A Three Hour Tour. er' Voyage

Spontaneity hasn't exactly been my mode of operation these past 8 years, but, well you know, sometimes you just gotta go with the flow.

Spent the better half of my day off yesterday on a mini-voyage on the Atlantic with Ron (Retired in Delaware) and his visiting buddy/reader from Toronto, Patrick. It was most enjoyable and relaxing. (Click on any image to embiggen, if you wish.)

Ron (the dear) and I were "face-timing" last week when he told me of his expected guest and his idea for the morning Pirate cruise on the Kalmar Nyckel (Delaware's Tall Ship home-docked in Wilmington, but here for the month of August) on Tuesday, the 20th.  Since it was my regular day off, he asked me to join them.  Not sure what the schedule would be for this week, I begged off until the schedule was posted on Saturday morning.  

Ron arrived at the restaurant with Pat in tow Saturday afternoon to confirm my status for this event.  It was a go, and I was excited. I had visited the ship a few times when it docked in Lewes, mostly for the tour and the lectures about the original ship's history. I had never dreamed of going out to sea on her.  Ron made the reservations for the three of us and we were good to go.

We met at the dock yesterday morning about an hour before boarding, to take pictures of the lovely and graceful ship. 

Ron, Mary, and me.

Just before boarding, I recognized one of the volunteer crew members.  It was an old friend from my church days.  Mary was the only farrier in lower Delaware for years and she finally gave up the business about 9 years ago.  She joined the crew of the KN about a year ago, and I watched her scooting up the rigging like a very agile squirrel.  Mary and her partner were the first to marry in Sussex County DE, when it became legal.  She's a great gal.  It was wonderful to see her so happy, so alive, and so in love with the Kalmar Nyckel. As you can see in the pic, she is wearing her rigging gear and was happy to see me. 

Johann giving 1600's safety instruction.  

Shortly after boarding, we were summoned for the usual safety talk only this one was geared toward the 16th century safety issues and most everyone listened carefully, so they knew where specific items were kept and could be retrieved in emergencies.

The day was perfect for sailing, though the wind was only about 10mph.  The diesel engine got us out to the bay and sails were set, the engine cut and we glided into the Atlantic.  What a joy for me.  There was story-telling for the kids, historic info for us all.  There was even a story about how pirates attempted to claim the ship, but turned out to be an epic FAIL.

Pat was a delightful conversationalist, Ron began to get a bit seasick until we got him to the railing to focus on the horizon.  He got better almost immediately. 

The winds died down to that the diesel engines had to be revived to bring us back to dock. All went smoothly and by 1:30 pm, we were disembarking and searching for a place to grab a bite to eat.  Ron had read a review of a new place opened at the terminal called "On The Rocks" so we meandered in that direction, found  stools in the shade and perused the menu. The review had been a good one, but I didn't find anything that I was willing to give up my sea-belly to on such short notice.

I ordered a draft beer (which came in a plastic cup, ew!!!) while Ron and Pat ordered munchies and we sat and talked about the experience of the morning.  My beer was piss-warm by the third sip and the munchies ordered by the guys were inedible and ultimately tossed into the trash. The service had been crappy, as well, so I made a note to let the "Rehoboth Foodie" know he got this one terribly wrong. 

In the parking lot, after a few good hugs, we went our separate ways, Patrick promising to keep in touch - maybe even start a blog of his own - and I drove home to the music of Janis Joplin.

The rest of the day was relaxed and quiet.  If you live anywhere on the mid-Atlantic coast, give yourself a treat and visit this magnificent vessel, take a short cruise, if you can.You will always remember the charm, glow, and relaxation of the experience.

And so it goes.