Southing again - Annapolis to Beaufort, North Carolina

We left Annapolis on a beautifully sunny day, with our friends on Neverland beating us out of the harbor.  As always, it is fun to see friends on the water and hear a familiar voice on the VHF radio.  Though the weather was sunny, there was very light wind, so we motored down the Chesapeake.  After an overnight stop in Solomon's Island, then another off the Great Wicomico River (south of the Potomac), both in Mill Creeks (we're now wondering how many Mill Creeks exist), we decided to take a side jaunt up the York River and visit Colonial Williamsburg.  Sharon lived there many moons ago and Greg had never been.  We found a quiet marina just south of Yorktown, called Wormley Creek Marina.  An Uber ride took us to the 18th Century where we spent the day gobbling up history.

The English Provincial Governor's Entry Foyer displaying his weapons

Beautiful details

Our guide

Woodwork in the Governor's Palace

The Palace

A protest over taxation decisions being made by Parliament

Sharon being punished....this happens all the time on the boat!

The Wren Building, William and Mary College

Continuing down the Bay, we made an overnight stop in Hampton City Marina (using a free coupon from the Annapolis Boat Show) and moved into the Intracoastal Waterway the next day.  Within the first hour, we noticed that the red "No Charge" light was illuminated at the ignition panel.  This means that the batteries are not charging.  Motoring is great for charging the batteries and heating the water.  Given that all the instruments are engaged and the frig continues to cycle on and off, we knew we needed to find the cause of this charging problem rather quickly.  So Greg sets to the task of trouble-shooting.  This means he checks all the stuff he already knows (loose or broken connections, loose belts) and when nothing indicates a problem, he hits the computer and walks step by step through the troubleshooting guide.  This can take a long time and someone needs to be at the helm constantly on the ICW.  Plus, it is impossible to check all trouble shooting items when the engine is running.  So, after we passed through Great Lock at mile 12, we pulled off and tied up to a dock so that Greg could continue his investigation.  Finally, it was determined that the alternator (only a year old and heavier duty than the old one) was at fault.  Fortunately, we kept the old one as a spare. We knew the batteries were powered up for the day ahead.  So, we took off from the lock and went to find an anchorage that would let us be still for the night so that Greg could swap the alternators.

But - before we found an anchorage, after just passing through the last opening bridge for the day's travel, we noticed a 38 foot sailboat on the side of the waterway where he shouldn't have been.  When queried, he told us he was stuck.  Being good cruisers we offered assistance.  We motored to the front of his boat, he tossed us a line, we cleated it to our stern and tried to pull him off.  Of course, we couldn't budge him and ended up getting stuck ourselves!  After several attempts to move, both of us just kept spinning on our keels.  Then, we thought, why don't we try to attach the halyard to his dingy and see if he could get Dream Catcher to heel and lift the keel enough to move off.  No dice.  Then, the idea was to attach both halyards to a line and crank them tight, allowing both boats to heel and potentially lift the keels.  As Sharon said - it's always a good idea until it becomes a bad idea.  No budging of either boat and now the halyards were stuck in a groove at the top of the mast, not able to ease and detach from one another.  Finally, a call was made to TowBoatUS.  By this time, it was 5pm.  Sunset is at 6:30pm and we find that the TowBoat will be here in about an hour and fifteen.  So, Greg went up the mast to see if he can dislodge the halyard before the TowBoat arrived, or cut it if necessary.  Fortunately, we have this cool mast climber rig that makes this task reasonably easy.  And all it took was a tug on the halyard from the top to dislodge it and allow us to bring it down and detach from the other boat.  Whew!

At about 6:15pm TowBoat shows up, easily pulls the other boat off with his 225 horsepower motor, switches his line to us and does the same.  Also fortunately, just a month or so ago, Greg called and upped our coverage with TowBoatUS to unlimited towing coverage.  It could have cost nearly $1000! Another Whew!

Finally, off we go in the dusk light, spotlight in Sharon's hand as she stands on the bow and helps to spot the occassional unlit daymarks and checks for logs floating in the water.  We traveled over an hour in the dark in very close surroundings. But, the navigation equipment, several lighted buoys and markers, and a careful lookout got us to our anchorage unharmed. We had the hook down by 8pm and all was well.  Another waterway adventure!

Hauling Higher Porpoise off the bottom

Eddie from Tow Boat US - our savior!

After a good night's sleep, Greg swapped the alternator for the good one, we were charging again and off we go down the waterway.  The folks from Higher Porpoise, the boat we tried to help, passed us the following morning while we were still at anchor and said they had a restful night as well.  The next few days would be long days, motoring along in the warm sunshine and 80 degree temps, sweet and quiet anchorages along the way and finally reaching Beaufort, North Carolina by Friday afternoon.

This stump came up with our anchor
in the Alligator River

We love this sweet town with its boardwalk right along the docks, fun shops and good restaurants.  Since the weather turned cold we ended up staying three days, enjoying the luxury of a heated cabin which we only have while plugged into shore power.  Beaufort is a popular stop along the east coast - for those doing the waterway and those going offshore.  In the three days we've been here we have seen boats from Nantucket, Jamestown, Rhode Island, London, North Palm Beach and Annapolis.  We all compare stories and share thoughts about our destinations.  It is a fun life.  Thanks for sharing it with us!

