Safe and Sound

Got up this morning to abated winds and only a slightly higher tide than normal which is still below the level of the jetty we are moored to.  Crew is doing well and were not particularly put out by the weather.  Nic’s first comment this morning was “is that it?”  So all in all we are pretty relieved and it seems we have come through unscathed.  Still need to have a good look at the boat but from first impressions it seems to have weathered the storm well.  Many thanks for all the messages that were sent enquiring as to our safety.

Seems we were luckier than some.  There is quite a bit of devastation along the NJ shoreline and in New York due primarily to the flooding and some people have been killed.  Where my brother lives the power is out and there are a few trees down.  We saw maximum gusts around the 55kts to 60 kts range which was probably due to the fact we were on the “good” side of the hurricane.  On the other side (the NY side) the winds would have been much worse given the direction the storm was moving.  There was a three masted sailing ship (replica of the Bounty) which has been sunk off North Carolina with one person dead and one missing.

Yesterday was one of those days which reminded me of rainy days during camping holidays where you zip yourself in and  listen to the wind and rain outside hoping that the tent will not collapse.  We spent the day playing games with the kids, watching a bit of TV, catching up on paperwork (yes we still have some) and getting some schoolwork done.  The kids did really well throughout and remained pretty relaxed through the whole ordeal.  Their main concern is the concentrated period of schoolwork and lack of escape.  Forgot to mention in earlier blogs that we got Sam’s first test results back and they were pretty good.  A couple of subjects need some attention but all in all it was a good effort despite the handicap of their teaching staff.

Today its still pretty cold and dreary so will not do too much apart from tidy up down below, more school and make a start on getting the boat re rigged and all the storm gear put away.  We do have one issue to address.  When we were removing the big genoa the halyard (line that pulls the sail up) messenger line got away and as a result we now do not have a halyard to hoist the sail.  The halyard runs internally in the mast and so as soon as possible someone has to go up to the mast head and try and feed another line down while someone at the bottom “fishes” for the line.  It will be a bit tedious but hopefully not insurmountable.

Planning to head out of Annapolis on Thursday bound for Norfolk where we will hole up for as long as it takes to await a favourable weather window to allow us to make the transit around Cape Hatteras down to Charleston.  This will be the longest sail for us yet (around 400NM) and probably involve three days and two nights at sea.  Both Nic and Scott have concerns regarding the fatigue issues over the multiple night sails but somehow we have to find a way to cope given the passages which we have coming up.

Waiting for Sandy

Have spent the last 24 hrs trying to get ready for the approaching storm both mentally and physically.

Started yesterday by turning the boat in the pen so that the bow would be facing into the forecast weather and getting lines ready.  We had been debating how far to go with preparations but by lunchtime decided to do everything we possibly could to minimise the windage - the area presented to the wind.  

Started by removing the bimini (which is the cover over the cockpit.  Even though it sits horizontal it provides a huge area if the wind gets underneath it.  It is lashed along four sides and is heavy synthetic canvas so was a major effort to remove.  Next big job was to remove the headsails from the roller furling gear on the foredeck.  The first sail we tackled was the big Genoa.  This is a huge, extremely stiff sail which you would normally handle with two or three burly crewmen so for us it was a bit of a challenge but we managed to get it flaked on deck and lashed up.  Luckily the wind was pretty light at that stage.  Nic and Sam did a fantastic job.  The sail is that big that it is just sitting on the foredeck lashed down because it is too big to move aft or to store below.  Next we brought down the staysail which is smaller and more manageable.  This one we tied up and stuffed into the top bunk in Sam’s cabin.  

Dulcinea awaiting Sandy 

Port side - expected weather side

This morning we moved to a different pen with fixed piles on both sides which will be better for us.  Once moved we had to run the various lines out to the piles to secure us.  We currently have 11 mooring lines running from the boat to the dock - 2 bow lines, 3 spring lines, 2 stern lines, a spare bow line, a spare stern line and 2 spare spring lines.  In addition we have some spare lines in the cockpit if needed.  We have lines made up on all the available deck cleats and then three lines made up around the deck winches.  Where possible halyards have been removed and replaced with smaller messenger lines and all the loose gear on deck has been removed.  The dingy has been removed and even that is sitting with a three point mooring off the stern.

