So Many Wonderful Friends!

Since the completion of boat show season, John and I have been busy hanging out with our Krogen Express family.  It's one of our favorite things to do!  As you read in the previous posting, we had a wonderful Thai dinner in Vero Beach with Karen, Skip, Robert, and Jill.  Shortly thereafter, we returned to our home in Hilton Head, South Carolina only be blessed with the arrival our Dutch owners, Hans and Thea aboard "Scylla" (pronounced Silla).  They had with them their friends from Holland whom we have met many times before.  They are such a happy group, probably because they love being aboard such a beautiful boat!

They came to our house for dinner, but first
Thea requested a little computer help
from John!  

Then we sat down for a lasagna dinner
followed by fruit pie (Hans' favorite!)

 Hans and Thea are in the center of the pic (dressed in gray.....although their dispositions are far from gray!!)

They departed the next morning in an effort to
reach Florida and warmer temps.  We were
just sorry that they couldn't have stayed longer
in Hilton Head.  


Only 4 days later we met up with David ("Electra") whose boat had been stored over the summer at a marina in nearby Savannah, Georgia (about 45 minute drive from Hilton Head).  We went to a fabulous and famous restaurant there called "The Old Pink House".  Wow!  What a meal.  Definitely a notch (or two or three) up from my lasagna!

While we were eating, a woman approached our table and said to John, "Excuse me, but you look so familiar, and when I overheard you talking about boats I realized I'd probably met you at a boat show."  (John has become a celebrity!  Who knew!)  An engaging conversation ensued, and sure enough we'd met her and her husband at several shows most recently at Newport. (We call those folks "boat show junkies" which she readily claimed herself to be!) She will see us at Ft. Lauderdale TrawlerFest at the end of January.

David will be heading out to the Bahamas in a few days for some sun and fun.  Happy cruising!! 

Fall 2012 Boat Show Season Completed!

 We have completed our fall 2012 boat show season, and are happy to report that it was a safe, harmonious, and productive one!  We were spared any nor'easters while aboard "JOY", and made it through T/S Sandy during the Ft. Lauderdale show.

I left off on the blog at the end of September, having just completed the run from Cape May to Baltimore.  By the way, if your travels ever find you in that neighborhood, be sure to stop.  There are lots of great marinas in Baltimore Harbor, with most accessible to restaurants, grocery stores, and the waterfront scene.  There's a wonderful walking/running path along the harbor which is nice way to stretch your legs and get some exercise.  (Always check www.activecaptain.com for more information about marinas.  We can't say enough about that site.  It's our cruising Bible!)

John and I got the boat set up in our slip for TrawlerFest and Bob arrived the next day.  The dogs and I drove to Hilton Head for a few days of land/home time.  I do love being on the boat, but home time is always appreciated!  Upon my return to Maryland, John and I took the boat to the dock of some dear friends, Cathie and Pete Trogden.  They own Weems and Plath, the nautical instruments company headquartered in Eastport.  (Thanks for having us!) Being with friends along the way  makes boating such fun.

Then it was on the Annapolis boat show. Like the Newport show, most of the docks are temporary, put into place as the boats come in.  But unlike the Newport show, the ABS requires that all boats depart on Sunday night following the show.  We've never understood that, making it mandatory for the boats to depart into the darkness of the Chesapeake; but we don't have much choice.  It is what it is!  So Bob and John drove the boat to Solomons Maryland where she would stay temporarily.  I met them in the car.  In the morning we unloaded everything we would need for our next gig, Ft. Lauderdale, (and then some) into our van and headed out.

Fast forward 3 days (with a quick stop at home) and we were "on the road again" to Lauderdale.  As I mentioned earlier, T/S Sandy descended on us bringing huge winds and rain.  As a result the crowds at the show the first two days were down which was disappointing, but the storm moved on and the sun returned, as did the show attendees.   

We are now in recovery mode, having completed 4 shows in 6 weeks covering nearly 3000 miles in both boat and car.  We have also completed the orientation for our newest owners whose boat, "EASY WATERS" from Fairbanks, Alaska, was featured in the Ft. Lauderdale show.  Last night we had dinner with them along with other members of our Krogen Express family, Jill and Robert (you remember them, from our ads!!)

Our dogs love Robert and Jill (fortunately the feeling is mutual), so M.E. wasn't shy about cosying up to Jill on our porch after dinner! 

 Here's a picture of "EASY WATERS" the next morning, passing by our place on the Indian River in Vero Beach.  (I just have one of those "sure shot" cameras (in this case it wasn't such a sure shot) so I apologize for the blurry pics. But you get the idea!)  They were honking their horn and everyone was waving!  Great fun.  It gives us such pleasure to have these types of experiences! 

