Sarah Cruise Summer 2015
May 26- May 31, 2015 Shakedown Cruise
Shakedown Cruise Memorial Day Weekend 2015
Pumpkin Key Friday Memorial Day weekend is the destination for our shakedown to see if the rudder, engine and other systems are working for our trip to Newport and beyond to Maine leaving May 26. Of course we are testing the incredibly thorough nature of our captain…….check and check and then check some more.
Friday morning it is blowing 15-20k. Sarah steered well. No errors. No deviations, no sloppiness!! The world is about to end. Nothing to fix????
and Pumpkin Key sunset
Let me backup.
Getting Ready for our cruise before Memorial Day! Much to do!
We had some major work done on the boat this spring….. i.e. installing a third rudder to stabilize the boat and help the steering especially when the wind is aft of beam and there is a confused sea off the quarters. The third rudder was installed in line with the existing two rudders and on the centerline of the boat. Chris had an engineer from Derecktor Shipyards , George Thomas, design it to fit our specifications. It was made out of stainless steel. And, it works!
However, at Pumpkin Key we discovered the house batteries are dying. They are not holding their charge. The batteries are 6 yrs old and were bought when we brought Sarah down from Narragansett. So, the Friday before we left we got some brand new batteries and young Chris helped us put them on the boat. Jim, our trusty electrician, was able to help out and get us connected. Sally will need AC and the boat will need power. Which is more important? You girls can answer that.
No other problems with systems!
Below: Chris checking out the new bottom paint.
We are getting ready: Not so easy this time! It is hot! We are a little older! Not so much energy! Putting the house to bed with hurricane shutters and packing take more time. Naturally, disaster occurs…… rushing to get ready……packing quickly and spilling perfume on our bed at home. Hemi will never sleep in there again, or maybe he will be comatose as a result……My cats like Palm Beach fragrances.
I am not stocking the boat with much reserve food . I want to clear our refrigerators at home and save a little money. I thought, “We can shop along the way.” (This turned out to be a dumb move as we ran low on fresh food, particularly eggs and bread, my staples for a quick dinner.. The marinas we visited the first few days had little or no interest in selling us bread or eggs. The waterway marinas in South Florida have no markets with anything but beer and cookies. In our planning we thought we would be able to go outside (in the ocean) and travel quickly up the coast but the strong winds 15-20K in the ocean prevented that. We were stuck in the ICW longer than we planned. We ran out of eggs and bread and fresh fruit but fortunately were able to eat out almost everywhere. The last day, I ordered more sandwiches so we would have backup other than Almond butter and frozen steak.
I did bring enough clothes for 4 months. Chris threatened to haul a barge behind us for my shoes and other necessities. Just another attempt to scare me into whittling my goods.
Tuesday night we had Dinner at Spartico in the Grove. We waited one day to see If the wind would die down but it didn’t happen. Lots of wind for the rest of the week. We had delicious calimari stuffed w risotto with young Chris. The food was delicious but the tables outside needed to be cleaned and the service was a 6.
MAY 27, 2015 Day #1 Wednesday
Miami to Pompano via the ICW to George’s Marina
Wind 23. ENE
82degrees. It’s cool and lovely in the morning. We spent the night on the boat at BBYC. Chris was up before the sun panting to start. We decided to go inside to avoid any problems bouncing around on our first day out. I, in particular, was wary of injuring myself at the very beginning of our cruise. A wise move, as it was really blowing.
Good morning Biscayne Bay!! Big waves splash over the bow. White caps coming! It is a crystal clear morning. Key Biscayne and theTequesta Indian at Brickell bid us farewell.
There are interesting floating yellow booms/construction barriers by the new tunnel which form a snakelike barrier to keep the residue of construction out of the waterway. The water is clear and lovely. The Schultze and Weaver News Tower sits pristinely in the Miami Skyline. Rescued! It is a delightful variant of the columns of punched windows and blocky boring office buildings. The AAA shines brightly and as we follow the ICW north, the new Hertzog and de Meurin PAMM comes into view. We see the steps and glass and graceful park to the left and the cranes working on the science museum behind. The Museum is almost invisible! It beautifully fits into it’s surroundings.In the near background one sees the truncated Adrienne Arscht Center. The profile of that building and the Marlins stadium make an interesting comment about some Miami Architecture in profile. Hovering, like big Palmetto bugs, each building has claimed it’s space, never to move. They remind me of anthroporphic forms locked forever not budging on the highway. They are miserable and grotesque compared to PAMM ‘s grace and light. With its natural materials and plants…the building melts into the landscape from the water. It will be a very good foil for the Science Center and New Planetarium.
We are going through the 79th St. Bridge at 8:33 am!
At the N Hollywood Street and Sheridan Ave Bridges there are neat bulkheads erected with concrete pylons separating 10’ piles of rocks in front of North Lake and West Lake. We’ve not seen this system before on the ICW.
We stop for the night north of the Ocean Ave Bridge in Pompano, George’s Restaurant and Marine. For the night. We called at 5:30. They closed at 5. We had no electric or wifi but we were very secure and spent a lovely night.
May 28, 2015 Thursday
Pompano (Boynton Beach) to Ft. Pierce
Sunny beautiful, 15 k. E
We are going inside. No rock and roll for these folks today. We have time.
We took off at 8:30. We had help from a man who came in later than we did and parked above us on the fuel dock in his large plastic bottle. Chris helped him tie up earlier and he returned the favor. What a big boat! He told us he has a place on Deer Island Maine that his father left him. Aha! Friends in high places ! Never know who you will meet on the ICW. Still very windy. Going inside.
We will be at Ft Pierce City Marina tonight. Reservation made.
Singer Island is always a treat with its old fashioned Coast Guard Station on Peanut Island. It is cool and breezy and everyone is enjoying the Sandbar off Peanut.
Feels cooler than 84 because of the wind and the proximity to the ocean. There are a bunch of Asian looking barges anchored north of Peanut Island. A nice way to get around. We see some fine lanai on the waterway in this area north of Palm Beach.
Its better today. Last night I was so hot and salty/ sweaty I wanted to tear
off my clothes and swallow a bar of soap.
We go past PGA Blvd. and Donald Ross Bridges. Fine reminders of fantastically connected golf courses and designers pre midcentury.
The Poincianas are going crazy BLAZING all along the waterway!
Jupiter Island is another world. So organized and lush. Matching palms are everywhere! Hutchison Island has lovely wide sandbars and mangrove islands. It’s absolutely breathtaking. This area is so much like coastal. NC. Topsail etc.
As we were rolling along happily minding our own business we were stopped by the Coast guard! Chris’s hat blew into the water (surely a dope dealer’s device to stall time and hide the goods) so the Captain of the Coast Guard vessel gallantly found his boat hook to get the hat back. Their first question, “Where were you last night?” Neither of us could remember. Fortunately, it came to us after a very long pause and some commiseration between the Captain and Crew. Yes! Ocean Ave, Pompano! Relief…….
They were amazed we were going to Maine. Hopefully we can remember to get there.
They never looked at our safety gear or inspected us…….
Tonight we will have time before dinner to finish deskwork that I had neglected the final days before we left. In my rush to get off I ultimately gathered everything from the top of my desk and threw it in a tote. My desk simplified, right here.
We left the boat here in Ft. Pierce for a week two years ago while we had other travelling to do. I did not have time then, or now to see the Highwaymen Gallery. We will visit there in the Fall for sure.
