It’s just after 07:00 and we are underway, making our way toward the Cape Cod Canal.  The current that will carry us through to Cape Cod Bay begins a bit after 10:00 so it’s likely that we will arrive with some adverse current for a while.  The canal, built in the 30s, I think, and is about 10 miles long.   Without that engineering wonder, I doubt that many would make the trip up to Maine.  Heading all the way out to Nantucket, through Pollock Rip and up to Maine would be a pretty painful and long trip.  Besides, the currents and rough conditions that are often east of Chatham, on the “elbow” of the Cape, would dissuade most, me included, from making the trip.  The Canal is a great example of “your tax dollars at work”.  Well, at least the tax dollars of your grandparents.

Our run yesterday was about 70 miles and saw some very nice sailing, likely the only sailing that we will enjoy for the rest of the run.  It is possible that we will be able to sail a bit this afternoon but the winds are forecast to be quite light for the next few days.

The 20kt SW wind that pushed us along so nicely yesterday has died and a slight drift from the North has taken it’s place.  I was greeted by this absolutely beautiful dawn this morning.  What a sight.As we headed out of Cuttyhunk this morning we were greeted by the Loch Ness Monster.    Well, that’s what it looked like to me.  I am sure that you can see it, especially if you squint really, really hard.  Right?OK, OK, it was a family of seals.

The other members of their very extended family were sleeping it off on a nearby sandbar.  I was pleased that the lovely lobster boat cut in front of me as I snapped the photo.  Try to do that twice.Speaking of “snapping shots”.   Our old Olympus camera finally died and after months of limping along with it in Cuba, frustrated by problems with white balance and focusing problems, we bit the bullet, and it was a pretty big bullet, and purchased a shiny new Canon.  What a piece of machinery, with a single lens really really long lens replacing the two that I had on the last camera.  This lens has image stabilization and is a whopping 16mm to 300mm in a single zoom package.   It’s remarkable to see the improved color saturation and clarity, even in rough or low light conditions.

One downside of the new camera though is that the photo files are “ginormous” at 8 megs per shot, about 3x bigger than my last camera.  I had better be pretty selective about which photos I keep on my computer or I’ll have to get a new one.  Actually, my laptop is something like 7 years old (how old is that in dog years exactly?) and was acting up already, even before I started manipulating these new massive photos.

Keping up with this “arms race of megapixels” reminds me of the first time I installed refrigeration on my Tartan 37. The massive draw of electricity that the unit needed meant that I ended up putting in a much larger battery bank and then, against my will, a high output alternator to charge them.  Those ice cubes that I “needed” to chill my gin and tonic ended up costing about $10 a piece or was that $100.  Who knows, but a nice cold G&T, or two, makes for a perfect end to a day.   And views like this one, helped along with a G&T of course, from last night… Priceless.Earlier in the evening, as the sun sunk below the western horizon, the light washed over nearby Nashawena Island giving it a lovely glow.So, I expect that we will be out of cell/Internet range beginning mid-day today although we may regain service briefly as we pass Provincetown, at the tip of Cape Cod, later this afternoon.

After that, Maine.

It’s been five years since my last trip “down east” and this morning I cast off the lines and am on my way.   If you happen to wonder if I got the bathroom finished, the one I wrote about in a few posts of late, I have to confess that the answer is, especially if you ask Brenda, an emphatic, if unfortunate, NO.

Unfortunately, I did WAY underestimate the time it would take and the job is looking, to me at least, more like a major addition on an office building than a simple new vanity and shower enclosure.  Oh well.  I can’t be totally faulted for coming up short (I was supposed to have it done before heading to Maine) as there were myriad distractions that I won’t go into.  It’s sufficient to say, and I cling to this belief, that many of the distractions that got in the way of completing the task were NOT MY FAULT!

Ok, now that I have that off of my chest so back to the task at hand.

