sailing – Sail Pandora

Newport and the America’s Cup Trials

July 2, 2012 | Leave a Comment

On Friday I visited Newport with a friend and had a great time watching the trials for the America’s Cup. These boats are not the same ones that will race for the cup itself as they are around 45′ long and the cup boats will be over 70′ long. Don’t ask me why they will dump these boats and go to longer ones. It’s too complicated to keep track of these guys and all their rule changes.

Back to Newport. I have to say that they have done a terrific job of making the cup a more compelling spectator sport with this new venue. They have been staging “trials” in a number of locations world wide with the current races in Newport over several days. The course is a very short one, perhaps a mile long and a half mile wide with the entire course within easy viewing of shore. To see these boats shoot by at some 20kts is really a sight to behold. Some lament the demise of the old style monohull but to me, the cup races are a lot more exciting now. And, if you are lucky, you might even see one capsize as happened on the first day of racing. Call this the water equivalent of NASCAR racing perhaps.

The first thing that we saw as we headed over to Fort Adams, the viewing area, from the Newport Yacht Club was the boats on moorings getting ready. They are really high tech machines. I expect that the tenders themselves cost more than Pandora, my SAGA 43. The boats, especially the American boats from Oracle, look even more “nasty” in black carbon fiber.

There was plenty to look at with sponsors all around. One of the major sponsors is Red Bull energy drink. Very appropriate given the frenetic nature of sailing these boats. Nice vehicle.Plenty of potential consumers to see the displays. In spite of so many folks crammed together, it was easy to get a spot with a good view. Once on the course these boats really show their stuff. Hulls flying in a very modest breeze. This boat is from France. Prada looks great as one would expect. Very stylish but not as sleek as Oracle in her black paint. While most of the races were match, meaning two boats racing at a given time, the final race of the day was a fleet race. What a mob scene, with all the boats starting at once. And to make it more exciting for the crowd, the start had them all headed directly for the crowd and tacking just off the breakwater. What a great sight. Amazingly, they didn’t hit each other.After tacking so close they all headed off toward the first mark. After the races the boats headed back to their moorings in the harbor. I was struck by the contrast of the current boats verses one of the classic 12 meters that used to race for the Cup, in wood no less. Just a little different wouldn’t you say?One thing for sure is that the current approach to the Cup will reach many more than past races that had become somewhat marginalized in most people’s minds I expect. This video is an example of the “showmanship” that has become a part of this event. A great approach for the “Youtube generation” in my mind.

And for a moment of “I was there”, here are highlights, in a somewhat longer format, of the day of racing that I enjoyed. It does look great in this refined presentation with terrific graphics, but being there was even more fun. And, the crowds were pretty amazing.

After the races we headed back to the New York Yacht Club for a beer and to hear a talk by Gary Jobsen, well known sailor and the commentator for the race series. Glad to have friends like Ken that belong to such great clubs. Besides, getting in the club launch allowed us to avoid waiting in line for an hour with all the “regular folks”. Not bad. We heard Jobsen speak in the white tent on the water just below the “club house”. Club house? That seems like a funny term for such a grant building. Very nice indeed. On Saturday Ken and I headed to Mystic to see the Wooden Boat Show, a great event at Mystic Seaport although very different with the smell of tar instead of the gleam of carbon fiber. More to come on that soon.

It’s really hot. So, let’s go to Block Island

June 22, 2012 | Leave a Comment

Yikes, it’s hot. Really hot. Today it was in the 90s and really humid. Here’s an idea! I’ll head out to Block Island where it’s cooler. Yes, that’s what I will do and will do so with my good friend Craig is headed up to Mystic on Friday morning to meet me for three days aboard Pandora. While the weather is supposed to cool down a bit here in Essex, it looks like Block will be considerably cooler, in the mid 80s. I am counting on it.

Speaking of time aboard Pandora (I thought that you would never ask) Brenda and I had a nice couple of days aboard last weekend when we headed out to Watch Hill and Fisher’s Island for a short but nice cruise.

On Monday we lunched at the Ocean House, a great spot that I wrote about in my last post. What a pretty place. And yes, Muffy and all her pals were very much in evidence enjoying lunch prior to a rousing game of bridge. I do know that bridge is a very popular game but I haven’t a clue as to what it is all about. In any event, the bridge set at Ocean House looked pretty well healed and fresh into town from Boca, if you must know.

Speaking of proper togs, to stretch the point a bit further, one of my boys gave me this great ensign for Christmas last year. It’s nearly 6′ long. Don’t look too hard at my stainless flag staff. Besides, it’s the flag that’s worth noting. Don’t you just hate the wimpy flags that you see on some boats? Speaking of a properly fitted yacht. I spied this cruiser next to us in the anchorage at Watch Hill. They are out of Mystic. What great lines. Very nice in a world of top-heavy Tupperware cruisers.

We went for a walk along the water and out to the coast guard station. I can’t tell you how magnificent the homes with this view are. Hard to believe that most are only occupied for a few months, or less, a year. Yes, firmly ensconced in the .0001%.

