Crews Letter #2003 09 Revelations, Relations and Mathematics

Posted on the 8^th of September, 2003 in commemoration of our

41^st Wedding Anniversary

Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen:

Patmos – This island is the home of the last book of the Christian Bible. It was here in a cave that St. John the Devine, in exile, dictated the book of Revelation. It was a double dictation. John who was blind could neither read nor write. In a cave not far from the port, John and his disciple, Prochoros, meditated. John had visions. God dictated to John. John dictated to Prochoros. Prochoros wrote the book.

We went to the Monastery at the cave and to the Monastery of St John at the Chora. Only by hardness of heart could one not feel the holiness of these places. The cave is not big. It is a hole in the lava on the side of a mountain. There is a chapel built beside the opening of the cave. Thirty people fill the space of cave and chapel combined.

The Monastery is much larger. The mosaics, frescos, sculptures and icons are fantastic. Again, the chapels are small. The cloisters for study, meditation and the treasury for Holy relics are beautiful, stark and filled with spirit.

On Paros, this computer was infected by a worm, namely, the W32.Welcia.Worm <Worms, viruses, URL’s, like prepositions, are something you should never end a sentence with. For the first three, because the ending period is ambiguous. As for prepositions, it is one more silly rule dreamed up by English teachers.> If you got that worm around the 22^nd of August we probably sent it to you. If you had it before the 22^nd, you probably sent it to us. Without bandwidth it is difficult to keep Norton Antivirus current. The fix was to find a computer literate person with some bandwidth to download current footprints and the appropriate fix tool. On Patmos, the internet Café was not equipped to help. The travel agent who booked the bus tour sent Fred to a jeweler. He said this jeweler is the island computer guru. The jeweler heard Fred’s sad tale and set to the task. He had a very fast connection. When asked, “Is it ISDN or DSL?” He replied that it was neither. It is experimental from MIT. He solved the problem. He would not consider a charge.

On Nisis Maratho two days later, Fred was told that this man is a professor at MIT in the off-season. This is a nice part of the world.

The new town quay for yachts at Patmos leaves much to be desired. For starters there is no electricity and limited water. A water truck is available. Good for filling the tanks. Not so good for washing the boat. It is not well protected from the Meltemi. The real problem started when two large power yachts found spots between the smaller sailing yachts. With no regard for anyone or anything, they roared into the slots crossing other boats’ chains and bouncing us all around a bit. These two captains either don’t understand the concept of “No Wake” or they lack the competence to maneuver their boats at slow speeds. Fred suspects both. Phyl thinks neither. She thinks that they don’t care.

Our next two stops were outstanding. On Nisis Maratho, just west of Arkoi, we picked up a taverna’s mooring ball. Fred had a nice swim. The tripper boats went home. We took Perception to the dock while we had dinner. The waiter was dressed as and looked like a pirate. These islands, including Patmos and Samos have a history of pirates. Fortunately, the present day ones serve cold beer, octopus balls, souvlaki and stewed goat. After dinner we left the dock, picked up a mooring ball and had a quiet night. Nisis Maratho is a place we will visit again.

Next, we were on Agathonisi. There we anchored in a bay just large enough for one boat. It was a quiet afternoon, evening and morning. The entertainment was the goats who came by to find out what we were doing.

To the present, Perception has only two pets. They are Go the gorilla and Went. Went is also a gorilla, but because he is much smaller, he gets to go when Go can’t. Their names are self defining. On Agathonisi, Phyl got the bright idea that Perception should have a boat goat. Several came close to the shore and auditioned for the position. We had a pet goat once named Pockets. She was an actress who could impersonate dogs, cats and goats. Her specialty was the two goat roles in the show “Teahouse of the August Moon.” She did this in two productions: one in Sherman and the other in Van Alstyne. As we remember, she was an exceptionally fine pet. Some of the neighbors with gardens, rose bushes and crepe myrtles had a different impression.

