2011-09-26

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September 18 to 24

Sunday morning was a windy one, and we were moored in the perfect location to watch the local sailboats races. There appeared to be several races happening all over the Sound. We watched a fleet of J24's run several windward_leeward patterns and launch Spinnakers. We reminisced about our racing days and watched for quite a while as these sailors raised and lowered their sails around the windward mark. One of these days we'll get our spinnaker back out again! When the time was right (current running into the east river) we set off for the trip through New York City. Navigation was well marked and we had no problem making our way down the river and into the bay. The water side view of Manhattan, and every other place we saw, was fantastic. We've all seen pictures in tour books or on the internet, but there is nothing like seeing it live and in person! The Statue of Liberty is really something to see. Watch for those pics to be uploaded.

From City Island and New York City we ended the day in Sandy Hook, NJ. For some reason we often find ourselves heading into the setting sun and blinded by the bright beams and salty dodger window. Sandy Hook was no exception. Anyway, we grabbed a spot to stay and were promptly told that particular mooring ball was private and unavailable. We decided to move back over to the anchoring basin, and settled in. Unfortunately the anchor did not. We were drifting.... So we pull it back up and try again... It's not holding and we don't know why. There are several other boats around us and they seem fine. Well by this time the sun is gone and we're completely in the dark. We pull the chain back in and try again. We did finally catch the bottom but found ourselves standing watch for several hours afterward just to be sure. This is not a great way to end what was otherwise a very nice day.

We logged 250 more miles last week and we're finally feeling like we're on track. The threat of cold air and snow are but a distant memory. We've not planning the annual haul out for the year and we even dug our shorts back out a few days ago. Our summer has finally begun! The outer coast of New Jersey was an easy ride with a few small inlets available to duck into. We passed Atlantic City and Wildwood without stopping and certainly saved some money by doing so. Again, these are magnificent views from the ocean side and one that few people really see. On the southern end of the state we relaxed in Cape May for two nights. What a nice, clean, friendly, fancy, tourist town. BIG homes, BIG boats, and lots of intercity inlets. Real estate prices are unreal. If you like fishing, this is the place to be. Hundreds of large boats loaded with outriggers, etc. We were the only sailboat at the Lutchs Marina. We toured the coastline on bicycles. Had great views of the sandy beaches and shops. After a nice dinner out, we relaxed on board and prepared for the next course, northward into the Delaware Bay.

After just one overnight on the anchor we were through the Bay and into the Delaware River. And here we go again, another canal. The C&D canal takes you through Delaware into Maryland and the north end of the Chesapeake Bay. YEAH! It was an easy ride and there were no locks or bridges to wait for. Unfortunately, due to the effects of the hurricane season and heavy rains, many areas on the east coast are under flood watches. This has all the rivers running high and dumping debris into the bays. We spent much of the time in the Delaware River and the canal just trying to avoid the logs and sticks floating by. We're currently anchored in the Sassafras River if you want to find that on a map. We've been sorting clutter, reorganizing some storage, and just doing some mindless chores.

The Chesapeake Bay's eastern and western shores are loaded with places to go, things to do and people to see. The Annapolis Boat show is coming up soon, we have cousins in the Chester and Baltimore areas, a sister in Cambridge, more cousins from Alexandria VA, and a niece there too. We're planning to be leaving the Chesapeake Bay in 10 days or so. We'll see where the wind takes us :)

Finally, southward bound!

Since leaving the Sandwich Marina on Cape Cod last Sunday we've traveled another 200 miles and touched down in 4 more states. The sun has gotten brighter and the temps are slightly more tolerable. Daytime temps are in the upper 60's/low 70's, but nights are still down in the 40's. We've now been on the go for 8 weeks.

The ride through the Cape Cod Canal was very scenic. There were beautiful homes along the shorelines and paved bike trails on either side. This narrow channel also has a very strong current so our departure had to be carefully timed. We started just after 11a, and right outside the basin we were already in a 3 knot current. As the canal widens into Buzzard Bay the winds and waves grew. The other side seemed to be a very different place than the calm one we had just left behind. It's interesting to see what the natural land formations and other obstructions do to the size and strength of the wind and the waves. This is the way of life for sailors here. We're still so very ignorant to their ways and often wonder if we would even be boaters if this is what we had to deal with every day. We made a short day of it as soon as we cleared the canal area by ducking into the Elizabeth Islands. Woods Hole channel also led into Hadley Harbor where we found a very nice area to anchor for the night. We were surprised to see so many other boats already there when we arrived just after 2p. It was reassuring to find other boats. We knew we were in a safe place.

Our next leg took us back through the Wood Hole channel south into Vineyard Sound. We cruised along the shores of Martha's Vineyard to our port and the Elizabeth Islands to starboard. After a rather long, cold, windy day we reached Block Island and the Great Salt Pond. This island is about 10 miles south of the shores of Rhode Island. We decided to take a day off, and stayed another night in the pond on Wednesday. This gave a chance to reassemble the dinghy and the ability to get ourselves to shore for some sightseeing. Block Island is very small, about 7.5 miles long and 3 miles wide. In spite of it's size, there are about 900 permanent residence and they have a K-12 school with over 100 students enrolled. There are facilities for cruise ships to land as well as all the other tourist type shops along the waterfront. We had a nice quiet lunch at the Poor People's Pub. Appropriate for us don't you think? We're towing the dinghy now, making it an easy option for transportation to shore as needed. Prior to this we had no use for the small craft and had kept it stored below. Now we have more room down below, or do we? Where did that space go already?

