Sailing Into the Storm With Gail and Phil September 2017 - Part I

This is about our thwarted cruise back in September:

Well here we are on the boat again. We had a great elaborate plan to make it down through the canal down to Cuttyhunk, to Martha's Vineyard and maybe even to Nantucket, but this annoying thing called a hurricane has intervened. 

No not Harvey, that made such a mess of Houston. And not Irma that giant scary storm that devastated the Caribbean and hit Florida but could have been so much worse. No, I'm talking about Jose, the irritating little storm that has been meandering around in the Atlantic for what seems like weeks, twirling around in a circle, heading here, heading there. Now it seems to be slowly making its way northwest. It probably won't hit the east coast, but it might. It may make for a tropical storm, or it might not. It most certainly is going to create some really big seas, and those we must avoid as much as possible.

Our plans keep changing. Plan A, plan B, plan C. Today we just came down to Salem, MA. We loaded the boat, ate lunch at Sea Level, fish tacos for me, Lee and Phil, and a lobster roll for Gail. A small storm blew through so we stopped at the Custom House and took a short tour. Did you know that before the income tax was created in the 19-teens, Custom Houses were the main source of income for the United States government? Did you know that before ships became too large for this harbor, Salem, MA provided 9% of the governments income through Custom House fees? Did you know that Nathaniel Hawthorne once worked as a clerk at the Salem Custom House? Well, now you do. Just think, all the years we have been sailing out of Salem and we have never been in that building before. The House of Seven Gables is right next door to the Marina and we've never been in there either. We're terrible.

Right now the weather for Saturday though Monday looks okay, but Tuesday says "possible tropical storm warnings". We don't want to be far away if that comes to fruition. So we think tomorrow we will sail to Scituate. And then we'll just have to see.

Saturday.

Well our plans have changed again (plan D?). Last night in the middle of the night I lay there worrying. Even in a safe harbor, if the ocean has 9 foot swells, it's going to be very uncomfortable on a boat. There will probably be 3 foot swells in any harbor, and most places will stop running their launches in that sort of weather. Add possible tropical storm winds to the mix and we have realized that we need to go home until this blows over.

I feel bad for our friends. We've planned this vacation with them for a long time and I know they are disappointed. But it's out of our control.

Instead, today we motored over to Marblehead and got ourselves a mooring for the night. Then we went over to Great Misery island and picked up a day mooring. We ate our lunch and then took the dinghy into the island for a hike.

This was really fun. It's one of those things we've been meaning to do for a long time but for whatever reason it never worked out before.

The island is really beautiful, and it has some interesting ruins as well. We discovered more beaches and coves that boaters hang out at on the other sides too. 

On the way back to Marblehead some really pea soup fog socked in. It was bad enough that we turned on the AIS and I stationed myself on the prow of the boat with our fog horn, emiting a loud blast every 2 minutes. We couldn't see a thing. 

As we drew closer to Marblehead we could hear other fog horns from other boats. Suddenly there we were right in the middle of a race! What a strange thing! I know racers can be pretty hard core but this seemed ridiculous, and dangerous too. I mean they couldn't even see their marks! We skirted around the activity and before too long we were on our mooring. 

Plans for tomorrow are up in the air as well. We can safely stay out until Monday, but don't want to range too far away. We'd like to go to Manchester-by-the-Sea but the yacht club is not sure they'll have any moorings available since everyone is staying close to home. Once again we'll just have to wait and see.

The one positive note is that the marine forecast is moderating just a little. So although the tropical storm warnings are still there, and the intense seas as well, they seem to think they will diminish rapidly. So we'll cross our finger that by next Friday it will be safe to venture out once more.

Sunday.

