2023 Mid-Summer Splash

After a later than expected completion of our Florida kitchen renovation, a really fun month in Fenwick Island, Delaware and a quick trip back to Florida to celebrate our grand-daughter's third birthday, we finally arrived in Portsmouth, Rhode Island to prep Dream Catcher for the 2023 Summer launch. Yes, it was later than usual and as much work as always.

The winter left a hole in the shrinkwrap, causing the need for a good bit of water clean up. The first week included: soaking up some water in the bilge, cleaning out the lockers, repairing a nick in the rudder, sanding and painting the bottom, correcting some bottom paint electrical corrosion, cleaning the interior top to bottom, painting a few lockers and reloading, deploying the canvas bimini & dodger (thanks tons for the assist by Roger), sails on, dingy cleanup and mounting on the davits.... and we've forgotten what else! Finally floating by the end of the week, after a few days of rain, we ventured out of the marina. 

Greg keeping an eye on the team and making friends

The crew moving her into the slip

Even though we worked hard during the day, we were fortunate to enjoy evenings with friends John and Grace, Roger and Chrisy, and Jim and Cristine. 

Jim and Cristine have lived on their Island Packet 38 ULLR full-time for over 12 years! We first met them in Stuart, Florida several years ago and still occasionally run into each other on our journeys. Once we started spending winters in our Florida home, we still got to see them along their North & South journeys. It's nice that we simply pick up where we left off, no matter how many months have passed. Cristine is a huge walker (10 to 12 miles a day when she can get to land) and Jim is a very talented 12 string bass guitar player and singer. We caught up with them in the sweet village of Pawtuxet, Rhode Island, shared a yummy meal and had the treat to see Jim perform at an open mic night. We caught up with them again in Wickford and hung out together for an afternoon. They have since moved south as the seasons begin to change. We will see them again for sure!

Jim performing at The Blue Room

Sharon, Greg, Jim, Cristine

Summer flowers

Walking around Pawtuxet

We also had several opportunities to share time with Roger and Chrisy. We met them in Cape May the first year we took off on the boat full-time in 2014. The instant connection then was their Island Packet 45 Sanderling, which they have since sold - IP buddies! They are now cruising around in their Back Cove 34 Egret  and just completed the Great Loop, a circumnavigation of the eastern half of the USA. We enjoyed a few wonderful evenings with them and got to play a round of nine at Jamestown Golf Course on Conanicut Island in the Narragansett Bay. We also got treated to a night at the Narragansett Cafe enjoying the music of The Wright Brothers - an iconic local band - along with a few hundred of their best friends! (spending summers on the island most of Roger's life leads to knowing everyone - great fun!)

The view of Newport Bridge looking 
back on the 1st fairway

Greg, Chrisy, Sharon, Roger

Dutch Harbor is on the West side of Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay and in the town of Jamestown (its east side faces Newport). This is our anchorage of choice when visiting Roger & Chrisy, who have a summer home there. On one of our dingy rides into the dock in Dutch Harbor we happened upon an oyster farmer who had just harvested bundles of oysters to deliver to the local restaurants. We asked about purchasing  a few and Maddy, a 25 year old gal, told us that we could, indeed, purchase her oysters for $1 each! We gave her a $20 and when she was done her work at the farm (100 yards off our stern) she delivered a netted bag of oysters to our boat, tying them to the stern ladder and leaving them to hang in the water to keep them fresh! How special was this! We retrieved them upon our return from our golf game and had a scrumptious dinner!

Pulling the ladder from the water we find Walrus and Carpenter Dutchie oysters
delivered to our boat in Dutch Harbor - $1 each

The Oyster Farm

The Oysters and a Burrata Caprese - yum!

