Milford CT to Point Judith RI - Northern Long Island Sound Run

North Dumpling Island Light House   

Sailing Regatta    

What I failed to mention in the last blog was that as the day 7/13/17 wore on, clouds rolled in again and by the time I was abeam Charles Island off Milford, it was seriously threatening a downpour. The storm raced with me into Milford and won, hands down. The seemingly long slog up the Wepawaug River on which Milford Harbor is situated, was wet and tight through a massive collection of predominantly pleasure craft slipped or moored both shoreside and midstream. Milford Boat Works where I grabbed a slip, was at the head of navigable waters, at least for larger craft.

Watch Hill Light House   

The following day 7/15/17 was rainy all day so I stayed put, after a nice breakfast aboard of potato fries, ham, eggs and picante sauce, I wandered about town a bit, read and generally enjoyed a lazy day. I had hoped to meet a friend who lived there but that didn't pan out.

Commuter Yacht "Aphrodite"              

High tide was 4am on the 15th so I was underway early so as to catch a favorable current heading north along shore under a gray, damp sky. By 6:50 New Haven on the Quinnipiac River was abeam. Soon Branford and Guilford were astern. It was in that area that I attained my best speed for the day- 9.3mph or about 8.1 knot. As I passed abeam Clinton about 9:20am, I slowed to "no wake"speed as I came upon a large group of sport fishermen in a variety of boats, mostly small runabouts- perhaps a fishing tournament. By 10:30 I was abeam the Conneticut River to port and the northern end of Long Island in the distance to starboard. By just shy of 1pm I was abeam New London where Suzan had come aboard on the trip south to New York City and the Hudson. About 12 miles later I was passing Watch Hill Rhode Island. Here I had the pleasure of seeing "Aphrodite" a totally restored and beautiful 74 foot 1937 Classic Commuter yacht,  roar by at about 30 mph, her twin 1,000 horsepower Caterpillar diesels just purring.

Point Judith Light House

By this time the sky had cleared to become a mostly sunny afternoon. After passing Watch Hill, the scenery became mostly long stretches of beaches and the occasional fishing vessel til I reached Point Judith Harbor of Refuge. Once inside the refuge, I dropped anchor and settled in for a nice evening on the hook, watching the Block Island ferry and other craft come and go from Snug Harbor, Jerusalem and Galilee. This time around, the sea was a little more calm than last so the boat rocked less and I slept better.

Block Island Ferry heading out.   

