We met Heather and Mark Rutherford, award-winning sailors, not too long after they acquired their trawler, the M/V Bushranger, a sturdy 38 foot Marine Trader. Featured numerous times in our Great Loop posts we were VERY excited to reunite with our friends from Sydney, Australia.
First, what is a Bushranger?
Fun facts: Thanks again to Wikipedia, we learned that Bushrangers were originally escaped convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who used the bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities. In 1835, Charles Darwin recorded that a bushranger was “an open villain who subsists by highway robbery, and will sooner be killed than taken alive”
Better a “ranger” than a “whacker”
Similar to the common mashup of Tonto’s Revenge in the place of Tonto’s Reward, marinas tend to rename Bushranger, mistakenly calling her bushwhacker. It’s not a good thing,
“Bushwhacker” was a Civil War term that designated the lowest and meanest type of guerrilla fighter, particularly the Confederates, who often hid in inaccessible places and ambushed Union troops.
Let the record show, our Aussie friends are neither “whackers” nor “gooses”, a popular Australian reference to anyone who is rude or behaves badly. Of course in Port Washington, there are plenty of Canada geese to be found.
They are salty Great Loop adventurers,
Heather captains the boat quite well, rarely running aground,
and she makes the most delicious of breads (onion pull-a-parts).
Port Washington
The folks in Port Washington are very friendly, and the scenery is sweet.
Indian Food
We were delighted to return to Diwan. The food is fresh and flavorful. The owner remembered us (Gail and David!), noting we had returned with new friends.
The renowned author of Volcanic Winter,
Get your copy of his book here: Yes, Capt Rick is a character in the book!
https://markrutherfordwrites.com/
Mark Rutherford, has great taste in wine and has mastered garlicky shrimp.
Before departing, Rick took Maddie for a morning stroll – look for her in the lower right corner of this photo.
Sadly, with geese flying overhead, we knew it was time to say goodbye to our sweet friends and head south.
Thanks for the Royal Wave!
Be on the lookout, they are, currently exploring the Long Island Sound.
Next Up: Ray Houle and Caryl Moulder, ‘Lil Houlegan at Hoffman’s Marina – East (not west)!
Exhale on the Water 