Jessie the diver's GSP
Oyster Boat 
Waiting for my ride
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Beautiful Oyster Bay, NY
We decided to move on from Port Jefferson on Friday morning and left bound for Oyster Bay. As soon as we reached the mouth of the harbor we knew we were in for yet another rough ride. 18 to 20 knot winds and 5 ft trailing seas - again. We hung on and reached Oyster Bay around 3 p.m. We pulled up to the fuel dock and filled our tanks and then took a mooring. April has befriended everybody on the docks. We decided to call a diver and get our prop checked. We have been concerned since Onset MA that we might have picked something up. The USBoat diver pulled up and aboard was a 13 year old black GSP, Jessie. The good news is the prop was fine. April again met Jessie on the docks and they were immediate friends, off to find some good old rotten fish together in the marsh. Oyster Bay is just beautiful - sailboats everywhere. It is the training center for the US Sailing Team. There are also oyster boats everywhere. The harbor is alive with oyster fisherman, and they are held in high esteem for their trade. We took the launch in for showers and toured downtown today, Saturday, September 28th. We had lunch in an outdoor café. April has acquired a liking to dockside dining. We found the laundry and market for tomorrow and picked up some propane tanks and stopped at the liquor store and ship's store on our walk back to the dock. We stay here another day and then move on to the next harbor to await the tide for Tuesday's ride through Hell's Gate, New York City, and on to Atlantic Heights, New Jersey. I hope the weather stays with us.
We decided to move on from Port Jefferson on Friday morning and left bound for Oyster Bay. As soon as we reached the mouth of the harbor we knew we were in for yet another rough ride. 18 to 20 knot winds and 5 ft trailing seas - again. We hung on and reached Oyster Bay around 3 p.m. We pulled up to the fuel dock and filled our tanks and then took a mooring. April has befriended everybody on the docks. We decided to call a diver and get our prop checked. We have been concerned since Onset MA that we might have picked something up. The USBoat diver pulled up and aboard was a 13 year old black GSP, Jessie. The good news is the prop was fine. April again met Jessie on the docks and they were immediate friends, off to find some good old rotten fish together in the marsh. Oyster Bay is just beautiful - sailboats everywhere. It is the training center for the US Sailing Team. There are also oyster boats everywhere. The harbor is alive with oyster fisherman, and they are held in high esteem for their trade. We took the launch in for showers and toured downtown today, Saturday, September 28th. We had lunch in an outdoor café. April has acquired a liking to dockside dining. We found the laundry and market for tomorrow and picked up some propane tanks and stopped at the liquor store and ship's store on our walk back to the dock. We stay here another day and then move on to the next harbor to await the tide for Tuesday's ride through Hell's Gate, New York City, and on to Atlantic Heights, New Jersey. I hope the weather stays with us.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
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Wednesday, 9/25, we are in Port Jefferson, New York. Our trip from Clinton, CT across Long Island Sound found 4 to 5 ft. waves and 15 to 20 knot winds. We were washed down more than once along the way. We had intended to head to Oyster Bay, NY, but recalculated and found our way into Port Jefferson Harbor. We hooked onto a mooring at the yacht club which just happens to be in front of the town's dog beach and after the dog walk watched the kids' sailing races. What fun! We did some more of those needed boat chores this morning and then took in the town - very beautiful, and did lunch on the deck of a downtown restaurant. April had the company of a 18 mos. old Labradoodle at the next table. For the first time in awhile, we found dogs for April to play with on the beach. We are not in a hurry for the next couple of days as we are watching the tide to pass through Hells Gate into the East River and the Battery. The weather is fantastic today, sunny and 70 degrees.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Monday in Clinton, CT
We had a wonderful breakfast with the Bishops, saying goodbye for a wonderful weekend, and left their mooring and motored down the Thames River. Jerry and Sandy followed in their boat and lead us into a fuel dock. Oopps - out of fuel. However, we filled up with water and then went on to the next marina with fuel. The temperature was 55 degrees and the winds were blowing at 10 - 20 mph by the time we got out of the harbor and underway. We decided at 2 pm we would go into Clinton and tie up to a dock overnight. It is really very nice here - very protected against the winds. We have rinsed down the boat, fed the dog and will have a walk around the town. Tomorrow we hope to move on to Oyster Bay, CT.
