Catching up and Getting ready for the BIG Trip

The concert was great! Such a beautiful setting and such a fun way to enjoy classical music.  Billy Joel was in the audience, and one of their encores was a "spoof" on one of his songs, "My Baby Grand".

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A storm passed us by to the north - and I couldn't resist taking this picture of our view from the mooring.  Remember the days of jumping off the rock?  Robert would sit there for hours.  David had to snorkel many times to find lost rings and watches.

Tink and I supervised while Bob, Mariah and David tried to figure out why the roller furl isn't working properly.  That's a brand new sail - it not only looks new but it sounds new!

 We spent Saturday in Brenton Cove, Robert came down on the bus to join us, Perrin came over on Oldport Launch, Tink was on Valhalla, and Mariah and Bob arrived on Spray.  Swimming, sunning, sipping and then a great supper.  We all went back to moorings/docks in the main harbor mostly because we were afraid the impending very still night would bring out the mosquitoes in Brenton Cove, although the harbor master put a damper on the party by informing us that we can no longer raft more than 2 boats to the mooring.

Remember the days of many, many boats on the mooring, enjoying the sun and the water and the company on Saturdays or Sundays?  Well, I guess those days have ended.  My political comment is this - we have come to a time when ordinances/laws have to be  created because people don't always exercise proper and or moral judgment.  We never rafted overnight if the weather forecast was not good.  We never left our boats unattended.  Those are the reasons the harbor master told us we had to break up the raft.

Back in Fall River, dockside we met up with our G-dock friends.  As a matter of fact - they left Montauk at 8:00am and passed us (we left Newport at 9:00am) around Prudence Island on the way back to Borden Light.  We had to hurry though, get the car back from Newport, pick up some stuffies for the family gathering at Nancy's and then pick up Rob in Warren.  The family gathering was fun.  Hadn't seen my cousins in a long, long time.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we did laundry (a day long escapade on Monday) cleaned the boat, planned our trip to Maine and then began provisioning the boat for the trip.

Thursday,the tide was with us down the Sakonnet, only about a 8-10 knot breeze, so we motored all the way to Cuttyhunk to find Jane and Mike anchored near our favorite spot.  They joined us for a steak dinner.  Tonite - scallops from Captain Bruce.

I really do love this place!

We will stay here Friday and head to Onset on Saturday so we can get an early (6:00am) start through the Cape Cod Canal on Sunday.  We figure the trip (130+ miles) should take about 22 hours at an average speed of 6 knots.  that would get us there early Monday morning.

We pulled out the jack lines and the harnesses.  Made sure all the clips worked and reviewed how to latch on etc.  We will wear them all night - both of us.  Our watch plan is 2 hours on the helm, 2 hours off.  We won't go below except to pee or get food or warmer clothes.

Not the most flattering picture of David, but these are inflatable harnesses.  If we fall overboard we just pull the string and it should inflate.  The blue line hanging down is attached to the Jack Lines on the boat and can be easily disconnected if necessary.

The blue lines on either side of the boat run from bow to stern and we can clip on if we go forward on the boat for any reason.

We have plenty of blankets and warm clothes and the cockpit can be completely enclosed if we need to stay warm.  It should be a good sail.  The weather looks promising.  Last time we did this we had to motor from 6:00am to 5:00pm before the wind filled in at about 12 knots from the south.  The seas were calm and we were able to sail wing on wing (without a pole) all night.  We saw the moon rise and set, watched the cruise ships headed to and from Canada go by, and crossed tacks with another boat all night.  We met them the following morning in Tenants Harbor.  We are still unsure as to our actual landing place. We liked Tenants Harbor, and would like to return there, but there were so many lobster pots, we're almost afraid we would have trouble getting through them this time with a bigger boat.  But we'll see how we make out time wise and how we feel on Monday morning.The alternative landing harbor is Port Clyde.

Sunday is David's birthday - 62 he will be.  What a way to celebrate with an overnight sail to Maine.

We miss our sailing friends, Pat and Dick White (their 36' Catalina is on the market) and we miss meeting up with Marge and George (they are very busy with their boat business). We miss our kids and our grandkids - wish they could be aboard Obsession with us to enjoy this beautiful summer.

It's July 22 already?

