Sharin' with Barefoot & Fatty Knees

A most kissable nose

Deltaville, on the Hard: 22 October 2010

Well, the Motleys are in the Deltaville Boat Yard.  Windjammer is all hauled out and propped up near some big, sheltering pine trees.  Our Cap'n is busy winterising and GS is cleaning & oiling timber - none of it fun!  We are scheduled to fly out in a few days, so this is most definitely the last post of the season.

A real windjammer on (a grey day) Chesapeake

We'll add some photos to the posts when we get home and have a chance to play with this new blog site.  Our tracking site however is still operating here so you can see how many pins we've put into America's East Coast and zoom up close into our anchorages - or perhaps even wave to us in the boat yard. 

Deltaville Boatyard.  WJ3 & our flash bikes

Fair winds & following seas

Patuxent River Piranha

Solomons Maritme Museum Lighthouse

What did we do in the Solomons? Sheltered from the storm, froze to death, cooked baked dinners so the oven would heat the cabin at night, found a supermarket so we wouldn’t starve and finally visited their very interesting maritime museum. Now every town on the Chesapeake has a maritime history and most sport a museum, but this one is exceptional.

We strolled through local maritime and area history; many of the exhibits have been donated by local watermen and their families. The exhibition hall has a huge variety of displays including very old outboard engines, models of character craft that plied the waterways, such as a 250 seat theatre, and today’s feature exhibit, a tank of live rays and skates. Docents, all volunteers, knew their stuff and actually made it interesting. They also get to supervise a discovery room where children can hoist sails in a skiff, climb a lighthouse model (& turn the lamp on) or explore a touchtank full of squishy fishies. We looked for crabs in the marsh, watched two fat & happy otters perform like spoilt kids, and gazed at estuariums full of local marine life. We climbed the Drum Point Lighthouse (1883) to the lantern room and were surprised at how much “living” space the lighthouse had. (GS took measurements for a Dangar prototype.) Most fascinating were the (20 million year old) fossils taken from nearby Calvert Cliffs. Coming eye to mouth with 37½ feet of megalodon, a shark ancestor & one of only two in the world, made our white pointers look somewhat docile.

37 feet of teeth

The fun was nearly over - time to make our way to Jackson Creek and WJ3’s winter home. We set sail early leaving with a crowd of migrating locals. Like their namesakes (snow geese) they honked and fussed all day; the VHF rarely silent. All the way back down the Bay Cap’n & GS wished they could remember the words to that truckin’ song “Mercy sakes alive, looks like we got us a connnn vvvvoy…”. (Apologies to CW Mcall) 

Unbelievable but true for an early start! It’s still quite dark at 7am. (No wonder we’ve been sleeping so late!)

From: Solomons Island, MD Lat/Long: 38 19N 76 27W  Date/Time: 19/10/10: 0715

To: Deltaville, VA  Lat/Long: 37 32N  76 19W  Date/Time: 19/10/10: 1605
Time Taken: 60nm (9.5hrs)  Distance (this year): 1736nm (303hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 5376nm (1002hrs)   Fastest Speed: 7.6kts
Weather: Winds E starting 25kts down to 3kts; Seas 1-2ft;

In case you missed the above figures, we’ve done an astonishing 1736nm (303 hrs) again this year!

Not so Chirpy on the Choptank

After living the fantasy at Annapolis, it was time to move on.  The Eastern Shore (its warm & very shallow waters) and St Michaels beckoned for a more laid back experience.  Don’t believe it.  First we nearly went aground looking for an anchorage, the weather changed to “solid” rain and to our amazement, a mini-cruise ship berthed in town.  Our anchoring efforts were watched closely by a neighbouring yottie, who immediately moved, not once but twice.  Finally, he took a marina slip.  All the while shouting at his wife - he must be worth a mint is all I can say…

Jolly cold on the trip back

Rather than sit like glum bunnies, we moved on in the rain to Oxford.  Just in time of course for screeching 25kt North Westerlies to set in.  They found us hidden up in Town Creek too!  Needless to say, we dragged on the anchor*, across the channel, into 6 feet of water….at 5.30 in the morning.  “Lets get going”, shouted a stern Cap’n.  It was still blowing a gale, and it was DARK.  Let’s just say that this part of the voyage ended off the mouth of Tred Avon River in gusting 30kt winds, 3-6 foot seas and NO working motor.  Did I mention it was dark?  Cap’n Calamity set the sails (real quick) and took us back up the Tred Avon way from that nasty white spider lurking on a shoal nearby.  Back in a relative calm, we dropped anchor (Under sail – aren’t we getting good at this?) and waited for daylight and a fuel dock to open.

