Cuttyhunk to Mystic and spots in between

Underway from Cuttyhunk under power, at the mouth of the Sakonnet River, we suddenly noticed a decrease in speed and a drop in RPMs. We immediately wondered if we had wrapped a line from a fishing float around our prop. There are plenty of these to dodge in these waters (not quite as many as in the Chesapeake, but still numerous), and we generally keep a sharp lookout, but Lee Andrews on his Tartan 3800 had hailed us on his way into Jamestown, and during our conversation with him, we temporarily lost focus. We continued on for a bit, and the situation remained the same. We made the decision to take a detour into Jamestown, to the marina Lee had mentioned. This would give us the opportunity to check out the situation. So we called Conanicut Marine Services and reserved a mooring. Dick wanted to dive under the boat to see if there was anything wrapped around the prop. We also knew that if we needed services, such as a diver, we would be able to get assistance here. It was fairly bouncy when we arrived, so we took the launch ashore for a walk with Jonah. While there, a couple approached us and asked, "Weren't you just on Cuttyhunk? We recognize your dog!" We had a nice chat with Wendy and Gene, who have a Freedom 30. They were now on a mooring at Dutch Harbor Marina on the other side of the island from Jamestown. Then back to the boat, and Dick dove underneath, but the water was dark and there was still a fair chop, so he was unable to see anything. We decided to try putting the engine in reverse for a few minutes in the morning, hoping that if something was wrapped, it would un-wrap. We would motor out, and if all was well we would contine, and if speed and RPMs were still not right, we would go around into Dutch Harbor, which Wendy and Gene said was very protected and quiet. After running the engine in reverse the next morning, all seemed fine, so we continued on.
If we were to return here another time, we would go into Dutch Harbor Marina. Conanicut Marina is very nice, but is quite exposed, and the anchorage was rolly. Also, Newport is right across the harbor, and while it was fun to watch the boats coming and going, this also added to the chop. There is a ferry that runs from Jamestown to Newport, so this would be an easy way to get into Newport, without actually being moored or spending the big bucks to stay at a marina there. We did see some vey impressive boats headed into and out of the harbor!
So we were now underway to Block Island! We had been warned not to go there on a weekend, but it was Friday and that is where we were headed! We arrived about 4:00 in the afternoon, and called the harbormaster to inquire if there were any available moorings. We were put in a private mooring for Friday night, for one night only, and were told that we would probably be able to pick up a town mooring Saturday morning, between 7:00 and 9:00. So up early Saturday AM, Jonah and Dick ashore and back by 7:00. Then we cruised through the mooring field, and by 7:30 we were on a mooring! On a town mooring, we could stay as long as we wanted. We watched other people looking for moorings as well. It is possible to anchor at Block Island, and many do, but the anchorage is deep, and we have heard many stories of people dragging anchor there. We wanted to be able to sleep at night. $40 per night seemed a fair price for a good night's sleep! Being at Block Island was like being at a carnival! Dinghies, sailboats, powerboats, silicone, the launch, kayaks, paddleboards all coming and going all the time. This was very different from Marthas Vineyard and Cuttyhunk. Lots of dogs, Jonah had a great time swimming! Karen rented a kayak and did some exploring. We stayed here 3 nights total, had dinner out one night at Dead Eye Dick's...very good!
The weather is starting to change...we were actually chilly our last night here when returning to the boat in the dinghy! After such a hot summer, the cool air felt good.
Monday morning, it was on to Stonington, to a mooring at Dodson's Boatyard. We had been here several weeks ago. After our time in the islands, we needed to do laundry (not Jonah's fault this time!), get ice, take showers and do some major provisioning for our trip home. On Tuesday, our friends Linda and Ed drove over from their boat in Westerly, RI, just around the corner from Stonington. Ed and Dick visited (and ate ice cream) while Linda and Karen did some provisioning at the the Big Y supermarket in Mystic. What a nice store! It was so helpful to be able to do this: thank you Linda and Ed! It was nice to be back at Dodson's again; this is a very well run marina, with complete services available and very friendly, helpful staff. We were very pleased to be on a mooring close to the dinghy dock, and surrounded by Hinckley and Morris sailboats! Our last night there, we had dinner at the "Dog Watch Cafe," a very popular spot. Jonah was on the patio area just off the deck, and received lots of compliments!
On to Mystic the next day, only 8 miles (4 miles by land!). In 2004, we attended the Sparkman and Stephens 75th anniversary celebration at Mystic Seaport (we drove there by car). It was here that we met Rick and Carol Clark, who sail their Tartan 34C on the Chesapeake. Rick and Carol have become good friends, and we have visited them several times at their home on the Chesapeake.
We decided that we wanted to see Mystic from the water, so we opted for a stop here. We sailed part way, which was lovely. Then up the winding Mystic River to Brewer's Yacht Yard. Except for the one night at Cuttyhunk, this was our first night at a dock in 17 days! Moorings and anchoring are great and have their advantages, but being at a dock is a real treat! This is a very nice marina, and we wouldn't hesitate to return here another time. The location is great, and we can walk or take the dinghy to downtown Mystic. Mystic is a busy spot, but it was nice to be able to walk around a bit and do some Christmas shopping! While Dick and Jonah were waiting outside a store for Karen, a man approached and said "I know that dog! He barked a me, but I didn't take it personally!" This was an emplyee of Dodson's Boatyard!
We had planned to leave this morning, but the forecast was for 20 knot winds from the SW, which would be right "on the nose" for us. No sailing, powering all the way. We have been there, done that, and it isn't enjoyable, so we opted for one more day here. We are glad we did! This afternoon we took the dinghy for a long ride, up the Mystic River, past Mystic Seaport, and took Jonah for a swim. Actually, he jumped around in a lot of muck, but he had a great time!
We are now headed west back through Long Island Sound enroute to NYC and the Hudson River. We are planning for another slack tide at Hell Gate!

