Monday, September 29, 2008
Finally, We're on the Move!
Destination Sandy Hook. But, maybe, an overnighter to Cape May. I'm feeling adventurous. Besides waiting it out so long we kind of want to make up some time. We'll keep you posted. We'll be close enough to land the whole way that we'll probably have Internet. Bye for now.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Waiting at Oyster Bay.....Still
Well, we sure picked a great place to hang out for the weather. We have four other boats that are waiting it out with us so it's not so bad. We had another get-together last night on Rapscallion II. Then this morning we all went ashore and did a long walk to Stop & Shop (2 miles) - stopping at MacDonald's on the walk back. Another get together at Maleki tomorrow night. I baked a cake to bring and some cupcakes for the kids. These kids are a riot - and so well mannered. They are certainly a joy to be around. I'll upload some more pictures later.
I must power down the computer now though because no sun or wind charging the batteries today.
Love to all!
I must power down the computer now though because no sun or wind charging the batteries today.
Love to all!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Still at Oyster Bay
Good Morning, to all our faithful readers. We are still in Oyster Bay sitting on the hook. We just finished an excellent breakfast of scrambled eggs with peppers, onions, tomatoes and cheese accompanied by toast, bacon and orange juice, after a long day of sightseeing and a long night of partying yesterday. Today we are just laying low on the boat as it is rainy and windy.
Since we are stuck at Oyster Bay for a couple of days waiting for the weather to calm down, we took advantage of the opportunity to sight see. Oyster Bay was the home of Teddy Roosevelt and his family before he became president. He continued to use this house as his summer white house during his presidency and moved back after being president. Both he and his wife passed away in the house years later.
When we decided to go ashore, we noticed another couple from the boat anchored next to us going ashore as well. So we asked them where there was good place to park the dinghy. We followed them into the Oyster Bay Marina – very long dinghy ride. After chatting with them for a little while we parted company. Steve and I walked all around town and then headed to Sagamore Hill where Roosevelt’s House is located. Unbeknownst to us that this was going to be a very long walk! It took us at least an hour and ½ so it must have been about 4 miles away – mostly up hill. But we were not complaining because it was great to be off the boat getting some exercise. The scenery was beautiful as well quite the affluent community with luxurious houses along the water. The long dinghy ride ashore could have been very short had we just dinghy ashore behind our boat, as this is how where we walked to. We could see the boat just minutes away from us on our long walk. However, there really isn't a public dinghy dock to tie up to, but we probably could have docked on a private one without much notice. Then we wouldn't have seen the town either - so no big deal.
We took a tour for a measly $5.00 (the only way you can enter the house). The tour was excellent and lasted at least two hours. The house was amazing decorated with many gaming trophies. (Not that I’m in favor of hunting animals for a sport.) Back in those days too, there was no cap on gifts the president received, so Roosevelt kept most of the gifts received from other foreign diplomats were displayed. The house was in tact exactly as it was when he lived there with his family. Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed inside the house, but you can view pictures of the outside on snapfish.com.
On our way back to the boat at approximately 3:30, the wind had picked up and the water was pretty rough. The rain held off though. As we got near our boat, the couple (Leighia and Cameron – 2 kids Maya and Fynn) on the boat (Tranquility) anchored behind us, flagged us over to invite us to a pot luck dinner at 5:00 with some other cruisers anchored in the area (including the couple Trudy and Dennis on Rapscallion II that we followed ashore earlier and Alex and Joe with their 2 kids Courtney and Joey on Malekai).
We had a great dinner and lots of fun and didn’t return to John Ray until almost 10:00. By this time it started raining so we wanted to get back to the boat (2 minute dinghy ride) and check everything out. The winds were blowing pretty good all night, but this anchorage is very well protected and it wasn’t really rough. Our night at Milford was 100x worse and there wasn’t any wind.
So all is well. We plan to stay put until Kyle is no longer a factor. Depending on the conditions we will leave Saturday or Sunday and head for Sandy Hook, NJ. In the meantime, there is another get-together tonight on Rapscallion with our new friends J.
Since we are stuck at Oyster Bay for a couple of days waiting for the weather to calm down, we took advantage of the opportunity to sight see. Oyster Bay was the home of Teddy Roosevelt and his family before he became president. He continued to use this house as his summer white house during his presidency and moved back after being president. Both he and his wife passed away in the house years later.