'Til next time -

Sandy Hook to Annapolis with lots of land time

After a spectacular full moon rise on September 16th, we spent three days hanging out in the anchorage at Sandy Hook, New Jersey.  While there, we took the Seastreak Ferry back into the city, had a yummy breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien, a sweet French bakery, visited the MET,  and finished the day with an adult beverage and a gorgeous charcuterie plate at the Pierre Hotel.  The Metropolitan Museum is an amazing and slightly overwhelming place.  We were there for several hours and only touched the surface.  We look forward to returning again.

Moonrise over Sandy Hook, NJ

Le Pain Quotidien Cafe upper East side

The MET

Finally, on September 20th, we fueled up and continued south.  We decided to just keep moving and since there was no wind and lots of clouds, we motored all the way down the Jersey shore, around Cape May during the night, into the Delaware Bay, and entered the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal by 1:30pm the following day.  After covering 174 miles we dropped the hook at 5pm just inside the Chesapeake at the mouth of the Sassafras River.  We were rewarded with a beautiful sunset and quiet evening (after all the fishermen went home).

The following day we motor-sailed to Annapolis.  By this time, we figured out that the work done and money spent on our refrigeration unit in Newport made no difference, so we placed a call to the owner of Sea Frost to find a tech in the area.  We got lucky and made an appointment with Nathan (son of the owner) the following week.  That meant a decision as to where to dock (or park for you landlubbers).  We decided to spring for a slip at Bert Jabin Yacht Yard - an iconic yard for sailors.  There must be over 500 boats here between the yard and the slips.  It is amazing.  And it is a very busy place.  The long walk to the heads and showers means you have to stay alert so as not to get picked off by a moving boat hanging in the straps of the travel lifts - there are three!  There are also cranes, pick ups and vendor vans allover this yard.  But, we were very lucky to be assigned to a slip far from this activity and near our good friends Pat and Eric Fulmer on Cutter Loose.

Dream Catcher tucked in Back Creek at Jabin Yacht Yard

The fun part about Annapolis, besides just being Annapolis, is that we have loads of sailing friends here; Fenwick Island is a couple of hours drive away, and we can retrieve Greg's car from Fenwick Island for the time we are here.  We enjoyed three weekends at Fenwick.  One with our friends Lori and Tom, intrepid drivers, who always seem to choose a rainy weekend with flooded roadways to join us in FI.  And one with Sharon's sister Pamela and dear friend Pat, who is really a sister, too.

While at Jabin's Yacht Yard we got lucky that the Patriots were playing Thursday night football.  We took the water taxi around to the Chart House in Eastport and the two TVs at the bar had the Orioles and Red Sox on one screen and the Patriots and Texans on the other.  How cool is that for a Boston sports fan?  The manager of the restaurant is from Lowell, Massachusetts AND Bill Belichik frequents the bar in summer!  Evidently his mother lives in town.  Motherlode for us New Englanders!  And both the Red Sox and Patriots won those games. Greg and Sharon had a very fun evening!

Nathan, the refrigerator tech, showed up the following day and repaired our refrigeration problem within a few hours.  It has been working great ever since!  Thanks Horton Marine Services! He even came back after a few days to check on things. Perfect!

We were invited to a lovely evening at our friends Jim and Cynthia's home, just across Back Creek from where we were docked, only 100 yards away.  They have a beautiful condo on the water with a  dock that keeps their Pacific Seacraft 34.  They spend about eight months a year on the boat in Florida, the Bahamas and the east coast.  In fact, we met them in Spanish Wells, Bahamas, in 2015. They are intrepid sailors and avid travelers.  Last summer they did a camping trip in the Southwestern US up to Colorado, visiting and camping in National Parks along the way.

We also visited the Naval Academy Museum, which is open to the public and very interesting.  Greg has been waiting for this for some time.  We visited seven years ago, but since that time it has been relocated and expanded in a new building.  We had a great time there learning how sailors and sailing ships dealt with the challenges of war and peace.

We had a great day at the Boat Show and saw friends Hayden and Radeen as well as other Island Packet owners.  We even got lucky to be able share some time with Eric and Pat from Cutter Loose.

Notre Dame vs Navy football

USNA Museum

Sharon, Jim and Cynthia

All in all, it has been a great few weeks with lots of social time, good weather between the storms, and good fun.  We have been safe and sound and positioned far enough north to be out of Hurricane Matthew's path.  Fortunately, all our friends are safe and sound with little damage to property.

Tomorrow, we continue south down the Chesapeake.  Jim and Cynthia on Neverland will be leaving in the morning, too.  We expect we'll be in touch along the way and possibly share cocktails and a dinner at anchor.   We plan to take our time.  But, we will be on the lookout!  With debris from Matthew, marina closures, and waterway issues looming in our path we will be extra cautious.

We will look forward to seeing friends along the way.

'Til next time -

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 -