A Yellow Dog fares well in Black Dog territory!

As we were leaving the village of Mettapoisett, headed for Martha's Vineyard, we were advised to go to Lake Tashmoo, an anchorage on the north side of the Vineyard. This was advice we are most happy we followed, as Lake Tashmoo was a lovely spot. We enjoyed it so much we stayed 6 days! Well protected, good holding, quiet and peaceful, a dinghy dock close by, with a water supply and garbage disposal, an easy 20 minute walk into Vineyard Haven, where we could take showers at the Harbormaster's building. Vineyard Haven has a good grocery store, lots of shops and several good restaurants with excellent takeout (we travel with Jonah, remember, and he isn't allowed in restaurants!). Lobster dinners, lobster salad, steamed clams and mussels....delicious! Martha's Vineyard is a very dog friendly place, and although the "Black Dog" trademark is everywhere, and every other person walking down the street is wearing a "black dog" shirt, Jonah got lots of compliments! He met many friendly people and lots of other dogs. The last night we were there, as we were walking back to the anchorage, a car drove by and someone called out the window, "Hi Jonah!" While on Martha's Vineyard, we traveled by bus to Oak Bluffs and the Edgartown, as well as all the way out to Aquinnah and Gay Head Lighthouse. Jonah didn't like the bus at all at first, and wanted to get off every time the door opened, but gradually he got used to it, and by the time we took the bus back to Vineyard Haven, he slept all the way!

One evening as we were taking Jonah for the last "shore call" of the day, we saw a dinghy, holding 6 people, bobbing around. Their 9.9 HP motor wouldn't start, and they were a long ways from their boat. So we gave them a tow...our 2.5 Suzuki powered 8 people, one dog, 2 dinghies and the 9.9 outboard! We are very pleased with our new dinghy, the Walker Bay with the inflatable tubes. It is stable, has plenty of room for the three of us and groceries, ice or whatever we are carrying at the time, and is easily pushed through the water by our 2.5 HP motor.

We finally decided it was time to leave lovely Lake Tashmoo, and we headed for Cuttyhunk, a small island at the opposite end of the chain of the Elizabeth Islands from Woods Hole. The tide was against us, and it took us 6 hours to motor (no wind) 18 miles! In Cuttyhunk Harbor, we picked up a mooring. What a difference from Lake Tashmoo! Boats coming and going all the time, mostly sailboats, a very festive atmosphere! We soon took the dinghy ashore, and explored the island a bit. There are about 30 permanent residents, and many more in the summer. Cuttyhunk is very relaxed, very pretty, does not have a lot in terms of services, but is still a very popular place to be. A fun part if being here is the floating "raw bar" which makes its way around the mooring field each evening. Oysters and clams on the halfshell, shrimp cocktail, clam chowder (delicious), seafood dip, all delivered to your boat! And gorgeous sunsets as well! We have had some nice walks to the lookout at the highest point of the island, and Jonah has loved his romps in the ocean! We planned to stay 2 days, and opted for a third! Tomorrow we head out for Block Island!