Now its a question of waiting.  There are a few other boats tied up and riding out the storm.  Some have left to find shelter elsewhere.  This was not really an option for us given our draft.  Some it looks like are staying on moorings in the inner harbour and I see at least one yacht anchored out.  The latest forecast still has a landfall probably around the Atlantic City area which is about 100 miles away.  Still the following is the forecast for our area

Sunday night - North 25 to 30kts with gusts to 50kts

Monday - North 35 to 45 kts with gusts to 65 kts

Monday night - Northwest 40 to 50kts with gusts to 65 kts

Tuesday - Southwest 30 to 40 kts with gusts to 60 kts

Tuesday night - Southwest 30 to 40 kts becoming 25 to 30 kts after midnight

Then there is the rainfall and the storm surge which will be pushing in.  With our location the storm surge shouldn’t be too bad????

So we have a 48 hr period to get through starting tonight.  Its quite nerve racking waiting for the winds and we are all a bit anxious.  There have been a few 25kt gusts and the boat strains at its lines so not too sure how we will go with the 65kt gusts.  Hoping that the kids especially Calley will not get too scared once the wind starts.  Still we believe we have done all that we can and will have to wait and see how we go.  We will hunker down and try and get some schoolwork done.  There was an option for Nic and the kids to go ashore to a hotel but they have courageously elected to stay onboard.

Calley's fabulous Georgetown Cupcakes birthday cake

Annapolis, Washington and the frankenstorm

We are sitting in Annapolis where we have been for the best part of last week.  The weather forecast shows a huge storm brewing in the Atlantic so we have delayed our departure for a few days.  More of that later.

We arrived in Annapolis last Friday after motoring down from our last anchorage in the Sassafras River.  It was a pretty uneventful journey in calm weather.  We pulled into Annapolis in the evening and anchored just off the town.  We had arranged to meet Scott’s brother Lars and his son Ross and spend the weekend sailing.  As we were anchoring the wind picked up (seems to be a usual scenario now) and kept blowing 20 to 25kts.  Annapolis is a very busy sailing and naval town and there were hundreds of sail boats zipping about as we were trying to maneuver.  Lars and Ross transferred out to the boat from a water taxi and we settled down for the night.  Ross was extremely apprehensive as Uncle Scott had decreed an electronic free weekend.

Calley whooping Lars at Backgammon

Next morning was beautiful warm weather with clear blue skies.  We left Annapolis heading for a secluded anchorage on the other side of the Chesapeake.  Again very little wind and after trying to sail for a while we resorted to the engine eventually pulling into a beautiful bay around 4 o’clock.  By this time the kids were beside themselves without their precious DS’s so we said jokingly that if they swam around the boat they could get 30 minutes of electronic time.  Amazingly they were all in the water in no time.  Calley and Sam are used to swimming off the boat so for them it was no major apart from the cold but Ross did incredibly well getting up his nerve.  When you are in the water looking at the boat the sides look extremely sheer and forboding so he did really well.  The whole episode was pretty funny - its amazing what kids will do for electronic time although further similar deals were met with very little enthusiasm thereafter.

Kids preparing to get 30mins electronic time

Story time with Uncle Lars

Next day was perfect - 10 to 15kts NW, blue skies and warm.  We pulled up the anchor and sailed back to Annapolis with Lars doing a fine job helming for almost the whole way.  Back in Annapolis we parked the boat at the Yacht Basin marina, tied up and went for a beer and bite to eat.  Lars and Ross then departed for New York.  The Dulcinea crew had a busy week lined up visiting the sights in Washington DC.  The plan was to have four days in DC, then celebrate Calley’s birthday on the Friday and then take off further south on Saturday. 

Washington DC is an amazing place.  The first day we walked the National Mall, saw the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial and visited the Capitol Building where we got into both the senate and representatives viewing galleries.  It was awesome.  Washington was a real surprise - the whole centre is comprised of grand 19th century style buildings housing museums, galleries and government departments.  It is certainly a fitting capital for a superpower.  The place is very clean and there are lots of trees in the middle of changing colour.  We cannot recommend Washington highly enough - it’s really a must see at some point in your life.

Lincoln Memorial

As close as we got to the White House

Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill 

We had Wednesday off but apart from that spent the time visiting a few of the museums (which are all free) and looking at some of the other buildings including the Whitehouse.  The number of museums is staggering - the Smithsonian alone has 19 different museums and then there are art galleries, libraries, etc.  On Thursday Nic took us to Georgetown Cupcakes ( some of the ladies may be aware of the TV show) to pickup birthday cakes for Calley.

