Greetings, fellow travelers!
Having dealt with Winter, computer deficiencies, lack of access to Wi-Fi and other harmless annoyances, we have retrieved Trefoil from her winter digs in Maryland and returned her to her berth in Port Henry on Lake Champlain.
The return North:
Trefoil was recommissioned and sailed May 20, 2009 from Tolchester, Md to Anapolis Md.
We were cajoled into traveling SOUTH on our northerly venture by friends (Rick & Carol Clarke) who convinced us that watching the BLUE ANGELS air show was an event we would not regret witnessing. How right they were. What talented pilots in incredible aircraft. We were continously amazed at the ever-expanding level of dificulty of feats of skill and daring! Thanks to the Clarkes for their encouragement .
We left the Annapolis area on May 21, and had a beautiful day of sailing north on the Chesapeake. A night in Worton Creek, then on to Chesapeake City. Whoops, it was Memorial Day weekend, and not a spot available, either in the anchorage or at the town dock! So on to an anchorage we had used in the fall, behind Reedy Island, just a few miles south on the Delaware. On to Cape May, the tide was with us most of the way. And the wind was really picking up for the second half of the day, steady 25 + knots. We were happy to reach Utsche's Marina, a friendly and well protected spot. We ended up staying there a week, waiting for the Atlantic to calm down a bit. Met lots of nice folks there and enjoyed a couple of trips into town.
The crabcakes at the fish market Lobster House are superb!! We purchased these cakes on two occasions and cooked them on the boat.
After our "vacation" in Cape May, we had beautiful weather up the coast. Anchored one night in Atlantic City, then a night at Manasquan by "dog beach". Sure wished we had Colby with us! The following night, we were anchored at Liberty State Park, behind the Statue of Liberty. What a truly awesome sight, seeing the grand lady from the water!
Then more good weather, with a stop at Haverstraw Marina, then Esophus Creek, then to Riverview Marina in Catskill, where it was time to take down the mast for the trip up the Champlain Canal. The folks there are very nice and very skilled with the crane.
Then on to Waterford for 2 nights. What a great stop; people headed north up the Champlain Canal, and boats headed west out the Erie Canal. Our friend Larry stopped by and took us out to breakfast while we were here!
We picked up another friend, Herb, at Lock 3, for a short ride to Lock 4. Herb and his wife Dorothy have done the trip from Lake Champlain to Florida many times, and Herb wanted a short ride on he canal for Old times sake!
A good trip up the Champlain Canal, an overnight at Whitehall, and then back to Port Henry on June 10. The spring trip ws so different from the fall. We had great weather and a wonderful time!
We had the boat hauled and placed on its cradle to we could attend to some necesssary tasks. The centerboard has been repaired, the fuel tank has had its vent relocated so that it won't leak any more, and bottom paint touched up.
We were back in the water on July 17, and enjoyed a few days on the lake last week.
Saturday August 1 is the Westport Regatta, our first ever race! Wish us luck! And August 8 is the Lake Champlain rendez-vous of Tartan 34C sailboats. We look forward to meeting fellow 34C sailors on the lake.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Preparing for Spring Launch!
Can't wait to get Trefoil back in the water again! We spent the second two weeks of April in Maryland; part of the time we were installing toe rail chocks, cleaning the boat, touching up some bottom paint, and some other jobs, and part of the time we were with our friends Rick and Carol Clarke. Saturday, April 27 was a glorious day, when the four of us delivered their Tartan 34, Victoria, across the Chesapeake from Galesville to Oxford. That the Atomic 4 was sleepy from winter storage and didn't want to run more than 3 minutes at a stretch that day didn't really matter, as the winds cooperated fully!
Launch day for Trefoil is May 15. We plan to spend a few days exploring the northern Chesapeake before heading back to Lake Champlain for the summer. Let's hope for good weather for the return trip. Colby will stay home this time, resting up for summer sailing on the lake.
Launch day for Trefoil is May 15. We plan to spend a few days exploring the northern Chesapeake before heading back to Lake Champlain for the summer. Let's hope for good weather for the return trip. Colby will stay home this time, resting up for summer sailing on the lake.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
The weather window closed....
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....
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 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.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Reversal and Re-reversal
1) The REVERSAL
We filled Trefoil up with diesel earlier this week and discovered that the moronic mechanic that installed the tank had made a small but important mistake! WHAT? A LEAK! OH NO!!!!
We had this discovery in Haverstraw while the wind was blowing at 40 gusting to 50 or more. What a joy.
We left Haverstraw for Kingston with the sad thought that we would have to pull the boat, probably for the Winter. We were cold, wet and discouraged. (Oh, I forgot to tell you that our nav computer would not find our GPS).
2)RE- REVERSAL
After reaching Kingston and resting for a day, we took a look at our tank situation and discovered that the problem could be corrected! We can not fill the tank to capacity or we will re-institute the damage but....it'll be all right.
Navigation - Karen called the Garmin Corp. (maker of most of our GPS equipment ) and apparently found the absolutely SMARTEST tech they have. After SEVERAL HOURS he had created a digital miracle which allows a match between components that CAN'T MATCH! So, we are able to return to a southerly course with adequate fuel and our nav system (backed by paper charts) functioning. We three will rest well this night.
Dick, Karen & Colby
We filled Trefoil up with diesel earlier this week and discovered that the moronic mechanic that installed the tank had made a small but important mistake! WHAT? A LEAK! OH NO!!!!
We had this discovery in Haverstraw while the wind was blowing at 40 gusting to 50 or more. What a joy.
We left Haverstraw for Kingston with the sad thought that we would have to pull the boat, probably for the Winter. We were cold, wet and discouraged. (Oh, I forgot to tell you that our nav computer would not find our GPS).
2)RE- REVERSAL
After reaching Kingston and resting for a day, we took a look at our tank situation and discovered that the problem could be corrected! We can not fill the tank to capacity or we will re-institute the damage but....it'll be all right.
Navigation - Karen called the Garmin Corp. (maker of most of our GPS equipment ) and apparently found the absolutely SMARTEST tech they have. After SEVERAL HOURS he had created a digital miracle which allows a match between components that CAN'T MATCH! So, we are able to return to a southerly course with adequate fuel and our nav system (backed by paper charts) functioning. We three will rest well this night.
Dick, Karen & Colby
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