Dealing with the unexpected (aka: Are we having fun yet?)

The past week has certainly been eventful! Once we got back into Long Island Sound after leaving Old Lyme (in the Connecticut River) we were in dense fog! It was very eerie, being in such a small circle of visibility. We kept moving under power, using the horn whenever we heard another vessel approaching. Eventually the circle of visibility widened and by late morning the fog had dissipated. We arrived in Stonington, the official" beginning point of the TONE cruise, early afternoon and picked up a mooring at Dodson's Boatyard. We called our friends Linda and Ed Thorne, who live on their lobster boat at a marina in Westerly, RI, just a few minutes away. They came and took us to Watch Hill lighthouse, back to their boat for pizza and salad, and then to a grocery store for a much needed provisioning stop! We used the launch service provided by the boatyard for the trip to and from shore. Those guys really know how to drive a boat! Lee Andrews, from TONE, arrived on his Tartan 3700 that afternoon, and were on the mooring right next to us. We didn't actually meet him, as we were gone until evening. The next morning, Dick took Jonah ashore in our dingy, and during this expedition, the airfloor of the dingy failed. Not a good situation. We reviewed our options, and decided that we really needed to replace the dingy. So off to West Marine in Mystic, just a few miles away, in the courtesy car provided by the boatyard. We decided on a Walker Bay 8, a plastic hull, so no airfloor to give out. We knew that this boat can be a bit tippy, and we wanted to also buy the inflatable tubes that Walker Bay sells for this dinghy, to provide some added stability, especially with 2 adults and a dog! However, the tubes were not in stock, so we bought just the dinghy. Back to Dodson's, the rest of the day was spent installing the seats and hardware. Much of this was done with the boat in the water, as our tools were on Trefoil. Dick bounced around quite a bit that afternoon! As expected, the Walker Bay is tippy, so we decided that as soon as possible we would get the inflatable tubes. Meanwhile, Lee Andrews left around noon that day to move to the next anchorage, so we didn't actually get to meet him. Ron Curtis, on his Tartan 34, also left. The next morning we were ready to go, the Walker Bay in the dinghy davits, but there was a lot of fog. So we walked into town for breakfast (used the launch service again, certainly easy!). We started out the channel at about 11:00, but the fog was so thick we could barely see other boats in the channel, so back we went to the mooring. An hour later, fog was starting to lift, so we finally departed Stonington. Dodson's is an excellent marina, and the folks here very friendly and helpful. We were in and out of fog all afternoon, so we decided to go into the anchorage at Point Judith Pond that Lee had told us about. A nice anchorage, lots of boats there already, so we anchored near the back of the pack. Chatting with the folks on the boat next to us, we learned that the Cruising Club of New England was out for its annual cruise, and this was the first gathering spot! There were a couple of small islands close by, but we decided the "tough it out" with Jonah, not take him ashore, and encourage him to "go" on the foredeck. He had done that at the Pollopel Island anchorage, but we have been on a dock or at a mooring every night since. Well, the plan backfired, and he peed on the port cushion (inside the boat) that night while we were sleeping! Still wouldn't go the next morning, so Dick took him ashore. Jonah 1, parents 0. We decided to stay in this anchorage for the day, as it was foggy out on the bay, and winds were expected to increase to 25 knots in the afternoon. As we were sitting in the cockpit midafternoon chatting, remarking on the increased wind velocity, we suddenly noticed a sailboat dragging its anchor, bearing down quickly on us! A couple of men were aboard (not the owner), trying to get the engine started, but not able to. The boat reached us and was T-boned against our bow!! We fended off, the other guys finally got the engine started (it was a Beneteau 47). It appeared to be hung up on our anchor rode, so Dick released some more rode, and the Beneteau was free. Our anchor (a 20 kilogram claw) held both boats, in a 20 knot breeze, with higher gusts! A rather exciting adventure! The owner came by later, apologized for he problem, and inquired if there was any damage to our boat. None that is apparent at this time. We were invited to join the Cruising Club, and were told we had already passed the initiation! A couple of more times ashore with Jonah on the island, happy dog! The Walker Bay is great, but the inflatable tubes will make it more stable. We called West Marine in Fairhaven (New Bedford), ordered the tubes, and were told they would be in Wednesday. By now we have realized that we will not be able to participate in the TONE Cruise. We cannot catch up to the group, as we are already behind schedule. We notified the organizers....On one hand, it is a disappointment that we will not meet all the other TONE folks,and do the cruise as planned. But it is also somewhat of a relief to be free of the schedule. We pushed hard to get here from Port Henry at the appointed time, and we are tired. Now we can relax a bit, and make our own plans. One of the cardinal rules of cruising is not to be on a schedule and we were trying to do it anyway. Best laid plans.... Monday we left the anchorage, and out into Block Island Sound. We should have realized that after yesterday's blow, the seas would be unsettled today! We experienced 6 foot swells for a long time, but little wind today. We power sailed, as having the sails up gave us more stability in the waves. Finally, toward late afternoon, the wind picked up and we had some beautiful sailing into Buzzard's Bay. We had made a reservation at Pope's Island Marina, and had an easy entrance into the marina about 7:30 PM. A long day, but we were glad to be at the dock and to take showers! Tuesday was laundry day (thanks, Jonah) and a bit of rest. It was also our 30th anniversary, and we had an excellent dinner at Fathoms, a seafood restaurant just across the street from the marina. (Thanks to the Cruising Club for the recommendations for the marina and the restaurant!) Wednesday we walked to West Marine, about a mile away, and picked up the inflatable tube kit for our Walker Bay! The rest of the afternoon was spent installing the hardware, as well as some non-skid for the plastic seats, and some hooks to lift the dinghy in the davits. Back to Fathoms for dinner! This morning, we attached the inflatable tubes, and within an hour or so, we discovered that one of the tubes was leaking!!!! Arghhhhhhh!!! Dick called the West Marine store, explained the situation and that we are 400 miles from home and that we are paying to stay in a marina to get this done.....Long story short, the manager said he would have new tubes here tomorrow, and that he would discount them to make up for the cost of staying the extra time at the marina. Thank you West Marine! Weather has been mostly hot and humid, a bit cooler would be a relief! Before leaving home, we had purchased a wind scoop for the forward hatch...so glad to have it! It treally helps draw the breeze down below when at a dock or anchored.

