Another beautiful day! We've really been lucky on the weather--
three perfect days in a row.
We slowly motored six or seven miles to Peaks Island, which is inhabited and close to Portland. Dropped anchor off the eastern side.
Roy wanted to write a bunch of postcards, so he stayed on the boat while I paddled ashore and took the ferry to Portland, a fifteen-
minute ride. Like the Staten Island ferry, they only charge in one direction. I rode to Portland for free, but to return to the island cost $2.25. Luckily, as it turned out, I bought my ticket as soon as I got off the ferry.
My main project, I thought, was to buy a new capacitor for the generator. (Later, Roy told me he just wanted to have the capacitor tested. Why didn't he tell me that in the first place?) I phoned a bunch of likely places from the terminal, but none had it. Some suggested Grainger on Warren Avenue, so I went there. Warren Avenue was the street the car-rental agency was on, so I knew how to get there. Took the #4 bus to Riverside and then walked a mile or so in the blazing sun. Grainger had the capacitor in their catalog but didn't have any in stock. They suggested I try Electric Motorworks on Forest, so off I went again for another mile or two of walking in the hot sun. Stopped at every likely place along the way, but no luck. When I came to a McDonald's, I went in for a lobster sandwich and a strawberry shake. The sandwich had big chunks of lobster meat in it.
Finally got to Electric Motorworks. They didn't have the identical capacitor, but they had a similar one that they assured me would do the job. They also said I could return it if it didn't work, so I bought it.
First mission accomplished, so I started on the second. When we were getting ready to leave Fairhaven, Roy asked my permission to disassemble my folding bike. I was busy fixing supper, so I told him okay. Mistake. I had taken my bike apart many times with no problem. The one time Roy took it apart, the left pedal bounced into the water. Bye bye. So I'd looked up a Schwinn dealer in the phone book and had gone there the day I returned the car, but they were closed on Sunday. Today is Tuesday, so I figured they'd be open. I could easily have taken the bus, but it was only a few blocks--might as well walk. The bus zoomed by when I was halfway there. After another mile or two of walking, I finally got to the bicycle shop. They only sell pedals in pairs, so I bought a pair. Now I've got a spare right pedal in case Roy drops that one in the water.
The only other thing I wanted to do in Portland was pick up a few groceries, so I headed for a Shop 'n' Save, which was on the way back to the ferry terminal. Again, I could have taken a bus, but it was only a few blocks, so I walked. By the time I reached the store, it was after five o'clock. I checked the ferry schedule and saw that one left at 5:35. After that, there wasn't one until 7:15! I knew that if I took the time to buy groceries, I'd miss the 5:35. In fact, I'd probably miss it anyway. I debated whether I should buy groceries and take the 7:15, or let the groceries go and make a mad dash for the ferry. Decided on the mad dash, since I could always return to the grocery store if I missed the ferry.
This time, I took the bus. By luck, one came along just as I reached the stop. Got off on Congress Street, which was as close as that bus went to the ferry terminal. I still had eight or ten blocks to go, and it was 5:25. Zoom, zoom. Walked as fast as I could. Fortunately, it was all downhill. Strolling pedestrians kept getting in my way, and I had a hard time getting across busy streets, but I kept zooming. Reached the ferry terminal at 5:33, just as a ferry tooted and pulled away from the dock. I felt sure that was the Peaks Island ferry, but then I saw another ferry still tied to the dock, so I rushed over to it and down the ramp, just as the guys were getting ready to raise the gangplank. I yelled, "Is this the Peaks Island ferry?" To my surprise and joy, a man said it was. I leaped on, they pulled up the gangplank, and the ferry took off. What a relief to be on my way back to Peaks Island!
As we approached the dock, I saw Roy paddling in. Waved to him, but he didn't see me until I'd gotten off the ferry. By then, he was at a small, floating dock close to the ferry dock. I went over to where I could talk with him. He wanted to explore Peaks Island, so he tied his Royak to another small dock.
We walked around a little. Saw a restaurant that had lobster dinners for $12.95! Also saw a notice of a slide show that evening on the history of Peaks Island, so we decided to go to that before dinner. After inquiring of passersby, we finally found the place where the slide show was to be held. It was the headquarters of the Fifth Maine Civil War Regiment. The building had been built in 1888 and housed a lot of old photographs and memorabilia. The slide show was presented by a woman who had lived all her life on Peaks Island. She really knew its history. Didn't even use notes.
By the time the show was over, it was eight o'clock and getting dark and cold. Roy still wanted a lobster dinner, but I wanted to get back to the boat. I wasn't really hungry anyway, so it would have been a waste. We bought a couple of frozen dinners at the IGA and returned to our respective Royaks.
It was pretty dark, and my little light no longer worked. I paddled over to a well-lighted dock, so people could see me. To my horror, a cabin cruiser at the dock suddenly started backing up towards me! I yelled, and the woman on the stern yelled. Then the helmsman saw me, but he continued backing up. He seemed to be aiming for me--when I turned, he turned in the same direction. I paddled backwards as fast as I could. Finally, he turned and went forward. What a relief! I hugged the shore until I was opposite the Jofian, which was the only boat in the area with a masthead light lit, and then made a dash for it. While I was pulling my Royak up, Roy arrived. He had seen a boat coming at him and had hidden behind a buoy until it went by. We were both relieved to be back on the boat.
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