Up on Blocks
By Dave and Jaja

	To order your copy of Dave and Jaja's new book, Into the Light: A Family's Epic Journey, click here. For their latest book reviews, click here. To view a gallery of images showing DRIVER, the Martins, and their adventures, click here.

Note: You can meet Dave and Jaja in person when they give a presentation on "Iceland and Beyond" at the Mystic Seaport Museum on November 20. Tickets go on sale October 16. For more info, contact Karin Soderberg at Mystic Seaport at 860-572-5308.

It was getting on towards the end of autumn. Most of the boats were hauled out and neatly covered with tarps for the winter. DRIVER was beginning to look lonely against the wharf. Only the pilot boat kept us company in the harbor.

Winter comes early in Newfoundland. Snow was falling on that October day when one of our friends came down to work on his boat. He set up his ladder, unlashed the side of his tarp and disappeared inside to finish winterizing. It must be cold in there, I thought. Dave and I were snug and warm aboard DRIVER with our diesel stove cranked up. When Tony reappeared from his tent-like tarp we invited him aboard for a coffee.

Tony rubbed his hands together to warm them, and smiled. It was a smile capable of warming the entire harbor. "A coffee would be great." he said.

We all went below. My chocolate chip cookies were still hot from the oven.

"These are delicious cookies," said Tony.

"Have some more!" I passed him the plate.

"Well, maybe I'll have just one more, but don't tell Judy." He stirred a modest spoonful of sugar into his coffee and chuckled to himself.

We started talking about the yacht club, about how it had started as just a shed at the head of the old wharf. Originally, there was no breakwater, and the bay offered minimal protection at best. When the wind blew from any direction other that due west it was rough. When the wind blew even moderately from the north, it was untenable. Everyone kept their boats on moorings, and Tony told us stories about watching helplessly as boats dragged their moorings towards the beach during storms. He told us that they had launched their dinghies off the beach into freezing breakers, trying vainly to reach the pitching boats. Most of the time everything turned out fine.

Now, with the "new" breakwater, things weren't nearly as exciting. They had built the marina as a co-op venture, with all members working hard to make it possible. I marveled at what they had accomplished in such a short time. The marina was still expanding, with plans to build more docks in the spring.

As Tony reminisced, I became more intrigued with the past. Newfoundlanders are known for their hardiness and resourcefulness. They're also daring as hell - always willing to take a chance. They often used to take "the law" into their own hands.

Tony was telling us a story about an old guy who lived up the hill. The fellow used to drive his truck at high speeds around the marina parking lot. Then he would park his truck in the middle of the lot and block all traffic.

"He couldn't see very well, and was deaf as a post," Tony said. "Must have been close to his 90s by then. Buddy was cranky as hell, just a quarrelsome old man. I guess he had nothing better to do all day; he would come roaring down the hill into the marina parking lot. There were kids running around and we were worried they might get hit. One time he backed into a boat. He was a menace."

"Didn't someone tell him to quit?" Dave asked.

"For all the good it did," said Tony. "Well, we finally called the police. They took his license away."

"That was a good idea," I said.

"It didn't stop him. He didn't give a damn about a piece of paper. He kept flying around the parking lot. When the police officer came back we asked him: 'What should we do now?'"

'Don't worry,' said the young officer. 'I'll take care of it.'"

"Sure enough," Tony said, "we never saw Buddy driving around again."

"What did the officer do?" asked Dave. I was almost afraid to hear the answer.

Tony chuckled. "The officer went up to buddy's house that night, right. He took the tires off the truck and left it up on blocks!