May 29, 2015 Friday Boynton Beach to Titusville
Here is the link to the Sarah cruise blog. https://seew1222.wordpress.com/2015/05/16/sarah-cruise-2015-2
We left Boynton Beach at 7 AM in a rain shower which soon cleared.
Wind E 5 K
We saw our first porpoise at 9:40am in the ICW right before the 17th St Bridge. And at 10:33 am we saw our first Osprey nests at Vero Beach, full with babies.
11:43 The wind has picked up and we have whitecaps now. The rain is behind us. This is a long day in the ICW. The Trumpy Annabelle follows us into the Marina at 5:15PM. We have to stay inside because there is no good entrance to the Ocean until Ponce Inlet.
Our Canon binoculars are seeping rubber gunk onto our fingers where we hold them. I looked online for comments from Amazon and many other people have had the same problem. I tried cleaning the rubber with alcohol and it did help and took the black off our fingers. Many others said the same thing; and they had complained to Canon and gotten no response or help. The Captain of the Trumpy Annabelle was in the office of Titusville Marina when I was asking for Goof Off which I used to remove gum from the kids Tshirts etc. many years ago. He suggested WD-40 or CRC. He says that he uses it when he spills oil or grease on carpet on the boat and it works great as a cleaner. Annabelle is a lovely boat. We will see her again in Fernandina. She is extremely well maintained.
May 30, 2015 Titusville Marina to Camachee Cove, St. Augustine
84 degrees
E 8K
We took off this morning at 7:10 am in good weather. At Haulover we saw manatees and dolphins. Our chart notation from 2 years ago records the same animals in the same spot in pencil.
At 11:20 we went outside at Ponce Inlet. This is a very wild inlet but fortunately we have been here before and have studied the marks. We hugged them all the way out. The seas are very disturbed but no white caps.
All the way up the ocean we experienced what Chris called, “classic Atlantic rollers” out of the east. Seas are only 3’.
Sally kept falling asleep. I must have taken 3 naps during the day. I just could not stay awake. When we docked I thought about it and I must have been reacting to the sea. Tomorrow I will wear my arm bands. Can’t have a first mate asleep all the time!!
The entry to St. Augustine was exciting. My Navionics chart showed marks at the entrance cut but Chris’s government chart and his Nobeltec showed no marks. Of course this is a little bit worrisome since the next entry to the ICW is 3 hours north. I read the information and was assured we could enter but my prudent husband decided to call the Coast Guard for more confirmation. The information gotten was that the marks are always changing because of tremendous shoaling in the area. CG passed us on to Tow Boat. They said all was OK on my chart but just disregard #6. So honor 2, 4, 8 and 10 and we would be fine. Waves are crashing all around us and we are moving FAST. Good old Sarah beat her previous record of 13k in Hellgate that afternoon going a whopping 15.5K!
At Camachee Marina tonight we took on 248 gallons of fuel. Our good engine is working and the third rudder a champion.
That big cross on the hill is a welcome symbol as we entered the magic, ancient city of St. Augustine. The Matanzas River was originally called the Rivière des Dauphins (River of Dolphins ) by French Huguenot Jean Ribault.
May 31, 2015 St. Augustine to Fernandina Beach (Saturday)
Wind 10-15K NE is the weather forecast with increasing rain as the week goes on.
We must go 60+ miles today to reach Fernandina Beach, and then 95+ miles tomorrow to reach Hilton Head, then 65 miles further to reach Charleston.
I wore my armbands and was not the least bit sleepy. Sea sleepy, not seasick.
We navigated the shoal easily at high tide and took off in the ocean to reach Fernandina.
Reaching Fernandina at 3:30pm we slid into our slip, washed the boat and Sally took off for the market. No uber here! One way to the market was $25. I am spoiled by uber! Groceries gathered at a good Target at Yulee, I returned to the boat at 6:30pm in time to have a lovely dinner right at the Marina. Full moon in Fernandina.
Great weather so far……….the tide is turning…….
June 1, 2015 Fernandina to Hilton Head Island, SC
We left the dock at 7:05
Wind 9-10K SSE Clear skies 86 degrees.
We were through the St. Mary’s Channel at 7:30 Annabelle left at 6 AM.
Our first shrimpers were seen at 7:52 am below the Stafford Shoal off Cumberland Island. I love these boats with their wide nets set with booms akimbo. Brown shrimp season has just started. I must get some for our freezer.
Cumberland Island never fails to amaze us with its dramatic beauty. The beaches and undisturbed beauty of the wild vegetation are wonderful. In contrast the fort at the top of Amelia Island, Ft. Clinch, displays its many mighty cannons and fine brick coursing as it did in the Civil War period as well as when it was used as a naval surveillance station communications center during WWII. It is remarkably well preserved.
June 2, 2015 Hilton Head to Charleston
Easy passage, no problems!
Hello Charleston! The Ravenel Bridge to Mt. Pleasant is lovely.
Big Chris and Thomas, with Ginger, our newest member of the family, enjoying the sailing and the fun conversation!
Wednesday night sailing is in full swing. We had a delicious dinner outside at the Boathouse. What a delightful setting on East Bay Street. Some wind and tide there, too! Glad we had docking help!
Back to Thursday: June 4 Charleston to Bucksport
8:18am we decide to go outside (into the ocean) even though the wind is gusting to 14kNW.
Charleston, SC to Bucksport, SC Thursday June 4
We left Charleston’s Carolina Yacht Club at 7:10am, Thursday, June 4. The peninsula was dark and stormy. Wind 5-10 NNE. 67 degrees and very humid .
8:18am we decide to go outside (into the ocean) even though the wind is gusting to 14kNW.MY RADAR app says that big storms are moving our way but if we can get out to the ocean we will avoid them. We shall see. There are big thunderheads over Mt. Pleasant and Patriots Point.
The water pump is fixed. Chris did it yesterday while I was playing with the family. Chris needs to get a bigger bicycle pump to put more air into the water pump. At least it’s not cycling continuously as it used to, or running all night. It works, that’s the best part.
MY RADAR (app) shows some rain ahead. Perhaps we will be able to anchor in beautiful Winyah Bay tonight and then go outside to Southport tomorrow.
At 2pm we reached Winyah Bay. We looked for a good anchorage near Estherville Creek protected from the north wind but was unable to find one. We pressed on. Inside, this is a lovely trip along the waterway.
4 years ago we stopped for the night at Bucksport and had a wild experience. The marina was empty and the guy who checked us in ( for no cost ) and helped us tie up had no teeth, two uneven legs and a welcoming swagger. Unbeknownst to the new marina owners( who were not in residence yet), he did this for everyone! When one is traveling the waterway and there is no place to stop, it gets a little interesting. Like “Deliverance”.
My friend Caroline Reutter (Caroline’s Cakes), from Annapolis sent me an email that her grandfather bought Exchange Plantation near there in 1952. We need to see it next trip. Caroline?
Below, is a group of camp kids enjoying their rowing near lush Bucksport.
Below is the spectacular area near Bucksport. It is also near Brookgreen Gardens and Old Sheldon Church which is now in ruins. SheldonChurch is my favorite neo- classical church. If I get married again, it will be there. What an area! Rich with history! The new (?) Bucksport Marina had takeout open until 8. The seafood combo was delicious. These southern cooks know how to bread and fry!
Don’t be fooled by the sunny picture I paint. We arrived in a pouring rainstorm at 7pm, took on some fuel, and made it to takeout in time.
