Rhumb runners............. The days preceding our designated departure date from the docks in Ft. Pierce were busy ones as we made final preparations. The boat was buzzing with tradesmen doing “their thing”....electronics, canvas, teak, waxing. Even the day of, there were last minute tweeks, to be certain the boat was 100%. Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Bob and I had the assignment of moving hull #14 to American Custom Yachts (in Stuart, Florida) to be painted and to start the process of commissioning for display in the Ft. Lauderdale boat show. (Following the boat show, she'll be delivered to her new owners who hail from Alaska!) Mission accomplished, we hustled back to Ft. Pierce and cast off the lines for our rhumb line trip to Morehead City, North Carolina. Out of the inlet, we turned to port and set our waypoint to the Beaufort inlet, engaged the autopilot, not planning to touch the wheel again for 471 nautical miles. Let's hear it for marine electronics! We had a somewhat choppy beam sea and were thankful that this Krogen Express was equipped with stabilizers. Then, as nightfall approached, we were treated to some fairly significant light shows! There were numerous thunderstorm cells surrounding us, and as we watched them on the radar, we were happy that our course led us around, and not through, them! On trips like this we always like to bring with us two pizzas – thin crust for Bob, deep dish for me! - to munch on while underway. As we prepared for our first of several three-hour watch rotations, we pulled out the pizzas and each popped open a can of diet Mountain Dew (the “official” soda of Krogen Express Yachts!). I took the first watch. Shortly after midnight, now with captain Bob at the helm, we had our first real opportunity to see the advantage of having AIS (automatic identification system) at work. This technology allows for transmitting and receiving information from ship to ship. It gives captains the name, size, course, speed, and destination of other AIS-equipped vessels operating nearby. Using this information, Bob was able to easily determine the course and speed of a large container ship enroute to Savannah. The AIS system informed him of the closest point of approach which, if we had both held our current speed and heading, turned out to be just 600 feet! If you're thinking we decided to alter our course, you're right! Believe it or not, after parting ways with said container ship, we did not see another boat for 32 hours! Our rhumb line had us crossing the Gulf Stream, and offshore as many as 160 miles. While in the Gulf Stream, we benefited from northbound currents sometimes approaching 4 knots. Always happy to have a boost! We had with us a hand-held GPS and an EPIRB (Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon) as well as a satellite phone (requested by Betsie). Somehow it brings her great peace of mind to hear that we're still alive and on course! Imagine that! Forty-six hours after departing Ft. Pierce, we spotted land again, and another hour later entered the Beaufort inlet. We tied up, and pulled out the hoses, buckets, soap and brushes for a good wash-down. It was good to be on terra firma! CONFIDENCE AND GRATITUDE In order to depart on a journey like this you must have a terrific amount of confidence in your yacht. While I have over 3400 hours at the helm of Krogen Express 52's over the past ten years, I never forget the fine craftsmen at Asia Harbor Yacht Builders and Jeff and Mr. Lin, who own the yard that thoughtfully construct our yachts. They provide the foundation that allows Bob and I to give the boats to our team of merry men in Florida to put the finishing touches on the boats prior to delivery. Thanks to DZ, David A., David C. & John, RR, Thad, Enrico and the folks that assist them! And we could not do what we do without Bob. We are very proud of what you do for us!

Welcome back to our blog!

Hello all.  Thank you for reading our 2012 blog.  We really appreciate your interest, and your passion for the Krogen Express.

As some of you may know, we have the privilege of piloting one each fall for 2+ months, cruising to the northern boat shows.  It's been two years since I wrote a blog about the adventures of our fall boating season.  Frankly, once every two years is enough for this blogger!!

No doubt everyone knows that the past couple of years in the yacht building business have been extremely challenging.  But we are grateful to say that we have added a wonderful new group of owners to the Krogen Express family over the last 18 months.  We are excited to say that we have new boats in production in our yard in Kaoshiung, Taiwan.  We remain committed to continuous improvements.  Our goal is: one model, and do it right. 