Georgetown Cupcakes

So here we are now on Friday.  It is Calley’s birthday so she was up pretty early and very excited.  She had a few presents and is spending the day playing with them.  We have cancelled any school today - not because we are nice but because we have a load of other things we need to attend to.  Annapolis is a pretty nice place.  Nic and I visited here last year when we were out scouting for boats but never got a chance to have a look around.

OK we got a bit closer

Yesterday Skip gave us the heads up on hurricane Sandy which was passing over eastern Cuba and the Bahamas.  It is forecast to travel offshore up the eastern coast of the US and then curl NW sometime after Cape Hatteras making a land fall somewhere between the Chesapeake and New England.  The problem with this storm as Skip explained is that there is also a trough over the US at the moment which will combine with Sandy and produce a very wide storm front so no matter where it goes the affected area will be huge - hence the media title of Frankenstorm.  Given this information we have delayed a departure until Tuesday or Wednesday at the earliest.  The current forecast is showing maximum winds in our area of 65kts expected on Tuesday so we are all a bit apprehensive.  We are in a pretty good location but having never experienced this its pretty daunting.  We will be taking as many precautions as we can but in the end after clearing the decks and doubling up on the dock lines it will be a case of just waiting to see what happens. We are very  appreciative of Skip who is sending us regular updates and its good to have him to talk to about it.

Frankenstorm - We are located just at the end of the dotted line!

Into the Chesapeake

Arrived at the head of the Chesapeake Bay yesterday afternoon after a big sail overnight on Tuesday.  We left Sandy Hook around midday after a very rocky night and gusts of up to 30kts.  In hindsight the anchorage chosen wasn’t the best position for the forecast weather but we were confident we could ride it out with our ground tackle without doing any damage and it was close to the channel out to the Atlantic.   

We set off while the wind was still howling and there was a nasty chop running from the wind blowing unimpeded across the bay.  Nic did a fantastic job on a pitching foredeck to first remove our anchor snubber and then to get the anchor winched in.  Its great to see how much more proficient everyone is becoming.  We started by motoring into 20 to 25kts of a NW breeze for an hour to clear the point.  We had waves crashing into the hull and sending spray clear down the deck and over the bimini.  Once around the point the seas were in the lee of the land and so it calmed a bit and we continued to motor until we cleared the channel.  Clear of the channel we put up the mainsail with a second reef in and the reefed genoa and set a course down the coast on a broad reach.  The boat took off doing 8 to 9 kts.  The forecast was for the wind to die so we had to cover as much distance as we could.

Leaving Sandy hook

Our plan was to leave in the early afternoon such that we would arrive at Cape May early in the morning.  This was all based on a 6kt average speed.  As we flew along however we were getting further and further ahead of schedule but its very hard not to keep going when the boat is in the groove.  For watches during the night we had agreed that Nic would do the 20:00 to midnight and the 04:00 to 08:00.  Scott would do the midnight to 04:00 stint and then after 08:00 in the morning.  

A very apprehensive Nic came up at 8 o’clock with Sam and they took over the watch.  We had already shook out all the reefs to maintain speed in the lessening wind.  Scott went below to get some sleep.  This was a huge moment for Nic.  This was her first watch and even though she could call Scott at any time its still a huge responsibility.  Sam came up and stayed on watch with her and they both did a superb job.  As it was things went well and when Scott got up the boat was still racing along - Sam and Nic had managed to maintain 7 kt average speed.  Issue now was that we would reach Cape May in darkness and we did not want to try and round the Cape at night.  So we reefed the main and set the staysail which slowed us down.  As it was we needn’t have worried because the wind started to die however we managed to continue sailing until we were off the Cape May light at around 0600.  At this point the wind had dropped to 2 or 3 kts so we stowed the sails and turned on the engine.

So the first night sail on our own had been completed and everyone had done a superb job.  This is a bit of a milestone for us because there will be a few more of these between here and Singapore.  Nic has got over her fear of the unknown although she is still cautious about night sailing.  The big issue for us is fatigue management.  On our first overnight sail with Peter and Claire, Scott had been absolutely whacked the next day.  This time it was Nic’s turn while Scott felt OK.

