An Ordinary Rock

Kinneberg country school

my mother on the left with Miss Ovestrud

Well, here’s another bit of American history that I had wrong.  I learned about Plymouth Rock in grade school, a one-room country school for grades one through six with ten other students. I had the same school teacher that my older brother and sisters had— Miss Geneva Ovestrud.  I loved her.

example of early buildings

History class, for the two of us in my grade, was to go up and sit at the Big Table with Miss Ovestrud where we were to narrate the chapter of history that we had just read.  It wasn’t okay to fudge and say, “they” or “he” did this or that.  “Who was ‘they’?” she’d ask.  The whole story was important.  Frankly, I was pretty good at it.  Perhaps, that is why this whole thing came as a bit of a shock to me.

The Pilgrims and Plymouth Rock.  Everybody knows that the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, right?  Except that they really didn’t land there first. Sigh. Sadly, the Mayflower was way off course, having intended to sail to Virginia to join the Jamestown charter granted by the King of England.  

headland outside Plymouth Harbor

The first land the Mayflower folks saw and set foot on was Cape Cod. It was late November and they were too far north. The sailors scouted around for a while and by December 1620 chose the place they would call home. They named it Plymouth, after Plymouth, England.

History of Plymouth includes Massasoit assistance to survive

So, who were these Pilgrims?  We all know that they came over seeking religious freedom and that they wore primly starched clothes.  I should have been suspicious just by the drawings of white caps, collars and leggings.  Even I knew as a child that you don’t go mucking around outdoors wearing white clothes!  And by the time those poor Pilgrims arrived on this continent, they were no doubt, very dirty and definitely lacking starch. 

replica of Mayflower

The Pilgrims came from England, right?  Well, yes and no.  I would now prefer to call them by what I think is a more appropriate term, the Separatists.  They did not see that the Church of England, the Anglican Church was capable of changing in the direction that their beliefs led them. Therefore, they wanted to separate from the Church of England.  BUT, they did not immediately just give up on the entire continent of Europe and strut off in a huff. 

home of early settler

They first moved to Holland which was more tolerant of religious differences than England was in that day.  It was an improvement, but still not good enough.  Holland was fairly urban, even back then, and these religious people were agrarian.  Even more problematic was that their little Pilgrim offspring were coming home speaking Dutch and acting very “Dutch-like.”  Clearly, they had to get farther away…….from the Dutch.  

Even Pilgrims had forts.   

So, they gathered together, one hundred and one of them. They went back to England to board a couple of English ships to the New World.  Unfortunately, one ship came up lame, and so they all packed themselves onto the one tiny ship, the Mayflower.  And here’s another surprise. The bulk of them were NOT Separatists at all!  There were only 31 of that ilk. All the others were laborers and sailors endorsed by the Crown to establish what should have been the second colony of settlers in Virginia.  It was only faulty navigation that put them elsewhere. 

Plymouth Rock

In my child mind, Plymouth Rock was an enormous boulder.  How else could a whole shipload of people get onto it?  The size of the Rock was never a specific point of discussion up at the Big Table, but I was pretty sure we were talking about a monstrous rock. I was wrong.  The rock that we have been calling Plymouth Rock for the past few hundred years is really not that big.  Furthermore, the top of it has been chiseled away from the bulk of the rock by a group of well-meaning folks so that it could be moved to a more convenient location.  No, no, no, no, NO! That was just wrong. 

The "home" of Plymouth Rock

The bigger issue to me, however, has to do with the identification of the specific rock.  Again, in my child imagination, the people got off the Mayflower and stood on this humongous rock and someone said something historic, like, “This (giant boulder) shall be called Plymouth Rock.”  Nope, that never happened.  In fact, they probably got off the boat and said, “Praise the Lord, we are shed of that boat ride from hell.”  As far as we know, there was no conversation whatsoever about any rock. They just got busy building lodging and finding food to eat. 

