Random Photos

Attached are a few random photos which we have not yet posted and we still have not figured out how to get a gallery on the page.  Hope you enjoy.

Beautiful White Islands

Castine and Dulcinea

The Lobster Restaurant outside Rockland

View from anchorage in Pulpit Harbour

Sunset in Pulpit Harbour

Lobster floats on water - this is what we have to navigate through

Sam doing what he does best

Calley copying Sam - but with a glove!

Fog lifting in Penobscot bay enroute to Castine

LObster Fishermen in Seal Cove

You know you have made it when ........you have your own summer house in Maine, jetty, mini Sydney Harbour bridge, yacht, fishing boat and runabout

Seal Cove to Castine

Woke up this morning and went on deck to one of those beautiful crisp clear days which you only get outside the tropics.  The sky is a clear, clear blue, there is a faint breeze blowing and at this time in the morning there is a slight chill in the air but its warming up quickly in the bright morning sun.  We are moored off a small village/town at the top of Penobscot bay called Castine.  Castine sits at the mouth of the Bagaduce River.  There is a small waterfront with a number of wooden jetties running out from the buildings set on a sloping foreshore.  Across the river estuary are wooded hills forming numerous small coves and headlands.  It is very peaceful and quiet apart from the everyday town sounds, seagulls cries and the water lapping around the boat.  Every hour the town church bell rings out to let us know that the hour has changed.

We moved here yesterday after leaving Vinyl Haven island.  We had spent the last five days poking around various bays in Vinal Haven and basically trying to stay away from other people and any towns.  Its been really enjoyable and we have managed to get some schooling done - up to Lesson 10!  The way we do school is that Nic is teaching Calley and Scott is teaching Sam.  Nic and Calley disappear into the main cabin or go on deck and Scott and Sam sit in the salon at the dining table.  For Sam there seems to be a lot of work.  We have managed to compress the teaching part of a lesson into 4 or 5 hours but then he has to do work on his own which for him takes a few more hours.  Not sure if he is slow or I am giving him too much work.  For Calley the lesson is about the same time but then she has nowhere near the amount of homework as Sam.

Seal Cove at low tide

Our last couple of nights were spent at Seal Cove on the West side of Vinal Haven.  On the last day we went ashore to the beaches exposed at low tide.  The tide ranges about 3m here so apart from presenting navigation challenges it also changes dramatically between low and high tide.  The exposed beaches were a mixture of soft sand and mud so not exactly tropical island beaches but buried in the mud partly exposed we found mussels.  We dug up a bag full and returned to the boat to cook them up for dinner - always tastes better when you have gathered them yourself.

The Final product

The mussel hunters

Its lucky we found the mussels because the fishing is not happening at the moment.  At the start of the trip North, Sam was having some luck and was catching some small fish but since we have been up here he has not caught anything.  Cannot be the equipment as we have four rods and every conceivable lure onboard so suppose the operator needs to refine his skills.  We have also tried trawling a couple of times when we have been moving without any luck.  Am sure its only a matter of time.

We relocated from Seal Cove to Castine on Tuesday (28th Aug).  The weather in the morning was overcast and showery and we received a forecast for deteriorating weather.  With that, it was decided to move to Castine to moor near a town so that if the weather was bad there would be options.  We set off with little wind and so started motoring up the bay.  Almost as soon as we set off the fog closed in.  Maine is renowned for its fog and we had been dreading trying to sail in it.  The fog here descends quickly and is extremely thick.  It can hang around even if there is some wind.  To top it off it, was also raining and the noise the rain made on the bimini (cover over the cockpit) made it hard to hear anything.  Luckily we have radar onboard and this was the first real test of the equipment which worked extremely well highlighting a couple of lobster boats early.  Unfortunately it could not identify the lobster pots ad we managed to run over one.  There was a cavitating sound from the prop and then bits of plastic were spat out the back.  Luckily no damage was done.  Since we have been here we have heard two distress radio calls to the Coast Guard about boats with lobster pot rigging tangled up in their propellors making them disabled and drifting close to shore.