It had been a long night for some

Given how well the night sail had gone we decided to bypass a visit to Cape May and press on up the Delaware Bay to the canal which links the Delaware to the Chesapeake.  The Bay is very shallow and we stayed within or close to the shipping channel the whole way.  Not the most exciting trip but with the warm weather it was pleasant enough on deck.  We also had a 1 to 2 kt current helping us the whole way.  We had an interim plan to anchor at the entrance to the canal for the night but it was early afternoon when we arrived and the proposed anchorage was in the shadow of the Salem Nuclear Power Plant so we pushed on through the canal into the Chesapeake.  The canal was bigger than the Cape Cod canal but still as interesting.  We had to go under six bridges and numerous other power cables and pipelines.  Even though we have checked the chart for the clearances its still unnerving taking a tall sailboat under any type of overhead crossing.  The canal is lined with trees and the autumn colours are really starting to come out.  There are a couple of towns on the way through the canal but again the depths are limited for a vessel of our size.

Autumn Colours Starting to Show

Salem Nuclear Plant

We exited the canal into Chesapeake Bay and made for an anchorage at the mouth of the Sassafras River (named for the trees that line the shore).  

Once anchored, we cleaned below and tidied the deck. Scott decided to shake out the sails (everything was so rushed in the dark and the sails were not put away as neatly as we would have been able to do in the daylight). As Scott unfurled the genoa, Nic (who was on the foredeck) saw the most surprising sight. A little bat, that must have got wrapped up in the sail the last time we took it in in the dark, fell to the deck. We assumed it was dead - it was so small and delicate we didn’t imagine it would survive being squashed by the big sail.  However, on closer inspection, we could see that the poor little thing was breathing. So we left it be and noticed a short time later that it had moved seeking some protection under a large line on deck. We now had a ships bat but alas it was not to last.  By nightfall it was gone.

Ships Bat

Not sure what is here but its a relatively sheltered anchorage for the forecast SE winds and is a very pretty place. We shall hang here for a night or two and take this opportunity to catch up on some school work.

PS.  A number readers have asked for a map to see where we are.  Its too difficult to try and get a live map on the blog page but there are  couple of web sites that you can track us on.  Let us know if you can not find the web page or vessel and we can send the link together with our MMSI number (unique identifier) .

Time for a haircut

New York

We left New York this morning headed South and are anchored up at a place called Sandy Hook which is right at the outskirts of New York.  We are staying here for the night and then off tomorrow to Cape May on an overnight trip.

New York was terrific although you never seem to get the time to do as much as you wanted.  The first few days we had by ourselves and so we took the kids first to the Liberty Science Park and then to the American Museum of Natural History which Sam especially found fascinating.  The museum is huge and spread over four levels.  The main highlight I guess is the dinosaur fossil exhibits.  They must have one of the most extensive collections in the world and it is extremely well displayed.  The kids were in awe.  You walk through galleries full of huge skeletons all poised to attack you.  There are also collections of present day animals in huge display cases portraying its natural habitat.  It was kind of like a zoo where nothing was moving and there was no smell.  After the museum we made a stop at FAO Schwartz - anyone who does not have kids will not know what that is.  Its a huge toy store on 5th Avenue.  I think the kids were in there for an hour and eventually reluctantly agreed to leave with some lego.  The day was finished off with dinner in Little Italy - nothing like New York Italian restaurants! - and then a ferry ride on the Hudson to get back to the marina.

A Day at the Museum

Mid week we left the boat for a couple of days and went to stay with Scott’s brother Lars and his wife Diana who live about an hour outside of New York.  It was nice to get into a real house again for a couple of nights after being on the boat for so long.  The kids especially had a great time playing with their cousins.  In addition Calley had a pre-birthday party and got some presents which made her week.  We all had a really pleasant two days at the house doing school work in the morning and relaxing afterwards then it was back to the boat.

Calley's early "8"

For the weekend we took the boat out on the Hudson with Diana and kids and her father Pete who we picked up at Pier 25 in Manhattan.  It was a great day just sailing on the Hudson and all went well apart from the loss of a fender just prior to berthing.  Sam got the blame but I think it is actually Scott’s knot tying which is questionable as we had already lost another fender earlier in Manhasset Bay after one of Scott’s knots failed.

Diana on the helm

Diana, Pier 25

For our last day we all went back into the city to walk around Central Park.  That has got to be one of the most interesting places in the world.  There are so many people especially at the weekend, there are joggers galore, cyclists, rollerbladers, musicians, kids playing, couples dressed to the nines walking around hand in hand, dogs of every description most wearing some piece of clothing or footwear, cats in backpacks, dudes hanging out listening to music from ghetto blasters - its a sensory overload.  If you keep your ears open you hear all manner of different languages being spoken by people who probably would represent every ethnic group on the planet.  And the size of the park being in the middle of the city is hard to comprehend - it goes for 25 blocks one way and 3 blocks the other way and these are NY blocks. 