Wow - I noticed that it's been 10 days since I last blogged.  So, where have we been?
W - July 13 - Newport
Th - July 14 -  to Block Island
F - July 15 - BI
Sa - July 16 - BI
Su - July 17 - BI
M - July 18 - BI
Tu - July 19 - BI
W - July 20 - to Newport
Th - July 21 - Newport
F - July 22 - Newport

Obviously - not very far, but we have had some interesting days and nights.

We spent Wednesday July 13 being real tourists in Newport.  We wandered in and around the shops, I took a bus to Walmart and Stop and Shop while David puttered around on the boat to get things ready for our trip to Block Island where we would meet up with our friends from G-Dock at Borden Light.  You have to understand - they are all power boaters, and we have slowly become an accepted part of the group.  After all, we all do have something in common - a love for the water.

That night there was a spectacular thunderstorm in Newport - it was short lived - but torrential downpour (thanks for rain - it helps clean the topsides of the boat), black clouds and of course - a rainbow!

Thursday morning we left the mooring at 9:05am with a stiff breeze from the NE and the tide going out at least a knot or so.  We literally flew out Narragansett Bay.  With a reefed main we were soon cruising at 8 knots.  The seas were about 2-3 feet and seemed to grow as we passed Point Judith.  The skies were a clear, bright blue, and we were happy as clams.

The auto pilot had a tough time keeping us on course, so David and I took turns steering.  But the trip was (I think) the shortest on record for us.  We were anchored just off Breezy Point in New Harbor by 12:30pm!!  Such a beautiful day.  Lunch and relaxing in our favorite anchoring spot, dinner aboard, and a tour in the dink later in the evening.  We saw some of our friends from G-Dock, but most arrived on Friday.

Friday was a gorgeous, calm day.  Perfect for our power boat friends.  Some of them left at 6:00am and were on their moorings or dockside by 9:00am.  We visited for a bit, before they headed off to Dinghy Beach.  We spent the afternoon on the boat - We aren't the most avid beach goers.  But later that evening at The Oar we heard how great the waves were, and how much fun everyone had at the beach we decided to join them there on Saturday.

We decided to spend the $40.00 for a mooring for Saturday night to be  closer to everyone and the action (party at Payne's) Saturday night.  Woody (Hard Cover) was put in charge of watching for a mooring for us from his flying bridge.  We got the call about 9am, upped anchor, but someone else beat him to it.  So we decided to raft with Jamie and Keri (Our Time) and watch from their flying bridge.  We had at least 2 false alarms, but finally something opened up and we were then officially part of the group.  We all headed off to dinghy beach later in the morning, enjoyed the waves, the sun, the people (but not the sand).  Most definitely, though, this is a beautiful beach - looking out over Rhode Island Sound, it has to be one of the most picturesque beaches on the east coast.

Party time at Payne's - it has changed a lot since the days of the Memorial Day and Columbus Day races from NYC.  G-Dock was the best represented from the Marina.  We are a great party group.  No one parties better on a DOCK than G-Dockers! We know how to do it right!  And the party continued back on Hard Cover playing a game called Fact or Crap.  I haven't laughed so much in such a long time.

Sunday I offered to take "the girls" ashore to shop in town while "the boys" ventured over to Coast Guard Beach to watch the boats coming into and leaving New Harbor.  The girls added to the economy of Block Island - with a lunch at Ballard's.  The boys - well, they didn't add to the economy, but they came back a few more shades darker with a healthy appetite for beer and a late lunch/early dinner at The Oar.

We stayed on the mooring another day since the harbor master didn't come to collect - even when David waved him over a couple of times.  But he caught up with us later on Monday when we decided to stay another day because the winds picked up to about 25 knots, and there was a threat of thunderstorms.

David and went to Old Harbor Monday, had a lunch at Finn's, and made some inquiries and tentative plans for Mom and Dad's visit to the Island on Tuesday.

Tuesday - Mom and Dad's big vacation on Block Island.  

Their ferry ride was a beautiful one - it was a gorgeous, sunny day, perfect for a ferry ride "to the Block."  We took a taxi tour while Tink went to the library to work.  Learned a few new things about the Island (that Manissees is an Indian Tribe - not just the name of a restaurant)

and ended up at The Oar for lunch.  Tink met us there.  It's a gorgeous view of New Harbor from the upper deck.