Friday June 5,2015. Bucksport, SC to Carolina Beach, NC
It is cold and overcast today. Wind 9k N. We left the dock at 7 and by 11:50 we passed into sunny NC. This is one of my favorite parts of the trip. The NC beaches are spectacular.the grasses and dunes are magnificent.
Chris must have gotten his phone wet in the rain yesterday. It won’t charge or work. Good thing that it’s Friday. We ordered a new phone to be delivered to Oxford on Wednesday. We passed The Shallotte Inlet ( favorite place to eat ) and Lockwood Cut ( the demise of many good hearted Captains)( including us). The wind has picked up and it is sunny.Two years ago, all the marks for the inlet were askew. We ran aground. A nice fellow in an outboard came up to us to help us off. I said to Chris,” I only have $300 cash.” Of course I was upwind of our new best friend. Guess what the cost was for a quick tow?
We had an interesting experience with Maerin. I was at the helm and in the middle of the channel and we ran aground. There was a missing green mark which marked an s curve and low spot in the ditch and of course we found it. Maerin, a good looking tug/trawler (maybe a Selene), was following us very closely. Fortunately through radio contact we asked him to stand back while we figured out the proper route. We thought we would have to wait for the tide to rise but through my Navionics app I was able to pin the depth of the area where the missing mark was and plan our route. The worst part was Maerin climbing up our stern! All I needed was to run aground today and hit a million dollar yacht while backing down. Thanks Navionics!
Maerin followed us out of the tricky spot giving plenty of room and we were on our way. Above is Maerin before we passed her and ran aground.
We passed Snow’s Inlet. At the other side of the inlet we turned starboard into Carolina Beach and docked at a Yacht Club Condo mini Marina. I luckily found a cab driver that took me to the Food Lion. He was an interesting character: tall, very portly, tattooed and jolly. His companion in the taxi was a darling little fellow- part miniature Doxie, Pomeranian, and Beagle. The best face you ever saw. My driver said he would wait at the Chinese takeout while I bought my requisite week’s supply of TP , fresh berries, and coconut milk. I arrived home in two shakes for $20.
Sunday, June 7, 2015 Carolina Beach to Beaufort
Clear, sunny and cool, everyone is going fishing today! 72 degrees. 17k N.
Above, passage to Hobucken, a guy and his dogs…and cell phone!
We are staying inside today for sure! Right before Myrtle Grove Sound a flock of fishing boats follow us out of the marina at 7 am. It’s not too hard to wake up early and get going when you have weather like this! We see an old blue school bus perched on her own dock way above the tide. We have seen her before. Someone must live there. Great view of the ocean!
There are many many ospreys here at Topsail Inlet. Green head flies also are everywhere. We waited for the Surf City Bridge to open for 50 minutes. We missed the hour opening by 10 minutes and that is how it goes on the waterway. The bridge closings wait for no man. Happily we got a great spot at the Beaufort Town Dock tonight. It is the Big Rock Blue Marlin Fishing Tournament. We saw a Paul Mann 76, a Merritt 80 and Stream Weaver on our dock. There are 90 boats in the Tournament. We were lucky that someone’s cancellation afforded us a slip. That night we had a great time with this cool band below. The bookends on the Hunt 38, Kindred Spirits, were right beside us at the dock.
Sunday, June 7,2015 Beaufort to Alligator River Marina
The wind was blowing out of the North 13k.70 degrees and clear. We left the dock at 7:10 and passed through Morehead City and Adams Creek into the Neuse River. By then is was blowing 16 k NNE. Kindred Spirits is ahead of us bouncing around. Now there are lots of whitecaps. The wind now is blowing 25 k on the nose.
We saw at least an acre of loblollies dead after Hobucken. We saw the same blight in Some places in Florida, too. Reminds me of the gypsy moth trouble we had in the 80 s. Later we see it on Harleigh property in Oxford. I’m told it is a controlled burn. But there must be some bugs to burn away……..
It is a long trek through to the Alligator River. We only see a few boats today, people are on the banks fishing , not in the ocean.
Rushing to get to the Alligator River Bridge at 6 pm, there are two big barges ahead of us going slow. The operator of the bridge wants us to wait for them to pass so that we don’t knock them with our wake. It is frustrating. Kindly the second barge must have slowed down a bit so that we and another big Chris Craft, Seyon, from Marblehead, could get through sooner.
We just made it to the Alligator River Marina in time to get a few snacks at the shop before it closed at 7pm. We did 99 nautical miles today…….7 to 7.
Kindred Spirits from Oakmont Pa is here. Chris calls them the “Bookends”. Same white shirts, same white hair, same haircuts, same khaki shorts, same reeboks. They brought their tiny black elderly dog. Captain Kindred borrowed our flame lighter to fire up his brand new grill.
The next morning we got some breakfast sandwiches at 6 am from the marina takeout. When I left the store, a sign on the door said,
” When entering this store, please remove your hoodie.”
Below, passage to Hobucken, a guy and his dogs… But he’s on his cell phone! ,the dirty water in the ditch, barges at Alligator River Bridge.
oMonday June 8,2015 we left the dock at 6:45 am. It was a beautiful clear day wind 9k blowing out do the SSE. Kindred Spirits passed us at 7:20. We are rushing to get to Great Bridge to make the lock early the next day and get to the Chesapeake. KS can go 25 k to our 9k. She was designed by our Eastbay designer, Ray Hunt.
Magnolia Grandiflora,Queen Anne’s Lace, and heuchera are in bloom everywhere. The crepe myrtles are full of buds.
At 10:45 we smelled burnt rubber. We could find no problem. Scary……..
A big Azimuth passed us slowly asking if we wanted some wake. I tried to keep Sarah in the channel in neutral but the Azimuth thought we were aground. Not again with Sally at the wheel! Strange that we both smelled the burned smell but we could find no problem and moved on. It was eerie. Burning smell brings back a host of not too good memories. (More later about this). We passed Coinjock and got to Great Bridge at about 4 , got fuel and thought we would spend the night there. At the fuel dock, we found out that the lock would be closed for a week starting tomorrow at 7 am! Kindly, one of the hands at the yard told us. What a blessing he did! We might have gotten stuck in Great Bridge for a week! No BIRW!
Making the bridge at Great Bridge.
Off we go to Norfolk for the night! Sunny day, no problem. We made Tidewater Yachts Marina by 5:45 in spite of an adverse tide in the Elizabeth River and a little wait at the NPB&L Bridge which had a train stopped on it. Great Marina! Great restaurant! Our good luck holds!
Tuesday June 9,2015. Norfolk to Solomon’s Island
We left the dock at 8:10. Wind. NE5k. It’s very cloudy but no rain. Nymph was here, a beautiful classic, but not a Trumpy. Battleships are all over. This is a grey town. Up the bay the wind is whistling. Now the wind is astern and the overcast morning has burned off. It is a sunny and easy trip up the Chesapeake. The tide is against us. Of course I fall asleep.
Typical Bay Boat.
We leave Solomon’s Tuesday morning at 6:04. It’s hazy. The right engine gauge continues to malfunction. It is a long day. I sleep on the bridge. We approach the Patuxent River. The Naval Station is impressive! More than 12 satellite orbs are on the shoreline. F16 fighter jets fly over us as we approach the River. The noise is excruciating!
We see the Rachel Carson, a UMD research vessel tied up at the point we are rounding.
Dennie, our new guide and best friend, is waiting for us at Harbortown Marina. We tie up at 7 pm. Dinner onshore at wonderful little restaurant with sophisticated menu not 50 steps from our rail. I had filet on portobello on spinach; Chris the traditional crab cake. Everyone on the dock helped us tie up. So friendly. This is Maryland. So friendly.