Fresh fuel seemed to settle nasty bits of sediment that keep blocking WJ3’s fuel supply.  That fixed, we had another go.  After a few hours of windward bashing out the Choptank, all sails were hoisted and off we went like a rocket, south to the Solomons, now a busy refuge for snow geese (Canadians) sheltering from the weather too but definitely on the move for some Bahamian warmth.  Time for us to have a few days off as well!

Back down Chesapeake Bay - seems like home!

*We later found out that the Oxford Creek bed is covered in layers of old oyster shells and holding is notoriously poor - otherwise known as a "shell back"!  Also Tred Avon is a corruption of Thread Haven. In 1683, supplies of rope, hemp and cordage were produced here to meet seafaring needs.

From: Weems Creek Lat/Long: 38:59.9710N  76:30.1740W  Date/Time: 13/10/10: 1000
To: Solomons Island  Lat/Long: 38:19.9160N  76:27.5520W   Date/Time: 15/10/10: 1620
Time Taken: 27.6nm (6 hrs) St Michaels; 31.3nm (6hrs) Oxford; 30nm (6hrs) Solomons Island 

Distance (this year): 1675.9nm (293.5hrs) Distance Total (since 2008): 5313.5 (992.5hrs) 

Weather: NW; 15-20kts G30; 3' seas; this continued for days......    Fastest Speed: 7.6kts

Honk if you're Happy

We arrived back at Great Kills in time to re-provision (in still more rain) and fuss over Windjammer having ignored her for so long.  Our Cap’n Trusty managed to work the tides just right and we had a great overnight ride, flying down the coast to Cape May, sucked up into Delaware Bay, funnelled into the C&D Canal and finally deposited into Chesapeake Bay.  We anchored up Sassafras River next to a huge flotilla of noisy honking Canadian geese briefing each other on the evening’s flight path.

Oh Good! Channel Markers Again!

What a dream run we’d had!  We did make some sacrifices of course.  The Cap’n kept himself busy practising his waving technique.  Few waved back.  And whilst GS didn’t have to swear and curse at little blood sucking black flies or engines that didn’t work, the weather was noticeably cooler.   So, we did the whole "rugged up kit and caboodle" again, this time without the down sleeping bag knee rugs .  The Motleys also donated yet another expensive lure to various creatures of the deep.  We can only imagine that they were whoppers….  The first lure was lost at sea somewhere over the Delaware Bay shoals and the second at sundowners (guaranteed an inconvenient time) on the Atlantic corridor.

Wall to Wall Boats

Looking at our watches, we realised we could make the last day of the Annapolis Sail Boat Show.  Baltimore or Annapolis?  Annapolis or Baltimore?  The Show was great and despite giving it our very best, we probably only covered about 1/3 -1/2.  It’s big….  Our bags were full of goodies, our feet sore from walking over any number of contenders for WJ4, and our jaws tired from yakking to experts.  We even found Clive from BVI Yacht Sales to report our various adventures since buying WJ3.  At show’s end, the fun is to buy a pint or a painkiller (Caribbean rum cocktail) and when the gun is fired, watch docks being dismantled and an expensive flotilla sail off into the sunset.  Beneteau have our award for best showing off.  Those new 50 foot designs could spin on a dime – and they did, much to the crowd’s admiration.  I'm guessing a few more would have been sold after that little display!