Baltimore or Bust

The alarm clock went off at 5:20 a.m. Even though darkness greeted us, it was up and at'em for us. Dogs walked and fed, coffee perking, at 5:45 we left the dock of the Great Kills Yacht Club in Staten Island, out into New York Harbor and then the Atlantic, cruising just a mile offshore of New Jersey. Finally, light began to appear and we watched a glorious sunrise. The ocean was quite nice actually.  Again, the captain called it right!  West winds at 10-15 mph, 3-1/2 footers with 11 second duration (we normally like to see 2 seconds per foot). But it was chilly, so we opted for driving in the pilothouse.

The forecast for Tuesday was less favorable, plus the Baltimore TrawlerFest was looming and we were running out of time to get there, so John and I discussed the option of continuing on to Baltimore that night. I do like sleep, don't get me wrong; but I'm happy to forgo some in lieu of a more comfortable ride. The Delaware Bay is not only an open body of water, but it's shallow depths can make it extremely choppy. So we decided to stop in Cape May for fuel and dog walk, and keep going. After a long day, the girls were happy to be on land! Plus they always enjoy barking at – and trying to chase - the cats that live at Utsch's Marina. When we started down the Cape May Canal towards Delaware Bay it was dusk. The Delaware brought total darkness. Unfortunately the tide was against us, with 2-3 knots against us, seriously slowing us up and making the trip longer than necessary. John took the first watch. I awoke just after we entered the C&D canal, and he turned over the helm to me. Thanks to good ol' Wikipedia, here is some history about the canal:

The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (C&D Canal) is a 14 mile long, 450 foot wide and 40 foot deep ship canal that cuts across the states of Maryland and Delaware, in the United States. It connects the waters of the Delaware River with those of the Chesapeake Bay (the mouth of the Susquehanna River) and the Port of Baltimore. Construction began in the early 1820s with some 2,600 men digging and hauling dirt from the ditch. Laborers toiled with pick and shovel at the immense construction task, working for an average daily wage of 75 cents. The swampy marshlands along the canal's planned route proved a great impediment to progress as workers continuously battled slides along the soft slopes of the "ditch" being cut. It was 1829 before the C&D Canal Company could, at last, announce the waterway "open for business". The near-$2.5 million construction cost made it one of the most expensive canal projects of its time.
In 1919 the canal was purchased by the federal government for $2.5 million and designated the "Intra-coastal Waterway Delaware River to Chesapeake Bay, Delaware and Maryland". Included were six bridges plus a railroad span owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad. They were replaced during the 1920s by four vertical lift spans and a new railroad bridge.
Responsibility for operating, maintaining and improving the waterway was assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District. By 1927 the eastern entrance at Delaware City had been relocated several miles south at Reedy Point, Delaware. All locks (except the one at Delaware City) were removed and the waterway was converted to a sea-level operation at 12 feet (3.7 m) deep and 90 feet (27 m) wide. These improvements cost $10 million. Two stone jetties at the new eastern entrance were completed in 1926.
The "new" canal opened in May 1927 with great celebration, yet plans already were underway for further expansion as the sizes of ships and amounts of cargo continued to increase. The Philadelphia District took over operation of the canal in 1933. Between 1935 and 1938 the channel was again improved — deepened to 27 feet (8.2 m) and widened to 250 feet (76 m) at a cost of nearly $13 million

Cargo ships of all sizes, tankers, container-carrying vessels, barges accompanied by tugboats, and countless recreational boats create a steady flow of traffic.

Now it was John's turn to rest. Despite our state-of-the-art radar, I sat upright in the chair my entire watch, completely focused on what was going on. We have seen many barges and container ships go down this canal and I did not want to encounter one. About half way - with 7 miles to go - fog set in. Oh great! Fortunately it wasn't so heavy that I couldn't see the dimly lighted banks of the canal. I gave thanks for electronic navigation and stayed focused on that as my guide. Then, as the canal widened into Chesapeake Bay, the lighted markers increased, and navigating became a little more challenging. I decided it was time to wake John for some assistance, although I hated to do it. He got us through that area, went back to sleep, and I took the helm again. The Bay was choppy but not too bad. The wind was from the south at 15 mph which made for a bit of a sloppy ride. We arrived in Baltimore Harbor shortly after sunrise, then dropped the anchor, lowered the dinghy, took the dogs ashore, and hit the hay. It had been a long 27 hours. We were tired.