Hanging on the hook in Newport

Our friends John and Grace have a home in Wickford and one in Vero Beach. We have known them since the days we kept our boat in Wickford Marina together. We love sharing time with them when in Rhode Island and when they're in town in Vero Beach. They treated us to a barbecue at their house, we played 18 at their club Quidnessett Country Club and enjoyed a relaxing dinner after hot showers in the locker rooms.  They used to have a Gozzard 43 sailboat Frances, which they have since traded for an Eastern 31 motor boat Sweet P's (named for their two granddaughters.) One Saturday when Dream Catcher was moored in Wickford, we hopped on Sweet P's and traveled to East Greenwich, RI for the afternoon. Sharon got to drive (very different experience from Dream Catcher). After a snack onboard we walked into town. We had never been to East Greenwich and were happy to poke into the all of the shops. One of the shop owners suggested a great little Italian restaurant for dinner. It was better than the billing... Revival Bar and Craft Kitchen. Many great times with these dear friends!

We hung around Narragansett Bay for a few weeks. During out trip to Pawtuxet the auto pilot ceased working. Oh man, what a bummer! Greg spent two weeks trying to diagnose the problem. First he thought it was the drive, then he wondered if it was the controller. Finally he decided it was above his pay grade and called in an expert. Christine Shope, electronics expert, discovered the problem within an hour. It was indeed the controller. Greg disconnected it, shipped it to Raymarine, paid them to evaluate if it could be repaired, it could not, so they shipped back a new one, all within two days! By the time it arrived, we were in Newport so Greg had to get back to Jamestown to pick it up at the UPS shipper. Early in the morning in flat water  he piloted the dinghy across the bay to collect it. He was back within an hour and had it reinstalled in short order. Lo and behold it worked!! Yay! Now, we felt freer to move further afield. While we could continue without the auto-pilot, it gets very tiring to have to be at the helm on a long trip. 

Before we left the Bay, we enjoyed a wonderful visit from our friend Andra. We hadn't seen her in awhile, so it was a super good time!  

We also did the Cliff Walk - always a fun treat. I think we walked about 10 miles that day - channeling Cristine! 

All above from the Cliff Walk

Finally on Saturday the 12th, we had a good weather day and decided to head to the Vineyard. It was a beautiful day with light winds out of the Southwest. Heading out around 9am, we motor sailed all the way to Cuttyhunk when we finally turned the motor off and sailed up the Sound to West Chop, MV. About this time though, Sharon spotted some rising smoke in the distance to our southeast, about half way between MV and Block Island. We always have our radio on, either scanning or tuned to channel 16. So once the smoke was spotted, we tuned our ears to what was happening. There was a distress call to the Coast Guard from a man who said he was on fire. After maybe a half hour of listening and watching (we chose not to render assistance as there were motor boats on their way and a sailboat already there) the owner of the boat had abandoned ship, swam away, was picked up by a "good samaritan" boat, and was reporting into the Coast Guard at Menemsha station. By this time, the fire was fully engaged and within the hour, the boat sank, stern first and smoke billowing through the skyline. Not being close enough to see the boat itself, we followed it all on Channel 16. So very sad! But so glad he made it off. It was interesting to listen to how calm and purposeful his speech was and that he had his ditch bag and EPIRB (a device that, when activated, sets off an emergency signal to the coast guard) with him. Clearly, well-trained to handle emergencies. 

Leaving Narragansett Bay - Castle Hill Light

Distant Boat fire - Yikes!

After enjoying the rest of our sail up the sound, we turned into Vineyard Haven and dropped the hook around 4pm. Our friends Roger and Chrisy were in the harbor on a mooring on their lovely Egret and they invited us to join them for dinner aboard. Such a treat. Thanks Roger and Chrisy! 

Roger and Chrisy's Egret

We hung around Vineyard Haven for a few days, enjoying the anchorage and all the town has to offer. When the weather turned on Tuesday and the wind was out of the East at a good clip making it quite uncomfortable onboard, we bailed and headed quickly around the bend and into the protected harbor of Oak Bluffs. Here, the moorings are first come, first served and we snagged one easily. This led to a couple of days of fun and evenings of restful sleep!