Wednesday - we headed back to Newport.  It was so foggy in the morning that we just took our time, and didn't head out until late morning.  There was no wind, confused seas, HHH and as I put on Facebook, probably the most miserable sail/motor we've had all summer.  Finally in Newport, on our mooring and a late lunch before we borrowed Morgan's car to make a trip to Fall River to collect mail, prescriptions and do a little provisioning.  We brought back our own car, so we could do more errands on Thursday, and have our own transportation to the concert at the Breakers on Friday night.  Thanks to our good friend Mariah for lending us a parking pass.  Obligatory things to do in Newport before we head back to Fall River for a few days - spend a day and night in Brenton Cove, breakfast at Handy's, lunch at the Black Pearl, trip to the library, dinghy tour around the harbor.  So far all we've accomplished is breakfast at Handy's.

Looking forward to the concert tonite - Igudesman and Joo "A Little Nightmare Music".  Even bought a sundress to wear since it's so hot!  Tomorrow "The Cove" and Sunday back to Fall River for a few days to get the radar working again, and clean the boat, do laundry etc. before we head off on our August adventure - Maine.

Two lovely days of sailing

Sunday, after posting my blog and drinking several cups of coffee at the Market Cafe in Vineyard Haven we headed back to the boat and within 15 minutes we were underway for Cuttyhunk.  This time down the Vineyard Sound with the tide with us.  Once we rounded West Chop the wind settled in from the SSE and we proceeded to head down the Sound.  It meant tacking a few times, but with the tide with us and a nice comfortable 12-15 knot breeze we were making about 6 knots most of the way.  The water was a bright blue,  the wind turned the tips of the tiny waves a sunny silvery color.  The sound seemed to be shimmering under the blue sky.  The beaches along both shorelines - The Elizabeth Islands and Martha's Vineyard looked inviting, but to us, not as inviting as the beautiful sail we were about to have.  Nothing eventful - just a leisurely sail, each time we tacked we tried to make it a smoother tack - but the first one proved to be the best.  We sailed straight through Quick's Hole - the tide starting to push against us, but with a freshening breeze as we came to the Buzzards Bay side we made it all the way to Cuttyhunk on one tack.  We passed Mike and Jane heading to Quisset for ice (all it does is MELT).  No problem finding a place to anchor and we settled in for the afternoon and evening.  There was a fleet of Catalinas from The Cape and points north on moorings in the harbor.  They all met for cocktails on the beach - and we kiddingly told each other we should join their party, but decided otherwise.  On our evening dinghy ride around the harbor we chatted with a few of them - mostly on 32 and 35 foot Catalinas.

Sunday it was again so foggy in Cuttyhunk that I didn't think we'd be able to leave.  But Kelly Bates on Channel 10 news assured us that the fog would burn off by late morning.  So we decided to head to the beach to look for sea glass and more rocks.  David said he could make a water fountain with a fish tank bubbler and we saw a design with some rocks that gave us the inspiration.  We are also collecting rocks from Cuttyhunk to make a doormat for our condo.  The best beach for our collecting faces Buzzards Bay, and by 11:00 the fog had burned off nicely.  We were back to the boat and underway by 11:30am and sailing another beautiful sail on a southerly breeze of about 12 -15 knots headed for Newport.  Usually this sail is on the nose, and if you're lucky you might be able to do it in one tack - well, we weren't even close-hauled and again, the tide was with us.  Close to the Sakonnet River the wind picked up to about 15-20 knots.  Obsession says,"YES!"  This is her wind.  She settled in on a port tack, the rail not buried, heeling just enough.  Closer to Newport we had to alter course about 90 degrees for the Fish Traps (thought they were supposed to be hauled after June 30) so we sailed very close to the reef, into Newport where we were greeted with 6 twelve meters starting a race off Rose Island.

The sail into Newport was just as beautiful as the rest of the day's sail - so much so, that we didn't start the engine until we were almost to Fort Adams.  Our mooring was ready and waiting for us (so nice not to have to call and reserve like most of the people we hear on the radio).  We had hot water for showers! and relaxed as we listed to people trying to secure or find moorings in the harbor.  By 5:00pm Oldport didn't have a single mooring available.  The wind really picked up - too windy to cook on the grill, so we headed into to Christie's for a burger and a walk downtown.  On our trip back to the boat the sunset was just beautiful setting behind the Providence.  David and I talked a little about our experience on board her a few summers ago.  I suppose for some people it doesn't sound like fun, but we signed on to be the sailing chaperones for two weeks with at risk 8th and 9th graders from Middletown.  We had some great days - a memorable "man overboard" and two overnights sleeping under the stars in Potters' Cove in Jamestown.  I remember one student telling me the evening of the sleep over, "This is beautiful Mrs. Roehr.  It's so peaceful. I've never seen the stars so bright."  Worth it!!!

