Annapolis and Seven Seas Cruising Association Gam
We slept in and it felt good to do so. Breakfast was whatever you could make for yourself or get someone to make for you. Shortly after breakfast, we were off to Annapolis. Beth had never been there before. So, she was excited to see the historic harbor she had heard so much about. Carla wanted to shop for some clothes she needed for our China trip in October and our Caribbean cruise in December. (Brother Brian found some travel deals we couldn't pass up.) Dwayne needed filters and parts for Foreign Affair. Dwayne dropped off Carla and Beth on West Street and he headed off to Bayshore Marine for fuel and oil filters. We all ate lunch at Chick and Ruth' - lump crab and malts.
Summit North Marina to Columbia, MD (By Car)
We began the morning with a visit from Bill and Helen of Alembic, a Whitby 42 ketch. They are from Maine and began actively cruising about the same time we did. However, they are real Salty Sailors. They have journeyed from Maine to the Florida Keys, across the Gulf of Mexico, spent time in Central America and then traveled along the South American coast before heading north for a return trip to Maine. We have gone to the Florida Keys and as far north as Portland, Maine. Most of our journey has been in protected waters. They have been much more adventurous than us. They have confidence in their boat and are accomplished sailors. They are embarked on a great adventure.
Cape May, NJ to Summit North Marina, Bear, DE
We left the Canyon Club Marina fuel dock at 0830 bound for Summit North Marina on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (C&D Canal). The winds and waves had considerably increased since we entered Cape May harbor two hours earlier. The forecast for the Delaware Bay was for winds in the low twenties and waves on our beam 4 to 6 feet. Normally, we would not have ventured out into the Delaware Bay under these conditions as it has a reputation for being very nasty during a blow. However, we didn't want to get locked into Cape May for a week waiting for things to settle down which looked worse every day and the possibility of Hurricane Matthew hitting as well. Summit North Marina is a hurricane hole half way through the C&D Canal and the best place to be if a hurricane threatens this area. We decided to press on and hoped conditions got no worse or improved as we moved up the Delaware Bay and entered the Delaware River.
Great Kills Yacht Club, Staten Island to Cape May, NJ (September 27 - 28)
Dwayne was up at 0730 checking the weather to see if making a run to Cape May was possible without taking on more than we could handle. We didn't want to be sea sick for the 20 plus hours it would take us to get to Cape May. The forecast showed conditions deteriorating with winds building from the low teens into the mid-twenties and gusts adding 10 - 15 to the average. Waves were 2 to 4 feet and increasing to 6 or even 8 depending on the forecast source. We have been out in conditions like this before but not for extended periods of time in exposed waters like the Jersey shore. We decided to give it a go and hoped we could stay ahead of the foul weather. We could always retreat to Great Kills if conditions were too bad as we started to round Sandy Hook. If we didn't leave we'd have to wait at least four days for a favorable weather window to make the run.
Mamaroneck to Great Kills Yacht Club, Staten Island
It was a very still night and we all slept very well. Dwayne was up at 0530 starting the coffee and checking the engine oil. By 0600 Foreign Affair was ready to move. We all had a quick breakfast waiting for daylight. We finally cast off at 0630 bound for Great Kills Yacht Club on the southern end of Staten Island. The skies were clear and the temperature was a little cool at 53 degrees. We had to motor as there was little to no wind. It felt good to finally be on our way south again.
Beth Arrives
We spent the day provisioning and preparing Foreign Affair for our journey south. The weather for the past week has been perfect for a run all the way from Long Island Sound to the Chesapeake Bay. However, a front is moving down from the north and we are concerned we might not make it all the way to the Chesapeake before the weather goes bad. We really don't want to have to lay over somewhere waiting for better conditions. We are hoping for the best as Beth is joining us for a week and we would like her to have a great experience. We are happy she will be with us for the long runs down the Jersey shore and up the Delaware Bay. An extra person to stand watch during these long hauls sure helps with sail handling and improves the sleep plan.
Sagamore Hill - Home of Theodore Roosevelt
We drove over to the Doyle Sail loft in Huntington on Long Island to get the sail cover for our main sail. It had to be modified to accommodate the new Dutchman furling system we had installed. Our old system had two control lines and the new one has three. They did a very good job of making the modification and restitched the seams since some of the thread was showing signs of weakness. Best of all, they didn't charge us since we had to wait so long for the new sail and saved them time and money by bringing the boat to Huntington and picking up the sail cover at the loft rather than having them travel to our boat to install the sails. It was a win-win situation.
Mamaroneck, NY to Columbia, MD and Back (By Car)
September 22: We drove our car and the rental car to Dwayne's brother's place in Columbia, MD. We had only one short delay crossing the George Washington Bridge in NYC. Other than that, the traffic moved at a pretty good clip. It was good to be with family and enjoying a roof over our head and cable TV. Of course, Carla brought all our laundry so she could take advantage of the washer and dryer rather than going to a laundromat. We had homemade tacos for dinner.