Oak Bluffs is the only harbor on the island that has a laundromat. We hightailed it there to complete this task, hit some of the shops, picked up some groceries and headed back to Dream Catcher. It was a raw, cloudy day with no change in sight so we decided to stay another night. 

On Wednesday, we enjoyed a walk through the Camp Meeting where the home owners were decorating with all variety of lanterns and parasols in preparation for the Grand Illumination that night. Every year since 1869, this event showcases these historic gingerbread cottages lit up at night beginning with a singalong featuring the Vineyard Haven Band; a great night of celebration. 

All decorated for the Grand Illumination

Our reservation on a mooring in Edgartown Harbor was calling. The next morning, we headed out of Oak Bluffs dodging the three or four ferry boats as we motored around the bend into Edgartown harbor. This is Greg's favorite town on the Vineyard. As we visited the three major towns, we were struck by how unique each one is, and how fortunate we are to be able to spend time in each one. Vineyard Haven has great shops, an abundance of eateries, a fabulous fish/seafood market... all an easy walk from the dingy dock. Oak Bluffs is more bohemian, has rowdy restaurants all around the harbor, crowded thoroughfares filled with shops, ice cream stands, eateries, an iconic carousel and night clubs. Edgartown is a bit more fru-fru... fancier shops, high end restaurants, galleries and the yacht club center stage in the inner harbor. One cool thing about Edgartown is that the harbor fairway offers a parade of gorgeous boats all day long. And mega-yachts anchor in the outer harbor along the beach - the largest one was over 400 feet long! Sheesh!  In any case, it's a great spot for boat watching. 

Our time in Edgartown included great meals at Alchemy, l'etoile, and the Seafood Shanty, walks to the grocery store, gourmet markets, Morning Glory Farms for vegetables and Granite Hardware! (this is the coolest hardware/department store - if you are ever in Edgartown, you must go!) We took the bus (you can ride all day for $5 if you are over 65) out to Chilmark and hit the Artisan Fair. Sharon has always had a love of pottery and since living in Vero Beach, she has been taking classes (those potters make it look easy and it's not!). We stopped by a favorite pottery booth, Creney Ceramics, and had a great chat with Frank Creney, who has been creating creative pottery most of his life. We had to buy a piece! We also visited the Field Gallery which is a favorite stop.

Outdoor Sculpture at The Field Gallery

Last winter, as we were considering our itinerary for this summer, Greg ran across a unique golf course on the island of Chappaquiddick. It's called The Royal and Ancient Chappaquiddick Links (tongue in cheek for you golfers). It's a nine hole par 3-4 course on the furthest leg of the island along the beach. Greg had absolutely decided we were going to play there. So, to prepare, we took the dingy over to the north shore of the harbor and walked the 2 miles to check it out. It is a very casual, quite popular nine holes with stunning views, lots of trees and very rough fairways and greens. It's also a spot not to be missed for any serious golfer in the area. We spoke with the crew to get an idea of how and when we could play the following day. Brad, the manager and caretaker, offered us a ride to the club from the ferry dock the next day! Their SUV met us at the ferry dock the following day and brought us back after our round. Super nice! 

Chappy is a no-tee-time, walk-on kind of place. So, when we arrived we paid the fees, grabbed a pull cart and headed over to the first tee box. What fun! We fully intended to only play nine, but since it took us only an hour to do that, and they said "play as many rounds as you like" we went around again. An experience we'll never forget!

All above from The Royal and Ancient Links on Chappaquiddick

Jellyfish - Edgartown Harbor

Herreschoff 12 1/2's - Edgartown Harbor

We think everyone agrees the weather has been so weird this year. Lots of rain, lots of heat and lots of humidity in the northeast - as well as the rest of the east coast. 

We did get lucky and had enough sunny, dry days while in Edgartown to get some teak done. We scraped, sanded and varnished Dream Catcher's eyebrows and hand-holds on the cabin top. The toe rails were done last fall. The remaining exterior woodwork is the cockpit, which is on our agenda for next summer. She's starting to look much happier with the fawning attention she has received this summer.

