Three more boats. Well, really four, but one doesn’t count. Susurru is a grand old 44 Kelly Peterson resurrected by her owner from a field. Adding everything himself to get her ready for a circumnavigation, the owner and his wife set out from San Diego a few years back. They went through the Panama Canal and headed east, but due to family illness docked in St Marys, Georgia. In speaking with the owner on the phone, we could tell that he’d put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this vessel. But after sitting for a couple of years, she was now in sad shape. I’ve learned that boats are meant to be sailed – not to lay around. Sort of like hunting dogs who, when they spot a bird, chase it. It’s in their bones. So it goes with the bones of boats. Must sail.
Back in Ft. Lauderdale, we saw a Moody that we liked except inside it was too dark – not enough ventilation and portholes, a necessity in the tropics. In Palm Coast we saw a Freedom 45, which is unique with its carbon fiber mast, so no stays (wires that go from the deck to nearly the top of the mast to hold it steady which double as good supports to grab onto while walking up the deck when it’s roll-y). Dave, at first, winced when he heard of this system, but, leaving no stone unturned, we had a look. Though she was intriguing, she didn’t grab us. What did grab us, however, was the boat in the next birth, a 43 Bristol. She reminded us of the first boat we saw, beautiful Cynosure, a 47 Bristol. Esconditas had the same excellent Bristol features but in a more compact layout. The price is quite reasonable and the owner is motivated, so the big question is – is it too small?
We mulled over this question over crab cakes, broiled flounder, fried okra and our first hush puppies – incredibly tasty deep fried lumps of dough. Afterwards we wandered around St. Augustine, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the US, beautifully illuminated with strands of white lights that gave it an ancient magical feel. The next morning I awoke before dawn and walked over the Bridge of Lions into the historic section. It was misty and quiet in the town square where I saw the oldest monument to the Spanish government dated 1812. The masonry in nearby 19th Century buildings included bits of sea shells and gravel. I love to touch these walls and think about the hands that built them 200 years before. I also touched the iron cannons that guarded the former fort during the Civil War. So much history here. In the late 1800s, two grand hotels were built by businessmen as a destination for wealthy Northerners. One now houses a museum and the other a college. This building is noted as the first poured concrete building in the US. I looked for cracks, having just been through the drama of a cracked concrete foundation. I saw a few, but the building has been standing for well over a hundred years, and it’s huge, so I think it’s good. The added ornamentation makes it a stunning building.
Another enchanting aspect of St. Augustine is the waterway. On one side of the bridge, sailboats and trawlers are docked at the marina, and anchored out on the other side are several sailboats. As I walked over the bridge, in the dawn’s early light, I stopped to watch a sailboat backing out of a slip while the owner of the boat in the next slip stood on the dock directing with hand signals. The captain slowly motored out of the marina while his wife attended to the lines. They waved good-bye to their neighbor who waved back, then stood for several moments watching the couple go. Who knows how long their acquaintance had been, but because it was more than just a moment, I could tell that they’d made a connection and cared about each other. I imagined myself and Dave going through this very thing – making connections, waving good-bye, venturing to new places, and on.
Now we are in St. Marys, Georgia and I have one word: shrimp. Dave had shrimp in marinara sauce over angel hair pasta, and I had shrimp and scallops in lemon and chardonnay also over angel hair pasta. There was, however, nothing shrimpy about he serving, not the usual California miniscule serving, but a Georgia gigantic bowl. It was deliciously savory, and we look forward to enjoying it again for brunch. We’ll explore St. Marys today and make plans to see a couple of more boats in the area.
Oh, and yesterday we may have found THE boat...more to follow!
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