Sippin' by the Dock of the Bay
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Day 3: August 31, 2013 Sippin' by the Dock of the Bay Comment via blog |
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This, my friends, is what a commodore should look like. I was aboard the
Goodtime I again today for a return trip to Put-in-Bay. On the way
out, Oliver Hazard Perry, as portrayed by Jeremy Meier, shared his
memories of the Battle of Lake Erie on its fifth anniversary, September
10, 1818. The cruise was listed as sold out and a crewman, who remembered
me from Thursday, said there were just about the same number of passengers
both days, but things sure seemed a lot less crowded today. Whether the
relative roominess was real or imagined, the Commodore was able to move
freely about both decks as he delivered his fact filled presentation
through a wireless microphone. Meier/Perry did not restrict himself to the
one day battle. He talked of his preparation for the battle and even of
the causes of the war. When a young passenger wasn't quite sure what
impressment meant, Meier/Perry brought him to me and explained that I, an
English ship captain, had identified him as a deserting sailor and that
his denial meant nothing in the face of loaded muskets. He must sail off
and probably never see his family again. Fortunately, all I had to do was
stand there and look dumb. I nailed it.
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Before leaving the dock area, I did what I should have done Thursday and
did the onboard tour of the
Niagara. This reconstruction of Perry's relief
flagship was launched in 1988. It is an active training vessel where the
adventurous can learn the skill of square rigged sailing. That's
preservation of a different and vital sort.
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Because it is a festival weekend, there is some extra fencing and a few
extra vendors in the dock area but this place is always pretty festive so
they're not all that noticeable.
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This is just a tiny sample of the eating and drinking establishment in
town. There are several choices at The Boardwalk with a nice view of the
bay at the end. Inside Mojito Bay, folks are just singing and swinging in
the sand. I initially thought it a little strange when I noticed the
police station and brewery right across the street from each other then I
realized that it would be nearly impossible to not have the police station
next to a drinking place of some sort. Inside the crowded brewery, I could
not manage a proper picture of the unusual brewing gear.
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Rented golf carts line Delaware Avenue while the renters patronize places
like the 140 year old Round House Bar or the 96 year old
Kimberly's Carousel. Rental carts are everywhere
and I envision a hot summer night in this place as something much like a
giant Dodge 'Em ride.
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The cannonballs mark the spot where the three British and three American
officers killed in the Battle of Lake Erie were originally buried. In a
surprisingly friendly post-battle meeting, the two sides gathered here and
buried the officers side by side. The dead enlisted men had a less elegant
burial in the lake. The officers now lie beneath the Perry Monument.
When I saw the word "Commodore" in large letters on this nearby marker, I assumed it had something to do with Commodore Perry. Not exactly. It's there in "grateful memory of the commodores of the Inter-Lake Yachting Association". Silly me. |
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Festival entertainment was now in full swing near the dock. I just caught
the last song by Bounding Main. Wow! Had I known what I was missing, I
wouldn't have. Their description includes "Beautiful Harmonies with a
Maritime Flair!" and the harmonies I heard were certainly beautiful.
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It was soon time to head back to Sandusky with an onboard soundtrack
consisting entirely of Jimmy Buffet songs. Here are pictures of the thrill
rides at opposite ends of the cruise.
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