Merry Christmas to Everyone! (written Christmas eve)
Here we are sitting in No Name Harbor outside of the Miami Area awaiting the weather to accommodate us for crossing the mighty Gulf Stream into the Bahamas. We'll cross on Christmas if the weather holds and will arrive into Bimini around noon (leaving Biscayne Bay around 4am), then after resting up, we'll head off to somewhere in the Bahamas (destination unknown at present).
We spent the past three days in the upper Florida Keys visiting our boat broker friend at his place on Islamorada. We had a nice visit and enjoyed the first really warm Florida weather to date, including a few nights filled with lovely no-see-ums. Regardless, we enjoyed catching up with him and mentally refueling before we head off into the Atlantic for the crossing.
We wanted to send this note out in lieu of the traditional Christmas card as we'll likely not be getting around to that for a while (if ever!). We hope for great love in everyone's lives, World peace (wouldn't that be nice for a change!), inner peace for us all, a healthy year ahead, and gut-wrenching laughter at every available opportunity.
Know that WE LOVE YOU All and hope you'll think of a way to come visit us out here before the winter doldrums make you too grumpy to be around.
Love to you all! Suz and Rick
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Savannah to Florida
Whew! It's been a fabulous trip from Savannah, Georgia on down the eastcoast to the tip of Florida, where we currently sit "on the hook" in Ft.Lauderdale, Florida. In a few days we hope to be across the mighty Gulf Stream waters and basking in Bahamian sunshine and soaking our "bods"sapphire blue Caribbean waters.
After Savannah for Thanksgiving with Pop Lobb, we left on Saturday in a rather unprepared fashion. Thought we were ready, only to discover that this boating business leaves little pity for those caught unprepared. Our intent was to continue following the ICW south from our dockside location in Savannah and thought it was to be a simple "follow the yellow brick road" path. We found out quickly (actually after nearly 40 minutes as "wrong-way Hoolahans") that the road had taken a sharp turn we weren't aware of and hadn't checked closely enough on our charts. No problems occurred unless hurt pride counts, however, and we retraced our paths back on track and correctly down the correct "road". BIG lesson day, to say the least.
From Savannah we journeyed down the Intracoastal Waterway toward the remainder of Georgia and anchored in Teakettle Creek, GA for the night, learning another important lesson: Its not the best idea to anchor on a bend in the river. No, a blind curve mind you, just in a place where, as we discovered, currents will continue to push your boat all over the place through the night. Obviously we survived that "perpetual motion machine" and proceeded into into Florida waters after one more night at a pretty Crooked River anchorage where we awoke to "pea-soup thick" heavy fog. Delayed our departure a couple of hours but gave us time to get some boat chores done. Really pretty setting, even in the fog.
Our next stop was in Jacksonville Beach, FLA to reconnect with an old Army friend, George Leinenweber. He has retired there and it was great fun to reconnect after roughly 35 years. While at Ft. Carson he an I formed a band and enjoyed off-duty time pickin' and grinnin'. He also kept playing throughout his life so it was fun to get out the guitars and rev it up once again.
Stayed ashore for one night at his lovely home, then back to the boat for the continuance of our trip.
Next stop was St. Augustine, FLA. There we met up with Chris and Deanna Koebnick, Steamboat Springs friends who also were music buddies of ours. They stay in Florida during off months from their full-time Steamboat activities. Had a great 5 nights with them enjoying this historic and beautiful city and spending the evenings joining in at their musical engagements. Chris was the bass player with Rick and the boys for so many years in Steamboat Springs. Thier band Sundog, is who played at Ellie and Eric's committment cermony and will play at Jenny and Greg's wedding in March.
Heading south from there found us pulling into Daytona Beach for one night before arriving at Titusville (Cape Canaveral area) to discover we had arrived a couple of days prior to a scheduled space shuttle launch! We decided to wait a day to watch the launch, but it was for naught as the launch was scrubbed and rescheduled for January. No worries, as these delays are all the reason one cruises. No schedules, and no hurries!
Next nightfound us at Dragon Point, FLA. This anchorage is so-called because there used to be "dragon" sculpture which guarded the inlet to the anchorage. It has sense fallen victim to the sea and is likely not to be rebuilt. After that, we were in Ft. Pierce to connect with a school friend of Suz, Sharon and her husband John Bussey, at their beautiful weekend home get-away place. We felt like we slid right in with their friends and families and truly enjoyed the area.
Social commitments, out the way for a while, we continued south toward Ft.Lauderdale stopping at the Lake Worth area for some work to be undertaken on the water maker. Once repairs were completed, we continued on into Ft.Lauderdale to a pretty anchorage on Lake Sylvia, right off the canals in the city proper. A great anchorage which allowed us to stay a few extra days and enjoy the city.
We also found out that our energy related difficulties were not caused by something we had done but were the result of worn out primary storage batteries. As you might expect, power for this cat is providedby a large bank of golf-cat sized batteries, recharged by the generator and the engines when we are underway. Once these batteries lose storage ability due to age, no electricity for the boat to operate. The engines will run but the batts will not take a re-charge forcing their replacement. After four years, these batteries tend to die a slow but certain death. After replacing them (OUCH!$$$) we now feel ready to resume our voyage toward the islands and will head south toward our jump-off point near the top of the Florida Keys.