The fog lifted after about an hour and we continued to motor into Castine and pick up a mooring off the town.  The river flows past the waterfront with a fair current and so all the cruising guides recommend mooring rather than anchoring however there are some gorgeous protected bays across the estuary.  Castine is a beautiful little place.  Its supposedly one of the oldest continually inhabited towns in the US having been founded in the 1600’s by a Frenchman.  Thereafter is it had a similar history to a number of towns around here with the French and British fighting over it before the US got independence, even then there was further fighting.  The earthworks from the forts can still be seen around the town.  The main claim to fame these days it seems is as a centre for a state marine training school complete with a huge training vessel called “State of Maine” and a complement of cadets who you can seen on the dockside in ranks or running while singing the way US troops do.

Dulcinea moored at the end of Main Street - Castine

We had picked up a mooring owned by a local boatyard called Eatons and so after securing everything went ashore to the yard.  There is a small quayside and pier and a large wooden boatshed.  The pier and sheds are old, old , old.  Not too sure of actual age but the grey weathered wood looks easily 100 years old.  When we went inside the shed it was stuffed full of boating equipment and paraphenalia from the floor to the rafters.  As we were paying for the mooring, Sam was taking our garbage from the dingy to the bins and enroute he stopped to watch a man stuffing herring into bait bags for lobster pots.  The man was called Ken and he was the owner of the yard.  He was a older guy (I guess around 65) with a happy face and white beard and looked as if he had been around the boatyard and/or the sea all his life.  Before Sam knew it Ken had asked if Sam wanted to go out lobstering with him.  So after a quick bite of lunch we waved off Sam, Ken and a Jack Russell called Dobbin in a lobster boat (which was 75 years old).  It was to be a short trip just around some pots in the river estuary.

Sam with one of his catches

Sam and Ken inspect the haul

Scott, Nic and Calley wandered around part of town and got connected to the internet to catch up on the more mundane tasks.

Needless to say we ate lobster that night.  Sam had a great trip with Ken and he was given four lobster to take home for his efforts.  I have said this before but we are continually amazed at how generous and hospitable the people around here are.  

A few words on the boat.  Dulcinea is really doing well so far although there are a few things that still need to be looked at.  We are thinking of carrying out some more work in Newport when we haul the boat to get the keel looked at.  The main items are some further work tidying up the electrical system, finish servicing the deck rigging gear, check the refrigeration thermostats and look at the the sewage piping with a view to replacing.

We will move from here tomorrow with a view to being in Rockland for Saturday (1st Sept) to pick up Peter and Claire.  This will also be Nic’s birthday  - our first birthday onboard.

Close Call - A cushion, a ledge and three lobsters

Close Call - A cushion, a ledge and three lobsters

We stayed in Rockland for two days in the end.  First day was a work day i.e. Sam and Scott washed and cleaned the boat while Calley and Nic went ashore to get the laundry done.  The washing machine onboard is operational now but we only really use it when essential.  Otherwise its easier to store it all up and do the laundry in one go when we get ashore.

After that Sam and Nic made a provisioning trip to the nearby Supermarket then we were free.  We took off towards the Owls Head Transportation museum which is just out of town.  The place is amazing with a stunning collection of planes, trains and automobiles.  It was a real eye opener for the kids to see tri-planes, penny farthings, model T’s etc together with modern cars.  On the day we visitied they were getting ready for an auction and we could wander around all the lots for sale.  Amazing what you can buy over here.

After the museum we pushed on to a Lobster restaurant which had been recommended to us by the harbourmaster in Rockland.  It was located about 5 miles from the museum on a little cove and consisted of a small wooden building with tables and chairs outside along the edge of a pebble beach.  The lookout was over a peaceful bay with small islands studded here and there.  A small wooden jetty butted into the water and acted as a store for lobster pots, floats and lines.  We went up to order our meals and had a chat with the girls behind the counter.  It pretty soon became apparent that what the harbourmaster neglected to tell us was that it was a BYO place and the nearest store was about 2 miles away.  It must have been our shattered expressions that did it because after we had ordered our lobster dinners and sat down, the lobster fisherman who I assume owns the place  came over and handed us a bottle of Moosehead beer.  Very very tasty.  Must say that this is typical of the generosity and kindness which has been shown to us our whole trip here.

