Narragansett Bay to Sandy Hook with lots of fun and sunshine in between

After an easy, but no sail, passage from Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard to Portsmouth, Rhode Island, we made the decision to hole up in our old marina - New England Boatworks - for the uncertainty that was Hermine.  Greg's brother, Jay and nephew, Jack joined us on the passage and we shared a nice meal in Newport before they headed back home.  It was great to have them on board.

Jack, Jay and Greg

Though Hermine hung around longer than we would have liked, the impact on us was moderate.  The marina is well protected inside high earth berms and a high hill on the northeast side - just where it needed to be for that storm.  The wind was brisk, but we saw no more than 35 knots on our instruments.  The rain was almost inconsequential.  Much different than what Florida experienced.  We took the time to do tons of laundry, work on the perpetual refrigeration issue, and Greg was very busy keeping up with his work.

After the seas finally subsided, we headed south on Friday, September 9.  Light winds down the Bay gave way to brisk winds as we neared Point Judith.  We hopped into the Harbor of Refuge and made our way up into the Point Judith Pond - a quiet anchorage near the oyster beds.  We have gotten to a point where we try really hard not to bash into heavy seas with wind on our nose, and those were the conditions if we had kept going down Long Island Sound.  Instead we enjoyed an afternoon of sunshine on the hook.

Anchor up next morning, a nice ride in calm seas and sunshine brought us up the Mystic River into the sweet town of Mystic, Connecticut.  Mystic is a fun town to explore and the highlight is the Seaport Museum.  Though we have visited before, we decided to do so again.  One highlight was a lecture at the Nautical Instrument shop where the resident expert explained celestial navigation in a way that was very easy to follow.  Greg has taken courses in this topic (many years ago) and appreciated the explanation and banter this gentleman engaged in.  Greg said it was the best description of how this arcane science works that he's ever heard.

Later we had a short exchange with the blacksmith/foundry worker who represented the role these people had in the seaport years ago.  We learned about the irons and steels that were common then, and saw thousands of old tools they hoard!

We had an enlightening half hour presentation at the Planetarium.  We learned that we would be able to see Mars, Saturn and Venus in the early night sky - at least until that full moon took over - and where to look to identify them.  He discussed the importance of the North Star, several constellations, the Southern Cross, and explained more about lattitude and longitude, which was fun after the navigation expert gave us his basics on this.  We also got lucky to be in town on Sunday night, so hit the local Margarita's to watch the Patriot's win their season opener at Arizona.  Go Jimmy Garoppolo!

Early Monday, we headed out through the Railroad swing bridge (the line that runs all those commuters into NYC) and enjoyed another beautiful day on the water.  There is not much in the way of anchorages as you make your way down Long Island Sound.  We chose Milford Cove, just off Milford, Connecticut expecting the wind would move West for the evening.  Not to be.  We had a very rocky night until about 3 in the morning, when the wind finally subsided a bit.  Whew!

Dream Catcher sailing Long Island Sound

A short 18 miles later, we cruised into Oyster Bay, past Billy Joel's Tudor mansion and dropped the hook just off Sagamore Hill, Teddy Roosevelt's Summer home.  Oyster Bay is on the north side of Long Island about 15 miles north of City Island.  It is amazingly protected with lots of room to anchor and a view of beautiful summer homes.  After a quiet starry night we weighed anchor and motored the short distance to City Island where we would  anchor until morning to catch the tides through the East River.  A strong thunderstorm blew through just about the time Sharon was preparing dinner.  Always a tad scary when you are living through it, we were happy the anchor held and it was over in short order.  The rest of the evening was clear and splendid.  The lights on the Throgs Neck Bridge reminded us of the Newport, Rhode Island bridges wearing their "string of pearls".  Laguardia was buzzing with lights that from our distance reminded us of lightning bugs on a summer night.

Billy Joel's mansion in Oyster Bay,
soon to be another's as it is up for sale

Thursday morning dawned clear and sunny as we hauled anchor and motored our way toward New York City.  We could already see the tall buildings in lower Manhattan.  It is very important to time your travel when transiting the East River.  The currents can run up to 4 knots, especially through Hells Gate - thus the name!  It is also one of the most exciting journeys imaginable with so much to see and photograph.  We passed 78th Street where Courtney lived after college.  We saw the raised walkway where we had taken our pictures during her move-in!  Her apartment was only a half block away.