Last night was the Winterfest parade which is much like a floating parts. Floats (boats) are decorated with lots of lights and assorted decorations and form a parade route through the canals of FT. Lauderdale, while the spectators line the route in boats rafted together forming huge cocktail-partying clusters. We enjoyed the parade from our dingy, then came back to the boat for a late supper and off to bed.
Tomorrow, hopefully, we'll be off to Biscayne Bay area of Miami, then off to Islamorada, a northern Key from which we'll stage our Gulf Stream crossing later in the week, once the weather is right. Soon, we'll be in touch from over there!
Love Rick and Suz
After Savannah for Thanksgiving with Pop Lobb, we left on Saturday in a rather unprepared fashion. Thought we were ready, only to discover that this boating business leaves little pity for those caught unprepared. Our intent was to continue following the ICW south from our dockside location in Savannah and thought it was to be a simple "follow the yellow brick road" path. We found out quickly (actually after nearly 40 minutes as "wrong-way Hoolahans") that the road had taken a sharp turn we weren't aware of and hadn't checked closely enough on our charts. No problems occurred unless hurt pride counts, however, and we retraced our paths back on track and correctly down the correct "road". BIG lesson day, to say the least.
From Savannah we journeyed down the Intracoastal Waterway toward the remainder of Georgia and anchored in Teakettle Creek, GA for the night, learning another important lesson: Its not the best idea to anchor on a bend in the river. No, a blind curve mind you, just in a place where, as we discovered, currents will continue to push your boat all over the place through the night. Obviously we survived that "perpetual motion machine" and proceeded into into Florida waters after one more night at a pretty Crooked River anchorage where we awoke to "pea-soup thick" heavy fog. Delayed our departure a couple of hours but gave us time to get some boat chores done. Really pretty setting, even in the fog.
Our next stop was in Jacksonville Beach, FLA to reconnect with an old Army friend, George Leinenweber. He has retired there and it was great fun to reconnect after roughly 35 years. While at Ft. Carson he an I formed a band and enjoyed off-duty time pickin' and grinnin'. He also kept playing throughout his life so it was fun to get out the guitars and rev it up once again.
Stayed ashore for one night at his lovely home, then back to the boat for the continuance of our trip.
Next stop was St. Augustine, FLA. There we met up with Chris and Deanna Koebnick, Steamboat Springs friends who also were music buddies of ours. They stay in Florida during off months from their full-time Steamboat activities. Had a great 5 nights with them enjoying this historic and beautiful city and spending the evenings joining in at their musical engagements. Chris was the bass player with Rick and the boys for so many years in Steamboat Springs. Thier band Sundog, is who played at Ellie and Eric's committment cermony and will play at Jenny and Greg's wedding in March.
Heading south from there found us pulling into Daytona Beach for one night before arriving at Titusville (Cape Canaveral area) to discover we had arrived a couple of days prior to a scheduled space shuttle launch! We decided to wait a day to watch the launch, but it was for naught as the launch was scrubbed and rescheduled for January. No worries, as these delays are all the reason one cruises. No schedules, and no hurries!
Next nightfound us at Dragon Point, FLA. This anchorage is so-called because there used to be "dragon" sculpture which guarded the inlet to the anchorage. It has sense fallen victim to the sea and is likely not to be rebuilt. After that, we were in Ft. Pierce to connect with a school friend of Suz, Sharon and her husband John Bussey, at their beautiful weekend home get-away place. We felt like we slid right in with their friends and families and truly enjoyed the area.
Social commitments, out the way for a while, we continued south toward Ft.Lauderdale stopping at the Lake Worth area for some work to be undertaken on the water maker. Once repairs were completed, we continued on into Ft.Lauderdale to a pretty anchorage on Lake Sylvia, right off the canals in the city proper. A great anchorage which allowed us to stay a few extra days and enjoy the city.
We also found out that our energy related difficulties were not caused by something we had done but were the result of worn out primary storage batteries. As you might expect, power for this cat is providedby a large bank of golf-cat sized batteries, recharged by the generator and the engines when we are underway. Once these batteries lose storage ability due to age, no electricity for the boat to operate. The engines will run but the batts will not take a re-charge forcing their replacement. After four years, these batteries tend to die a slow but certain death. After replacing them (OUCH!$$$) we now feel ready to resume our voyage toward the islands and will head south toward our jump-off point near the top of the Florida Keys.
Last night was the Winterfest parade which is much like a floating parts. Floats (boats) are decorated with lots of lights and assorted decorations and form a parade route through the canals of FT. Lauderdale, while the spectators line the route in boats rafted together forming huge cocktail-partying clusters. We enjoyed the parade from our dingy, then came back to the boat for a late supper and off to bed.
Tomorrow, hopefully, we'll be off to Biscayne Bay area of Miami, then off to Islamorada, a northern Key from which we'll stage our Gulf Stream crossing later in the week, once the weather is right. Soon, we'll be in touch from over there!