The advantage of the two present pets is they are stuffed toys with no bodily functions. Although she doesn’t look happy when we leave, Go does not need a kennel for the winter. She is always happy to see us when we come back. But we suspect that she is happier to see Went. They talk a lot between themselves.

This week we got an email from a fellow boater. His letter and Fred’s reply are of general interest. The names are changed to protect the individuals. Ah Ha Moment is a great name for a boat.

-----Original Message-----

From: Sam Dolittle [mailto:sam@ahhamoment.co.uk]

Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2003 1:26 AM

To: SV Perception / Phyl & Fred Denton

Subject: Ah Ha Moment

Thankyou for the last two preambles re your sailing in Turkey and Greece, and then back into Turkey and return into Greece, etc.   Also I now know that I have missed out on some of the epistles in that Fred's clumsiness obviously caused a broken bone, probably the elbow,all in the spirit of trying to get a young sweet girl to minister to him.  The fact that she was a physio just makes that a paradox; phsios don't do sweet!   The whole thing about going around Paris went over my head at about 30000feet, sorry, maybe I am short of previous information, or just not on the wavelength.    Who actually writes your stuff?  The fact that Fred is referred to as a third party might just be a ploy so he can indulge himself from a virtual distance.  If it is Phyllis writing then comments about Fred are relevant but not hard enough!   There is no mention of his signature dish, chicken in various guises, and did the accident cause an eating disorder, like he couldn't get a fork to his mouth?  Chinese Proverb:   Good luck, Bad luck  -  who knows!

I am now in Croatia.   I took the boat up at the beginning of the 2003 season having wintered badly in Gouvia.   The badly bit was that I suffered  the dreaded electolysis.   When they finally got the boat out of the water, all the anodes had gone and the hull was beginning to melt.   I had to have a new rudder skeg made as the old one was a bit like Nottingham Lace.     All is now well apart from small maladies to do with the stern gland, electric anchor winch, engine head, fresh water loss, and a diminishing bank balance, and even more diminishing return on investments.

Sally had a hip change early in Feb, this was to compliment the two knees she has also had replaced over the past five years.  The operation was not the success we had hoped for.  The operation wound healed badly and we had to have her returned under warranty, the recovery period was therefor delayed, and she came back to the boat too early in June.   First attempt to get onto the bowsprit from the step ladder off the pontoon, resulted in a fall backwards from  a height of 5'0" onto her back on said pontoon.    Her confidence was of course badly shaken and apart from severe bruising we got off with little physical damage.  However this then affected of course the rest of the stay on the boat, and at the end of the cruise in first week August, she resigned as Admiral.  I am now crewless.

On the whole we have loved Croatia, it has to be one of the very beautiful coasts available to sailors.  The history experience has been wonderful, to walk on steps that were laid by Roman and earlier civilizations, to know that Diocletian himself lent against the same piece of wall that I was leaning on etc, makes history only yesterday, and part of today.   The people have on the whole been fantastic, but reading their history of the last 70 years, you have to aware that any seemingly nice innocent person is still capable of terrible crimes in the right circumstances.  They are very keen to make a success of their recent identity and bring their country upto the normal European standard of wealth and opportunity,  I am sure they will do that, they are very enterprising.   Our one note of dismay was the avarice being shown, principally led by the tourist trade, who see us as grist to their mill.

I would like to winter in Gouvia again also.  I am afraid that my wife will veto it though.  She thinks Gouvia is bad for me and our combined lack of wealth.   Hence if I do come down I might haul out at Preveza.   This is far from an ideal social climate and I shall return home to my fireside and try and take stock of what to do next.   Selling the boat is figuring high on the option list, but what after?

This piece is written later:   I have now made arrangements to go back to Croatia on 24th Sept and shall haul the boat out there before coming home on Nov 16th.    I will then come South to Greece in the Spring.  Maybe the fog of the future will have cleared a bit to let me see the next few steps in my faltering walk through life.   You will be going home to the States no doubt for the Christmas period, having left Perception either in Gouvia or some other place.   Do you also feel that Greece is like a comfortable old shoe.    I like Croatia but yearn for the comfort of Greece.