The connection between Maine and lobster is pretty well known but the extent of the industry is incredible.  When we are sailing around here one of the main hazards to the boat is lobster pot floats and lines.  They are everywhere and have a habit of getting tangled in the props or rudders of unwary boats.  The surface is literally littered with these bobbing floats; all about the same size but all different colours.  You need to stay alert especially if you are motoring and pick your course through them.  Everyone in Newport warned us about the floats but you cannot imagine the extent until you see them.  Also out are the lobster boats which weave and spin constantly hauling pots and resetting them with packs of gulls wheeling overhead waiting to dive in for discarded bait.  With all these lobster traps they obviously land lots and lots of lobster and it is a major part of the economy.  This is evident when you are ashore and looking around and every house seems to have a few pots and floats stored in the yard.

Anyway back to our dinner - we savoured our single beer and then moved onto other tasty beverages like coke and iced tea while we waited for the lobster.  The lobster arrived steaming on cardboard plates and everyone dived in.  Before you knew it there was shell and juice exploding everywhere as we all started cracking open the shells.  Calley needed a bit of a hand after she started whacking the lobster with the cracker but eventually she got the hang of it.  We left around sunset and headed back to the boat.

The next day (Thursday 23rd) we got up early and left the boat by 0700 to get into town and catch up on internet stuff.  We had breakfast, a good coffee and then wandered back to the boat.  On the way back we saw that the fog had rolled in.  This is another aspect which Maine is known for.  It rolls in pretty thick and again is a real hazard of you are on the water.  We had heard all about it but not yet experienced it.  Once we saw it though we knew we would not be leaving until it cleared. 

On the way back to the boat we stopped in at a marine supply store (for some reason you cannot visit these places with out leaving at least a couple of hundred dollars poorer) and picked up a couple of items including a spare fog horn.  Then we found a small market had set up near the landing which we used so we had a look around and bought some food.

Finally around 1300 with a last radio call to thank the harbourmaster we made our way out of Rockland.  A sea breeze was blowing so we hoisted sail and headed for the Southern end of Vinyl Haven Island to some small islands (big and little White Island).  It was only about an hour away given the 8 or 9 knots we were doing with a reefed main and the genoa flying.  

Unfortunately in our exhilaration of the sail none of us noticed one of the helm station seat cushions flying off the boat.  We had just been talking about the need to secure these cushions.  We did try and find it but that was impossible.  We made the White Islands late afternoon and motored into the small bay between the islands.  The anchorage was tight for Dulcinea and there was already one boat moored.  I thought to stay in the deep water and move in front of the other vessel.  We passed the vessel with plenty of water under the keel and then started a slow turn to come around to our intended anchorage spot and to see the extent of the deep water.  Suddenly there was a loud bang and a jarring of the boat - we had struck a submerged ledge.  We backed up and were lucky not to get the dingy painter wrapped around the prop in the confusion.  Sam and Calley were below - Sam rushed up to ask what was going on while Calley slept through it.

We moved out to a deeper spot, dropped the anchor and sat down to get our composure.  We quickly checked the bilges to ensure there was no water ingress or cracks and all seemed to be dry.  Next Scott and Sam went into the water to look at any damage to the keel.  The water was freezing - think Scottish summer - and the visibility not that great.  It was that cold that it was hard to hold your breath.  A look at the keel showed that we had struck near the bottom of the keel and had lost a piece of the fibreglass faring which covers the lead keel about 8 inches square.  Do not think it is a major although we will have to come out of the water in Newport to get it repaired.

While Scott was rushing around trying to assess any damage a nearby lobster boat came over to make sure we were OK.  After chatting with Nic and the kids for a bit he gave us three fresh lobster.  Not sure if that was to console us.

Someone once told me that there are two types of sailors - those that have run aground and those that are going to run aground.  Well it appears I have joined the former.  This was a real wake up call.  We need to be extremely careful with this boat given its size and draft and as always err on the side of caution.  Luckily about the only thing I did right was move very slowly so the impact force was minimised.  I had been building up a lot of confidence in handling the boat but now need to reassess.  We are looking at this as positive event which highlights what we need to be aware of in future.  Certainly when we are in the Pacific with less reliable charts and no immediate assistance we need to be a lot more switched on.

The anchorage was very picturesque with islands on three sides, a narrow entrance channel and the open waters of Penobscot Bay to the west across a sand bar which only showed at low tide.  We cooked the lobsters, brought up the food we had bought at the market earlier in the day and cracked open a bottle of white wine.  Great end to a less than perfect day but one in which some very useful lessons have been learned and the skipper reminded that he has a lot still to learn.