Love Rick and Suz
Savannah for Thanksgiving
So far we have traveled over 1,100 miles from Portland, Maine to Savannah, GA (as the "crow flies") and certainly many more considering the circuitous PATH we've gone along this beautiful route called the Intracoastal Waterway. Currently we are readying the boat for the next leg south to south Florida and then across the infamous Gulf Stream to the Bahamas and beyond. Suz' Pop, Bob, lives here in Savannah so it was a great excuse for a stop-over for Thanksgiving holiday. Thanksgiving went well with Bob and Uncle/Aunt over as well for dinner. Turkey worked out well and all liked everything we prepared. Didn't get to take but a couple of Turkey sandwiches on with us as we left on Saturday as ost was left behind for the elders, as it should be. :)
We still have to get the watermaker fixed but the washer/dryer works now. Did some wash the other day and it worked fine. It was the drain hose not being elevated above the drain outlet. So all is well with clean clothes.
We've decided that staying on the boat for nights beats staying on land with friends so we've become accustomed to our own little cocoon on board, I guess. Very comfortable and cozy.
Suz' computer has been acting up so I'm trying to get her back on line. We had it plugged into the wall socket on the boat the other day and she was running the hair dryer at the same time. I think the fluctuation in current from the dryer electrical load screwed something up. I took it to a computer fix it guy here in town and we got it going for a while now today it seems weird again. Hpe we won't have to replace. It is my older Mac iBook. Such a work horse up to now.
We'll see.
We've found anchoring to be a pleasant and inexpensive means to secure your vessel for the night and will continue forward "ON THE HOOK" when ever possible. Suz has became a superb navigator always seeming one step ahead of my next question regarding directional changes and/or bridge concerns, etc. While Rick has been doing most of the "driving" so far, changes of responsibilities come often and are welcomed.
We also hope this message finds everyone in great health and enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday.
'Til next time we wish you all fair winds and calm seas in your lives.
Love to all,Rick and Suz
We still have to get the watermaker fixed but the washer/dryer works now. Did some wash the other day and it worked fine. It was the drain hose not being elevated above the drain outlet. So all is well with clean clothes.
We've decided that staying on the boat for nights beats staying on land with friends so we've become accustomed to our own little cocoon on board, I guess. Very comfortable and cozy.
Suz' computer has been acting up so I'm trying to get her back on line. We had it plugged into the wall socket on the boat the other day and she was running the hair dryer at the same time. I think the fluctuation in current from the dryer electrical load screwed something up. I took it to a computer fix it guy here in town and we got it going for a while now today it seems weird again. Hpe we won't have to replace. It is my older Mac iBook. Such a work horse up to now.
We'll see.
We've found anchoring to be a pleasant and inexpensive means to secure your vessel for the night and will continue forward "ON THE HOOK" when ever possible. Suz has became a superb navigator always seeming one step ahead of my next question regarding directional changes and/or bridge concerns, etc. While Rick has been doing most of the "driving" so far, changes of responsibilities come often and are welcomed.
We also hope this message finds everyone in great health and enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday.
'Til next time we wish you all fair winds and calm seas in your lives.
Love to all,Rick and Suz
Christening Day -- November
We got the new name on the boat today and thought you'd all like to see the results. We are so excited that it looks so good. Also I will send a couple of new photos that show a little of what we've been seeing as we travel along the ICW. Some nice sunrise/sunset pics. We're in Savannah now and getting ready for Turkey day. Here's hoping you all enjoy your own personal food-a-thon!
Love to all-Rick/Pop/Suz/Mom
The new name on "Christening Day" in Georgia
Thar she goes... "Allergic to Cities"
Sunrise on Intercoastal Waterways
Sunset on Intercoastal waterways
Another Sunset on the waterway
Virginia to North Carolina early November 2007
After a couple of crazed weeks packing, stacking, storing all of the remains of our land-locked possessions, saying goodbye to old friends and family members, we headed back to Norfolk early November.
A couple of days of shopping in Norfolk, getting provisions for the trip, allowed us to re-acclimate ourselves to boat life, while still tied to the dock. However, after a sleepless night, due to high winds, left-over from the final hurricane of the season, helped us make the decision to untie the dock lines and shove off, finally on our own.
That first feeling of freedom was quickly amended to minor concern as we headed out in the pouring rain across the Norfolk inlet, dodging big Navy battleships, tankers, and container ships and other boats. We quickly learned that the meaning of "right of way" is only theoretical when dealing with boats 50 times your size. Digression being the wiser of all options, we let the big boys go where they wish, all-the-while keeping our course (more or less) allowed us to traverse the bay and head on up the Intracoastal for our first day alone.
We tied up at the free town dock just past the lock at the Great Bridge and were able to head off early through the many bridges which came along during our first couple of days. Some of the tall bridges were posted as high enough to go under with our 60' mast, yet when going under, you were "SURE" you would hit it. They seemed shorter than posted but so far, they have not disappointed. Other bridges need to be opened, raised,or swung open to allow boat traffic to pass. Sometime you must call them on your VHF radio and request an opening, other times they are on a fixed schedule which you must adhere to, and await their openings.
