Finally Floating Again

After sharing time with friends in Vero Beach, closing up the house for Summer, and sharing the last weekend in Florida with our kids, we got on a plane for the first time in a year and a half to head north. It was weird. The plane was full, some people thought leaving their mask on for the entire flight was an option, and we were happy to get out of the airport! Thank goodness for effective vaccines!

Once we arrived in Annapolis our good friends Jim and Cynthia graciously let us use their home for a few days (even while they were away!) and we enjoyed a good night's rest. Our goal was to complete a few tasks onboard Dream Catcher (at Bert Jabin Yacht Yard, where she had been on the hard since Fall 2018) so that the excellent team at Diversified Marine Services could complete the commissioning work and get her in the water. When we first arrived, a couple guys were just finishing up waxing and polishing the hull and deck. Oh man did it look good and what a treat (this is Sharon's most dreaded job so she was psyched when Greg said we would pay someone else to do it!) 

We were very happy to see how the boat had "weathered" being alone for so long. After accomplishing a bit of rearranging to allow the team to get to the the engine and prop shaft, and then assessing our projects for the future, we headed back to our lovely accommodations. We picked up our house-hosts at the DC airport and stayed together as we worked on Dream Catcher.  

Soon our friend Pat came and toted us to Fenwick Island, DE for the Memorial Day weekend.  It was great to be together with friends and Sharon's sister and partner Pam and Michele.  

After a few days enjoying our time in Fenwick, we headed back to Dream Catcher (by now floating) to clean, organize and prepare for leaving. A new engine strainer, new batteries and a refrigerator charge and we were ready to go. It has been so exciting to be floating again after three years! We are also excited to be traveling along with friends Jim and Cynthia on Neverland - our hosts in Annapolis.  

By noon on June 15, we pulled out of the slip and headed North up the Chesapeake Bay. It was a glorious day with good wind and brilliant sunshine. First night on the hook was just outside Worton Creek where we shared our evening meal with crew from Neverland.  Unfortunately, they had dingy motor issues and decided to head back to Annapolis, so we said goodbye for now and knew we'd catch up with one another again soon. 

Nestled in her slip at Jabin's

Looking across from Jim & Cynthia's

Leaving Jabin's Yacht Yard

Greg enjoying some downtime

First day out cranking that winch - whew!

From there, our travels took us quickly (we caught the East bound current) through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, down the Delaware Bay (where we anchored on the Jersey side a few miles north of Miah Maull Shoal light), and around to Cape May. Dropping the hook around noon in Cape May we watched as our friends on ULLR headed out to sea for Sandy Hook, an overnight passage. After lunch and checking the weather, we decided to do the same. By 5pm, we were heading out the channel and kept going all the way to Atlantic Highlands, NJ where we arrived about 11am the next day. It was a good decision, it was a beautiful night and we beat the rain. Perfect!

Traversing the C&D Canal

Ship John Shoal Light

Cape May - Lewes Ferry

Sunset at Sea

Moonset at sea

The beautiful undeveloped party of the Jersey Shore

We caught up with Jim and Cristine on ULLR and shared lunch and conversation. It is always a pleasure to see them, but always too short. While there, we decided to take the ferry to NYC and got tickets to MoMA. We walked and walked and had a great City day (23,000 steps, a record!). It was a Saturday, so seemed a little less busy, and we were easily able to navigate restaurants, streets and sights. Always a treat. 

Lunch with Jim and Cristine - ULLR

New York City

Grand Central

Above three of St Patrick's Cathedral

The next day we headed north through New York Harbor, up the East River, and on into Port Washington, at the southwestern end of Long Island Sound. Another beautiful day for a passage. Next day on to Port Jefferson where we picked up a mooring ball as wind and rain were predicted. It was fun to take a walk into a town where we had never been. Always a restful night on a mooring ball in a protected harbor.

Port Jeff - as the locals call it

Early the next morning, we headed East up Long Island Sound with the North Fork as our destination. Weather showed torrential rains coming by early afternoon, and we needed to navigate Plum Island Cut's very strong current. We made great time, hit it exactly right at slack current, scooted through and on into Orient Harbor. Just as we settled on the hook, the rains came pouring down. Great timing! And the day ended with a full double rainbow off our stern. It was so big we couldn't capture it on the camera, trying to stay dry inside our enclosure. It was gorgeous. 

The sunset and the rainbow that it created

A beautiful next day, we motored over to Southold Bay. A long dingy ride up Jockey Creek got us close enough to walk to a few of the many vineyards throughout the north fork. A few tastings later and a walk into town for one of the best pizza places we've encountered in a long time, we headed back to Dream Catcher for the night. Next day, we headed up Town Creek which takes you right into Southold and we went nutty at the Blue Duck Bakery (Sharon's sister says that if there's a bakery within 10 miles Greg can smell it!), found some needed parts at the Ace Hardware, and picked up a few items at the grocery. Southold is a great little town!

Off the hook by 10am, we headed out of Gardiner's Bay and with great wind, sailed all the way to Point Judith. This is an old haunt of ours - motoring way up into the pond where there is a beautiful and peaceful anchorage away from the waves and wind of the sea. A welcome respite. The next day, with wind on our nose, we motored to Newport, Rhode Island. Ahh - feels like home! 