The boat floated under nine bridges, Throgs Neck, Whitestone, past Laguardia and Riker's Island, under a railroad bridge, then Hellgate, Queensboro, the Williamsburg Bridge, the Manhattan, and finally the Brooklyn Bridge.  The current through Hell's Gate increased our speed from 5 to 10 knots!  By the time we reached the end of the East River (the waterway connecting Long Island Sound with the Hudson River at the bottom of Manhattan) the captain had dodged several ferries, large motor vessels, numerous tourist harbor boats, coast guard speed demons and NYPD boats.  At last we reached lower Manhattan where there is a helipad where we saw a half dozen commuter helicopters buzz in and out, and two constantly busy ferry terminals.  Then we rounded the lower point of Manhattan and headed across the Hudson to Liberty Landing Marina.

Hellgate Bridge

Our knot meter (speedometer) left is how fast the boat is traveling over water,
the right is how fast the boat is moving over ground.  The difference represents
the amount of current pushing us along.

Queensboro Bridge

Radio City

Brooklyn Bridge with Freedom Tower behind

Staten Island Ferry Terminal

We chose to stay in a marina for one night so we could visit the 9-11 Memorial and play a little bit in the City.  Liberty Landing Marina is in Jersey City on the Western shore of the Hudson River.  From this vantage point the view of the city is amazing!  You can hop on a ferry for $6 (senior discount), and 15 minutes later get dropped off right at World Trade Center.  One thing NYC does well is move people.  Ferries, buses, trains...it is an amazing process to watch.

The 9-11 Memorial is beautiful and somber and brought back many memories of that awful time.  One cannot help being so sad all over again.  It is, however, a wonderful tribute to all who perished.  Even on the Jersey City side, there is a memorial called Empty Sky that focuses on the place where the towers once stood and honors the New Jersey residents who lost their lives that day.  Soaring high above the memorial is the new and beautiful Freedom Tower with its spire pointing toward the heavens.  The second tower is still under construction and is about 1/3 of the way done.  A gorgeous greenway, office and shopping space, and a yacht basin where large yachts were docked all occupy the area where there once was rubble.  It was wonderful to see how beautiful it all is today.  We finished the day with a wonderful meal at the Liberty House next to our marina where we watched a nearly full moon rise over the city's magnificent lights.

Freedom Tower

Empty Sky Memorial

View of the city from marina

View from our dinner table

The next morning we headed out and got some great shots of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty then sailed south to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, dodging ferries, tankers and huge transport vessels.  New York Harbor is a busy and intimidating place where you feel as small as you feel in the open ocean.  Everything is larger than you!

Central Railroad of New Jersey, next stop after Ellis Island for immigrants

Ellis Island

Lady Liberty

We had planned to continue down the Jersey coast today, but winds and seas on our nose changed our minds.  So, we will be here in Sandy Hook, NJ for a couple days awaiting a better weather pattern.  Tomorrow, we plan to take the Seastreak back to the City and visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Greg has never been and Sharon hasn't been for years.  We will let you know how our travel goes from here.

'Til next time -

Sunshine, swimming and friends - what could be better!

Wow!  Another month has gone by and still we are enjoying a dry, sunny New England summer.  For all of you dealing with sticky, hot weather, give a call and you can come visit anytime!

We got very lucky upon our return to Newport.  After a couple of nights on the hook (that would be the anchor to you landlubbers) we called for a mooring on which to leave Dream Catcher for several days while we drove north for appointments.  We were told there was no space available, but while we were chatting with the harbormaster, a voice came on the radio and offered us his personal mooring to use as he was heading to NY in his sailboat for the New York Yacht Club's Summer Cruise. We were welcome to use it for no cost!!  How lucky is that!  So, we tooled around the harbor, found him at the fuel dock, handed him a coveted bottle of wine and thanked him profusely.

Our time in Massachusetts was short and fun - dentists, doctors, and most importantly, a visit to Sharon's best hair stylist.  Time with family and lots of provisioning ensued.  And then, upon our return to Dream Catcher we connected again with our friends Cynthia and Jim on Neverland and shared a wonderful dinner at our mutual friends' Roger and Chrisy in their newly renovated Jamestown home.  So much fun!  We love these folks and so enjoy sharing time.  Thanks Roger and Chrisy for your always lovely hospitality.  (We were too busy chatting and catching up to remember to take photos!)

That same week in Newport Greg gathered all the parts and tools to install our new windlass, the machine that deploys and then lifts the anchor and 200 feet of heavy chain.  This project took a lot of planning to acquire the right windlass to fit the bow of our boat perfectly and was a step up from our old windlass (bigger and better).  Greg also had a backing plate custom made from a high end shipyard in town.   He was happy to find a reputable place that could create one out of metal and, in the end, was not expensive.  A naval architect had to create a perfect template, then a machinist carved a 3/8 inch thick alluminum plate to be a perfect match for the deck-mountd windlass (which was quite expensive)!