As I begin this post Pandora is in Block Island Sound making our way to Cuttyhunk island for the night.  My crewmember Rodney, who I have sailed with for perhaps the last decade, off and on, is with me and we are enjoying a lovely day of sailing.  Well, we were sailing up until I stopped typing to put on the engine again as we still have a good distance to go and I want to get there by dark.   In the morning we will head to the Cape Cod Canal to catch the flood tide around 10:00.  Going against the tide in The Canal is a waste of time as the current runs as much as 4kts which makes the 10 mile run interminable when things are “against you”.  Besides, I believe that it’s actually against the rules for a slow boat to traverse the canal against the current.  With that in mind, “going with the flow” really means something when it comes to the Canal.

We left around 06:30 today, heading down the CT River and had to stop for fuel which cost us nearly an hour but that is certainly better than being stuck with no fuel miles from shore.  Yes, been there, done that at least once years ago off of New Haven and I’d prefer to avoid an encore performance so stop we did.  That was a very good thing as it took nearly 60 gallons and I nominally hold about 150.  I might have made it to Maine (that’s where we are going) with what I had and the 10 gallons in reserve but I wasn’t in the mood to test the theory.

After being “on the hard”, me at least, since mid May, I am very happy to be on board again.   It will be fun to rendezvous with some old friends from The Corinthians, a group that we have been a member of for many years.

So, the plan is to spend tonight at Cuttyhunk and to head out of the Canal and across the Gulf of Maine tomorrow morning.   If all goes well, we will be in Maine on Thursday afternoon.   The actual run across the Gulf of Maine is about 24 hours so we’ll have a few days in Maine to enjoy the sights prior to leaving on the week long cruise that kicks off on Saturday evening.

So, for now, I guess that about covers it.  And don’t forget that we “push the button” every 4 hours or so and you can see where Pandora is by going, incredibly enough, the “Where in the World is Pandora” button on the blog home page.

As we passed New London this morning the Brilliant, the schooner from Mystic Seaport, passed behind us.  Pretty nice digs.So, I guess I’ll close with a shot of one of my favorite sights in Fisher’s Island Sound, the lovely home on “North Dumpling”.   As  Brenda would say, “I would live there”.  Indeed.  Loved the whole “stonehenge” thing on the yard.Tomorrow, the Canal and hopefully, we will see some whales as we cross the Gulf of Maine.

Stay tuned for more scintillating posts.

It’s about a week until my departure for Maine and the Corinthian Cruise and I am pretty excited about spending time with my friends Craig and Rodney, guys that I have sailed with for many years.  Yes, I’m bummed that Brenda won’t be with me but after loosing nearly two months because of her bout with melanoma and the fear of the sun that it has naturally caused, it’s going to be a while till the memory of the surgery and all that led up to it, begins to fade somewhat.

In any event, I am happy that she’s agreed to spend time in the Eastern Caribbean this winter so I guess that I’ll just have to say “details to come”.  Of course, I also cling to the belief that everything will work out.  As Brenda has famously said, “Bob and the dog, ever hopeful”.  Yes, that’s me.  Want to go sailing?

For now though, I thought that I’d share some shots of some beautiful boats that were docked at the CT River Museum last week.  The event, billed as “Mahogany Memories”, put on by the CT Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society.  This event has been put on for over three decades and always brings out a healthy crowd of classic boat owners and admirers.

This lovely grand lady was on a trailer on the grounds.  Given the high level of finish on her “wheels” I expect that she’s more of a “trailer queen” than a boat that sees much time on the water.  She came up all the way from VA.    Clearly, she’s perfect in every way.  What a looker. Along with some that don’t often see the water, there were plenty of beauties gracing the docks.   I particularly loved this double cockpit speedster. I’ll bet that she really rips along.  You’d never know that she’s an antique.  Looks brand new.  I guess that’s the whole point.There is nothing quite as elegant as a triple cockpit beauty.
There were also a number of very nice scale models on display.  I was taken by this Chesapeake Bay fishing boat. This model of Aphrodite is based on a 30s vintage commuter of the same name. Her “namesake” is berthed in Watch Hill.  You can even peek into her interior.   I guess the little guy is the “commuter”.  Not a bad way to get to work.  Actually, if I was going to go to work, that’s how I’d like to get there, for sure. And speaking of the yacht Aphrodite, years ago Brenda and I saw her undergoing a major rebuild at Brooklin Boat Yard in Maine.    Check out this link to learn more about the “real Aphrodite“.  Now that’s a real yacht.