Woke up to thunder, lightning, heavy rain and strong winds about 4:00am - all hatches closed and we just rolled over until it was all over.  This morning - sunny and warm.  Going to be a very warm day here in Newport.  Thinking that it's a day for errands in air-conditioned stores.

I'm at 41North typing this blog.  It's a 5 star resort, on the waterfront in Newport where Christie's used to be.  It is absolutely elegant - very expensive.  We do it the cheap way - become members so we can tie up our dinghy at their beautiful dock, enjoy their relaxing and beautiful lounge and an occasional lunch. (Dinners are much too expensive).  They have nice showers, and we can sit and relax in comfortable chairs/couches, use the internet.  Last summer we had an offer for a free night in the hotel portion of 41 North.  We used that option the night after coming home from our 3 week trip down Long Island and the Connecticut shoreline, ending with a stop in Block Island.  Christen, Rob and Baleigh joined us in Block Island for a fun-filled day.  The day after it poured rain and blew like stink so we motored back to Newport - Baleigh got seasick, I held her most of the way home wrapped in a white sailboat blanket.  We arrived in Newport, wet, salty, bedraggled and tired.  We were a little embarrassed checking in, but we promised the desk clerk that "we clean up good".  The room was luxurious - a bed that you actually sank into it was so soft - a fireplace - with burning rocks! - a shower with water jets not just from above but from the sides as well.  Fluffy white terrycloth bathrobes (good thing - I forgot my jammies!!)  We enjoyed that night so much.  And a note from the concierge, "Hope you enjoy your stay and get a chance to dry out."

Newport is no longer our home - it's become one of our destinations.  It's hard sometimes to think about taking the bus to the store when we're here - but we do it without a second thought in the Vineyard or anywhere else.  We have the advantage of having been Newporters and have our favorite places to visit, and we know our way around, but it's a different place for us now.  We are tourists here now.

Our next destination is Block Island for a weekend with our friends from G-Dock at Borden Light.  We are looking forward to spending some time with them away from the dock.  It should be fun.  The weather looks to be good for the weekend.  Keeping our fingers crossed.  Then a trip to Watch Hill - I want one of the Swan ice cream puff sundaes - before heading back to Newport July 22 for a Music Festival Concert at the Breakers.  Then to Borden Light in Fall River for hair appointments and a family cook-out on the 24th.  That will be the half-way mark of the summer since we both have to be back to school before Labor Day this year.

Pictures!

Entrance to Cuttyhunk at an unusually high tide.  As kids Christen and Robert "planted" a lobster pot that was dragged into the inner harbor by a large sailboat.  We enjoyed lobsters for dinner that night and a few more weekends to come that summer.

This is the "Lagoon Pond Bascule Bridge" that we had to ask the Laggon Pond Bridge Tender to open for us to enter the Lagoon in Vineyard Haven to meet up with Tink, Kenny and Rosa.  There was only about 4 feet on either side of us as we went through - had to stay to the left so our mast wouldn't hit the bridge that doesn't open competely vertical.  On a later visit the bridge wasn't working.  Our friend, Steve Myrick tells us this is a 13 million dollar "Temporary" bridge!!!!

Cuttyhunk Parade - 4th of July.  All the golfcarts in town are decorated for the holiday.  Many of the riders throw candy - the parade takes all of 5 minutes so they run the route twice.  The finale is the fire truck spewing water, making everyone shout with glee and run the other way.  No pictures of that - didn't want to get my iphone wet!!!!

Mariah and Bob's boat - "Spray".  Bob is hard at work hauling the anchor.  They were Rob's ride home on July 5.

I'm no photographer, but if I do say so myself, this is a great picture of the bluffs.  I love the different colors and shading.  Maybe this is what my first Torn Paper Painting will be?!

Gay Head Lighthouse.  Again - I love my iPhone.  It takes great pictures.  We don't get out here very often, but when we do, I can't help but marvel at the beautiful panoramic view.

