June 10, 2014
We left the boat safely secured to the dock in Portsmouth, VA, and headed north by car to Northern Virginia. There we had a great visit with Bradley’s daughter Margy, husband Bryant, and grandson Tyler, who was celebrating his 4th birthday! We also got to “see” and feel Tyler’s little brother, who is set to enter this world in early July! Everyone is excited about that!
Bradley with Tyler, Margy, and soon-to-be new grandson
A group of Smarthinking employees and friends got together for a reunion lunch at Clyde’s in Georgetown and we also caught up with some good friends for dinner at the wine bar Dolce Veloce, owned by our good friends Joe and Sharon. We also visited with Wolfgang and Christeen and their daughter Sophie, who is growing up fast! Then it was off to a board meeting for me, and then a drive to New York for a memorial service for Bradley’s uncle Richard who passed away in December, the day after his brother – Bradley’s father – was buried at Arlington Cemetery. The service was in Garnerville, NY and we visited the Military Academy at West Point, where I deposited a Vietnam Veterans “geocoin” in honor of Bradley’s father in a geocache at the visitor center. Geocoins are part of geocaching and hopefully this one will be carried by many people to visit military monuments and memorials in honor of Colonel Theodore “Mr. Magnificent” Rosenberg.
The Geocoin and accompanying info placed in the geocache
From NY, we returned to the boat where we continued with preparations for our summer adventures. The plan is to head north to Nova Scotia in mid-June, then to meet up with friends on a Nordhavn 68 in July and to cruise in Newfoundland, Labrador, and if the weather allows , Greenland! As our research has progressed, we have grown increasingly excited and a bit nervous about these plans. Even in summer, icebergs are a hazard, the water is cold, and there is a threat of polar bears should you venture away from your boat. These issues raise questions about safety equipment and bear deterrents. We have purhased two immersion suits – orange rubbery things that help you survive if you fall into chilly waters. We’ve also elected to use bear spray rather than carry guns for a variety of reasons, including the difficulty of bringing weapons into Canada. We’ve purchased new charts and guidebooks, talked to many people who have cruised these high latitudes, and hope we are prepared for whatever comes our way!
Tall ship in the Parade of Sail
Back in Portsmouth, VA we spent some time with Nordhavn 40 (Uno Mas) owners John and Sue, checking out a great new Mexican restaurant. We also were here for the Norfolk Harbor Fest, which included a chance to see a Parade of Sail with tall ships, military vessels, and many other boats, demos of assault vessels by the US Navy, rescue demonstrations from the US Coast Guard, tuboats playing like they were monster trucks, and a fabulous fireworks display. Friends Gary and Cookie with daughter Ruth visited us and watched the tugboat display from our flybridge – truly a front-row seat. The marina was full and the habor packed with boats for a fun weekend.
Actor Josh Sticklin portraying Austin Hobart Clark
We also met Nordhavn Dreamer John who lives near the marina and had spotted the boat and sent me an email. We had a fun visit – it’s always fun to meet people who love Nordhavns. Before departing from Portsmouth, Virginia, we made one more trip to DC, this time for a play produced by the Smithsonian as part of World Ocean Day. The 30-minute, one-man play was about my grandfather, Austin Hobart Clark, who spent his career at the Smithsonian as a zoologist focused on marine life. The play covered his trip on the research vessel Albatross in 1906, including his time in San Francisco during the great earthquake! It was a fabulous show and well worth the trip. If anyone is interested in seeing a video of the play please email me and I can provide a link.
While in DC we also attended a book signing party for our friend Deborah Kahn who has just released a book called The Roads Taken – Complex Lives of Employed and At-Home Mothers available on Amazon. I haven’t read it yet, but will include it in my next Book Review update!
We are now back in Portsmouth, VA making plans to depart for Portsmouth, RI where we will fill up with fuel before heading north to Canada. There is a new video of our trip into Portsmouth up the Elizabeth River. We wish we could visit with all of you who are reading this. Please do send us a note by reply email – we love to hear back from you!
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- Bradley, Tyler and Bryant Play Ball!
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- Hiking in Maryland with Ken, Christine, and Fidgi
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- Kathy with friend Dannie in DC
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- Smarthinking reunion lunch
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- Bradley with Christeen, Sophie, and Wolfgang
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- Bradley and Kathy with friend Allen at Dolce Veloce
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- Dinner at Dolce Veloce with Lloyd, Arlene, Rick, Bradley, Joe, Sharon, Kathy, Keith, and Renate
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- Dinner out with Sue and John of Uno Mas
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- Bradley at West Point with the Geocoin honoring his father
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- Bradley at West Point
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- The geocache where the geocoin was placed
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- Bradley’s Uncle Richard
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- Richards service
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- Bradley on the ferris wheel at Harbor Fest. Shear Madness is a speck in the background
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- Joh, Sue, and Bradley check out a tall ship hauled out of the water
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- Tall ship at the yard
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- Naval ship in the Parade of Sail
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- John, Sue, and Bradley enjoying the Parade of Sail at Harbor Fest
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- Coast Guard demos a rescue by helicopter
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- Kathy tests the gun on a naval assault boat – this might stop a polar bear!