Still want more?  I do…  This short video shows how she looks in “real life”.  Amazing.Ok, back to models of great boats.  Of course, who doesn’t love the Sabino?   The actual boat is at Mystic Seaport and is currently undergoing a major rebuild.  Nice model.
Want to see a clip of Sabino herself?  This is a very nice clip from the Mystic Seaport Museum.   If you love steam you owe it to yourself to go on an outing aboard her. However, back to the event at the CT River Museum and my favorite boat of all at the show was the “Osprey” a fairly new addition to the waterfront at the CT River Museum.   After several years of updates and repairs, she’s finally able to show her stuff on the river.  She’s beautiful and a lovely combination of form follows function.  Love her little single cylinder steam engine.    In spite of her diminutive stature, she has a bewildering collection of valves and levers. I have always loved launches and particularly those driven by steam.   Brenda’s goal, when we get out of big boats, is to have a small fantail launch that we can use on the CT River for “cocktail cruises”.

Happily, Chris, the director of the museum, is looking for operators to run the boat so she can be an active member of the waterfront.  “Pick Me, Pick Me!!!”. Yes, I can’t believe it but I am being trained to run her.  How cool is that?

It would be just so great to get out on the river with her.  She even has a steam whistle.   What “kid” doesn’t dream of blowing a steam whistle.  Alas, the Osprey is probably too complicated to operate “under the influence” so my “cocktail cruises” with Brenda will have to wait until we have our own electric launch.   For now, time on the Osprey will have to be fueled by diet Coke I guess.

Of course, that’s in addition to the soft coal that powers her boiler.  Yes, she will have a “carbon footprint” but it’s surely a lovely one and I am excited about piloting her on the river in Essex very soon.

Well, with only a week to go till I head to Maine, I’d better get to work on remodeling the bathroom or there will be Hell to pay with Brenda.  Yikes, still lots to do.

 

 

It’s Monday morning and just a little over two weeks until I head to Maine aboard Pandora.  The plan is to participate in the annual cruise of the group The Corinthians, a sailing club that Brenda and I have been members of since 1996, 20 years.  That’s a long time.

Our boys, Rob and Chris, grew up sailing with other kids in the club and the week long cruise each summer was a major event for them as they loved hanging out with the 20+ children that would be along for the week.

This year, as we spend so much time aboard in the winter, Brenda will stay at home and I’ll go with my two friends, Craig and Rodney, fellow Corinthians, for the week of cruising in Maine.

It’s been nearly twenty years since Brenda and I first cruised Maine waters aboard Elektra, our Tartan 37 and perhaps 5 years since our last trip there.  All and all, I believe this summer’s run will be my 16th.  That’s a lot of cruises “down east” and perhaps more surprising to me is that I have been around long enough to have cruised that many times anywhere, much less Maine.

Back in my last life, pre-retirement, the two week run to Maine was always a rush as I assembled crew to do an overnight from Norwalk Yacht Club, where we were members for many years, straight to Camden or Booth Bay.  I had to get there quickly, rain or shine, as there was so little time to waste in getting to the business of cruising. Getting there and back home again was a delivery and nothing more.  I am happy to say that cruising is a lot less hectic now but the “leisure” of it all is tempered by the much longer runs, well that’s what Brenda would say for sure.

The club cruise this year will center on Acadia National Park, a place that Brenda and I have spent much time enjoying over the years.  This post from 2011 shows some of the beauty along with another of our favorite harbors Camden and points in between.

However, post or not, a few photos from our last visit there in 2011.