Hudson River Alone-Coeymans(New Baltimore,NY) to Haverstraw Bay

Roundout Lighthouse

Tanker Palanca Montevideo   

Esopus Meadows Lighthouse   

Galleon Replicas    

Bannerman Castle/ Arsenal

Pete Seeger's Clearwater

At Coeymans Marina, I (Suzan) jumped off Puffin and headed home by land to Massachusetts leaving Dean to captain alone the mighty and sometimes rough Hudson River to and around New York City. So, July 10th, heading out of Coeymans with a 5 to 7 mph wind on the nose, Woodstock, the cat and I (Dean) had a pleasant trip down to Roundout Creek and the Hudson River Maritime Museum and Boatbuilding School. About two hours into the trip I spotted 5 deer playing and grazing along shore. A bit further along I noticed a bald eagle and blue heron standing on the shore right next to each other, which I thought to be kind of curious, like a couple of fishermen discussing tactics and gear. Periodically a tug and barge on water or AmTrak or freight train along either shore would pass by, whistling it's approach. We made 41 statute miles that day. Once secured dockside in Kingston I took the bike into town for some sightseeing and groceries. The following morning I was underway downriver at 6am. Ten minutes later Puffin was exiting Roundout Creek, passing Roundout lighthouse and back into the main body of the Hudson River. About a half hour later I'm passing Esopus Meadows lighthouse, warning of a large area of shallow flats at a bend in the river. Just off the town of Hyde Park on the eastern shore, on the charts, is an anchoring ground for vessels awaiting loading or unloading. There sat the Palanca Montevideo, a 182ft asphalt/bituminous tanker, obviously awaiting loading as she sat very high off the water. Another large tug and barge passed by creating a wake which sent Woodstock scurrying below decks. Shortly a breeze sprang up creating ripples across formerly placid waters as Newburgh came into view, where two black Galleon style ships like the Nina and Pinta, appeared to be taking on passengers. Next Woodstock and I passed by Bannerman's Castle on Pollepel Island. It is a Scottish style castle/ armory and residence, built around 1900 by Francis Bannerman for safe storage of his company's munitions and war materials and a summer residence. A little further downriver we pass by West Point, home to the US Military Academy for the Army, perched on a plateau above the river. It is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the US, established by George Washington in 1775. About an hour later off Peekskill I noticed a large sloop that looked like Pete Seeger's Clearwater, which, it turned out to be! The Clearwater, a replica of the sloops sailing the Hudson in the 18th and 19th centuries was created to bring attention to the toxic chemicals, raw sewage and oil pollution fouling Pete's beloved Hudson back in the 60's and 70's, decimating fish populations along much of it's length. It made me happy to see she was still at it. Pete and his boat have been very successful. You can now fish the entire length of the Hudson though one must still be very cautious of what you eat from the river. That afternoon I decided to drop anchor in Haverstraw (Half Moon) Bay. 56 miles this leg. It had been a hot sticky day so after a light dinner, just before dusk, I took my first swim since starting the trip-much of the water having been to muddy or the weather to cool or rainy. The water was so cool and refreshing, I went back in several times before turning in after a beautiful, peaceful sunset.

West Point Military Academy  

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Sunset Haverstraw Bay

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On the way flowing up/ flowing down

Signage at each lock   

The Champlain Canal which runs from the Hudson River to Lake Champlain, flows south towards New York City from Ft. Edwards, the high point (Lock 8). Then flows  north to Lake Champlain through the last 3 locks. It climbs 139 ft. over the 42 miles between Troy lock and lock 8, then drops 44 feet to Lake Champlain. The upper Hudson is very narrow with falls and rapids so locks are needed to adjust the water levels for navigation. Fort. Edwards is the end of the navigable Hudson, which splits off and heads west while the canal continues north.

After spending several days and nights at Chipman Point Marina over the July 4th Holiday weekend, we are finally on our way through Champlain Canal and down river to Albany,  NYC and beyond.www.canals.ny.gov
As mentioned, we tried to go through Lock 12 at the Lake Champlain end of the canal on Sunday, July 2, to no avail. By end of day on July 2, most of the 3 Canals-Erie, Oswego, Champlain, were closed due to heavy rains, rising water and flooding. We have pictures going down the Canal where rising waters left muddy sludge on the shrubbery along the banks up to 5 feet above normal water level.
So---Tuesday, July 4th, 3 boats started from the Marina to begin navigating the 12 Locks of the Champlain Canal. Along the Canal in small towns, there are town docks, some with facilities, some not, where you can tie up at the dock for no charge. Several town docks had pretty parks and nice facilities.
Our first stop was Whitehall town dock, just beyond Lock 12.  A relatively new town dock with free water and electricity provided for transient boats.  Police station and fire department are just up beyond the dock, so very secure. We headed first to Historic Grounds, an awesome breakfast and lunch restaurant in an old bank building dating back to early 1900's, a short walk across the green.   Dean had eaten there in his way up to Lake Champlain and wanted to return.  We were able to shower at a restroom facility, built by the state of New York and taken care of by the town. We visited the Skenesborough Museum (Skenesborough was the original name of Whitehall) and wandered the town a bit waiting for lower locks to open. Across the Saunders St. bridge was a quaint shop in the old newspaper office - The Times Emporium. Both Historic Grounds and Times Emporium owners chatted with us about the town history and refurbishing being done to revitalize the town. We walked several blocks away to get some groceries and discovered a gas station there selling diesel fuel for a good price so I made three bicycle trips (for the exercise of course and something to do while waiting lock openings) to fill my single 5 gallon fuel can and the boat tanks - the jerry can fit neatly into a large backpack so was easy to carry on the bike.