Into Maine

Had some problems with comms recently hence the delay in the postings.  Think this will continue while we are cruising Maine but will try and post updates as regularly as possible with photos.

Lewia Cove - Linekin Bay

Head of the Cove

Walking to Boothbay Harbour 

Lobster Shack

So to update on our travels - After a couple of days at Linekin Bay we pushed on into Penobscot Bay and into an anchorage in a place called Pulpit Harbour on the Island of North Haven.  We motored for most of the way as there was very little wind - although we did try.  I am forming a general rule that if we cannot make at least 3 or 4 knots then the engine comes on.  This may detract from the general “sailing around the world” idea but at least we will make it in the two year timetable.  Our friend Skip was already at Pulpit with “Angel” and he had recommended it as a good place to stop for a few days.

Skip was introduced to us by Heather in Newport.  He is a professional skipper and has been for many years.  He now runs big boats for owners who have the hardware but not the time to either maintain them or sail them full time.  Skip is extremely knowledgeable about problems with yachts and as such is extremely interesting and a wealth of knowledge for us.  He is a real genuine guy and the kids think he is great fun.  When we had a problem with the sewage system onboard Dulcinea during the first few days Skip was more than happy to muck in, so to speak - thats when I knew he was alright.  Currently he is running a boat called Angel based out of Newport.  It is a beautiful black 85ft sloop.  He brought it up to Pulpit harbour for the owner who holidays at the island for a few days a year and likes to have the boat close by if he wants to go for a sail.  

We motored into Pulpit which is a spectacular anchorage.  Narrow entrance which you cannot see until you are on it and which has a rock island in the middle which you need to miss.  Once inside the anchorage opens up and there are small coves to the left and right and deep water everywhere.  There are three or four wooden jetties poking into the water from private dwellings on the hills hiding in the trees.  The harbour is protected from just about all sides so it is very popular with yachts but there are also a few lobster boats working from the harbour.  

There were already quite a few yachts anchored and even though its a decent sized anchorage we managed to anchor too close to a neighboring boat and had to relocate.  Must admit this anchoring business takes a bit of getting used to.  We understand it all and it all makes sense on paper - you enter your anchorage, calculate the chain scope based on water depth, consider swings circles and then find a suitable spot clear of other vessels.....simple.  However after you have settled down the next thing you find is that the tide has changed or the wind shifted and now for some reason you are lying at 90 deg to everybody else and dangerously close to your neighbour who is giving you worried looks and starting to rig fenders.  The generally accepted rule is that he who anchored last shifts first.  So in this instance we relocated further out into a bit of space.  We were the furthest boat out but had plenty of space.  I think the herding instinct comes into play in anchoring - everyone crowds into the same areas in an anchorage without really thinking too much about it.  

It turned out to be a good spot as we could observe a family of Osprey.  The small rock island which guards the entrance to Pulpit Harbour is home to a huge Osprey nest which they say has been there for 150 years.  Given the size of the nest and the permancy of the construction it is certainly believable.  Each evening the ospreys would leave the nest and soar over the water looking for fish.  We could sit out on deck and watch them flying around the bay.  We never saw an actual catch but saw them returning to their nest with fish grasped in their talons.

We spent two or three days moored in Pulpit trying to catch up with the schoolwork.  Up to lesson 5  now- really slaying it.  The schooling is getting easier but still takes a lot of time.  I must now apologise profusely to all my teachers including my mother who taught us for a while.  This teaching gig requires infinite amounts of patience and we are only dealing with one child each.  But its good - I think we are getting as much out it as the kids - This week I learned what the “predicate” of a sentence is,  about the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs and how Dr Cindy Friedman from the CDC tackled a salmonella outbreak in Colorado.  Generally it was a relaxing few days and we only got off the boat to visit Skip and have a trip to the one shop on this side of the island.  

On Monday (20th Aug) Skip left to sail back to Newport and the next day we motored about 9 miles across the bay to a place called Rockland.  The weather continues to be fine and the days are beautiful sunshine.  We motored past some outlying islands to spot some seals enroute.

Rockland is the biggest town in the area and the best stop to provision up before we go cruising the area.  We arrived early afternoon and went ashore as soon as possible.  When we come into established towns we generally find a mooring to pick up - its easier, you are closer in and it takes most of the worrying out of the anchoring process.  Once ashore we checked in with the harbour master who as always was extremely friendly and informative.  Once we get some baisc information its off exploring.  The first things we generally have to hit are coffee for Scott and Nic, toy store or Ice Cream for the kids.  Rockland is not like the tourist  spots we have been seeing.  Its a working town and has a fifties feel to it.  We found some ice cream at this funky kiosk where there was a real record 

player playing a real record - our kids had never seen a record player with a vinyl record playing!!!  