View from the bus ride to Edgartown.  Looking out of Nantucket Sound.  Where JAWS was filmed.  I never really realized how long and beautiful this beach is.  We never came to the beach - sand - UGH.  But the other day it was crowded.  Colorful umbrellas and colorful bathing suits!!!

Rob, David and me - all dressed up in blue and white (what happened to the red?) for the 4th in Cuttyhunk.

Pictures!

Thursday July 7 - Sunday July 10

Well, another 4 days and we haven't traveled very far - only to Vineyard Haven on Thursday.  We had to motor, no wind.  But that gave us plenty of hot water to do dishes and shower after a swim once we got to Vineyard Haven.  The trip was pretty uneventful - up Buzzards Bay again, the tide with us allowing us to travel at 7 knots, tide with us through "The Hole" and then right into the harbor to our favorite spot to anchor.  On the way here I called a French Restaurant in Edgartown and made reservations for dinner.  We got all spiffied up in our best, and headed in.  On the way we stopped and chatted with Frank Di Risso (a former work colleague of my mom's) and his wife Barbara on their Fortier 33 "Patience" which was on a mooring in the main harbor.  Dinner was delicious - but VERY VERY pricey.  Soft shell crab, oysters on the half shell, fresh baked halibut and filet mignon.  It felt good to not be eating off of paper plates, and sitting in a nice restaurant with white table cloths and be waited on.  We wandered a bit around Edgartown before heading back to Vineyard Haven - the shops have changed, but Edgartown is still the prettiest and cleanest tourist town going.  Flowers blooming everywhere, the store fronts are filled with brightly colored and inviting window displays, and the atmosphere is one of fun and relaxation.  We made a promise to return for a morning of window shopping later during our stay.

Highlights of the rest of our stay included a trip to GayHead (Aquinnah) and the beautiful panoramic views of Vineyard Sound,  the window shopping trip to Edgartown (Spent NO money) and the Vineyard Haven Street Fair.  Of course none of this would be possible without plenty of seafood - clam cakes, fish and chips, lobster salad rolls etc.  I really feel like I've been on vacation these few days.  I haven't cooked much aboard - David has even treated for breakfast out 2 of the 3 days.  I realized yesterday that that's what makes our summer vacations so affordable - we can visit Edgartown, Nantucket, Vineyard Haven, Hyannis, Long Island, Watch Hill, Block Island, because our home is also our means of transportation (or vice versa) and we tend not to do a lot of eating out and expensive shopping excursions.  I watch the people who come here on vacation, rushing here and there - to the beach, off on fishing trips, sightseeing tours and the like.  They seem frazzled, trying to get it all in in just 10 days and we have the whole summer to do it!!!  Are we lucky or what?

Today we will sail back to Cuttyhunk.  We hope to meet up with Mike and Jane once more - maybe have a cook-out on the beach.

But before I close I need to share a sad story.  Many years ago, about 20 at least, David, Christen, Robert and I met a couple on board their Pearson 26, "Snappy Lede".  Steve and Susan Myrick, and their daughter Becky became instant friends, we tied up along side them in our C&C 29, enjoyed many good times together and met up for at least 2 or 3 summers after.  Susan was pregnant with Allie, a second daughter when we met them that first summer.

David and I have seen a  larger version of "Snappy Lede" and t/t "Snappy Lede" several times in the last few years here in Vineyard Haven but never Steve or Susan.  Last night we finally caught up with Steve on board with his cat "Joe".  He and Joe live aboard "Snappy Lede" in the summer, he is working here in the Vineyard for the Gazette.  He and Susan are divorced, their daughter Becky has graduated from University of Michigan (I can only picture her as a cute, blond-haired 4 year old).  Their daughter Allie was murdered a few years ago by an abusive boyfriend.  I never knew Allie, but the grief and sadness is there on Steve's face and in his eyes.  I cannot imagine the pain and sorrow.  Steve said he and Becky and her boyfriend may come to Newport in August.  I hope we can meet up with them.