As soon as the locks were open below 8 we were on our way to Fort Edward, below Lock 8.  Again to tie up at their town wall to wait for the lower locks to open. Here we enjoyed a wholesome, inexpensive meal at Ye Old Fort Diner, making it the third meal I (Dean) had here. Down on the dock we met other Canal travelers either going north or south that were held up for Lock openings. Next stop- Mechanicville and below now that locks 1-7 were opened heading us to  Troy Federal Lock and down past Albany.


Reason for the Locks seen
from inside the lock 

Mechanicville also had free hookups for water and electric, new bathrooms and showers. These features certainly help make the transit more economically feasible for many boaters. Here we walked to a Price Chopper nearby to replenish food supplies.
The following morning we were heading south again.


Mount Travers ahead 

At Albany, we were approaching a large ship, the Mount Travers, just pulling out of an Albany Commercial terminal maneuvered by 2 tug boats pushing and pulling the huge freighter. The captain radioed us that he would be moving slowly at first through the terminal area then gathering speed and asked at what speed we traveled. We radioed back that we traveled at 7 knots so he would be passing us at some point and would keep an eye out to give way.

Puffin at Coeyman's Marina  

Just below Albany we docked at Coeyman's Marina so 1) I could jump off and travel home by land as the Hudson River down and around NYC gets a little rough and 2) so a friend from the Albany area could visit.
As we were on the way home from the trip- Dean being on the boat for 45 days, at this point, and I for 30, I was ready to be on land for a while, not sure if Dean was and it would take him another week to reach south coast Massachusetts,

Locking Through  

Suzan and Puffin in Whitehall  





Up to Albany, Troy and the start of the Canals

From NYC we traveled up the Hudson River about 33 miles from the Battery and stopped at Croton on Hudson (Half Moon Bay) for the night, as we had traveled rough waters- 3 ft waves up the Hudson with the winds and I was done for the day. A storm was brewing and I wanted to be in safe harbor.  Many other boats thought the same and we ascended on this Marina, probably 6 boats within 1 hour. We stayed 2 nights with the rain and wind. We passed West Point and the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) on our way up the Hudson River to Kingston, NY, docked at Roundout Creek, an inlet off the west side of the Hudson. Tied up to the dock and met a couple from Michigan, who live aboard  a 58 ft  trawler style boat named "Tinacious", that they designed and had completely  re-built themselves from a bare hull, a massive project.
 Riverport Wooden Boat Building School is located there and Dean was enjoying chatting with the boat teachers and students.  We stayed there for 2 nights (weather-rain) and walked into town for a meal with "Tinacious" owners, Art and Pam.

Last stop before Albany/Troy area is the Shady Harbor Marina, 10 miles south of Albany. There we met some Loopers we had previously seen at Half Moon Bay Marina and Kingston; and other boaters who recognized our boat from passing on the Hudson River.  There is a restaurant on site and you can chat and play outdoor games with fellow boaters.

It didn't seem possible that we were going to be able to meet with friends in Montreal due to weather related traveling. We needed to decide on an alternate path as part of the Erie and Oswego locks were closed for a short time with the heavy rains and we also heard about some issues with the Ottawa River .

By Friday, I decided I needed a break, after roaming what I called high seas -3/4ft waves, (from my non boater status), rain and wind. I jumped ship and drove to Massachusetts for a little regrouping. My anxiety with the weather led us (Dean) to decide to take the Champlain Canal to Lake Champlain where I can rejoin our journey.
Next one- Dean with the Canals, regrouping, and redirecting our trip.

4 weeks out for the Trip

Hi,
Getting you up to date with preparing for the Trip. We plan to start mid May, journey from our home in South Coast Massachusetts down through Long Island Sound, East River to New York Harbor, to continue our river journey up the Hudson, into the Erie Canal, then Oswego Canal into Lake Ontario, cross that to Kingston Canada, up the Rideau Canal to Ottawa, then down to Montreal at the St. Lawrence River. From there we go seaward on the St. Lawrence to Sorel where we enter the Richelieu River taking us to the US border and Lake Champlain. At the lower end of Lake Champlain, is the Champlain Canal which takes us back to the Hudson River to retrace our way home. We decided against making the Great Loop to Florida as we still have many items to change or update on our boat for a longer trip. This journey will take us about 2 months with all we want to see.

