The Fun Begins!

Block Island behind us, and our first boat show of the season looming, we cruised into Newport awaiting directions from the dock master at the Newport Yachting Center. Once settled into our slip, we greeted our fellow boat company associates-turned-friends as they pulled in. We sort of equate the boat shows to being in the circus! We unpack our wares, work the show, pack up again, head to the next location, and do it all again!

The next day, Monday, the fun began! We had to turn our live aboard vessel into a boat show masterpiece. John began with polishing all the outside stainless steel (a big job), I scrubbed the dinghy, and then we washed every square inch of the outside. Tuesday a friend came down from Boston to visit and (lucky me!) I got the afternoon off! Newport is a very fun place to visit....lots of marine history, beautiful mansions, cute shops, and excellent restaurants. One note about our favorite restaurant Rhode Island Quahog Company, a place we love to visit every year for their excellent clam chowder (definitely the best I've ever had)...apparently out of business! We were devestated. But despite the demise of the Rhode Island Quahog Company, definitely put Newport on your “go to” list if you haven't been there already.

Wednesday it was back to work...thoroughly cleaning the inside of the boat, and setting everything up. We were eagerly anticipating the kick-off of the fall boat show season, so we were charged up and the work was fun and invigorating. Thursday through Sunday we worked the show under sunny, blue skies. We have, in past years, experienced nor'easters where the rain was falling sideways, so we were particularly appreciative of the lovely fall weather. The attendance was bigger than we'd ever seen, altho that's not necessarily indicative of boat buyers. But everybody was in a good mood and having a grand time. Best of all, one of our owners who resides in Newport, pointed us in the direction of a restaurant called “@ the Deck” where on Monday nights you can get a gigantic lobster roll + fries for only $6.95. It was such a great deal that even John walked out saying “I almost feel like I didn't pay enough” !!! And if you know John, you'll really appreciate that comment!

Monday we had planned to make the trek down Long Island Sound to our next gig in Norwalk, CT. But the winds and the waves were just too big, so most of us decided to hang out and make the trip on Tuesday. It was a good chance to relax and enjoy the town (AND allowed us to get that lobster roll. Sometimes being delayed isn't so bad!) Tuesday brought calmer winds and waves, and we headed out.

Safely docked at Norwalk Cove Marina, the washing began once again, only this time in a more abbreviated fashion. I took time off on Wednesday to have lunch with some childhood girl friends who still live in the area, which was very fun. Thursday we were ready when the show opened at 10. Our dogs, M.E. and Macey, went to doggie day care (the only boat show that provides this service) and had a blast! We worked hard during the days and had fun at night reconnecting with more old friends.

A pleasant stop on Block Island

It was nice to be in Block Island when there weren't so many tourists, although there were enough for us! We pulled into Great Salt Pond (the large mooring field/anchorage) on Friday around 1, and with the help of our binoculars spotted our friend's mooring ball. The wind was blowing like crazy which made it a more difficult procedure than usual. In fact, remember that couple I mentioned in a previous blog entry? We were the animated ones this time! Oh well, it happens. The wind also made going ashore a wet and salty experience because there were white caps in the mooring field! And over the weekend, the wind let up only occasionally. We took some nice long walks which felt very good after being exercise restricted the past two weeks.

Block Island is very quaint with historic lighthouses, rolling hills, sandy bluffs and winding roads. It is located 13 miles south of the coast of Rhode Island and 14 miles east of Montauk Point on Long Island. The island became a part of the colony of Rhode Island in 1672, and it's 1000+ inhabitants live on a land area of about 10 square miles. There are no name brand stores on the island. Everything is independently owned, even the grocery. We enjoyed 2 full days there, heading out on Sunday morning for Newport.

When we got out onto Block Island Sound we found the water rougher and the wind stronger than we had expected. We were driving into a east-northeast wind. Thank goodness we had the option to pick up the speed and get there twice as fast! Advancing north into Narragansett Bay the seas calmed down and we were able to enjoy the sites.....two huge cruise ships anchored in Newport Harbor, gorgeous estates, including Hammersmith Farm, the childhood home of Jackie Kennedy, and stately 2 masted sailing yachts, heeling and sails billowing. Even though it was a cool, damp day I could tell the sailors aboard were really enjoying themselves. Personally, I like being dry, warm, and cozy in my pilothouse!