When we decided to go ashore, we noticed another couple from the boat anchored next to us going ashore as well. So we asked them where there was good place to park the dinghy. We followed them into the Oyster Bay Marina – very long dinghy ride. After chatting with them for a little while we parted company. Steve and I walked all around town and then headed to Sagamore Hill where Roosevelt’s House is located. Unbeknownst to us that this was going to be a very long walk! It took us at least an hour and ½ so it must have been about 4 miles away – mostly up hill. But we were not complaining because it was great to be off the boat getting some exercise. The scenery was beautiful as well quite the affluent community with luxurious houses along the water. The long dinghy ride ashore could have been very short had we just dinghy ashore behind our boat, as this is how where we walked to. We could see the boat just minutes away from us on our long walk. However, there really isn't a public dinghy dock to tie up to, but we probably could have docked on a private one without much notice. Then we wouldn't have seen the town either - so no big deal.
We took a tour for a measly $5.00 (the only way you can enter the house). The tour was excellent and lasted at least two hours. The house was amazing decorated with many gaming trophies. (Not that I’m in favor of hunting animals for a sport.) Back in those days too, there was no cap on gifts the president received, so Roosevelt kept most of the gifts received from other foreign diplomats were displayed. The house was in tact exactly as it was when he lived there with his family. Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed inside the house, but you can view pictures of the outside on snapfish.com.
On our way back to the boat at approximately 3:30, the wind had picked up and the water was pretty rough. The rain held off though. As we got near our boat, the couple (Leighia and Cameron – 2 kids Maya and Fynn) on the boat (Tranquility) anchored behind us, flagged us over to invite us to a pot luck dinner at 5:00 with some other cruisers anchored in the area (including the couple Trudy and Dennis on Rapscallion II that we followed ashore earlier and Alex and Joe with their 2 kids Courtney and Joey on Malekai).
We had a great dinner and lots of fun and didn’t return to John Ray until almost 10:00. By this time it started raining so we wanted to get back to the boat (2 minute dinghy ride) and check everything out. The winds were blowing pretty good all night, but this anchorage is very well protected and it wasn’t really rough. Our night at Milford was 100x worse and there wasn’t any wind.
So all is well. We plan to stay put until Kyle is no longer a factor. Depending on the conditions we will leave Saturday or Sunday and head for Sandy Hook, NJ. In the meantime, there is another get-together tonight on Rapscallion with our new friends J.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Oyster Bay, Long Island Sound
After a terrible night of rolling on boat, we got up early and headed out at 7:15. We couldn't stand just sitting in Milford Harbor rolling around for a second longer. So we had our coffee and tea to go, and off we went. Michele cooked egg and cheese sandwiches while we were under way. Once we got moving the seas were much smoother. We had absolutely no wind... maybe 5 knots from behind. So again, we motor sailed. It was a nice, easy, smooth, sunny, relaxing day.
Just after NY City skyline came into view, we were at our destination. Oyster Bay is known for, guess what? Oysters. Actually, it is also where Teddy Roosevelt was born and had a summer white house. Since we will be tucked in here until at least Friday waiting for inclement weather to pass, we can do some exploring. But for now, we are tucked way in the bay and safe.
More to come later after we explore the area.
Just after NY City skyline came into view, we were at our destination. Oyster Bay is known for, guess what? Oysters. Actually, it is also where Teddy Roosevelt was born and had a summer white house. Since we will be tucked in here until at least Friday waiting for inclement weather to pass, we can do some exploring. But for now, we are tucked way in the bay and safe.
More to come later after we explore the area.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Milford, CT
We left Cedar Island Marina today around noon after laundry and a long hot shower. We also filled the propane tanks too. (The marina just let Steve take their van and go get it – a couple of miles away). A nice family run marina.
Not much wind and it was coming right from behind us. So we motored along with a 2 knot current helping us out and arrived at Milford Harbor at around 4:45 p.m. It was a very relaxing trip with the sun shining and the seas just a slight ripple.
Just a little rolly here, but we’ve certainly had worse!
Tomorrow up and out early to head across the sound to Oyster Bay to tuck in before some expected storms.
All is well. Love to all our family and friends following our journey.