We purchased our boat(Puffin) 2 years ago from the original owner (1982). At that time, 2015, we still owned and operated a small Inn north of Boston, so were unable to put much needed time and effort into the boat. Last summer, 2016, we enjoyed a little time getting used to and sailing  Puffin, and also waited for 3 new grandchildren arriving in the early fall.

To date, we have spend as much $$$ as finances allow to get ready for this trip.
Last weekend, we spent a day at Defender Discount Marine www.defender.com  in Waterford, CT, for their Blowout Spring Sale. This place is huge, with lots of parking and a lot of everything for boats and boating, and on a Friday there were cars parked out to and on the main road at 11:00 am.
We find Defender has the lowest pricing on most marine items. You can also visit West Marine stores or online- higher priced, mostly for the pleasure boating consumer, Jamestown Distributers in Bristol, RI, (mostly an online presence with a small retail store) and Hamilton Marine in Maine.
The mast is painted and Dean is putting the radar, radio antenna, masthead light,
loudhailer/PA horn and searchlight on our 8 ft wooden mast. This shorter mast enables our boat to go under bridges and easier time with locks and canals. But because the radar dome will be installed on a slanted mast instead of vertical I had to customize the brackets to make it fit on the horizontal plane.
The toilet has new gaskets, is cleaned, and now reinstalled on the boat. Thank goodness for that. We purchased the parts needed from a supplier in England which shipped to us at a reasonable price.
The boat is uncovered so now we can clean out the lockers, discard what is not needed, reorganize and add what we need for our trip.
I, Suzan, have my lists for kitchen, bed, and bathroom supplies.  Each time I go to the grocery store, I can check items off my list.
One of the color schemes  I wanted was to get pillows and coverings to go with the dark green cushions and window curtains. The great color out this season is pea green or seafoam green, neither goes with Puffin's British green. So- fabric store it is, to make covers that co ordinate. A feat in itself, yet accomplished, using red and red/white accents.

Next time-launching and do sea trials of all systems on Puffin before our journey. And-- the kitchen pantry will be stocked.

Getting Closer to the Goal!!!

What we are working on-
Researching and ordering LED bulbs to replace existing incandescent one and new light fixtures.
Solar for power- do we put on pilot house roof or on dinghy davits or both, how many watts needed, how to incorporate in current electrical system etc. Davits have to be fitted to the back of the boat. Mounting brackets to be fabricated and attached to transom.

partly dis-assembled for repair

New parts such as seals and gaskets-for the head (toilet) parts from English supplier or US supplier, new toilet, or different composting toilet? After sorting it all, we have decided to go with the toilet we have as it is an upscale one Blakes Lavac, manufactured in England and were able to order parts from a supplier there. Dean is cleaning up the faucet/shower for the head as the newer models look like the one we have so polishing it up is a good way to go and save a few dollars.

What has been done---
The 8 ft mast is almost done. Then we will run the antenna, radar, mast head light wiring and be ready to mount on "Puffin" in front of the pilot house.
This mast will enable us to cruise without the tall masts and sails to give us clearance under bridges enroute. This trip will be mostly on rivers, canals, small lakes so not much need for sails, just cruising and enjoying the countryside by water instead of land.
We ordered  a new captain's chair and also a side chair for pilot house seating, some new marine dishware with bottoms that do not slide, and other items for the galley (kitchen). Getting ready to cover some pillows and order some foam for cushions and new carpet.
It's a slow process as retirement finances are limited.
For this trip, we are shortening our "Great Loop" trip to the eastern part-Hudson River, Erie and Oswego Canals.Then Lake Ontario to Rideau Canal system, meandering up to Ottowa, Ottowa River to Montreal. Down the St. Lawrence(heading northeast) to Sorel and the Richelieu Canal/river system, taking us into Lake Champlain and subsequently into the Hudson River system again. We are giving our trip about 2 months starting mid May, may be a little more. In the future we will continue more of the Loop.