Dulcinea at Lewis Cove

General plan is to spend two days here - shopping, washing cleaning the boat and maybe a few sightseeing things and then off into the islands.

Maine

Note:  Following post is slightly late as have been out of internet range.  This is up to approx 17th Aug - no photos I am afraid as internet too slow.  WIll update with another in next 24 hrs

Left the Isles of Shoales on Thursday and headed North.  We intended to make a stop 30 to 40miles up the coast to visit with some Harvard friends but mix up in comms meant we decided to push through towards the Maine coast within striking distance of our final destination which is Penobscot Bay area.

We started out in 5 to 10 knts of wind and were making 5kts but the wind started to die and we debated whether to switch on the engine.  Our cut off is around the 3 knots mark - any slower than that and the engine comes on.  As Skip once told us the most important piece of equipment on a sailboat is an engine - couldn’t agree more.  However the wind came on and began to build.  soon it was blowing 15 to 20kts and we put in a reef in the main and switched the Genoa for the staysail.  (Apologies for the tech speak but someone will get it).  We carried that sail for the rest of the day with winds gusting to 25kts making 8 to 9kts boat speed.  It was a fantastic sail.  Both Nic and Sam managed to stand their first watch on their own - all be it not quite the required 4hrs.  We were tracking parallel to the the coast approximately 10 miles off for most of the day and as after midday the promising start gave way to rain squalls which turned into a steady downpour.

Our chosen anchorage was Lewis Cove in Linekin Bay near a well known town of Boothbay Harbour.  We closed on the coast around 6pm in pouring rain but with the wind relenting.  The coastline is a magnificent jumble of islands, bays and headlands with plenty of water in between.  It is reminiscent of the West Coast of Scotland and even more so with the rain and grey skies.  The land is hilly but not mountainous but it all seems to be covered with forests which come right down to the waters edge.  Where there are no trees there are big rocks showing.  As we sailed into the bay porpoises surfaced nearby.  First one and then a a few more.  This kids were so excited to see them. 

We carried on into the bay sailing between islands and up into the chosen cove to anchor.  Just as we decided to anchor the wind picked up just to test us.  The anchor went down with 20m of chain in water about 7m deep but would not hold.  We recovered and tried to reset but again the anchor refused to hold.  We were in the middle of trying for a third time, with the light fading and wondering what the next course of action would be when Nic managed to speak to a resort nearby which had a couple of permanent moorings for rent.  We picked one of those and hastily tied up just as darkness was settling in.

It had been a long day and everyone was cold and tired so we fired up the genset, and all had hot showers and some food and turned in for the night.  I think we all agree that hot showers are another necessity for a boat.

Next morning was perfectly still with clear blue skies.  Coming up on deck the sun is just beginning to warm up the air and dry off the teak decks,  The cove we are in is beautiful and smells of trees.  Around three sides of us are dense forests of many different types of wood studded with what look like holiday houses.  At various points small private wooden piers jut out into the water to provide access to boats or for swimming.  There are a number of boats moored around us - dinghy’s, day sailers, motorboats and working lobster fishing boats.  All around small floats gently bob around marking the location of the lobster pots.  We have become accustomed to these and you need to be ever vigilant when sailing to ensure you do not run over them and foul the propellor.  On the headland just nearby is a small resort building resembling a lodge with cabins clustered around it.  We can watch people going about their holidays at the resort - taking kayaks out, swimming, lounging on the pier or the lawns around the lodge - it reminds us of the “Dirty Dancing” resort. The pictures we have do not really do it justice.

We decide pretty easily that we will spend the day and another night moored here.  Its a school day (lesson 4 - we are really slaying this) so that occupies us for the morning and early afternoon after which time we dinghy into shore and walk to the nearby town of Boothbay Harbour.  We follow roads and a track pointed out by the resort staff over the peninsula and walk through the forests to a long footbridge which takes us across a small estuary and into Boothbay Harbour.  The town like many on the coast is a fishing and tourist port.  Lots of whale watching, chowder restaurants and sightseers.  There are lots of working fishing towns on this coast which is fantastic to see and obviously the lobster industry is huge but the area also has a lot of local arts and crafts.  The town is lovely with quaint shops and buildings that have become very familiar to us.  We had an early dinner then wandered back to the boat for an early night.