But, weather demanded our attention - not only the frequent wet weather, but wind. On a cloudy Monday, one day before a strong weather system was expected, we headed out of the harbor and motored our way back to Newport. While we have lamented the fact that we have not had enough pleasant sailing days this summer, we prefer to travel the ocean on a day of lighter winds and calmer seas rather than raging wind on our nose and sea swells. Buzzards Bay, the largest body of water on this trip, is usually fraught with a strong southwest wind, which would be on our nose. Next day we learned that a 50 ft motor yacht came in from the vineyard, the same course we had done, but plowed through 8 foot seas the entire way. No thank you!

Our trip was uneventful and we pulled into Newport at 3pm, found a good location in the anchorage and dropped the hook. By that night the wind was up to a steady 30 with gusts to 45. A sailboat upwind of us dragged at midnight and was bumping into our boat - seriously dangerous in high winds! Greg finally persuaded the owner to move and anchor in a more open area. Whew! Not fun! 

By morning the fog rolled in and stuck around for three days. While the sun did show its face a bit, we still dealt with cloudy, drippy days. Greg's favorite thing to do on a day like this is hole up in a fancy hotel lounge and catch up on work, emails, blogs, whatever. He chose the Brenton Hotel this time. A really lovely spot! We enjoyed excellent WiFI, coffee, and wonderfully low humidity!

Friday afternoon, friends Bob and Siham arrived in town. We shared another yummy dinner at the Clarke Cooke House in Newport (our favorite). Saturday we all played a round at Jamestown Golf Club and enjoyed an early dinner at JB's on the Water in Jamestown. After saying goodbye we wove our way through the crowded Newport streets and headed back to Dream Catcher. 

Full Blue Moon - Newport Harbor

Dream Catcher at anchor

Greg, Sharon, Siham and Bob

Next morning we raised anchor and headed off to Wickford to meet up with friends John and Grace. We enjoyed a lovely walk through some beautiful natural forested areas that led to the town center, where we had a yummy lunch at Wickford on the Water. The next day, they retrieved us again and we headed out to Quidnessett Country Club for another round of 18. It was HOT! But, we persevered, and then enjoyed dinner in their lovely club dining room. We said a bittersweet goodbye, knowing we wouldn't see them again until they arrive in January to Vero Beach. We loved sharing lots of good times with them  this summer. 

The following day back we went to Dutch Harbor. Good weather allowed Greg to accomplished more varnish work. Sharon went to Roger and Chrisy's house to meet with Chris and Cathy to finalize our plans for our upcoming trip to Greece together. Later that evening we all shared a really fun dinner at Beech, a beautiful outdoor/indoor restaurant that has been in this location for many years. Recently it went through a major renovation as a result of new owners. It's a beautiful and yummy spot for dinner or a beverage. 

Sunset Dutch Harbor

Last day under sail

We spent the last few days onboard in Potter Cove across the bay from Safe Harbor New England Boatworks where we had Dream Catcher hauled this season. Potter Cove's anchorage is large and protected from the South, where we expected wind for the next day or two. We enjoyed warm, dry air, and swims off the stern. We had time to remove the main sail and stay sail and stowed them. The Genoa is so large that we waited until we were at the marina - we needed a dock to lay it out on and fold it. We also had time enough to get a few other chores going to prep for haul out. 

Early Saturday morning, Sept 9th, we motored over to NEB, filled the fuel tanks, tied up to our assigned slip and continued working through our lengthy task list preparing Dream Catcher for the winter. 

We removed and stowed the genoa. Greg changed the engine oil, oil filters and fuel filters. We removed and stowed the canvas and solar panels, pulled the dingy out, cleaned it and stowed it, did copious loads of laundry, went through 3 dozen gallons of antifreeze and bagged up all soft goods. Whew! 