  We have traveled these waters for over 20 years, returning to some of the same places time after time.  I watched Rob when he was with us earlier this month - I could see the longing for times past - the beach, the dinghy with the 2 hp engine that didn't have reverse, the Mad Martha's ice-cream cones, the many trips to the old (less clean) Steamship Authority, the A&P, The Bunch of Grapes Bookstore, the Black Dog, the Carousel, The Navigator (It's now called the Atlantic), and many more places I'm sure.  We also look for our friends and acquaintances like Steve and Susan, the family from Cataumet that we tied up to (Mom, you remember them - you and I were alone with Christen and Robert that time), the harbormaster, even the people we never really met but seemed to travel to the same places at the same time as us.  We often recognized their boats, waved and quietly considered them our "friends".  We can't re-live those times again, but we can remember them fondly.  We will continue to  re-visit - as these are our favorite haunts, and we will meet new friends.  We will visit new places and find new experiences.  Our summer vacations on board "Obsession" were and are and will always be special.

David is downloading all my pictures from my iPhone to my Dell (wanna be Apple) computer so the next time I blog it will be a picture blog.

Heading back to Cuttyhunk later today - hope we have some wind and hope the tide will take us down the Vineyard Sound instead of Buzzards Bay again.

July 6, 2011

So, it's been a couple of days since I last "reported" about our travels.  Maybe that's because we haven't traveled anywhere!  We are still in Cuttyhunk.  Yes, still.  We stayed here through the 4th - enjoyed a parade of golf carts all decorated for the holiday, with a fire truck spewing water at the end.  The parade route passed through t the 5 corners twice - so as to make it last 10 minutes instead of the 5 it would have taken otherwise.  Everyone was in high spirits, the day was on the cool side, so we had lunch at Bart's cart, "The best burger in town." (The only burger in town) then went back to the boat for more practice at relaxing and reading and napping.  Rob took the dinghy into the dock to get ice - somehow the engine refused to run for him, he tried to row (can't row a rubber dink no way - no how) and broke the oar and oar lock so had to be towed back to the boat.  He DID get the ice however.  Mission accomplished!  Cocktails and a late dinner aboard with Bob, Mariah and Cutter - we have given use of the space aft of the wheel.  It's known as "Cutterland".  He is getting better about staying there while we enjoy Bob and Mariah's company.

Tuesday after Rob headed back to Newport with Bob and Mariah we postponed our trip to Vineyard Haven because it was such a beautiful day.  After all, we're on vacation - no need to rush off.  So, Tuesday, we did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING except read, nap, sudoku, crossword puzzles, Angry Birds, oh - I forgot we did some laundry, hung up the flags again to dry and washed down the cockpit.  Tough jobs, I know, but someone has to do them!

We'd just woken up from an afternoon's nap when what to our wondering eyes should appear, but JAMIKON - Mike and Jane O'Neil.  So, of course, an evening of catching up - Mike is still undergoing treatments - they are getting more frequent and more debilitating, but he and Jane managed to get their boat in pristine shape again this winter, and are hoping to get out a few times this summer between treatments.  He looks good - he and Jane are truly an inspiration.

Wednesday - yes it's Wednesday already.  And we fully intended to head to VH today.  BUT it's so foggy at times we can't even see the Ferry Dock.  The list of things we need is getting longer, both sinks are full of dishes, and I wouldn't  mind a shower and a shampoo, but we can boil water to wash dishes, use the sun shower to bathe, and stay another night.  Captain Bruce always has lobsters!!!!!

My questions for today.
1.  Are we contributing to the Cuttyhunk economy?  We anchor (don't pay for dockage or a mooring), we have a solar panel and a wind generator (don't need to run the engine to keep the computer, iPhone, Nook, and TV and stereo working) use a sun shower for hot water, bring most of our food (except fish, lobsters and raw bar, an occasional burger at Bart's and a $4.50 ice cream cone), have cookouts on the beach using firewood gathered from the shore.
2.   Does Cuttyhunk have an economy?

Then there's the couple in the 20 foot Glacier Bay run-about  anchored behind us 2 nights ago.  They have 2 kayaks, left them here all day yesterday to go off snorkeling, came back about 8:00 last night, slept out in the open boat under the stars (and ensuing dampness) to head off this morning to do some more snorkeling. There is no galley, maybe a porta potty, no sleeping arrangements that we could see other than the cockpit of the boat ,and they seemed as happy as clams (of which they probably dug for dinner while snorkeling) as they set off on a new adventure.

So, our adventure for today. Beach combing for sea glass.  I think I'm up to that!

