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Returning ~ The C&D Canal

Motoring into the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal

 

One of the easiest ways to spot the handiwork of man, especially engineers, is to to look for straight lines. Humans love straight lines. Nature, not so much. We think in a linear fashion, prefer to travel that way, even measure time along a single line either forward or back. Simple geometry imparts order and efficiency to our world in a manner we admire with almost spiritual piety: the shortest distance between two points, walk the straight and narrow path, etc.. To the ancient greeks, geometry was indeed an expression of the divine. We don’t even build things out of trees until we’ve sawed them into straight boards. Continue reading “Returning ~ The C&D Canal”

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Returning ~ North from Solomon’s Island

Motoring out of Solomon’s Island

 

Mike jumped ship in Portsmouth, though I could tell he wanted to keep going. We picked up George Doby at the airport on our way back to the boat. George has sailed with Paul several times, and was glad to get a spot on board for the long trip back. He has family near the coast in New Jersey, and planned to stay on for a visit when we got there. Continue reading “Returning ~ North from Solomon’s Island”

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Schooner Race 2011 ~ The Race

Schooners across the horizon

 

 

At 4am, the sky over Baltimore Harbor glows pink and bruised, like dirty cotton candy. It’s foggy and raining, and I am in search of coffee. I find it at a 7-11 which, despite the name, is open all night.

 

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A Short Fall ~ Sailing with T

Aeon at rest after a good run.

 

My desk faces two big windows. In the afternoon, the sun slants across the porch and peeks in. There’s a wisteria vine curtain that waves coyly if there’s any wind, and through the gaps are red and yellow maples that join in, shimmering. Further off still are woods, then mountains, a ripple of blue-greyed horizon, like distant surf. Makes it hard to get work done sometimes.

Tuesday was a beautiful day, a breezy day. I ignored it successfully and regretfully until it was too late to do anything with. Yesterday was much the same, though, and two in a row is just unfair. The Schooner Race posts will just have to wait a bit longer. Terri has her weekends in the middle of the week, so we loaded up Aeon and headed for big water, back to the Chickahominy. (Caesura gets no love until she muscles her way onto the trailer.)

Continue reading “A Short Fall ~ Sailing with T”

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Schooner Race 2011 ~ Parade Video

  Direct Youtube Link

 

Rain. Wind. A tipping and rolling platform. Not exactly ideal conditions for shooting video.

On the other hand, it really gives you a reasonable feel for what it’s like to be on board. Controlled chaos, interspersed with moments of odd tranquility.

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Short Video of the Race Start

Just a quick grab with the phone.

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Chickahominy Sunset Sail

 

Beautiful early autumn days here now, four in a row. We’ve spent them preparing for Winter. One day it was masks and hazmat suits, adding another 8 inch blanket of insulation in the attic. Nasty, dirty, miserable work. The next day, also beautiful, was loading, hauling, unloading, then stacking just over 3 tons of firewood under the porch roof next to the house. We’ll get at least one more ton before we’re done, and the dry wood will be all gone. Sore this morning.

Continue reading “Chickahominy Sunset Sail”