Not much wind and it was coming right from behind us. So we motored along with a 2 knot current helping us out and arrived at Milford Harbor at around 4:45 p.m. It was a very relaxing trip with the sun shining and the seas just a slight ripple.
Just a little rolly here, but we’ve certainly had worse!
Tomorrow up and out early to head across the sound to Oyster Bay to tuck in before some expected storms.
All is well. Love to all our family and friends following our journey.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Clinton, CT
Plan A was to get up and out early for a 48 mile trip to Port Jefferson. The winds were supposed to be favorable (ha) so we figured we could keep a 5 knot pace and be there in 10 hours. Very ambitious don't ya think? Well, when we first tried to started engine, no go. Then Steve tried to do a couple of things to make it go, but nothing. (But Michele has to have the fridge running to keep the meats frozen. We did have an excellent pot roast dinner tonight though!) But seriously for some reason the power is drawing down the batteries too quickly or the engine just wants more than we're equiped to give it. We finally had to pull out the protable generator that we have and charge the batteries enough to start the engine. And voula'! Our friend Yanmar came to life. So we were off an hour behind schedule.
When we started the winds were 10 -15 knots, but again on the nose - which was okay, but not ideal. In order to keep the wind even a little off the bow we had to head more west than southwest. Which again was ok, we would go way out then tack back. Well not so much. The wind decided to die down to about 3-8 knots. We were chugging along at only 3 knots per hour and heading in a different direction than we wanted.
After a couple hours of this, we realized that Port Jefferson was not going to be in our immediate future. On to Plan B. Find a spot on the Connecticut side of Long Island sound. Water was running low and we could probably use fuel too. We chose Clinton and decided to get a slip for the night. The channel into Clinton is only about 50 ft.wide and the markers leave a lot to the imagination. We went to the left of the dolphins (pole) instead of the right because we were trying to quickly set up the lines for docking at the fuel dock and didn't see the next red marker. After a minute, Michele realized that we weren't moving and asked Steve if we were in reverse or something. We weren't in reverse and yes, we did get grounded. (Don't laugh Pat we meant to do that as we were practicing for the ICW.) After several attempts to back out, we called Sea Tow - (AAA for boats). Luckily we have a membership and the $1,000 towing fee was free.
We fueled up and went to the transient dock - another adventure thanks to Michele. I caught the spring line and cleated it off (or so I thought). Then I went to grab the bow line and cleat it off. However, the spring line came undone and wind carried the stern out. Long story short, Steve had to back out and go around again. The 2nd attempt proved to be as disasterous. So Steve (on the boat by himself at this point) decided to approach the dock port to. No problem except all the lines and bumpers are set up on starboard. With not much room to turn around (very low depths) he managed to get the lines transfered to the port side and bring the boat to the dock. Michele was able to tie off the spring and bow lines this time before the boat drifted away again. Whew! What a day.
Cedar Island Marina was very accomodating to us. They gave us a ride to the grocery store which had an auto parts store and West Marine right next to it. We bought a portable jumper unit to help with the Engine start problem, but we still need to figure out why the batteries are not charging enough to start the Engine. The portable jumper unit needs to be charged up before using it. It is supposed to be 24 hours, but we're hoping 18 will do the trick. The unit also required an extension cord. We had one, but the plug had 3 inputs which made it not fit into the unit. (By this time, Steve is beside himself). Luckily the office had one we could borrow. I made it up there as they were locking up for the night. Today was like a comedy of errors. I'm sure there will be many more like this. Ah, such is life on a boat.
For the night we are docked at a slip with shore power and showers. We can plug everything we want and not have to worry about the power consumption and shower as long as we want and not worry about drawing down the water tank. It's all good.
When we started the winds were 10 -15 knots, but again on the nose - which was okay, but not ideal. In order to keep the wind even a little off the bow we had to head more west than southwest. Which again was ok, we would go way out then tack back. Well not so much. The wind decided to die down to about 3-8 knots. We were chugging along at only 3 knots per hour and heading in a different direction than we wanted.