We got situated in our slip at the show and began to see our fellow boat show compadres! We equate the boat show circuit to the circus in that we all go to the appointed locale, set up, display our wares, take it all down, and move on to the next spot! We have lots of work ahead of us the next several days. After Newport we head west to Norwalk, Connecticut for the next show beginning Thursday, September 23. Stay tuned for future blog entries.

Continuing East on the Sound

Once again fully provisioned, we departed from Port Washington (which, by the way, has become one of our favorite stops) first thing Tuesday morning. The weather could not have been better. Even the seas were working in our favor....a nice breeze and a little boost from a south/southwest wind. A seagull decided to ride instead of fly to his destination, and accompanied us (see photo) for several miles. Fortunately the dogs were snoozing and didn't notice, otherwise there would have been massive amounts of barking!

As days go, this was a relatively short one - only 4-1/2 hours! What a change from those long days we had on the ICW. But once we had the New Jersey coast and all the bridges of the ICW behind us we could relax and enjoy the trip a little more. We pulled into Port Jefferson (across the Sound from Bridgeport, CT) around 3 pm. We are getting really good at getting the dinghy down....and putting it up. We've done it dozens of times; and on a Krogen Express with it's fully (lifts, lufts, and rotates) hydraulic davit and the position of the boarding gates, it's a simple and stress-free process. Anchored and dinghy down, it was a 5 minute ride to a long stretch of a deserted beach. The dogs had a blast running and running without leashes. Back on the boat, the sun set and brought with it strong wind gusts of 25 mph. The bimini rattled, but the anchor held beautifully. Nothing like a good anchor to guarantee a sound sleep.

We got started early on Wednesday morning as NOAA (National Oceanic Atmosphere Administration) called for a small craft advisory and we wanted to get to our next destination before the winds got too bad. Turns out the ride was quite nice. No rain and another boost from the ssw wind. We drove along the northern shore of eastern Long Island. The area is of course not as populated as the western part of the Island. Along its coastline are beaches, sandy bluffs and green brush. It reminded me a little of Scotland, except for the sprinkling of large American-like homes. At 12:30 we turned into the Mannituck Creek and cruised another 25 minutes past homes and docks (see picture) to a small anchorage at the end of the creek. Another successful set of the anchor and dinghy down, off we went for a long walk into the little town of Mannituck. (I apologize for not posting a map of our whereabouts. That will have to wait for our 2011 blog!) We got warm on our walk, so decided we'd take a swim when we returned to the boat. Some of us couldn't wait, and walked right in to the water from the beach by the dinghy dock!!

Tomorrow we head for Block Island, one of our favorite stops. Our good friends, Carol and Dick Tuschick, have generously offered us their mooring; and the Island should be less crowded now with vacationers back to work and school. We'll stay there until Sunday when we'll go into Newport!

Earl: The Hurricane That Wasn't

Our daughter, Joy, took the train from New York City where she lives/works to Port Washington on Thursday night ; and Friday morning we all headed to the World's Fair Marina, which is right by Laguardia Airport, Citi Field (where the Met's play) and the National Tennis Center. We tied the boat up securely, anticipating fierce winds. Based on our various weather sources, we decided we had adequate time before Earl was to arrive to take a walk over to the tennis center. We said "adieu" to Joy who had tickets to the US Open and returned to the boat. By that time it was noon. The boat was in need of a wash, but naturally the expected rains would more than adequately rinse it, so we had lunch and settled in for an afternoon of reading, waiting for Earl. And wait we did. When 5:30 rolled around and there was nary a drop of rain, we hauled out the hose, pail and brushes and got to work. Fortunately for many, Earl turned out to be "the hurricane that wasn't", and thankfully so. But by Saturday morning, the front that pushed Earl away from the coast had kicked up some huge winds. We stayed put in our slip. It's always nice to have a day to read, nap, and relax. And that' s pretty much what we did.