Wednesday June 10,2015. Solomon’s to Oxford.
8 am we left the dock. Clear seas and no wind! Hazy. Hot. Water temperature 71. The air is 66.
We arrive at Pier Street docks to get fuel and the find John Shannahan’s Grand Banks Marina at the end of the creek by Holy Trinity. We have been here before. 11 am.
Home. .
Our old house on Peachblossom Creek with renovations. It was yellow (fresh cream) with green shutters when we were there 1985-1998. It was called Oaklands Cottage, the Tweedy Boys Playhouse. It was a playhouse indeed.
June 13,2015. Saturday, Oxford, Maryland to Summit Marina, Bear, Delaware
We arrived at John Shannahan’s Oxford Marine on Wednesday to change the oil and install our private wifi. We had a quick trip up the bay from Solomons.
Choptank Light is gone. A favorite lighthouse, it was always a turning mark in our races in the river……Wednesday nights etc.
Tred Avon Yacht Club sits on land owned by the town of Oxford (established 1683). Originally the Kap and Dun Club, it was a tiny shack of a sailing club when we moved to Oaklands in 1985. In the 90s the shack was replaced by this handsome club. All our kids took sailing classes there.
I had a discussion with an acquaintance who was manning the desk at the Oxford museum about sailing classes these days. It was the same conversation that I have with my friends who are young mothers in Miami. The learn to race classes take precedence over the learn to sail. Once a child passes a certain age, it is impossible to find a class to just teach sailing. Maybe I am wrong? It seems a shame that learning to sail is not OK but learning to race is.
It is June in Oxford! Everywhere plants are blooming and the lush green trees shade exceptionally planned small yards. Chris and I had a great crab cake sandwich in the Morris Street Park.
Holy Trinity Church and beautiful columbarium are right on the Tred Avon and in
the center of town across from tennis courts and Oxford Community Center. Jack Carroll and his wife Pat gave me one of my first outdoor commissions painting a bench for their daughters B&B in Cape May. I visited many friends here this week. Some still chatting, some not.
Below, my dear friend Muffie Bartlett Robson and her family lived here at Maplehurst in the 70s. Chris and I used to party here after races in Oxford. This house had the original Nellie Stevens holly, and plenty of gin and tonic.I know she never knew who was coming for breakfast summer or winter.
We are glad to see that a billion oysters are being planted in the Chesapeake. We saw the barges as we approached Knapps Narrows Saturday morning as we were leaving Eastern Bay.
A notice for Stamp Club posted in the Post Office where you can also get free books.
And meet your friends. Parking is free and there are 20 spaces 1 block from the water.
With all the beautiful gardens I have seen this week, it almost makes me want to garden again……………almost. Juan, don’t leave me!
We ate in all the restaurants in Oxford and had spectacular meals. Pope’s Tavern, The Robert Morris Inn and Latitude 38 all were exceptional. Things have really improved on the gourmet side and the service side too. The men helping Chris with the engine oil change and the wiring of the wifi were so pleasant and so knowledgeable. This is all thanks to John Shannahan.
I want to get the “Beard” cleaned but it may have to wait until after BIRW.
Saturday, June 13,2015 Oxford to Summit Marina, Bear, Delaware
We left the dock at 7:15 am
W NW 3k. Hot. Humid. 77 degrees
Hazy
John has a big Fleming coming in this morning after 3 days in the ocean straight from Miami for fuel and oil change . He just came down “to see us off” at 7 am.
Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry.
Thanks to John! Loved our stay in Oxford. He was responsible for putting us in touch with George Thomas who designed the third rudder. It has made the trip so easy! Steering is a dream. Sarah is the only GB that has a third rudder. Chris just pushes a bunch of buttons and voila, we go!
Getting the proper SIM cards to coordinate billing of 2 iPads and boat wifi was an errand. Thankfully Meg van den Berg loaned us her car so all Thursday I did my errands.We saved a good bit by bundling the ATT bill. I hope I have enough data. Never know how many bytes I will need. Unfortunately it’s not like having lunch.
Below see Chesapeake crabbers with their trot lines and nets behind. See the little flags? Attached to the floating flags is a crab pot. And of course the glorious Chesapeake Bay Bridge linking Annapolis to Kent Island, the first settlement in Maryland in the 1600s.
It is very hot and calm all the way beyond Annapolis. At the Chester River the wind fills in a bit but it is still close. At Knapps Narrows, we see the oyster reclamation and restoration project in full swing up Eastern Bay. Tilghman Island looks very built up…as does everything on the Shore. Easton has too many buildings! And the traffic!
Up the Bay on this cloudy day, the shoreline is a perfect watercolor study of receding value. All day it’s very hazy and overcast. Thank heaven the flies have gone.
We are In the Elk River at 2 pm. Wind astern 6k. It is very hazy still. The front is hanging here.
We see masses of cattails and fragmites. The upper bay is lovely with high cliffs and beautiful homes. We were going to stop at Chesapeake City but they had an event and there was no room. We went 10 miles further into Summit Marina, happily closer to the C&D Canal.
Along the way we see the Delaware Responder, a pollution control vessel.
she is docked with her barges in a nice protected hurricane hole.
Sunday June 14,2015. Summit Marina to Atlantic City
Clear and cool. W NW 4 k. 70degrees. Wonderful weather to be on the boat! Not hot anymore!
It rained last night at about 4 and blew away all the haze and humidity. We left the dock at 7:10 and entered Delaware Bay at 8:00am. We are trying to get to Atlantic City but have an adverse tide. Morning below! This is the reason one is on the boat at this time of day.
Seeing a nuclear plant in the river is bizarre on such a lovely morning.
Here above is the lovely C&D Canal and Dole Banana freighter on its way to Wilmington. I said pineapples and Chris said bananas. I said “no more bananas”.
Below , Atlantic City Taj Mahal, windmills and busy Canal traffic.
Trump fiasco……..could it be the architecture? Certainly not the advance man.
Chris and I had some iced tea with mint I pinched from a pot of herbs at Holy Trinity in Oxford. We had a wonderful lunch underway and will make Atlantic City by 6. Fortunately in the Ocean we have a favorable tide and wind. At noon the wind picked up to 13 k. SSW
6 pm. Approaching Atlantic City! Windmills! Golden Corrall! Chart House! # I’mnotfussy. #sweaterweather
Parti esta noche!
Monday June 15,2015. Atlantic City to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, Newport and Block Island Race week.
Wind S 12-15k. Rain this morning. Temperature 72 degrees. We are in the ocean all day today. Finally we turn off the AC in the boat. Atlantic City is a place to stop, not a remarkable destination.
Chris has a has a conference call with Germany at 8 am. Sally is is still asleep. Retired.
We are docked in front of Jarrahs . See the lovely Coast Guard Station still existing and safeguarding the proper scale on the Atlantic City waterfront.
The winds are WNW 12-15 at Surf City 11:40am.
We pass Barnegat. A very rough inlet! I am glad not to enter.
At 12:56pm we have rain and less wind. Our Speed is 9.5 k. We pass clean stretches of beach. The dunes are lovely. All day we make good time past Port Jervis…..up to Raritan Bay before the storm hits. The wind and weather are black and threatening. At At 4:05 we we see the bridge to Sandy Hook in the maze and misty darkness. We congratulate ourselves having gone 92 miles!! It will be fun to anchor in this. There are beautiful beaches and old 19 th c buildings seen here seen even as far away as we are from the ocean. My friend Stephanie Scott grew up here in Monmouth Beach. It is strange but there is no boat traffic as the storm approaches.I
We round marker 7 at 4:50. It’s colder now. Temp. 72. Wind S 9k. It seems cooler because we are tense and want to anchor and rest.