After a couple hours of this, we realized that Port Jefferson was not going to be in our immediate future. On to Plan B. Find a spot on the Connecticut side of Long Island sound. Water was running low and we could probably use fuel too. We chose Clinton and decided to get a slip for the night. The channel into Clinton is only about 50 ft.wide and the markers leave a lot to the imagination. We went to the left of the dolphins (pole) instead of the right because we were trying to quickly set up the lines for docking at the fuel dock and didn't see the next red marker. After a minute, Michele realized that we weren't moving and asked Steve if we were in reverse or something. We weren't in reverse and yes, we did get grounded. (Don't laugh Pat we meant to do that as we were practicing for the ICW.) After several attempts to back out, we called Sea Tow - (AAA for boats). Luckily we have a membership and the $1,000 towing fee was free.
We fueled up and went to the transient dock - another adventure thanks to Michele. I caught the spring line and cleated it off (or so I thought). Then I went to grab the bow line and cleat it off. However, the spring line came undone and wind carried the stern out. Long story short, Steve had to back out and go around again. The 2nd attempt proved to be as disasterous. So Steve (on the boat by himself at this point) decided to approach the dock port to. No problem except all the lines and bumpers are set up on starboard. With not much room to turn around (very low depths) he managed to get the lines transfered to the port side and bring the boat to the dock. Michele was able to tie off the spring and bow lines this time before the boat drifted away again. Whew! What a day.
Cedar Island Marina was very accomodating to us. They gave us a ride to the grocery store which had an auto parts store and West Marine right next to it. We bought a portable jumper unit to help with the Engine start problem, but we still need to figure out why the batteries are not charging enough to start the Engine. The portable jumper unit needs to be charged up before using it. It is supposed to be 24 hours, but we're hoping 18 will do the trick. The unit also required an extension cord. We had one, but the plug had 3 inputs which made it not fit into the unit. (By this time, Steve is beside himself). Luckily the office had one we could borrow. I made it up there as they were locking up for the night. Today was like a comedy of errors. I'm sure there will be many more like this. Ah, such is life on a boat.
For the night we are docked at a slip with shore power and showers. We can plug everything we want and not have to worry about the power consumption and shower as long as we want and not worry about drawing down the water tank. It's all good.
Block Island to Orient Harbor, Long Island, NY
September 21, 2008
After a nice day onshore yesterday (Saturday), we decided to get up and out early to start the long trek to Long Island. Our goal was to find a place on the inside of the Island (called the Fishtail) because after careful inspection of the charts there isn't really a good anchorage on the northern shore of Long Island for quite a few miles into the Sound. The problem with that plan is that it is at least an hour to get back out into Long Island Sound. (No Pat, there isn't an outlet from the fishtail back to Long Island Sound - you have to go out the way you came in.) So we chose Orient Harbor because it was the fist anchorage we came to without going too far into the fishtail. The trip was uneventful (yeah). We made excellent time. The wind was 5 to 10 knots on the nose (bow). So we had to have our friend Yanmar help us. (For those of you who don't know Yanmar - he is the diesel engine on board). You can start to worry if I obtain a basketball, name it Wilson, and talk to it.
We did see a tall ship pass us on the way to Orient Heights. Pictures are posted on the snapfish site. If you don't have permission to view them, email Michele (mpapile@papile.net). Here is the link to snapfish photo album.
Orient Harbor is very scenic with an excellent beach; however, we are too tired to go ashore. This trip was 7 hours long. And tomorrow may be even longer as we would like to get to Port Jefferson before dark (approx. 50 miles away).
We arrived in the harbor and anchored by 4:00 p.m. We had dinner and retired early.
More to come later.
After a nice day onshore yesterday (Saturday), we decided to get up and out early to start the long trek to Long Island. Our goal was to find a place on the inside of the Island (called the Fishtail) because after careful inspection of the charts there isn't really a good anchorage on the northern shore of Long Island for quite a few miles into the Sound. The problem with that plan is that it is at least an hour to get back out into Long Island Sound. (No Pat, there isn't an outlet from the fishtail back to Long Island Sound - you have to go out the way you came in.) So we chose Orient Harbor because it was the fist anchorage we came to without going too far into the fishtail. The trip was uneventful (yeah). We made excellent time. The wind was 5 to 10 knots on the nose (bow). So we had to have our friend Yanmar help us. (For those of you who don't know Yanmar - he is the diesel engine on board). You can start to worry if I obtain a basketball, name it Wilson, and talk to it.
