Bud Taplin

This is Eric and Bud Taplin at the Westsail Rendezvous this past weekend. Bud is a famous figure in the Westsail world. He was general manager for the company in the 1970s and can tell the true story behind the production of the one boat that is credited with popularizing the cruising lifestyle. He is the go-to person for technical advice, assistance, and hard-to-find materials. During the Saturday boat visits, Bud had lunch with us in our little 28 and over ham sandwiches shared a little bit about his grandchildren and life as it is sans boats. He's a down-to-earth guy and we're pleased to have spent time with him.

Herrington Harbour North

Eric and I are currently tied up to Herrington Harbour's haul-out dock and will be pulling Clementine out of the water later this week for winter storage and heavy-duty maintenance, to include waterproofing and painting the hull, making repairs to the rudder, and polishing up the teak.

Herrington Harbour North has an enormous boat yard, resort-like amenities, and on-site expertise. The photo above is from their website and accurately depicts our surroundings. It was a no-brainer decision to stay here after we figured out how to take the 902 commuter bus back and forth to DC.

The challenge in these small parts, however, is to find food and supplies without the benefit of a car. West Marine is nearby; there's a decent hardware store around the corner, and after a lot of trial testing, we have decided that the South County Cafe is our best bet for food and the Happy Harbor our most interesting choice for local flavor. I'll keep posting as the cold weather approaches and Eric's real work begins.

Westsail Rendezvous

Yesterday was Eric's 50th birthday. I left work early and met him in Deale, MD, where the Westsail "rondy" is taking place. There were appetizers on the dock and then we met Bud Taplin and approximately 20 other Westsail owners for dinner at the Calypso Cafe. Coincidently, Eric's boat purchase went through a year ago on his birthday, and now one year later, we had the pleasure of meeting the sailors behind Legend, Full Circle, Namida, Caprica, Melissa Claire, Bravura, and Odyssey.

At day break, Eric and I took a walk for coffee. We ran into this on the way. That's a lot of signage! Do you think they sell beer? I bought a small chair at a yard sale for $20. One of the other boaters has experience refinishing furniture and tells me the chair is mahogany, has authentic ceramic casters, and was probably made in the 1920s. All in all, a good bargain. It was a full day of boat visits, talks, and still more food. They are now showing the film The Perfect Storm so we can catch a glimpse here and there of the one boat that made it: Satori; but, instead of watching we are all cozied up inside Clementine.

the trip begins ...

Eric is on his way to Deale, MD, to meet up with some other Westsailers. (It's a rendezvous, you know, a prearranged meeting place, especially an assembly point for troops or ships.) That's him motoring off this morning after we filled up the water jugs and fuel tank, loaded the boat down with food, and said our goodbyes. I won't be able to join him until next week.

So while I was making my way home via water taxi and bus, he was dodging crab pots and storm debris; and now, while he's anchored down for the night at Mathias Point Neck, I am settling in to watch all of those movies he has no interest in seeing. I miss you, Eric!

Water, Water, Everywhere

So, for two days, it did nothing here in the WDC area but rain buckets, several inches per hour, eleven or more total. These photos show places normally dry. The top two were taken outside of my office. The picnic tables are submerged almost up to the benches. The bottom two are of the marina at the start of high tide. The ducks are swimming in land and have a whole new cruising ground. Roads were flooded, schools were closed, and people were tubing down main intersections for entertainment. At this rate, after a hurricane, an earthquake, and now a tropical storm, I wonder what kind of a winter we will have.

Asia

Today is Asia's birthday! She is 9 years old now and Maya's little sister. This pic was taken on Friday night when we treated her to the restaurant of her choice - Chipoltle - followed by another more sophisticated celebration at Petit Plats on her actual b-day.

Asia is a dancer and also likes to ride horses. She has a mind of her own and has decided that she will not eat red meat because she LOVES cows and pigs. Asia has a great appreciation for all things beautiful and, best of all, finds pleasure in making people laugh.

These pics were taken earlier in the evening. I am completely devoted to her.