Dream Catcher got hauled out of the water on Tuesday morning and was placed in a good location. protected from heavy weather. This was good timing as Hurricane Lee was heading that way. We drove up to Massachusetts to see friends Nancy and Ted the following day, since they weren't able to join us onboard this year. Then, 6:30am the following day (to beat Boston/Rt 128 rush hour) we drove back to NEB to assure all was well with Dream Catcher. 

Once we finished last minute tasks on Dream Catcher we headed south to Fenwick Island, Delaware. We will be here for a couple weeks before we hop on a flight to Athens to spend a week on a catamaran with friends in the Greek Isles. Life it good!

Yesterday morning, we awoke after a really great sleep. Sharon was struck by how different the experience was. On the boat, depending on where you are moored or anchored, one deals with wind, waves, more waves when a boat goes by, occasional loud neighbors if you are in a tight anchorage or marina, heat and humidity, or cold and dampness (more humidity). In a house, climate control makes such a difference! And when in Fenwick we sleep in the very quiet concrete walled lower level where outside sound stays pretty much outside. Both have their attributes - just so different. 

It was a short season for us. We were happy to be able to enjoy familiar harbors, good friends, visit new harbors and enjoy new experiences. Sorry this has been our only blog entry this year. Thank you for following along.

And finally, rest in peace Jimmy - you will be so very missed - and we are so thankful you lived in our time!

'Til next time - 

Edgartown to Portsmouth, RI and season close

During a day of heavy rain we decided to spend time in the Edgartown library and get some computer work done. They have excellent WiFi and a dry environment! 

After a library day we still had a couple of days left to enjoy the town, but it turned out that these days were filled with very high winds. One plan was to motor to Oak Bluffs so that Sharon could do laundry. From Edgartown this is usually an easy five mile sail. But, when we awoke to thirty knot winds from the west, our intended direction, we chose another path. Piling the laundry into bags, then into the dinghy, we carried them to the bus terminal, then took the island commuter bus to Oak Bluffs. The bus system serves all of Martha's Vineyard and is a huge gift for cruisers and other tourists. You can hop a ride and get anywhere on the island on an $8.00 day pass. What a deal! 

Oak Bluffs was quite busy, especially in comparison to Edgartown for some reason. There were few folks at the "Wash Ashore" laundry so we loaded up two machines (at $7.50 a wash!) then strolled up the main drag to visit shops and see the sites before going back to move the clothes into driers. 

Our path took us through the old Methodist Camp Meeting where we enjoyed seeing the many unique gingerbread cottages; each one special with its own personality. This camp was developed in the 1800's exclusively for and by African Americans, while white wealthy people vacationed in Edgartown and Vineyard Haven. Nowadays the camp is integrated and every owner takes pride in maintaining their little vacation homes. There is a central, covered meeting area that accommodates nearly a thousand people. Even now there are weekly gospel singing nights where anyone can join in.

A small sampling of the dozens of cottages

After finishing the laundry we found a spot for lunch on the harbor. Oysters were again on our menu and we settled in at the Shuck Shack. Oysters, beer, fried clams and fries. Not exactly health food, but a treat! 

We headed back to Edgartown on the bus and stowed the laundry. As we planned an early morning departure we motored to the harbor's water dock, filled the tank, returned to our mooring and then raised the dingy. We were ready to go when the sun came up.

Coincidentally, this was the same day that Gov Ron DeSantis decided to fly a plane full of legal immigrants to Martha's Vineyard. We did not witness this happening, but as we read about it, we were heartened to see how these people were treated by the island residents. Martha's Vineyard would not be a vibrant tourist destination without immigrants. They are the people who make your bed in a B&B or hotel, serve your drinks at the bar, serve your meals at the restaurants, cut your grass, check you out at the food market, and even supervise the public laundry, and, of course, the Jamaican BBQ take out restaurant next door! We are so grateful for these people who really just want to be free from oppression and have a decent paying job to feed their families. 