We had a wonderful breakfast with the Bishops, saying goodbye for a wonderful weekend, and left their mooring and motored down the Thames River. Jerry and Sandy followed in their boat and lead us into a fuel dock. Oopps - out of fuel. However, we filled up with water and then went on to the next marina with fuel. The temperature was 55 degrees and the winds were blowing at 10 - 20 mph by the time we got out of the harbor and underway. We decided at 2 pm we would go into Clinton and tie up to a dock overnight. It is really very nice here - very protected against the winds. We have rinsed down the boat, fed the dog and will have a walk around the town. Tomorrow we hope to move on to Oyster Bay, CT.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
We finally made it! Saturday, September 14th, we left the mooring in Pepperrell Cove headed for Gloucester, MA. It was fun to be back in the boat on the water and our trip to Gloucester was just fine. We love our new engine and the work to the transmission seems to have solved the problem. I called the harbor master and reserved a mooring in Gloucester Harbor. April did just fine. We gave her a good walk around the town and she was ready to settle into her new environment.
Sunday, around 8 AM we left Gloucester for Plymouth, MA. We again today had the wind at our nose, so no sailing was involved, however we did have the tide with us and the wind didn't blow up too hard. Our day was uneventful and April again settled in for the ride. I had forgotten about the narrow channel into the harbor along the very long sand bar. We picked up a mooring in Plymouth Harbor and again walked April all around town after our visit to the harbor master's office. April has really taken to harbor masters.
Monday we were off the mooring early with the tide through the Cape Cod Canal. The wind picked up during the trip through so the decision was made to head for Onset Bay - near the end of the canal - and avoid Buzzards Bay. We saw a very strange huge fish with a BIG eye on the way down the canal. Don't know what it was. Onset Bay was a very shallow hurricane like hole to get into, but we finally navigated it and again picked up a mooring. The marina had showers and best of all they liked dogs. There was a long beach where April could finally get some running time in. We sat our the strong winds on Tuesday and did a lot of beach walking.
Wednesday we headed out into Buzzards Bay. We had the tide with us, but the winds were still off our nose and the sea was rolling. So, no sails up and it was a rough ride to Newport, RI. I had to make a few calls to get a mooring, but we finally got an answer and were directed into the mooring field in Newport - quite the trip and what boats! We were almost run into twice within a few seconds with boats crossing directly in front of us as we approached the mooring. They seem to think nothing of it. Our daily trips have been between 7 and 8 hours and about what April is happy with. Once we start into a harbor, she sits up and watches the entry event. Once we are all tied up, she knows it is her turn to get into the dinghy and find land. The Newport Yacht Club let us tie up our dinghy at their dock and use their dog walk facility. Then we had a nice walk around Newport, taking in the sights.
Thursday, we head for Block Island, RI. Again, a rough ride with the tide but again the wind. We have a rigging problem and cannot put up the sail today. Our punch list is getting longer. We arrived in Block Island safely and a little earlier in the afternoon and again talked with the harbor master and picked up a town mooring. We did our usual walk around the town, April did a little duck hunting off WishBone, and we treated ourselves to take-out at the local restaurant. We were tired today.
Friday we left Block Island and headed for the Thames River to visit our friends the Bishops in Quaker Hill, CT. We picked up the wrong buoy as we left the channel in Block Island, but soon realized it, and between the charts and GPS managed to correct our course, and didn't lose too much time. The fog built a wall as we neared the harbor going into the river. Fortunately it cleared as we approached and the railroad bridge gave us an early opening for our approach. Jerry met us at his mooring with the painter and there WB sits. We spent Friday afternoon in Defenders for supplies and Saturday Bill and Jerry were on the boat taking care of that punch list. April is being spoiled and loves it here. Great squirrel watching and walks! We have rested, been treated like royalty and caught up with all the news. Last night we were reacquainted with Jerry and Sandy's son, Dana, and met his wife Amy. Dana helped me get back on the blog. Yeah! It was a nice evening. The weather is rainy today, but it looks like we can get back under way on Monday. Thanks for checking in on us.
