Long Gone And Not To Be Found!!!!!

SHIP'S LOG:

I have just noticed that the last couple of entries are not to be found! Let's hear it for the Internet! It is not there was anything terribly earth shattering in any of them but it is nice when my typing, which is an effort, gets out to where it is supposed to be.

Friday was hot and humid and I went out sailing. Doesn't sound like all that much but if you were trapped ashore, without air conditioning, then you know better!

Saturday was when New London hosted its SAIL FEST celebration. This year, they were able to secure a few "tall ships" for a parade up the river to the center of the city. "Tall ships" needs a little explanation. Evidently there are tall ships and then there are TALL SHIPS, ships classified as "Type A Tall Ships." In the parade we had two(2), the bark EAGLE and a similar sized training ship from Brazil, whose name I have forgotten. In addition to these, there were somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 smaller tall ships, ranging from the AMISTAD, the schooner BRILLIANT from Mystic Seaport, and the private yacht, TICONDEROGA.  Sprinkled among them were several small Navy ships from the Naval Academy at Annapolis and a modern Naval Assault ship, the CARTER HALL. Sadly, the whole parade sort of unraveled as the Eagle, which had been anchored in Niantic Bay Friday night with the other tall ships, had trouble raising her anchor and it delayed the whole parade for a of couple of hours. The ships got strung out and actually, aside from the two Class "A" tall ships and the CATER HALL, it was difficult for a none sailor to figure out which ships were in the parade and which were part of the spectator fleet that was everywhere. Still, everyone seemed to have a good time and there was a lot of eating and drinking and parties where everywhere.

Saturday night was also the night of the New London Fireworks for the Fourth of July. This meant that every square foot of beach front and/or lawns that had a view of the appropriate part of the river where the fireworks would be fired off was much sought after. This meant that TYC, its beach, clubhouse, pier and boats were Ground Zero. To keep control, entrance onto club property was restricted members and their guests and those who obtained a guest mooring for the night.I had "gate " duty, putting wrist bands on "the elect" and turning away those who tried to crash. Counting the members who came down and went out to their boats for the show, plus all those on the property, we had somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 people on our little "slice of heaven." The fireworks were marvelous. It was clear that it would be a fantastic, better-than-average show as the company which put it on, ha a "disaster" on the 4th in San Diego when, because of an "electrical malfunction," all of the fireworks went off at once with the throwing of the first switch.  It must have been spectacular!but I was more than happy with the show we experienced here.

Sunday was Hazy, hot and humid and once the crowds thinned out, I sailed up to look at the tall ships docked about a mile from TYC. Several of the schooners were taking people out for a cruise down to the mouth of the Thames and then back and I went along in ABISHAG a couple of times. I can say for certain that now ABISHAG and I exist in numerous cellphones.