Ida Lewis and New York Yacht Clubs, Newport

Our time in the Narragansett Bay was all about friends. We shared drinks aboard Sweet P's and dinner at their golf club with John and Grace; a wonderful lobster dinner at their home with Roger and Chrisy (plus, she let us do our laundry!); a few meals out in Newport, a weekend with friends Nancy and Ted onboard Dream Catcher; and a birthday celebration for Sharon and Ted at the Cook House, a favorite spot. We also finally caught up with Jim and Cynthia again and enjoyed a visit to the Herreshoff Museum in Bristol.  

View from our mooring at Jamestown Boat Yard

Yummy lobster dinner with Chrisy and Roger

Harbor Tour with John and Grace

Tennis Hall of Fame with Nancy and Ted

The gang that met in the Bahamas! 

Nancy, Ted, Jim and Cynthia for Birthday night!

Half way into our time there, we left the boat way up Narragansett bay in Battleship Cove, Fall River and flew back to Boca Raton for Penny's first birthday. Oh what joy! 

USS Massachusetts in Battleship Cove, Fall River

Dream Catcher at rest

Happy Birthday Penny!

Finally, our time in the Bay came to an end and we needed to move on.  Next stop - Martha's Vineyard. 

'Til next time. 

The COVID Year and What's Next

Wow! It's been over eight months since our last blog entry, far longer than our usual update.  In some respects, a lot has happened during the past eight months - in others, not so much!  Easily the most notable experience is how COVID has affected our lives. Our 2020 New England summer sailing plans were scuttled by the pandemic. Our usual enjoyable social life in Vero - sharing time with friends either in our home or their's, frequenting favorite restaurants, museums, movies, farmer's markets and theatre performances - have all mostly been scuttled. We've become hermits! Except for a few still-possible interests: visiting grand-daughter Penny and her parents, walking with friends, a little cycling and lots of golf! We have also experimented a great deal more with cooking, gardening and blowing the multitude of falling Live Oak leaves from the patio, drive and walkways around our little home.

Even though COVID has had a dramatic effect on our plans, we've been able to visit with Penny much more than anticipated. If we were on Dream Catcher in Maine, we would have missed so much of Penny's first months. And because we live in a climate where you can almost always be outdoors, and because we have friends very close by, we have been fortunate to be able to share time with them, either on patios, golfing, cycling or walking. It has made a huge difference for us. A couple weeks ago, friends of ours from up north were in town and we got to share lots of time doing all of those things together. We have also been able to visit with Sharon's Aunt Gale and Uncle Dan at their new home in Titusville - about and hour and a half north of us. And, we are very grateful for Zoom and FaceTime! Technology has made all of this distancing somewhat tolerable. 

Greg, Gale, Sharon, Dan

With Roger and Chrisy on the golf course

At McKee Gardens

A baby alligator on the golf course

Mr and Mrs Sandhill Crane with their babies

Baby Penny with Grandad

Some of you know we did get a bit of a getaway in September. We decided to drive north to Sharon's family's beach house in Fenwick Island, DE.  Crazy as we are, we decided to leave at around 4:30 pm on a Saturday afternoon and do an all nighter.  We said "it will be like an overnight passage" - well not so much.  While we had little traffic and made great time, the entire time, we kept saying - "OK, the way this is not like an overnight passage is....." But, we pulled into Fenwick at 7:30 am Sunday morning and were happy to be there. After recovering for a couple days, we headed to the golf course. Then, on Wednesday, Greg went out for a bicycle ride and returned bloody and concussed fifteen minutes later. A trip to the ER found two broken vertebrae in his neck, a broken nose and several lacerations on his arms, legs and feet.  Poor guy was in a collar for the next three months.  But - it was a good place to quarantine and convalesce.  He was a good patient and by the beginning of December he was back on the golf course! He really was fortunate as it could have been so much worse. 

Right after the accident

Almost healed

While the bicycle accident had nothing to do with it, Greg has finally retired.  No more dealing with clients, phone calls just when it's time to anchor, sketchy internet and cell coverage and the pressure of having to be on someone else's schedule.  He is really enjoying it so far!

This year, we are preparing to get Dream Catcher back in the water, hop on and head north to New England. The poor gal hasn't been sailed for over two years! Engine commissioning, bottom paint, sails and rigging inspections, water systems back online, bright work, batteries! Not to mention a huge deep clean and polish of all surfaces! Lots to do, but no more than we are used to. Looking forward to floating once again.

This summer we are NOT on a schedule.  We are not working! We DO NOT NEED TO BE NEAR A CELL TOWER EVERY MORNING AND EVENING for work fixes! Our plans are to wander through the Chesapeake to Newport, then up the coast around Boston, New Hampshire and Maine where there are unending sights to see. Our hope is as we all get vaccinated, we can have visitors aboard as we make our way north.  Let us know if you want to visit! In early Fall, we will haul somewhere in Maine, head back to Vero Beach for the winter months and return to Maine the following Spring. Not a bad life, eh? 

But before we head north, we have a couple projects to finish.  Sailor friend Tommy orchestrated the rebuild of a new pergola over our patio.  His knowledge, skill and hard work created something lovely.  He and Greg worked tirelessly for two weeks to complete this quite complex job. The following week, new paving work began (that being done by another crew) and we look forward to a totally new outdoor environment.  

Before

In Process

Finished Patio and Pergola

Finished front walkways and driveway

Most everyone we know has gotten at least one COVID vaccine shot and most have gotten two. We both have ours, and the kids do as well. It is a huge relief and we feel so very fortunate to have weathered this storm in good health and relatively good spirits. Hoping the same is true for many of you.  

We yearn to travel again and hope that better days are ahead for all.  

'Til next time -