Basically the ICW is a connection of rivers, lakes, bays, inlets, canals, and waterways, designed to allow boats of varying size the ability to traverse the coastal areas without going into the open ocean. It was begun in the mid 1800's (some of it in the 1700's by ol' George Washington himself!) and has been upkept, by and large, by the US Corps of Engineers as an aid to commerce. As a benefit, pleasure boaters use the waterway as a means to travel south/north during their annual "snowbird migration flights." It is an incredibly beautiful passage through the east and we never knew much about it until this trip. We highly recommend it to anyone with some time and the means to do this trip.
Boat is working well although the weather's been very COLD a few nights. Actually had to figure out how to turn the heat on for a short while to warm up the cabin! Today seems to be warmer. The trip is really pretty so far. Mostly heading along swampy canals and then across larger "lakes" and larger inlets from the sea. Fairly calm water on those but capable of blowing up a big one if conditions are right (wrong!). So far, so good!
We're navigating well and following the "highway", anchoring in pretty coves and enjoying this to the max! Went ashore last night for our first restaurant meal of the trip. Oriental, NC is a fishing/tourism town with three restaurants to consider. I had a nice fish combo dinner of fresh Haddock, shrimp and crabcake. Suz had a sauteed Scallop dinner. YUM!
There is quite a migration of northern boaters heading along the ICW with us. It presents a steady stream of sailboats and motor boats to follow or lead at times. Each going at different speeds. The big motor boats (fondly referred to as "stink boats" by the sailing community) seem to all be in a much bigger hurry to get somewhere. Ten each night, more often than not, we'll find them in the same anchorage we head into for the night. So they all seem to be in a hurry mode. They pass us slower boats leaving their large wakes behind which rock our boat for a short while rather harshly. Not very neighborly, we think. We call it the "small penis syndrome". You know, small penis = large boat.
We stopped in Wrightsville Beach, NC in a couple of days to reconnect with some Steamboat friends (Beth and Kevin Dennis) who live there now. Beth used to work with SUZ and her husband is wood working friend. Should be fun to see them again. Then on to Savannah for Turkey day with Pop Lobb. Shooting to be there by Monday of Thanksgiving week. Once there we'll have some boat work done, new name graphics put on the boat, some electrical connections added, and to have the washer/dryer worked on. Still can't get it to work after I installed a new door locking switch. It runs now but doesn't seem to want to hold the water for wash cycle. Something simple, we hope. Sounds like we're really roughing it, eh?
We went to Georgetown, SC before continuing south toward Charleston. We "camped" in a really remote area on the Waccamaw River in SC. Felt like some crude dude would come paddling up in a canoe playing banjo music talking about how pretty my mouth was! :) YIKES!
Anyway, that's our story and we're sticking to it. Hope you are all doing fine and we miss you ALL.
Love and kisses, Rick and Suz
A couple of days of shopping in Norfolk, getting provisions for the trip, allowed us to re-acclimate ourselves to boat life, while still tied to the dock. However, after a sleepless night, due to high winds, left-over from the final hurricane of the season, helped us make the decision to untie the dock lines and shove off, finally on our own.
That first feeling of freedom was quickly amended to minor concern as we headed out in the pouring rain across the Norfolk inlet, dodging big Navy battleships, tankers, and container ships and other boats. We quickly learned that the meaning of "right of way" is only theoretical when dealing with boats 50 times your size. Digression being the wiser of all options, we let the big boys go where they wish, all-the-while keeping our course (more or less) allowed us to traverse the bay and head on up the Intracoastal for our first day alone.
We tied up at the free town dock just past the lock at the Great Bridge and were able to head off early through the many bridges which came along during our first couple of days. Some of the tall bridges were posted as high enough to go under with our 60' mast, yet when going under, you were "SURE" you would hit it. They seemed shorter than posted but so far, they have not disappointed. Other bridges need to be opened, raised,or swung open to allow boat traffic to pass. Sometime you must call them on your VHF radio and request an opening, other times they are on a fixed schedule which you must adhere to, and await their openings.
Basically the ICW is a connection of rivers, lakes, bays, inlets, canals, and waterways, designed to allow boats of varying size the ability to traverse the coastal areas without going into the open ocean. It was begun in the mid 1800's (some of it in the 1700's by ol' George Washington himself!) and has been upkept, by and large, by the US Corps of Engineers as an aid to commerce. As a benefit, pleasure boaters use the waterway as a means to travel south/north during their annual "snowbird migration flights." It is an incredibly beautiful passage through the east and we never knew much about it until this trip. We highly recommend it to anyone with some time and the means to do this trip.
Boat is working well although the weather's been very COLD a few nights. Actually had to figure out how to turn the heat on for a short while to warm up the cabin! Today seems to be warmer. The trip is really pretty so far. Mostly heading along swampy canals and then across larger "lakes" and larger inlets from the sea. Fairly calm water on those but capable of blowing up a big one if conditions are right (wrong!). So far, so good!