The next morning dawned bright and sunny. The wind, still on our nose, had diminished enough to make our passage tolerable. We headed out of the harbor around 7am, motoring West into Nantucket Sound. We passed Oak Bluffs, then Vineyard Haven, turned south around West Chop (thankfully no longer west into the breeze) and headed happily down Vineyard Sound. Finally able to raise sail with the wind closer to our beam, we enjoyed a nice meander south. This was a relatively short 25 mile day, and we cherished the sail most of the way to Quick's Hole. Quick's Hole is the narrow waterway (cut) between two of the Elizabeth Islands below Cape Cod: Nashawena Island and Pasque Island. Southwest of these two is the island of Cuttyhunk. Click the link above for a little map. Once through the cut we continued south into Cuttyhunk Harbor.

This is a common stop along the way between Martha's Vineyard and Newport or Block Island. We usually anchor in the outer harbor, but since the wind was blowing directly into the anchorage creating rough waves this was not a good option. Planning on grabbing a mooring inside we felt a bit of concern that it may be crowded given the time of year. So many boats moving south! No worries though, there were plenty of moorings available! 

The empty mooring field in Cuttyhunk Harbor

It was a beautiful afternoon and evening. A tad windy, we were grateful to have a quiet harbor to rest in. Before we hunkered down for the evening inside our cockpit enclosure that shields us from the cold wind, we called on the radio for the "Raw Bar Boat". This little boat is managed by a handful of high school and college aged kids who have been selling their own Cuttyhunk Oysters in the harbor from their boat every evening in the season for several years now - cocktail hour! They have even developed their own oyster farm, similar to the Katama Bay folks in Edgartown Harbor. Cudos and much success to them! And such a treat for us!

The Raw Bar Boat

After a quiet, restful night we again headed out early, fortunately enjoying a North wind while heading Southwest. This doesn't happen very often in Buzzard's Bay and we planned to take full advantage. It turned out to be another beautiful sailing day and we made great time. We passed the Sakonnet River to our north, then Narragansett Bay (entrance to Newport Harbor) and made our way into the northeast entrance to Point Judith Harbor of Refuge. The Harbor of Refuge is a two mile wide protected area surrounded on all sides by a high rock breakwater. It was built to protect the fishermen's fleet, starting in 1905, and the improvements continued until 1950. 

Our preferred anchorage is past the inner harbor, then two miles further into a very shallow "pond". Here the wind is usually greatly diminished and there are few other boats. When anchoring here, one must be careful to avoid the oyster farms that are bordered by markers.  If you are lucky, you might be able to hale the farmer and buy some oysters from him!

One reason we were there was to meet good friends Bob and Siham at Matunuck Oyster Bar, a dingy ride and short walk away from our anchorage. More oysters! Yum! This was a new place for us and we had heard great things. We learned that the owner had started as an oyster farmer just outside of where the restaurant now sits, then opened the oyster bar later. Now he even has an oyster hatchery, selling spat (baby oysters or oyster seed) to other oyster farmers. Click the link above to learn more.

Bob, Sharon, Greg and Siham

The channel to get in and out of Point Judith Pond is skinny and shallow. On our departure, we did not want to take it at low tide, fearing a grounding. Low tide was at 9am and the next high tide would have been at 3pm. So, we left as dawn was breaking at mid tide. 

After raising the anchor Greg shown the spotlight on each navigation mark while Sharon managed the helm, steering from one to the next. It worked out great, and the shallowest water we saw was 3.2 feet below our keel - better than expected. We exited out the same Northeast opening we came in and turned north for Newport. It was a short two hour trip to Newport Harbor. Since we arrived the day after the annual boat show, there was lots of room for anchoring. 

Sunrise Point Judith

Morning sky

Our Newport destination and timing were based on our haul out plan. We were here to haul Dream Catcher for the winter. But, we had a few days to enjoy first!

Newport was our second to last stop and we had a few "must do's". The Ann Street Pier and Newport Maritime Center is a gift to cruisers. Free wifi, TV's, hot showers and spacious bathrooms and laundry, all just a short walk from the dingy dock. We took advantage! 