Our next port of call was New London CT. We found fuel and a marina to stay in for the night. Our attraction to this place was not the fuel or the marina. We were planning a road trip to our favorite marine supply store – DEFENDER. We knew it was less than 3 miles from this location by cab. Just like your house, the boat may never be done. There's always a repair or modification waiting to be done. Or an idea for an improvement you'd like to make if only you had the time and money and skills to do it yourself. If you don't already know this about us, we love to remodel, redesign, redo things and our yacht is just our latest ongoing project. We had a successful trip to the store, and now have a few new projects to tinker with. New London is also home to the US Coast Guard Academy and as a rather busy naval port. We could see the training vessel EAGLE as we entered and exited the harbor. It's appearance was that of a tall ship.

The next morning, as we left the harbor around 9a, a Coast Guard vessel was headed straight at us at a very high rate, pushing large wakes off either side. Hmm, wonder what's going on....we better change course. Are they headed for us, or just don't see us? I suppose they do have right of way under any and all circumstances, right? As it turns out, they are kinda headed for us. Their course caused us to alter our course which is exactly what they intended to do. That, and the deck mounted machine gun, was very persuasive. This vessel was providing protective escort service to a Navy Submarine! We didn't spot it until the Coast Guard boat forced our turn away from the channel. It was just barely above the water surface, and there were a few crew members standing on top of it. Wonder what they were holding on to. The coast guard boat rode along side us for several minutes before turning back and continuing into the harbor. It was very exciting. We were just standing there with our mouths gaped open. What a couple of goofs, eh? We wanted to take pictures but the gun was rather intimidating.....

We saw some rain in New London on Thursday evening, so Friday was cold and choppy in Long Island Sound. A cold front and north winds moved in with that rain. We continued west reaching Jefferson Harbor on Long Island that night. The harbor did not provide much protection from the wind or the waves in the Sound, so our night was a bit rocky. After a quick stop on shore in the morning we headed for City Island. This puts us at the end of Long Island Sound and just outside the start of the East River. We're headed for NYC and a cruise past all the famous sights on Sunday afternoon. Next stop, Sandy Hook NJ.

For those of you that may be interested, here are a few bits of information on the financial side of this adventure:

The approximate cost per gallon of diesel fuel in Canada was $6.90. With all the motoring we did that put our expenses in August at more than twice what we had anticipating them to be.

After the exchange rate, the bank fees on debit card transactions, and Canada's tax system, we paid somewhere in the neighborhood of 20% on top off everything we purchased.

Cell Phone roaming charges while in Canada cost us about $300. If you plan to stay there for any length of time, use a pay phone to call home.

Dock fees have ranged from a flat rate of $9 to as high as $6/foot. We anchor out as much as possible.

Some marinas/clubs are charging for their water and power on top of the dockage. We haven't needed to charge our systems on shore due to the great success of the solar panels. Good investment for this application.

On the domestic front:

Pressure cooker is great. Slow cook rice done in 15 minutes. Whole (cubed) squash ready in 12 minutes.  Efficient as well as delicious!

Double ziplock bag your fresh bread and it stays fresh for as long as two weeks without drying or molding.

Farmer's markets are a favorite of ours now. We love fresh vegetables with every meal, or as a meal!

Laundry is an issue. Facilities are not readily available and storage of the dirty clothes can become a nuicance.

Creative cooking can be fun. But in the end, “Hunger makes a good sauce.” Virginia Moorhead

Next time - photos and comments about the East River and our cruise past New York City!

Last of August photos

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ME, NH, and MA

We've put 200 more miles behind us, over 1900 to date, and just 1000 more to reach Port St. Lucie FL! It's good to be back out on the high seas and re-acquire our sea legs. We've moved south of the Gulf of Maine passing though Booth Bay, Kennybunkport and Wells Harbor. We had hoped to stay with the George #41 but he wasn't home (the club rates there ranged from $4 to $6 dollars a foot for the night, not in our budget). Instead we tied up to a fisherman's pier in Wells Harbor (for free) for the night. We heard lots of stories about the Presidential visits to this pier including the frequent boat trips over to Wells Harbor for dinner at a favorite restaurant just up the street. We were probably tied to the same cleats that George uses.

