Friday, October 28, 2016

Say what??? !!!! Hello November??

Neither of us can believe November 1st is around the corner and we are still in Annapolis.  It sure is funny how life treats us.  Our plan wasn't even to stay for the boat show and now we are pretty lonely (the onlyboat) moored in Spa Creek.  Go figure......
It's even more empty now.


On the plus side we have seen Amy and Evan a lot.  School is going good for him but I still think recess is his favorite pastime.

Is this "George of the jungle"?

Face painting rates up there too....

No....just Batman!

Since our auto-pilot died going down the Jersey coast we have been waiting for it to be sent to Amy's home.  Well it showed up 2 days ago and it's installed.  We figured we would haul out here while we were waiting for it and now Nati has new bottom paint, batteries and is spit & polished.  But wait.....why is there water seeping into Dingh-go?!?!  Oh that leak.......we now the dink is over to Annapolis Inflatable getting repaired.

Old battery install

4 new Fire Fly replacing 6 Lifeline batteries

Initial installation
















While hanging out for parts we ended up staying long enough for Amy's B-day party.  The only pictures were of the GKs (grandkids) playing in Nati.  We had a sleep-over that night.... well some of us slept anyways.



So....soon we'll be off and running....we hope!


Saturday, October 1, 2016

We are back in Naptown!

Finally we made it out of Port Washington.  We were waiting to get a good weather window, catch the tide going through the East River and New York City and then down the Jersey coast.  It kind of worked OK and after approximately 24 hours we were anchored in Lewes, DE in the anchor of refuge area.

The arrival timing worked out good for us to enjoy a cold brew with Wally, Lynn & Janet.  They were heading to Rehoboth for a regatta so when they came off the ferry, it was time to relax for an hour.

In the East River....a real prison ship!  Only in America!!!

Heading west to the Brooklyn bridge

Sunset in Lewes, De














From there it ended up being a no wind motor boat ride up the Delaware Bay and we timed it perfectly so the current in the C&D canal took us all the way to Chesapeake City for a few days of rest.  We even got a good surprise with Amy & Company showing up for a night.  From there we made it down to Georgetown and the Sassafras River.  We enjoyed our time there and when the wind switch (even slightly) we ran the engines once again and pulled into Annapolis.

We have crosse the bridge by car many times on the C&D Canal

Some big ships go by very close

But we still have great sunsets!!

More big guys.......














It looks like we are going to haul-out  right here in Back Creek so that will be something new.    Hopefully all the storms will stay out to sea and we can start making miles in another week or so.


Ego Alley
Oh, by the way.......I think we have some really great athletes coming into the family...........what do you think??!!

Me "Jane"

Me "Tarzan"



Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Good bye Long Island Sound.......time to turn the bow south!

Sorry for being boring but..........

The summer has eventually brought us full circle in regards to our summer in the Sound.  We have been hanging out in Port Washington for a number of days, even having the joy of holding on while Hurricane Hermine gave us a brush-by.  The services in in the harbor are good and the Stop & Shop is very close by (we can see it from our mooring!)

Doctor appointments are done, rental cars are back at Hertz and we are now free to head down the coast.  Next stop should be Cape May......wish us luck......

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

More of Newport and now it's time to head west..........

August has been a fun and fast moving month.  We put 1200 miles on the rental car and went all the way to Canada from East Greenwich, RI and then turned around and started sailing west.  The weather has been great and the water is warm enough to swim albeit not very clear up here in the Sound.

After a couple of more days in Newport we moved up to East Greenwich to moor Nati while we headed north to Binnacle Island,Ontario Canada.  Ray & Marianne operate a mooring field in this very protected cove and Nati was snug as a bug during the time we were away.  Since nobody was around when we departed, our stand up board, "Bridget" was used to ferry me to and from Nati.  It has turn out to be very useful.

So off to Binnacle Island.......land of pirates , food and other exciting things!  A good time was had by all and if you didn't have fun........well you just weren't trying!!!

First .......Pirates!  What do pirates do?   Go on treasure hunts of course!!

Pirates & Moms

They have "booty"





















Plenty of "booty" was discovered by Teagan & Evan.  Everyone knows it's in their blood......

Plenty of swimming took place this year as the weather was hot and sunny.  I do believe the grandkids have gills installed behind their ears.

Atlas on the board!

sv Ambasadore is good for jumping off!
T&E along with Amy

One day the wind was blowing and the tube decided to visit the island next door.  Here is Susan to the rescue......

tube runaway....

Susan with a new outfit!


We had fires almost every night and we missed "The Chief" and his firewood deliveries.  Also I had to make fires most nights!

