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!
 | ||||
Sharon, Greg, Jim, Cristine
 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!)
|
 |
| 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 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 -