I am now off to bed for an early start in the morning.    I am travelling to Cornwall to visit my youngest son and see his new to him house.  He has just paid £1/4M  for a cottage down on the Fal River.  That is the same as Falmouth.   I go by way of my favourite method of transport - Train.   It is an 8 hour journey, and sheer enjoyment the whole day.  As the train starts down into the West Country the track runs for miles along the South Coast of England, it is one of the picturesque routes on the network.    I return on Monday.   I am by myself and shall read and doze all day long.  I think the weather forecast is good so it will be a lovely adventure.

Keep well and upright, take more water with it, be safe

fond regards

Sam

Fred’s Reply:

From: SV Perception / Phyl & Fred Denton [mailto:denton@flash.net]

Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2003 10:00 AM

To: Sam Dolittle

Subject: Re: Ah Ha Moment

Hello Captain Dolittle

Truth is, Phyl and I write the Crews Letters. I usually write the first draft. Then she edits it. We send them out over our joint signature. This seems to require first person when we are involved and third when it is either of us individually. If there were a male and female version of "I" it could be simpler. Unfortunately, being from Texas, English is not my native language. Can you suggest a more grammatically correct way to handle the person issue?

I have heard it said, "It is a pity that youth is wasted on the young." Imagine how much better history class would be if they were attended by "old farts." Especially if the classroom was where the history happened. I remember very clearly memorizing for eighth grade World History column cap shapes: Ionian, Corinthian, Spartan, etc. At the time, the only reason was because it was going to be on the test. I knew then and suspect now, the teacher didn't know why it was important any more than I did. As we have visited various places of the ancient world, a column cap is the first indicator of which civilization built which building.

You are completely on target. To stand in the coliseum in Pula, having stood in the coliseum in Rome, is to have the past touch you. It is a pity that perspective and travel is wasted on the old.

The wake of Perception this week stretched from Agathonisis to Pythagorion on Samos. Our strategy this year for avoiding the heat of summer was to go west into the Aegean. This got us out from under the Turkey mainland. It worked. The summer of 2003 in the Aegean is showing signs of its end. Last week we had a five day calm as a small high pressure cell moved slowly across the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. Yesterday the winds were 4s and 5s from the West and Northeast. Samos and Turkey join up to turn a North wind East as it gets through the strait between them here. Temperatures even this close to Turkey are not the blistering heat we experienced in Goecek in August last year.

We will winter Perception at Yat Marine in Marmaris and ourselves in Texas again this year.

Pythagorion was named in the 1950's for the man who made hypotenuses famous. In his day, 26 centuries ago, they dug a tunnel here through a mountain as part of an aqueduct. An engineer named Evpalinos managed the effort. It is 1040 metres long and 2.4 metres square. They started digging at both ends and met in the middle. No satellites. No GPS. No computers. Mathematics would be better if it were taught with things rather than pencil and paper. The classrooms would be a bit messy and mountains would have lots of holes in them, but more of us would know why a squared plus b squared equals c squared is important and for which a, b, c's it is and why it is not for all of the other a, b, c's.

You and I know people who have a hard time drilling a hole through their deck and getting it to come out in the right place on the other side, let alone drill from both sides and meet in the middle.

It is wonderful that we get to travel the way we do. A two week holiday is too compressed. There is no time to absorb the experience.

I am saddened to hear of Sally's resignation. Crewless is usually called single handed. For the gregarious, single handed means alone. Sam, you don't seem to me to be the kind of man who enjoys being alone very often or for very long. I can imagine that the two of you must use the same skills and resources that got you to where you are to decide what you will do next.

As you can see, the first person "we" is a hard nut to crack.

Best regards,

Fred

As you can see, after 41 years of marriage, the first person “we” is a hard nut to crack.

Keep a Tight Luff,

Phyl & Fred

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