We will push on to Penobscot Bay tomorrow.  We have a mixed forecast so are expecting some rain. 

Marblehead and Isles of Shoals

Must apologies there are no pictures this time as we are in a bad reception area.  WIll include in next post.
We left our anchorage at the top of Buzzards Bay early Monday morning in the dark in order to catch the last of the tide through the Cape Cod canal.  It was a quick three miles to the entrance to the canal.  The Cape Cod canal saves a huge distance as you do not need to round Cape Cod.  The canal is about 12 miles long and is a major commercial waterway.  The currents can run up to six knots so it is important to transit at the right time.
We entered the canal at first light and motored through.  It was really strange to be on a canal after the sailing done to date.  The banks are lines with trees and the air is full of the smell of the trees.  Its like sailing through a forest.  In addition, being first thing in the morning there was no one else around, no other vessels on canal and the water was absolutely still.  We motored through the canal making 9 knts with the current and exited the eastern end just as the sun was rising into Cape Cod Bay.  From there it was a straight shot across north to Marblehead where we picked up a Boston Yacht Club mooring in the harbour.

Marblehead is another one of these extraordinary east coast US towns.  It has an old town full of revolutionary era buildings.  The narrow streets wind up from the waters edge.  They are lined with old cottages and colonial buildings most with colourful small flower gardens  out the front.  Most of the houses have plaques showing when the house was built and who for.  Great place to just wander around.  Marblehead has a fantastic natural harbour which is home to an estimated two to three thousand yachts.  The whole harbour is a basically a mooring field.  When we arrived we were lucky to get a mooring although due to the size of Dulcinea we are on the outskirts of the mooring field.
We caught up with Noel Young (Susan's dad) and his wife, Jan, for dinner at the Dolphin Yacht Club. At sunset the gong went off and everyone in the restaurant stood facing the flagpole as the American flag was lowered. Americans make great display of their patriotism.
Tuesday began with a morning of school work and then off to lunch at the Boston Yacht Club with Noel who has lived here for 15 years although is originally from Scotland.  We then began a little walking tour of Marblehead, first visiting the Marble Head Arts Centre, then onto Abbott Hall which houses a painting called the "Spirit of 76" by Archibald M. Willard which is a well known piece epitomising the spirit of American revolution.
After a quick provisioning trip, it was back to the boat where we hosted Noel and Jan for some drinks.  Huge thanks to Noel and Jan for their hospitality, gifts for the kids and the interesting insights into the area and history - (PS Noel,  If you remember the name of that book on the revolution pls forward.)
Departed early the next morning and headed to the Isles of Shoals.  This is a group of tiny islands off Portsmouth in New Hampshire.  Lovely spot and nice quiet anchorage.
Schoolwork is progressing although very slowly.  Sam has completed lesson 3 and Calley lesson 4.  This could be a very long school year.

Post from Calley:  Yesterday we sailed to the Isles of Shoals.  It wasn't very far from Marblehead.  When we got there it was not what I expected and there was a ballgamne on - not TV but a real life ball game.  Isles of Shoals are so fun.  See ya.

Au Revoir Newport

I know you are all probably hanging out to hear how the homeschooling went.  Well, it was a lot easier talking about it in Singapore than doing it.  To start with Nic has taken Calley and Scott has taken Sam.   The first lesson started on Monday but with Sam it was not finished until two days later.  Now it is Sunday evening and Calley has finished lesson 3 and Sam has almost finished it.  Only 149 lessons to go for this academic year...yay.  To be honest part of it is us getting used to the material and part of it is the kids getting used to doing the work.  As ever we are optimistic and are sure it will get easier.  In fact in Block Island we met a couple who had circumnavigated with their kids of a similar age a few years ago and they said that for the first year they just winged.

So as the title suggests we have now started the journey proper although in the opposite direction to Singapore.  We are headed to Penobscott Bay in Maine to spend 4 to 5 weeks cruising.  It is supposed to be extremely beautiful place and similar to Scotland without the accompanying rain.   There are countless islands, bays and quaint towns and anchorages.  First however we have to get there.  This will involve our first real test.  