When living on a boat, it is a welcome change to come to shore and be able to get some physical exercise, especially cardio. On our first day, we strolled around the dock area and hit a few of our favorite shops. On our second day, we walked up Memorial Boulevard and made our way to the northernmost end of the Cliff Walk. This is a famous and beautiful path that follows the circumference of the Newport peninsula. With  crashing waves below and the old mansions above it is quite beautiful and exciting. This time though, we found that the walk was much longer than it was in the past. The town and the historical society have been busy!

We walked the entire path, about 4 miles. Most people stop halfway along because it turns into a boulder walking event and gets a bit dicey in the new section. We enjoyed the entire length and were rewarded by gorgeous views on a beautiful day. 

Forty Steps

Looking back toward the Breakers

Coming out of the tunnel

Looking back into the tunnel

Looking down from the walk

Looking out to sea

Greg taking a break

Looking down to the sea

Rough Point

Later we had an excellent meal at one of our favorites - The Clarke-Cooke House - an iconic sailor's hangout. Always so good! 

The forecast for our last day in Newport was another very windy and rainy day. We buttoned everything up on the boat, took the launch into town, and made our way to a cool new hotel, The Brenton. We've gotten pretty good at finding hospitable hotels with comfortable social spaces and WiFi where we can spend a bad-weather day - and have a decent lunch!

We hung out with our computers, caught up on email, business and more in a warm, dry environment. It was a good idea and we got a lot accomplished and stayed very comfy. 

Overnight on the hook, however, was challenging. Wind was thirty plus all night, driving straight into the harbor.  We were pitching up and down all night. Sharon was up every couple of hours climbing into the cockpit to check our position against our anchored neighbors. We stayed put, thankfully. And so did our neighbors. But, she didn't have a very restful night. In the morning we hightailed it out of there as quickly as possible. But, leaving wasn't simple; there was a boat directly over our anchor.

The harbormaster helped by alerting the boat forward of us that we were preparing to leave. The only way we could retrieve our anchor was to have them motor to one side as we motored to the other as we pulled our anchor and chain in as quickly as possible, before the wind forced them back into the middle of the wind's path.  Greg placed several fenders along our starboard side to protect against a slight bump between boats. It was interesting! The German owner did a great job and was very gracious. Fortunately, no bumps! We motored out of the harbor and turned north to head up the bay, then west around Conanicut Island and into Wickford Harbor. The wind was howling out of the Northwest, right on our nose again. 

Our morning plan had been to leave the exposed Newport Harbor for the protected Wickford Harbor. We just had to deal with a ten mile slog to get there! All went well. Wickford is on the Western side of the bay with a north shore - perfect for a Northwest wind. It was delightfully quiet there! 

 

We picked up a mooring at the Wickford Yacht Club, took the dinghy in for a shower, and were swept up by our friends John and Grace who live in town. We spent a delightful afternoon with them, lunching at their golf club, hitting a few balls for the first time since June, and visiting their beautiful boat, Sweet P's - looking proud with a new paint job.

We also had a nice walk around the neighborhood woods and were treated to a yummy home-cooked meal in their cozy home. John made beer can chicken on the grill, and Grace made the accompaniments. It's always so great sharing time with these two!

The next day Greg had plans to have lunch with Tom Reilly, an old friend from the Foxboro Company. After getting together with other friends from his Foxboro days a few weeks ago, this was another treat. They had not seen each other in over twenty years. Sharing a great lunch at Wickford on the Water, they promised to do it again next Spring.

It was finally time to focus on our preparations for haul-out. 

John was kind enough to pick Greg up after lunch and drive him to a supplier to get thirty gallons of antifreeze for the boat winterization process! John helped us load the jugs from his car to the dinghy, then we were off to stow them onboard.