The project took about three days and required Greg to spend too much time inside that tiny anchor locker, folded up like a pretzel.  Sharon's job is to be the runner for whatever tool Greg needs.  The job went reasonably well albeit not without its hitches.  The space under the deck where the motor is attached to the deck unit is narrow and we had to jimmy the thing around a few times, but finally got it set properly.  Then, the electrical devices had to be changed: solenoid, switches, heavy battery cables.  The best part was turning it on and trying it out. A delightful success!

Greg inside the anchor locker, directions handy
(he is sitting on very bent knees wedged between two walls)

Once we were certain the windlass was installed and working properly, we headed north again to New England Boatworks to gather our new chain - the correct size this time!  Of course, it was the one day it poured.  Soaking wet, Sharon on deck with her foot on the control pedal and Greg on the dock assuring the chain was fed in without twisting, we easily slipped 200 feet of 5/16" chain down into the anchor locker, in a few short minutes.  As Sharon said then and keeps saying - the thing works like "buttah".  Smooth and silent.  Wonderful!  Such a welcome improvement to the Dream Catcher systems!

New Maxwell windlass - a beauty!

We followed all that work with a week on the hook at Wickford, just outside the main harbor.  We kept Dream Catcher in Wickford Marina years ago where we met our friends John and Grace. Our time in Wickford included sunny days hanging around, swimming, walking around town and a delightful evening at John and Grace's lovely home. We love these two!  Thanks for the special dinner John and Grace.  Oh ya, Greg worked most days...but, still had lots of time to enjoy

How fortunate are we to have met some wonderful people whom we hope will be lifelong friends along this fabulous journey we're enjoying!

During our second week in Wickford we picked up a mooring from Wickford Yacht Club (we had to pay for this one - darn!) so that we could head back north to Massachusetts.  This trip included a few more medical appointments while we stayed with Greg's mom, always enjoyable - and his siblings often stop by when we're in town.  Sharon also spent a delightful evening with her sister Cathy, we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner at our friends Marilyn and Bob's in North Reading, a too-quick visit with friends Kevin and Debbie, and a comfortable stay at Nancy and Ted's beautiful home, in Boxford lovingly dubbed "Moore's Country Inn."  You can see we fit a lot in!!

When we returned to Dream Catcher we brought Nancy and Ted back with us.  After a quiet evening on the mooring we headed out early Tuesday, down the West Passage of Narragansett Bay then east into the ocean.  The North winds kept the ocean swells easily manageable and we had a quiet and easy passage to Cuttyhunk (this is the island at the end of the string of Elizabeth Islands south of Woods Hole, MA). We anchored off the beach at Cuttyhunk and enjoyed fresh ceviche (Nancy's requested meal - this time fresh scallops and haddock from Dave's market ) and our now-famous Tomato Gazpacho with Lobster.  Yum!

The next morning, we continued north and east through Quick's Hole to Vineyard Sound and sailed all the way to Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard.  We have been living large this season on moorings and enjoying every minute.  We usually anchor off Chappy Beach while in Edgartown, but once again we got lucky and picked up the Wrigley mooring inside the harbor.  This kept us a bit more private on the south end of the harbor and away from the center of town.  The Wrigley mooring is just what it sounds like, the mooring in front of the Wrigley gum family's compound. Three houses away was Walter Cronkite's summer home.  And that's the way it was!  Down harbor, Walter's old yacht "On Assignment" has been renamed, but still graces the harbor.  Think about it: Walter's friend calls and asks "where are you today, Walter?"  Walter answers: "On Assignment!"

Edgartown's Harbormaster told us that any town operated mooring that is vacant must be reported to him so that he can rent it out while the seasonal owner is away.  Some mooring holders leave for an entire season, maybe to Europe for the summer.  We were the lucky recipients of this wonderful location.  Hmmm, lucky in Newport, lucky in Edgartown!

While in Edgartown, we enjoyed a yummy meal at Alchemy, (thanks for the treat Nancy and Ted), a trip to the Artisan's Fair in West Tisbury, some fun shopping in town, and another yummy meal at The Boathouse - thanks again for the treat, Nancy and Ted.  

Sharon, Nancy and Ted riding into town while Greg stayed back and got more office time in.

Friday we took another dingy ride to Katama Bay (this is at the South end of Edgartown Harbor) to see if we could get to the beach.  This Bay has become filled with eleven oyster farms.  The most famous (to us anyway) is Honeysuckle Farm.  Greg had their oysters at Alchemy last summer and proclaimed them the best oysters he has ever had!  And that is saying something given the amount of oysters Greg has had!

Katama Bay is pretty shallow and the dunes that protect it have recently been breached by the ocean. This helps to bring in briny, cold water and makes the oysters even sweeter.  There is quite an operation of oyster farmers in that far end of the bay.  So interesting.

