WEEK 7
August 21-27
Early Monday morning our Chef, Peter, was kind enough to drive me to the Fort Lauderdale Airport, which was about a 45 minute trek from the ship. I boarded a 737 bound for Detroit, en route to Lansing, Michigan, where the memorial service for my good friend would be taking place.
A week earlier, Chris Bapst had been killed as a result of an accident involving his own double-shot Derringer pistol. Anyone who knew Chris knows he would never have intentionally taken his own life, and the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death have left us with a mystery that may never be solved. His death remains an open investigation.
The memorial service was a heart-wrenching event, but at the same time it was uplifting and healing as his friends and family celebrated the life of a wonderful friend and father. A former bandmate and I had the honor of leading the service in song as we performed many of Chris’s favorites. His loss will leave a very painful hole in our lives and in the world as we all try to move on, striving to follow the righteous examples for living that he exhibited.
The next day I boarded a flight that took us through a tornado system in the Midwest, only to land in the path of a tropical storm, on its way toward developing into a hurricane.
We all watched the weather closely as we prepared to move the ship either inland up the Miami River, or else up the east coast of Florida, depending on the intensity of the storm. As it turned out, neither plan would be necessary. By the time it reached us we were on the outskirts of the storm, but we still experienced heavy (horizonal) rain and 45 mph winds. The storm continued to gather strength and had finally developed into a full-blown hurricane by the time it made landfall just north of Tampa Bay. This was the first to see land in Florida in some 10 years.
In the days leading up to the storm, we began the horizontal testing of the the deck tie-down sockets, and also replaced the cable in the starboard crane, which had begun to fray due to damage it had incurred the previous week.
On Saturday, Captain Lake, (who also plays the banjo), and I attended the weekly Bluegrass Jam Session in Hollywood, FL. This is an impressive gathering of talented musicians that meets every weekend at an old fire station and trades licks, performing a fine array of Bluegrass standards.
Afterward it was on to Luna Star Cafe in North Miami, where I was able to perform several of my original songs at their Open Mic session, which takes place every other weekend. I’m really growing to love this town.
RIP Chris Bapst