Mamaroneck, NY to Mystic, CT and Back (By Car)
We rented a car from Enterprise and drove to Mystic, CT to get our car out of storage. Our first stop was the Mystic Seaport Museum where we had the super large fish and chips dinner at the cafeteria. We split one dinner since it consisted of big portions of haddock with fries and cole slaw.
After lunch, we headed to the storage facility to get our car. The pass code for the gate did not work when we arrived at the storage lot. Carla was able to squeeze around the gate to get to the car. It started without any problem. We were concerned the battery would be dead; but it had enough energy to turn the engine over. An unexpected surprise was the two front tires were pretty flat. Carla was able to drive the car and the storage lot gate had a sensor which automatically opened when a car approached. We were on our way and looking for a tire shop to get the flats repaired.
Eatons Neck to Mamaroneck
We were able to depart Eatons Neck with plenty of water under us as we scheduled our appointment with Nick, the sail maker, for just after lunch. We only had to travel about 5 miles to get to Huntington Harbor. We stopped for fuel and water at one of the many marinas lining the harbor's shoreline. There must be at least a thousand boats in slips or on moorings in Huntington Harbor. Foreign Affair has a Huntington Harbor mooring field permit on her stern which leads us to think Huntington Harbor was her home port in 2010. The harbor is very long, with a deep main channel and protection from all directions. Beautiful homes overlook the harbor all along the shoreline.
Port Jefferson to Eatons Neck (September 18 & 19)
We made the short hop of 20 miles from Port Jefferson to Eatons Neck where we anchored in the very small basin near the Coast Guard station. We were able to head off the wind enough to get some help from the genoa. It added 0.2 knots to our speed. We decided not to hoist the main sail since we had such a short distance to travel.
New London, CT to Port Jefferson, NY
Morning Fog kept us from getting an early start for our long journey to Port Jefferson. We left New London long after the bugle called the Midshipmen to breakfast. It turned into a clear, sunny day with little to no wind until about 1230 when we were finally able to roll out the genoa to gain 1/2 knot of speed in a whisper of wind. It took 10 hours to cover the 57 miles and we arrived just before sunset. Several other boats were already in the anchorage but we were able to find a good spot with enough swing room.
Newport,RI to New London, CT
We left Newport at 0730. The Norwegian Cruise Line's Gem was anchored just outside the inner harbor entrance. We suspected many of those aboard would be going to the boat show. At Newport Neck, we encountered the USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26), an amphibious transport dock heading into Narragansett Bay. We gave her a wide berth and watched her head under the Newport Bridge to most likely dock at Naval Station Newport. Later we would run the gauntlet of ferries crossing to the islands - Martha's Vineyard, Block, and Long Island.
Newport Boat Show and Lobster Night at the O Club
We decided to go to the boat show since the Newport show is one of the largest and you never know what you might learn or find useful. Like the Annapolis Boat Show, temporary docks are constructed so the boats can be shown "in the water". Smaller boats were also on display on trailers ashore. There were five big tents for the vendors. We stopped by the Garhauer booth to discuss a problem we are having with the outboard motor hoist ball mount unscrewing due to friction and how to fix it. The solution looks very simple but like many other "simple" repairs, it might be harder than it looks. The only surprise at the boat show was we couldn't find the Catalina yachts. They were listed as exhibitors but even those we asked couldn't tell us where they were on display. Odd.
Newport
We slept in as we knew we were riding out the weather. Strong winds and big waves in Block Island Sound were forecast for the day. We didn't want to try to negotiate The Race in unfavorable conditions. There is plenty to do and we enjoy being in Newport.
We headed for shore around 1100 to take showers, do laundry and buy groceries. Carla likes the laundry here because there are two washers and two dryers usually with no one using them but her. To top it off, they are free (no quarters needed).
Martha's Vineyard (Edgartown) to Newport, RI
The weather forecast looked good for our run from Edgartown to Newport, RI. Winds were to be 10 - 15 mph and waves 2 foot. The sun finally broke through the morning fog and visibility was improving when we slipped our mooring at 0730. The sun was shining bright by the time we were half way to Oak Bluffs and waves were about 1 foot. Winds were abeam and we were making good time. Four flocks of birds flew over and we knew it was time for us to head south. Autumn was in the air. It felt like it was going to be a wonderful day to travel the 10 or so hours to Newport.
Martha's Vineyard - Tisbury and Oak Bluffs
Once again, we boarded the bus in Edgartown and headed north to Tisbury and Oak Bluffs. Vineyard Haven in Tisbury is where we spent our first night at Martha's Vineyard and where most of the commercial ferries serving Martha's Vineyard dock. We did not go ashore to explore Tisbury the day we arrived as it was late and we didn't feel like launching the dinghy. We decided it would be more convenient to tour Martha's Vineyard by bus while leaving Foreign Affair moored at Edgartown.
