The small (27') sailboat that I own ("Bon Copain") is moored in Newport
harbor. I will spend the remainder of the summer living on and sailing
the boat.
******
A WANDERER'S SONG
A Wind's in the heart of me, a fire's in my heels,
I am tired of brick and stone and rumbling wagon-wheels;
I hunger for the sea's edge, the limits of the land,
Where the wild old Atlantic is shouting on the sand.
Oh I'll be going, leaving the noises of the street,
To where a lifting foresail-foot is yanking at the sheet;
To a windy, tossing anchorage where yawls and ketches
ride,
Oh I'll be going, going, until I meet the tide.
And first I'll hear the sea-wind, the mewing of the gulls,
The clucking, sucking of the sea about the rusty hulls,
The songs at the capstan in the hooker warping out,
And then the heart of me'll know I'm there or there-
about.
Oh I am tired of brick and stone, the heart of me is sick,
For windy green, unquiet sea, the realm of Moby Dick;
And I'll be going, going, from the roaring of the wheels,
For a wind's in the heart of me, a fire's in my heels.
-- John Masefield
******
I will be sailing mostly singlehanded this summer and look forward to some
solitude. I will not have (among other amenities, like refrigeration) a
telephone, a computer, or a television. I will, therefore, be basically
unreachable. I expect to return to New York City (and my computer) in
early September.
During the initial period, I will be sailing mostly in and around Newport.
After I gain some more experience sailing and living aboard the boat, I
anticipate longer sails to other sections of Narragansett Bay and passages
to Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Cape Cod, Block Island (and elsewhere). At
the end of the summer I am tentatively planning on sailing the boat to the
New London area and arranging for winter storage there.
Of course, I will be traveling with a vacation supply of medications
(newer members may not know that I had, at age 43, a near fatal heart
attack on 8/28/97) and will be making an effort to maintain my (low-fat,
low-cholesterol, low-sodium) diet and exercise. Since the attack I have
been getting stronger and stronger and now feel very confident that I will
make a complete recovery. Once again, I thank all who have expressed
concern over my health. In a way, I view this trip as therapy.
The list, as explained before, will be essentially steered by "autopilot"
this summer. If you have any problems receiving mail, try sending a
message to <listproc@galaxy,csuchico.edu> which reads:
SET OPE-L MAIL ACK
If that doesn't work, you'll have to either check-out the WWW archives or
arrange with another listmember for the forwarding of messages. I
apologize in advance for any inconvenience that this causes listmembers.
Look for me where the Ocean meets the Sky.
Take care.
In solidarity, Jerry