First church of Plymouth

So here’s where it gets really fishy—one hundred and twenty years after the Mayflower landed an old man came forward with the rock story.  He was a member of that first church of Plymouth, and had known some of the old-timers that came over on the Mayflower.  He asserted that “This was the rock they landed on.  No, not that one, THIS one right here.”  In those days, respect for one’s elders would have prevented others from saying, “Well, that’s just a bunch of hooey.”  So, they all went along with it.  What was the harm? 

This child will know the truth about the Rock

So, there it is.  Plymouth Rock is a rather small rock.  With “1620” nicely engraved upon it.  And built above it is a Greek style portico, somewhat reminiscent of the Lincoln Memorial.  It looks very officious.  Tourists come from all around the country to see that rock.  Plymouth is certainly full of tourists.  I’m not saying I feel like I’ve been had all these years.  Well, maybe I am.  It’s just that I liked my childhood image of the Rock so much better.  

Elder William Brewster.  He did not talk about the Rock.

New York! New York!

Times Square at noon

New York is energy.  And requires energy to take it in. It has been 35 years since I was in New York City—back in the days when I was in graduate school at Rutgers in New Brunswick, New Jersey.  Back in the days when I was a bit more energetic than I am now.  And if I recall correctly, I never went to New York at the height of the summer heat.  I had the inherent good sense to go in the spring, winter and fall.  Perfect times of year to visit the Big Apple.  

Street vendors of all sorts.  

I was eager to show Manhattan to my husband.  It is like no other city in the U.S.  Grand and bombastic, loud and pushy, flashing lights and neck-craning heights, street hawkers, hot pretzels with mustard and iced drinks on the carts.  

Characters that hang out around Times Square

One does not want to drive in NYC.  Neither does one especially want to be driven between the hours of 3:00 and 7:00, when the traffic jams seem to be the worst.  Those are the hours to skip the buses and go below to the subways where traffic is moving. 

When cars don't move, pedestrians take over the streets.

Unlike the subway system in Washington D.C. which I would have to describe as bright and majestic in its’ design and care; the NYC subway is gritty and purely utilitarian.  It’s just as well lit as it needs to be—no more.  It’s reasonably clean; I didn’t see any rats.

Going down to Penn Station

Jax going to shore in Port Washington, Long Island

Our boat was on a mooring ball in Port Washington Harbor, on Long Island—a beautiful spot with hundreds of boats at anchor, mooring or at the docks.  The first 48 hours on the mooring were free!  A water taxi would pick us up from our boat and deposit us as close as possible to the start of our little trek up the hill to the Port Washington train station.  

The Bull of Wall Street

For two consecutive days, we took the 40 minute train ride by Long Island Railroad into Manhattan, to Penn Station which is below Madison Square Garden.  Our plan for the first day was to walk around, catch a bus if we felt the need and just get our bearings in Manhattan.  Noble plan, but not executed.  

Freedom Tower is 8 sided and a few stories shorter than the Twin Towers were.

Within the first couple of blocks we were hailed by numerous hawkers for the bus tour companies.  We ignored the first ones, “saving” ourselves for the one we could not refuse.  She was bubbly and cheerful and extremely persuasive.  Best decision of our day!

Roast Duck in Chinatown.

We rode the NY City tour bus the rest of the day, hopping off for lunch in Chinatown, and enjoyed the tour guides’ knowledge and wit.  Obviously we would have seen very little by comparison, if we had continued walking.  

9/11 Memorial

Atop the double-decker buses, we saw the heart of Manhattan from a higher vantage point.  I became snap-happy as I am wont to do when presented with novel subjects to shoot.  

You can never chain your bike TOO well.

I tried to catch a few shots of ordinary New Yorkers going about their day which was somewhat of a challenge in that it seemed as though 90% of the people we saw were undoubtedly tourists, like us.  It’s not too hard to tell a tourist in NY.  They have that “look” about them, somewhat like a deer in headlights, or the look of giddy children.  You can’t miss it.

The best New York City tour guide atop the double-decker bus.