Checking off the List for the Trip

The list for getting ready. Our time is shorter to launch, we will be leaving first to mid May to traverse Long Island Sound to New York and the Hudson River..
We ordered and now have a new radio with a DSC button (all new marine radios do) for emergencies, GPS and AIS to assist in  collision avoidance.
Dean is working on fabricating an 8ft. wooden mast to hold the radar dome, mast head light, radio antenna and perhaps deck lights.
We have been reading about solar panels and it seems 2 -160 watt panels, will be adequate to charge a battery bank for powering a small refrigerator, lights, laptop computer and fans while at anchor if used moderately. An inverter will be necessary for the laptop and a few other tools we may use.
A wind generator is helpful on days when there is not sufficient sun, and at night if there is sufficient  wind, but is probably not in the budget
 Our chart plotter uses C-Map charts. Dean has also been talking with Jeppesen www.jeppesen.com for a C-MAP for Lakes and Rivers. That combined with our East Coast and Gulf C-MAP will cover our full trip.
To travel outside the US, including Canada we had to obtain an FCC ships station license (includes an MMSI number $220.00, and a restricted radio operators license ($70.00), not cheap but necessary. Many have suggested getting the license through BoatUS or SeaTow. They will get you the restricted radio operator license for free if you are a member, but their license is only good within the US, not good in Canada, Mexico or the Islands.
Ordered some items from Defender Discount Marine Supplies  www.defender.com 
Purchased 2 new House deep cycle batteries from KMart, which is going out of business in our town.

Next, to order our pilot chairs- 2, as one is needed on the passenger side so the commander can see out the pilot house windows on those long cruises up or down rivers and canals.
I would like to order new carpet, we will see as our list is getting expensive with some of the extras that are required.
To fabricate the dinghy davit mounting brackets is $500.
New dock lines- some of ours are original three strand rope from 1980's-old school.

Unless you have a boat already tailored for the Great Loop or cruising, to install what you want and need before your trips, outfitting with these items can get expensive.
In  the next 2 months, getting our cell phones, data, and internet set up for cruising outside US waters.
GPS and paper maps, mapping your trip including expenses- locks, canals, docking,fuel, pump outs.
Stay tuned

Working on the List for the Great Loop

So far we have a list.
Now we are doing the research for pricing and what else is needed for each project; starting to order a few things and starting work on a few projects. Some will be as simple as replacing old with new. Although, old may be 1980's, i.e. original, 2000- newer, but not used very much so perhaps dried and cracked due to non use as in rubber gaskets and some other parts.  Luckily we have a newer engine with not too many hours on it, so in good shape as the majority of the "Great Loop" will be motored.
Dean purchased wood to make the shorter mast to carry the radar, radio antenna and fore deck lights, since we will be leaving the main and mizzen at home.
Looks like we may either use our 1980's "antique" radar and monitor or purchase a newer unit.
Because our boat is a Coaster 33 English North Seas boat circa 1982, many of the electronics and other parts are original, most in good shape, but old. It is very hard to find replacement parts for older equipment.
The toilet is a Baby Blake from England and you can only buy parts from their supplier in England or one in Florida. A complete repair kit costs as much as many newer toilets.The toilet(head) works fine, a little hard to pump due to stiff gaskets and a build up of salts.
The carpet on the floors, yes, carpet,
plywood underneath, can be replaced by newer and lighter color, ours is dark brown.  The new carpet will come in 6' or 8 ' X 12ft piece. We then have to take the old out. Fortunately, it is not glued down, as there are compartments under that we need access to, to cut the new to fit. Not too bad a job.
I need to measure the porthole windows to make screens  so we don't get no-see-ums and mosquitoes inside. Why weren't these windows made with screens?  We also want to put a hatch in the back berth for ventilation. The existing vent there now does not facilitate much air movement so very warm and perhaps humid to sleep in.
I am looking at new foam 2-3 " thick for a cushion to put on top of what is there for more comfort. And nautical fabric, that will go with Hunter Green cushions and curtains. Any suggestions? Most of the greens are spring green or off green that does not go well with our green. Also new dishes, I had purchased some melamine dishes at a store and through research found there is dishware designed for marine craft with non slip bottoms and smaller mugs to fit in the attached racks.

