Lewes, Delaware and an Insanely Priced Boat

Last weekend, Katy and I had no intentions of going anywhere, but on a whim, we decided Sunday would be a great day for the beach.  Katy’s mom is from Lewes, Delaware, and since we were going to Rehoboth, we took a detour to the first town in the first state (as the welcoming sign indicated).  I had never been, and it was just as Katy had described it... “Quaint.” 

Photo courtesy of http://www.lewes.com/

Lewes is right on the beach with the Delaware River gently bending its way through the town.  If I could compare it to any place I had seen before, it was a little Nantucket-ish (or maybe I should say Nantucket is like Lewes, since Lewes was established exactly 10 years before the Grey Lady).  Simply put, it's a beautiful old town surrounded by wooden homes, shaded with thick burly trees, retired men fishing in the river, and its beach lined with tall beach grass and sailboats. 

The Zwaanendael Museum.  Photo courtesy of http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/americas/trail-of-the-unexpected-a-hitchhikers-guide-to-getting-around-americas-first-state-1053733.html

Christmas time on Second Street in Lewes.

Something you just might see in Lewes.  Photo courtsey of http://beachyinthecity.blogspot.com/2008/07/travelling-cape-may-nj-lewes-de.html

I wish I had taken pictures, but I didn't think I would be blogging about this experience.  We even saw a homemade boat flipped upside down on the dunes (a design I had seen in Gavin Atkin's Ultrasimple Boatbuilding), and still, I did not think to take any pictures.  We lifted up the boat to see inside and underneath was a nest with two mice--one shaking from fright, the other dead asleep...or possibly dead.

After revisiting Katy’s childhood summers, we went to Rehoboth Beach (only minutes away) to read some of “The Bedwetter” by Sarah Silverman.  Reading aloud, I probably said words I should never repeat, but I read them just as the author intended.  We finished our day back in Lewes for dinner and ice cream, and then headed home.

On the way home we drove through many a pasture and antique stores as daylight turned to twilight.  Something caught my eye as we were driving.  I turned the car around and stepped out to inspect this homemade boat.  It wasn’t made out of plywood, and looked like something early settlers would have built (minus the motor).  To my surprise, someone was watching us and yelled from afar, “The guy’s selling it for $5,000.”  Wow.  I said thanks and snapped a few pictures.  Hopefully he didn’t get his friend’s hopes up because I was not really interested in making the purchase...especially after having satisfyingly built my own.  If anyone's in the market, however, look for this boat along Route 9 in Delaware.  Needs some work, but maybe 5k is the going rate for this sort of thing.  Sorry the pictures are dark.