Historical Annapolis

Annapolis is actually quite an historical town.  The next day, Cap’n and crew took a trolley tour from the Visitors Centre then the usual, separate ways.  Guess who went to see the Naval Academy with its 180 ships models and 4500 midshipmen?  Not GS!  She headed for downtown Main Street to look at works by local craftspeople then on to see two historic houses – the Hammond-Harwood House, a colourful Georgian classic and the William Pacca House, home to a signee of the Declaration of Independence.  The latter has a picturesque pleasure garden which has recently found light of day after years of being covered by bitumen (a car park).  We biked back home in the dark to WJ3, happily floating on Weems Creek.  In our absence, “Monday Morning” had taken a USN mooring nearby.  She’s a timber classic and home to Boston Tom, whom we met during our stay at Deltaville.

A bustling Weems Creek at Boat Show Time

From: Great Kills, NY  Lat/Long: 40 32N  74 08W  Date/Time: 8/10/10: 1100

To: Weems Creek, MD  Lat/Long: 38 59N  76 30W  Date/Time: 10/10/10: 1540
Time Taken: 257nm (36hrs)  Distance (this year): 1587nm (275.5hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 5227nm (974.5hrs)   Fastest Speed: 9.2kts**
Weather: Winds W- NW 10-15kts G20kts; Seas 2-3ft; a bumpy Atlantic ride
(**7.8kts out NY Harbor, slowing to 5.4 (against current) at Ocean City then 9.2 up Delaware Bay & 8.6 through C&D Canal. A skittish WJ3 thinks she’s young again…)

One Spy Kit to Go

The weather forecast promised a few more days of non-sailing weather, so rather than attempt a trip bashing into high seas off the Atlantic coast, we opted for a faster, dryer mode of transport – the train - and roared off down to Washington DC.   Washington is on the Potomac River, a goodly way upstream and we would need time (a week) to get WJ3 up there.  So, two returns on Amtrak, thanks.  No luggage for Red Caps (porters) either.  (This train system puts ours to shame, thanks for asking!).  We stayed centrally (easy walking) at the Crown Plaza and had a few days to do the sights & sites!

Aussie mates, Warren & Dominique took us on a drive out to historical Bull Run.  Virginia is just steeped in history and the effort made to conserve it, both by government & local interest groups is noteworthy.  We took a guided tour around a battlefield smaller than most farms before sneaking past W&D’s house (not to disturb their dogs guarding his Corvette), then headed off to Oldtown for a few quiet ales in a character Irish pub.

Over the next few days, Cap’n & crew managed to sit together on an informative trolley tour of town, then head their separate ways.  Cap’n Bond went straight for the Spy Museum, ended up at the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery, then went all military again; over to Arlington Cemetery, Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial.  The First Mate made a b-line for the Textile Museum and had a sneak peek at an upcoming ikat exhibition; from there to another boutique museum, Women in Arts, then over to the Renwick Gallery and finally a stroll around The White House perimeter.  Cap’n & GS met each day to exchange noteworthy frippery over a few ales at the Capital City Brewing Company, one of few “shopfronts” in a city seemingly of government offices and museums.  The Prez couldn’t make it to drinks; he had a bit of a bash going on at ‘ome…

We caught the subway over to the Pentagon and, through a barrage of security warnings and great lists of don’ts, visited the 9/11 Memorial.  We had come to pay our respects to friend Yvonne Kennedy, who was on the aircraft that crashed into the Pentagon in 2000.  This memorial is a fitting and subtle homage to those who died.  It is hard to believe ten years have since passed.

All that Glitters IS New York

Having tucked WJ3 safely on her RCYC mooring, the Motleys held an “open boat”, welcoming many including Max, who had been following us down the coast from Maine in his truck & caravan (trailer in local lingo).  Alan brought an entourage as well; we impressed them with the RCYC launch service out to the mooring and GS piped ‘em aboard with a piercing whistle.

Even the Swan Family popped by at Great Kills

The promised bad weather set in the next day – the day we were travelling by bus to Manhattan.  We arrived wet and smelly on Al’s doorstep, not before having been sussed out twice by strategically placed doormen.  Security’s big in New York….(see something, say something).