We will take approx 5 days stopping overnight.  The first leg was completed today - we sailed from Newport early this morning into a brisk southerly and a rolling swell.  Luckily we turned east and managed to have a great sail to an anchorage just North of the Cape Cod canal.  We will transit the canal early tomorrow morning and then overnight North of Boston in a place called Marblehead.  Thereafter its on to the Isle of Shoals, Biddeford Pool, Monhegan Island and then Rockport in Maine.  Weather looks good so we should be OK.  If it blows up we will be spending more time in one of the above towns.

We are trying to find some smart way of incorporating a map into the site to let everyone see where we are going.  For the time being you will have to look it up yourselves.

Last week was spent getting last minute items finished, shopping done, laundry done and having a meal ashore.  Finally got the autopilot working and a few other bits and pieces sorted out.  There are still some niggling problems with the boat but no showstoppers that we know of.   We have said goodbye for the time being to Heather our trusted sailing and boat advisor but as the title suggests we plan to stop off in Newport on the way South at the end of September so will catch up then.

It looks calmer than it was

View to Newport from Anchorage

Newport Bridge from anchorage

Sunset from anchorage

Calleys first post

Today we are setting off to Newport from Block Island.  This is the first sail by ourselves.  It will take three or four hours to get there.  Sailing is the most funnest thing on earth so come and try it out - see ya

Block Island

There was some weather coming through on Sunday night (last night) and so we decided to stay around Block Island for the weekend and into the beginning of the week if necessary.  We have no reason to rush back to Newport as we are waiting on the final parts for the auto-pilot so no point in making it hard for ourselves.

After the weekly clean up on the boat on Saturday we went onto the island to explore.    Block Island is a really interesting place.  It is not that big, around 12km long and 7 km wide, has one main settlement called Old Harbour and is mainly countryside with summer houses studded everywhere.  There are rolling hills of green across most of the islands with cliffs at one end and beaches elsewhere.

Saturday was a reconoitre for the Sunday excursion.  We walked over to the settlement and had lunch at a local hotel overlooking the Atlantic.  The hotel is amazing – its about 150 years old and a real throwback to a Victorian era.  Heather is staying there and told us the rooms are tiny, you have to share a bathroom and there is no aircon and for that you have to pay $180 per night.  The décor inside is all pressed tin and wallpaper.  Its what you would call a character hotel.  

The Surf Hotel

In fact the whole town which is really just two streets, has a Victorian seaside resort type of feel to it.  One good thing about here and the other island we have visited is that there are no big franchises established.

On Sunday we got an early (ish) start and hired bicycles to tour around the island.  Unknown to us the first leg we had chosen was towards the second highest point on the island.  Scott was on a tandem with Calley, and Nic and Sam were on their own.  (All bikes appeared to have been made out of some mysterious metal which is three times the weight of steel).  By the time we reached the high point at the lighthouse we were all wondering if mopeds would not have been the wiser choice.  Two months of inactivity as far as cardio goes was really starting to tell.   

And she wasn't even pedalling

Anyway at the lighthouse we were told it was all downhill fom there and thereafter it became very enjoyable.  We rode around relishing the views of the countryside and stopped off at a beach to cool down.  A bit more riding, lunch and an ice cream and we were ready to hand the bikes back.  Day was finished off with a swim off the boat and then we battened down the hatches for the cold front coming through.

Tour de Block Island

Not Quite the Canondale

Must comment on the Americans we have met so far.  People could not be any friendlier or helpful if they tried.  Just reinforces our opinion that generally the locals are very hospitable folk.   Also must mention Aldo.  Here on the island there is a bakery called Aldo’s (also does bicycles, icecreams, etc) which appears to be a bit of a local institution.  In the morning he jumps in a boat and motors around the anchorage shouting “Andiamo, Andiamo”  to let you know he’s there.  If you want some bread, cheese, pastries etc you hail him over and buy it from him at, I suspect, a significant cost plus.  But its worth the extra expense for the experience.

The bakery

Aldo pulling alongside

Monday Morning – Cold front passed through with some wind and rain only.  Not as bad as it could have been however a potentially more devastating disturbance is on the near horizon – today will be the first homeschooling lesson.  The blog may be off the air for a few days while we tidy up after the first session.

Block Island Sunset

Dingy Parking Jam

It's not all beer and skittles....