We did see a tall ship pass us on the way to Orient Heights. Pictures are posted on the snapfish site. If you don't have permission to view them, email Michele (mpapile@papile.net). Here is the link to snapfish photo album.
Orient Harbor is very scenic with an excellent beach; however, we are too tired to go ashore. This trip was 7 hours long. And tomorrow may be even longer as we would like to get to Port Jefferson before dark (approx. 50 miles away).
We arrived in the harbor and anchored by 4:00 p.m. We had dinner and retired early.
More to come later.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Block Island
Yesterday we sailed all the way from Cuttyhunk to Block Island. We left Cutty at 8:00 a.m. and headed out for a 37 mile trek to Block Island. We had 10-20 knot winds behind us with seas around 2-4 feet but increased in the afternoon to 3- 7 feet. It was a rolley afternoon. We arrived at Block around 3:30 p.m. Michele was very beat after that long day. She cooked chicken cacciatore for dinner, but was a little seasick to enjoy it. After eating she felt a little better, but went to bed fairly early.
We decided to stay at Block Island for the day on Saturday so we could go ashore and mosey around. Michele read in the Cruising Guide that you could take showers on shore so she packed a bag. We didn’t know where we could possibly do this, but we talked a family who comes here frequently. They told us that they use the pool and showers at Champlins. So we filed that information for later use. We proceeded to walk for miles around the island. We went to the Southern Lighthouse and found a geocache, and then we walked down to Old Harbor where all the cute shops and inns are located. It was a very sunny and hot day walking all around so we stopped at Aldo’s for some homemade ice cream. After our ice cream and tea we headed back to Champlin’s where we enjoyed a long hot shower on land. We headed back to the boat around 4:00 p.m. for an excellent supper of left over chicken cacciatore (only this time with pasta instead of rice). It was an excellent day off the boat. It did remind me of Chuey since he came here last time with us and we saw a few dogs today too. I miss him, but I’m so happy he didn’t have to live through yesterday’s sail – he would have been so freaked out! It wasn’t too bad for us, but for a nervous dog it would have been terrible. Thanks again Jessie for fostering him.
Now we are planning our trip to Long Island – sitting up in the cockpit and watching the sunset. The Great Salt Pond is very peaceful and calm. Life is good.
Remember – if you want to view pictures of this photo album ask Michele to add your email. Or go to http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=248762915/a=102133856_102133856/t_=102133856 and see if you can access it that way.
Also note – you can add comments at the end of each post – below where it says comments just click. We’d love to hear from you.
We decided to stay at Block Island for the day on Saturday so we could go ashore and mosey around. Michele read in the Cruising Guide that you could take showers on shore so she packed a bag. We didn’t know where we could possibly do this, but we talked a family who comes here frequently. They told us that they use the pool and showers at Champlins. So we filed that information for later use. We proceeded to walk for miles around the island. We went to the Southern Lighthouse and found a geocache, and then we walked down to Old Harbor where all the cute shops and inns are located. It was a very sunny and hot day walking all around so we stopped at Aldo’s for some homemade ice cream. After our ice cream and tea we headed back to Champlin’s where we enjoyed a long hot shower on land. We headed back to the boat around 4:00 p.m. for an excellent supper of left over chicken cacciatore (only this time with pasta instead of rice). It was an excellent day off the boat. It did remind me of Chuey since he came here last time with us and we saw a few dogs today too. I miss him, but I’m so happy he didn’t have to live through yesterday’s sail – he would have been so freaked out! It wasn’t too bad for us, but for a nervous dog it would have been terrible. Thanks again Jessie for fostering him.
Now we are planning our trip to Long Island – sitting up in the cockpit and watching the sunset. The Great Salt Pond is very peaceful and calm. Life is good.
Remember – if you want to view pictures of this photo album ask Michele to add your email. Or go to http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=248762915/a=102133856_102133856/t_=102133856 and see if you can access it that way.
Also note – you can add comments at the end of each post – below where it says comments just click. We’d love to hear from you.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Hadley Harbor to Cuttyhunk
After going ashore and spending a couple hours in Onset, we headed out around noon yesterday. The winds were light so we had to motor sail. Hadley was uneventful - which is a good thing on a sail boat. We caught a free mooring, had hot dogs and beans for dinner and went to bed early listening to the Red Sox game on radio for a while.