Wet weather continued yet we persisted with our social program of visiting friends and museums.  The Cap’n continued with his nautical themed tours to South Street Seaport (not a patch on Mystic), strutted the decks of aircraft carrier Intrepid and explored close quarters of a nearby submarine.  As we now have our own “fleet” of 6, perhaps he really is due for promotion to Admiral?  Briefly tiring of nauticalities, he went in search of something more nauti – yes, the Se(x) Museum really exists and afterwards to an exhibit of body bits, some cut into dainty, thin slices.

Fabulous Folk Art Museum

GS had loftier, more arty things in mind, so headed off to the Folk Art Museum with a little detour via Macy’s, a walk past 5^th Ave designer shops and lots of coffee/cake in nice little bookstores.  Having a whole day in the Met again, she still did not cover more than a third – the Japanese section even has its own reading room and library for goodness sake!!  Annette, a friend from Delhi daze, led us on a merry chase to look at bead shops full of tempting sparklers.  As if our Jain Jeweller in Old Delhi had not sold us enough goodies!  Not to be outdone, GS produced a list of NYC quilting supply shops (including City Quilter & Purl Soho) which managed to keep us dry & out of the rain.  We lunched in Sullivan Street and had time to explore a little of Chinatown & Little Italy precincts on our way back to the bus.  Later over a delicious home-cooked dinner (yes, it can happen in NY), George told us the best places to buy hiking boots and fountain pens.  WJ3’s lockers are just bursting with goodies…..

Sotherby’s is just around the corner from Al’s.  We decided to buy some wine (anniversary champagne) and went upstairs to view auction items.  WOW and I say again, wow!  Sale items varied from Custer’s Colours (flag) from the famous Last Stand battle, a floor of Modernist & Impressionist paintings (Arp, Picasso, Dufy), a few Henry Moore Sculptures and even some folk art being sold off by Museums to fund more lucrative exhibit purchases.  There were two floors of estate furniture, including a silver swing (from some exotic Sultan’s palace no doubt) and several life size Moorish figures perfect for holding ferns in your conservatory or an afternoon cuppa & cucumber sangers.  Another floor held some fabulous photos by masters of the art - Ansel  Adams. Man Ray, Edward Weston, Robert Maplethorpe, Edward S Curtis.  Curtis did those stunning portraits of American Indians.  There were also several iconic NYC steel worker pieces and a striking coloured portrait of Frieda Kallo.  All these wonderful things to buy!  The Cap’n hid our cheque book, cut up the credit card and put title deeds for Penawar & WJ3 into a locked safe.  Gackkkkkkk!

Skanky Tourists

Just too exciting

Long Island Sound is a sailor’s dream - lots of enclosed water, not too far from land, marinas on every corner (mooring fields if you’re really feeling rugged & outdoorsy) and very little commercial traffic.  There are lots of very expensive, very large sailboats to ogle too.  Hylas, Oyster, Morris from Maine and Swan to mention a few.  That means it’s as busy as, especially when you nose your way closer to Throgs Neck Bridge, the gateway to our favourite water shute, East River.

Motleys spent the night off Plum Point in Manhasset Bay next to a wedding cake on water (Some hot water boat owners just don’t know when to stop do they?)  Here we spent the night worrying over tide & slack water timings.  Our Cap’n Tidy cleaned and primped WJ3 for her “showing” even doing the brass – we had pre-warned friends of our sail down Manhattan.  He wanted the photos to look good.

Of course they did.  But our friends the coasties neglected to mention, until we were almost on East River, that it was off limits again.  So we begged and pleaded and then had to be “escorted” past the UN building by a USCG rib nattily decorated with a 50 cal machine gun.  (Wayne’s sheep dogs don’t work as hard!)  Its crew were decked out in basic black accented by bullet-proof vests and can’t-see-me sunnies.  Wanting to stand out in a crowd, our Cap’n dressed in his best green & gold aussie boardies, then leapt about waving with enthusiasm to our high-rise friends.  Wouldn’t you agree this was a perfect moment for holiday snaps?