We anchored right by the the coast guard auxiliary station Ft. Hancock as the storm comes in. Of course the anchor jammed. Chris had to clear it from the fore peak below. Mud and gunk are everywhere! How does he have the strength to manage that with his hands? From the fore peak! Lat and long are noted.
40 28.023N. 74 00.838W. Fortunately the big cell which moved through at 5:28pm finds us snug and anchored.
We are set where the midtown ferry goes by. We note on the chart that is where Ft Hancock military housing is.
Tuesday June 16,2015
There is a new Egan baby! Born last night at 8:08pm. Mother and daughter doing well. Caroline Downing Egan. 4th girl in our growing family. Poor Tom is the only boy.
Today it’s overcast but no rain forecast . The wind 5.8. SE. We will see rolling seas as we head to NYC. We get up early to catch the tide. A cell moves through and it is clear and still in 10 minutes as if nothing happened.
The tide is coming in. High tide at Hellgate is at 10:56am. There is no traffic on the lower NY Bay.
Chatting with my brother Michael and Amanda about the new baby through Hellgate! Crazy!!
Through the Verrazano a phantom NYC rises under fog cover.It’s cold and eerie, but spectacular boats and barges straddle the channel going every which way. The tide is flat. Brooklyn is clear.
We pass Governors Island 11.4k speed for Sarah. The colonial buildings on Governors Island are handsome like William and Mary and Historic Williamsburg. 12k. 7:33 am. What is being built on north end? An ugly structure. Fun to see the bridges close to– the Brooklyn Bridge, rusticated granite, the Manhattan Bridge bright teal and white steel beams freshly painted. We are going 13.3k approaching the Williamsburg Bridge. Some trawler!
We are going 13.3k approaching the Williamsburg Bridge.
66 degrees.It feels like winter..
The phone rings as we go approach Hellgate. It’s Amanda who had baby Caroline last night. Chris is passing a barge, we’re going 14.3k and I need to talk to her about the new baby. Perhaps it’s a little too hectic for the captain who asks if we can chat in 15 after he gets through the East River. Priorities!!
The phone rings again. It’s my brother Michael. I call him back later. Hubby needs my full attention rounding these islands at 14k.
And it’s only 8:39am.
We pass by Willets Point. (Shea Stadium) where my mother worked during the World’s Fair 1939. I have her ID card. We are in Riverside to see the Neuberths by lunch.
Skip Etchells plaque at Riverside Yacht Club.
Wednesday June 17,2015
Wind SSE. 5 k. Crystal clear sunny. Cool. 66 degrees. No sweaters, though. We left Cos Cob Harbor , Riverside Yacht Club, at 6:45am with Paige’s delicious cucumber soup.
At 2:46 pm we are at the bottom of Fishers Island. Going 12.5k. 220 depth. Tide with us. The Race below:
We’ll be in Newport tonight. in time to see Amanda and the new baby tomorrow! Born June 15 8:04pm, they barely made it to the hospital. Poor Amanda with no anesthetic.
Caroline Downing Egan. 6 lbs 9 oz. 20 inches. Perfect.
Very few boats out on this clear lovely day.
Tide ripping but with us!
At 4 pm it’s slightly overcast and getting colder. We are close to Newport. Going 10k. Seas 3′ but tide with us. Rough. The Race.
Newport
We are in Newport playing with the Bishoffs until Block Island. Thanks to Rick and Connie we have a slip at their lovely condominium’s dock. We had Dinner the first night at Zeldas and ran into Jon Wright! That was fun!
Newport is wonderful.
Saturday June 20, 2015
We took off for Block on Saturday alongside Amulet, Rick Bischoff’s lovely boat.. We are docked at the boat basin; home of the Oar, and famous for Mudslides!Our first night’s activity was a lovely crew dinner. Our house is in town right around the corner from Aldo’s and everything. 4 BR and 2.5 baths. It was very neat and clean and in a great location. “Payne Cottage” was more than adequate for the Bertolds, Bishoffs ,Smoaks and Willits. Thanks to Rick and Lucy who brought a car rental and Connie and Jill who did marketing in Connie’s car, we had good transportation for the 8 of us. The logistics of housing and transportation, clothing, racing personalities and setup for 160 boats and shore support is hard to describe. It takes more than a year to plan. The Race Committee party was fun and well attended.
Spookie before the start of Round the Island Race Tuesday below.
Sarah finishing IRC 1.
The racing was spectacular. The weather was sunny and clear. Lots of wind all week. Many sailors were congratulatory regarding courses and management of BIRW. Speaking to some sailors weeks later provided interesting perspective on the week. What I know for sure is that extraordinary effort was made by our Race Committee, especially those in mark boats.
Back to Newport June 27 for July 4
Below 4 th of July at Goat Island with the Cambridge family and Joy.
We left Block Island Saturday June 27 to return to Newport to prepare for 4th of July.
Chris’s sister Joy came to visit along with Amanda and Mark and all Egans for a big family time. Thanks to Rick and Connie who recommended Becky’s ribs we feasted all weekend and swam in the Hyatt pool.
Next stop Newport, Bristol, Block Island, Cutty Hunk and Marion.
Good luck Ladybugs.
July 11,2015
Return to Block Island, Cuttyhunk, Marion, Gloucester and Mere Point
Chris and I invited Steve Chance and Natalie Agraz to cruise with us for a few days out of Newport. They came all the way from Santa Fe- one is a long time friend and sailor, the other a newbie. Fortunately it didn’t rain, and we had plenty to do. All sailors know what I mean! When cruising on a boat the worst thing that can happen is rain for a week. We spend a miserable 10 days on Challenge in the 70’s in fog and rain from Halifax to Grand Manaan. The weather was perfect! The wind just right and the gods were on our side! The first day we traveled to Bristol by car to see the Herreshoff Yard. Accidentally we ran into Jon Wright, (again) our long time friend who was a manly presence on many America’s Cup Defenders. Finally they put him in the America’s Cup Hall of Fame where he belongs. We owned a boat with him and Steve, a Chance Offshore One that will live in infamy in the families of the Chances, Willits, Wrights. Steve and we were married in the 70s at the time. Jon was not. My girls used to raid his pants pockets for change when he was asleep on our sofa in Annapolis . He never knew. Amazingly, for a meticlulous adult, he was nicknamed “pigpen” in the old days.
Jon is now sailing/working at the Naval Academy. I think he has a pretty nice life and we have seen him all over the map racing with his midshipmen. His wife, chic Karen ( a Philadelphia girl after my own heart) keeps trying to move him out of Chestertown (boondocks) but he is satisfied staying there. He says he likes the privacy. It is certainly true that if you live cheek by jowl in Annapolis, everyone knows your business. Today Jon brought his midshipmen to tour the facility in Bristol with Halsey Herreshoff, Nathaniel’s grandson, who was giving a private tour. We fortunately joined the tour which was a special treat. Chris especially enjoyed talking to all the workers in the various sheds about varnish and how to get an impeccable final result. Laying a piece of sandpaper on a 1/2 to 3/4 in thick piece of foam rubber makes a great sanding mount. We will try that at home!
The boats displayed in the shed/ museum were beyond fantastic. We saw Halsey’s grand father’s workshop and all the templates and tools for the boats .The rich display of all the half models on the walls of the office were prototypes for new designs back in the day. To see it was a boat owner’s dream afternoon.