By Sunday morning the winds had died down enough that we exited the marina for a mooring at a nearby yacht club. By the time we got there (only an hour later) the winds had picked up again. This is a very crowded mooring field and it took a lot of concentration on the part of the captain to make his way through it and identify the mooring ball. With it's low freeboard, the KE is a perfect boat in which to pick up a mooring. (At the previous mooring field, we observed a couple aboard a sun deck cruiser with a high freeboard. She was at the helm, and he was trying both to direct her and - in vain - to pick up the mooring stick. Things got very animated and they were yelling back and forth at each other. It was comical to watch, especially since every boating couple can relate, to one degree or another!) We identified our assigned mooring ball, and I easily grabbed it from the aft deck and walked it forward. But the wind and closeness of our neighboring boats made it quite challenging. There's a saying amongst boaters: "Boating can be hours of boredom, followed by moments of sheer panic." So much for all the relaxation from the prior day. For a few seconds, our blood was definitely flowing! Successfully attached, we took a deep breath!

Joy joined us again at the yacht club, and we spent the day watching the U.S. Open in the comfort of our salon. Tomorrow it's back to Port Washington where I'll make one last stop at the grocery before we continue east toward Newport.

Safe and Sound in the Sound

Just before I began to write this, I looked - AGAIN! - at the weather forecast, checking on the status of Earl swirling up the East Coast. I am thinking of our friends in Nags Head (on the Outer Banks) and all the places we passed a little over a week ago, hoping that they spared any irreparable damage. I am grateful that we are safe and sound on Long Island Sound in New York.

After our big day off the New Jersey coast, we took our time on Thursday morning leaving Atlantic Highlands. We headed out around 10 and had a smooth and uneventful cruise through New York Harbor. We couldn't believe how hazy it was, thus the fuzzy looking pictures of the skyline of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. But she was there, nonetheless. God Bless America! A truly wonderful country, even with all it's challenges. (If you've never visited the museum at Ellis Island, be sure to do that sometime. It's very special.) Even though we have made the trip through New York City several times, it's still thrilling and thought provoking. There are numerous water taxis, commuter ferries, barges, and site-seeing boats to watch for; but it also - needless to say - brings thoughts of the Twin Towers, 9/11, and the thousands who perished. Very moving.

As we cruised up the East River we were in cell phone contact with our daughter who works in the City and has a tiny view of the River from her office. (Lucky her!) She positioned herself and her camera so that she could snap a shot of us as we drove by (see if you can find the little speck in the picture!) We did the same in her direction. Pretty amazing! We were absolutely delighted with her accomplishment!

We got a 3-4 knot boost which was especially helpful through Hell's Gate (a narrow strait with strong tidal flows) and then made our way to our destination for the night, Port Washington, on the northern shore of Long Island. Grabbed a mooring, and with the heat still prevailing, decided a swim was in order. This is a very convenient spot. A grassy park for the dogs, cute town, AND a huge grocery store within a ten minute walk! What could be better?

We have made plans to head for a marina tomorrow morning when the seas and winds will kick up as Earl side-swipes us on his way northeast. And we are looking forward to a visit from our daughter over the weekend (that is if she can tear herself away from the US Open at the National Tennis Center which is a stone's throw from the marina!)