The views from WJ3 are always exceptional

After shooting the East River rapids, we took the scenic route close to Lady Liberty then turned dodging monster container ships, hard-working tugs and fearless Staten Island Ferries in NY’s vast harbor.  We were heading back to Great Kills, a haven from traffic and approaching nasty weather.  Also home to two very cranky, white (overfed) swans - GS kept her distance.  Having witnessed her baby brother being attacked by such fearsome creatures many years ago, all available stale bread was made ready.

Over on the docks, a quieter, black swan languished.  Its owner, our launch captain, did not hail from down under.  In old sea lore, he told us, a black swan was a mythical creature and symbolised the unknown or infinity.  That was until some killjoy sailed up  Swan River over in the West.

East River (right of map)
How close were we??

From: Rowayton, CT  Lat/Long: 41 03N  73 26W  Date/Time: 24/9/10: 1050
To: Great Kills, NY  Lat/Long: 40 32N  74 08W  Date/Time: 25/9/10: 1540
Time Taken: 57nm (8hrs)  Distance (this year): 1330nm (239.5hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 4970nm (938.5hrs)   Fastest Speed: 9.8kts**
Weather: Winds SW 5-15kts; Seas 1-3ft; then W turning NE 10-15kts; Seas 2-3ft; evening rain
(**Motoring through Hell Gate & East River dodging (armed) USCG ribs…)

Sleepy Fivemile River

Despite our rule of never sailing to a strict schedule, we had wanted to have time to visit friends in Rowayton then do the East River (timing currents is critical) on a Friday so any NY friends could make use of a weekend to visit us on board.

This is Duck Island Roads - scant protection even for ducks!

Our first problem went like this….”You can’t pick up a mooring at West 79^th Street Boat Basin – we're 5 feet over the limit.  No, can’t anchor out, Coast Guard have just this week changed the channel markers.  Ok, if we do find an anchorage, which I doubt, it will cost  $25 per day to leave Bruce at the dock.    Otherwise, a slip hereabouts will cost at least $2.70 per foot per day (that's the cheapest) and the facilities are somewhat limited”.  Hmmm, forget it!  Let’s move out to Great Kills and catch a bus over to Manhattan. 

Our second problem was refuelling.  Refuelling went ok, no worries but we didn’t get away in time to make our planned destination, the Thimbles.  “Oooh”, said the fuel man, “my friend went onto an unchartered rock there.  Not a good place to be anchoring in the late evening”.  Terrific, not a lot of options - lets hook into Duck Island then.  Duck Island Roads was fine until we got there.  SE winds had by then worked themselves up into a consistent 25kts which blew in over the rock causeway ALL NIGHT.  Scant protection. 

The next was pre-arranging a dinner date.  That little breeze continued well into the morning and we bashed on into strong headwinds over an incoming current.  Short, steep waves and washing machine (on the spin cycle) conditions for hours and hours….  And, we weren’t making any headway either.  Blast, even later for our re-arranged, planned dinner with Scott & Kitty in Rowayton!

WJ3 up Five Mile River

Then it was the phone!  Tamure, is moored in a narrow slither of Fivemile River.  Scott had arranged a mooring for us close by – a tricky little bow & stern mooring ball affair.  We needed to contact him by phone on arrival.  You guessed it – no phone coverage……  “Butt clenching”, said our Cap’n.  Turning WJ3 around mid-river was also on par with the aforementioned experience.  

Lastly (and that makes bad luck in fives not threes), we discovered the East River was closed to all traffic on Friday.  UN General Assembly.  Of course!  A heavy Coast Guard presence with lots of “hardware”, an un-navigable bridge (less than WJ3’s mast needed for clearance), not to mention that devil of a current through Hell Gate didn’t bode for an incident-free trip.  “Scott, can we stay another day on your mooring please”?

I really don’t think we should have got out of bed that morning, do you????

