actually, it slammed shut. We left Chesapeake City on Monday (after waiting out : 1- a canal CLOSED because of fog and 2- gale force winds) and traveled to Tolchester, Maryland and the Tolchester Marina, where we stopped for fuel. We didn't have enough sun left to make it to Annapolis , so we decided to stay for the night. The next morning, the weather forecast was for two days of winds to 30 knots, gusting to 35/40 and a week of temperatures in the low 40's in the daytime and 20's at night. At this rate it would take a week or more to get to Norfolk, and temperatures there were similar. No warming trend in the near future. Our friends on the Corbin 39 were in Oriental NC and also complaining of cold conditions. This was not any fun and beginning to seem futile. It is one thing to deliver a boat in fair weather, quite another in miserable weather. So......rather than learn to HATE sailing the Tartan south, we decided to "pull the plug" and look forward to another sailing season with anticipation of challenge, beauty and joy!
Tolchester Marina is a great facility, with a big yard, 4 travel lifts, and friendly, helpful people. They were able to accommodate us. The boat was hauled yesterday, in a snowstorm. The last two days we were there, the temperatures didn't climb out of the 30's, even when the sun came out. We are home now, with a fire in the wood stove. We return after Thanksgiving to finish cleaning out the boat.
Plans are to bring the boat back to Lake Champlain for the summer, then to leave for the south MUCH EARLIER next fall!
Travels aboard Trefoil to continue....
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Weathering the weather
Our progress is very slow, as we keep getting caught in bad weather--rain, high winds, fog. After 4 days in Atlantic City, we had a break and moved to Cape May. We had hoped to sail that day, but once again we were headed directly into the wind. Actually, it ended up being a fairly calm day, and we arrived at Utsche's Marina in Cape May after a good day. Colby traveled that day with his buddy Roscoe on Triton's Trumpet.
Then high winds again, so we were 3 nights, two days at Cape May. We knew that the trip up the Delaware Bay would be a long one, and didn't know how it would work out. Our friend Carol Clarke, who lives on the eastern shore of Maryland, had offered to come get any or all of us at Cape May for a break. We decided to ask her to take Colby for a few days, to give us one less thing to have to consider as we made our way up the Delaware Bay. So Carol drove over 3 hours each way to pick Colby up! He has visited her and Rick several times with us on trips back from North Carolina, so he is apparently very comfortable there and having a good time. We think he is secretly relieved to be off the boat for a while! Running and retrieving are his favorite activities, and he doesn't get much of that on a 34 foot boat.
John and Linda ventured out the first day and called us to say "Don't go out! We're coming back!" Waves were up to 5 feet and very confused. The next day, we were able to move. We left at 5:50 AM, first making 6 knots under power, but by 3:00 we were down to 3 knots. The tides on the Delaware Bay and river can be very strong. So we anchored for the night near the entrance to the C & D Canal, and in the morning, the tides were with us. We were in Chesapeake City, only two miles from the Chesapeake Bay, by 10:00 AM. It started to pour, so we went to the town dock, and rafted up with Triton's Trumpet. The next day, the C & D Canal was closed to all boat traffic due to fog, and foggy it was. Today, there is a gale warning on the Chesapeake Bay, so we stay put again. We plan to pick Colby up when we get to St. Michael's, but not sure when we will be able to get there.
We have been staying in marinas much more than anticipated, so being at the free town dock ($15 per day for electric) is a good break. Chesapeake City has a beautiful old downtown area, with lots of shops, restaurants, and B & B's. We had a great Chesapeake crab dinner at the "Tap Room" after we arrived. (There are some benefits to being "stuck"!) Right now we are at the public library, to get Wifi. Internet access has been spotty along our route. We are used to being able to communicate so the internet situation leaves us somewhat isolated. (Karen's phone does receive Email daily, however, and we really like hearing from you all.)
Our plan all along has been to leave the boat somewhere by mid-December, and drive home for Christmas. Don't know far we will get at this rate. The weather will dictate!