The oyster "beds" before lowering into the water, each with its own buoy. 

An oyster farmer's operating platform. The wire drum is used to separate oysters from each other
before putting them back for another month.

Another farmer's platform

Greg trying to find his own oysters. No luck!

Saturday night, our friend, Bob came with the Falmouth Ferry "The Pied Piper" to Edgartown to spend some time with us.  We shared lots of Honeysuckle Oysters, some dry Riesling, lots of conversation, and a delightful meal at Alchemy again!  We had a yummy breakfast the next morning at Edgartown Diner (thanks for the treat, Bob) and a fond farewell before Bob headed back home to make dinner for his crowd.  It was a short, yet delightful visit with a promise to meet again in some exotic locale.

Greg, Sharon and Bob

Greg has been working hard through all of this as business has picked up.  Fortunately, his view from the boat is delightful and the cellular signal is strong.  After a few more days in Edgartown, we headed West through Woods Hole and picked up another mooring (free this time) in Hadley Harbor - an iconic spot for sailors in New England.  Next day we headed over to Quisset Harbor where we had dinner with a high school friend of Greg's. Terry Hammar and his wife Kasha were kind enough to pick us up from Quissett Harbor and drive to the restaurant and back.  We had a fabulous time!  Greg and Terry learned to scuba dive together when they were 20!  During college, paths diverged, and it's been decades since they got together.  It really was a wonderful evening.

Today we headed back to Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard, where we will gather Greg's brother, Jay, and nephew, Jack, for the trip back to Newport.  Weather looks like it will hold with Northeast wind for a Saturday return.  Then, we will hunker down to see what Hurricane Hermine does over the coming days.  

'Til next time -

Summer Delights in Southern New England

Though we haven't done a lot of sailing, we have been enjoying this beautiful New England summer weather.  We know many are suffering from extreme heat and as we check temps around the area, we are happy to be living on the water.  The days have been mostly sunny, crisp and clear with a little humidity thrown in to make us eager to dive into the water.

It has been a busy time with friends and family visiting over the last month.  July 4th was shared with daughter Courtney and fiance' Paolo.  Besides enjoying their fun company, we got to see a couple of Courtney's childhood friends and their boyfriends and share a yummy Mexican meal at Perro Salado in Newport.  As Courtney and Paolo consider where to tie the knot, we visited a few venues in the Newport area and it was decided that they will wed at Greenvale Vineyards - a beautiful vineyard overlooking the Sakonnet River in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.  We are excited that the wedding will be within driving distance of our families.

Courtney's best buds and their boys! (we missed you Aoife and Missy!)
Click on any picture to enlarge!

Sunset on July 3rd

The following weekend, Sharon celebrated her 60th birthday (What!?) with her sisters and niece.  We enjoyed a weekend of shopping, eating and chatting while Greg did his best to be the supportive husband amid all that estrogen.  It was great fun and a delight for Sharon to share it with some of her best friends.

The girls and Greg

In between the fun, we headed north to our old marina, New England Boatworks and The Ship's Store to gather our new anchor chain.  Unfortunately, the chain was the wrong size, so we had to order new chain and a new windlass (the machine that hauls the chain and anchor up from the bottom of the sea and back into the boat).  As these are on order we'll install them when we return to Newport.  Dream Catcher has two anchors, so if we do need to settle down on an anchor for a day or more we have a backup.  So, off to the Vineyard we went.

The day was a beauty, though light in the wind category, so we ended up motoring the seven hours and 42 miles, pulling into Vineyard Haven mid-afternoon.  After a few days of hanging on the hook, we headed over to Oak Bluffs to gather our next guests.  Oak Bluffs is a busy and tight harbor, but since we were there on a Monday, we were able to snag a mooring to ourselves, rather than rafting with other boats, which we hear happens on most summer weekends.  The Rhode Island Fast Ferry deposited our friends Shirley and Tim around 6pm Monday night after a long day of travel from Kansas City.  It was so great to see them both and share the next four days with them.

The next morning dawned sunny and warm and we enjoyed a delightful sail around to Edgartown where we nabbed a mooring way down the harbor in front of the Wrigley house (yes, the Wrigley gum people).  Edgartown Harbor takes up most of Katama Bay.  If you're an oyster lover you may recognize this name.  There are eleven oyster farms in Katama Bay now, producing some of the best oysters anywhere.

