Serendipity
All was going well today when we started out, until the wind (from the north again) and waves picked up. Because the leak(s) in the bow seem to occur when we are bouncing on rough water, we decided to cut our day's trip to Annapolis short to visit Tangier Island. We will have to leave a visit to Smith Island (in Maryland) to another day. Our reservation date in New York City is coming too soon to divert another day.
What great serendipity, as we got to visit a destination we had always wanted to see but was a bit off our convenient route. It is sort of the fork in the waterway less travelled. It is another Chesapeake waterman working island community that crabs for a living. Listening to the accents of the watermen and 500 or so locals is a special treat - a resonating echo at the way English settlers may have sounded. Tangier Island played a pivotal role in the War of 1812 and the burning of Washington DC. The British staged their attack on the nation's capitol from Tangier, but the local pastor, preaching on the Sunday before the attack, warned the British that they would not be successful.
The community is founded on harvesting the seafood riches of the Bay. Crab shanties line the channel with stilt houses and docks where watermen moor their boats and watch their blue crab catches go through the process of molting, called shedding. When the crabs shed their hard exoskeleton, they are packed up on ice and taken across the Bay to Crisfield where they are shipped to supply the softshell treats served at restaurants near and far.
Parks Marina had a number of vacant slips along a very swift channel that crosses through the island. Mr. Milton Parks, who met us to assist with docking (and is the owner of the Parks Marina,) was expert at instructing Marvin on how to maneuver AQUAVIT into the tight slip. He is 87 years old and full of charm and character. A retired waterman after 60 years, he is busy riding his scooter on the docks to meet incoming boaters, working on his aging bay boat, and tinkering with his golf cart. With self-effacing humor, he told us stories and provided advice to us young folks - calling the men George and the women “Love”. The waitress at Fisherman's Corner restaurant outed him as a big flirt, as well as a community treasure, even if a bit slowed with medical problems. Mr. Parks asked Marvin "Where are you from, because I don't recognize your accent."
While at Tangiers, we walked the roads of the historic community and visited with tourists and locals. On our walk to the beach on the south side of the island, we met some nice folks on a golf cart. A rickety old bridge is an impediment to taking the cart all the way to the beach ridge, but with a little assistance, we all got across and on the path to the beach. Props to them for making it as two of their party had some mobility issues that would have stopped less bold folks from even trying.
We’ve also found that Tangier is a cat haven. A benevolent cadre of cat lovers has taken to spaying the local population and imparting instructions to be the most gregarious and friendly cats ever. Almost any cat is available for adoption and a hand lettered sign at the head cat lady’s house says - "take a kitten home with you.” Given how cute these kitties are, we suspect more than a few depart with tourists on the ferry back to the mainland.
Curious how this island, at 4 feet above sea level, is hanging on, making the news in the Trump campaign by denying sea level rise and climate change. With the mayor getting a shout-out from Donald Trump, it seems the whole island has bought into the myth that there isn’t a problem, even as their trees are dying from salt water intrusion and high tides flood their streets and creep up into their yards. Though surveys have documented their loss of land, and they are barely above water, Tangier seems to be in denial.
Sad too, that such hard working, seafaring, God-fearing, and generous and happy folks are so swayed by rhetoric in the face of reality. Clearly, their daily lives and hopes and aspirations leave little time for vetting facts and looking at prospects of dire consequences. Perhaps their faith and history of survival in a beautiful but harsh place are a foundation to buoy optimism…and maybe thinking about these things another day.
From Tangier to Annapolis
Since the winds and seas build as the day goes on, we got an early start to Annapolis. The bay was flat calm with no breeze as we pulled out of our slip on a slack tide. Heading north, we eventually had a slight southerly breeze, but the whole 70 miles up to Annapolis was calm, with only the wakes of large commercial vessels causing a few waves. Consequently, even going a bit faster at 24 knots, we didn’t ship any water through the deck leak and our bedding stayed dry. So we can return to sleeping in the forward v-berth instead of the converted dinette table-to-bed.
Annapolis is quite a place, but that’s a story for another blog.
6.15.18
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| Crab shanties line the channel that cuts through Tangier Island |
What great serendipity, as we got to visit a destination we had always wanted to see but was a bit off our convenient route. It is sort of the fork in the waterway less travelled. It is another Chesapeake waterman working island community that crabs for a living. Listening to the accents of the watermen and 500 or so locals is a special treat - a resonating echo at the way English settlers may have sounded. Tangier Island played a pivotal role in the War of 1812 and the burning of Washington DC. The British staged their attack on the nation's capitol from Tangier, but the local pastor, preaching on the Sunday before the attack, warned the British that they would not be successful.
 |
| A ferry brings tourists to Tangier for day excursions or to stay at a few B-n-Bs. |
The community is founded on harvesting the seafood riches of the Bay. Crab shanties line the channel with stilt houses and docks where watermen moor their boats and watch their blue crab catches go through the process of molting, called shedding. When the crabs shed their hard exoskeleton, they are packed up on ice and taken across the Bay to Crisfield where they are shipped to supply the softshell treats served at restaurants near and far.
 |
| Crossing a rickety wood bridge was a challenge - especially since somebody was a little concerned about trolls. Frances, Mary "Sug", Russell "Honey-Bunch" and Reggie with Lee (troll not pictured) |
While at Tangiers, we walked the roads of the historic community and visited with tourists and locals. On our walk to the beach on the south side of the island, we met some nice folks on a golf cart. A rickety old bridge is an impediment to taking the cart all the way to the beach ridge, but with a little assistance, we all got across and on the path to the beach. Props to them for making it as two of their party had some mobility issues that would have stopped less bold folks from even trying.
We’ve also found that Tangier is a cat haven. A benevolent cadre of cat lovers has taken to spaying the local population and imparting instructions to be the most gregarious and friendly cats ever. Almost any cat is available for adoption and a hand lettered sign at the head cat lady’s house says - "take a kitten home with you.” Given how cute these kitties are, we suspect more than a few depart with tourists on the ferry back to the mainland.
Curious how this island, at 4 feet above sea level, is hanging on, making the news in the Trump campaign by denying sea level rise and climate change. With the mayor getting a shout-out from Donald Trump, it seems the whole island has bought into the myth that there isn’t a problem, even as their trees are dying from salt water intrusion and high tides flood their streets and creep up into their yards. Though surveys have documented their loss of land, and they are barely above water, Tangier seems to be in denial.
Sad too, that such hard working, seafaring, God-fearing, and generous and happy folks are so swayed by rhetoric in the face of reality. Clearly, their daily lives and hopes and aspirations leave little time for vetting facts and looking at prospects of dire consequences. Perhaps their faith and history of survival in a beautiful but harsh place are a foundation to buoy optimism…and maybe thinking about these things another day.
 |
| Flood tides submerge the golf carts so folks have elevated parking - no sea level rise worries here! |
From Tangier to Annapolis
Since the winds and seas build as the day goes on, we got an early start to Annapolis. The bay was flat calm with no breeze as we pulled out of our slip on a slack tide. Heading north, we eventually had a slight southerly breeze, but the whole 70 miles up to Annapolis was calm, with only the wakes of large commercial vessels causing a few waves. Consequently, even going a bit faster at 24 knots, we didn’t ship any water through the deck leak and our bedding stayed dry. So we can return to sleeping in the forward v-berth instead of the converted dinette table-to-bed.
Annapolis is quite a place, but that’s a story for another blog.
6.15.18
Your doing it. So great to be following along via you posts and photos.
ReplyDeleteThanks Apalachee Joe! Good to know you are looking at the posts.
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