This past spring, we had our second Krogen Express rendezvous.  We began the event in Stuart, Florida at the home of one of our owners who had enough anchorage room for 4 boats.  After a rendezvous kick-off dinner, it was early to bed for our early morning departure.  The next day our flotilla of 4 boats began our trek across the Okeechobee Waterway, through 3 locks, and then to River Forest Marina in LaBelle where we spent the night.   The next day, and another two locks later, we reached our rendezvous destination of South Seas Plantation in Captiva, Florida, meeting up with another 4 boats.  We had twice as many boats as our first rendezvous and 27 attendees!  We spent two days and nights there enjoying the first class resort.  The third day we had a short cruise north to Useppa Island.  It was a wonderful opportunity for our owners to get to know each other and boat-hop! We had a blast! 

Our big adventure

Flexibility is key when boating; and that is definitely the case for those of us with schedules. With the thought that we had to drive along the coast of New Jersey to get to our next destination (Annapolis), we closely monitored the sea conditions while we were still in Norwalk. The plan was to run along the Jersey coast on Tuesday following the show. Our daughter, Joy, was coming out from the city to meet up with us in Norwalk. We were going to head out on Monday morning and cruise down the East River in Manhattan ( a trip she hadn't previously made), cruise around the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor, through the Verrazano Narrows bridge and then over to Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. Joy would catch the fast ferry back to New York.

However, it didn't exactly happen that way. In checking the weather on Saturday night, it appeared sea conditions along the Jersey coast were deteriorating, and that Monday would be the best day to make the trip. So the three of us (and the dogs!) headed out on Sunday night. This isn't the first time we have cruised through New York City at night, so we were quite comfortable making the trip. (We apologize for not posting any pictures. The city is quite lovely at night; but when you're on the lookout for moving barges and unlit markers/cans, taking pictures is pretty much the last thing on your mind!)

Once through the Verrazano Narrows bridge and into lower New York harbor (which has direct exposure to the Atlantic Ocean), the seas became very choppy and we were "taking it on the beam" (to non-boaters: "on the side" which makes the ride less comfortable). It was a long 45 minute ride to the anchorage at Atlantic Highlands, but we made it, dropped the hook (anchor), and headed to bed at 12:30 a.m. This is generally a very protected anchorage, but the wind continued to pick up and it was from the least protected direction. Needless to say, it was a bumpy night. In the course of listening to the winds building and howeling through the night, we decided that it was better to stay put and delay the Jersey coast trip. Monday we put the boat in a slip at the marina, and spent the day with Joy in our cozy salon.

We put Joy on the 4:00 ferry, and settled into a quiet evening. As forecast, Tuesday morning brought more wind and heavy rain. Ugh. No Jersey coast today! More sitting around, some boat chores and, once the rain stopped, a trek to the grocery store and post office. Wednesday morning we awoke to fair skies and light winds, and while the wave height forecast was more than we would have liked, we decided to go for it. (We were spurred on by the prediction of a tropical storm coming up the eastern seaboard from Florida which would have further delayed our trip.) Once around Sandy Hook and into the ocean we discovered that the seas were not so bad. The swells were quite large, but they were reasonably gentle. This allowed us to enjoy a comfortable ride at displacement speed (9-1/2 knots), burning 5 gallons/hour.

As the day went on, the seas got even better! Yeah! We decided that instead of stopping at Cape May for the night, we'd just stop for fuel/dog walk/quick on-board dinner and continue on. We arrived there around 6:00 and headed out again at 7. Darkness fell as we were making our way out of the Cape May Canal and into the Delaware Bay. Although John did most of the driving, I did relieve him for a couple of hours so he could take a nap during this 5 hour trek up the Bay (the location of our encounter with the Coast Guard - in a previous blog entry.)

Our intention then was to stop at the town docks of Chesapeake City, Maryland, a town along the C&D Canal which connects the Delaware and Chesapeake Bay. When we arrived and found the docks full, we decided - once again - to keep going. Afterall, our final destination, Annapolis, was only another 50 miles. We could arrive there by dawn! I decided to take another nap, intending to relieve John when I awoke. But when I opened my eyes, all I could see were big barges on either side of us (by this time we were on the upper Chesapeake Bay). I went back to sleep and let him handle the helm!! That's what any smart first mate would do!

Fifty miles later, at 7:30 a.m. Thursday morning, we were safely docked in our friends' slip near the Rhode River. By this time the anticipated storm was upon us. The rains poured, the winds howled (what else is new?!). But we had covered 232 miles in 24 hours. We were fast asleep.

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.