Warm for the Winter, Readying for the Trip

Safe on land, Holidays are over, now to the feat of readying "Puffin" for our journey. So much to do, so little time (actually 4 months).
Our list-
Dean's List- New Captains Chairs- for Pilot House- two instead of one so navigator
                    sits high enough in cockpit/pilothouse to see forward without standing all
                    day
                    Batteries- 2 additional house batteries
                    C Card for Lakes and Rivers
                    Navionics for PC navigation-Backup to chart plotter
                    Solar panels-2  definitely and Wind Turbine/generator maybe
                    Shorter mast-8ft for radar- probably wooden; leaving the others behind as  
                    we can't sail for the majority of the trip.
                    Inverter
                    Auto Pilot- pretty expensive so maybe
                    Another Anchor  for different bottom type
                    Fuel filter vacuum gauge
                    Water filters each faucet and shore hose
                    AIS transponder
                    Screens all around
                    Mount the dinghy davits
                    Deck lights and spotlight
Suzan's List- Additional foam cushions and coverings.
                     Insert for front v-berth
                     New faucets and shower in Head
                     Carpet
                     Dishware
                     Pots and Pans
                     Microwave
I have conceded to the dark green cushion coverings, for now, as I don't want to either re-cover the cushions myself or spend the money for new before the trip. I can live with Dk Green. I will accent with a plaid, stripe, or nautical that blends. Do you know how hard it is to find canvas or heavy fabric with the color green we need? Apparently Forest (Dark) Green is not popular, so very hard to find. All the greens are that sickly green or grass green, UGH!!
We have found marine carpet in a beige that will go nicely with the interior wood. The carper now is brown  and with Dark Green cushions and curtains, the interior is very dark, especially if you have a cloudy day.
We also have to convert most of the outlets from UK to US. There are 2 US outlets currently and one is in the engine room. The boat was built in England and the original owner did not switch to US outlets. Hence, the Dark Green, which is typical UK Nautical, not US- Red, White, and Navy.
The list is fairly long but does not indicate the work necessary to fit these various items in the boat. Some require a certain amount of design and fabrication to fit the boat. The main stumbling block is cash to purchase the listed items.
We just purchased the wood to make up the temporary mast which needs to be short enough to fit under all fixed bridges en route. I would use one of the existing mast but for the height which will not come close to fitting.
More to talk about in early February.
                   
                    

Safely nestled in the yard, winterizing

Now that Puffin is resting in our yard, we have some winterizing to do.  Boats are used to living in the water, salt or fresh, in the warm weather. We could have left the boat in water until mid November. Unfortunately the Marina we were docked at for the season, pulls boats out the end of October, unless you want to pay on a weekly basis for off season dockage. In the future, we hope to moor in front of our home or dock at a Coast Guard affiliated Club Marina for smaller seasonal fees.

We (Dean) have power washed and scraped barnacles and slime off the bottom of the boat. I supervised, not really, I didn't even watch. Meanwhile I am taking stored food off so it can be used in the house before we go. No sense leaving food onboard that has the chance to spoil. I also removed the bed pillows and quilts so they would not get moldy.

Winterizing---
The water tanks, lines and faucets, head (toilet) and holding tank get drained and antifreeze added to prevent freezing, just like a mobile home stored for the winter. Oil, oil filter and fuel filters get changed. Fuel- top off and stabilize. Charge the batteries. Ensure the antifreeze in engine is adequate for the winter. Install frame and cover the boat to protect from damage of freezing rain, snow and sun.

I will have to figure a way to easily access through the cover to work on the various projects needed to be done this winter in preparation for the coming spring trip.
Some of the projects I want to work on through the winter are: 1) new faucets 2) water filters for faucets and on hose used to fill tanks. We will be filling our water tanks many times and places throughout our voyage. No telling the condition of water supply along the way 3) vacuum gauge for fuel filter, so I know in advance when it is getting clogged 4)temporary mast for radar and radio antenna and deck light mounting (the regular masts are too tall for bridges along the route until I hit the Gulf of Mexico.), 5) solar panels, controller and inverter, to keep the batteries charged while on anchor or moored 6)mount dinghy davits, and the list goes on.