We made it across to Block Island yesterday.  Wind was coming from the SW which was exactly the way we wanted to head so not ideal for a sail.  Had a couple of big tacks and then used the engine for the last stretch.  Heather and her daughter Samantha sailed with us.  Its really good having the additional crew.  One more person really makes a difference but we will be sailing back on our own.  Still learning the boat handling skills.  This time when we went to hoist the main we forgot to shorten the dingy tow line and managed to wrap the dingy around the bow.  Lesson learned - shorten dingy rope before setting main.  After all that we did have a great sail making close to 9 knots close hauled when the wind freshened to around 20kts

Samantha and Calley sailing

After approx 5 hrs we made it safely into the salt pond at Block Island.  Lots of boats here since its peak holiday season.  The entry into the salt pond is a narrow channel which has sufficient water for Dulcinea and once through it opens up into a natural harbour.  We are limited to where we can go due to our draft but managed to get a mooring to swing off.  Plan is to stay here for a couple of days at least and then sail back to Newport.

As the post title says its not all beer and skittles and we do have to do the usual everyday mundane things which today involved cleaning the boat.  Luckily we have a couple of more or less able bodied (AB) seamen to assist.  Deal is the boat gets cleaned and then its pay day.

AB Sam

AB Calley

After cleaning we went ashore for a walk around and some lunch.  Island is pretty small and has a real rural feel.  Will post more tomorrow after we do a bicycle around the island.


PS.  In case you do not know you can comment directly on the blog page and we get the messages.  Please feel free to comment as we would love to hear from you all.

Dulcinea at Block Island mooring

Newport Aug 2

So the month is out.  It is just four weeks since Nic and I stepped onboard the boat in the shipyard and it already seems like a lifetime ago.  Its amazing to think how every aspect of our life has changed - even mundane things like shopping and laundry become major events when you have to use a dingy.
This week was meant to be a fix up week where we would tidy up any outstanding loose ends and start the schooling leaving us free to commence cruising north towards Maine next week.  So far schooling hasn't been touched and the loose ends are proving difficult to tie up.  We had three things we really needed to get done:  Get a heading fix for the chart plotter, get the autopilot onboard and working and get the second freezer compressor commissioned.  So far the chartplotter glitch has been fixed, the compressor for the freezer is commissiond and working but the autopilot is another story.  We got the refurbished motor back yesterday but after a test sail, it now seems that the controller for the motor is faulty (this is another bit in the system).  We really need the autopilot for when we start serious cruising as it relieves someone being on the helm for 100% of the time.  Should get a new controller board next week and hopefully be fixed up by midweek.  On the positive side it gives up some more time to look at the kids schooling.
Had a minor scare during the week when the genset shutdown around 7.00pm.  No fuel getting to the injectors.  Thought it was due to blockage, sludge build up in tanks etc- all the nightmare scenarios came to mind of having to rip out the fuel tanks to clean them etc etc so we did the only sensible thing and turned in for the night.  Next morning looked at it with a bit of help from Skip and we figured out it was just out of fuel.  Not as straight forward as it sounds as we have a number of fuel tanks.  Anyway all good now and we have learned how to bleed the fuel system at the same time and the configuration of the fuel tanks and lines - we have four tanks onboard.
So the adventure continues.  Our typical day here so far involves getting up when we are woken by the light streaming into the cabin - generally we do not use alarm clocks anymore.  We then wake up and have coffee/breakfast and get the kids some food.  Then we start doing the jobs onboard which can be actual hitting punch list ltems or going into get provisions or other bits and pieces.  We may also take the boat on a run somewhere to get work done.  Not sure where the time goes but before you know it is 6 or 7 o'clock and time for dinner.  Thought we would be early to bed but the nights are really light (northern summer) so we stay up till 10 or 11 most nights although the kids drift off to bed earlier.  Sam and Calley seem to occupy their time pretty well and both are adjusting to life onboard.  They both still watch a bit too much TV but both try and help out where they can.  Sam is learning to drive the runabout and he should have it sussed pretty soon.  The great thing is that whilst we have an overall schedule we do not run to the clock - we do what we can and then anything else is left until the next day. 
Heading off to a place called Block Island this afternoon which is about 15 miles of the coast.  We will moor up and spend the weekend there.  Suppossed to be really nice and the weather forecast looks good.