Having arrived at low tide(of course) the water within the break wall was fast and furious with a strong outgoing current. We had an rather “unusual” landing. Upon approach to the pier my co-pilot says: “hey, turn here between these mooring balls”. So I did, and we quickly found out why there were so many so close together. These weren't mooring balls. These were warning buoys for the shallow waters in the center of this basin. We ran aground. It was soft mud or sand and we quickly and easily backed off. No damage done, but we had to back up and try again. As we continued on and completed our graceful approach to the pier, the current took a hold of our stern. Jim had already jumped off with the bow line but had no way of reaching for the stern before we where perpendicular to the dock. It was an easy fix as he simply loosened the line and walked up the dock with some motor assistance from the helm. The best part was the family on the dock that was watching this whole thing unfold. The very young son says to his mother: “Mom, Mom, Come here. A very “unusual” thing is going on over here. Mom, Mom, look at the boat. There's a woman driving the boat!” That made my (Linda) day!

We've now completed the coast of Maine, breezed by New Hampshire and entered into Massachusetts waters. We're sitting in Sandwich Marina at the east end of the Cape Cod Canal. The Canal is a blessing, as it eliminates a trip around Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard keeping us on the inside rather than the ocean side of this area. We're also now south of the Erie latitudes measuring in at 41 degrees, 46min (vs.42.08)!

Just outside this waterway is a protected home for the Right Whales. We didn't see any, but we did spot a dolphin on our way into the marina. We also spotted two Navy Vessels with several crew members on each dressed in camouflage and standing ready next to the deck mounted machine guns. We suspect these exercises are being done in conjunction with the 9/11 events. The fuel attendant claims he's never seen these groups in there before. For a minute there I thought we were being followed. Tonight we may take advantage of a pizza shop that delivers to the boat, or walk into town and spend a few bucks at the ice cream shop, or both. :) Have a great week!

Crossing to Maine

39 days in Canada was enough

USA here we come!

Our first night sail (motor)

Well, Hurricane Irene became a “non-event” in Nova Scotia and we are very thankful for that. After waiting it out and reassembling the boat we finally left Bridgewater and the LaHave River Yacht Club on Tuesday morning just after sunrise. The distance between Canada and USA is just a few hundred miles now. Our goal was to reach Maine before Labor Day weekend. The delay for weather may have made that impossible now. After an uneventful day of motor-sailing we stopped for the night in Lockeport NS. This quiet little harbor sits just east of the Sable Islands and the start of “The Bay of Fundy”. As we've read in our cruising guides and other navigational resources, the Bay of Fundy has very strong currents and can be difficult and/or impossible to cross if your timing is off. It can take anywhere from one long day to as long as a week to find your way over to the northeast shores of Maine. We find ourselves in very unfamiliar circumstances once again. Some local knowledge would really be nice right now.

During the afternoon and evening in Lockeport we met and talked with two other cruising couples. FARING was heading back home to Bath, ME. after having spending several weeks in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. ISLAND PURSUIT was heading south for the winter, leaving their home in Newfoundland behind. Both captains offered a wealth of knowledge and experience in terms of where to go next and how to get there. Ken and Heather (FARING) were planning a straight through crossing the following day with Bar Harbor as their destination. It was approximately 150 miles, but this would eliminate Fundy as well as several more days in Nova Scotia before crossing over. Jake and Blanche (ISLAND PURSUIT) were still considering a few directions and had their eyes on a similar track. Maybe they would sail due south and head straight for Cape Cod. Both yachts were talking about a trip that would require sailing through the night. We both knew this day was coming, we just didn't know it would be today.

So there it was. A solution to our troubles. An offer for a guide across the Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy. We're so excited (fear and panic are often confused with excitement) we can't sleep. We agreed that this was what we needed to do, and accepted the offers for help throughout the night to get us there. On Wednesday the three ships left together at noon. The air was still very cool (COLD) and the winds were light. The plan was to arrive in the vicinity of the Sable Islands just after the tide and current switch to a favorable direction for our course across. We took turns at the helm, and helped one another stand watch. After sunset was when the panic really set in. Not having experienced navigation after dark made it a little scary at first. The on board instruments have back lighting so that was not a problem. But we have no headlights like a car, and the lights from shore as well as the many fishing boats made things a little confusing for a while. Eventually those were all but gone too. The only lights left were those coming from the thousand and thousands of beautiful stars. What a site. FARING made radio contact with each of us every hour to share information and weather updates, and to make sure we (Y-Knot 3) were still OK. Just before sunrise FARING saw a freighter on their radar that appeared to be on a collision course with our tandem of yachts. Ken made contact with the captain to be sure that they see the three of us. The freighter made a slight course adjustment and we were saved. How cool is that?

Having survived the night was an incredible feeling. We each had 3 or 4 hours of sleep (an hour at a time), but it was time to start a new day. We raised the sails, changed to a new heading, and bid our fellow yachtsmen farewell. We were headed for the coast of Maine with hopes of reaching somewhere further south than Bar Harbor. We had a good day and finally tied up in Rockland ME sometime after 7p. 31 hours and 195 miles later, we slept.

We're back in the USA and we're looking forward to the east coast adventures. We did take a short break from the cruising world to spend the Labor Day weekend with our family in DC. We attending our niece Ashlee and Mark's wedding in Alexandria, while also catching up with Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles, and few cousins. It was a great side trip and we're so happy that we were able to get there.

We're back on board and ready to start again.  Talk to you again soon.