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- Cookie, Gary, and Ruth enjoy Harbor Fest from the Shear Madness flybridge
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- Ruth has a great view
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- A fabulous fireworks display
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- We had a front row seat for fireworks at Harbor Fest
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- World Premier of the Smithsonian Play
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- Kathy with cousin Carolyn and actor Josh Sitcklin
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- Dave Pawson of the Smithsonian who has researched Austin Clark and carried on his work
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- Nordhavn Dreamer John visits Shear Madness
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- Kathy with newly published author Deborah Kahn
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- An early morning run past the white house while in DC
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- And to the mall to see the monument!
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- Dinner with good friend Sudhakar
Shear Madness 
#1 by Anonymous on June 12, 2014 - 8:23 pm
Goods news from you. Have been to Nova Scotia twice and Newfoundland once. Peggy’s Cove is a cute harbor just south of the capital of NS. Alexander Graham Bell’s museum is a neat place but I don’t think you can boat to there. On the south side of Newfoundland, there is a bird sanctuary in the shape of a huge (like 100 feet tall) that was covered with birds. I met an old retired whaler while in Nf whose son told me that it was common for whalers who were out on the ice to be lost at sea when the ice that they were on broke away from the boat. There was nothing that could be done. I could not understand a word that this old man said, but I laughed along with him. This week, we have been in Long Island including Montauk and Sag Harbor. I can’t remember if you had been there. All of our trips have been of the land variety, except that you have to take a ferry to get to Nf. …Ron
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#2 by vince sannicandro on June 12, 2014 - 6:13 am
Kathy thanks for keeping me in the Loop! I love reading your posts, I feel like I’m right there with you guys. Your trip to Canada sounds very exciting. Be careful and keep those Posts coming!! Vince
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#3 by roycharle on June 11, 2014 - 8:50 pm
Hello Cathy and crew Thank you for sharing your adventures with blogs and videos, its much appreciated seeing the fantastic world we have through your descriptions and lenses. Many thanks Roy
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2014 13:40:59 +0000 To: roycharle@hotmail.com
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#4 by Liz Rollins on June 11, 2014 - 3:26 pm
Wonderful pictures guys – I really enjoy your updates! Icebergs, immersion suits, and bears, oh my! Praying for safe passage up to Greenland – what an adventure! Already looking forward to your next post . . .
Liz Rollins
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#5 by Bob Edey on June 11, 2014 - 3:09 pm
You will be enchanted with your voyage to Nfld., Labrador and Greenland. I made the trip in 1963 aboard our aircraft carrier and was mesmerized by the magnificent scenery. If you stop in on your way North you may want to meet a couple who recently (4 years ago) set up residence on Hermans Is. Originally from Bermuda they earned a living photographing the North for National Geographic and others from their boat each summer.
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#6 by John on June 11, 2014 - 12:32 pm
In your pictures of Parade of Sail that is the guided missile destroyer USS Cole in which a suicide attack killed 17 U.S. sailors back in 2000 in the port of Aden. My son serves on her sister ship, the USS Porter which is now in Norfolk. His ship goes to Rota Spain within a year and then will patrol the Mediterranean.
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#7 by Stephen Henley on June 11, 2014 - 10:02 am
Hello
On your way north why not drop hook in tangier to overnight. I would like to have a chat. Out cottage is located on a point of land over looking south towards hog and hen islands also marked as anchorage on the charts. And as for Newfoundland it’s not the icebergs you have to worry about , it’s the growlers. Icebergs for the most part can be detected on radar. Growlers on the other hand are large ice patties or clampers that float level with the water, they tend to be large and flat and given the name growlers because of the sound emitted as the water rushes on an off the submerged hazard . As a precaution I would never navigate at night. And pick the west coast of the Island verses the east coast as there is less ice flow on the west side . And as far as polar bares not to worry although they have been spotted they are not common. Less chance then being eaten by a shark or hit by lightning …….
We have not retired yet however it’s in the plans to get a boat of some configuration
Regards
Steve Henley
Sent from my iPhone
>
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#8 by Jamie Morrison on June 11, 2014 - 8:55 am
Hey Kathy,
Glad to hear you are making plans to pass through Nova Scotia. If you pull in to Halifax Jane and I would be happy to help you with whatever you need while you are here. I’m sure you have a ton of info on Nova Scotia but if you need any insider info just get in touch. You won’t need your bear spray. Greenland, wow! Quite a trip. Unlikely my little Nonsuch 30 will ever head up that way. I will continue living vicariously through you and Bradley.
Safe passage,
Jamie & Jane Morrison
Nonsuch 30U Dexterity II
Halifax, Nova Scotia
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