We're navigating well and following the "highway", anchoring in pretty coves and enjoying this to the max! Went ashore last night for our first restaurant meal of the trip. Oriental, NC is a fishing/tourism town with three restaurants to consider. I had a nice fish combo dinner of fresh Haddock, shrimp and crabcake. Suz had a sauteed Scallop dinner. YUM!
There is quite a migration of northern boaters heading along the ICW with us. It presents a steady stream of sailboats and motor boats to follow or lead at times. Each going at different speeds. The big motor boats (fondly referred to as "stink boats" by the sailing community) seem to all be in a much bigger hurry to get somewhere. Ten each night, more often than not, we'll find them in the same anchorage we head into for the night. So they all seem to be in a hurry mode. They pass us slower boats leaving their large wakes behind which rock our boat for a short while rather harshly. Not very neighborly, we think. We call it the "small penis syndrome". You know, small penis = large boat.
We stopped in Wrightsville Beach, NC in a couple of days to reconnect with some Steamboat friends (Beth and Kevin Dennis) who live there now. Beth used to work with SUZ and her husband is wood working friend. Should be fun to see them again. Then on to Savannah for Turkey day with Pop Lobb. Shooting to be there by Monday of Thanksgiving week. Once there we'll have some boat work done, new name graphics put on the boat, some electrical connections added, and to have the washer/dryer worked on. Still can't get it to work after I installed a new door locking switch. It runs now but doesn't seem to want to hold the water for wash cycle. Something simple, we hope. Sounds like we're really roughing it, eh?
We went to Georgetown, SC before continuing south toward Charleston. We "camped" in a really remote area on the Waccamaw River in SC. Felt like some crude dude would come paddling up in a canoe playing banjo music talking about how pretty my mouth was! :) YIKES!
Anyway, that's our story and we're sticking to it. Hope you are all doing fine and we miss you ALL.
Love and kisses, Rick and Suz
Recap on travels (loop earlier sent) Maine to VA
Here's how the trip has gone so far: From Portland area (actual departingfrom Saco, Maine) we were joined by delivery Capt. Jim VanderSchaaf and his wife Anna for the first leg of our shakedown, a sort of "get acquainted" trip along the Eastern seaboard down to Norfolk. Took us 10 days with overnight stops along the way in some beautiful anchorages in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York City, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland andVirginia. The boat has handled wonderfully with only a handful of mechanical issues to be dealt with so far, so we're pleased with our purchase choice.
We left Maine early on a foggy September morning, heading out of our anchorage area down the Saco River into the big Atlantic. The first day we headed south to Newburyport, MA to pick up Suz' bro and sis-in-law, Andy andRebecca Lobb. They joined us for the next leg starting in the morning forNewport, RI. Had a beautiful sail south to Newport through the Cape CodCanal and were sorry to drop them off two days later and say good-bye as they headed back home and the work-a-day world. Continuing down the coast the next day found us anchoring in picturesque Potter's Cove, RI. A lovely New England coastal site with everything stereotypically "New England" surrounding us as we sat at anchor for the night. Suz and Rick had a nice dinghy ride around the cove enjoying views of the lovely homes around the bay. We next journeyed south to one of the most beautiful spots we've been. It's called the Thimbles in Connecticut. It is a very interesting spot on the coast deriving its name from the rounded outcroppings of rocks jutting up from the water just off shore. This anchorage was one of our favorites. We continued south the next couple of days along the coast toward NYC. Hoping to connect with daughter Nancy who lives in the city, we pushed along the inside of the Long Island Sound right among the big sky scrapers of the city. Suz motored the boat through the notorious section of the river called Hell's Gate without difficulty and after passing the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, we headed in close for a good view of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. After refueling on the Jersey side and picking up some famous Jersey deli sandwiches, we stopped for the night right off Liberty Park in the shadow of the Statue. A really surreal sight seeing the statute loom overhead. Scheduling commitments kept Nancy from connecting with us while we were "in the City" but we felt like we could reach out and touch her from where we were "parked" for the night. We headed off early to get a good jump on the Jersey coast we stayed in Barnegut Inlet then completed the coast the next day anchoring at Cape May,the southern most tip of the New Jersey shore.
Next we headed up the Delaware Bay toward the C&D Canal which connects the northern end of the Delaware Bay with the Chesapeake Bay. Anchoring in the canal allowed us to enter the Chesapeake Bay the next afternoon and journey part way down the bay to St. Michaels, MD. St. Michaels is a quaint fishing/tourist village with wonderful restaurants and shops. Staying there for only one night seemed a shame and we vowed to return some day. The next leg took us down the bay and within a couple of days, into Norfolk,VA., our "resting place" while we returned to Colorado to complete preparations for our return for the winter trip aboard our boat.
We left Norfolk for Steamboat Springs, as Anna and Jim headed back to their home in Maine, we felt ready to assume command of the boat on our own after such a thorough and educational trip with our new-made friends.
