. A very good day!
We intend to do more of the same over the rest of the weekend. It is so good to be in one place and to spend time with family. While we miss and love those that we could not meet up with this weekend we are so happy to love the ones we are with.

Today we do a few chores and then play all afternoon with family. We have another beautiful day!

I think this time I will let pictures tell the rest of the story.

Have a great weekend!

Peace and Love

June 20, 2009

Ahoy from Namaste on Mill Creek, Solomon’s Island

We left Deltaville and Jackson Creek June 16, Tuesday morning after fueling and taking on water. We had a great sail up the Chesapeake Bay to Reedsville, Maryland and Cockrell Creek just off the Great Wicomico River. The wind speed most of the day was 25 knots and we averaged 7 knots SOG (speed over ground). At times we were weaving through lines of crab pots strung like beads along the channel, adding challenge to our travels on the Bay.

We enjoyed a brief tour of Reedsville Tuesday evening. Elijah Reed settled Reedsville in the mid 1800’s and began one of many menhaden processing plants that flourished in the 19th and 20th centuries along the Great Wicomico River. The oil from the menhaden was once used for lamp oil and is now an ingredient in cat food and a vehicle for spray chemicals. At present there is only one plant remaining on Smith Creek and the fleet of 100-foot fishing vessels continues to net and transport fish for processing in Reedsville.

On Wednesday morning we left the mouth of the Great Wicomico River and sailed north to the Potomac River. We anchored on Smith Creek off the north shore of the Potomac, near the Saint Mary’s River. The small cove where we anchored is surrounded by farm and wetland. Herons and osprey kept us company in this pleasant anchorage. We awoke each morning to the “eeeew” call of the osprey and the barking of herons as they searched for fish, frogs and snakes. There were crabs and jellyfish swimming along side Namaste. We also discovered the ripples created by schools of shiners that serve as lunch to the local seagulls and larger fish. We were the only boat in the cove.

On Friday we left our peaceful cove and sailed up to Solomon’s Island on the Patuxent River. Solomon’s Island is a destination for cruising boaters and has it’s own large fleet of sailing and motor vessels. We are anchored on Mill Creek just outside of the village. We plan to be here a few days taking in the sights, catching up with friends we met in the Bahamas and waiting for better sailing weather.

Here too, we are entertained with diving osprey, a patient and watchful white egret, territorial great blue herons, two devoted families of Canadian geese, a green heron and 4 male mallards. This morning I observed a school of shiners springing out of the water visibly evading a predator. The green heron saw the shiners leaping and flew over to a log trailing just above the school of shiners. The heron confidently perched on the end of the log, leaned into the water and snapped up three shiners within moments. The shiners virtually leapt into the heron’s mouth in order to escape their underwater nemesis. Three cownose rays were swimming under the surface of the water scaring up the shiners. I find myself becoming more patient, still, watchful, alert and present, tending to simple needs, learning from my observations of nature.

We have entered a panorama of greens and grays. The water reflects the lush surrounding forest and marshland and the hazy summer sky. I have been enjoying the soft and subtle hues of the land and waterscape on the Chesapeake Bay. We are enveloped in gray green, hunter and sap green, slate blue, paynes gray, umber, sepia, ochre, cerulean. These colors do not dazzle and excite the eye, demanding my attention, as did the aquamarines of the Bahamas. These Bay tints and shades patiently wait for one to become still and take notice. They are muted, softened by their compliments, inviting, embracing, peaceful. I am drawn into the serenity that is to be found here on the Chesapeake.

This time we have living on Namaste is such a gift! I am so blessed to be able to spend it with my best friend and lover. We are both, at once, grateful and fulfilled by this experience. Today is our 28th wedding anniversary. Lucky us!

Peace and Love

June 10, 2009

Ahoy from Deltaville Virginia

It is hard to believe we have been here a week! Where did it go? We left Charleston on Sunday, May 31st and sailed up the coast arriving in Deltaville almost exactly 3 days later on Tuesday, June 2nd.

