---------- Forwarded Message ----------
From: Bill Zeitler, 74211,1362
TO: ECPA, INTERNET:ECPA@onelist.com
DATE: 7/27/99 9:03 PM
RE: Copy of: East Coast " Potterer " & World Circumnavigation !
Today was exciting ! I planned on just a simple day " sail " [
ie....motoring about in my converted 5 HP Bay Hen cat boat...now the
"Courtesy Launch" for the East Coast Potter Association and the Shallow
Water Sailors ].
On my small nearby launching ramp [ The Christina River ...that leads into
the Delaware River near the Port of Wilmington, DE ] was a very nice
sailing vessel [ perhaps 40 feet in length ] at anchor. I noticed it
had a self-steering vane on the rudder, a courtesy United States ensign
high in the rigging and wearing an unknown ensign at the stern.
I took a couple of photographs of this vessel named " Altair "....and
motored on by. Shortly thereafter a Zodiak type dingy came from the
sailboat after me....with a young man and a small girl of five or six.
They signaled for me to stop which I did. They rafted up to me and said
..." you and your boat look like you might know these waters....is there a
marina around here close to some public transportation ? "
Actually the only area for them to go was up the Delaware River towards
Philadelphia. I showed them a detailed local chart where to go.
When I asked them were they were from he told me " Mossel Bay South Africa
". They had been cruising for 15 months westward and were making a
world circumnavigation. How [ or why ] they found " my " little river I
don't know !
After some nice conversation they let me photograph them for my " sailing "
photo album and off they went.
I continued on up the Christina River and was shortly chased by two
police boats with flashing blue lights signaling me to stop and yelling "
get off the river...get off the river ! ". How was I to know that
around the bend almost from shore to shore was a race of sculling boats
coming my way?. More photos from my very shallow draft craft. Great
day howbeit 95 degrees and high humidity !
So...one just never knows what one will run into when " messing about in
our boats ". ! ;-D>
FUN DAY !
Bill Zeitler, ECPA, SWS
" Potterer at Heart "
Ex- P 15 # 2060 " Just Wight "
Now in a highly modified Bay Hen " Amenity "
Wilmington, Delaware