It’s Sunday morning and we are motoring into a light breeze on our way to Stonington CT and the first night of the Essex Yacht Club cruise. It’s been years since we have joined a club cruise and as relatively new members of EYC, we are looking forward to spending time with everyone.
It’s been hectic getting ready to make this run as we have had non-stop guests for about the last week. Don’t get me wrong, I love having visitors, especially if it’s family and to have our son Christopher and his friend visit for a few days was a great treat. However, it’s remarkable to see how quickly the fridge empties only to be refilled to bursting and empty again. And getting everyone on their way and preparing to leave for a few weeks is pretty intense.
On top that, Brenda hosted a group of lace makers, or “tatters”, twelve of them, for a day of, you guessed it, tatting. If you don’t know what that is, you can always “Google that”. My contribution for the day was to stay out of the way and to make well timed appearances to do the dishes when required. That, combined with running out between the raindrops to get Pandora ready kept me pretty busy yesterday. To see all those women of a certain age sitting around our dining table made me feel pretty estrogen deficient. I didn’t quite have the nerve to say it out loud but I was thinking that the group should rename themselves “tits for tat”. Perhaps better to keep those thoughts to myself. Actually, Brenda corrected me that they actually did “bobbin lace”. However, the joke wouldn’t work so I prefer tatting.
Alas, as usual, I digress…
So, here we are, underway and nearly to Stonington. We had to get going very early today as the tide was going to turn against us later in the morning and I didn’t particularly feel like motoring into both the wind and current.
Over the last few days, as I was struggling to get everything aboard for our two weeks and accepting the reality that we were going to motor the entire way and likely do so in the rain, I couldn’t help but wonder what I was thinking as I signed up for a series of club cruise events, prepaid of course, knowing that I’d have to “get there or else” regardless of the weather. As they say, “the most dangerous pieces of equipment aboard a boat are the clock and calendar”. When you “just have to be there”, well, that’s when you get into trouble. Add to that the loss of power at our home an hour before we were scheduled to leave for our trip that certainly complicated things.
So, here we were making last minute preparations, washing dishes and a bit of ironing (yes ironing), when the power shut off. Out came the flashlight, digging into the depths of the fridge deciding what to bring. Well, we did pretty well and only forgot a few items. We’ll see what lurks in the dark recesses of the fridge when we return. Perhaps the next time I open the fridge I’ll have to arm myself with a hammer, or worse.
It will be also be interesting to see what lights are burning after two weeks. Who knows what was on, or off, when the power quit.
However, today, not a lot of trouble as it’s very calm. However, I was stressing about the “have to leave today and be sure and make that first thing or else” deal and wouldn’t you know, it was raining steadily as we shoved off at 07:30 this morning.
Well, while it’s still overcast, at least it’s not raining. That’s good and the next few days are going to be very nice, if a bit windless. However, I am struck by the huge difference in cruising with a schedule verses the sort that we do all winter in the Bahamas, where we don’t go anywhere except when the wind is convenient. Well, almost never. Of course, there are always exceptions but that’s another story.
So, we’re off for two weeks and it will be fun to get to know others from Essex Yacht Club as we make our way, probably under power, from place to place. It’s certainly way more organized than the sort of cruising that we are accustomed to but it will be a nice change of pace.
As I finish up this post, we are on a mooring in Stonington, home quite a few really nice boats. Here’s a great little wooden powerboat near us. I’d hate to pay for the varnish work each year. 
And, another great design by Bob Perry, who designed Pandora. The Valiant 42 is considered one of the greatest cruising sailboats ever designed. We have met quite a number of folks who own and love this design. I think that they look particularly great in red.
Of course, another classic is the Hinkley Bermuda 40. This was, at one time, a best seller for Hinkley Yachts. Alas, they stopped production a while back to focus on boats that were much larger. I understand that this design is still being built, but by another builder that acquired the rights.
Before I break, I should mention that Brenda and I particularly enjoy listening to names of boats that call each other on the radio. It’s pretty funny how often boats traveling together have names that somehow seem to go together. We have heard some great combinations over the years and was reminded of this when I heard a boat on the radio today. It was Liberty and they were calling Get Away. How perfect, a boat “on liberty” calling one that wants nothing more than to “get away”. Yes, that’s me and I am happy to be “getting away” for a few weeks.
Yup, happy to be back aboard even if I was totally stressed getting ready to go.