At some point, after the Holidays, we will open up all the storage spaces and decide what to keep.  The previous owners left everything onboard the boat when sold to us. Some of the tools are doubled and tripled- probably 5-6 storage areas with tools and parts in different areas on the boat. There are 2 storage spaces with plastic containers for food items. Lots to go through, lots to decide on. As this is my first boating adventure, I'm not quite sure about all kitchen stuff to be equipped with. I will learn.
I have my books- 2 by Joy Smith, www.joysmith.net "The Perfect First Mate" and "Kitchen Afloat".
We have introduced our cat "Woodstock" to the boat as he will be taking our Great Loop trip with us.

On land, nice and cozy for the winter, easy to work on.

Puffin is wintering in our yard. How awesome is that? Why, might you ask, do we want our boat so readily accessible?  We can winterize and do the myriad thing necessary to prepare Puffin for our trip in 2017, right here at home instead of carrying tools and supplies back and forth to a boatyard. Additionally, it is less expensive than boatyard storage.

Dean piloted Puffin around the corner to the Niemiec Marine boat ramp and hauled by Brownell Services, Mattapoisett, Ma. Specialized boat movers and sailboat transport services, South Coast Massachusetts. The Brownell people were awesome, Jonathan the hauler, knew and handled everything to do with getting an 18,000 lb. sailboat's masts unstepped and the boat safely to it's destination. We would highly recommend their services including their stands - they manufacture boat stands for all sizes of boats-"Best Boat Stands Ever Made" many distributers worldwide.

Now to our coming out of the  water experience.
As we came around the corner to the boat ramp, Jonathan was there with trailer backed into the water waiting. He had told Brownell he'd like to haul our boat as it was an older boat from England with classic design. The boat is a North Seas trawler style sailboat, very sturdy and rugged, with nice lines. Dean motored the boat onto the trailer with the hauler's direction, and was pulled up the ramp to a resting place at Niemiec for unstepping (taking down) the masts.  When that was finished, the masts were strapped to each side of the trailer ready for the short journey to place Puffin in our yard.

The driveway was empty, the fence was taken out, and low branches were cut from the trees. Jonathan backed the trailer with boat diagonally into position as close to the side fence as possible while being able to drive the empty trailer straight out of the yard without touching the boat. For us it was a feat, for the hauler, all in an afternoon's work.,

The boat was backed into the yard diagonally, not as close to the side fence as I would have originally liked and actually where it ended is a better position, nestled among the trees before the back deck with masts laid along side on stands.
Now we can get electric to the boat and ladder to reach the side deck to organize during the winter.
Now comes winterizing water tanks, lines, engine, and whatever else is needed.

Say Goodbye to the water and hauling to land for the winter

The area we live in, South Coast Massachusetts, seems to want to haul boats out by end of October, probably as the weather can turn cold and windy anytime.
We have to do what needs to be done to the boat before it is hauled out. Holding tanks need to be pumped, we have some water leakage in the bilge that we need to figure out while in the water.  Luckily, we may be able to store "Puffin" in our side yard and ready it for our May trip. In our yard we can work on the boat at our own pace.
Dean is getting the boat ready to have the masts un stepped and hauled to it's resting place for the winter months before our Great Loop journey. Taking down the sails and booms is step 1. Disconnecting any wires, connections that are in the mast is step 2.
We reconnected the auto pilot for the stove and oven so are ready for cooking inside aboard. The stove is powered by propane that is stored outside the cabin in a nook in the pilot house. He also tried the heater for the cabin and it works fine- powered by diesel fuel.
Boat is out of the water, settling on land for the winter.
Will attach pictures in next blog.
Sorry this is so late, we had new grandchildren arrive. twins on 17th.