Below, Chris, Natalie and Steve, sailplan for a America’s Cup defenders, Halsey, and boat half models.
Halsey is with the machine which calibrated the offsets from the models to put the measurements on paper.
These are the miniature planes with which Halsey’s grandfather worked.
Return To Block Island with Natalie and Steve
We saw this amazing schooner as we were leaving Newport. She unfurled her sails and stretched out in Buzzards Bay. She was a wonderful omen, a talisman for the next 5 nights. Have a look. This is what it is all about!
We are already in Block Island loving the mudslides! Thanks Natalie. Good idea!
We adventured about Block Island with some great shopping and some bad bike trips. Sally has a great new purse (thanks to Natalie). We met some wonderful kids from Romania . They have a work/study program with the US that enables them to work for 4 months (Block Island) and then travel for 2 months. They were lovely girls and a boost for international relations.
July 12, 2015
We left the dock at 10:15am. There was a good breeze and we took off for Cuttyhunk.
Cuttyhunk, a gem.
We put the dinghy in the water ( creak creak), and we took off for the dock and exploring! We climbed all over the island ( the size of Midtown Manhattan )and saw a whales tooth in the front yard of a home on the Northeast side of the Island. A great place, where time has stood still.
Oysters go for $23 a dozen! We bought some and ate them on the dock. The ambiance was everything. The oysters were not. And the price ridiculous!
Priscilla Eldredge said this was a cool spot and she was right! Thinking of you, dear Priscilla.
Cuttyhunk is a great getaway for a tryst with a Boston banker. But beware! The harbor is full! Bring the caterer, however.
Speaking of which, we watched Kamineh a rebuilt commuter ,with the Turkish delight (Vicem) Aphrodite as her mother ship at the Harbor Dock. Wonderful Haydn and Mozart delightfully played in the background from Kamineh’s hidden speakers. We spoke to the man who ran the boat. I thought he owned her from the way he spoke. But Chris correctly identified him as the paid hand. Men have a sixth sense about pecking order.
Below a photo of Kamineh racing us to get to Cuttyhunk. Oh and the tiny whale tooth.
Do you like Kamineh? She was faster.
We ate lobsters on Sarah’s bridge that evening. We were sloppy. It was just fine.
This guy is not worried about income. 
We got the oysters and lobsters from him. But we had to wake him up.
July 13, 2015 Marion
Off we went to see Andrew and Christina Bonney and the Meads in Marion. Amanda came from Cambridge for the evening. Old friends and godchildren. Happy times!
Sally 2 and Charley Bonney having a moment!
July 14,2015 Back to Newport and our own slip across from Stingray.
Sally goes home to Florida for 2 weeks for Coral Reef Sailing Camp with grandchildren Thomas and Isabelle.
August To Maine! Thursday August 6, 2015
Gloucester Harbor. ………..Yacht Club Mooring first stop.
August 6 to Portland
We left our mooring at 8:01 am. Crisp, clear, wind 5k. Water temp 58.9 F. I did not take a swim though I threatened to last night. It seemed like such a good idea while I was having my dinner. Air temp 66. A perfect day to see Portland. We estimate 6-7 hours. 72 NM. Windmills and lighthouses line the coast. We’ll meet Jeff and Paige and LJ and Debbie today and have lunch with them in Quohog Bay tomorrow before we go to Mere Point to see Hal Kendall.
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Wink at Maine Yacht Center.
We see the lobsterman check their pots. I watched one throw 9 back and harvest only 1. Not a very good catch.
We saw a small whale at 9:15 am.. Just a flutter and then a small part of arched back and fin. Exciting!
We arrived in Portland, Maine Yachting Center,at 4 pm..
I rushed to get groceries for dinner via Uber and Whole Foods. We had planned dinner with Emily and Kurt, our niece and her husband who live in Bath. They were married at the Boatshop and Emily teaches and Kurt runs the boatbuilding at Maine Maritime Museum. They are super talented. We had a delightful visit.
Friday August 7,2015. Portland to Quahog Bay
I ran into town to see the Maine Art College which had a fascinating Thomas Moser exhibit.. Got supplies at Paul’s grocery and got fuel at 1:30. We are ready to leave at 2PM. We had to leave the fuel dock and were on our way to Quahog Bay at 2:15. We had fun navigating through the little islands north of Portland City. I love Portland. The town makes you feel as if you are still in college.
I heard from my Uber driver that a caramel factory exploded down by the waterfront years ago and left caramel on all the city streets. !! Imagine cleaning that up! Certainly not as bad an event as the fire of 1899 . From the time of the fire on, all building in the city was done in red brick. There are a few Victorian outliers that soften the city a bit.
We spent the night in Quahog Bay near Snows Island with the indefatigable Neuberths on Wink. We finally found mooring # 50. The pennant was thick and strong enough to hold a tugboat. Sally needed help with the boat hook!. Edgcombs and Spike and Jay on board Nimbus rafted with us. Happy 65 th to Jeff! Such a puppy. We gorged on wonderful salmon and tiny cupcakes. It was ( as always) a wild and funny party with old stories shared regarding Arnie Gay and Annapolis. Fun times and reminiscences. As always, a beautiful table was set on Wink with chart placemats, Anthropologie plates and shell embossed glasses. 58 degrees tonight! With a spectacular moon. The NYYC racers have to leave at 5:30 am to take Lj to sail on Temptation, Art Santry’s boat, to win the Queens Cup for the nteenth time. Ahhhh. Yachting. We heard later the race was canceled due to lack of wind.
Saturday August 8, 2015
West to MerePoint to see Hal Kendall, our friend from Coconut Grove. Beautiful clear. 58-71. High tide when we woke this morning. We Arrived about 2:30 and I spent the afternoon chatting with Hal on the outside porch open to the water. The family was preparing for a wonderful dinner: lobsters cooked in their own salt water by sister in law Linda Kendall and grilled burgers and goat sausages cooked by Grace’s NY gourmet friends. The best lobsters ever!
Hal’s family house at MerePoint is very special. The cobblestone fireplace and wonderful porches are classic Maine. Many pieces of fine Victorian furniture appoint the rooms. The house, clad in classic brown shingles, and trimmed in sweet cream molding was built in 1902. The kitchen stove and refrigerator are exceptional antiques and still working!
Hal told me that all of the houses at Mere Point were built to form an association which supports itself. One lady has been married to her neighbors on both sides……..(one died) in her lifetime. I guess that’s called keeping the jewels in the neighborhood. We tied up to the MerePoint yacht club mooring and motored in in the dinghy to the YC dock where Grace met us in a fancy golf cart and whisked us by tiny road and grass to Hal’s house.
Sunday August 8, 2015
66 degrees, cloudy until 11:30
Left Mere Point at 10:00. Wind 5-8k. Picking up.
Sunday August 9,2015. Round Pond Muscongus Bay
After spending a lovely two nights above historic Chebeague island in Quahog Bay and Mere Point, we took off for Muscongus Bay and Round Pond to visit our gracious friend Susan Clancy. Perfect weather!
See white Captain’s Cottage where Susan lived below under the spire. A typical afternoon sail in Round Pond and a photo of a magnificent Chamberfest concert we saw with Susan on a dismal stormy night.
We reached Muscongus Bay Lobster Company at Round Pond early in the afternoon. The trip was windy and clear with a strong tide. It kept pushing us into the barrier islands as we made our east passage. Chris said the boat nav system would correct the tide push but I was not convinced.