And, just to prove that we were there, Brenda took a picture of me taking a picture of her taking a picture of me… Well, you get the idea. The light house is very picturesque. So nice in fact, that I have to include a close up just to be sure that it’s as nice as it looks from a distance. Yes, just as nice. After leaving Watch Hill we headed over the Fisher’s Island. Fisher’s is probably one of the most expensive place to live on the east coast. And that’s for a summer home. Catch a look at this pad. What is it that they say about people who live in glass houses? Also, how do they get the trees to grown square? Is that what they call a box wood? Hmm…

I’ll probably get in trouble for putting in this shot of my friend’s anchor windlass, lass. I had a pair of these once but they went off to college. Now this is dedication from our friend, who will remain nameless.

And this is the same windlass in high gear. Now, that’s teamwork. if she is the windlass does that make him a windlad?
Perhaps I had better change the subject right quick. How about this shot of Brenda looking just fetching in a great hat, if you are looking for a similar hat, click to view right here. I just love her in hats. And, what a fab wind blown look. Bummer about that “fear of hat hair” that keeps her from wearing them more often. You can see the selection at Cap Wholesalers here.

Pandora launched at last, free at last and a visit to Watch Hill

June 12, 2012 | Leave a Comment

Finally, after delays for reasons, some good and some not so good, Pandora finally hit the water (gently) last week in Norwalk CT. For reasons of economy, I have kept her in a yard that is a bit off the beaten path (RE: on the other side of the 95 bridge in Norwalk) for a number of years now. That doesn’t sound like a big deal except that the bridge has a vertical clearance of 61′ at high water while Pandora’s mast is 63′ plus gear, antennas and the like. Yes, not a big difference but that two plus feet makes a smashing lot of difference if we were to hit the bridge.

Well, the answer is to pass under the bridge at low tide. Duhh… With 7′ of tide in Western LI Sound, that’s not a biggie, it just takes a bit of planning. And, there are two other bridges that must open prior to even getting to the “short” bridge. HOWEVER, the day prior to the launch, the yard owner stopped by to tell me that there was work being done on the 95 highway bridge and that there was a scaffolding under the mid span, where I needed to pass under, that restricted the vertical height to 62′ at LOW TIDE. Not good.

After much back and forth, the 95-bridge-worker-men agreed that they would pull up the cables that were in the way at mid span to be sure that there would be enough vertical height for me to pass under. Well, that sounded reasonable, at the 11th hour, so it seemed that we were ready.

Before getting back to the bridge issue, let me digress to mention a bit about the unconventional crane that launched Pandora. It’s an 80 ton capacity behemoth, painted a lovely color of red. To me it seemed better suited to be the main character in a children’s book than the workhorse in a boat yard. And, I have to say that watching her be picked up gave me a pause. Yikes, it looked precarious.

Whew!!! So far, so good.

In the water and without a scratch. Oh yea, I should mention that at low tide, this area is just a mud flat so she had to go in at the tippy top of high tide.

Anyway, Pandora ended up in the water without incident and on Friday morning, to coincide with dead low we were off. Oh yea, we almost weren’t off as Pandora was hard aground in the mud. It wasn’t until after much back and forth along with enthusiastic pushing from three yard guys that we were able to power off. Never a dull moment. So off to the bridge we went.

As we approached the bridge we could see that some of the cables were not pulled up fully so my helper/crew gesticulated wildly for me to head more to the left where the cables seemed a bit higher. Indeed, it was VERY, VERY CLOSE as the VHF antenna, the highest part of gear on the top of the mast, plinked from cable to cable as we passed under the bridge ever-soo-slooowly. My heart was just pounding, as I had visions of all my gear being sheared off of the top of the mast, but we made it. After that fun was over we passed through two more bridges, a Metro North train bridge that required an appointment with dispatch and eight guys to open it. I have to believe that moving through that bridge cost over $1,000 in labor. Amazing! After those two bridges calling the Norwalk bridge tender to get the third bridge to open was a piece of cake. No issues there. Finally, out in the harbor and on our way.

There’s no doubt that we will have plenty of practice with bridges as we head down the ICW this fall. More to come on that. Perhaps I should drop a tape from the top of the mast to confirm exactly how tall the rig is. Yea, a good idea.

Our run from Norwalk took us up to Mystic where Pandora will be for about a month prior to moving her to Wickford RI and on to Maine. The weekend also included a wonderful rendezvous with fellow Corinthians at the Watch Hill Yacht Club. What a great way to start the season aboard Pandora. And, yes, we even were able to sail for a few hours. It was a picture perfect day out on LI Sound.

After a night in Mystic aboard we headed to Watch Hill and our rendezvous at the Watch Hill Yacht Club. The yacht club has a great view of the harbor to the west. Here’s the entrance. The entire clubhouse is out on pilings, above the water. Access to this wonderful place is just another reason that being a member of The Corinthians is a good idea.

On Sunday morning, I stopped at the Ocean House, a wonderful resort up on the hill overlooking the ocean and harbor, for coffee and a leisurely read of the NY Times. How decadent.