This morning we were up and out early to head to Cuttyhunk which is only 16 miles away from Hadley. Cuttyhunk is one of the last islands of the Elizabeth islands first discovered by the explorer Gosnold in the 1600’s.
Sailing was great as we had 15 – 20 knot winds the entire way on a run cruising along at about 5-6 knots with a double reefed main and reefed on the headsail as well. We arrived at Cuttyhunk at noon. Catching the mooring was challenging in 25-30 knot winds, but we finally got one. Getting another line on it is the big challenge now. Going ashore tonight will not be an option in the dinghy with these winds. On the plus side, our batteries are being charged so I can use the laptop with a/c power and the inverter. The Internet connection is sketchy here though. Hopefully, I can get a connection long enough to post this blog. Pictures will have to come later.
The plan is to head to Block Island tomorrow. Bye for now!
This morning we were up and out early to head to Cuttyhunk which is only 16 miles away from Hadley. Cuttyhunk is one of the last islands of the Elizabeth islands first discovered by the explorer Gosnold in the 1600’s.
Sailing was great as we had 15 – 20 knot winds the entire way on a run cruising along at about 5-6 knots with a double reefed main and reefed on the headsail as well. We arrived at Cuttyhunk at noon. Catching the mooring was challenging in 25-30 knot winds, but we finally got one. Getting another line on it is the big challenge now. Going ashore tonight will not be an option in the dinghy with these winds. On the plus side, our batteries are being charged so I can use the laptop with a/c power and the inverter. The Internet connection is sketchy here though. Hopefully, I can get a connection long enough to post this blog. Pictures will have to come later.
The plan is to head to Block Island tomorrow. Bye for now!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Onset Harbor
Yesterday we finally departed Plymouth Bay and headed south, through the canal, to Onset. After 30 knot winds the day before, mother nature could hardly muster 5 knots today. So we motor sailed most of the way at around 5 knots. The trip was pretty uneventful except for the oil tanker I almost hit (not really :-0). I was so busy taking the pictures of it, that I changed course to head towards it. Here it is getting closer. It wasn't really that close, but the crew on the ship probably thought the person at the helm of John Ray was a drunken sailor.
We made it to the canal in approximately 3 1/2 hours. We timed it so the current would be flowing with us - a very wise move when going through the Cape Cod Canal. We cruised through at 10 knots over ground. I do believe this was the fastest John Ray has travelled for us. Mom, Dad, and Auntie Joan just made it to the Sagamore Bridge to wave to us as we went by. We whizzed by them so fast, and I didn't take the picture until after we already passed because I was trying to yell stuff to them. They really didn't look that small.
We made it to Onset and were anchored by 2:00 p.m. It is really beautiful here. This is probably one of the nicest anchorages we've stayed at so far (since we've been sailors). We were too tired to go ashore last night, so we are going this morning.
We only have a couple of photo's here, but if you would like to view our photo albums, please send your email to Michele and she'll add your name to the album to share.
Monday, September 15, 2008
In Case You Were Wondering
We haven't moved in a couple of days. Our location has been the same since Saturday. Yesterday was rainy and windy so we decided to stay put. We figured, we're not in a hurry to go anywhere so why go out on a lousy day. So, Michele made chili (using ground turkey), and we listened to the Red Sox and then the Patriots games. Two wins. Yeah!
The winds picked up considerably last night, and it would have been good to be in a more protected spot, but we held up pretty good. We did lose a couple of hours sleep, but made up for it by sleeping a little later.
Today the winds are very strong. They are blowing steadily at 20 knots with gusts up to 35. Again, we decided to stay put. So far, the holding has been very good and we're not really bouncing too much despite the wind (knocking on wood) . Neither one of us is going stir crazy yet, so why work too hard! It is quite sunny and pleasant despite the strong winds. After working out this morning I'm hanging out in my bathing suite, reading and doing puzzles. And I always have the Internet here. It's Monday and I'm not at school today. There's no complaints here! :-)
The winds picked up considerably last night, and it would have been good to be in a more protected spot, but we held up pretty good. We did lose a couple of hours sleep, but made up for it by sleeping a little later.