We have been sitting here for several days now enjoying this spot - protected from wind and waves, yet far enough away from town to keep noise to a minimum.  Tuesday night dinner on board was an Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with Lobster (definitely a keeper recipe).  Wednesday more friends, Art and Eileen, arrived - more work mates of Greg's from past corporate life.  After a lovely lunch in the garden at Espresso Love, we did a historic tour of the Vincent House - the oldest house on the Vineyard from the 1600's, the Dr. Daniel Fisher House and the Old Whaling Church.  As part of the Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust, these buildings have been spared demolition, and are lovingly and pristinely cared for.  We were treated to dinner that evening at Alchemy - yum!  The next day, we all hopped on the bus (for $3 per person) and headed over to the Grange Hall in West Tisbury to the Artisan's Fair.  After a few purchases, and with some time to kill before the next bus, we enjoyed a walk through the Field Gallery and Alley's General Store - icons on the Vineyard and a delight to browse.

The gang after a yummy meal at Alchemy,
thanks for the treat, Tim, Shirley, Art and Eileen

Old Whaling Church, Edgartown, MA

Beautiful Trompe L'oeil inside the church

Playing in the Sculpture Garden

After a fond farewell to Eileen and Art, we enjoyed some down time onboard Dream Catcher for the afternoon and evening.  The weather has been spectacular and we all feel so fortunate to be able to  enjoy the cool breezes off the water.  Friday, we rented bicycles and after tooling around town and viewing all the beautiful homes hidden away on the side roads of Edgartown, we headed out to South Beach.  But first, a visit to the Harbormaster's office assured us we could stay on the mooring through the weekend.  While waiting for him to "check his lists," we watched this boat being hauled out of the water.  After a three year stay in the Bay, check out the collection of muscles that had grown on the keel.  Wow!

We rode the designated bike path to South beach and took a gander at the heavy surf.  No swimming for us that day - we were almost blown off our feet, just standing there viewing the ocean.  After a cold beer, we headed back to Dream Catcher and laid low for the afternoon.  Dinner was a special treat at L'Etoile.  A delightful table on the patio and delicious food, once again, a generous and delightful treat from Shirley and Tim - thanks!  As we headed back on the launch, we all agreed it was a wonderful week on and off the water.  Thanks to Tim and Shirley for joining us here on the Vineyard.

The Patio at L'Etoile

An easy launch ride back to Dream Catcher

We have spent another five days hanging on this delightful mooring.  The weather has been perfect! While checking email the other night, we saw a blog post from our friends Jim and Cynthia on Neverland.  They are in Vineyard Haven!  We met this wonderful couple in the Bahamas during the winter of 2015, our first trip there. They spend most of their time aboard Neverland, cruising the US East Coast and the Bahamas.  We took the opportunity to text them and shared a wonderful lunch at the Seafood Shanty, where we could barely stop talking long enough to order.  It was so great to catch up with them.  We said "see you later", knowing we would see them again over the coming weeks.

When we got back to the boat and were settling in for the evening, we saw the fog was starting to roll into the harbor.  Knowing that Friday was to be a rainy and foggy day, we decided to haul anchor and head over to secluded and protected Lake Tashmoo before nightfall.  Within a couple of hours we dropped the hook again and did then get to settle in for the evening.  The next morning was indeed rainy, so we were happy to be secure in this sweet spot.  By mid-day, another text from Neverland invited us for cocktails, two boats away! They too had made their way to the safety of Tashmoo in anticipation of a stormy day.  We enjoyed seeing their lovely home and shared more time chatting away.

Neverland, home port Annapolis, MD

With better weather than originally forecast, we decided to make the jump to Cuttyhunk - a short 15 miles away.  Once again, we tried to sail, but the four knots of wind just wouldn't push us anywhere.  By noon, we were settled off the beach on the hook and watched the boats pour in from the West.  A very popular spot on a summer weekend, we were amazed at the parade that ensued.  Since Sharon had never been on land at Cuttyhunk, we dingied in and enjoyed a walk up the hills.  The panoramic views from the topmost point are spectacular.  On our way back to our boat, we spotted our friends John and Grace on Frances and had to stop for a chat.  We hadn't seen them since we left Vero Beach in January and it was such a treat to catch up with them on their beautiful boat.  We look forward to more time with them when they return to their home in Rhode Island after their yacht club's summer cruise.

Cuttyhunk Harbor

Cuttyhunk's Post Office & US Mail vehicle

This morning, we weighed anchor and headed back to Newport where we will pick up our new windlass and anchor chain and then spend some land time near what we used to call home - visiting doctors, hair stylists and family.

'Til next time -

Galesville to Newport

Dream Catcher is on the move again.  Our last night in Fenwick Island, we had the treat of watching the Strawberry moon rise over the ocean on the Summer Solstice.  Life is truly good!