After trying for hours to reach the Harbor Master (Robert Ball) at Round Pond, I called the lobster company who gave me his home number. There was a problem a few years back with trouble on the pond (lobster pot theft) and now his number is unlisted. He nicely returned our call. However, he was not the right person to speak with anyway. The Padebco custom boat builders control the moorings and after repeated attempts to reach them on Sunday we just picked up the best mooring with their name on it. This is what Robert Ball suggested in the first place. On Monday Leon, the main man, called us back and let us know the cost and by the way, we were probably hung up on a lobster pot. He had been watching us all along on Sunday! But not calling back …….. It turns out our dinghy was hung up on a pot floating astern which held the whole 46′ boat astride the tide!!
Strong moorings! And don’t forget, nothing goes unnoticed in Round Pond!
We had two lovely dinners ashore with Susan. The second was especially great because Chris got to meet Roz Allen and Paul Landry at Captain’s House. We had perfect salmon and delicious ice cream. Sensational!
Tuesday August 11, 2015
We had breakfast with friends at cool place in Damariscotta suggested by Susan’s friend Barbara Wickwire . Spinach, black beans, mozzarella, quinoa, and eggs poached on top was my choice for the best breakfast….all in a cereal bowl. I added a cup of coffee in a giant delft blue mug heaped with fresh cream.
The cloudy day didn’t daunt us so Chris and I went to Renys for lobster gear, cocktail napkins and cheap condiments. We stopped in the bookstore for more reading material. Chris needs some good spy novels. We got 2 by Michael Robothan, an author recommended by Stefan.
That night topped all. In pouring rain we took the dinghy in to the dock at Round Pond. We were not going to miss this concert for which Susan had arranged special tickets. She urged us to stay one more day and hear the Salt Bay Chamberfest 21st Season. The concert was held in a perfectly simple cow barn (Darrows Barn) in Damariscotta which had fantastic acoustics. It was the equivalent of a Shaker cathedral and had the ambiance of the Quaker Meeting in Newport. Sadly the Quaker Meeting is in disrepair and this was perfectly maintained.
Founded by Wilhelmina Smith, a very talented young woman, the two week series has magnificent chamber concert performances. This year, the series was called Game of Pairs. Pouring rain didn’t dampen our mood. Spectacular 1 st violinists Scott St. John and Jennifer Frautschi were more than notable. In the experimental, mystical ,acoustic Murray Shafer String Quartet the musicians were passionately woofing, growling, grunting and gulping to the beat. It was great! And funny and totally unexpected. A 1792 Stradivarius and 1500 viola were played.
Finally we heard Beethoven ‘s Septet in E Flat Major , Op 20 which was alluring and perfectly performed. The coloratura or ornamentation by Jennifer F was spectacular.
. Wednesday August 12. To Deep Harbor to visit the Klines near Port Clyde, Tenants Harbor
It was an easy jog to the Klines at Deep Harbor. We took a Magnificent trip Wednesday afternoon in Chucks sea craft around the islands of the St. George’s River to see the Christina’s World house that Andrew Wyeth painted. We tried to see seals sunning on rocks on the east side of the river. They defied us and stayed in the water. We did see some snouts sticking up from the water. That night we had a a wonderful lobster dinner at the Klines charming understated house.
That evening Laura and I went to a home that Mary Erickson rented for artists to come and paint for a week. They had some work on exhibit and we had wine and snacks with Laura’s lady’s group. It was a fun evening and I got to meet some of the artists in Tenants Harbor who show in a cooperative gallery. I was asked By Carmella Yager to submit a 10×10 paintingin a local show! Out of the blue!. I met another gal, Chris Moses, who paints in Key West in the winter. Cmoses@charter.net. Maybe a thought for the art league.
Wonderful friendly Maine People.
Thursday we went to Monhegan! We ate a spectacular fish sandwich…..must have been cod or halibut so buttery and fresh on a fresh roll for lunch. The fish shack was conveniently at the base of the main dock in Monhegan. Good thing! Then Laura and I took a steep walk to the Museum. We saw a great exhibit of Dodd paintings in the small museum outbuilding. Then we walked across the rock not 20 feet away to the permanent exhibit of fine paintings, photos and memorabilia in the original museum. The story of Monhegan is a long one, full of artists who came to paint there…Bellows, Homer, Wyeth, Trescott, Fitsgerald. And some hardy and fine female painters, too.
There are artists all around us, painting with a group or by themselves hauling their French easels and gear up the steep hills.
it was a magical afternoon for me.
After our museum visit, we went to the other side of the island to the brewery for a beer tasting! The decor was lobster traps and tent. Great fun.
Chris had spent the afternoon with Chuck and grandson Brandon climbing rocks like 10 year old mountain goats. We found that keeping up with Chuck Kline is a full time feat. We had a fun Dinner at the Black Harpoon in Port Clyde That night with great mussels and a fine solo guitarist. A guy accompanied him playing the pails.
Allen Island. Wyeth Country.
Monhegan Museum
Sunset at the Klines
Tenants Harbor
Monday August 17, 2015
Boston to Amanda’s for 3 days.
Wednesday August 19,2015
I came back to boat..I took some time off while Chris had the bottom painted and the AC fixed. Thursday I took off to Rockland to the Farnsworth Museum. We saw Jon Wright again! Buying a new Alden boat at Maine Yacht Center! She is appropriately named Dress Blue.
Friday Meg, one of my goddaughters, and Ned, her 1 year old son came for lunch. Downpour!
August 22, 2015 Saturday Provincetown, maybe
Now since Sarah has been hauled, the bottom painted, inspection completed, the hull surveyed for insurance company renewal we can take off for Provincetown.
Our on way to the Gulf of Maine we suddenly heard a huge racket in the engine when we sped up. The pin for the Glendenning slipped and wore out. We limped back to Maine Yacht Center and Chris fixed it. He had a spare in his bag of tricks!
We left Portland after a few days of fog at 8:45 am the next day. It was very cloudy with some breaks in sky. The ocean was 63 degrees. Wind. 7.7 k. NE. Destination Wentworth Marina in Portsmouth.
That night we had dinner at the bar. Fun. Good Merlot.
August 23, 2015 Sunday
We cast off in the foggy clouds to Provincetown to see whales!!
Wind NE. 13.7
Water 67 degrees air 67 degrees
We had 1/2 mile visibility at 10:44 am. Fog socked in. Good thing our radar works!!.
We passed sail 51764 at 10:55. Less than 1/2 mile visibility. At 1:38 the fog closed in completely.
We are 19 miles from can “1” at the top of the Cape and we can’t see more than 20 feet. The fog lifts at 2 pm and we see 2 whale watching catamarans cross our path and converge. We see the whales blowing between them! I want to rush over but Chris wants to get in before the fog gets worse. 5 minutes later the fog is back! With a vengeance!
August 24, 2015 Provincetown
We docked at the Marina right by the whaling catamarans this time. No mooring for Sally……the last time we were here, we broke the mast on Sarah and almost lost the dingy! No fun!
Provincetown whaling!!
We saw a humpback calf performance of many spinning head breaches !
We saw many Minkys, a smaller baleen.
Kardu was the name of the playful calf which slapped his flippers as he was “Fluking out”.
The whales were “logging”. Resting on the top of the water resting between feeding scraping food from the American sandlands . The mother humpback was feeding all summer. The calf has energy because he is nursing for whole year. And did he have energy! I was so enthralled, that I didn’t get any good pictures! I didn’t want to miss a second!