We saw many huge sea turtles off Cape Hatteras. I saw three turtles swimming together in a large swell off the starboard side of Namaste. They were each about 4 feet in diameter. We also saw a nurse shark basking in the sun. And, we were often greeted by dolphins along the way. At one point a boisterous group of 12 dolphins swam over to greet us before merrily making their way westward.

We were glad to enter the Chesapeake Bay and cross into Virginia. It is so green and lush and bountiful in the spring. I could smell the sweetness of honey suckle and fresh rain in the air as we sailed up the Bay and into the Piankatank River.

Isaac arrived this weekend and we sailed over to Gwynn’s Island and anchored for the night in Stutts Creek. It was great to spend some time with Isaac here on Namaste and then again in Charlottesville. We had not seen Isaac since January and we were so happy to have him here on Namaste and all to ourselves. We drove with him back to Altamont to spend two more nights. Chris was able to accomplish some work and I visited with my sister, Susan, and a few friends. It was great to see family and friends and we look forward to spending more time with everyone in the fall.

We are anchored in Jackson Creek where we began our journey last fall. We have come 3000 miles since then and Namaste has carried us with steadfast grace. We rely on her to shelter and carry us safely anywhere we want to go. She has done far more adding comfort to our journey. She is our muse, transporting us to new places and experiences.

We are enjoying the many birds that dwell on Jackson Creek. We wake to the energetic call of the nesting osprey that inhabit the nearby pilings and channel markers. Ospreys are the only members of a class of diurnal birds who have four toes opposing one another in a two by two fashion. Their wingspan reaches 6 feet. They mate for life and live for 30 years. They can reach a meter down into the water with their talons to catch a fish which they then turn head first as they fly back to the nest to share it with their mate and fledglings. They lay 2 to 4 eggs that hatch every 5 days or so. The first-born has a greater chance of living if food is scarce but they may all survive in times of plenty. There are fledglings in numerous nests at present and many of the females continue to sit on eggs. We enjoy observing all the beautiful birds that inhabit Jackson Creek.

Although we are back at the beginning of our journey, it is not over yet! We will be here a couple more days before we head up the Bay and the Delaware River to Cape May where we will go up the coast to New York. We have learned to say, “we are headed north”, rather than give a destination. We are going where the wind takes us for the summer and then plan to head back to Jackson Creek in mid August. We will keep Namaste in the water until later in the fall so that we can continue to spend time sailing even as we move back into our home and our lives in Charlottesville.

Until later, peace and love.

May 27, 2009

Charleston Maritime Center Marina

Sometimes when I look back at the previous blog in order to begin the next entry, I find myself laughing aloud. I seem to have a predilection for prediction. I envisage such events as we are leaving next week, or we are making a stack pack for the mainsail, and we are headed to this or that location. And here, now, I again find liberation in the realization that life and plan are a dance choreographed to constantly changing rhythms. Better to go with the flow than resist the greater energies at play. So, we are remaining in Charleston yet one more week. We are having a great time here. We are also awaiting a new pump for the autopilot and a new credit card since the other was compromised. We shall see what rhythms await the dancers this week.

I told Chris yesterday that I believe we must have needed a good dose of terra firma when we arrived in Charleston. Life at the dock is like having a condo on the water. If we stay here much longer we will be as mangroves floating above the water on a flood of bent, leggy roots.

The weather in Charleston has added excitement and variety to an otherwise stationary experience on Namaste. This morning it is calm and cloudy. The water across the harbor looks like a wet, gray slicker. Two nights ago we had a torrent of rain and thunderstorms. Last week it blew 30 to 35 knots consistently for 6 days. At one point we saw 41 knots here at the dock. The water in this modest marina was roiling and Namaste was bucking and rocking with the incoming waves. Hence we did not remove the mainsail to get started on the stack pack. We did take some time yesterday to give Namaste a good rub down.