What a grand entrance. The Ocean House was designed to look very much like the grand structure that it replaced. A wonderful piece of work. Brenda and I will be visiting for lunch in a few weeks. Dinner would be terrific, I am sure, but it’s a bit out of our price range. We can also afford to indulge in a cup of coffee on the veranda.

Can you imagine a more serene spot to have coffee while listening to the surf? Not me.

Oh Muffy, you must join us for a round of croquet out on the lawn. Some of the locals, you know, Muffy and her pals, have money to spend and the taste to do it with style. How about this beauty?

Watch Hill is surely one of our favorite places and will be on the list again in a week or so. Life is good.

The wild horses, houses and a cemetary in Beaufort. Only the horses are wild though.

May 27, 2012 | Leave a Comment

Yes, it’s Sunday and we are still waiting on Beryl to move away so we can head north. While the winds are down, the seas are still pretty rough off of Hatteras and our Monday morning departure is still looking good. While winds are low enough for us to leave late today instead of in the morning, it won’t make a big difference in our arrival date so Monday morning it is and giving the waves a bit more time to calm down will make for a much more enjoyable ride up the coast.

Another unique feature , and source of local pride, of Beaufort is the wild horses that live on the barrier island having arrived with the early Spanish explorers some 400 years ago. What a contrast it is to sit on board The Abby and look the short distance over the harbor to see horses grazing at the water’s edge. Yesterday afternoon I went for a walk and enjoyed passing through the well kept neighborhoods and shady streets. As I have mentioned before, the homes are well maintained, and there’s not a whiff of vinyl siding or “mini mansion stucco” to be found. If the condition of the homes is any indication, it’s also a great place to be a painter, or sell white paint. Every home is white. Perhaps it’s to stay cool. And, lots of nice front porches, a throwback to the days before air conditioning.Some of the gardens are really nice. What a great spot to relax and read the paper on a Sunday morning, or later in the day, with an “adult beverage”.It was also fun to wander among the headstones in this cemetery. Many of the graves were from the civil war and the live oaks were clearly not planted yesterday. Lots of stories here, I am sure. Very peaceful.

Nice views in every direction.

Plenty or churches to choose from but our crew decided to attend a service on the water, at the town dock, provided by the Intracoastal Waterfolk Ministry who had dropped off a flier at our boat on Saturday. It was a nice service with about 30 in attendance in a nice shady spot on the water. Seeing the wild horses in the distance certainly set the tone. During one of the hymns there was a bird chirping in the tree over my head that was even more enthusiastic than the congregation.

The service was at the public landing which was very nice with a big sign welcoming all to visit Beaufort.

I have really enjoyed our visit here and look forward to visiting with Brenda in November on our way south. However, it’s my hope that our visit won’t be sandwiched between two tropical storms or worse. We will also likely be anchored out in the harbor with the little people. Not a bad place to be. Besides, we will be a lot closer to the wild horses of Beaufort.

Sights, if not sounds, in Nassau

May 17, 2012 | Leave a Comment

I had a great day yesterday wandering around Nassau from our marina to tourist area where the cruise ships dock as well as an area where the locals hang out to play checkers and dominoes. Nassau is an area of great contrast from the run down to the glitzy. First, this is a much better shot of The Abby. What a nice boat. Very powerful machine.

As I walked the two or so miles into town I passed Potters Cove where locals have put up shacks to serve food and sell conch. The area, locals and their wares are very colorful.

The small shacks are lined up cheek to jowl accompanied by the din of small generators humming away to keep the lights on. Quite a sight and plenty aromatic.

They aren’t too concerned about putting fenders out to keep their boats from bumping into each other.
A favorite pastime is dominoes which is more of a contact sport given the way that they slap the tiles down. They are very enthusiastic.
Conch are everywhere, stacked up on counters waiting to be carved up into dinner.

Some vendors clean up the empty ones and they are very nice. I need to get one of these to take home. They are bigger than they look, with some measuring a foot across.

Some of the “items” for sale are not quite as appetizing though, like these land crabs. Imagine that they are nearly a foot across. They would be a great prop for an Indiana Jones movie. Imagine yourself in a cave, in the dark, claws clicking away… You get the picture.

I tried hard to imagine what sort of recipe these would go into. Cook’s Illustrated, help!!!For dinner we had grouper and picked it up at a road side stand where local fisherman displayed their wares. For an extra $5 they will clean if for you. It was a bit unsettling to watch how aggressively they went at the fish with a machete. Scales flying everywhere accompanied by a constant dialogue from his buddies dissecting his skills. I was impressed.

A bit further down where the cruise ships dock, the environment is much different with high end fashion the norm. No dried fish here.

Well, that was yesterday and now it’s Thursday morning and raining steadily. I am told that this is not normal weather at all according to Bob, the owner of The Abbey. In the 8 seasons that they have spent here they have had more rain this winter than the total of their last seven years visiting the Bahamas.

With regards to our departure, we had expected to leave here on Friday or Saturday but now its looking more like Sunday. as there is a low and unsettled weather that just won’t budge. For the short term, I just hope that the rain stops so we can do a bit more exploring later today.