From hospital to sailboat: Kennedy finds renewal on the water

(Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff)

Senator Kennedy, his wife, Victoria and their dogs, Splash and Sunny back on land after sailing on their sailboat, Mya at the Hyannis Port Yacht Club.

By David Abel, Globe Staff

HYANNIS PORT -- Hours out of the hospital, US Senator Edward M. Kennedy sought refuge this afternoon in the serenity of Nantucket Sound, taking his 50-foot schooner on a two-hour sail.

"It was wonderful to be on the water," Kennedy said, shuffling off a dock after his return. "It's all it takes."

Kennedy went for the sail with his wife, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, and their two cherished Portuguese water dogs, Splash and Sunny. It came after a drive back from Massachusetts General Hospital, where the senior senator was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.

On the water, Kennedy wore beige corduroy slacks and a red City Year jacket with "Ted" embroidered on the chest. He looked almost regal at the helm, guiding the 1927 wood-hulled boat through the harbor.

On shore, a black sport utility vehicle with tinted windows was waiting for the Kennedys and their dogs. Several neighbors and well wishers stood on the beach shouting, "We love you, Ted," and "God bless you."

The senator responded, "We love you, too, and God bless you."

The well-wishers seemed to be everywhere in Hyannis.

Joan McAuliffe, 75, drove from her home in neighboring Centerville to welcome Kennedy back to the Cape. She was waiting for him as the senator's police-escorted caravan arrived from Boston.

She told him, "Good luck, best wishes, and we hope everything turns out well."

"He waved, looked well, and he seemed to be happy to be home," she said.

Tom Hyland, 65, who was staying in Yarmouth on a getaway from his home in New York, joined throngs of others who wanted to deliver their good wishes in person. "We just wanted him to know he was in our prayers," he said.

Neighbors said they couldn't imagine what it would be like without the senator around. They described a disconnect of living next to a celebrity who they had come to know as a friend.

Over the years, they said he has been like any other neighbor who invited them to his home and went to their parties. His booming baritone is often heard over the shrubs, shouting at his dogs or calling out the score of a tennis game. They see him riding around on his golf cart, voting at Town Hall, and getting takeout at local restaurants like New England Pizza.

"I think what he loves about being here is that he doesn't get special treatment," said Liz Wilson, 58, whose family has owned a home next to the Kennedy's for five generations. "He's as much a part of the neighborhood as anyone else."

Of course, he has played an outsized role here. When Hyannis needs help, Barnstable Town Manager John Klimm knows where to turn.

Klimm said the senator recently helped the town secure $2 million in federal money for a youth center and about $100,000 for a fire boat. He said Kennedy has donated his own money to help a skating rink and written personal checks to needy neighbors.

"Over the years, we've called on the senator on numerous occasions," said Klimm, whose office is covered with pictures of Kennedy's brother, President John F. Kennedy. "He has been such an integral part of the community. It would be a huge loss not to have him around."

News of the senator's cancer hit home at the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, which the senator has supported in many ways and visits about 10 times a year. His last visit was in April, when he took graduate students from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government to see the collection of more than 100 of his family's photos.

"The senator is really part of this museum," said Rebecca Pierce, co-founder of the museum. "We are looking forward to his next visit."

The news also shook many at the Hyannis Yacht Club, where Kennedy has been a member for decades.

Standing inside the club's white picket fence, Charlie McLaughlin, a town lawyer who helps run the annual Figawi boat race, said he couldn't imagine starting the sailing season without Kennedy leading the way.

He hopes Kennedy stays in the race from Hyannisport to Nantucket, which the senator has won several times over the years.

"I'd be shocked if he wasn't in the race, but he'll have to take that up with his wife," McLaughlin said. "I think if there's any way for him to be in the race, he'll do it. That's who he is. He's a fighter."

• Comment
• Permalink
• Email