Pasadena - Annapolis

     As I write this we are supposed to be in Annapolis. We're not. We are on land in Pasadena. On land for our annual bottom painting and maintenance. It has rained all week so the bottom could not be done. They could have started on the light sanding prep work during some dry periods but they did not. After seven years we may not be coming back. It has screwed up our scheduled engine tune up in Annapolis. It's likely that will not happen although the company will try to get us in after we get back in the water. I'm doubtful.

     We got to the Chesapeake Bay almost two weeks ago. We left Mystic and went to Port Jefferson on a pretty calm day. From there our timing for Hell Gate and the rest of New York City was near perfect so we went all the way to Cape May in one over night passage. It was a fairly rough trip. The seas were about two feet but right on the nose. That gave us a choppy ride. Not dangerous. Just uncomfortable. A few things, like the dinghy, took a beating. This was a slow passage and we were very late to the Delaware Bay area so we stopped in Cape May for an overnight.

     We left just before sunrise the next day and rounded Cape May without much discomfort. Seas were about a foot and on the beam, so not too rough. Once we were around the Cape the angle was much better and so, much more comfortable. The light breeze did shift to being ahead of us much earlier than forecast but in the Bay it wasn't a rough direction. It did rain on and off during the day and heavily a few times but it wasn't a bad passage. We also had timed the current very well and got up the Bay faster than ever before. We got to Chesapeake City before 1500 (3PM). We stayed two nights because we had time and had never done so before. We went to the Canal Museum and went on several walks. Met some new cats, too. There are water depth issues at the free dock now so our second night we were alone at the dock even though the anchorage was full.

     From there we went to the Sassafras River for one night and Worton Creek for two. We also spent two nights in Bodkin Creek awaiting our scheduled haul out day. It was a very nice, relaxing, do nothing week to make up for the one night not so nice passage. Once we get painted we will go to Annapolis for our engine tune up, if possible, and then go to the Annapolis Boat Show. After that we start south again. We are hoping that Hurricane Mathew will be gone by then. This season these storms have been hanging around far longer than is normal. This one is a serious hurricane so it would be nice if it acted 'normally' and buzzed on outta here without affecting more than Florida and the Bahamas. Oh, Carol fractured her wrist. She fell at the fuel dock of Pleasure Cove Marina while handing me the fuel hose. Landed flat on her side with no twisting but, well, old bones get brittle. Lawsuit in our future?

     A week before we departed Mystic, Heather got married at Mystic Seaport Museum. We took the boat and tied up at their docks the day before and day of the wedding. We tied up at 'Bart's Dock' right next to the Boat Shed where the reception was held. This is just a few steps away from the Brant Point replica Lighthouse where the actual ceremony was held.

   
     The day before the wedding we took the flowers aboard as well as table decorations and other "stuff". The boat looked more like a shipping barge and smelled like a funeral parlor. After the rehearsal at the lighthouse and the rehearsal dinner at Latitude 41 several female members of the wedding party stayed with us overnight. It was the first time all our berths were put to use.

     The wedding day started off with a lot of photos taken of our surroundings by almost everyone aboard. It was a very beautiful scene. A bit of fog. The lighthouse and river. The seaport buildings and small craft near us. Really special. Everyone left me for hair and makeup work and I had to get all our stuff over to the reception area for the caterers and set up the wedding arch near the lighthouse. Didn't get hair and makeup done.

     As it got near 1600 (4pm) the wedding party started arriving for pre-ceremony photos by the professionals. The back drop of Mystic Seaport was terrific. We even got a few photos in the Buckingham House on the museum grounds. An ancestor lived in it several hundred years ago when it was in Old Saybrook. It was very hot and the bride put some ice cubes down the neckline of her dress. The father of the bride just suffered in his suit.

     The parents of the bride barely held it together as we exited the Rope Building to start towards the aisle. Barely. The ceremony was moving. Happy and serious. Funny and poignant. But mostly joyful.

     And then it was time for the reception. It was a walk of about one hundred feet to it. In 90 degree heat. Find your seat. Drinks. Dances. Chat with friends and relatives. Watch the sun set. See the lights of the Mystic Bascule Bridge come on and the stars blink into view. Magical. And the beacon of the lighthouse shone over everything.

     The dinner was terrific and everyone seemed to have a great time. I believe the bride and groom had fun with their friends AND family. After dinner many wandered over to the dock near our boat for conversations and just to enjoy the evening with the scenery.