September Trip home
Riverside
Three Mile Harbor
Philadelphia
Annapolis
We walked to Marriott for breakfast then cast off at 11:30 from the AYC Annex. I did a little shopping but the heat got to me. We are heading to Oxford on our way south. Tankers line the Chesapeake mid Bay from Bay Ridge north to Greenbury Point.
It is hazy, clear and very hot. Good breeze on the water. S 15k. Water temp 80, air82 but very humid. We got through Knapps Narrows at 2pm. The Poplar Island reclamation project is almost complete! It looks great. It is a 7 mile run to the Tred Avon River.
We left Sarah in Oxford while Chris went to work in New York. Driving to Philadelphia, New York and Boston from September 10-17, we took a little break from the hard life at sea.
Above is my sister in law’s lovely pool nestled in the Pennsylvania countryside. My niece and I spent a lovely evening relaxing in the hot tub, pretending I’m 25 again.
While in Malvern visiting Joy we had a fun afternoon at Terrain checking out the fall displays and having a sensational lunch.
Below, Oxford in the heat and haze of September, photo by Mike Valliant.
We are glad to get into the breeze.
Oxford to Piankatank River today, Friday.
September 18, 2015
Before we left Oxford we had a nice visit with John Shannahan. Since our redesign and addition of a third rudder have been so successful, John intends to do the same modification to his GB. He speaks of the new people in town who are big hitters with Oracle for the Bermuda America’s Cup.
Oxford is a crazy place that attracts unusual people. John speaks of the evolution and sale of Grand Banks Trawlers. After 1979 no independent broker could sell new trawlers, only used. He had to tweak his business plan and together with Clarence Warden and Mike Sharp worked with Oxford Boatyard to sell boats. Shortly thereafter he bought the Dickerson yard on Island Creek. And the rest is history! Long evening chat over a couple of neat scotches. Let’s hope my story is correct.
It was very hot!
Oxford 79. 6 am. SE. 5 k. Flat sea. Water 78
The wind has picked up and we have a clear evening in the Piankatank next to a Beebe boat.
Captain Bob Beebe designed many long range trawlers like this one, Mojo. He was an amateur yacht designer having graduated from the Naval Academy in 1931. He served on the USS Saratoga in WWII . Mona Mona was quite famous. And of course after he retired in 1961, he spent all his time designing long range power boats that would travel with “speed and dispatch “. His most famous, Passagemaker, was and is today the model in long range power design.
Saturday September 20,2015
Piankatank River to Great Bridge, Virginia
There are no boats in Norfolk!!! The waterways are empty. And there are very few destroyers. The place seems somewhat abandoned perhaps because it is the weekend. We have a partly cloudy morning then a clear afternoon to get to Great Bridge. We had Chinese takeout for dinner. It tasted very good when we ate it.
Great Bridge on the way to Coinjock. Fog
Sunday. September 20, 2015
Atlantic Marine Great Bridge to Alligator River Marina
69 degrees. Water 77. We cast off at 8 am. Fog in Great Bridge. No wind. We made the Centreville bridge early and the Bridgetender opened at 8:20. That was a gift. You will not see a NC Bridgetender do that.
The sun came out and we sped to Alligator Marina with the tide and arrived at 4 pm.
I paid bills and Chris washed the boat. We ate Wanda’s fried trout and onion rings for dinner. Dee-lish! There is nothing like take-out fried food on a boat after a long day.
Monday September 21,2015
Alligator River Marina to Oriental, NC.
Wind. 11 k. NE. Water 77.3. Air 76
Cast off dock 7:15am
We thought we would get up early and make it to Oriental today but we rolled out of bed at 7 and estimated the trip will be 109 miles. Too far to go even with breeze on the stern. We will try to get to River Rat Yacht Club or Belhaven Marina tonight. Chris doesn’t want to take a chance that ReMayo in Hobucken doesn’t have power for us. There are bugs everywhere! We are ahead of the group going south and it is pretty lonely out here. We are the only boat for miles. MILES. It’s a good thing I like my Captain.
It is hot and I am covered in Off to keep the flies away. Did I write that before?
Finally we reach the Neuse River, some cloud cover, and a little breeze. I take a shower off the stern and we sail into our slip at Oriental Marina at 5:30. 87 NM. We did it!
Dinner at the Toucan! Love this little marina. So cozy and wonderful people. Great little shop across the way, too, for lovely gifts.
Tuesday September 22, 2015
Oriental NC to Wrightsville Marina
We cast off at 8 am having decided to move on to Swansboro or Wrightsville tonight. It will be another 87 or so miles but we want to be in Charleston by Saturday to see the kids.
It is overcast. The forecast is for much more breeze today and tomorrow. 20-30k. Wind SE 10-15 at 8 am. Water 77 degrees. Air 71 degrees but feels like 90.
Finally we have some breeze 15-20k as we pass through Beaufort which is cooler and more pleasant than swatting flies! We are encountering more boats going our way as we head south now. All the ladies look like me and all the guys look like Chris.
By noon we are enjoying lovely coastal North Carolina. Lovely!! The dunes are breathtaking.
By one o’clock the wind is fierce. Blowing out of the NE we are lucky to be protected by the coastal islands. We pass Dudley’s Marina where we stayed in 2013. They lent us a truck to grocery shop. I was so worried that it would die or run out of gas. None of the gauges were working. But it did the job!
Some interesting sights in Coastal North Carolina above. We arrive in Wrightsville at 7:55pm in the dark with a raging tide.On the way we missed the timing on the Surf City bridge and had to wait 59 minutes for it to open again at 5 pm. We kept hearing helicopters and booms as we were near Camp Lejeune. Add that to the tension of having to anchor for the night in the narrow ICW if we miss the Topsail bridge opening! 18 miles away at 9 k we will just make the 7 pm opening. Fun ! The wind is blowing 15 with gusts to 22. Thankfully the Bridgetendress at Wrightsville tells us on the telephone that after closing (7pm) she will open on demand! We are relieved for sure. Timing these 3 bridges is always a problem when there are so many obstacles like docks and other boats to slow you down.
We had a delightful dinner at Wrightsville Beach Marina which saved the day.
This is a huge fan at the Wrightsville Beach Marina Bar. One of the best dinners on our cruise.
Wednesday September 23,2015
Wrightsville to Dunes Marina, Myrtle Beach
What a slow and long trip!
Too many docks!!
Lovely marina and very helpful crew!
Arrived at 4:30 pm.
Rain.
Thursday September 24, 2015
Grand Dunes Marina, Myrtle Beach to Georgetown, SC
We tried to cast off from Myrtle Beach at 8 am. 66 degrees. Wind NNE. 15-18. Rain showers. Damp.
Our electric cord won’t remove from the receptacle. The very nice dock hand came to help when they opened at 9am. Then, just about to cast us off , Chris noticed the switch to elevate the chart system on the bridge was unscrewed from the mount. So Chris had to climb into and under the dashboard on the bridge, snake his way to push the toggle through as I screwed the end on to operate the flip top. 45 years of teamwork!
In pouring rain, soaking wet, we cast off and Sally takes us back into the ICW.
Not the best way to start the morning..
We are off finally at 9:30 am to Winyah Bay and Georgetown!!! Then Charleston!!
Chris liked these cottages we saw in a planned community near Myrtle Beach. 
But, he said to live there one would have to be careful not to drink too much. One could land in the wrong “kitchen” one night.
Not for us!!
Cruising and Living in Coconut Grove and beyond 
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