Sam & Skye on the subway

Calley, Ross & Sam, Central Park

We left the park and headed onto 5th Avenue to try and find Zara for Nic.  A latin american parade was in full swing which had the whole street gridlocked.  One thing about the American’s they love a good parade.  More noise, people costumes etc.  Finally, having exhausted the kids we grabbed a subway back to the ferry terminal.

For anyone reading this who has not visited New York it should go on your bucket list.  There is so much to do that even with a few months here you would still leave wishing you had more time.  I will say however that while it is great to visit with the kids its like any city and best seen childless. 

Tomorrow we set off down the Atlantic Coast again to Cape May.  We are waiting for a predicted wind shift to the Northeast so that we can have an easier sail.  It is due to come in tonight and then we will leave around lunchtime tomorrow.  After Cape May we will transit up Delaware Bay, through the Chesapeake to Delaware canal into the upper reaches of Chesapeake Bay.  There is not much in Delaware Bay but in the Chesapeake we hope to visit Baltimore and Annapolis. 

New York's East River

We had a brilliant journey down the East River. All nerves aside, it went very smoothly. There is something magical about arriving by boat in big cities.

Sunday afternoon we departed Manhasset Bay on schedule and motored toward the Throgs Neck bridge which marks the entrance to the East river. The weather was overcast and grey but generally dry. Everyone had put on wet weather gear as it was a bit cold out. The East River makes its way through the northern suburbs of New York past areas like Rikers Island and La Guardia Airport before meeting the Harlem River at Hell Gate - hence the nasty currents. Thereafter it flows down the east side of Manhattan Island until it meets the Hudson at the South end of the Island. The trip therefore takes you from Long Island through all sorts of residential and industrial areas into the downtown high rise areas of Manhattan.

Throgs Neck Bridge

View of Manhattan from Throgs Neck

The river is a busy waterway but maybe because it was a Sunday we did not see too much other traffic. There were a couple large tug and barge combinations which you have to move aside for but that was all. We are so glad we installed a system called AIS as part of our navigation equipment. On the river especially it has the ability to see around the river bends and inform us if a vessel is approaching, its speed and course. In addition it will tell us its name so that we can contact it by name on the radio if need be.

Have included some photos of the trip which I guess are not really typical New York tourist photos. The shore line of the river was such an interesting mix of old and new, commercial and industrial, wasteland and parks. I guess the thing about New York as with many cities this size is that its in a constant state of revitalisation. We love New York as its such a vibrant place and it was great to see this part of it. 

East River Shoreline

East River Shoreline

East River Shoreline

In total we went under seven bridges including the famous Brooklyn Bridge just prior to entering the Hudson. Even though you have checked and rechecked the charts for the clearances, your heart is still in your mouth every time you pass beneath one of the bridges. Our clearance is about 90ft with all the instruments on the top. The trip took around 2.5hrs and we were on deck the whole time looking at different landmarks or points of interest. The kids came up on deck when we got to Hell Gate and had fun watching the cars on the expressway of upper Manhattan and trying to spot some of the famous buildings. 

The Kids Landmark Spotting

As we got closer to the the south end of Manhattan the river traffic started to increase - ferries taking people to and from one side of the river to the other at many different locations or out to other islands, ferries with tourists off to see the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island, schooners with tourists out for a day run around the harbour, pleasure craft out on the water for the day. This is a busy place. We crossed from Chelsea Peirs to a place in New Jersey called Liberty Landing where the marina was. The marina confirmed we had a berth and gave us rough directions. Sam and Nic prepared the boat to come alongside with mooring lines and fenders. We turned into the marina and managed to safely tuck the boat into a fairly tight slip.

After checking into the Marina office we sat in the cockpit, gazed at the skyline of Manhattan and opened a beer with big smiles on our faces....New York at our doorstep.

Nic Helming Around Manhattan

Lady Liberty under the Brooklyn Bridge

We will stay here for a week and then keep heading South. Plan is to take the kids into the city and show them some of the sights and to catch up with family.

