Captain's Blog - 27 June 2010

So it was a very busy weekend. My son Robert's graduation party on Saturday, and a million and one things to do, to get ready. My father had traveled up from NYC to stay with us for the weekend, and one of the main events, was taking the boats previous captain for a river cruise on the newly refitted "Third Generation". The weather on Saturday had been pretty hot and humid, but Sunday was a bit more overcast, and a few degrees cooler, perfect for a cruise up the Merrimack. We launched from the Rourke Brothers Memorial Ramp in Lowell (as we most often do) at about 10:00. We started her up and headed up river towards Nashua. I asked my dad to pilot the boat, and he quickly took the helm. I wanted him to get a feel for how the boat handled. He was curious as to how the boat would sit and ride with the extra weight from the modifications. He was pleased to see the she sat and handled very well. It was a great cruise, especially for me. It's not often that I get to be a passenger, and have that perspective. We made it up the the Nashua ramp traveling at about 15 mph. It was a great ride and my dad seemed to really enjoy being out on old boat. Once we reached Nashua, we turned and headed back towards Lowell. Along the way we did stop to walk my dad's companion Franky (a spirited little Dachshund). Not much to report, but we did see a Blue Herring just south of Vesper Country Club. I wanted to take my dad down into the Lowell basin, but there was a rowing regatta and they had posted a sign asking boaters not to go into the basin. We will have to make that trip on another visit. All in all it was a great cruise, and I was pleased that my dad had enjoyed it as much as we loved having him.
Enjoy a few pics, and see you on the river!