July 3, 2011

Another beautiful day in the neighborhood.  We were joined in Cuttyhunk by our friends on Kestrel (Cleve and daughter Lilly), Fat Bottom Girls (Brianna, Morgan, Jeremy) and then a surprise arrival of Valhalla (Tink, Rosa and Keny) as the day progressed.  Of course, not much to do here in Cuttyhunk, just enjoy the beautiful weather, the beaches, the water, the view, the peace and quiet.  We got a few "household chores" done - sorting out old cleaning stuff, and reorganizing the icebox to add more ice.  David managed to find another chore, but to him a joy, of helping Mariah and Bob work on getting their roller furl jib to unfurl.  Problem still not solved - but they'll work on it more today.  The cookout was, as usual, enjoyable.  After a few mishaps with lighters (why is it they work in the gas ovens and stoves, but not at the campfire) fire was started, and we enjoyed wings and hotdogs and smores.  Two questions:  Why do they pack hotdogs in packages of 10, and rolls in packages of 8?  Our answer - so Cutter can have the extra hotdogs!!!  And question #2 - Why is is that there are always leftover marshmallows and leftover graham crackers but NEVER any leftover Hershey's Chocolate bars?   Answer - ROSA!

I hope to be able to download a picture or two of the campfire.  Just learning how to navigate this site as I write the blog.

Today - more of the same.  I had hoped to circumnavigate the island in the dink, but here it is, 7:00am and NOONE - not David, not Rob, not Mariah, not Bob are up.  So it will have to wait for another day.  By the way, the corkboard bulletin board has been removed - oh dear.  How will we find out what's going on in Cuttyhunk?  I'm sure they will replace it with something.  Stay tuned.

June 29, 2011 - July 1,. 2011 Fall River, Vineyard Haven, Cuttyhunk Island

We were all ready to leave by 10:00am with our son Robert aboard and set off down the Sakonnet River hoping to get to Vineyard Haven before the end of the day to meet up with my brother-in-law, Tink, neice Rosa, and nephew Kenny.  The wind hadn't quite settled in, so we motored down the river, but by the time we reached 3rd beach we were able to pull out the jenny.  With the tide with us, and a nice 10-12 knot breeze on our stern quarter, we skipped along at about 6-7 knots, right up through Buzzards Bay to Woods Hole.  There, too, the current was with us, and we flew through "The Hole".  Once on the Vineyard Sound side, the wind freshened, the tide STILL with us, we hit 8.5 and 8.9 knots making a beeline for Vineyard Haven.  We got there just in time to catch the Lagoon Pond Bridge Tender, and slid through the bascule opening to meet with the Tysors for cocktails and dinner.  Unlike the last time we were in the Lagoon, it was calm and peaceful, no power boats racing in and out, no water skiiers leaving wakes to rock the boat. We spent a peaceful night in the Lagoon, waking up to a gorgeous sunrise.

The wind generator has been producing enough power for us to use the computer, keep the refrigeration running, watching TV (I know we're on a boat, but I do like to watch the news) and even watch a movie the other night (after all, Rob is aboard) all the while keeping the charge in the "green".  In facebook terms - "Like".

We spent the next day in the Vineyard, Black Dog for breakfast, picking up some fresh fish at the Net Result for dinner, and purchasing fudge for my Dad's birthday, July 5.  Robert will take it home with him and deliver it in person.

July 1 - Friday we left Vineyard Haven about 9:30am, passed through Woods Hole, with the tide against us a bit this time, and then back down Buzzards Bay to Cuttyhunk.  No wind, so we had to motor.  Arrived in Cuttyhunk just in time for lunch and an afternoon of watching boats arrive and scramble for moorings and anchor space for the busy weekend ahead.

Missing Mike and Jane  - JAMIKON, Cleve and Lilly, (Can't remember the name of their boat) and FAT BOTTOM GIRLS.  Maybe they'll arrive on Saturday.

Mariah and Bob and dog Cutter arrived mid-afternoon, anchored next to us, and we will spend a good part of this weekend with them.  Looking forward to the famed Cuttyhunk 4th of July parade, a cookout on the beach, and a trip around Cuttyhunk Island in the dinks some early morning.  T

The weather is looking good for the weekend, so I'm sure we'll be using the hammock alot, swimming off the boat alot, and walking the beach looking for seaglass, shells and Cuttyhunk rocks.

The sailing summer of 2011 started off iffy with not so good weather the whole month of June. We moved aboard June 1 and since we were dockside we met new dock friends. John and Yvette, Pam and Mike, and got to know our old dockmates better.