MIK's shoestring tour of the USA.

[Boatmik]

The boats are all wrapped in white plastic!

[callsign222]

Welcome to New England. I grew up just a few miles north of the RR bridge you'll take to cross the Connecticut River. How rad!

[MiddleAgesMan]

Boats in white plastic?

At Mystic, or the MOMA?

[PAR]

Yes, the white plastic is an unfortunate happenstance of northern living. It's those damned Winter Canadian Pigeons (of course it had to be the Canadians). They migrate up from the warm confines of the south and roust about all winter long (they're a confused lot). Their droppings, which can be rather extensive, wide spread and quite destructive to paint and varnished surfaces, must be protected against or your yacht will have acid like burns all over it come spring. They're hell beasts and many efforts have been devised over the years to eradicate the nasty things. I know that I enjoyed the WCP hunts each fall when I was a lad living in the northern climates. We'd lie in wait around a sacrificial, uncovered derelict boat with chain saws, sling shots, shot guns, you name it, as any ammo was good ammo. We'd down them by the score, but to little avail, they're just to prolific at reproduction. A not long lived effort was made, a few years ago, to import cats to eat the eggs, possibly stopping the breeding cycle and killing off the dreaded bastards. Unknown to folks at the time, was a long standing non-aggression pact between cats and the WCP. It seems this had been thought of previously, with much carnage and both sides taking heavy loses, it was agreed that cats and WCP would live in respect of each other from then on (damn lawyers). The northern areas now have a huge, fat cat population as a result of the lazy, non-bird chasing fir balls lounging about with nothing meaningful to do. It's a blight on northern societies and one of the main reasons I moved south. A man can only take so much, besides, I got beavers . . .

[StephenR]

One learns so much on this forum - and not always about boats! I am trying to picture you hunting pidgeons with a chain saw. Sitting by a canal side in Scotland when I was a youth, with the rain dripping down the back of your neck while you wait for a roach all of 0.5lb in weight to pull the float down seems pretty tame in comparison!

Steve

[Boatmik]

For once, for the very first time I think Par is making it up or has been sniffing too many of the feathers in his eiderdown.

For me it has all the hallmarks of the work of the artist Christo who came to Australia to cover Little Bay at the south end of the Sydney Coastline with a million square feet of plastic.



This one is even called "Dockside packages" and is in Cologne.



The stuff here is better quality and is like shrink wrap

MIK

[Boatmik]

Today I am going to mystic seaport.



If you have never been jealous of my so far, this is the time to start.

Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea : Plan Your Visit

I really thought there was ZERO chance of getting here ... ever!

By the way there are new photo sets up on flickr
boatmik's photosets on Flickr

MIK

MIK

[tomtre]

Mik,
I am jealous.
That place has been on my must go to list for many years.
Enjoy it for me please

Tom

[Boatmik]

Well ... 600 or so photos later ...

It was pretty good. Not quite as good as I expected as there was no way of accessing the main collection. But was fine and quite interesting.

I need to sort through the pics, write something on most of them and get them up.

But for those who don't know the
Sailing the Raid In Texas
Lake Conroe Messabout
Visit to the Kennedy Space Centre
Visit to the Museum of Modern Art

Are all up. http://www.flickr.com/photos/boatmik/sets/

The gap is down to less than a week ... sigh .. actually only 4 days!

[CCBB]

I'd like to point out that Michael helped hand out candy to trick-or-treaters at our house while we had the kids out. Either we had a lot of trick-or-treaters or MIK was hungry because the bowl is empty!

We've had a nice time having MIK in Maine. Only a few days left. Today was the talk and messabout. We were having so much fun rowing and sailing and capsizing that we drew a small crowd of onlookers. Pics soon.

Clint

[PAR]

Has someone up there thought to call Matt or Carl over at WoodenBoat Magazine to see if they have time for a quick talk? Maybe the other way around and driving Michael over the Brooklin (I know it's a long drive)?

[Boatmik]

Howdy Paul,

Zooting up to Brooklin today - Carl has been chasing me all over the USA ... or since Texas anyhow. I am squeezing this into the last couple of days before I race down to Boston for my flight out on Wednesday. Am on the Greyhound to Bangor, inland of Brooklin exactly now (nice they have Wi-Fi)

Carl (Cramer - publisher) is picking me up - bless his cotton socks!

MIK

[CCBB]

PAR, I had that exact thought but Carl got to us before we could get to our phones/computer. I hope MIK gets mileage out of WB.

Clint

[Boatmik]

MIK is sitting in the Woodenboat library reading a Rudder Magazine article by Francis Herreshoff from 1949.

All his Christmases have come at once!

[PAR]

You'd think they'd have something a little more current then a 60 year old Rudder magazine to chew on while they wait to entertain you . . .