Next Stop....New York, New York

Dulcinea is moored in Manhasset Bay just off a place called Port Washington right at the mouth of the East River.  We moved from Port Jefferson on Thursday aiming to be here on Thursday night.  It was a beautiful day and we made good time down the sound with the aid of a favourable tide (unfortunately motoring again all the way due to a light SW wind).  We had planned on being in Port Washington that evening but with it being such a warm day we pulled into a small bay with a sandy beach, fringed by large holiday mansions with the usual imposing lawns rolling down to the shoreside.  

Long Island Sound Lighthouse

First School Test on Dulcinea

Coming down the sound the traffic increased noticeably, a sure sign that we are closing in on the Big Apple.  It was not just the marine traffic - we now have constant air traffic from the jets roaring into the NY airports and city helicopters going overhead.  Slowly the skyline of Manhattan came into view  - it was all very exciting.  We anchored up and immediately saw two or three bait balls - dense schools of small bait fish just swimming around.  They are pretty amazing as the water is so shallow you just see the water surface rippling and small fish swimming everywhere.  We have seen more since  and some are huge.  Sam, the born fisherman, wanted to try and catch some and went out in the dingy but was completely unsuccessful.  The kids and Nic had a swim after which we all relaxed on deck in the sunshine for the afternoon.  As the afternoon wore on we decided to stay put for the night.

The Bait Ball

Sam and Nic and the bait ball 

The next day we headed around to Manhasset Bay which is pretty shallow for Dulcinea.  We found a spot on the edge of the mooring field and anchored up in what for us is fairly shallow water.  As we took a launch into town the wind was picking up and by the time we got to shore it was a good 20kts, gusting 25.  We had 40m of chain out and the holding ground appeared to be good but it still worries you when you are anchored in a new place and the weather kicks up and you are off the boat.  We managed a quick look around town which was nothing special but it is always good to have a walk around.  This seems to be a stopping place for Canadian Geese - there are flocks of them flying south now and we also saw large flocks resting in the parks here.  Being a bit anxious about the holding in the bay and the weather, we headed back to the boat sooner rather than later.  On the way back the launch driver suggested that we move onto a permanent mooring slightly closer in assuring us there was plenty of water.  

First Sight of Manhattan Skyline

We got back onboard, Nic and Sam got the anchor up and we moved across the Bay to the permanent mooring.  Safely secured Scott took a good look at the depth only to realise that at low tide we would be extremely close to the bottom - too close.  By now it was dark and the wind was still howling and we decided to stay and hopefully just clear the bottom.  Had a couple of anxious hours watching the depth meter, even sounding with a lead line the old fashioned way and watching the tide go out.  Luckily the weather abated so our heave relented at the same time and eventually the tide turned.  Another lesson learned - always check.

So today is the day - we motor to New York.  Scott has been over route numerous times but is still pretty nervous about the transit.  The East River has some pretty nasty currents especially at one place encouragingly named Hell Gate just north of Roosevelt Island.  The run in is timed such that we meet slack tide at Hell Gate which puts us starting the transit around 14:30 today.  After that we will be berthed at the Liberty Landing Marina for a week.  Think all crew members are looking forward to the trip today and to the week in New York and catching up with family.

Sam getting up Courage to jump from the boom

...........still thinking

Another spectacular sunset

Port Jefferson - Long Island

We are slowly moving towards New York and currently (Thursday 4th Oct) sitting in a place called Port Jefferson about 50 miles from Manhattan.  Its a foggy morning but flat calm and quite warm outside.  There is not much moving around us apart from the odd ferry which runs in and out of the harbour across the sound.  We hear its fog horn before it passes and feel the wake once it has passed us but then all is still again.

We crossed over the sound from Connecticut to Long Island a couple of days ago.  Almost flat calm conditions so had to motor just about the whole way.  We tried to put up the sails a few times but in the end gave up and motored.  Port Jefferson is a well protected harbour with a power station situated on one shore so not the most picturesque of places.  Its main claim to fame seems to be that one of its residents in the early years was PT Barnum - the circus man. 

The PT Barnum ferry

We anchored off the North shore the first night and then during the next day were about to go into town when a tug moored a couple of large barges laden with gravel very near to us on a permanent mooring We decided discretion being the better part of valour to shift over the harbour to a quieter spot which is actually a bit closer to the town. 