After a month on land where many boat projects were accomplished by Greg (see previous blog entry) we prepared to head onto the water again.  Last project was to replace the propeller that was removed in order to have it re-pitched, hoping to help prevent the carbon build up on the transom.  Already having accomplished three other projects trying to prevent this, it was hoped this would make the difference.  However, after removing the prop and visiting the shop where they would do the work, the professional said that the prop was the correct pitch and no work would be needed.  So, the propeller got painted with anti-fouling paint and was ready to go back on.

Greg prepares the tools, Sharon learns the parts and process and into the water goes Greg - the muddy, cloudy, can't see unless you have a light and are within six inches of the object, water.  The chief mechanic (that would be Greg) is ready.  The propeller gets lowered into the water, lassoed by a long, beefy line and winched and tied in the cockpit (you really don't want to drop it in the water!)  First, the "key" which has been loaded up with "Lanocote" anti-corrosion goop, fits into the shaft notch and assured it is in tight.  The key and notch are at 12 o'clock today, which worked out great (not so easy to drop the key).  Then, the prop is fitted over the shaft end. Following the prop the appropriate nut gets handed to the chief mechanic.  The large wrench needed to secure this first nut is handed down and lassoed to the mechanic's wrist.  Then, the propeller gets tightened into place.  Then, another nut and the final cotter pin are put in place, which requires a small hammer to assure it is in and bent around properly.  Of course, all this while holding your breath!  It was a successful job - add it to the list!

The propeller is attached to the bottom of this line

Wonderful aluminum wrench! Looks way heavier than it is

Success!

Friday morning dawns a tad cloudy, but off we go out of the West River and north up the Chesapeake.  It was a motor day as the wind was on our nose.  Thirty miles to Fairlee Creek, setting us up for a good ride into the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal tomorrow.  Fairlee Creek is a lovely anchorage, but a little tricky to enter.  We headed straight into shore from red to red, took a hard left along the shore, then a hard right to enter the creek.  The current was running out and pushed the boat hard to the opposite shore.  Captain Greg masterfully threw the gear shift into reverse and gunned it, successfully pushing the stern to port, bow to starboard and setting us straight into the opening, then into forward and gunned it through the opening.  Whew!  We could smell something burning!  (Maybe that was what we needed to blow that carbon out for good!)  Once inside, we found a spot amidst the quickly gathering motor boats and settled down for a nice evening.

Heading out early the next morning, to avoid the heavy current, we followed another sailboat out.  Except, it was low tide.  Though there was no current to deal with, we ended up hitting bottom in the outside channel along the shore, just 40 feet from shore.  Again, Greg masterfully, moved fore and aft, this way and that, trying to find the deeper water.  Finally, off we went.  Whew!  As a high school friend told Sharon when she ran into him years later, "Anyone who says they haven't stuck their keel into the Chesapeake mud is lying!"  We have dipped ours in several times.  All part of sailing the Chesapeake and looking for those sweetest of anchorages.

On to the Canal, where we tied up alongside Schaefer's Canal House.  This is a crazy place on a summer weekend.  Lots of boats moving about between the southern and northern shore of the canal. Several restaurants and watering holes make it a popular destination for land and sea folk.  The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal is an amazing feat of engineering.  By connecting a series of creeks back in the early 1800's, a well-used shipping channel has resulted.  This saves huge amounts of time for those transiting to Philadelphia and Baltimore.

We love stopping at Schaefer's for two reasons.  One - the menu is filled with crab dishes - one of Sharon's favorite foods!  Two - our friends Lori and Tom always come to visit.  They live only about 45 minutes away and it is always a pleasure to see them.  We enjoyed a good meal, some local music and a long chat.  Tom, Lori and Lori's mom are faithful blog followers.  They pretty much know where we are at any given time.  We were chatting about our travels and Lori asked us how fast we go.  She said, I know you call it knots, but how would you compare it to miles per hour like in a car?  We said 6 mph.  The reaction was classic.  She cracked up and didn't stop laughing for a couple minutes!  She said - well I think I would have to go faster than that.  Ha - now you know why it takes us so long to go 200 miles!  Thanks for always being with us Lori and Tom, and Mom!

We pulled away from the dock the next morning and continued on our way to an overnight stop off in Cape May.  From Cape May, we headed out early Monday morning along with all the fishing charters, and set the auto pilot for 61 degrees.  For the next 24 hours we would leave it in that spot changing course only to avoid the ships and fishing vessels around the New York ship channel area.  80 miles of shipping channels shaped like a fan line the NY/NJ coast all arranged to organize shipping in and out of New York Harbor.  They extend to over 100 miles out to sea and help them and everyone else avoid each other, especially at night.  At one point, Sharon counted 15 AIS signals (ship transponder signals) on the chart at 3am - all within 20 miles of us!  Why is it that all the fishing boats are out at night?  Are fish really nocturnal?  And what are they doing fishing right in the middle of the shipping channels?