We wake to the most amazing fog. Marblehead is just totally socked in.  So we take our time. There's nowhere to go and nothing to do anyway. I go ashore with Lee, Phil and the dogs. I take a shower and then we go to a nearby coffee shop for breakfast sandwiches and muffins and coffee. We go back to the boat and go down to the pump out station, get pumped out and load up on water. Still very foggy. Finally we head out of Marblehead Harbor and start to head back to Salem. There are no moorings to be had at Manchester-by-the-Sea. As we get close to Winter island suddenly the fog lifts and it's bright and sunny. There is even a bit of a breeze. Maybe we can at least go for a little sail? But no. There is still fog over by the islands and Marblehead. We wait to see if it will lift, but instead it starts to sock back in. Oh well!

So, now we're home, waiting it out. It just depends how long Jose takes to pass us, and how high the wave height gets, and how quickly it diminishes. We're hoping we can get back out on Friday and cruise for 5 days. The forecast changes day by day. What happens next is anybody's guess.

Monday - Wednesday 

Well we're not on the boat. Monday our friends went to Boston, walked the Freedom Trail. Tuesday we hung out, making pies and applesauce. Today a movie (Dunkirk, very good!) and trip to Arlington to get sushi from Torero. We're making the best of it. Friday is out, seas are still forecast to be 8-9 feet. Now Saturday isn't looking good either, still 5-6 feet. Right now Sunday is 2-3 feet. 

New England Summer 2015

We've had a busy summer so far, nothing momentous, just lots of activities, one after another it seems. Writing is a discipline and I have been undisciplined in the extreme. I have let myself give way to the mañana principle; I will start writing again tomorrow, next week, the week after that, and on and on. The writing doesn't get done, and every day it seems it gets harder to start again.

But here I am, on the boat, of course, which seems to be the only way nowadays that I can experience a bit of enforced idleness. We are doing a couple of short sailing days, yesterday to Marblehead and today to Manchester-by-the-sea. I was marveling to Lee that only a few years ago going to Marblehead seemed like quite an adventure and now it seems like no big deal, just around the corner from our mooring in Salem Harbor.

One thing that makes a huge difference is all the work Lee has done on the boat to make it more comfortable, and to improve the engine. The boat goes a lot faster under power now, and it's quieter too. And I have a push button toilet! No more pumping, thank God.

Life is not all sailboats and sunshine, we've done things too. This is the summer we are exploring New England. No big European vacation is happening this year, instead we are visiting beautiful places right in our own backyard.

So far I've taken Lee to see the Lupines in Sugar Hill, we've gone to Portsmouth for our Anniversary, we've sailed to Boston with Daniel, and Scituate and Boston with Joanne. I've taken a class on native shrubs at Garden in the Woods, run a half marathon in Boston, ridden a limo to the North End and celebrated Paula's birthday. We've entertained visitors and had a party of own. My garden looks wonderful and I'm contemplating what to do with the front edge of our property along the road. And in between all of these events I've continued to run, take care of the dogs, exercise, stretch and roll my aging muscles. 

No wonder I seem to have trouble finding time for all my hobbies! Not only have I been neglecting my writing, but my camera doesn't get used as much as I might like, my embroidery gathers dust, my plant knowledge gets rusty. And worst of all, I fret. I get unhappy that all the things on my todo list don't get done in a timely matter, that instead of accomplishing things after dinner is over I sit on the couch and binge-watch Big Bang Theory.

But OH WELL! It's summer in New England! It's hard to get upset about much of anything for very long. The days are warm but seldom hot. The nights are cool enough to require a sweatshirt occasionally. There are cheap lobsters, oysters and clams to eat, I can still get lettuce out of my garden in July, my flowers are simply breathtaking. Overall I’m pretty darn content nowadays. Things my not be perfect but then nothing ever is. I'd much rather have too much to do than be bored. I'm sure I'll catch up on my todo list, someday!

Summer's End

I know its still summer in New England. In fact, although it has not been very hot lately, it has been very, very humid, which is unusual here. In Missouri I hardly noticed the humidity although it is a very humid place in the summer. I guess that's because I had been around it all my life. Heat, humidity, they went hand in hand.  In Hong Kong the humidity would slam you in the face when you went outdoors at almost any time of the year. You couldn't NOT be aware of it, and in fact you ignored it at your peril.The lack of a dehumidifier in one's apartment meant musty smelling clothes and purses and shoes with mold growing on their leather surfaces.