Besides sharing some of our photos with the reader, I thought that the most useful thing that I could impart would be the sound advice offered to us by our last tour guide atop the double-decker tour bus.  

Front entrance of Macy's, now the world's second largest department store.

He told us, “New Yorkers don’t come to Manhattan, except to bring our mothers when they visit.  We don’t shop in Manhattan.  We go to Queens or the Bronx where things are less expensive.  Retailers in Manhattan pay exorbitant prices for their real estate and pass that cost on to you.”  

Singers in Central Park.  Great acoustics in this tunnel.

He said that he lived in Queens and could be at work here in Manhattan in 10 minutes by subway—two minutes of that was walking to the station.  He told us, “Maybe you’re staying in a hotel here on Times Square.  Why do you want to pay $400 and more for a place just to sleep? The hotels are just as nice across the East River.”  

Central Park boaters.  We chose not to ride a boat.  No surprise there.

He polled the tourists on the bus—all but one other person and myself were visiting Manhattan for the first time. He told us, “I rarely have someone on my tour who is a return visitor to Manhattan.  This is what you do on your first trip to NYC.  You will never do it again."  

Site of John Lennon's murder in Central Park, in front of his apt bldg.

He went on, "Manhattan is YOUR town.  It is filled with tourists like you.  I love NY.  I think it is the greatest city in the world, but Manhattan is not for ordinary New Yorkers.  All these people out here that you see crowding the streets—they are tourists too.  Oh, there’s a few people visiting town on business, but most of them are like you—first timers.  Sure, see Manhattan first, and then visit the rest of New York City.”   

Undoubtedly the best way to see Central Park.

Day two in Manhattan was spent in Central Park, walking, sitting, people-watching, eating and walking some more. 

Self portrait, Vincent Van Gogh

We concluded our day in Manhattan by a much too short visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the largest art museum in the U.S.  Spectacular!  I could spend the entire day within those walls!  Another time, perhaps. 

The Making of the Dinghy Chaps

Chaps covering our dinghy

 The sun was really hard on our dinghy during the winter in the Bahamas.  I ordered the materials I would need to make dinghy chaps from SailRite before we flew off to visit two of our children in Portland, OR.  The packages were waiting for me when we returned.  I spent more than a few hours watching and re-watching instructional videos by SailRite about how to make dinghy chaps.  I would otherwise, not have had a clue about how to begin.  

I worked underneath a marina shed the first weekend

Obviously, the dinghy had to come out of the water for me to work on it.  I had to be able to walk around the dinghy and get in and out of it multiple times as I worked.  This news seemed to come as a bit of a surprise to Carl.  Detaching the 18 HP 2 stroke Tohatsu from the dinghy and schlepping it up onto the dock had been further down on his list of things to do.  But I would need all the time I could get to work on the chaps, so up the motor came and the dinghy went to rest on land. 

Using a Hot Knife to cut and cauterize the Sunbrella

Per SailRite recommendations, I used12 gauge Plastipane vinyl for the patterning, chosen for its’ clingy quality.  It tends to stay put when draped over the dinghy tubes, allowing me to see through it and make marks right on the dinghy. I cut the pieces out on a makeshift plywood table set up out in the boatyard, and labeled each piece whether for starboard or port, etc.  

Clear vinyl allows one to mark on the dinghy

The most difficult and time-consuming part about making dinghy chaps, I discovered, however, was making and sewing on the cutouts that surround each protrusion on the dinghy…..handles, oar locks, air locks, and so on.  There were 17 of those.  In addition, where the stern meets with the tube needed reinforcing as did the area inside where the chaps needed to fit up and over the locker at the bow.  

Second worksite--open boatyard

I commandeered one of the tables under the covered patio at the marina where I had plenty of room to work and set up my SailRite machine.  On days when there was a breeze, it was downright pleasant.  A lot of people had asked me what I was doing while patterning.  I’m sure I was a bit of a curiosity—“the lady over there playing with clear sheets of plastic and hopping in and out of the dinghy” on land, no less.  