Next morning, while still on the Yacht Club mooring, we removed the 130 genoa. This is our largest sail, almost 600 square feet and 100 pounds of heavy Dacron. It is a bear to manage! But the wind was quiet and the boat was head into the wind, making it easier to get the sail down onto the deck. The trouble is trying to fold the darn thing on the tiny side deck or cabin top. We usually do this in a marina and fold the sail on a wide dock next to the boat. But, we knew the wind was going to be high for a few more days, so we used this quiet time to get the big sail down. It wasn't pretty, but we managed to get the final bundle small enough to fit in the sail bag and wrestled it below for storage. 

Then, it was off to the other side of the Bay to New England Boatworks (now Safe Harbor New England Boatworks) where we would finish the winterization prep to haul. The motor over was uneventful. After a stop at the fuel dock, we headed to our assigned dock and got to work. Next came the small staysail - easy in comparison to the genoa - and finally the main. We have a Dutchman's system on the main which helps it flake nicely onto the boom when lowered. Over the years we have figured a reasonably uncomplicated way to get the sail off the boom without unfolding it. Worked like a charm, and we finished the sail removal by early afternoon. 

Our daughter Courtney has a childhood friend who lives nearby in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. We arranged for them to join us for cocktail hour onboard Dream Catcher that afternoon. What a treat to have Lizzy, husband Bo, and baby Claire (17 months old) hang out with us in the cockpit. Baby Claire was fascinated with the boat and the fact that the water was right there. Her Mom had a hand on her clothes almost the entire time to keep her from wandering too far. We neglected to take photos - darn! It was really nice to share time with them all!

The next two days we were all work. We were up early and busy all day - five loads of laundry, oil, fuel and filter changes, engine antifreeze flush; all water systems antifreezed - two heads, air-conditioning, reefer water pump, two wash down pumps, fresh water tank including three sinks, three showers - Whew! Those thirty gallons of antifreeze were all used up! The dingy motor was also winterized and put on the rail; then the dingy was hauled and moved 150 yards to a storage rack. Every locker was cleaned, all clothes, linens, bedding and pillows were bagged. 

Our next big job was canvas. We carefully dismantled the dodger and bimini (including three flexible solar panels) and stored them in the aft berth on top of the sails. The reefer emptied and defrosted, we felt we were almost ready to close the boat. 

A few of the 30 gallons of antifreeze

Winterizing the engine and AC lines

Sails off

Anyone who knows Greg knows he's got a spreadsheet! His Boat Winterization list has been maturing for almost twenty years! This one lists each task by category, plus a time estimate to accomplish each and materials needed. So, before starting we knew we would need three days, at least, and only if we had all the material we needed and nothing went too wrong. Not only did we finish it all in three days, but each evening we got to share time with friends. Lizzy, Bo and Claire one night. Then John and Grace were so nice to pick us up again and share a meal at their favorite Thai place in Newport, Thai Cuisine on Thames (super excellent!). On our final night in Newport we picked up a rental car. We were beat, but we showered and drove to another old favorite, The Boathouse in Tiverton, for our last dinner in New England. It was yummy, too, and we felt satisfied that our work was done and we were ready to head to Fenwick Island.

We were up early on our last morning on Dream Catcher (for awhile). After deploying Damp-rid canisters throughout the cabin, off loading a zillion things into the rental car, we headed off by 9am. The NEB team assured us they would stay in touch, let us know when the boat was out of the water, and promised to open all the thru-hulls letting any remaining water out of the valves. We were in touch with the shrink-wrap guys so they could get to work. Two days later, the boat was out, the thru-hulls open, and the shrink-wrap guys are aware it is ready. We are hoping this winter will be a better one for our sweet Dream Catcher than the last. And we are looking forward to seeing her bright and clean in the spring. 

While all of the above work was being done by us, Florida was being pummeled by Hurricane Ian. Hurricane season is one of the reasons we have never left our boat in Florida for the summer. Those storms are not to be taken lightly. And we all know, they are getting worse - so tragic for everyone affected. Our hearts go out to all of the people who have lost so much. We feel so very grateful that our tiny home on the east coast was spared. 

'Til next time -