Its simple, America needs our Queen. In the 90’s the Australian government started acting like a bunch of muppets and couldn’t agree on a thing. Lizzie R just phoned them up, told the Prime Minister that he was sacked and the assistant Prime Minister then sacked the rest of the cabinet. Problem solved. This is exactly what needs to happen to the American government after it has proved itself to be completely incompetent. Where the politicians think it is better to shut everything down than to come up with a budget. In fact, it would seem, the best and quickest solution to this whole mess is for them just to accept the rule of our queen and government. Long live the new British colony. The United States of England.

When we awoke at Mount Vernon we were in as much shock as the rest of the world to learn that the American government had actually shutdown. It seemed beyond comprehension that in a first world industrialised country; a government could cease to function. As we motored up into Washington all the radio stations were rallying their sides, with the right wing republicans slinging mud at the left wing democrats and vice versa. The politicians seemed so busy in this façade that they couldn’t find the time to sit down and do what a government is there to do.

With the government in shutdown we learnt that all non essential federal employees would be sent home with immediate effect and with no pay. This would mean that all the museums, national monuments and national parks that we had travelled all this way to see would be shut. Upset and disappointed in America hardly describes how we felt. We took solace however in the thought that, with 800k people not in employment, they’d be out on the streets and we would witness massively vibrant angry protests. We thought back to the Poll Tax, Student and Iran War riots in London, we could almost see the rampaging mobs and the capitol building burning. This was going to an exciting time in Washington DC.

Once anchored, literally, just a stones throw from Ruffian, was the National Mall, the Capitol building and the White house, to name but a few of the powerhouses that surrounded us. Into town we ventured, hoping to find the hordes. The place was deserted, doors were locked and at every entranceway polite notices told us of the shutdown. Where was the power of the people? Where was the freedom of speech? Did government not answer to its subjects? Clearly the subjects didn’t think so and thought that staying home watching cable TV was more important than exercising their democratic right.

Filled with huge disappointment we took in the sights and were wowed and ashamed for the American people, both in equal measure. You can’t shut amazing architecture and as we walked the length of the Mall we marvelled at the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the White house and the Capitol building. As we came to the WWII memorial we were shocked. For no reason, other than political games, the monument, which is usually totally open, was surrounded by barricades and police tape.

One of the ‘must do’ activities in Washington is to see the mall and it’s monuments at night. The lighting changes the mood dramatically, from that of a tourist destination to somewhere of reflection and contemplation. We walked through the trees and surprised to happen across a platoon of bronze soldiers walking through the undergrowth. They were surrounded by a marble wall covered in the engraved faces of servicemen who had served in the Korean War, shining out at us in the moonlight. Both haunting and moving at the same time.

Some of the populace of Washington, or maybe tourists like us, had clearly started getting frustrated that parks that had no reason to be shut were inaccessible and so we started finding barriers pushed aside. Wanting to do as the locals did, we followed in their footsteps. Amongst others, we ‘gained access’ into the tidal basin and the FDR memorial. We had the places pretty much to ourselves and this gave us the opportunity, time and inclination to enjoy them in splendid near isolation.

After many months of sending applications and exchanging emails we have finally become members of the Ocean Cruising Club. Throughout our travels fellow sailors had recommended that we join and suddenly we were in the warm fold of the unofficial port officers Sid & Rebecca Shaw. They invited us to their house in the Washington suburbs, which gave us the opportunity to get to grips with the subway system and see a different side of the town.

Sid & Rebecca regaled us with stories of their sailing from places as distant as the Vanuatu in the Pacific to the inner depths of the Mediterranean. Their miles at sea and experience made us feel very green and gave us insights to places that we hope to go to in years to come.

The weather ‘down south’ is starting to heat up and in the weather forecast we read a word which has, to date, been pleasingly absent. The word was hurricane. On the south coast of America Hurricane Karen is brewing and although this is hundreds of miles away we could be affected by gale force winds and bucket loads of rain. It is therefore time to go and seek shelter in a little creek away from civilisation.

Washington has been amazing but we are so very very sad that we happened to be there during the longest governmental shutdown since the mid 90’s and hope to visit again when Lizzie R rules over the unruly politicians.

Mount Vernon, President Washington’s farm is very unusual. It’s open.


The autumn colours are on their way.


Hello Mr President. Off on your way to sort out the shutdown.


Hold the press. We are where the news is.


Yep. It’s true. DC is shutdown. Everything is shutdown.


Newton stood on the shoulders of giants. Larry sits on the laps of geniuses.


The president’s home. One side of the stalemate.


Capitol Hill. Home of congress and the senate. Where the stalemate is in full effect.


At least the congressmen have got a great view.


The protestors, and there were 2 of them, were making their point known to the government.


DC at night was something else.


And the reflection pool was, err, reflecting.


The Iwo Jima memorial was moving in its pain.


And Arlington was moving with its conspicuous sacrifice on show.


Ruffian anchored in the amazing and massively dysfunctional capitol.