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.