We left Maine early on a foggy September morning, heading out of our anchorage area down the Saco River into the big Atlantic. The first day we headed south to Newburyport, MA to pick up Suz' bro and sis-in-law, Andy andRebecca Lobb. They joined us for the next leg starting in the morning forNewport, RI. Had a beautiful sail south to Newport through the Cape CodCanal and were sorry to drop them off two days later and say good-bye as they headed back home and the work-a-day world. Continuing down the coast the next day found us anchoring in picturesque Potter's Cove, RI. A lovely New England coastal site with everything stereotypically "New England" surrounding us as we sat at anchor for the night. Suz and Rick had a nice dinghy ride around the cove enjoying views of the lovely homes around the bay. We next journeyed south to one of the most beautiful spots we've been. It's called the Thimbles in Connecticut. It is a very interesting spot on the coast deriving its name from the rounded outcroppings of rocks jutting up from the water just off shore. This anchorage was one of our favorites. We continued south the next couple of days along the coast toward NYC. Hoping to connect with daughter Nancy who lives in the city, we pushed along the inside of the Long Island Sound right among the big sky scrapers of the city. Suz motored the boat through the notorious section of the river called Hell's Gate without difficulty and after passing the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, we headed in close for a good view of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. After refueling on the Jersey side and picking up some famous Jersey deli sandwiches, we stopped for the night right off Liberty Park in the shadow of the Statue. A really surreal sight seeing the statute loom overhead. Scheduling commitments kept Nancy from connecting with us while we were "in the City" but we felt like we could reach out and touch her from where we were "parked" for the night. We headed off early to get a good jump on the Jersey coast we stayed in Barnegut Inlet then completed the coast the next day anchoring at Cape May,the southern most tip of the New Jersey shore.
Next we headed up the Delaware Bay toward the C&D Canal which connects the northern end of the Delaware Bay with the Chesapeake Bay. Anchoring in the canal allowed us to enter the Chesapeake Bay the next afternoon and journey part way down the bay to St. Michaels, MD. St. Michaels is a quaint fishing/tourist village with wonderful restaurants and shops. Staying there for only one night seemed a shame and we vowed to return some day. The next leg took us down the bay and within a couple of days, into Norfolk,VA., our "resting place" while we returned to Colorado to complete preparations for our return for the winter trip aboard our boat.
We left Norfolk for Steamboat Springs, as Anna and Jim headed back to their home in Maine, we felt ready to assume command of the boat on our own after such a thorough and educational trip with our new-made friends.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Photos from Maine to Virginia
Allergic to Cities, our home on the waters:
Jim and Anna VanderSchaff, our skipper and his wife. 
Leaving Saco, ME
With Andy and Rebecca Lobb
Flying The Asymetric
Saco, Maine to Norfolk, VA - our beginning!
Saco, Maine to Norfolk, VA
Arriving at Portland Maine, we met with the seller of our boat for a quick visit and orientation of the boat, complete with a short shopping trip to the local marina for the many boating necessities as well as a few"luxuries" we feel warranted. Since the boat was purchased without any household goods (pots, pans, dishware etc.) nor safety items (life jackets,etc.) shopping was our first order of business. Supplying a boat is much like setting up a condo or apartment the first time. NOTHING exists! SO off to Target, Wal-Mart, Sears and the like we went in our rented car. Since we only had two days before the hired delivery captain and his wife were to arrive to begin our orientation trip south, we had to move fast! Suz learned how to "boy shop", as she came to call it. That is, you go into a store, see what you like, buy it and move on. No time to go from store to store comparing prices, features and such, you just needed to supply the boat with the stuff you need. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING was purchased in less than two days, including outfitting the galley (kitchen), the heads (bathrooms), staterooms (bedrooms), salon (living room), and cockpit (think: covered back porch where you sit to drive). Plus, we had to buy provisions (groceries and supplies), and boating stuff like life jackets and incidental stuff. We were busy beavers, but got everything we needed in time to meet our delivery captain, Jim VanderSchaaf and his wife Anna late afternoon prior to our scheduled departure date of September 28, 2007.
After ferrying them to our moored boat in the Saco River Marina area, we all got acquainted and they stowed their stuff in the guest cabin for the two week trip. Dinner that night was our treat at a nice Italian Restaurant in Saco and a "get-to-know-each-other" evening. Early to bed and early to rise was in order and we hit the beds ready to take off at first light on Friday morning. Unfortunately, the weather turned very foggy that morning and we couldn't see beyond the bow of the boat so a later morning departure was under taken instead of an early one. Out the Saco River and into the Atlantic, down the coast to Newburyport, MA to rendezvous with brother and sister-in-law Andy and Rebecca Lobb was our destination. Arrival into Newbury port was exciting as the entrance is very tough and the jetties come way out into the Atlantic to allow boats safe entrance through a rather rolling sea. Meeting them for dinner and drinks at a local restaurant then saying goodnight for them to return in the morning for early morning boarding and departure toward Newport, RI where they would return to their home in MA. We traveled down the coast to the Cape Cod Canal which cuts across the "arm" of the Cape, allowing us to avoid the longer distance around the cape's tip and affords a much smoother passage south. This is very pleasant passage and provided ample time to chat and laugh with all aboard as we enjoyed everyone's company. Two great days aboard with them went too fast and we were sad to say goodbye as they left for the bus station to return home.