Leaving Maryland for New Jersey

We loved our stay in the Sassafrass River. We were accompanied by two other sailboats, one of which had a giant German Shepard aboard. While we were eating dinner, a Coast Guard work boat pulled in and anchored about 100 yards from us. Unusual, but they obviously had a task to perform in the area. Little did we know, as we pulled out of the river on Monday morning, that wasn't the last we'd see of the Coast Guard! We got a nice 1-1/2 knot boost from the currents of the tide in the Chesapeake Bay and C&D Canal. The cruise down the Delaware Bay - which can be quite choppy and rough - proved otherwise. Everything was working in our favor.....until....a bright orange Coast Guard patrol boat (like the one in the picture) passed us and then immediately changed course coming toward uswith blue lights flashing. Now, being stopped by the Coast Guard is not like being stopped by the police. It doesn't necessarily mean you've done something wrong or that you look suspicious. Most of the time they just want to check things out and be sure that you are in compliance with safety regulations (fire extinguishers, flares, throw rings, etc.), aren't aboard a stolen yacht or aren't hiding illegals. I felt confident that we didn't fall into any of those categories, particularly the latter two. But nonetheless, it was a hassle. The dogs went ballistic as the patrol boat drove right up beside us and offloaded 3 big "Coasties". John turned the helm over to me (and the dogs) and dealt with the business at hand. First thing they asked, "How many people are aboard and do you have any weapons?" Everything went smoothly until he asked for documentation that we owned the boat. Well, we do and we don't. This being an untitled show boat, we did not have the papers they were requesting and it sent them into a tizzy. It took a long phone call to their boss to settle it all, and 45 minutes later we were on our way. Arrived at the marina in Cape May and gave the boat a well-deserved bath! Had a delicious pork chop dinner and tuned into the news about (Hurricane)Earl.

We've dodged a lot of tropical storms/hurricanes in our fall boating excursions over the years, but this one is sounding a little more ominous. We are keeping our ear/eye to our weather sources and making some plans.

We left Cape May at 6:30 am (sunrise photo) and headed out to the Atlantic for our 115 mile trip up the New Jersey coast to our destination, Atlantic Highlands, NJ. This is the longest leg of the trip and we're always glad when it's over. At least this year the seas were smooth, only 1-2 footers, compared with last fall when we were driving through steep, breaking, 10 footers (a day I just as soon forget). For sure, the Krogen Express can take it, but not so much for the two and four legged passengers! In some places, we were only a 1/4 mile offshore, so we could see the lovely homes and beaches as we went. At the end of the day, we pulled into Atlantic Highlands, NJ off New York Harbor, dropped the anchor and walked the dogs, happy to be there.

Let the Anchoring Begin!

Saturday morning the winds and seas had settled down, and we proceeded out on to the (Chesapeake) Bay. This body of water can be very rough. But it can also be quite still. We have experienced both. This was a lovely summer day with a light breeze and perfect water. We even got a tidal boost that saved us 45 minutes! We pulled into the mouth of the Patuxent River on the western shore of Maryland around 4, and by 5 were anchored in a lovely cove just off the town of Solomons. We love to anchor when we can, and the Krogen Express is perfectly suited for it. Lowering the anchor is a simple process, and even on a hot night, the numerous portholes and hatches allow for great ventilation. Because we have dogs who must go ashore, we make good use out of the dinghy, and a fully hydraulic davit makes launching it also a simple process.

I was reminded while assisting with the anchoring/dinghy launching how important teamwork is between the captain and first mate. Our friends, Cathie and Pete Trogdon, who just completed a 7 week cruise in Alaska aboard their 36' Zimmerman are giving a talk at the upcoming Annapolis Boat Show on "Couples Cruising". Without looking at the syllabus, I can guarantee they are going to include the importance of teamwork. There can be times when things get a little stressful, but in the end, working together to accomplish a particular task is rewarding and gratifying (if not relationship strengthening!).

Sunday morning, we decided to relax a little and didn't pull up the anchor until 10. It was nice to just hangout (too bad I didn't have the Sunday paper), plus it gave the girls and me a chance to take a long walk. Dinghy stored and anchor up, we were off to continue our trek north on the Bay. It was another lovely, smooth day; but as we neared the more populous part of the Bay we encountered more boat traffic. It's nice to see other boats, for sure; but some, like noisy cigarette boats, we just as soon stayed off the water. As the day wore on, it got hotter and hotter. I went below to check my emails and saw that the air temperature was 88! It was actually cooler at home in Hilton Head, 700 miles south of here. (Frankly, I'm ready for fall!) At 5:00 we arrived at our next anchorage spot, the Sassafrass River, on the eastern shore of Maryland in Georgetown. After we took the dogs for a walk on the sandy shoreline, we went for a swim off the swim-platform in the brackish water (half salt/half fresh). It was delightfully refreshing!