Fairly typical fishing vessel, somewhere around 100 feet in length;
always keep a safe distance as they often have nets in the water

The fishing vessels are the triangles, the large blocks are large cargo vessels;
that is us, the black vessel right in the middle!
The yellow arrow that appears to be pointing at us is the wind direction.  

The final hours on Tuesday morning take us along the Southern coast of Long Island.  By this time, we are ready for a shower and the smooth water of a harbor.  The constant rock and roll created by easterly swells begins to wear on us, along with sleep deprivation and boredom.  But, we had one last wonder, a large black whale that surfaced right in front of the boat.  Sharon saw the spray first, then the whale's body came up in a giant arch maybe 50 - 100 feet in front of us.  Greg says the expression on Sharon's face was total amazement.  Greg stood up just in time to see a second surfacing, then he was gone.  What a cool treat!

By 2pm, we were finally in flatter water and making the turn into Great Salt Pond, Block Island, Rhode Island.  205 miles in 30 hours!  Still cloudy and a bit drippy, we were happy to see calm water.  Anchor down, text messages sent to those worried about us, we both crashed for some much needed quiet rest.  Showers and a full night's sleep has us feeling back to normal today.  As the fog has settled in right about now, we will hang out for a day, then head to Newport tomorrow.

Happy Fourth to all!  'Til next time -

Boat Chores in Galesville

The boat and Greg have been in a small marina in Galesville, MD about 15 minutes from Annapolis since May 15th. We were there last year in order to have specialized help install new radar and electronics. At that time we had the boat hauled, painted the bottom and used the four weeks to do a seasonal refit.....make a list, fix, replace or add whatever was needed. It takes weeks!

This year we have a similar, but different list. We thought it might be interesting for home-dwellers to see what sort of work a boat requires. So, here's this year's seasonal refit list for the Summer of 2016 (even if you aren't interested...check out our new friend, Mr. Eel, later in this post):

