8/22/14
The dinghy is dropped into the water and we head into P-Town to have a look around, and to find a hardware store to find parts to repair a leaky connection on the forward head. Very interesting place. There’s a fundraiser at one of the outside dining restaurants on Commercial Street, which is the street that parallels the waterfront. They’re having contests (best dressed, most talented, etc.) and there’s a crowd gathering to watch the festivities. Everyone at the fundraiser is in drag. Some look like they’re in drag just for this event, and some look so good that it’s clear that they dress in drag on a regular basis. The cruising guide touts the diversity in Provincetown, but what the guide is trying to say, diplomatically, is that Provincetown is a Mecca for gay, lesbian, transgender, etc. folks. After the fundraiser breaks up, the participants pose for pictures (Debi took several) and then everyone continues to wander up and down the crowded street. Lunch is at the Squealing Pig. This place is great, and we split a lobster BLT and some Tuscan fries. After lunch we wander and gawk some more as we head back to our dinghy and then to River Rat. It rains lightly and the Admiral rests for a bit. It’s dreary outside, so we spend the evening on board, watching TV and eating cookies we’ve burnt in the oven.
8/23/14
There’s a storm forming in the Caribbean. Not a big deal, but it might mess up the weather late next week. We decide to make a long run from Provincetown southwest across Cape Cod Bay, through the Cape Cod Canal, east through Buzzards Bay and to Block Island. The trip takes 13 hours, motor sailing at an average of 7 kts. Our current plan is to spend Sunday in Block and to leave Monday morning for a long trek home (about 62 hours) via the Atlantic Ocean to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and then up the bay to the Rappahannock River. We’re cutting our trip short by about a week, considering the uncertainty of the weather, and lots of other things we’ve put on our plates in September. We arrive in Block at about 1900, take quick showers and take the dinghy into a marina and have drinks and dinner at The Oar, a waterfront open deck restaurant. The place is packed on this Saturday night, and the bar we’re sitting at seems to be swaying because we’ve got sea legs. Debi has some kind of lobster and tuna Sushi and I order the lobster grilled cheese sandwich. It’s the last time we’ll have lobster up north, so we want to take every opportunity we can to enjoy this gift from the sea. Both dinners are great, but now we’ve got to head back to River Rat. She’s anchored among the many, many boats in the harbor. The cruising guide says it’s not unusual to have over 2,000 boats in the harbor on a summer weekend. It’s windy and dark and we’ve got to head across the harbor to search for our floating home. Debi is in charge of the flood light as we bounce across the waves. At last, there she is. It’s so nice to arrive home safely after a night out on the town.