Comfort and Convenience while living aboard

We spoke with a friend who lived on a 42"sailboat with his wife and 2 children-this is what he had to say.
Outfit your boat as if it were your home. Comfort is key and convenience for cooking, communicating.
Make your berth like your bedroom using comfort items that are easy to maintain. Flannel sheets are good for all seasons and easy to wash and dry without a dryer. Remember quilts, comforters for those chilly days and nights. A net hammock is good for towels, sheets, and extra blankets, also clothing up off the bunks and out of the way. Many pillow cases can be stuffed with extras and used in the main cabin or outside for lounging.  In the galley and dining area use another hammock for crackers, pastas, snacks and other items that don't have to be kept cool, cold,  and hanging tiered baskets for fruits and vegetables.
Dean is listing mechanical and technical items to be done before our trip in May 2017.
Solar panels, outline for the chart plotter (I-Pad or other small laptop), LED lighting where possible, wind turbine, any advantage to use more natural resources for traveling.  He also wants to get another anchor for areas that may have different bottoms to anchor in. We will be in fresh waters for the majority of our trip and anchoring circumstances may be different than ocean waters.
Many of our friends and neighbors are excited for our adventure and may be meeting us along our way. We hope to have some companion boats to travel parts of the trip with. Some 100 boats a year make this trip, all sizes from small sailboats to large power cruisers.
Next- Hauling our boat out for the winter, to our yard, and getting ready for the Great Loop Trip.

August 2016

Enjoying what little time we have for the Boat. As stated, life gets in the way. Working some and with 2 children pregnant and helping them care for their little ones, sometimes doesn't leave time for our time.
Dean- still working on the mast issues. Have mizzen and main sail in place, jib is not roller furling, so hank it on for each use. And still looking into electrical/technical issues or add-ons that would make our boat more energy efficient and independent for mooring and anchoring, such as LED lights, solar panels, and wind turbine among the options. The new masthead light is LED.
We have been out a few times so far this month, same areas, a little further reach.
Suzan's sister was in town so we motored around the area one day. We were going to take the boat to the Newport Jazz Festival and moor or anchor off around Fort Adams. There are some mooring/anchorage areas around Newport Harbor run by Old Port Marine Services that also offer launch services to and from the moorings. You can reach them on Radio VHF channel 68. Good to know. During the Festival it was "first come" so we opted for land parking. Next time we will take the boat over early for the weekend.
As mentioned in July's post, our first overnight was just off West Island to our north. Suzan is learning anchoring strategies to make overnights on anchor comfortable and worry free.

Ty at the helm

The 2nd overnight was Dean and his son in the same cove. That was quite an experience. We anchored off like last time. Grilled some burgers. Chatted over a beer, and I hit the sack around 11pm. Tyler (son) still up on deck enjoying the night air and peaceful setting. Wind about 7 knots out of the west. Suddenly about midnight I hear a disturbing sound-significantly more wind 25 to 30 knots whistling thru the rigging. As I came up on deck to get Tyler's stuff-cushions etc. under cover, the wind shifts quickly around to the north, giving the water a lot more fetch to build up seas and pointing the aft end of the boat at a spit of land not more than 400 to 500 feet  away and shallow water a lot closer than that, leaving  very little maneuvering room if the anchor were to let go or drag! Quite scary I must say. As expected, the waves built up very quickly, putting more strain on the anchor and rode. We both put on life jackets and waited it out in the cockpit, me at the helm, ready to start the engine to prevent us from grounding. Then the rain came, knocking down the waves and calming things a bit. Not long after, the wind died off and things eased back to normal. Thank God we set the anchor well and gave plenty of scope so Puffin held her own. So glad Suzan wasn't there to suffer through that!

Hammock with a view

The following morning was fogged in but cleared off early and presented another fine day.
Our zinc on the propeller shaft is being eaten quickly and fell off in my hand on an inspection dive, due to the salt water and stray electrical currents in New Bedford harbor. A day later, with a friend on board to keep an eye out, I installed a new zinc. We are learning.
August is almost gone and we haven't spent nearly the time we want with and on the boat. Still, September and October here in Southern New England offer nice boating time.