We have been enjoying the annual Charleston arts festival, Piccolo-Spoleto. Marion Park is filled with painters exhibiting their work for the next 10 days. Wragg Park contains craft artists and daily demonstrations in everything from ceramics and basketry to woodcarving. Local businesses have opened their doors to become temporary galleries for these talented South Carolina artists. This week we hope to catch some of the performance art, perhaps a good comedy or a tango production. A walk to Waterside Park to hear a jazz band is not to be missed.

As you can imagine Charleston Harbor is a hub of shipping and boating activity. Across the bay we view a sailboat regatta every weekend. Powerboats zip up and down the channel. Shrimp and fishing boats come and go on their seasonal pursuits. Just south of the marina is a dock for cruise ships and car carriers. To the north lies a dock for container ships. Both the car carriers and the container ships require tugboats to help them turn and negotiate the channel. The tugboats circle the ships in the harbor just outside the marina. We always enjoy watching these small, powerful tugs push the megaton ships through a 180-degree arc and then escort them out the channel or rest them gently aside the dock.

While we have enjoyed being in Charleston we are also beginning to yearn for a good sail and a quiet, pastoral anchorage. One of the things I most love about living on the boat is the ability to move our home from one place to another as we choose. This month we enjoy the life of the city, next week a more pastoral setting. And so it goes until we return to Charlottesville in the fall.

Peace and Love

May 18, 2009

Ahoy from Namaste in Charleston,

Yes, we are still here in Charleston and plan to be here for another week. I probably would not write, except for a friends urging, as there is not much news. I think we must just be catching up with ourselves. So here we be.

We rested the first few days. We are enjoying Chappell and Betsy’s company. We ordered the new fluxgate compass, sent the 2 autopilot hydraulic pumps off to be rebuilt and found a new WiFi system that is compatible with my Macbook. I am able to walk to the art store, and there found some new brushes and white gouache. I also found some great books on watercolor. Generally speaking, we are back in the world of availability.

My senses are electrified with so much stimulation. There are the many sights of city life on the water: the store fronts, restaurants, streets, cars, bikes, horse and carriage, electric lines, container ships, tugboats, docks, throngs of people. A constant cacophony of horns, sirens, marina partying in the form of music and laughter, the Carolina Belle’s engine, folks coming to fill their tanks with diesel, a multitude of birds, high winds, waves lapping at the dock fills the air. The fragrance of Carolina jasmine and privet permeates my every breath.

It did not take long to return to a nature infused state of being when I arrived in the Bahamas. With one long exhale I was able to let go of the vast array of human made stimuli in return for a breath of simplicity. I am really glad to be closer to family and friends and the conveniences offered here. I am also acutely aware of the challenge presented to the senses through constant stimulation. I must continue to seek stillness through other paths.

I found a great book called the Tao of Watercolor by Jeanne Carbonetti. She incorporates her practice of Tai Chi and her understanding of The Tao-te Ching into her practice of painting. Using the principles of beginner’s mind, centering, balance, deliberateness, playfulness, flow and effortlessness she introduces the practitioner to the work that is play of watercolor. I am having fun! I am reminded of the Montessori guiding principle that through the play of the child is found the work of the child. I am in my element.

Chris and I have taken time to walk the beautiful and historic streets of downtown Charleston. We have visited many of the local art galleries and the vibrant city market. Chappell, Chris and I drove out to see Angel Oak, a 1500-year-old live oak tree just outside of Charleston. It is reportedly the oldest thing, living or man-made, east of the Rockies. It is 65 feet tall and has an overall diameter of 160 feet. It was an honor to stand before this bearded giant.

