As I sit here in my home office at 6:30 AM, it’s 28 degrees outside and still dark. That would make this a great time to think about where we will take Pandora this coming season. When people comment on the cold weather I find myself retorting “don’t worry, the weather will be better in May” a response that sometimes gets a chuckle but more often a look that seems to suggest something more like “huh?”.
With regards to our upcoming sailing season, unlike some of my friends who are more, shall I say, “casual” in their advance planning, I can’t help thinking of when Pandora will “splash” (the week of May 28th if you were wondering) and where we will take her later this year. I can’t believe that it’s already 2012. I still remember in high school when the book, or at least the title of George Orwell’s 1984 book seemed to be so far off in the future. Now with us less than a week into the new year, I am totally focused on getting Pandora ready for the coming season and ready to travel to Florida and the Bahamas in the fall and winter of 2013.
Here are a few highlights that we plan for this coming summer. Our first rendezvous will be in Ziegler’s Cove, in Darien where we will connect with friends from the sailing. This chart shows exactly where this great spot is. I will be attending this and other events with a group, The Corinthians, that have been a part of Brenda’s and my life for many years.
As part of this group, I am planning a number of rendezvous for the coming season, in part because the group wants to expand their on-water activities but also because Brenda and I are planning to spend some time in local waters this summer, instead of spending much of the summer in Maine as we did last year. By setting dates for on-the-water activities and being involved in their planning, I can choose where I want to be and, at the same time, enjoy the company of others along the way. What better way to make sailing even better than to connect with others for a party on the water.
After that early spring event the week after Memorial Day, Pandora will go to Mystic where we will use a friend’s mooring for a few weeks where we will participate in another rendezvous including one at Watch Hill RI, a place that we have visited many times over the years. There are fun places to visit there including a walk among the stunning homes along the cliffs overlooking Block Island Sound. Check out these shots of some of the “cottages”.
And these homes have wonderful gardens too. Very nice. n Looks like a perfect spot for an “adult beverage” on a summer evening.
There’s also an Op Sail event, with sailing ships from all over the world, planned for New London, the weekend of July 6th and a 50th anniversary rendezvous of the Catboat Association at Mystic Seaport planned for that same weekend. So much to choose from. Brenda and I participated in the 25th anniversary rendezvous of the CBA way back when in our 22′ catboat Sappho. It’s been a while since that event. We are all grown up now. Hmm…
Additional destinations may include a run to Maine to participate in the annual Corinthians cruise which will begin and end in Camden Maine this year. Having visited Maine nearly every year for over 15 summers, I am always eager to go back yet one more time.
Another highlight of this summer’s plans will be the “Non Cruise Cruise” that I am planning with The Corinthians in Narraganset Bay RI. More like a rally, this cruise designed to be a follow on event after the Corinthians cruise in Maine and will include stops throughout the bay including such great stops as East Greenwich, Potter’s Cove, Bristol and the ever popular port of Newport RI. We even expect to include a visit to the majestic Harbor Court clubhouse of the New York Yacht Club for cocktails and dinner. Their site includes some great panorama views that are worth checking out of both Harbor Court in Newport and their 44th street main clubhouse. I always enjoy the panorama of the model room, perhaps the most stunning room in NYC. In particular, this of the patio overlooking the harbor in Newport is just the spot for a cocktail on an August evening followed by dinner in the Bolero Grill. Not bad, not bad at all. If your computer doesn’t have the most recent Java plug in to view these, you can get it here.
Later in August we will begin provisioning Pandora for our visit to Annapolis, the Seven Seas Cruising Association rendezvous at Camp Letts MD where there will be nearly 100 boats from all over for a three day gam with seminars and parties as everyone prepares to head south on their boats for the winter. No visit to that area would be complete without a visit to the Annapolis Boat show where we will begin our final preparations for our cruise down the Inter-coastal Waterway. We plan a trip that will take us all the way to Florida and onto the Bahamas where we will spend several months beginning in late January or early February of 2013.
A busy year you say? Yes, and even more active when you consider that we are squeezing in the sale of our home in NJ and a move to Mystic CT or Wickford RI as part of our plans for this year. Yes, there is a lot going on in our lives but Brenda and I are really looking forward to this new and exciting chapter of our lives together.
As no blog is complete without at least one photo I will close with a great sunset. Actually, for us, this coming year is a sunrise. Sunset or sunrise? You be the judge.
Oh, and did I say that I am taking some time off from work too? I am not quite ready to say the “R” word just yet. Well, that’s a topic for another post so I guess I will have to leave it at that for now.