Weighted Coin: Spare a Dollar

I once passed out, drunk, resting my head on the curb outside a gas station. I was kicked awake by a Sheriff’s deputy. He sent me home after I explained that I was just waiting for the store to open so I could buy a pack of cigarettes. He could have bundled me into the back…

My Galley. My Hearth.

I don’t mind the occasional drip on my bald patch or the semi-monthly cleaning of the sump as almost every meaningful conversation flows from the food (and wine) which percolates from the hearth.

Stay Warm and Safe

Here in Jersey City, there was a reminder that severe conditions cause systems to fail, whether tied to the dock or at sea. This boat fire is across the canal from me but it burned hard and fast.  The temperature is around 15 degrees and I suspect that had something to do with what happened. I don’t…

Avoiding Bad Renaming Juju

Last summer, a friend on my dock renamed their boat. We needed a ceremony that properly deflected the bad juju that often comes with a casual re-christening. What we also needed was as many unpronounceable deities as possible.  This is not original. I stole liberally from several online examples. Wikipedia also helped with the names…

Brooklyn Sunrise

Molten on water. Crystals arranged on a breath. A threat for later.

Winter Arrives for Some

Standing on the fuel dock, filling cans with diesel for my heater, as a dozen or so Sunfish tacked to and fro, at the mouth of the Morris Canal basin and the Hudson River. As I loudly cursed my gloveless hands, aching as the wet snow melted on my skin, they filled the grey with…