We all had a trip into town and a walk around to look at the shops and get the all important coffee.  There was a kids interactive maritime museum here but unfortunately it was shut.  Guess this will happen more and more until we get further south as the tourist season here is now well and truly over and people are starting to hunker down and get ready for winter.  The town has more of a city feel to it - bit rougher around the edges, more beat up cars on the roads and the buildings more brick buildings than just the wooden weatherboard we have been used to.  The trees are starting to show their autumn colours and some are completely yellow now.  I think we will miss the full on fall vista of the trees changing colour en masse as we seem to be travelling just in front of the change.  We do see pockets of trees which are changing colour and can imagine how spectacular it would be with a whole forest of different hues.  With us living in the tropics for so long its a real treat to experience a fall season again.

Kids feeding visiting swans

Schooling is probably our biggest issue at the moment.  The actual teaching side of it I think we have a handle on now and Sam is getting better at getting into his homework.  Calley finds most of her work pretty easy so for her its about keeping her interested.  The main issue is time - between sailing between locations, visiting the spots we stop at and the other chores of daily life its difficult to find the time to get the lessons done.  We have hit the first milestone which is a test at lesson 20 and that will be carried out tomorrow.  These get sent into the school for evaluation so I guess we will know how we are doing next week.  Once we get the results back, either way, the dilema will be - is it the teaching or the students?  When we get down to the lesson though it is actually quite good fun spending the time and teaching the kids and, as I mentioned before, for Sam the subject matter, especially history and geography, is interesting.

Sam and Calley playing in the park

First flight of Sam's model plane

Boat is going well since the last works carried out but badly needs a good clean which will probably happen in New York.  One of the jobs we did in Newport was to replace some worn bearings in a connecting rod near the rudder.  With them being worn, every time we were at anchor and there was any movement in the water the connections vibrated and emitted a loud clunking sound.  Not such a big deal apart from the fact that they are located directly behind the headboard of the main cabin.  In a rolly anchorage or in the wake of passing boats the noise it made was more than annoying.  On more than one occasion we thought of moving cabin.  What with our top mattress sliding off in any angle heel and the noisy rudder it seemed that we had drawn the short straw as far as cabin allocation was concerned.  However with the new rod ends installed we now have a beautifully quiet aft cabin.  We now just need to either get rid of the top mattress or get some velcro on our pyjamas.

On the way to Singapore

So finally we are on our way - again.
Once we relocated the boat to the anchorage we did some last minute shopping, handed the car back and then had spent some time with Robbo and his family.  Woke up to a really dreary day on Sunday morning but the wind was from the right direction so decided to leave Newport anyway.  Just before we left Skip came over with some smoked salmon for us.  He had spent the last couple of days fishing in upstate New York and so had some spare fish.  We said our farewells to Skip, made our final preparations for going to sea and then pulled up the anchor for the last time in Newport.
I guess this is really the start of the trip.  From now on every day brings us closer to the ultimate destination of Singapore.  It's quite a daunting prospect even though we have already done a couple of months on the boat.  It seems like the Maine trip was a training exercise but that was also daunting two months ago.  At least now we know the boat better and have done everything possible to get all the systems serviced and in the best possible working condition.  Prior to starting, any experienced sailors always said that we would be constantly working on the boat and we are beginning to appreciate what that means.  With the Maine trip under our belts we have a lot of faith in Dulcinea who has proved to be a very capable vessel.
We left Newport in the rain and motored to the mouth of Narragansett Bay.  At Point Judith we turned to head west and put up the sails.  We sailed and motored equally throughout the day depending upon the wind and made a decision to push on into Long Island Sound as far as possible.  Around mid afternoon the sailing conditions were terrific - sunshine, very slight seas and a 10kt breeze in which we were making 7kts.  Once we made the decision to push further the wind started to head us.  The last two hours of the day the wind rose to 20kts on the nose and we had a squall gusting 35kts at one point.  Everyone was relieved to finally anchor at a place called Duck Island Roads near Westbrook Harbour in Connecticut.  We had no sooner dropped the anchor when the wind started howling again and remained steady around 25kts all night.
Today is a clear day but the wind is still howling so we decided to hunker down here until tomorrow and try and catch up on school work.  (Anyone who has been on a camping holiday in Scotland will know the routine).  The anchor seems well set and the bay is well protected and affords us great cover from the sea but we still cop it from the wind.  There is a small harbour and marina here but as with quite a few places Dulcinea's draft of 2.5m makes it tricky or impossible to go inside.  We were going to go ashore for a look around but cannot raise much enthusiasm what with the wind gusting outside.
Tomorrow we will probably head across the sound and try and find a nice town to spend a couple of days relaxing before the sail into New York.