• We've had poor transmitting quality on our ship's radio for a few months. So, we needed to test the VHF radio, antenna wiring, antenna, remote microphone and all associated wiring. This took about four hours with a great technician, Mike. Then...
• Greg climbed the mast, Mike tested the antenna, Greg replaced it with a new one, then tested again - about two hours. Also, Greg found a rusted cell phone antenna at the top of the mast (18 months old) so, plan another replacement, research, purchase it online and expect another trip up the mast before leaving the area!!!
• After researching and purchasing a new VHF radio online and new remote microphone Greg installed them. Mike tested again - two hours research, two hours install - much better!
• Dream Catcher's rudder is as tall as and wider than a man. It's driven by a two inch diameter steel shaft that runs through the hull to the steering mechanism. The shaft is encased at the hull by a "stuffing box", a heavy duty rubber tube filled with special synthetic oil-encased fabric to keep the ocean on the outside. Our stuffing box leaks too much when the rudder works very hard, for example when sailing with strong winds and a lot of sail up. To fix this, Greg removed the rudder shaft stuffing and replaced it with new material. Two hours of research, purchase materials, five hours of working in very small, very tight spaces. Very good results!
• The propeller that drives the boat while motoring has a similar device. It also drips too much, which means it is time to either tighten it or replace the old material. Greg chose to remove the old shaft stuffing and replace it. After four hours he had to give up. The two and a half inch locknut was really locked! So, hire help to break the old fitting out a couple of days later, then two more hours after help left to complete the job. Sore hands, and shoulders, but good results again!
• Varnish exterior teak - two days, 7AM to 6PM.  The job includes toe rails - this is the teak trim that surrounds Dream Catcher's deck. They are six inches wide and about five inches high. Since the boat is 42 feet long, about 10 feet wide at the stern and two feet wide at the bow pulpit there are 96 linear feet by 11 inches of teak, almost 90 square feet of toe rail teak. The cockpit has two eight foot coamings and a helm seat. And the cabin top has two 30 foot long grab rails. Altogether that's well over 100 square feet of teak to sand, clean and varnish twice (and the cockpit teak gets an additional coat). The results, however, are fabulous!
• We've had a very small incessant leak on the starboard side of the cabin whenever heavy rain occurs. Fixing it required forcing a special caulk into a space between the toe rail and fiberglass deck. Removed the toe rail rub strake, drilled 3/8 inch holes every four inches for 25 feet, filled with caulk. Then filled every screw hole every six inches, replaced rub strake; about two days work. Heavy rain swept over Dream Catcher a few days later. The boat is dry and happy!
• Paint dorades (those small air intakes on the cabin top) - less than two hours for this job. Easy work and a nice result.
• Remove each shroud's chain plate, remove old caulking, replace - four hours. Chain plates are the deck level base fittings of the stainless steel cables holding up the mast.
• Coat all canvas with 303 (like Scotch Guard) - one hour (easy work for a sunny day!)
• Re-stuff helm and coaming cushions - one hour after finding and purchasing material.
• Replace rusted ground wire lugs at rudder post and main through-hull - two hours. But, finding correct lugs was tough! 
• Dream Catcher's steering system has become a little sluggish - a little too much play in the wheel when you turn it. So, we contacted the manufacturer and after some discussion made a short video so that they could see and diagnose the problem. You can view the video here: Steering play video - click here. The repair included disassembling the steering system's top end, grinding the brass worm gear fan to enable it to be raised 1/16th of an inch, prying this unit up to fit snuggly and tightening it up. This took about four hours, plus two with the manufacturer on the phone, several emails…..but, excellent results! We now have a happy steering system again.
• Replace two inch diameter aft shower drain hose. This project necessitated cutting a hole in a sub-floor bulkhead forward of the engine compartment, then reaching where it is almost impossible to reach in order to fish the new hose into position. The old hose was initially connected to the new one in order to simply enable the new one to be pulled through, but it broke - of course! This turned into an all day job. But, the new hose now reaches the shower sump basin and the system works as it should.
• Repair numerous small dings in deck, cockpit and inside cabin floor. The old GelKote (fiberglass paint) was too hard to use, so new stuff was ordered....$100 a pint and a three day wait! After it arrived this job was completed in the expected time, a few hours. These jobs are nice becasue you see an immediate visible improvement!
• And, of course, change oil, filter and fuel filters. Check antifreeze (plan to change it out soon).
• Paint main bilge areas. An easy hour. 
• Dream Catcher's microwave is 20 years old and looks like it. We've wanted to buy a new one, but the area it takes up was so small we couldn't find one to fit. We needed a ship's carpenter to make that area larger. We were lucky enough to find a semi-retired pro living in an exquisite Tayana sailboat in the next marina. He spent an hour with Greg and the result was perfect. We purchased and installed the new unit and now all that remains is fastening small brackets under the unit to make sure it stays in place under sailing conditions.
• Dream Catcher has been creating too much carbon on her transom when motoring for long periods of time. After having the injectors serviced, valves adjusted and cleaning the water systems the next obvious thing is an over pitched propeller. Tomorrow Greg brings the boat to the marina next door for it to be hauled in order to clean the bottom, but more importantly to have the prop removed for service. Once it's removed, the marina hands will push Dream Catcher back to her slip and tie her up. Greg will then drive to Baltimore and drop off the prop, where they will clean and evaluate it before going the next step. This involves re-pitching it by heating and bending the blades to be less aggressive and perfectly aligned with each other. It'll be delivered to the marina in a few days where a diver will put it back on its shaft. We'll have to wait for our next long journey to find out if this actually has the desired effect. Stay tuned!

Still to do:

• Wax hull, cabin, deck.
• Build Liferaft cover from Sunbrella.
• Repair minor damage to main sail. Inspect others.
• Sew new cloth flap in overhead cockpit canvas in order to fend off rain infiltration during high winds.

A few photos of current projects:

The results of a nice varnish job!

Dream Catcher's steering system. 

You can see the prop tucked in front of the rudder.

Forward bilge all clean and painted!

Main bilge

Cockpit taped off waiting for new can of GelKote paint

More tape

Helm seat with new cushioning...

Propeller shaft and stuffing box (the brass nuts). There is an 18 inch by 12 inch window two feet above this assembly to work through. Then find tools that can grip two of these nuts to unscrew them from each other. One broken wrench and four hours later Greg called for reinforcements. BTW, we see another bilge painting project in the near future!

Earnie the Eel!

After a long day of boat projects Greg found it was almost impossible to get the head pump to work, which means he couldn't flush the toilet!  During the prior 24 hours it had become more and more restricted. Water just would not pump into the toilet. Greg broke down the two pumping mechanisms, installed new parts, cleared the hoses and still no luck! Then he removed the only other piece in the system, the hose and valve to the outside water (ocean water). There is a check valve there, too, allowing water in but not out. Upon removing the check valve this little guy fell out! He's probably ten inches long and he was lodged in a valve four inches long!  Sheesh! A two hour project at the end of a long day! Ernie is no longer with us! But, the cabin sole got another coat of varnish!

So, after a month of hard work, we expect to soon be on the water again and enjoying all these new improvements.  

We'll let you know how the rest of the story goes.  'Til next time -