Sunday, around 8 AM we left Gloucester for Plymouth, MA. We again today had the wind at our nose, so no sailing was involved, however we did have the tide with us and the wind didn't blow up too hard. Our day was uneventful and April again settled in for the ride. I had forgotten about the narrow channel into the harbor along the very long sand bar. We picked up a mooring in Plymouth Harbor and again walked April all around town after our visit to the harbor master's office. April has really taken to harbor masters.
Monday we were off the mooring early with the tide through the Cape Cod Canal. The wind picked up during the trip through so the decision was made to head for Onset Bay - near the end of the canal - and avoid Buzzards Bay. We saw a very strange huge fish with a BIG eye on the way down the canal. Don't know what it was. Onset Bay was a very shallow hurricane like hole to get into, but we finally navigated it and again picked up a mooring. The marina had showers and best of all they liked dogs. There was a long beach where April could finally get some running time in. We sat our the strong winds on Tuesday and did a lot of beach walking.
Wednesday we headed out into Buzzards Bay. We had the tide with us, but the winds were still off our nose and the sea was rolling. So, no sails up and it was a rough ride to Newport, RI. I had to make a few calls to get a mooring, but we finally got an answer and were directed into the mooring field in Newport - quite the trip and what boats! We were almost run into twice within a few seconds with boats crossing directly in front of us as we approached the mooring. They seem to think nothing of it. Our daily trips have been between 7 and 8 hours and about what April is happy with. Once we start into a harbor, she sits up and watches the entry event. Once we are all tied up, she knows it is her turn to get into the dinghy and find land. The Newport Yacht Club let us tie up our dinghy at their dock and use their dog walk facility. Then we had a nice walk around Newport, taking in the sights.
Thursday, we head for Block Island, RI. Again, a rough ride with the tide but again the wind. We have a rigging problem and cannot put up the sail today. Our punch list is getting longer. We arrived in Block Island safely and a little earlier in the afternoon and again talked with the harbor master and picked up a town mooring. We did our usual walk around the town, April did a little duck hunting off WishBone, and we treated ourselves to take-out at the local restaurant. We were tired today.
Friday we left Block Island and headed for the Thames River to visit our friends the Bishops in Quaker Hill, CT. We picked up the wrong buoy as we left the channel in Block Island, but soon realized it, and between the charts and GPS managed to correct our course, and didn't lose too much time. The fog built a wall as we neared the harbor going into the river. Fortunately it cleared as we approached and the railroad bridge gave us an early opening for our approach. Jerry met us at his mooring with the painter and there WB sits. We spent Friday afternoon in Defenders for supplies and Saturday Bill and Jerry were on the boat taking care of that punch list. April is being spoiled and loves it here. Great squirrel watching and walks! We have rested, been treated like royalty and caught up with all the news. Last night we were reacquainted with Jerry and Sandy's son, Dana, and met his wife Amy. Dana helped me get back on the blog. Yeah! It was a nice evening. The weather is rainy today, but it looks like we can get back under way on Monday. Thanks for checking in on us.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Fogged In at Pepperrell Cove
The fog had moved in yesterday and it is here again today. Perhaps the heavy rains we are having will scare it away. We will check out the conditions tomorrow early with the hopes of departing. If not, then Saturday is supposed to be good weather. We know how to wait for the window, but we are itchy to get going. We have said our goodbyes and need to get underway.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Well, Tuesday is here and the forecast is SSW 10 - 25 mph, small craft warnings - not good against the tide headed South. So we wait - maybe Friday. The boat is loaded with every crook and cranny stuffed with something. Now to remember where it all is! So, one more day to do the last minutes thing around the house and yard.
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