Powercat

We are in Annapolis for the month of October working on the boat in preparation to head south for the winter. Also couldn't miss the Boat Show, Trawler Fest, and the Seven Seas Cruising Asso GAM.

Number one on the list - new standing rigging. We had several folks (surveyors, riggers) look at the boat. None found anything specifically wrong with the rigging but all said, "Well, it IS over 10 years old." We probably would have left it alone if we were only gonna cruise the Bay. Better safe than sorry since we plan to cross the Atlantic.

She's now a powercat.

We are also adding a SSB radio, made some repairs to the dink, tweaked our enclosure (based on how we used it over the summer), had Chuck restitch the main while it was off, installed an LED tricolor on top of the mast, replaced the trampoline, etc.

Joelle shopped the Boat Show for birthday gifts (for herself): a pair of stabilizing binoculars and a mini-heater to keep herself toasty as we head down the ICW in November.

Our MACRO plan is to "Head south for the winter."
Our MICRO plan needs some work.
Leave Annapolis 3 Nov (ish) for the ICW. Stop in Suffolk to visit the Atienzas.
                - Big Gap - (We will be somewhere in NC, SC, GA, or FL)
We have made reservations to be at the Navy Marina in Key West in January (Key West Race Week) and then we will sail for the Bahamas at the end of January.

If you would like to visit or sail with us, let us know. The good news about having no schedule is we may be flexible and accommodate your schedule.

Port Jefferson, Setauket, and NYC. 14-17 Sept 2014

We left Connecticut and crossed the Sound to the north shore of Long Island, NY. 

Just inside the entrance to Port Jefferson harbor is the village of Setauket. I became interested in seeing Setauket, after watching a new TV series titled “Turn”, about America’s first spies during the Revolutionary War.  While watching the series, I wondered how much of the tale was real - if at all. Well, our cruising guide confirmed that a Patriot spy ring did operate out of Setauket, and the messages were passed to other patriots by a local woman who strung a specific combination of red and black petticoats and white handkerchiefs on a clothes line.

There is very skinny water at the entrance to the Setauket harbor (the chart says 1’) but we only draw 4’ so we ventured in on a rising tide. It was so quiet and protected and surrounded by marshes with geese and swan families. 

Bike drill! Rode 1.5 miles into Port Jefferson to explore. The sky opened up so we ducked into a hotel lobby (with wifi) to wait it out for 2 hours. Delicious dinner at a Spanish restaurant. 

On Sunday, we got an early start to make it out of the harbor without running aground. West to NYC!

After reading all the reviews of marinas on both sides of the Hudson, we decided to stay in Flushing at the World's Fair Marina run by the City Parks. 

CitiField. Home of the Mets.

No wake!!! Huge, protected marina at the foot of CitiField, the National Tennis Center, and Corona Park. A 20min walk to the #7 line into the city or the LIRR. It was a bit run down but safe and included free laundry, ice, and a head/shower ashore. All this for only $2/ft. There is a fuel dock and pump-out but the pump-out was out of order. When I called on the radio to ask for other pump-out locations they seemed a bit surprised and thanked us for wanting to use a pump-out. (Don't go swimming.)

That evening we went to see the World Trade Center Museum and Memorial. The museum was free to military; $24 otherwise. Then met up with Josh Eckmann (son of Mark's cousin, Lisa) for dinner and a drink. He loves NYC and had tons of ideas and suggestions for our visit.

What color was the sky on that September day?

Memorial quilt with photos of the victims from PA, NYC, and Pentagon.

The Survivor Staircase

Monday we washed down the boat and went to the Woodside neighborhood of Queens for Filipino food. Sarap! We were the only non-pinoys in Renee's Restaurant for the lunch special.  When I went to pay, the manager asked how I liked it and if I knew this was Filipino food. I explained that I love Filipino food and that Jo had grown up in the PI!

On to Times Sq to snag discount tickets at the TKTS booth. Josh and Mary Kate met us for a visit.

Cousins: Josh and MaryKate

Got to see the Time Hotel where Josh is a Bellman. Had time to chat with MK before we headed to the NY Public Library in Bryant Park. Grand old bldg with an interesting WWI propaganda exhibit. Then back to 49th St for dinner and a show. Ave Q. So funny. It's been out for years but we had never seen it.

NY Public Library

Rainy Tuesday. Amtrak shut down from DC to Philly so Jay, our crew, was running late.  He finally arrived at 1800. Met him at the train station and we Uber-ed into Flushing for Chinese food, and Uber-ed home. There were NO cabs to hail so the Uber app was perfect.  

We will leave for NJ tomorrow and will check off another Bucket List item: Hell Gate!

The Thimble Islands and Branford, CT. 12-13 Sept2014

Anchor up and moving to make the 0840 bridge opening of the Mystic highway bridge, only to be stopped at the AMTRAK Bridge to wait for a train to pass. We finally got moving again around 0930. 

Once we cleared the channel we threw up the sails and proceed on a nice beam reach sail down the coast to the west. Even though this was Friday, there were a lot of sailboats milling around the mouth of the Thames River in New London getting ready for a race. We could hear the warning and starting guns go off, luckily we went through the race course in between different fleets heading out, so didn’t interfere with anyone’s racing. 

When we lived in Groton 20 years ago, travelling up and down I-95, we would see signs to the Thimble Islands and told ourselves we should go there for a visit.  Finally 20 years later we finally made it. Thanks to our Cruising Guide we learned that one does not anchor in and amongst the Thimble Islands. 

The wind started to die about a half hour before we reached the islands. Jo plotted a course around and through the islands to a mooring field near the town of Stony Creek. Hook down, we jumped in the dink to run ashore and catch the last boat tour of the islands. The tour boat Capt. brought us within 3' of some islands along with all his insider info about each island.

Stony Creek is one of the areas where pink granite was quarried for many of our nation’s monuments and prominent buildings. The Thimble “islands” are all granite and running aground in this area is DEFINITELY not like nudging the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay.  

In colonial times the islands were considered too small and rocky to be of much use. In the 20s people were attracted by the beauty and mystique of island-living and families began “summering’ in amazing homes perched on rocks. 

Cove where Capt. Kidd would hide out.

Local dink dock for owners' "commuting" to their islands.

Love these "finger piers." Not weight bearing but they don't want their dinks to touch.

When we got back to Stoney Creek, we asked around as to what there was to see or places to eat. Everybody told us to go to town, Branford. So we got back onto the boat and motored around the corner to Branford. We anchored outside the marina area in a mooring field with no other boats around. Exposed to the southwest, this mooring field is known to be very uncomfortable when the prevailing S and SW winds are in place, but for tonight we are to have north winds, a very smooth night. 

We walked into town, approximately 1.5 miles, had dinner at an Italian restaurant recommended by two fishermen we met at the dock while they were cleaning their fish. On the walk back to the dink, we stopped and sat on a rock wall in front of a house with unlocked WIFI. Score! We were able to check and clear email, and also check the weather forecast for the next day. The winds were forecasted to be 15-20 kts out of the east, perfect for our sail southwest to Port Jefferson Harbor and the little creek off of it leading to the town of Setauket.