East River Daughter Siting

We cast off our lines from Essex Island Marina at exactly 9 am to hit the current/tides just right.  Down the Connecticut River and out in to the (Long Island) Sound.  It was still breezy but out of the east, 5-10 with 1 footers, and chilly so we stayed in our cosy pilothouse.  The captain of this boat is amazing.  He knows exactly when and what, in order to make the ride the most comfortable for his crew!  And every captain knows how important it is to keep the crew happy!

Bound again for Port Washington on the north shore of Long Island, we picked up our mooring there around 5.  With the dinghy all cleaned up for the Newport show, and Baltimore TrawlerFest coming up, we didn't want to mess it up again, so we called the launch to take first mate and pups ashore for a long walk. (But having provisioned in Essex, it killed me not to need to go to that fantastic grocery store there!) 

The next morning A&R (that we met at the Newport boat show) flew down from Boston for a sea-trial.  It was a nice opportunity to get to know them better, and we appreciated the effort they made to meet up with us.  They were impressed with the boat and the ride, and why not?  What's not to like?

Upon their departure a few hours later, we left Port Washington for a short ride to World's Fair Marina.  I wrote something in our 2010 blog about this marina which is right next to Laguardia Airport.  We also stayed there last year during Hurricane Irene.  It's a very protected spot, with floating docks, and high pilings.  Plus it's easy to get into the City from there (#7 train takes 45 minutes).  The docks and power are not in the best shape, but the staff is amazing, and are even getting to know us (the dockhand commented that we had a different color boat this year!)  Joy came out from the City that afternoon, and we walked to a fabulous - and authentic! - Mexican restaurant for a late lunch.  John had seen it featured on Guy Fieri's tv show, "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives".


Joy left at 11 the next morning so that she could get back into the City for her 1:00 tennis practice.  She plays on a couple of teams and they practice at several different locations around the City and it's boroughs.  That day she was to practice at some courts on the East River.  What a coincidence!  We would be going right by them during her practice time.  We made an arrangement with her to toot our horn as we passed.  She told us the courts were under the Williamsburg Bridge and that it could be noisy, but John reassured her that she would hear the horns!

As we left the marina, the planes were flying right over us.  And I mean, right over us!  Meantime, we were against the current as we headed down the East River, sometimes as much as 5 knots!!  So much for that nice push we had going up the River a few weeks ago.  These pictures below don't really capture the turbulent water at Hell's Gate, but I do believe you get the idea of the force of the current passing by these buoys which are just off the East River Drive.

The Coast Guard was broadcasting a "security zone" outside the United Nations as it prepares for the UN General Assembly (when 120 world leaders and their entourages gather) this week.Between them and the NYPD, they were all doing a good job of keeping pleasure craft away. 

Approaching the Williamsburg Bridge we got our binoculars out and searched for tennis courts.  We were probably 100 feet offshore when we spotted them.  John tooted the horn a couple of times.  Suddenly we saw a couple of tennis racquets waving through the air!!  Another toot!!  Mission accomplished, thanks to the Kahlenberg airhorns!!  I have to say, it was pretty cool to be passing by on the boat and waving to her onshore.  And in her phone call to us later in the day, she said she and her friends thought it was pretty cool too!  (It's always nice when your kids think stuff you do is "cool"!) 

Leaving Manhattan (and the new Freedom Tower) behind us, we ended the day at a small yacht club marina in Great Kills on Staten Island. 

Where are we now?

Our 10^th Newport show completed, we were rejoicing in the gorgeous weather we'd had. Some years we've not been so fortunate, as they've brought high winds and accompanying side-ways falling rain. Not fun. During the shows we always move off the boat into a hotel, and so when the show was over at 5 on Sunday afternoon, we were happy to return to the boat and settle back in to life aboard. That evening we shared a nice relaxing dinner with some of our good marine-trade friends.

The Newport and Annapolis shows are both temporary. That is, the docks are built around the boats as they arrive, and are removed as the boats depart. (Actually it's quite something to observe and participate in.) We were last in and, consequently, on Monday morning, we were first out. The weather couldn't have been better, and we hit the tides and currents just right which boosted our speed almost 10%.  Departing Newport, we headed back to Essex, Connecticut. Our dear friend, and Northeast/MidAtlantic Nordic Tug dealer, Ben Wilde, offered us some dock space there. (Thank you Ben!) We jumped on his offer since the weather forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday was ugly.......mega rain and winds at 30 mph with gusts over 45. Ugh. 

Safely tied up at Essex Island Marina just after lunch, we sat back and enjoyed the rest of the day, in recovery mode from a busy show.

This marina is an island and they provide a ferry to transport the patrons back and forth to the "mainland" and town of Essex (a mere 150 ft!) 