From: Mystic, CT  Lat/Long: 41 19N  71 58W  Date/Time: 21/9/10: 1130

To: Rowayton, CT  Lat/Long: 41 03N  73 26W  Date/Time: 22/9/10: 1615
Time Taken: 82nm (15hrs)  Distance (this year): 1273nm (231.5hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 4913nm (930.5hrs)   Fastest Speed: 6.5kts**
Weather: Winds W turning NE 10-15kts; Seas 1-2ft; low vis in the morning – kinda foggy!
(**Motoring again…)

Even More Wooden Boats

Charles W Morgan 1841

The star attraction of Mystic is without doubt, Mystic Seaport.  This museum encompasses 19 acres of shipbuilding history, much of it in situ back in the 1800’s.  Two shipbuilding yards operated on this site; one as early as 1837 and the other 1851.  Mystic Seaport has been set up to preserve, collect and exhibit everything nautical that represented a way of life in a small 19^th century coastal community.

We started with the lumber yard and sawmill (it’s a family thing) where great chunks of live oak and other timbers are cut and shaped into (big) timber boat skeletons.  This area is known as the preservation shipyard and currently, Charles W Morgan (1841), the only surviving whaling ship of its kind, is being restored - to the tune of some $5 million and much patient hand scraping by a couple of young shipwrights.  (GS promised never to complain about antifouling again!)

Further on, a small cove was lined with visiting historic schooners, some privately owned and open for inspection.  Squeezed in between was Sabino, a vintage steamboat taking visitors on jaunty cruises along Mystic River, just as it would have done in 1908.  A graceful oyster boat was docked ready for work at the oyster shack.  Oystering is slightly different here in that sea beds are collected by tonging or dredging, whereas we grow ‘em on trays (with a slice of lemon). (sorry!)

The 19^th century seafaring village is well stocked with artefacts and, short of lots of sailors, noise and not-so-exciting smells, you can picture how life must have been.  Sail lofts, salmon shacks, rope walks, coopers, ships (black) smith and the inevitable tavern are all authentic buildings.  We heard music and songs of the sea and shore wafting over the village green, then moved on to hear tales of heroic lighthouse keepers given in a replica lighthouse’s small auditorium – 12 people, standing room only!  We boarded tall ship, Joseph Conrad (1882) – now a youth training ship, and admired another, L A Dutton, then rounded off the day with stories of seafaring lives (past & present) and came face-to-face with mysterious figureheads, billetheads and catheads (not actually cats you understand).

We did not however, rush to attend a “Lobstering out of Noank” activity at the lobster shack…. we'd had and seen enough of lobster pots for a while!

Relax Lah!

You know the drill – up early and motor endless hours in either no wind or wind on the nose watching for lobster pots….  Two exciting things did happen.  First (we think) we saw a sun fish; one of those huge floating flat disks that often cause keels or masts to fall off on Sydney to Hobart’s.  It was nosing about, munching on jellies no doubt, when we came close by.  It wasn’t fussed and kept on about its business, huge dorsal fin bobbing about in our wake long after we had left.  The next exciting thing was doing 9.8kts through the Cape Cod Canal.  Talk about a roller coaster ride – we had, at fastest & with a strong current, been doing 6.6kts along the coast!  Wahooeeeee!

Zipping along Cape Cod Canal

All this speed meant we reached Woods Hole in time to hear the Coast Guard announce a small boat alert and more storms.  Great!  We managed to secure a spot deeper into Hadleys than last time, much to the annoyance of a big blue power boat who came in on our tail.  Despite those warnings, we woke in the early morning to a mill pond, the other occupants of which did not appreciate our early (Saturday) morning engine noise and clanking 100 feet of rusty chain.  GS didn’t have to shout rude remarks to a deaf Cap’n as she hauled up the anchor, so at least they were spared that.

Passing Traffic on the Cape Cod Canal

We noticed that the sea water was changing back to a nice tobacco brown shade, the sun was warming and we were back to t-shirts & shorts.  A nice big swell was rolling in courtesy of Hurricane Igor, busy pummelling Bermuda, as we crossed sacred waters (America’s Cup battleground) out of Newport, Rhode Island and said a few quiet Hail Mary’s.  Perhaps one day the competition would come back to planet earth and sailing; money, ego and power, wouldn’t be the important things at stake.

