When the tide was in and the sun was shining, I was out on the river rowing up and down the Kennebunk River – from beyond Durrell’s Bridge, past Picnic Rock, along the first fairway of the Cape Arundel Golf Club, to the rapids and footbridge behind the clubhouse where the river turns southeast through the locks area, past Clemmy Clark’s boathouse to the Dock Square bridge, and then on past the pergola at the monastery, to Government Wharf and the breakwater. And then back again.

Clement “Clemmy” Clark working in his boathouse. Contributed / Kennebunkport Conservation Trust

With the flow of the tide, or against it, you could do it with some practice, and the toughest part was getting under the Dock Square bridge against the tidal flow, where each stroke of the oars moved you six inches ahead and the rush of water took you back four inches while you returned the oars ready for the next stroke. Good exercise either way.

When it rained or the tide was out, I watched Mr. Clark working on the current lobster boat, and just watched. We didn’t talk much, and I can only remember two conversations with any great detail.

First conversation

“Young man, look out that window, see the red buoy in the middle of the river, and tell me how far It is from here to that buoy.”

“Yes, sir, it’s about a block.”

“What’s a block?” he asked.

“Well, when the streets in town run parallel and crisscross, they form squares with about three or four houses on a side, and that’s a block, so you can run around the block, or walk the dog around the block, or ride your bicycle around the block without having to watch out for traffic, except, of course, for driveways and alleys.”

“We’re on the water here. No blocks. Can you tell me how far it is from here to that buoy without the blocks?”

And here I had to rely on my experience as a caddy, working under Douglas Doane, golf pro at the Cape Arundel Golf Club.

“Yes, sir. That would be a 2-wood or a 3-iron shot from here,” I replied.

Second conversation

“Young man, did you hear about the three holes in the ground?”

“No, sir.”

“Well. well. well.”

Orrin Frink is a Kennebunkport resident. He can be reached at ofrink@gmail.com.