Moving on through Long Island Sound

New York Harbor is certainly busy! We departed Liberty Landing Sunday morning, and so much noise! Helicopters, ferries, powerboats, sailboats, jetskis, tugs with tows, lots of boat waves...and car traffic, train traffic, very hectic all the way up the East River! We had been a bit worried about transiting Hell Gate, but we timed it perfectly and went through at slack tide. No worries, mate! On to Greenwich, CT, where we had to call for a bridge opening. The man on the phone said, "You mean now?" We are accustomed to calling for an opening when we approach a bridge, from our travels in the south. Apparently for this bridge, a union electrician, a union carpenter, and who know how many others, have to be present. It took an hour and a half to get an opening! It was a noisy spot, betweeen the rr bridge and I-95. Probably not a spot to return to! Monday was the nicest day we have had since this trip begain. Cooler temperatures, clear sky and moderate winds! We sailed for a couple of hours, enjoying the quiet! Then we fired up the "iron genny" as we needed to make some miles. On to Milford, CT, where we stayed at the Milford Landing Marina. A lovely spot, but unfortunately we got a deep scratch on our newly painted hull here. A combination of factors...tides coming in fast, needing to navigate around a rather large trawler to get to our slip, and inexperienced deck hands. We'll fix it when we get home...! The next morning we started out, but conditions were not good. Waves about 3 feet, a close together, and wind directly on the nose. After an hour and a half, we turned around and went back to Milford. This time we had a great landing at our slip! We spent the day doing boat jobs, Dick re-regged the first reef, we took naps, also out to dinner for the first time since leaving Lake Champlain. This morning, what difference! We put up sail a couple of times, but not enough wind. And we needed to make distance. So it was another tillerpilot day. What a useful tool it is! It takes a lot of the fatigue away from a long day of powering. Tonight we are 3 miles up the Connecticut RIver, at Old Lyme Dock Co. What a peaceful spot! Jonah got to go swimming for the first time since Haverstraw...happy dog! He has adapted very well to this life..he sleeps all day, and then springs to life when we reach our destination for the day! Tomorrow it is on to Stonington, CT where we will meet the first boat of the TONE group. We hope to also see Ed and Linda Thorne on Seasmoke. They are friends we met for thefors time a couple of years ago when we were cruising.