9/6 Nina and Pinta and boat chores

Last evening, we hosted docktails on the flybridge of the Hydrophilic.  We had 6 boats represented.   We had folks on sailboats and folks who have only been on the loop a few weeks as well as the veterans.  There were lots of good stories, laughter, and advice.

Today, up and down the docks, it was chore day.  Everyone was walking back and forth working on something.  I got three loads of laundry in before 7:30 a.m.   The sun came out and while is was not humid, it definitely was hot.  It was good for drying the towels that I has used in defrosting the refrigerator. 

The Nina and Pinta replicas across the bay were still open to the public.  The lines were long over the holiday three day weekend.  There were several school groups this morning.  Finally, this afternoon, I got my chance to visit them.  The Columbus Ships Project takes these ships up and down the east coast, the great  lakes, and the rivers.  The crew are young people open to adventure who sign on for 3 months or more. 

Nina

Pinta

On the Nina, I had the neatest experience.  There was a large map that showed all the places that the Columbus Ships go.  An elderly woman was showing her family where she went on her husband in the 1970's.  They travelled on a houseboat from Chicago down the Illinois and took the Mississippi all the way to New Orleans.  They hugged the shore around the Gulf Coast and took the Okeechobee Waterway to the east coast of Florida where they ended their adventure.  Her name was Mildred, like my mother-in-law!  We compared our routes.  It was neat to hear her stories.  What an unexpected pleasure.

Today, we also met some loopers who arrived yesterday.  This is their 6th day on the loop.  I felt like an old salt and maybe we are now.

We took the courtesy car to Benton, KY, where we re-provisioned at the Walmart.  So we are ready to cruise again on Saturday to Nashville.

But we are not done enjoying our time here.  Tomorrow, I am getting a manicure, pedicure and getting my hair done.  Thursday night, we are going to dinner uptown with the crew of another boat.