River-side viewing from our cafe on Mystic River

The Motleys set their sights on Mystic Seaport and I think it might be safe to say that we actually did some sailing.  We surfed past Watch Hill into Fishers Island Sound along with a catamaran named “Breaking Wind” imagining their VHF radio conversations with officialdom.  This kept us amused for a good couple of hours until we pulled into Noank Village Boatyard, up a lazy Mystic River.  The Boatyard has the best hot showers!  Let me tell you, there is something special about free-flowing hot water in a generously sized cubicle that is reviving.  That and a nice cold beer set us up.  Just what the doctor ordered!

From: Scituate, MA  Lat/Long: 42 12N  70 43W  Date/Time: 18/9/10: 0620

To: Mystic, CT  Lat/Long: 41 19N  71 58W  Date/Time: 19/9/10: 1635
Time Taken: 113nm (17.5hrs)  Distance (this year): 1191nm (216.5hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 4831nm (915.5hrs)   Fastest Speed: 9.8kts**
Weather: Winds turning SW 10-15kts; Seas 3-5ft; Rhode Island Sound seas 4 -7ft
(**Cape Cod Canal of course!; then back to 6.6kts)

Storm over a Tea Party

We had missed out on visiting Damariscove so headed for the Isle of Shoals instead – our last stop in Maine.  These islands are about 6 miles off Portsmouth and save weary travellers heading inshore when transiting either north or south.  They too are remote and barren although have been in known service to mariners, fair or foul, for well over 400 years.  Captain John Smith chartered these islands in 1614.  (Didn’t that man just get about in his little shallop?).  Rock walls (or causeways) have been shaped to provide scant protection in Gosport Harbor from Atlantic swells and open sea breezes.  We hoped our rocna would hold in kelp beds in a small anchorage off Smuttynose Island we shared with one other boat – a German traveller.  The Americans wouldn’t be silly enough to be out here in this weather…

Catching a ride on Bruce

The weather report for our next destination read like a bad dream – gusts to 35kts, seas to 8 feet.  Damn.  We got up early and left Isle of Shoals (not the best place to be in a storm) at 6.30.  Yes, that’s AM, folks.  Unbelievable, but the early morning calm gave us a great start on our trip south.  Gloucester if it’s really bad, Boston if we have to, Scituate at best or even a little closer to Cape Cod, our favourite, Provincetown.  We made Scituate just as the winds started to get above 20kts and before it started to rain - giving us a little time to explore town.  Scituate (pronounced sit-u-it) is a hospitable little village with a huge supermarket, a coin-op laundry, easy access to a town dock and a great pub (TK O’Malley’s - more Irish).  You know – all those things a salty, weary traveller looks for.

On a mooring at Scituate

Storm predictions worsened and the harbour was full of gossip.  At midnight we were to expect gusts up to 60kts, rain and thunderstorms.  Our ever resourceful Cap’n again prepared our faithful WJ3 for another tussle with nature.  Thankfully we only experienced winds to 34kts – though it sounded worse from our locked-down beds as rain beat against the decks.  To make matters worse, our morning calm was interrupted by an unscheduled thunderstorm that quickly whisked across Massachusetts Bay.  So we spent another rainy day hanging off a SHYC mooring planning a quick get-away to make the right tide (according to Mr Eldridge’s yellow pilot) and a speedy exit through the Cape Cod Canal back into Buzzards Bay.  Seems like we were there only last week – hey, wait a minute!


From: Isle of Shoals, NH  Lat/Long: 42 58N  70 36W  Date/Time: 16/9/10: 0630
To: Scituate, MA  Lat/Long: 42 12N  70 43W  Date/Time: 16/9/10: 1430
Time Taken: 49nm (8hrs)  Distance (this year): 1078nm (199hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 4718nm (898hrs)   Fastest Speed: See Note**
Weather: Winds W 10-15kts G20kts; Seas 3-5ft; Evening Winds S 20-25kts G35; Seas 8-11ft; showers & TSM’s 
(**Motored with haste to beat the oncoming storm. (Ed. We later heard that tornadoes had flattened parts of Brooklyn, NY.)