But its unusual for it to be so humid in New England. I feel like your typical mid-westerner, muttering "its not the heat, its the humidity" and wearing shorts and tank tops in 70 degree weather.

But the weatherman says cooler weather is on the way with lows dropping into the 40s later this week. The trees and other plants seems to know it. Although I wouldn't say the leaves are turning just yet, here and there a bit of yellow can be seen.

And the goldenrod! I love Goldenrod. I leave it growing wild along the edges of my flower beds, and it holds a prominent spot in the new meadow garden.

Although there are still plenty of flowers blooming, the most interesting thing to me right now are the late summer berries. I forget that they are also part of the garden show, and then they surprise me. Oh yeah! Thats right; flowers lead to fruit, to nuts, and on it goes.

Last week my amazing mother in law was visiting, and while she was here we spent a day in Portland, Maine. One store had these great sculptures made out of metal scraps. They had such personality! I think I need one to place somewhere along the path I intend to create in the meadow garden, don't you?

We also took her sailing. We spent a night in Marblehead, and this time the weather cooperated and we were able to go back to the park overlooking the water. Harper and Cosmo were very cooperative, and let me take pictures of them with Marblehead Harbor in the background. What good dogs!

Fourth of July Sailing Celebration

I'm sitting at the computer in our New Hampshire house on a late July afternoon, listening to the rain pattering down outside the window, with even a bit of thunder distantly rumbling thrown in. It's a typical rainy summer day in New Hampshire, with highs in the 70's and lows in the 60's. Its kind of nice, but its nothing like the summers I remember in Missouri growing up.

Summers in Missouri are, for the most part, hot and steamy. I can remember them before the advent of air conditioning, when summer evenings could be too hot to sleep, even with the doors to the back porch flung wide open, and my grandmother's exhaust fan going full blast. And a thunderstorm meant flashing lightning, violent winds, and pouring rain, not this gentle dribble we're getting today.

But over the Fourth of July we had invited our kids to come sailing with us. They usually visit over Christmas, which although fun, doesn't give us a chance to show off New England's glorious summer weather. So we enticed them with a promise of blissful sailing on the cool ocean breezes, and they bit.

Sarah and Erik decided to spend the first couple of days of their vacation in the city, taking in a Red Sox game. A couple of days before they were due to arrive, we received an email from Erik, subject matter "Top Secret". He told us he was planning on proposing to Sarah while they were in Boston, and we were ordered to say nothing until the deed was done. Lee was down working on some last minute fixes on the boat, so I had nobody to talk to except the dogs. I proceeded to jump up and down madly in the kitchen for a minute or so, uninhibitedly shouting "YES YES YES" before I calmly responded to Erik's note. There was no-one to tell and nothing to do except keep the secret as best I could.

The day before the Fourth we picked Daniel up at the airport. As we were waiting for his plane to land I received a phone call from Sarah. "Do you know why I'm calling mom? " Sarah said smilingly. "I think so!" I replied. So, we have an engagement, and its pretty darn exciting. The sailing trip turned into a 4 day celebration for all concerned.

 

We spent the afternoon and the evening of the
Fourth on the boat with Daniel. I had been doing some reading about the best way to get good pictures of fireworks. I wouldn't have an ideal situation, on a rocking boat without a tripod, but I would do the best I could. The best advice I found was to use a flash, and to take lots of shots, so that some of them would get the fireworks in full "bloom", so that's what I did. Some of them came out pretty good in spite of my limitations. But that's the trouble with learning more about photography. I know my pictures could have
been so much better, if my technique was more advanced. There's a lot to learn about photography, and my aging brain is having a hard time taking it all in.

On the fifth, Sarah and Erik took the ferry from Boston to Salem, Mass, where our boat is located. It was a beautiful, clear, sunny, HOT day. It was really, really hot for New England, with highs in the 90's every day on the boat. We stayed hydrated, and tried to stay in the shade. It cooled off a bit at night, but this weather was not what we had expected when we were bragging about New England in the summertime.

