KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

Despite the fact that the media does its best to make us all believe that the world is “going to hell in a handbasket,” our experiences on this journey have proven to be anything but:

1. In Tonawanda, as we were eating lunch out in the cockpit of our boat, an elderly couple shyly approached our anchorage and introduced themselves. They had been sailors in younger years and remembered what it was like to be alone and without a car in a strange place. They said that they often came down to this spot on the canal where they knew sailors would anchor, to see if there was anything they could do for them. Could they drive us to a grocery store? Bring something to us? Offer advice on where to eat or what to do in this new place? They gave us their telephone number and said we just had to ask.

2. At Fairport, as Vince was coming back from his shower, a dog on a leash jumped into his path and tore a small hole in his towel. The dogs owner apologized profusely and insisted that he take $20. to replace the damaged towel.

3. My showering experience at Fairport was very different. I struck up a conversation with a pleasant young woman I met there and she invited me back to her boat to meet her mother. When they learned that we were on our way to the Bahamas, they said “how extraordinary, mother has a house there! She’ll be in residence (at an exclusive gated community in Harbour Island, Eleuthera) from December until summertime. You must spend some time with her—she’d be delighted! “Mother” gave us her address and phone number in the Bahamas and told us that she would be expecting us in February.

4. At Newark, when a “piece of metal” broke off of our engine, we called a local welder from the boat. He dropped what he was doing, drove down to the boat, picked up both Vince and the engine part, took them both back to the shop and immediately repaired it for us. He charged us a very insignificant amount and then drove Vince back to the boat. When Vince tried to offer him a tip for everything extra he had done, he refused it!

5. While cruising down the Erie Canal, 2 couples from Massachusetts invited us on board for drinks and nibblies. When they heard that we might be coming up their way next summer they insisted we drop in to their village on the Atlantic. One couple would act as hosts to us and the other said we could use their slip during our visit as they would be away cruising for the summer.

6. At Little Falls we met “Harry”—a boat-yard owner and engine mechanic from Connecticut. We were worried about a red light that wouldn’t go off on our engine. Harry came aboard and checked it all out for us—no charge.

7. At Waterford we met Barb and Bill from Boca Raton. After being served drinks and snacks aboard their multi-million dollar yacht, they give us contact information for them in Florida and said to be sure to look them up once we got there.

8. The dockmaster at Waterford was also kind—welcoming us with free homemade muffins, coffee and conversation.

9. At Hyde Park, because we had reservations to see two Roosevelt homes, back to back, and were without a car, it looked as if we would be unable to get to see the first one because it was so far away. One of the tour guides overheard our dilemma and, during her lunch break, drove us over in her own car so we wouldn’t miss out. When we offered to pay her she refused the money.

10. At the Culinary Institute, when we complimented some students on the spectacular tortes they had made, they got Styrofoam containers for us and insisted we help ourselves to as many different kinds as we’d like to try—no charge.

11. We arrived at a museum in Newburgh just as the curator was locking the door and leaving to go home for the day. When he saw our disappointment, he unlocked the premises and insisted that we go inside, staying with us and chatting for over half an hour.

12. A similar thing happened in Kingston. We arrived at their wonderful Marine Museum on the one day of the week when it was closed. The curator, doing paperwork inside the gift shop, snuck us in and opened up all of the exhibits for us—including two movies.

13. At Barnegat Bay we were trapped aboard our boat for 2 days in a “blow” with our dinghy strapped securely on board. “George” motored over to welcome us, and acted as a personal chauffeur for two days—dinghying us to shore for shopping, and beachcombing. He even picked up our garbage for us and brought us his own beer!

14. At Atlantic City we tried in vain to squeeze our boat through a small channel to reach the free anchorage we had been hoping to drop a hook into. We finally had to give up after twice going aground! We returned to the main channel and tried to get a slip--$145—at the Trump Marina. They were all booked up!! Now we had nowhere to go but back out into the ocean! Out of nowhere a fellow sailor motored up to us in his dinghy to offer help. He had seen our two previous attempts to get into the anchorage, took pity on us, left his wife in charge of his own boat, got into his dinghy and was now offering to “guide us” through the channel. We gingerly followed him in and were safely at anchor within the hour.

15. The next morning, two Canadian sailboats guided us out of the same channel, with us in between them. We are SO pathetic! (But our draft IS deeper than everyone elses here; so they can go where they want without fear of running aground, but no—Vince had to have THIS boat!)

16. While sitting out a “blow” in Greenwich, on a river off Delaware Bay, I am befriended by Judy—a local enjoying drinks with her husband on their cruiser. When I tell her I’m off to see the town, she says it’s too far to walk and insists on giving me a guided tour in her truck. Over the next half hour I see it all and learn its history. The next day she returns with her neighbour Danielle and they take me with them into the neighbouring town for pizza!

17. And finally, the piece de resistance (for us anyway!) We are headed for the Bahamas. Our first stop has to be Nassau because we have tickets with Air Canada to take us home for 10 days in January. We have no clue what we will do with our boat during this time. We couldn’t plan that far ahead. We just hoped that once we got there we’d be able to find a good marina that wouldn’t rip us off or send unscrupulous “friends” to rob the boat blind once we were away from it. And we need a slip Jan. 1st—New Years—why didn’t we realize that would not be a good time to find space?! Duh!! Enter Debby and Howard—two liveaboard teachers from West Palm. “You need a slip in Nassau? No problem! Our good friend Carolyn has a house right on the water there just 5 minutes from the airport. We’ll call her for you and set you up.” And they did!