The curves of the hypilon tubes made a few wedge inserts necessary.

When I started actually sewing, however, passersby could see what I was doing.  I attracted a lot of attention then.  A good share of the people coming to the marina walked through or beside the covered patio.   As the project progressed, the inquiries became more frequent.  “Do you make dodgers?  Can you repair a ripped canvas?  Can you reupholster our boat cushions?”  

Work station under covered patio overlooking the water.

After a healthy start on the sewing, my trusty SailRite LSZ-1 sewing machine went out of timing.  Car engines go out of timing—so do sewing machines.   I was able to troubleshoot enough to figure out that indeed, it was the timing that was the problem, however, did not dare to adjust it myself.  Sigh.

Fitting the pieces together.  Dinghy resting on boatyard train tracks.

I requested the sewing machine shop to allow me to be present when the technician adjusted the timing, so that I could learn more about the machine, given that we won’t always be within shot of a place to bring the machine if we’re in the Caribbean or some such far away place.  “Oh, no, the technician has years of experience and could not teach you that.”   This was quite annoying to me.  We have paid various specialists over the past year to teach us about our sailboat engine, our plumbing system, electronics systems, refrigeration, and so forth.  I totally reject the notion that I would be unable to learn anything useful from the technician.  Hmph!

My view from my sewing area, at dusk.  I was still sewing.

Covered up my machine to protect it from rain and rode out the storm.

A week later, I had the machine back.  Unfortunately, it was still not sewing properly.  So I began an email conversation with the SailRite specialist in Indiana.   He was able to diagnose the problem by looking at the photo of the stitches that I sent him.  

Rub rail is protected by a heavy vinyl fabric.  

With the help from SailRite I was able to troubleshoot further and once again have my trusty SailRite back in good working order.  Part of the problem was due to the slippery quality of the lifetime thread that I was using, called Profilen.  $129 for one spool!  It will not decompose in the tropics.  I couldn’t even burn it using my HotKnife!  Amazing stuff! 

Snap is connected to a Snad, attached to the hypilon.

The entire project took me what seemed like forever.  Of course, it would have been much faster had I not made a critical mistake with the patterning at the beginning and lost the use of my sewing machine for 10 days when the timing went out.  That cost me a lot of time.   On the plus side, I know I could start a business in Annapolis repairing canvas.  The locals charge $75 - $85/hour, but there are not enough people willing to do repairs.  Maybe I’ll pick up some jobs when we return to Annapolis in the fall.

Leech line is tied to the front of the dinghy.

The dinghy chaps were officially finished on Sunday, July 3.  We then cinched up the leech line below the rub rail to hold it on tight, as well as cinching it down tight at the front from the line exposed between two grommets.  I applied G-Flex (Carl’s miracle adhesive) to 10 sites on the inside of the dinghy tubes and applied what SailRite calls Snads—flexible snaps that adhere to the hypilon tubes.  We got some help to launch the dinghy (shoulda done that getting the dinghy OUT of the water too) from the Capital Stand Up Paddle guys and I very inexpertly rowed the dinghy back to Northern Star.  

Leech line is pulled taut, encasing dinghy below rub rail.

It was at that joyous moment of accomplishment that Carl discovered that our dinghy motor that had been waiting innocently for us on the dock, was in fact, toast.  Will these surprises never end?   Cutting to the chase, he was fortunate to find a used 15 HP 2 stroke Yamaha on Craig’s List which he purchased and installed yesterday, at the same time christening the new dinghy chaps with a few greasy fingerprints, to boot.  This morning, I applied the adhesive registration numbers and voila—we have a functioning dinghy once again.

Final touch,  registration numbers.

Planning to head north tomorrow morning toward Maine.  Looking forward to some cooler breezes.  93 and humid in Annapolis today.  Surely, somewhere on the East Coast there’s a cooler summer to be had and we're going to find it.