Category: Nature

Tom’s Bloody River – Friday June 14

Dragged anchor in the night, found myself up against a megayacht at zero dark thirty in something North of a gale.

 The captain came up and graciously moved his gin palace while I fended off, both in our PJ’s.  Fifty degrees and soaking wet, I think these are called retirement benefits.

 We had to move and re-anchor as we were too close into the shore, so I spent the next few hours on “Anchor Watch “ to make sure we were OK.  I finally turned in at daybreak (about five thirty), by then the wind was dropping.

 Surprisingly, I did not take the camera on this adventure so the written transcript will have to suffice.

The rest of the day was a non-event, except for the strange repetitive noise heard emerging from the bilge, about noon I finally tracked it down to a malfunctioning bilge pump.  I replaced it with one of the spares onboard and all was quiet by one pm.

All these spare parts were somewhat mocked by person who shall be nameless (why do you need five toolboxes?) but when needs must…….

 Fast asleep by 8:30 pm.  More tomorrow.

Tom’s River -Wednesday June 12

Still hanging on the hook, winds of alarming velocity, today we were planning to take the dinghy ashore for provisions (beer is getting down to panic levels) but could not find a time where launching it into the water was an option rather than having it go airborne.

A brave group of lads were about earlier, when the wind was still somewhere short of gale force, they rigged one of the local cat boats and did two terrifying tacks across the river.

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Tom’s River – Tuesday June 11

Still here as expected, looks like a series of gales going through from the West.

Windy but dry for now so I took the opportunity to put another patch on the dinghy just to be sure.

Saw a big sailboat in a slip nearby, the Nina looks like a large schooner rigged wooden boat.

Port of registry is Baltimore Maryland, so she’s just as far from home as we are.

Nina c s

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Tom’s River

Sunday June 9

Still inside today but good progress, made it from Atlantic City to Tom’s River (north end of Barnegat Bay)  Probably all we could have done offshore and a lot easier on the boat, probably about 70 miles (as the crow might do it) more for us given all the twists and turns of the ICW.

 The boat is now home so to speak, Marine Traders were sold out of Bay Head New Jersey, just up the river from here.

 Not many pictures today, forgot to take the camera up top this morning, so just these two of Tom’s River (officially it does not rate an apostrophe but it should).

A few classic sailboats

Image

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Winter

PORT Elizabeth shivered as the temperature plunged to an icy low of 1.9°C yesterday – the lowest temperature recorded in the city in five years.

In August 2008, the mercury plummeted to a freezing -0.7°C, according to the SA Weather Service’s Garth Sampson.

The cold and snow experienced in large parts of the Eastern Cape at the weekend and yesterday were, however, expected to clear this week, with temperatures in the mid-20s predicted.

Today’s minimum in Port Elizabeth was expected to be about 7°C, with a high of 23°C.

(From the front page of my E.P. Herald yesterday.)

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Fantasticks June

I had not forgotten, just got a little behind with my homework this month.

Here is June from that strange work, Fantasticks, by Nicholas Breton, first published in 1626 and out of print for many a long year. I have been altruistically (lovely word) copying it out, month by month, since, when was it?

The word Bagge below means wine-skin, and I am told that a Tassell is a male hawking bird of some kind. Perhaps someone else could tell me exactly what kind.

JUNE

It is now June and the Hay-makers are mustered to make an army for the field, where not alwayes in order, they march under the Bagge and the Bottle, and betwixt the Forke and the Rake, there is seene great force of armes: Now doth the broad Oke comfort the weary Laborer, while under his shady Boughes he sits singing to his bread and cheese: the Hay-cocke is the Poore mans Lodging, and the fresh River is his gracious Neighbor: Now the Faulcon and the Tassell try their wings at the Partridge, and the fat Bucke fils the great pasty: the trees are all in their rich aray: but the seely Sheep is turned out of his coat: the Roses and sweet Herbes put the Distiller to his cunning, while the greene apples on the tree are ready for the great bellied wives: Now begins the Hare to gather up her heeles, and the Foxe lookes about him, for feare of the Hound: the Hooke and the Sickle are making ready for harvest: the Medow grounds gape for raine, and the Corne in the eare begins to harden: and the little Lads make Pipes of the straw, and they that cannot dance, will yet bee hopping: the Ayre now groweth somewhat warme, and the Coole winds are very comfortable: the Sayler now makes merry passage, and the nimble Foot-man runnes with pleasure: In briefe, I thus conclude, I hold it a sweet season, the senses perfume and the spirits comfort.

Farewell.