We continue to love being here at the Charleston Maritime Center Marina. We have a beautiful view of the Charleston Harbor and all the coming and goings of cruise ships, container ships and the huge car carriers. I love watching as the tugboats guide these behemoths to and from port. The Carolina Belle takes parties of people on harbor tours, the Spirit of Charleston introduces students to the experience of sailing. We are meeting many folks who are also just returning from the Bahamas and heading north for the summer.

We still hope to make our stack pack for the mainsail this week. We are not sure whether we will take the waterway up the coast or go “outside”. Outside is our preference at this time so we will be watching for a weather window early next week. We have also not decided whether we will get to New York via The Bay or on the outside. We shall see.

Until later

Peace and Love

Nassau to Charleston

May 6, 2009

Ahoy from Charleston!

How is everyone? Hope you are all well.

In one breath we let go of the vision, though not the memory, of the clear blue and green seascape that filled our days and dreams in the Bahamas. In the next breath we take in the sweetness of spring blossoming and the sonorous bird song that greets us this balmy morning in Charleston.

We left Nassau Saturday morning and sailed up the Northwest Providence Channel, out into the Atlantic, entering the Gulf Stream just east of Palm Beach. We had a south, southwest wind the whole way up the coast and the seas were behind us. We had our best sail day on Monday while riding the Gulf Stream and we made good speed all the way. There were times when the rocking motion of Namaste became tiresome as we quartered the swells. We were somewhat concerned with the noise that revealed air in the hydraulic system for the steering. All in all the entire trip was smooth and we arrived here in Charleston tired and in good spirits.

The highlight of our trip from Nassau was a joyous performance by two bottlenose dolphins that joined us Tuesday morning. For easily 45 minutes they performed acrobatic feats in the waves around us. This couple swam in serpentine unison before the bow. They leapt, performed a half twist and slapped their fins, before diving back into the water. They swam out and rode the following waves, darting from one wave to next catching more lift. They leapt clear out of the water and showed us their beautiful pink bellies. Every so often they would swim on their sides and look up at us; it seemed they wanted to make sure we were still watching, although I believe this was an exercise in pure play. At one point two more dolphins joined them and together they continued this spontaneous burst of energy. We learned to tell them apart, the smaller one, the one with the darker skin, more speckles, and the one with the tag-like thing on its fin. We were held mesmerized and delighted by this dazzling display. And then they were gone, first one, and then after a last burst of activity the other dolphin disappeared back into the vast, blue ocean before us. What a treat! What a gift! We felt like we had briefly connected with these amazing, intelligent mammals of the sea. These are the events that make up the memories.

Living in the Exumas over the last several months without the distractions, habits and strictures of our lives in Charlottesville has given us both much time to travel inward. I am not sure that I can put into words yet the ways in which I see my perceptions, actions and beliefs changing as this journey is still in motion. I do know that I have learned that I am braver than I believed. I am becoming more flexible, more agile in my thinking, and my responses to events. I am practicing bringing my awareness and attention to the only moment with true meaning, the one that is now. As I reread this paragraph I am drawn to the words “still in motion”. I am learning to find the stillness that is at the center of all the motion and commotion I perceive and create around me. This continues to be my central endeavor on this journey. I often view my life as a work in progress and this year continues to bring unexpected and abundant gifts.

And now here we are in Charleston. Do I feel culture shock after 4 months on mostly uninhabited Islands in the Bahamas? Yes, to some extent this is true. But this is my culture and I am glad to be back in the fold of the familiar. I can’t help having this thought though: I want all this to stick, this wild, wide open, rocky, blue- green, resilient, sunny, warm, peaceful, fluid experience. I want to be sure that this experience has united with my being. I think I have been able to drink deeply enough of this experience to have made it part of my being. I hope so.

I did not take pictures of the amazing performance by the two dolphins. That experience is committed to memory. I am including pictures of a group of dolphins that joined us on Monday for a while. It is always a treat to see a group of dolphins change course and approach Namaste. The other pictures are taken as we were leaving Nassau and then underway up the coast.

Peace and Love