Out on the water, however, it was pretty nice. We repeated parts of our trip with Gail and Phil
from last fall, enjoying all the improved features on the boat. The electronics are new this year, the sails have been cleaned, the mast painted, and the rigging replaced. There are still things that need to be done, but its very nice having a good GPS and a depth sounder that really works.

One afternoon we went into Gloucester,  searching for fish for dinner. It was incredibly hot, and I started worrying about the dogs burning their feet on the sidewalk. I finally decided it was better to take them back to the park when our dinghy was docked. Along the way a nice business had put out a bowl of water for passing dogs. Both dogs drank deeply, and then Cosmo stepped right into the bowl with his front feet! Realizing that he couldn't get his back feet in as well, he proceeded to splash water all over the adjacent sidewalk and then laid down in the puddle he had just created. Sometimes we think Cossy isn't that bright, but this was absolutely brilliant doggie thinking!

Back at the boat, Sarah and Daniel had had enough of the heat. The ocean in New England is not normally swimmable, in my opinion, unless you are a native. The average temperature is about 60 degrees, way too cold unless you are wearing a wetsuit. But when it is 95 degrees and the sun is beating down, 60 degree water can feel pretty good. Only Sarah and Daniel got in the water in Gloucester, but by the next day in Marblehead we were all in there with them. I stayed in for awhile too and it felt absolutely great.

The last afternoon in Marblehead, I took the dogs for a walk in a nearby park. I had it in my head to take a picture in the same spot as I had taken a picture of Harper last year, but while we were there a brief thunderstorm blew through. We took shelter under a wisteria vine. Wisteria is beautiful, but it is very massive and heavy. I'd like to have one but it would need a more sturdy structure than anything I have in the yard right now. Maybe someday...

Sailing the North Shore

Our friends Gail and Phil were planning a visit to New England, so we invited them to do a little cruising with us in our boat. This would be our first time over-nighting on it, and we knew we had a lot to learn. But we've gone on many vacations with Phil and Gain, including our first trip to the BVI, over 15 years ago, and we knew we traveled well together.

 The first day all we did was drive to Salem, MA, where the boat is moored. We needed to fill the water tanks and hose it off, so we took our time and got there around lunch time. After cleaning and loading the boat, we relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and evening, and spent the night on the boat in Salem Harbor.

 Now I'm not crazy about sleeping on a boat. It's really a form of glorified camping, unless you're a millionaire with a fancy yacht, which we are not. Lee has outfitted out boat with new mattresses, custom sheets (for the oddly shaped berths to be found on every boat), and darling comforters and quilts with a nautical theme. So the beds are pretty comfortable.

 But boats toilets are a drag, especially for women like me with bladders the size of a pea. To flush a boat toilet you must pump. Pump 8-10 times to flush with water, 3-4 times to drain the water, and then a couple more to fill it back up. And no toilet paper can go in the tank either, so a nasty plastic bags must hang somewhere nearby. Sigh.

 Our boat has a nice shower, but so far we have avoided using it, by staying at marinas that have their own shower facilities. I'm sure eventually we will anchor someplace where it will be very nice to have that shower, but probably not until next year.

 Lee has a long list of things on our boat that he wants to fix or improve this winter and one of those things are the instruments. The gps works, but the depth and speed meters are dead. We can see the depths on the gps and on the chart, but it still would be very nice to have a depth meter. And although we do have a working radar on this trip, we realized when we turned it on for the first time that we don't know how to read it very well yet.

 The next morning we took our time getting underway. Later this turned out to be a mistake, but for the morning it was fine. I needed to go for a run, and found a lovely park along the shore that was perfect for a 50 minute outing. Willow Park. Yes, it was full of Willows too! I expect I will go running there again.