Monday night we were treated to dinner at the home of the marine-trade friends referred to above, which also included a reunion with other friends who own a small boat company. Tuesday morning we were able to borrow their car and head to the grocery to provision. I never appreciate the use of a car as much as when I'm on the boat and want to do big grocery shopping! Errands completed, we waited for “the weather”. The rains never materialized, but the winds sure did. They picked around 4 and got more intense as the evening wore on. The bimini frame was shaking like crazy, and the boat was banging into the dock. When it was time to take the dogs ashore for their before-bed outing, M.E. was afraid she'd blow away! There were even swells in the approximately 150 foot wide harbor we're in!  But when I awoke in the night the wind had ceased. I looked out the porthole and saw that the water was perfectly still. It was so weird how it suddenly changed. Welcome to the world of weather-watching! All was well with the boat, by the way.  These Krogen Express boats are so soundly built, they withstand all kinds of adverse conditions! :)

We've spent the last few days here, waiting for things to calm down on Long Island Sound. Plus we just like it here! And who doesn't mind being tied to a dock for a few days? While we've been here we've become acquainted with the owners of the Kadey-Krogen 58 exhibited at the Newport show. Great folks. We went out for pizza with them last night. We're going to depart tomorrow morning, and continue west. The Jersey shore (no, not the tv show!) looms ahead. We are diligently watching the wind and wave forecasts.

Newport Boat Show

We're going to sign off for a few days.  The Newport boat show - the first show of the season - starts tomorrow, and we'll be busy meeting and greeting!  We were told that there are 50% fewer boats here than 4 years ago.  Wow.  We are grateful that Krogen Express Yachts LLC is in excellent shape, selling boats and building more.  And we are grateful for our wonderful family of owners.

While we're tooting our own horn, let me just add here - on a personal note - that I continue to be awed by the work ethic and attention to detail of my two "boys", John and Bob.  John is hard at work on the boat here in Newport while Bob has been tending to things in Florida, getting a boat ready for it's new owners.

 We'll reunite this evening, get a good nights sleep and be all set to go in the morning.  The boat is (nearly) ready, the weather forecast is good, and we're fired up!

This is our show boat on a mooring in Newport, taken a couple of weeks ago. 

Nantucket

We had a wonderful time in Nantucket, the second home of relatives and dear friends. From Newport it's a nice easy jaunt of 4-1/2 hours at fast cruise (15 kts), or at a slower speed of 9.5 kts in 7+ hours. Originally a booming whaling port, Nantucket has been named a National Historic District and has architecturally changed little since the 17th century, as seaside cottages and old-fashioned lamps still line its streets, many of which are “paved” in cobblestones. Some refer to it as “adult Disneyworld”! Chic shops, unique architecture, gorgeous gardens, beautiful people.  All in all a very magical spot.  If you're ever cruising in the northeast, for sure add this to your “absolutely must see” list. 

 

The pictures speak for themselves! 

One morning we left our mooring and headed to the dinghy dock for our morning walk.  This particular dinghy dock runs parallel to the beach and is attached by a ramp to a very long dock which runs perpendicular to the beach.  As we were pulling up to the dock, our dog M.E. spotted some ducks swimming away from the shore.  She jumped off the dinghy, up the ramp, down the long dock, onto the beach, and started swimming after the ducks.  She got farther and farther from the shore - a total swim of about 150 feet! (But fortunately, because of the configuration of the docks, she was actually swimming back toward where we were.)   It was hilarious and nerve-wracking at the same time.  She saw those ducks and took off, into the water.  She kept swimming and swimming, her short legs paddling away, and her little head bobbing over the water.  I was getting nervous that she would wear out.  But she finally swam back to us at the dock and John pulled her out of the water.  Silly dog.

This is the mooring field in Nantucket harbor with the church steeple in the background.  

And Brandt Point lighthouse on our left as

we departed the harbor to return to Newport. 

Speaking of provisioning........do you ever consider how long a bar of soap or a roll of paper towel lasts? Two weeks? Four weeks? Have you ever wondered how many cups you can get out of a bag or tin of coffee?  And what about water consumption. Have you ever thought about what would happen if you only had 370 gallons of water and had to use it wisely until you could obtain more? Over the years of boating and provisioning, I've become more aware of how many rolls of toilet paper and how many bottles of blue cheese dressing (John and Bob's favorite) to stock for a 2-1/2 mth boat trip (and how much water I'm using when I wash dishes or take a shower). Although I will readily admit that I don't have a 100% record! No way! We haven't even cracked open the numerous packages of popcorn I brought along, but I did have to purchase more soap today!