Here’s “old” Pandora in Five Island Harbor near Booth Bay Harbor.  A lovely spot.And what’s a post about Maine without a schooner shot?  This one takes guest out for day sails out of Booth Bay Harbor.  Of course, then there’s the “big girls” that take folks out for a week at a time.   Her captain and crew are “hot dogging” into a harbor under sail to drop the hook, under sail, to spend the night. All sailing isn’t about going anywhere in particular.  This sweet Friendship Sloop, a type named after the town of the same name, was not in any particular hurry the day we encountered her.
Of course, there’s really nothing more “Maine” than Andrew Wyeth, and here’s his widow Betsy sitting on the porch of her summer home on Allen Island.  The family provides a few moorings for cruisers to tie up to in the sheltered cove in front of their home.  Their hospitality is a far cry from the unfriendly locals in Florida that have worked so hard to successfully ban anchoring in many harbors in Ft Lauderdale and <Miami.  And, perhaps the most Maine of harbors, Camden and a few of the schooners that call the harbor their home. Of course, the most iconic image of all is lobsters waiting to head to market. Yum. We certainly had plenty of Caribbean lobster when we were in Cuba last winter and I look forward to a “taste test” to see which wins out.  I expect Maine lobster will carry the day. Anyway, my nominal departure day will be the 26th of July and that run of less than 200 miles, after our last four winters south, will seem more like a short “day sail”  and not much of a run compared to my 1,000 mile voyages from the Bahamas or Florida back to New England.  In early years, I did the run with a crew of 4, sometimes more.  This time, just two, me and Rodney.  That’s particularly fitting as we started sailing together years ago on a run to Maine.  Besides, it’s only a single overnight.  Funny how perspectives change.

In any event, I am very much looking forward to reconnecting to a group of sailors that have been a part of my life for so many years.  Hopefully, Brenda and I will have time to do a bit of cruising together for a week or so prior to bringing Pandora back.

An interesting rub that came up yesterday that will have a big bearing on when I’ll bring Pandora back from Maine and has to do with the nuclear Submarine USS New Mexico.  Yes, a rendezvous with a sub and Pandora.   How’s that for a segue?  Pretty good, right?

You may recall that I “ran into” the USS New Mexico off of New London last summer and have been corresponding with representatives of the boat since then.  This was the post that “started it all”.

A few months after that chance encounter, Damon, my contact with the sub suggested that I might be able to join them for a “VIP day sail” aboard the New Mexico and we have been staying in periodic contact since then with the hope that an opportunity might arise.

Well, the opportunity to spend time aboard the New Mexico hasn’t surfaced yet (pun intended) so I decided to arrange a visit aboard Pandora and reached out to Damon and the Chief of the Boat, Norm to take some of the crew out sailing aboard Pandora.   I sent a note suggesting that I bring Pandora to New London while the New Mexico was in port and take some of their crew out for short sails.

Happily, as of last night they have confirmed that they’d like to move ahead with my offer and hope to have me visit in August.  So, that means that Pandora will be headed back from Maine in late August. That should work well for me and I am very excited.  Details to come…

Well, I had better get to work on our bathroom now as the project isn’t going to finish itself and the new shower had better be “ready”  by the time I leave for Maine.    The plumber Brian is coming here mid morning to put in the pan liner and it’s never a good idea to leave a plumber “on hold”.

That’s all for now.

It’s the beginning of the July 4th weekend, a time when I would have, in a previous life, been fully focused on being out on the water.  However things are different now that I am retired and spend more time “on the hard” during the summer and much of my time afloat in the winter months.

In spite of it being over four years since I retired, I still have to remind myself that “long weekends” aren’t the best time to be out sailing as just about everybody else is doing just that.  What a treat it is to be able to choose when to go based on wind, tide and weather.

Of course, all of this is tempered by Brenda’s “new reality” now that she has had melanoma.  This combined with the fact that once you’ve had it you have a higher chance of getting it again gives one pause for thought.   I don’t blame her for being timid about spending time in the sun given the danger of recurrence and the lingering pain of the surgery.  I doubt that being able to show off her nearly 12 inches of “battle scars” is reward enough for what she’s been through.

A major problem with spending time on the water is increased sun exposure, mainly UVA and UVB rays which are strongest between 10:00 and 16:00 along with the reflected light from the water.  In spite of my best efforts, I have been unable to find anyone to quantify the risk except to say that “you have to limit exposure”.  Yes, of course I get that, but what does that mean?  Live in a cave?  Take up mushroom farming or, as it’s known in the trade, Fungiculture.

Brenda’s surgeon feels that she has to be careful with sun exposure but also says that she might “not want to live in a cave”.  It’s a complicated issue and I can certainly understand her concern.