Lobster Central

Portland is Maine’s largest city and located in Casco Bay, another island, rock ledge, lighthouse and lobster pot filled waterway.  Curiously, one nasty ledge was called Junk of Pork; we’d like to know what that was all about!  As we rounded the marks into Peakes Island, a little out of Portland’s busy harbour, we were greeted by a curious little harbor seal.  We never did see any seal colonies but oh well, you just can’t have it all….

This is why we liked Maine

Portland is a very busy harbour, being the only ice-free (brrrrrrr!!) one in the Bay.  (Did we happen to mention that we were wearing our fleecies, thick sailing jackets, gloves and beanies now?  GS was in her thermals too!  We wanted cold – we got it!)  Still, that didn’t stop us from exploring Portland; on land it was a little warmer.  Bruce took us safely over to DiMillos where we could leave him for $10 a day – cheap babysitting really!  From there we explored the cobbled streets of the old port and took a trolley tour to learn about the city’s heritage, drive passed the home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and visit a working historically listed lighthouse.  Although lobster could be had from the fish markets for $6 a pound (uncooked), we decided over a few brews at Gritty’s (yet another Irish pub) that we would try a curry.  Yes – it was worth it and the naan was melt-in-your-mouth.

We didn’t get to the Museum of Art but, in some ways, it came to us.  Portland supports a thriving College of Art.  We saw more tattoos and piercings per female and more skin heads than you would have expected – that’s art!  Street and shop signage was amazing and sculptures graced every available vacant space.  Portland was trendy, vibrant and compact.  We loved it!  But it was time to hit the road.

Art on the Sidewalk
(and it really is a piece of Berlin's famous Wall) 

From: Portland, ME  Lat/Long: 43 39N  70 12W  Date/Time: 15/9/10: 0830

To: Isle of Shoals, NH  Lat/Long: 42 58N  70 36W  Date/Time: 15/9/10: 1645
Time Taken: 47nm (8.5hrs)  Distance (this year): 1029nm (191hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 4669nm (890hrs)   Fastest Speed: See Note**
Weather: Winds NW 10-15kts G20kts; Seas 3-5ft; overcast; bumpy into the night
(** Did our usual 5-6kts; did a little sailing today too; cutter rig works well)

Ghosting Along

Leaving the delights of Camden far behind, WJ3 turned her nose down Penobscot Bay to our next over-nighter, Tenants Harbor.  We anchored for the night in a cosy Long Cove (with its 12 foot tidal range!!) after negotiating a current filled Muscle Ridge Channel.  Again, we passed any number of tranquil anchorages.  A restored lightkeeper’s house on Southern Island at the entrance to Tenants is home to the current generation of Wyeth’s, famous for painting Maine seascapes and portraiture.

An early start, again!

Plans go astray as always.  Our next stop was to be remote and barren Damariscove Island (Boothbay Harbor region).  Once this island was home to a major trade centre and the earliest permanent European settlement in the New World – it seems hard to believe it when you see it.  Even the Mayflower stopped here in 1620 to trade for food. (“Trust the Europeans”, said the Cap’n, “heard the pilgrims were on their way so headed out and opened up a shop ready for ‘em.”)  Things changed somewhat when in 1676 settlers in Maine fled to outlying islands to escape the Indian Wars.  However, Damariscove was attacked and again in 1689.  The island’s unfortunate owner was killed aboard his sloop and his body later washed ashore.  It is said that a headless Captain Pattishall and his faithful dog still walk the headlands on foggy nights.  Well, we won’t be meeting him because the wind was blowing straight into Damariscove’s harbour.  With some daylight left, we set our sights on Portland and more windjammers.  And ocean liners…

Feeling a bit chilly 

From: Castine, ME  Lat/Long: 44 27N  68 46W  Date/Time: 11/9/10: 1045

To: Portland, ME  Lat/Long: 43 39N  70 12W  Date/Time: 13/9/10: 1720
Time Taken: 111nm (18.5hrs)  Distance (this year): 982nm (182.5hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 4622nm (881.5hrs)   Fastest Speed: 7.4kts (whoo hoo)**
Weather: Winds SE-S-SW 5-10kts; Seas 1-2ft; overcast;
(** Confirmed today there are NO fish in the sea only lobster pots)

Nice Sunsets at Cocktail Hour too!