Quirky thoughts from an old man.
“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change;
the realist adjusts the sails.”
The photo was taken in Chesapeake Bay in July of 2022 from aboard Adventure captained by Gene B. I think the boat is a reproduction of a 19th century Oyster Dragger. It is now used in the tourist business.
“There are good ships and wood ships
And ships that sail the sea,
But the best ships are friendships,
May they always be!”
The Loopers Toast
“Loopers” are boaters who sail (usually in power boats) around the Eastern US in a “great loop.” Up the East Coast and the Hudson River then through the Great Lakes or Ontario, Canada to Chicago. Then down the Mississippi basin to the Gulf of Mexico. Finally completing the loop by sailing around Florida. The people that do it are self selecting as fun-loving adventurers who like to talk about boats. And when they meet up they have a delicious drink and say this toast. They also introduced me to the term “docktails” a portmanteau of dock and cocktails.
I know about this because my long time friends Gene and Carole B. have the power catamaran you can see, moored outside in the above picture. They have done the Great Loop twice and I have had the good luck to be the last mate on several segments of the trip. It is a wonderful experience, both relaxing and energizing. The photo was taken in Joliet, Indiana a couple of days into our recent trip from Chicago to St Louis.
Other sources call this toast an “Irish Proverb” and they could be right. It can be both and in my mind it is still the Loopers Toast.
“Love many; trust few.
Learn to paddle your own canoe.“
American Proverb
Sweet Dreams on the Intracostal Waterway in Florida.
I love that this one rhymes so casually.
In Irons
Usually a sailing term meaning a failure to come about so that the sails aren’t catching any wind and the boat loses headway. In a non sailing sense it means stuck in a spot where there are no choices that move one forward.
Example: “He was in irons after using all his resources to move to a new town and not finding a job.”
Sometimes prisoners are put “in irons” to prevent them from trying to escape.
“I’m not yelling at you because I’m mad, I’m shouting so you can hear.”
The Captain of an Oyster Dragger. From an interactive exhibit at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Shouting is to speaking like typing in all capitals. Most shouting happens as a way to vent anger based on habit.
“People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy.”
Photo is of Gene and Carole B on a cold morning on the Mississippi River.
Advice for a long journey:
“Think charitably and associate sparingly.”
Also applicable to sheltering in place.
A coal barge on the Tombigbee Waterway is really eight barges tied together. It is pushed by a tug and makes about five knots. The tug captains are a very nice bunch of people who have risen to the top of their trade by being extremely responsible. They can’t understand a word I say over the CB Radio because I don’t speak southern. The cargo they carry is worth at least half a million dollars and most of them never went to college. I have no idea how much money they make but I’d guess they are near the top of the food chain in the transportation business. Continue reading “Barges”