Then high winds again, so we were 3 nights, two days at Cape May. We knew that the trip up the Delaware Bay would be a long one, and didn't know how it would work out. Our friend Carol Clarke, who lives on the eastern shore of Maryland, had offered to come get any or all of us at Cape May for a break. We decided to ask her to take Colby for a few days, to give us one less thing to have to consider as we made our way up the Delaware Bay. So Carol drove over 3 hours each way to pick Colby up! He has visited her and Rick several times with us on trips back from North Carolina, so he is apparently very comfortable there and having a good time. We think he is secretly relieved to be off the boat for a while! Running and retrieving are his favorite activities, and he doesn't get much of that on a 34 foot boat.
John and Linda ventured out the first day and called us to say "Don't go out! We're coming back!" Waves were up to 5 feet and very confused. The next day, we were able to move. We left at 5:50 AM, first making 6 knots under power, but by 3:00 we were down to 3 knots. The tides on the Delaware Bay and river can be very strong. So we anchored for the night near the entrance to the C & D Canal, and in the morning, the tides were with us. We were in Chesapeake City, only two miles from the Chesapeake Bay, by 10:00 AM. It started to pour, so we went to the town dock, and rafted up with Triton's Trumpet. The next day, the C & D Canal was closed to all boat traffic due to fog, and foggy it was. Today, there is a gale warning on the Chesapeake Bay, so we stay put again. We plan to pick Colby up when we get to St. Michael's, but not sure when we will be able to get there.
We have been staying in marinas much more than anticipated, so being at the free town dock ($15 per day for electric) is a good break. Chesapeake City has a beautiful old downtown area, with lots of shops, restaurants, and B & B's. We had a great Chesapeake crab dinner at the "Tap Room" after we arrived. (There are some benefits to being "stuck"!) Right now we are at the public library, to get Wifi. Internet access has been spotty along our route. We are used to being able to communicate so the internet situation leaves us somewhat isolated. (Karen's phone does receive Email daily, however, and we really like hearing from you all.)
Our plan all along has been to leave the boat somewhere by mid-December, and drive home for Christmas. Don't know far we will get at this rate. The weather will dictate!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Adventures in Atlantic City
After 2 nights in Jersey City, it was time to move. The first day to Manasquan, NY, a small fishing port. Following the compass course so as to reach Manasquan, we were headed directly into the South wind, so we motored all day. Our first experience with fixed docks, rather than floating docks. So getting Colby off the boat at low tide was a real challenge!
Then the next day on to Atlantic City. This day we put up the main, and still motored. Having some sail up made the motion easier, but it was a long day, over 50 miles. We got to Atlantic City just at dusk, as the wind was picking up, and we became disoriented in the heavy surf going into the harbor. All of a sudden we realized we were headed directly at a beach! We quickly turned around and headed back out, and called the Coast Guard. They very kindly sent out a boat and guided us in. Thank you US Coast Guard!!! We had made an incorrect assumption, that the harbour would be well marked.
Our friends John and Linda, on Triton's Trumpet, a 41 foot trawler, who have done this several times before, said they also had a tough time getting in. But they have a chartplotter, and followed their previous route in. Soooo.......you guessed it, yesterday we went to West Marine and bought a chartplotter. We have along way to go, and we were really lucky this time. We will, of course, continue to use our paper charts, but having backup makes a ton of sense. We have a computer program, but the nav station is below, and it would be difficult to try to work with a computer in our open cockpit boat.
Anyway, a big nor'easter came through, with winds gusting to 50 knots and seas 9 to 14 feet. All day Wednesday it blew hard; Wednesday night we had lots of extra line out. We are at a small marina, Gardiner's Boat Basin, next to the Aquarium. We are on an outer dock, so we had protection, but it was minimal. Even last night when we went to bed it was gusting to 30, but today it has calmed down quite a bit. Today we wait for the seas to calm down, and will likely head for Cape May tomorrw, Sunday at the latest. Today Dick is installing the chartplotter. We also need to repair our inflatable, which was damaged on Wednesday night in the storm.
