So much going on here that I haven't had time to write...
We had the mayor's cup on Saturday. I was so psyched to work that race but it sucked, neither of our boats (the Adirondack II has finished her Newport season & got here last week) even got to race - the captain of the Pioneer (not their usual skipper, I think it was another guy) decided that he was going to zip across the starboard-tacking racing line, while on a port tack, right in front of our two boats or something - only problem is that the Pioneer is a hundred-and-something year old steel-hulled retired gravel-hauler - she jes' don't zip - and all the sudden things got really complicated. The II got forced across the starting line, which is a disqualification, and we tried to but were not quite able to avoid a collision. Wasn't too bad, nobody got hurt, our boat did sustain a bit of damage (we lost our bobstay and the bow itself is kind of banged up) - I thought we took out a little of the Pioneer's rigging, but whatever it was was evidently either non-critical, easily repairable, or both, 'cause they went ahead & raced I think - we, on the other hand, being a commercial vessel, had to cut our day short to go home & file a coast guard report. Plus we really wanted the owner/builder (who was in town for the race) to take a look at the damage before we took on any more passengers that day (both boats were supposed to work all day). To finish the misery of the day, the II went ahead & pretended to race anyways but the captain is from Rhode Island and unfamiliar with our area and uh kind of ended up running aground on the Jersey Flats. Some of us from the Adirondack and one of the guys who works for the Kennedys (not the political dynasty Kennedys but the Biloxi Kennedys, who run 3 boats at Chelsea Piers) borrowed the Chelsea Screamer speedboat & went to play tugboat. Sunday was the circumnavigation swim of course - I'm just about done with my lunch hour but like I said yesterday in a response to a comment - those swimmers were -
Very brave! And strong, and very, very determined - we actually ended up having to do a little side-trip down to Governor's Island, dodging ferries as we went (I was sweating bullets even though we had motorboats right there & if things had gotten any dicier than they were, they could've had us all on board & outta there pretty darned quick) - then the finish line got moved 3 times - that REALLY sucked, the finish line was in Hell Gate, the first selection was a problem as it was liable to leave the legitimacy of the swim open to question, even WITH the earlier detour; the second selection left no questions about legitimacy but proved to be in water that was too rough to allow a safe pickup by the motorboats - I actually looked at the guy who seemed to be calling the shots as we were heading back out after the first reset and said "This is just MEAN"...but by God, the guys did it. And didn't murder anyone afterwards but that may have just been because they were too tired. I think they should go down in the record books as having swum a Manhattan circumnavigation with extra credit. Yeesh. Amazing fortitude.
Actually that's why I like doing the kayak escort for the Manhattan circ swims - it's just so darned impressive.
Was crazy but pretty awesome too. I have had my disagreements with the guy who runs the swims and I just kind of backed off on doing them rather than let something I really just did for the fun of it turn into any more of a source of stress, but the circumnavigations are a rather different animal that the rest of the swims - really just too amazing to miss.
Monday was supposed to be for writing a guest post I asked to do at Bring It On - it's about my re but instead I went to a Brooklyn Bridge Park meeting - probably write more on that later...
Tuesday I got stuck at work then went home & finished up the Bring It On post...
Wednesday I got stuck at work then went home & edited the Bring It On post. Stopped by the Feast of San Gennaro for bracciole on the way though!
Working on the schooner tonight...
VERY happy though because after four and a half frickin' months we have FINALLY got a business manager starting here at the Really Big Children's Publishing House! Happy Happy Joy Joy! I was really running out of steam on that front, I am so relieved that we have FINALLY got another person starting!
Well, much to do but just wanted to actually put something up here. Probably get back to more regular posting next week. Just feels like I haven't stopped running (and sweating and sometimes literally crying with frustration over the work situation) since I got back from vacation.
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