The next day we had an appointment which allowed us to have a couple of technicians aboard to address some technical issues we needed looked at. Then next day it was down the coast toward NYC. Cruising down the coastline afforded us a very personal view of the stately homes of the east coasters. Extreme natural beauty along the coast, coupled with gorgeous coastal estates were plentiful and we were allowed to look "right into their living rooms" from our vantage point on the water. The estate grounds were immaculately maintained as the gardens and lawns were in the finest of condition. We could only imagine each home as the summer place for the Vanderbilts, Morgan's, and Rockefellers. Some probably were! Down across the coastline of Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York toward NYC was a delight and each night Capt. Jim helped us find just the right anchorage, each one seemed prettier than the last. We especially enjoyed Potter's Cove and the Thimbles in Connecticut. GORGEOUS!
After entering the Long Island Sound from the north, we headed south toward the city anticipating a unique and beautiful view of New York City, and we were certainly not to be disappointed. Suz drove the boat right through a rather notoriously difficult section of the East River called Hells Gate without a problem and we entered the city right through downtown Manhattan, looking up at the skyscrapers towering above our heads. Down past the UN building and around the end of the island where the Staten Island Ferry docks, around Ellis Island, and under the Statue of Liberty provided aspectacular up-close view. Then over to the New Jersey side for fuel andwater we went. Heavy boat traffic caused us to really stay alert, yet we felt quite comfortable with our job at getting through it all. Unfortunately, daughter Nancy, who lives in the city was unable to get free of her busy scheduled meetings to meet us, but we felt close to her none-the-less. That night we anchored in Liberty Park (at no charge,thank you!) directly behind lady liberty for a surreal evening BBQ on theboat. It seemed that if the wind blew just right, we could have looked right up Lady Liberty's dress!
Next morning, we were up and at 'em, moving down the coast toward New Jersey and beyond. Over the next two days, we traveled the entire length of NewJersey in the Atlantic roughly 3 miles off shore, yet due to fog, we rarely got a view of land. Glad we had RADAR so other vessels were easy to pick out before danger would be the order of the day. No problem rounding the tip at Cape May to begin the third day out of NYC, then up the Delaware Bay in a Northwesterly direction to connect with the C&D canal which connects the Delaware and Chesapeake bays. That night we anchored in the canal and helped ourselves to an early bedtime as it had been a long couple of days. Early the next day we continued through the canal into the Chesapeake and came down the bay into a terrific little seaport town of St. Michaels, MD. Picturesque and friendly, we vowed to return someday as it was a very lovely spot to visit.
Next day we were off again to down the western coast of the bay to the Rappahannock River and the neat town of Salomon's Island. Seemingly one pretty fishing village after another, we really enjoyed the Chesapeake area! The last leg took us into Norfolk, VA where we would leave the boat while were turned to Colorado to complete our packing, stacking, and arrangements for our winter away. Entering Norfolk, was exciting as it is a huge Naval area, complete with Battleships, Aircraft Carriers and other enormous container ships and the like. We felt like a little fly on the ocean trying to dodge our way through the traffic into the marina we scheduled for our dockage. We made it safely and had one final night out with Anna and Jim before thanking them for their expert training and sending them home while we prepared the boat for our away time.Quite a two week trip, to say the least, but with the helpful guidance of our hired skipper, coupled with our eagerness to learn, we felt ready to take over as captains on our own, once we returned from our Colorado respite, in November.
Arriving at Portland Maine, we met with the seller of our boat for a quick visit and orientation of the boat, complete with a short shopping trip to the local marina for the many boating necessities as well as a few"luxuries" we feel warranted. Since the boat was purchased without any household goods (pots, pans, dishware etc.) nor safety items (life jackets,etc.) shopping was our first order of business. Supplying a boat is much like setting up a condo or apartment the first time. NOTHING exists! SO off to Target, Wal-Mart, Sears and the like we went in our rented car. Since we only had two days before the hired delivery captain and his wife were to arrive to begin our orientation trip south, we had to move fast! Suz learned how to "boy shop", as she came to call it. That is, you go into a store, see what you like, buy it and move on. No time to go from store to store comparing prices, features and such, you just needed to supply the boat with the stuff you need. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING was purchased in less than two days, including outfitting the galley (kitchen), the heads (bathrooms), staterooms (bedrooms), salon (living room), and cockpit (think: covered back porch where you sit to drive). Plus, we had to buy provisions (groceries and supplies), and boating stuff like life jackets and incidental stuff. We were busy beavers, but got everything we needed in time to meet our delivery captain, Jim VanderSchaaf and his wife Anna late afternoon prior to our scheduled departure date of September 28, 2007.