Today the winds are very strong. They are blowing steadily at 20 knots with gusts up to 35. Again, we decided to stay put. So far, the holding has been very good and we're not really bouncing too much despite the wind (knocking on wood) . Neither one of us is going stir crazy yet, so why work too hard! It is quite sunny and pleasant despite the strong winds. After working out this morning I'm hanging out in my bathing suite, reading and doing puzzles. And I always have the Internet here. It's Monday and I'm not at school today. There's no complaints here! :-)
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Plymouth/Duxbury
Here we are in between Plymouth and Duxbury anchored in what is called the cowyard. (I'm not sure why. I certainly don't see any cows.) After fixing our davit issue (Steve's awesome - he can fix everything!), we left Scituate at noon today and motor sailed down here to Plymouth Bay about 18 miles. We decided that 20 miles a day was a good trek for us. We are now relaxing on the hook in a beautiful anchorage just sipping wine and waiting for the sunset. Not a bad life.
Special Thank you Post
We just wanted to send a special thanks to all our family and friends who have helped make this trip possible and more enjoyable.
Janine is awesome! She has helped with packing and cleaning our house before we left. She also provided us with pounds of Dunkin Donuts coffee (for Michele). We have been immensely enjoying her zucchini bread, chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin (especially for Steve) cookies. Janine and Karen also took Michele and mom out to dinner at La Paloma before departing and packed a goodie bag of games, puzzle books and Cadbury bars for our trip. So to both my sisters - we love ya man!
Another most special thanks goes to Domenic. He has been helping Steve get the boat ready all summer. He has also has been available all summer with packing up and maintaining the house. Throughout our travels, he will check on the Jeep and hopefully keep it running. Dom has also been assigned the task of acting financial secretary to the Tori des Pasori. Candace and Domenic also provided a basket full of goodies to take on the trip and an awesome dinner at Gennaro's before we left. Domenic is just always there for us!
I also have to thank my Mom. She has helped stock the boat with plenty of books and sailing paraphernalia. If it wasn't for her, we'd have no sailing dishcloths, napkins, or towels. And what would we do without our sail boat paper weight or out designer sailboat tray? I don't want to even think about it :).
Ray and Cyndi have also deserve a big thanks. They took us out to an awesome breakfast at Newcombs in Milton and gave us our new favorite CD - Kenny Chesney. We are going to have to make a copy of it before we wear this one out!
And what about the Peter Papile family??? How can we ever thank them for fostering Junior for us for the year? They are also going to rent our house and forward our mail for us. Peter also promises to work on our house while we're away. Kathleen bought us a bottle of wine and drove us to the boat on our departure day. (We both teared up when we read her note too!) I know Rachel, Emma and Andrew will give Junior lots of love and attention. We are both so happy that we don't have to worry about the dog, the house or the mail while we're away. Without them this trip would definintely not be possible.
Jessie Porter also gets a gold medal for being the only person on the planet to take Chuey for us. Her and Chris actually love him. Who would have thought that that was possible. For that dog to have more than one person on his side is amazing! We'll see how they are with him after the first month or two. I love Chuey, but his antics do wear on you. I don't know how we put up with him for 11 years now. Thanks Jessie and Chris for taking a turn. There's no way this trip would be enjoyable with him aboard. The poor little guy would be so stressed out. Not to mention the poor big guy - we probably wouldn't make it to our next anniversary.
We also want to thank Robb, Terri and Captain Elijah for the excellent bottle of wine we drank last night and for keeping the pirates off the dock in Hingham last Friday night. We didn't lose any of our booty thanks to Cpt. Eli steering us north ;)!
Thanks also to our friends at NEB that helped us get our sailing career started over the past few years. A special thanks to Pat for always being there for me when I needed her - especially with Chuey support. She has also provided us with an excellent cruising guide book. I know she and my mother will always be checking up on us and worried about our safety and security.
Janine is awesome! She has helped with packing and cleaning our house before we left. She also provided us with pounds of Dunkin Donuts coffee (for Michele). We have been immensely enjoying her zucchini bread, chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin (especially for Steve) cookies. Janine and Karen also took Michele and mom out to dinner at La Paloma before departing and packed a goodie bag of games, puzzle books and Cadbury bars for our trip. So to both my sisters - we love ya man!