A positive note! Karen's brand new Helly Hansen jacket has already ripped on one sleeve. A contact with Helly Hansen today, and they have a new one waiting at the Helly Hansen store in Annapolis!
Then the next day on to Atlantic City. This day we put up the main, and still motored. Having some sail up made the motion easier, but it was a long day, over 50 miles. We got to Atlantic City just at dusk, as the wind was picking up, and we became disoriented in the heavy surf going into the harbor. All of a sudden we realized we were headed directly at a beach! We quickly turned around and headed back out, and called the Coast Guard. They very kindly sent out a boat and guided us in. Thank you US Coast Guard!!! We had made an incorrect assumption, that the harbour would be well marked.
Our friends John and Linda, on Triton's Trumpet, a 41 foot trawler, who have done this several times before, said they also had a tough time getting in. But they have a chartplotter, and followed their previous route in. Soooo.......you guessed it, yesterday we went to West Marine and bought a chartplotter. We have along way to go, and we were really lucky this time. We will, of course, continue to use our paper charts, but having backup makes a ton of sense. We have a computer program, but the nav station is below, and it would be difficult to try to work with a computer in our open cockpit boat.
Anyway, a big nor'easter came through, with winds gusting to 50 knots and seas 9 to 14 feet. All day Wednesday it blew hard; Wednesday night we had lots of extra line out. We are at a small marina, Gardiner's Boat Basin, next to the Aquarium. We are on an outer dock, so we had protection, but it was minimal. Even last night when we went to bed it was gusting to 30, but today it has calmed down quite a bit. Today we wait for the seas to calm down, and will likely head for Cape May tomorrw, Sunday at the latest. Today Dick is installing the chartplotter. We also need to repair our inflatable, which was damaged on Wednesday night in the storm.
A positive note! Karen's brand new Helly Hansen jacket has already ripped on one sleeve. A contact with Helly Hansen today, and they have a new one waiting at the Helly Hansen store in Annapolis!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Colby views Manhattan!
We are now at Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City, right across from Lower Manhattan. We had intended to leave this morning to start down the Jersey Coast, but winds for today were predicted to be gusting to 30, with seas 5 to 7 feet. We decided to stay put for today, as did the folks we met at Haverstraw, who have done this trip several times before. This gave us a chance to do some provisioning and go for a long walk in Liberty Park, in view of the Statue of Liberty.
Colby stayed here at the marina with dockmaster Michelle and her dog, Shasta, while we were shopping. We hear that Colby was greeting boats at the gas dock this afternoon! The staff here have been great; this is a very friendly place. Over 500 slips at the marina, average boat size is about 48 feet!!
The next two days are predicted to be fairly mild, with winds 10 to 15. If predictions are correct, we may end up in Atlantic City for a couple of days, as it is forecast to get a bit nasty for Wed and Thurs. Perhaps we'll learn to gamble!
We are so out of touch, we didn't realize daylight savings time started today, until we turned on the phone this AM. This will have an impact on our schedule; earlier to bed and earlier to rise, so we can get to our next destination before sunset! Colby does need those trips ashore.
Colby stayed here at the marina with dockmaster Michelle and her dog, Shasta, while we were shopping. We hear that Colby was greeting boats at the gas dock this afternoon! The staff here have been great; this is a very friendly place. Over 500 slips at the marina, average boat size is about 48 feet!!
The next two days are predicted to be fairly mild, with winds 10 to 15. If predictions are correct, we may end up in Atlantic City for a couple of days, as it is forecast to get a bit nasty for Wed and Thurs. Perhaps we'll learn to gamble!
We are so out of touch, we didn't realize daylight savings time started today, until we turned on the phone this AM. This will have an impact on our schedule; earlier to bed and earlier to rise, so we can get to our next destination before sunset! Colby does need those trips ashore.
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