July 6, 2014: Day 21 – Stonington, Connecticut, to Stonington, Connecticut, in more slow wind-driven circles, 0 miles (super-educated guess), all day
After reading, and rereading, and loving with a true passion, the works of absolutely my favorite author, Patrick O’Brian, you can’t but help absorb something. Tons of somethings actually. He is simply brilliant, and his intellect shines through his words in a way that pains me for my own paltry writing. But beyond that, the seafaring world he writes is a study in etymology, the adoption of nautical terms in everyday language is quite surprising. But there’s one phrase in specific that I want to deal with tonight.
The bitter end.
Technically, the bitter end is the part of a rope that’s tied off. And from that definition has sprung more dire meanings. But for Amy and I, its meaning is something else altogether.
Knock on wood, but tomorrow we will be home. We will create several bitter ends as we secure Sequel in her new slip in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and then we’ll pack up the car and head back to Boston – after being on our boat for 25 days and being away from our home and “the kids” for 27 days. It’s going to be bitter sweet for sure.
We miss our home and our dog, Bella, and our two cats, Sal and Jersey. And we can feel the pressures of “real” life beginning to weigh on us – demanding our attention. But it’s been one hell of a great trip – experience – and we’re sad to see it draw to a close in a mere collection of hours.
Sigh.
However, It’s not over yet! It’s been a beautiful day here at our mooring off Dodsons Boatyard in Stonington, Connecticut. Clear skies, gusting winds, and warm dry air.
We were originally planing on heading to shore for a dinner out, but as the day started drawing to a close we simultaneously realized we wanted to spend our last night aboard Sequel. There’s so much life going on in this harbor, it’s fun to just sit and watch. Blue water sailboats abound and there’s at least a dozen Downeast cruisers like Sequel. It’s our kind of place.
So I’m about to set up the grill and we’re going to enjoy the last sunset of our trip. I thought perhaps I’d leave you tonight with a tour of the home we’ve lived in for almost a month.
Till tomorrow, when we head home…
You can read more of John’s blog here.