Sparklers for the kids

Saturday came way too fast and it was time to head back to "reality".  The new "Shark-tooth Wedgie" is a great boat.  One load back to Toaster Heaven and we had everyones gear to the cars.  Thanks to Bob, Steph & Teagan for inviting us once again.  It was tons of fun!!

Shark-tooth loaded up

Our only rainy day....at departure!


















The happy cousins


So.......back to New England and back to Nati.  The "kids", as in orchids survived their stay in the head and it even rained enough to keep the basil & parsley alive.  All was well and the autopilot head/computer that we picked up on ebay worked when installed!  Then back to Newport for a couple of more days.

The motley crew

A movie and moonrise

"Brave Tern"

Tony & Judy, sv Lime'n were going to an outdoor movie night at one of the mansions and we tagged along.  With them was also Tony's brother Tim, direct from England.  We all had a good time having apps, drinking wine and watching a movie.  Oh yea........check out the full moon.  Not a bad setting!!  We've included another picture of the giant ship, Brave Tern.  We got closer for this one and we found out it is the ship putting the wind generators out by Block Island.  A real monster!





Time to move again!......first to Stonington, the sail was deep with not much wind.  But........we filled our water tank since we had one motor on.  The next day's forecast was 10-15 with gusts to 20kts from the NNW.  The run to the CT River was instead, upwind in 20-27kts with gusts to 33!  Nati did many runs with speeds to 10.5kts and she is now covered with salt.  This is what you look like after a salt water shower!!!!

We had to open the starboard u-zip to see!

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Our New England tour continues.......

We are calling this summer the time of recon.  Having never been on the water in Long Island Sound or the other areas such as Narragansett Bay, Nantucket Sound and Vineyard Sound we want to get a good feel of the area so when we come back we already have our favorites.  One you can take to the bank is New Bedford, MA.

The hurricane barricade in New Bedford


When talking about going there (Anne wanted to really see the museum) some folks told us the town wasn't the best place, a little run down; maybe there are other places to go.  Well, that just made us want to go more and we are both glad for it.  Yes, the downtown is in need of more work but it appears they are trying.  The Whaling Museum is second to none and you can't do it justice in one day!  We had fun and had one of the best meals we have had in a long time at Elisabeth's Restaurant.  So......we will go back!


Fisherman saying goodbye

cobblestone streets

Old lighthouses



New Bedford can boast to be the #1 fishing port in the nation in terms of value of the catch.  In 2009 170 million lbs of scallops were harvested.  With 30 scallop boats in the harbor and approximately 300 total fishing vessels in the Bay, the fishing harbor accounts for 20% of the total US consumption in scallops.  It is inspiring to see all the boats in the harbor and the coming and going at all hours.

fishing boats everywhere



harbor view from the top of the Whaling museum




Speaking of fishing boats.......can anyone remember where this boat showed up?  Answer at the bottom of the post.......
















We spent a good portion of one day at the New Bedford Whaling museum.  It is big, bigger than the one in Nantucket!  There was a lot of history inside and included sections on the Azores whaling history, Native American subsistence whale hunting history.

3 whales displayed

The first edition of Moby Dick

The last whaler.....

Mr  Lopes

read the name in the center

walking sticks all around

more scrimshaw






















Some of you can look back and remember sumo wrestling a long time ago after a day of Hobie sailing in New Bedford.  Well, the beach is still there but the restaurant isn't.  However, the owner of the bar actually has a home on his own island in New Bedford harbor.  It's a little different but hey.....why be normal, right?

Crow Island
We had a lousy weather window leaving New Bedford but  decided just to go and miss the storms.  It worked and by late last Friday we pulled into Newport, RI.  Yep, after all the years of wanting to come into "America's Cup Land", we made it!  And by the way, only we could come into town on opening day of the Newport Jazz Fest!!  The boats in this harbor can rival any place in the world that we've been to.  We have only seen 3 Gunboats (two more in town are being repaired as a result of a t-bone affair during a race).
Coming into Newport Harbor

Jazz Fest

Boaters have a free seat









































Right now we are on a mooring in front of the Rhode Island section of the NY Yacht Club....very posh so I put on my Madccatter 40 t-shirt!  Our mooring ball is actually our friends on sv Lime'n.  They are out on a cruise right now so here we are....

check out the woodworking

The whole boat

We last saw this boat in W Palm Beach


So many schooners here  
Huge!  Note the sailboat going by.....

More on the town and Narragansett Bay later.  It's time for tea & crumpets at the "club" darlin'

answer......The Perfect Storm!