Anyway, I got to thinking about how to define “risk” and UV exposure in general.  As they say, “you can find anything on the Internet” so I started looking and found a scientific instrument that measures, yes, you guessed it, UVA and UVB light.  It’s a pretty neat gadget with a sensor that you point toward a light source and it will give you a very accurate measurement of these portions of the light spectrum.   There are a number of companies that make these devices and I settled on one made by General Instruments. It cost less than $175 including shipping.   As a point of notice, the reading on the screen in this photo was in shade on our back deck.  In the sun a few feet away the reading was a whopping 8,500.  Still, I was surprised at the reading of nearly 900 in full shade.  I guess that’s reflected light.  Of course, inside the house the reading was “0”.The unit is very easy to use and appears to be quite sensitive.  The sensor itself is attached to a cable so you can place it wherever you wish to take a reading.   Here’s what the company says about it’s use…

“The #UV513AB UVA/B light meter is ideal for applications including UV curing and sterilization, semiconductor fabrication, offset printing, environmental monitoring and industrial process control. – See more at this link:”

So, I decided to do a test to see what sort of “protection” a good quality sunscreen provided.  First, I exposed the instrument to direct sun and got a reading of 8,200 in very bright sun at 10:30.   Yes, really, really bright.  Next, I placed a thin sheet of plastic sandwich wrap over the sensor and the reading dropped by about 12% to 7,200.  Makes sense.  Then I applied a thin smear of a good quality sunscreen, Neutrogena 45, on a piece of plastic wrap, let it dry and put that over the sensor.  I was shocked to see the reading drop to 100, a reduction of nearly 99%, almost as low as being inside actually.  Really Amazing.  Brenda and I have always debated the relative value of different types of sunscreen and what you get by spending more.  Now we can place some bets and see who is right.  That should be fun.

So, my next step will be to see what sorts of readings I get aboard Pandora under the bimini and hard dodger and how much feflected UV there is off of the water.  It will also be interesting to see what sort of UV gets through “sun-protective” clothing.

Well, there’s lots to consider however if I don’t get going on the bathroom remodeling today there will be Hell to pay and I’ll never make it to Maine this summer for cruise with some friends which I hope to do in late July.

And speaking of the renovation.  I demoed the shower yesterday and rerouted some plumbing.  Here’s a “before” shot of the shower.  Lovely.  And, behind the door it was a horrible taupe colored fiberglass enclosure.  You know the type right?Here’s what it looked like after I was “done”.   Wasn’t that easy?Today, I’ll finish rerouting some plumbing that is in the way and frame up for the pan and shower seat.  Of course, a girl has to have a seat to perch on when she shaves her legs.  “Too much information Bob, stick to reno details!”.

Oh yeah, speaking of Cuba, which I wasn’t, Brenda and I have a few dates to talk about our trip including one at “Cruiser’s University” being put on at the Annapolis Sailboat Show.  That will be fun.

We will also be speaking at a special dinner to be held “under the stars” at the CT River Museum in August.  That should be a very special evening with a Cuban theme.  They even plan on serving mojtos.  I love mojitos!   I plan to donate a very special bottle of 11 year old Santiago de Cuba rum to be auctioned off that evening.  That particular brand is the only brand in Cuba that is made in it’s own distillery.  It is very fine rum and you just can’t obtain it here in the U.S. Oh yeah, one more thing.  Remember my dead lawn mower?   And you know how much I love to mow the lawn.   Well I was able to find a used commercial 48″ wide Bob-Cat mower.  Now I can “love” cutting it for a lot less time each week.  Well, that’s the theory at least.   So far, not so fast as it’s a “beast” of a machine.   So far, mowing with this is more like “the dog walking me”. Yes I have a plan.   A plan to head to Maine.  That seems pretty likely.  And a plan to measure UV.    What Brenda and I will be able to do with that information is anyone’s guess.

And, I am POSITIVE that I have a plan to finish the bathroom renovation.  Yes, that’s PLAN ONE for now.

I guess I have covered enough random stuff for one day.  The shower stall awaits. Time to get to work.   Good news… No UVA or UVB risk there.

Don’t believe me?  I have a nifty meter to prove it.  So there!!!

Who knew?