Aquinnah - Indian Pow-wow at Gay Head Cliffs and Lighthouse
We took the launch into Edgartown where we boarded a bus to Aquinnah where the local Indian tribe was hosting a pow-wow. The Wampanoag tribe has a small reservation near the Gay Head Cliffs and Gay Head Lighthouse, At one time the Wampanoags lived in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Today, the two major tribal bands live in Cape Cod and on Martha's Vineyard. There has been a significant amount of inter-racial marriage between the Indians and the Black population of Martha's Vineyard. The pow-wow was very similar to those we have observed in Kansas. The meal we had was a bit different. We had smoke mussels, squash and rice. I don't think the Plains Indians ate many smoked mussels. For dessert we had some "Indian pudding" which we think was a warm mixture of pumpkin and cornmeal. It was thick and sweet.
Martha's Vineyard (Tisbury) to Martha's Vineyard (Edgartown)
We left Vineyard Haven- Tisbury at 1100 thinking we would arrive at Edgartown in time to get a mooring before the weekend crowd showed up. We were very much surprised to find all of the town mooring balls full when we arrived at shortly after 1300. The harbormaster was able to put us on a vacant private mooring for our stay. It was farther from the town docks but it didn't matter much to us as we were going to use the launch service instead of our dinghy to get into town.
Newport to Martha's Vineyard (Vineyard Haven)
We woke and found fog limiting our visibility. So, we delayed our departure until 0830. There was little to no wind. We motored for almost 10 hours and had 4 to 8 foot rollers rocking us all the way to Martha's Vineyard. We were then able to tuck in behind Gay Head and travel in the smooth waters along Martha's Vineyard shoreline to Vineyard Haven harbor. We ended up on a mooring ball outside the breakwater and decided not to go into town. Instead, we enjoyed our sun-downers and watched the many boats heading back into the harbor before dark. It was a long day and we were happy to have finally arrived at Martha's Vineyard.
Bristol to Newport
The sun was shining and the winds were light when we woke this morning. We decided to take the Bristol Yacht Club launch to the Herreshoff Museum which contains the largest collection of boats designed by the Herreshoff brothers and built at the Herreshoff Manufactory. Over 60 Herreshoff boats are in the museums's collection ranging in size from the 8 1/8 foot long dinghy, Nathaniel to the 75 foot long America's Cup defender, Defiant. Several personal yachts of the Herreshoff family are also on display to include Sprite, a 20 foot cat rigged boat built in 1859 and believed to be the oldest existing private yacht in the United States.
Fall River, MA to Bristol, RI
Hurricane Hermine moved further south and back out to sea. The winds subsided but were still from the north. We had the least protection from this direction. We decided to move to Bristol harbor which offers good protection from all directions but the south. We bid farewell to Battleship Cove and motored the 10 miles to take up a Bristol Yacht Club mooring ball. We remained on Foreign Affair all day. Carla did some more cleaning. We read and watched movies. The harbor was much calmer than what we experienced in Battleship Cove and the mooirng ball looked well maintained. The forecast for tomorrow looked good. If the weather is as forecast, we plan to visit the Herreshoff Marine Museum in the morning and then head back to Newport to re-provision and do the laundry.
Fall River - Weather Day
Today was the worst day of the storm. Hurricane Hermine moved closer to shore. Winds were in the 20s all day and gusts were in the 40s. The highest recorded reading was 48 mph. Waves were 2 footers in our protected harbor most of the day. We didn't leave the boat and just rode it out. Carla did some cleaning. We also read and watched DVDs on the computer. We had to move our portable generator to the companion way entrance (midship) to keep it running. There was too much movement at the stern and it would start surging when the boat's rocking got above a certain point. The storm was about as bad as the Nor'easter we rode out in St. Augustine last December at the end of the SAIL ICW Rally. We are relieved that the mooring ball is holding.
Fall River, MA - Battleship Cove
We made it through the night and were happy to find ourselves still attached to the mooring. The wind blew fairly strong throughout the night (high teens and gusts into the twenties). The boat hobby horsed a little but it didn't bother us much. We were mostly concerned that the mooring would hold.
Newport,RI to Fall River, MA
Hurricane Hermine was predicted to move closer to Newport and bring high winds and waves. We wanted to seek better protection and after examining our options, Fall River looked like our best choice. It was further inland than Newport and we would be protected from three sides by land, an interstate highway bridge and several docked warships among which was a battleship, the USS Massachusetts. Needless to say, it was a unique mooring field and it felt rather eerie being hemmed in by the four big battleship gray vessels towering around us. We were well protected from every direction but the north. As usual, the wind was against us and blew from the north. At least a spit of land limited the wave action and the greatest waves we experience while on the mooring were two footers. We rode out worse storms in the past. Our biggest concern was the condition of the mooring ball.
Newport Mansions
The sun was shining bright today. We took a trolley tour of Newport and toured two of the many "cottages" built by the very wealthy between the last decades of the 19th Century and Great Wall Street Crash of 1929. Our combo tour took us to The Breakers and Marble House.
Rainy Day In Newport
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