May 17, Finished!
Posted by
donna
Posted on: 05/21/07
May 17, Finished!
All loves to all. I am finished!!! Inspired Insanity is safely tied to a mooring in the mid of Bristol Harbor thanks to the kindness of Joseph Britto and Bristal Marina!!!!Thank you Billy Black and Gretchen for the amazing help getting onto the mooring. But here is the rest of this story. The winds yesterday morn settled down, in fact they got light. Forecasts are so assuming but weather has it's own mind. It was perfect, just enough wind to get really cruising with full jib and a reefed main. I was making good headway, my eyes straining at the horizon to see land. At about 11:30am the tower on Pt Judith become visible.
I was only 6 miles or so from the cut into Narragansett bay. Maureen Roddy, Will and my lady in shining armor, had emailed that she had contacted Billy Black, an infamous, famous photographer of sailors in Newport. He was interested in shooting my enterance!!! An hour later, the coast of Rhode Island took form before me. I went by the first bouy along the shore. Always very exciting coming in. The Benton Reef Point (I thnk) beacon came to be visible in the still hazy horizon. The whole coast visible now.
Even the cut itself. I am just beginning to realize that I look a shambles; soon land, people. I always get so excited coming in that I forget all about getting ready to 'be' on shore; charts all over, radios out, sat phone handy, food sprawled, snacks as once I am that close, I can't go below for more than a minute at a time.
That moments notice, a boat is coming through the cut. A small cat motor boat, well not so small as it comes nearer and I realize that I am it's destination. It must be Moe and Billy. There are 4 people on board. Kitty, a writer from the magazing, Billy, Gretchen and Maureen. As they get close the hands all go up in the air. We are raising hands to a successful journey, a safe return. Only days before, 4 boats had been lost at sea in the storm off Florida. One crew is still missing... It is even more a wonder and joy for Maureen who has been involved in that situation, that I have arrived safely.
The huge sighs. She even had a bottle of champagne!!!! She also has a broken foot, so her persistence to desire to welcome me was even more amazing to me. We made all greetings and congrats were offered!!! A few questions and then I got back to sailing, hanging all my flags out for the photos, cleaning up the deck and sailing on.
There is a bit of a swell but not too bad. The cut was a great fast run. We tandemed along until it was time to pop the cork!! Champagne spurting into the air!! Yelps of joy and relief!! Hallelujah!! Maureen needed a lift back into Newport where she would grab her car and meet us in Bristol. Billy said he would come back out and follow me down as he is from Portsmouth, near to Bristol. He was even available to help me get to the dock or mooring. Wow!! More knights in shingin armor. I gave a call to Sean, the harbormaster. I had everyone coming to the town dock. Angie, Tina, Corky, Trisha (a writer and new email friend who would be there).
As I get Sean on the phone he is concerned. The forecast that had included potential thunderstorms maybe still would affect us. Though the skies were sunny, it was hazy. Now there was a tornado watch out for Providence, only a few miles north. The weather was threatening to get really ugly. Even as Sean and I spoke, the winds increased.
He would be available if I needed a faster ride in, but I would continue on for now. He was happy I had another lift available as well. I sailed on, now well under the Newport Bridge, coming up onto Prudence Island on the west, Little harbor on the right, following the bouys along. The winds were increasing..
The jib was too big to really use to manuever in any kind of gusty winds so I took the time then to get it down and stowed away. I cleaned up the lines on deck and we were making 5+KN on just a full reefed main. Current in our favor as the tide was coming in. I am getting close. Hog Island is appearing out of the coast landscape. My memory of the harbor layout coming back to me. I had to sail more north to the north harbor coast to avoid the shoal off Hog Island.
Lights come into view. The town of Bristol now coming to life, standing out from the boxes of all sizes against the green and rocks along the coast. I call in to Sean that I am near. He is going to be a while as he had thought I had a lift and so made arrangements to take care of somethings. Billy was not in sight. I called to Joe Britto as with the increase winds and potential horrendous thunderstorms predicted, my boat would do better on a mooring than on the dock.
Joe was wonderful, offering mooring and help but he doesn't have access to a boat that could come along side or tow me. I wasnt sure what to do. To sail onto a dock was the surest way for me to get secure, so that was my plan. There were several docks one after another. I took a scan of the waters around me and to my amazement, there was Billy and Gretchen. They had caught up with me. It was perfect. I made antother call around. Billy would put me on Joe's mooring. As we approached it, the launch from Bristol Marina came up on VHF. Joe had arranged to use one of their moorings instead. Great.
15 minutes later, Inspired Insanity was secure, that huge sigh!! big breath out! WE HAD DONE IT!! The World!! Pinching myself! The quiet peace, tears of gratitude. The fellows in the launch said that there were people waiting at the yacht club. I had told everyone on the town dock but they said that the harbormaster had brought over people. I didn't change, I just closed up Inspired Insanity, after emptying the bilge, climbed on the launch. As we were coming into the dock, I see a tall slender woman, running onto the end waving her arms. Her hair was light? YES It is Angie!!!!
I had been worried that she was waiting around and wouldn't find me, espeecailly when I wasn't able to get Tina on the phone, but there she was. Lilly was there. The launch didn't even come to a halt and I leapt off the boat, nearly slipped, silly me. It was the sweetest embrace. All the months of worry for Angie, who trusted but had really had to come to that deep place of faith after I left NZ, to have peace with my being so challenged. But she did. There she was.. all the way from NZ, via Germany and NYC. Joe Britto, Mr. Cabral the harbormaster, several other gentleman from the yacht club. All offering congratulations, and a reciprocative membership to the yacht club so that I would have all the facilities I need over the next few weeks to be there for the boatshow and parade. Hugs and more Hugs.
Billy and Gretchen came to the dock. We promoised each other a dinner and time together over the next time. Moe was once more the savior as her house in Newport was available for Angie, Lilly and I to stay there. WOW!! Lots of thanks and hugs.
They headed back to Bristol and I got a lift by launch to II to change and collect some things. Then met them at Goff's by the sea for drinks, dinner. As I went outside to use Moe's phone I turned to see a woman. As our eyes met, she said "Donna?". I realized that she was Trisha. She had found me. "Trisha?" . Big hugs and ther was her son, Max. What a sweety. We all enjoyed a nice meal and everyone met each other. It has been so wonderful to have so many wonderful people meeting each other. Moe was available to give us a lift out to Newport to her house but it meant leaving without finding the whole Bristol gang. I just didnt know what had happened with them. We made a stop at a local pub but Corky wasn't there. Moe's broken foot was beginning to be a concern. We needed to head off.
I just trust we will find everyone later today. Home!! A beautiful house right along the waterfront blocks of Newport. Sweet fresh beds, internet, all amazing. Angie and I caught up. I made a few phone calls, but sleep was calling me. It was midnight.
Such a peaceful sleep. My mind quiet as I had to silence the voices and visions trying to go into the future. Instead I would let the future find me with all the life I could not imagine. As I could never have imagined even the events of the past 24 hours which fell together with such amazing smooth perfectness. Life is grander than grand.
I will let the gratitude I feel rest in your imaginations as you know how I love you all. Our energies and love has brought us all so dearly together. I trust you know how the depth of my thanks. Biggest hugs. The logs will continue as I share how life is unfolding moment by moment. There are so many amazing projects, works, caring days living in this momentum of love as we all go forward together as a healthy, caring organism. What an incredible privilege life is. biggest hugs and loves xoxoxo d
donna
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