Another most special thanks goes to Domenic. He has been helping Steve get the boat ready all summer. He has also has been available all summer with packing up and maintaining the house. Throughout our travels, he will check on the Jeep and hopefully keep it running. Dom has also been assigned the task of acting financial secretary to the Tori des Pasori. Candace and Domenic also provided a basket full of goodies to take on the trip and an awesome dinner at Gennaro's before we left. Domenic is just always there for us!
I also have to thank my Mom. She has helped stock the boat with plenty of books and sailing paraphernalia. If it wasn't for her, we'd have no sailing dishcloths, napkins, or towels. And what would we do without our sail boat paper weight or out designer sailboat tray? I don't want to even think about it :).
Ray and Cyndi have also deserve a big thanks. They took us out to an awesome breakfast at Newcombs in Milton and gave us our new favorite CD - Kenny Chesney. We are going to have to make a copy of it before we wear this one out!
And what about the Peter Papile family??? How can we ever thank them for fostering Junior for us for the year? They are also going to rent our house and forward our mail for us. Peter also promises to work on our house while we're away. Kathleen bought us a bottle of wine and drove us to the boat on our departure day. (We both teared up when we read her note too!) I know Rachel, Emma and Andrew will give Junior lots of love and attention. We are both so happy that we don't have to worry about the dog, the house or the mail while we're away. Without them this trip would definintely not be possible.
Jessie Porter also gets a gold medal for being the only person on the planet to take Chuey for us. Her and Chris actually love him. Who would have thought that that was possible. For that dog to have more than one person on his side is amazing! We'll see how they are with him after the first month or two. I love Chuey, but his antics do wear on you. I don't know how we put up with him for 11 years now. Thanks Jessie and Chris for taking a turn. There's no way this trip would be enjoyable with him aboard. The poor little guy would be so stressed out. Not to mention the poor big guy - we probably wouldn't make it to our next anniversary.
We also want to thank Robb, Terri and Captain Elijah for the excellent bottle of wine we drank last night and for keeping the pirates off the dock in Hingham last Friday night. We didn't lose any of our booty thanks to Cpt. Eli steering us north ;)!
Thanks also to our friends at NEB that helped us get our sailing career started over the past few years. A special thanks to Pat for always being there for me when I needed her - especially with Chuey support. She has also provided us with an excellent cruising guide book. I know she and my mother will always be checking up on us and worried about our safety and security.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Detour to Scituate
After leaving the dock at the Shipyard Marina in Hingham on Thursday (9/11), we headed to World's End in Hull. We only went a few miles so that we at least started our trip on a Thursday and not a Friday (old sailor's superstition). The night was gorgeous hanging on a mooring there. We had a great dinner of crispy romain lettuce, tomato, and onion with a cheesburger on top (no bread). So what is that a cheeseburger salad? We had red wine watching the sunset and went to bed early.
Today, our plan was to head to P-town. We had very strong winds (15 to 20 with gusts up to 25) coming from the southwest. Our heading was 150 degrees (southeast). We were healed over approximately 15-20 degrees to port on a starbourd tack. When we started the seas were only about 1 - 2 feet. However, they were rising to 3-4 feet. The dinghy davits were healed over quite far, and we are currently unable to lock them in at this point (a situation we hope to remedy real soon)! With the dinghy hung so far to port, we were worried about losing it or even worse the solar panel which is mounted to the davits. Steve made an executive decision to change course to head more into the bay area to relieve the healing and straighten out the davits. It worked beautifully. With our new heading, the boat straightened out and the sailing was much more pleasant. With our new heading, we were pointed right into Scituate harbor. So that is where we are for tonight.
Today, our plan was to head to P-town. We had very strong winds (15 to 20 with gusts up to 25) coming from the southwest. Our heading was 150 degrees (southeast). We were healed over approximately 15-20 degrees to port on a starbourd tack. When we started the seas were only about 1 - 2 feet. However, they were rising to 3-4 feet. The dinghy davits were healed over quite far, and we are currently unable to lock them in at this point (a situation we hope to remedy real soon)! With the dinghy hung so far to port, we were worried about losing it or even worse the solar panel which is mounted to the davits. Steve made an executive decision to change course to head more into the bay area to relieve the healing and straighten out the davits. It worked beautifully. With our new heading, the boat straightened out and the sailing was much more pleasant. With our new heading, we were pointed right into Scituate harbor. So that is where we are for tonight.
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