 Then we needed to go to Beverly and fill up on diesel. Beverly is also in Salem harbor, just a little farther north. It didn't take that long to fill up, but then we needed to get out of Salem Harbor and head south toward Boston. Because of our lack of a depth meter we we're being overly cautious, so we stuck to the deep main channel, taking us well out of our way before we could finally turn south.

 On top of that, once we turned south we were heading right into the wind. We tried to tack for awhile but eventually gave up and turned on the motor. But even with the motor we only made about 4 knots. It took a long time to get to Boston the afternoon.

 Along the way, we saw freighters and a cruise ship leaving Boston Harbor. We gave them a wide berth, of course, but passed close by one of the cruise ship's tug boats as it was heading back to Boston. They were leaning over their bow, looking at something in the water. " A humpback!" one of them yelled. Wow, a humpback whale. We didn't want to get too close, however. This humpback didn't look that big, but still. Humpback whales could easily be the size of our boat!

 It was also really interesting to come into Boston Harbor this way. We sailed with the Boston Sailing Center for a couple of years before we bought this boat, but never sailed this far outside the harbor. We could see the city of Boston for many miles before we even began to enter the Harbor. It seemed like a very elusive goal, always glimmering off in the distance.

 The sun was falling lower and lower in the sky. Would we make it into the harbor before dark? We certainly hoped so. In the daylight we felt very comfortable in Boston Harbor, but at night it turned into a maze of thousands of confusing, twinkling lights.

 We made it to our slip for the night at 6:55 pm, just as the sun was setting. A good thing too. The Yacht Club where we intended to stay closed at 7pm. We made it just in time.

 The marina where we stayed had great facilities. A locked slip, clean, comfortable showers. We freshened up and then it was off to the North End and Neptune's Oyster. We were not surprised to find that at this late hour on a Thursday we had an hour and a half wait, but I'd been hungry for hours, so we sat at a bar across the street from Neptune and had a few drinks and appetizers.

 At Neptune everyone but me had their amazing lobster rolls, but I had the cioppino. It was all delicious, but it was very late by the time we finally fell into bed.

 We woke to a beautiful morning in a sea of giant yachts. Gail struck up a conversation with a worker on the largest one, which rents for $175,000 a week! Four jet skis, a fishing boat, a three story inflatable slide, two Wolfe Stoves, and a crew of ten, all of this for a boat that sleeps ten. Who does this sort of thing besides Donald Trump?

 Breakfast at Anthony's diner, then out of the harbor at a reasonable hour. We could sail downwind, in a mild breeze. Beautiful weather, a much shorter sail and we found a mooring ball at Marblehead without too much trouble. Marblehead is a darling picaresque seaside town, pretty but pricey, with lots of beemers and Alfa Romeos. And good ice cream too.

 The only downside to the night at Marblehead was the holding tank on our boat that decided to become full that day. During the night Gail and I had to bare our bottoms to the moon...it took a little upper body strength, but we survived. The next day on the way to Gloucester we took a slight detour to the 3 mile line and solved our problem out there.

 Gloucester is an old fishing town north of Salem with a complicated harbor. Right fork then left fork, with the entrance to a canal thrown in for good measure. We stayed on a city mooring ball. This was fine, but no facilities came with it, so no showers unless we use the shower on the boat. This would be okay if it wasn't chilly and the water tank was cleaner. We decided to wait. We could be stinky sailors for once!

 It was fun to walk around Gloucester and eat great fish in a seaside restaurant. In the morning Lee and I took the dinghy in so I could run and Lee and Harper could go for a walk. Harper made friends with another Westie while I was running. Wouldn't you know it, it was another one of Diane's puppies! We sailed back to Salem and that was the end of our first cruise in our new boat. Lee and I took down the sails for the year. In the next couple of weeks he will be working on the boat, and soon enough it will be hauled out for the winter. We both learned a lot about the boat on this trip. Lee has a long, long list of things he would like to get for the boat, and improve on it too. That boat is going to keep him busy for quite a while to come. As for me, well Harper and I (and soon Cosmo too) are just along for the ride!

Photo by Gail Ludwig...thanks Gail!