Monday, June 12, 2017
FINALLY we managed to leave the mooring and put up both the jib and the main and TURN OFF the smelly, dirty engine! We had a glorious SAIL to Cuttyhunk and anchored in our favorite spot.
The pond was practically empty and we waited for the Raw Bar but found out they were up the bay in Wareham for the weekend.
Oh well, another time. We did venture ashore, nothing was open, so we wandered the streets for a bit then went back to Obsession to enjoy the swans, ducks and egrets. Thunderstorms and scattered showers in the area provided us with spectacular weather photos and rainbows.
We moved on to New Bedford on Sunday, knowing that the sunny, albeit chilly weather was to end later that day. The 1-2 hour sail/motor to New Bedford turned into a Gilligan's adventure with the engine quitting, the wind shifting, a call and a tow into Niemiec Marine by SeaTow. We have sailed together for more than 40 years. This is the 2nd time we have had to be towed by SeaTow on this boat.
New Bedford is a unique place-in time and space. It has such a rich Whaling and Fishing History as well as being a city of mills and factories. The old cobblestone streets ooze of history. The fishing fleet is a huge and picturesque presence and still provides us with some of the freshest fish and seafood around. As I walked the downtown area I could almost feel the presence of those ancient whaling mariners.
If you have never been to New Bedford, please, put it in as a stop on your next trip to Buzzards Bay, or if you're traveling New England by car, spend a day or two here. Dockage rates are decent, there are plenty of moorings available and there is a launch service as well as dinghy dock space.
After two days of mechanics working on the engine and aligning the prop the verdict was:
-Fuel sensor needed to be replaced, a few adjustments to the air-intake and injectors and we were good to go.
We motored all the way home to Newport and the dark smoke seemed to disappear, the engine didn't seem to be laboring as much, and we are thinking we will be able to wear our "sailing pants" more often this summer.
As for the reference to "sailing pants"-with apologies to Jimmy Fallon and Jennifer Lopez, David and I just might have to revive their skit-"Got my tight pants on...". Several years ago I came across a line of Capri pants, lightweight, elastic waist, comfortable and in many colors. I now own at least 10 pair, mostly white and khaki, a black pair and a blue pair. I wear them mostly on the boat-they are loose, comfortable and not at David's "sailing pants" are khaki cargo shorts. Comfortable, with many pockets.
This panoramic photo of us hangs in our forward cabin. It was taken on a trip to Block Island a few years ago by our friend Lori. Not only do we have our "sailing pants" on, but we are sitting in our favorite spots. We are creatures of comfort and habit.
Back in Newport we now have to work on a plumbing issue-the aft head is acting up. Always something to tinker with. We'd like to explore the possibilities of installing an electric head that would use fresh water to flush. I'm assuming that the water in the ICW will have more organisms that will create a more horrible odor than even the salt water we've been using. We shall see.
Elvis came to town one evening-just a quick trip around the harbor. The Chowderfest at Fort Adams not only provided excellent chowder samplings but views of a busy Newport Harbor. Our own Tall Ship, the Oliver Hazard Perry sailed up and down the bay most of the afternoon. A side note-David's school, BP-Tech, won best Red Clam chowder and took second place in the seafood chowder category. They also got my votes!
Meanwhile we enjoy the sights, sounds, tastes of all the harbors we visit. As familiar as they are to us we revel in their beauty, remember and rejoice in their heritage and history. We are also looking forward to making similar memories on our trip south this winter. So many beautiful harbors to visit, so much history.
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