Wooden Boat Festival

This morning we moved up the Mystic river to the Mystic Seaport Museum, site of the incredible Wooden Boat Festival each year. Lining up for the 9:40 bridge opening, we found ourselves following the distinguished guest of this festival, the sixty five foot Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a from Hawaii. She's been traveling the globe to connect all the World's native and indigenous cultures. When they arrived at the seaport, there was an elaborate welcoming ceremony performed by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, for which we were just in time.

The day has been a parade of gorgeous wooden boats, one after the other streaming into the seaport. As a contemporary new build, we're a little out of place in the company of classics, but hey, to each his own. We are berthed on the seawall across the wharf from the Charles Morgan, the last surviving wooden whaler in the World. Five years ago, we saw her here on the dry dock undergoing an extensive restoration. Now she's afloat next door and the museum's main attraction.

Next up the quay from us is a drop dead gorgeous ketch: came in right behind us this morning. On said ketch is a cat, apparently named Turkey. While we weren't looking, Turkey took up residence on Alizée. Spencer discovered her lounging in the cabin with an assumed air of "this is my boat now". Whether on land or sea, we seem to attract cats.

My brothers have arrived with their charges and we'll all meet up tomorrow. Yea!