     At the end of it all the couple left under a blaze of two foot sparklers held over their heads by the guests as we tried to avoid setting them (the bride and groom) on fire. They left to continue the party at a nearby bar/restaurant with the younger guests as the parents of the bride and perhaps some of the other older folks called it a night. We helped a bit with the clean up so the caterers would have our things in one place for us to retrieve in the morning and get it all back on the boat.

     The boat was just a few feet away and anxious to be going on our seventh cruise south away from winter in the cold of New England.

Summer 2016

     Summer is not quite over yet but Labor Day has come and gone so I thought it would be a good time to sum up the summer as the next week or so will be a little hectic and then we will get underway for our winter cruise south.

      We did not do much boating this summer. We did not plan to. No cruise. No daysailing. No nothing. We did go to our annual Waterbury Power Squadron Rendezvous at Hamburg Cove off the Conn. River for the Memorial Day Holiday weekend. This was just a few weeks after arriving home to Mystic. Heather and Michael joined us and the weather was good. Squadron attendance was down a bit as several boats had 'issues' and were not ready for prime time yet. After that Infinite Improbability did not move off her mooring again until the end of July.

     This does not mean we had an uninteresting summer, however. Mystic Seaport Museum gave us some wonderful opportunities to be at very interesting events. America, a replica of the boat that sailed to England to win a trophy that would be named after her, America's Cup, came to Mystic Seaport and I got a chance to board her and ask questions of the crew. Because of Instagram hashtag skills in my photo postings I got to meet a crew member (Tasha) online and then in person aboard America. We now follow each others blogs and Instagram accounts. Who knew that hashtag skills would become something needed in my life? How did it become a 'skill'? And where did 'hashtag' come from? Hmmm, something to ponder on our next night watch... or not.

     In this spot would be photos of America and Tasha but somehow my computer ate them. They're gone. Probably forever.

     Another very interesting event at the Seaport was the arrival of the "Hokule'a". Hokule'a is a native Hawaiian canoe. This traditional Polynesian canoe was launched in 1976 and is now on an around the world cruise that started about two years ago. Although it is called a canoe it is a sailing catamaran about 62 feet long and 20 feet wide. It has very limited crew comforts, canvas covered deck berths and external (to the vessel) toilet facilities. It has a very basic food cooking set-up and navigation is by the ancient, no instrument, methods developed by the Polynesian cultures called wayfinding. When Hokule'a arrived it was met by one of our local Native American tribes, the Mashantucket-Pequots. Yes, the Foxwoods Casino tribe. The ceremonies, dances, and presentations were very interesting. And moving. The Navigator of the Hokule'a spoke at length of "Malama Honua", caring for island earth. I also got the chance to attend a talk by Keala Kimura about traditional navigation, the spirit of Malama Honua and stories about events on this cruise. Fascinating.

     Sadly, this is the other batch of photos that disappeared. Sigh.

     The Seaport also hosts the Wooden Boat Show and I visited the show a few times. I got the chance to chat with the assistant editor, Bob. It helped that I had an article in the current edition at the time. July.

 
     One of the coolest things our Seaport membership did for me was getting me aboard the USCG vessel "Eagle". It's open to the public at times when it's in port but I had an escorted, private tour of the entire deck with about 16 other members. I spent about an hour roaming the decks and asking questions of the young cadets. An honor and a privilege.

 
    We got out on the water in July as Heather came for her vacation cruise. It was interrupted by doctor visits so we spent three days at Block Island one week and three days at Montauk another week. A brief daysail in August with Mike and Heather and another short one during the Labor Day Weekend wrapped up our summer boating. Labor Day Weekend was marred by the approach of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hermine. It was forecast to come close and hit much sooner than it actually did. We could not plan an escape due to the variables so we stuck it out on our mooring. As I write this it's still in the neighborhood but the 40 knot winds that came Labor Day overnight seem to be gone. It didn't get too rough but it was gusty with many direction swings.

     We are now less than two weeks until our southbound departure but before that we have a wedding to attend. And prepare for. And fret over. And run errands for. A build stuff for.

     Heather is getting married at Mystic Seaport Museum and we're taking Infinite Improbability to their docks for two nights. It ought to be interesting.

     My next blog post should be from the Annapolis area and include wedding details.