I had a nice only in Newburyport morning.
I didn't get a chance to visit the Tall ships in Salibury this weekend. But I was less interested in boarding the boats than I was seeing them from across the mouth of the river.
I lifted the photo from the Daily News slideshow.
So I awoke aearly took the bike to Plum Island Point, right up to the top platform on the boardwalk. There they were. The Nina, the Pin...No wait...the Mystic, the Roseway and the Spirit of South Carolina resting silently along the floating dock system.
(I honestly didn't know which ship it was until I got home, but it was the largest of the three and sported three masts so I'm pretty confident in my identificiation.)
Sailing ships just flat out inspire. To see them in the Merrimack just drags you back 100 years and, we're forced to rely upon paintings like those of Richard Jones to deliver us. The sight of these vessels just shines a stark white light on the contrasts of that Newburyport and our Newburyport. (I'm clearly on board with the idea of having one personally assigned to our Waterfront as commenters have suggested here.)
(Update: Gillian Swart has some nice pictures of the Friendship, which visited Newburyport a few years ago, on her blog.)
I then got a bonus. The Mystic was on the move. It eased away from the dock under engine power and crept along the Salisbury side of the river to the open sea. I watched for a bit before making a break to Plum Island Center, and there she was past the tip of the Salisbury reservation.
I watched for a bit, hoping to catch the unfurling of sails but I don't think that was going to happen so close to shore. The Mystic scooted along the horizon, parallel to the beach for a bit before bearing left (or port as they say in Star Trek) and fading into the mist.
As I watched the ship slowly disappear, I reminded myself that Back in The Day this was the fastest way to travel. This was hard to believe, particularly when the island was already abuzz with early risers steering their cars and trucks off the island in an instant.
Then I hopped on my bike and came home.
5 comments:
Now THAT is a great morning.
We saw the ships Saturday and they were fantastic. The crew was friendly and willing to answer questions and engage in conversation. We were so impressed.
I agree wholeheartedly with having one docked permanently here. What a homage to the history of this city.
As a matter of fact, after seeing the ships Saturday, Rob came home and went online to look up how much one would cost (you know, so we can be sure to set aside enough of the lottery winnings). We found a spiffy one for sale in England for a mere 2.8 million pounds.
I find boats about as interesting as trolley cars. I.e., they cause me to ponder how people of times past lived their lives. I can't imagine why anyone except a serious fisherman would want one of those plastic boxes that are now cluttering my view from the boardwalk.
Having ridden on many trolleys, I would love to get a ride on a big sailboat in a brisk wind. The last time I looked on the 'net for such a thing, I found lots of 3-5 day cruises. I'd like 3-5 hours. I suspect that's as long as I could stand to be on something that small.
There are more photos at http://www.newburyportnews.com
/multimedia
/local_slideshow_202141531
the link on the post doesn't work on my work computer, hence the link.
I had a chance to board the ships on Saturday and had a great time. I grew up sailing, so I always enjoy a chance to view the tall ships whenever they are in a nearby port.
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