After ferrying them to our moored boat in the Saco River Marina area, we all got acquainted and they stowed their stuff in the guest cabin for the two week trip. Dinner that night was our treat at a nice Italian Restaurant in Saco and a "get-to-know-each-other" evening. Early to bed and early to rise was in order and we hit the beds ready to take off at first light on Friday morning. Unfortunately, the weather turned very foggy that morning and we couldn't see beyond the bow of the boat so a later morning departure was under taken instead of an early one. Out the Saco River and into the Atlantic, down the coast to Newburyport, MA to rendezvous with brother and sister-in-law Andy and Rebecca Lobb was our destination. Arrival into Newbury port was exciting as the entrance is very tough and the jetties come way out into the Atlantic to allow boats safe entrance through a rather rolling sea. Meeting them for dinner and drinks at a local restaurant then saying goodnight for them to return in the morning for early morning boarding and departure toward Newport, RI where they would return to their home in MA. We traveled down the coast to the Cape Cod Canal which cuts across the "arm" of the Cape, allowing us to avoid the longer distance around the cape's tip and affords a much smoother passage south. This is very pleasant passage and provided ample time to chat and laugh with all aboard as we enjoyed everyone's company. Two great days aboard with them went too fast and we were sad to say goodbye as they left for the bus station to return home.
The next day we had an appointment which allowed us to have a couple of technicians aboard to address some technical issues we needed looked at. Then next day it was down the coast toward NYC. Cruising down the coastline afforded us a very personal view of the stately homes of the east coasters. Extreme natural beauty along the coast, coupled with gorgeous coastal estates were plentiful and we were allowed to look "right into their living rooms" from our vantage point on the water. The estate grounds were immaculately maintained as the gardens and lawns were in the finest of condition. We could only imagine each home as the summer place for the Vanderbilts, Morgan's, and Rockefellers. Some probably were! Down across the coastline of Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York toward NYC was a delight and each night Capt. Jim helped us find just the right anchorage, each one seemed prettier than the last. We especially enjoyed Potter's Cove and the Thimbles in Connecticut. GORGEOUS!
After entering the Long Island Sound from the north, we headed south toward the city anticipating a unique and beautiful view of New York City, and we were certainly not to be disappointed. Suz drove the boat right through a rather notoriously difficult section of the East River called Hells Gate without a problem and we entered the city right through downtown Manhattan, looking up at the skyscrapers towering above our heads. Down past the UN building and around the end of the island where the Staten Island Ferry docks, around Ellis Island, and under the Statue of Liberty provided aspectacular up-close view. Then over to the New Jersey side for fuel andwater we went. Heavy boat traffic caused us to really stay alert, yet we felt quite comfortable with our job at getting through it all. Unfortunately, daughter Nancy, who lives in the city was unable to get free of her busy scheduled meetings to meet us, but we felt close to her none-the-less. That night we anchored in Liberty Park (at no charge,thank you!) directly behind lady liberty for a surreal evening BBQ on theboat. It seemed that if the wind blew just right, we could have looked right up Lady Liberty's dress!
Next morning, we were up and at 'em, moving down the coast toward New Jersey and beyond. Over the next two days, we traveled the entire length of NewJersey in the Atlantic roughly 3 miles off shore, yet due to fog, we rarely got a view of land. Glad we had RADAR so other vessels were easy to pick out before danger would be the order of the day. No problem rounding the tip at Cape May to begin the third day out of NYC, then up the Delaware Bay in a Northwesterly direction to connect with the C&D canal which connects the Delaware and Chesapeake bays. That night we anchored in the canal and helped ourselves to an early bedtime as it had been a long couple of days. Early the next day we continued through the canal into the Chesapeake and came down the bay into a terrific little seaport town of St. Michaels, MD. Picturesque and friendly, we vowed to return someday as it was a very lovely spot to visit.
Next day we were off again to down the western coast of the bay to the Rappahannock River and the neat town of Salomon's Island. Seemingly one pretty fishing village after another, we really enjoyed the Chesapeake area! The last leg took us into Norfolk, VA where we would leave the boat while were turned to Colorado to complete our packing, stacking, and arrangements for our winter away. Entering Norfolk, was exciting as it is a huge Naval area, complete with Battleships, Aircraft Carriers and other enormous container ships and the like. We felt like a little fly on the ocean trying to dodge our way through the traffic into the marina we scheduled for our dockage. We made it safely and had one final night out with Anna and Jim before thanking them for their expert training and sending them home while we prepared the boat for our away time.Quite a two week trip, to say the least, but with the helpful guidance of our hired skipper, coupled with our eagerness to learn, we felt ready to take over as captains on our own, once we returned from our Colorado respite, in November.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Where we began this journey of sailing...
This blog will begin our story of our sailing journey once thought a dream. Please enjoy our stories of Open Waters and Pirating the Caribbean
Our adventure is just beginning...
We will try to keep you all up to date on our adventures, with photos and stories. We will not be able to have comments on this blog, but would love to hear from you via email at wildbear2@mindspring.com or camelot05@sprynet.com . Love, Rick and Suz
Rick and Suz
Our adventure is just beginning...
We will try to keep you all up to date on our adventures, with photos and stories. We will not be able to have comments on this blog, but would love to hear from you via email at wildbear2@mindspring.com or camelot05@sprynet.com . Love, Rick and Suz
Rick and Suz
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