to October 9 - on the water again and home

We waited not in vain.

• waxed upper section of boat
• serviced windlass
• clean anchor chain with fresh water
• inventoried supplies and parts
• purchased oil for the entire 2014 cruising season, filter and belts also
• made new anchor snubber
• cleaned and polished interior teak
• cleaned and polished flybridge "windows"
• met with Adirondack, another Monk, who gave us their itinerary for the Down East Loop.  As we are hoping to do this trip in 2015, it was a wonderful coincidence that we met up.

to September 28 - define delay

Just as we were getting up and ready to start the trek west on the Erie Canal, we received word that the dam at Lock 13 needed repairs. It would be 5-6 days before the Locks at 12-14 would be operational.  A few days later it was revised to 2-3 weeks. It is now day 13. Next Thursday the locks will open up for three days and then shut down for the season. We will be there at 7 am.

The good: we are tied up at the free floating dock at the Waterford  NY Visitors Center. We have power, water, close by laundromat and supermarket. Last weekend I had opportunity to take a trip to Ontario to visit family and this weekend we are in Montreal to visit family. Life is good!

It is getting downright cold in the evenings all thru to the next morning.

Naples is beckoning.

to September 11 - the last two months (Part One)

Well, here we go again.  This is the third year in a row that I lost steam while cruising and stopped blogging.  I have all the excuses you ever want to hear. 

We have had an incredible summer.  It has been all about good food, incredible scenery, fun meet ups with fellow boaters, visits to boatyards, and setting some plans for the next couple of summers.  We were thrilled to meet up with son Jason and his wife Shayna as they travelled to Nova Scotia, and niece Emily and her husband Seth and grandniece Morgan on their way to Acadia Park.

Maine is incredible.  It was much easier than we thought it would be.  We expected difficulty in finding reasonable places to stay, in avoiding rocks, in getting fogged in, etc. etc.   But aside from fog (and we found ourselves comfortable with it), it all worked out.  There are wonderful, secluded areas in Maine where it is just you and me and the dog.

We toyed with the idea of leaving the boat up there but couldn't quite come to terms with leaving the boat out in the cold and freezing its little hull off.  Then when we began to think about where we would like to cruise in 2014 and 2015, we decided Brewerton, NY would be the best starting point.  Rusty wants to do Lake Superior as well as the Down East Loop (around Gaspe and Nova Scotia).  I do too. If we do Lake Superior in 2014, we would do the Down East Loop in 2015 and then leave the boat in Maine.  By that time Rusty will be 70 and our need to explore unfamiliar waters might be satisfied.  Maine is that beautiful that we can see ourselves spending our summers there on the boat.

For the record:

July 19-20 - After a meet up with Emily and family in Richmond, we headed back to Bath in time for the opening of the farmers market at the waterfront.  Artisan cheese, breads, micro-greens, all yummy. A new coffee maker using lower wattage was purchased.

July 21 - The timing of the currents along the 14 mile stretch between Bath and Boothbay was tricky. There was Upper and Lower Hell's Gates and we had to pick our poison as to which one was going to be a ride for us.  It just so happened that as we zoomed along we met a tour boat and passed it with no more than two feet between us.  Rusty says going into Montreal was scarier for him as pilot, but for me as passenger, this stretch took the prize.   We ended up at Five Guys Island on a free mooring and then blew it by getting two, almost three lb. lobsters.  They were so big we had to cook them one at a time.  The second one became really good lobster rolls the next day.

July 22/23 - Boothbay was a short run.  Touristy.  Met Deb and David, Significant Other, fellow Monk 36 owners and had drinks with them on our boat.  They brought over some really tasty boiled shrimp and shared their recipe!

July 24 - In spite of the fog, we left Boothbay and hoped to get to Round Pond. 4-5 ft. rollers changed our mind and we ducked into a good anchorage in Poorhouse Cove.  Winds blew like crazy later on.

July 25-27 - Six hours of choppy water and we were in Rockland, spending two days on a mooring ball.  We were able to dinghy in and enjoy the town from time to time.  Rainy and windy, that is what I remember. And an organic market that sold incredible local yogurt.  Some of the creamiest we have tasted. On the 27th, we pulled up to the dock for their two hour complementary tie-up to view the Wyeth art at the Farnsworth Museum.  We scooted over to Belfast and moored not more than 100 yards from the dinghy dock.  The significance is that Rusty rows and we don't have to attach the motor to the dinghy. 

July 28-30.  We love Belfast. Vibrant downtown, interesting shops, great foodie shops and yet it has a  (very) small town feel. Met up with Dick & Suzy, Cerca Trova, fellow Monk36 owners over drinks and dinner.  They have given us the idea of leaving the boat in Maine.  Went to a books signing event in honor of former Senator Olympia Snow.  Met up with Don & Margaret, former Monk36 owners we met in Fernandino Beach, FL  two years ago.  They had witnessed our dinghy and motor overturning in 45 MPH winds.  Of such begin the bonds of friendship.  They told us about Chase.

We went on Tuesday morning and were blown away.  It is a farm to table type restaurant that also sells their farm products in a big area at the back of the restaurant.  The freshest herbs and veggies I have ever seen (except maybe at the Jean Talon market in Montreal).  Their bakery has some things available early morning but the breads come out at around 10:30.  If you show up at 11:30, you are out of luck.  They make a terrific baguette and these tomato/cheese tartlettes that taste so good.  They are open one day (Fridays)  for dinner and if you want to make a reservation you need to do it weeks in advance.  "if you know when you will be vacationing here next summer, that is a good time to make the dinner reservation." 

Tuesday noon we headed to Smith's Cove, a short two hour run, to anchor near Eric Clapton's Blue Guitar.

July 31-Aug 1 - The weather was good and we decided it was time for me to put on some cetol on the hand and cap rails.  Rusty helped with the prep work which made everything go faster.  Just about the time I was finishing, we received a call from Jason and Shayna.  They were passing through and we were delighted to be able to meet them for dinner in Castine, only a dinghy ride away from the anchorage.  The next day we headed back to Belfast look at boat cushions that Don and Margaret had but we discovered that all Monks do not have the same settee footprint.  Within two hours we were on our way again and on to Broad Cove in Islesboro, but not before we ran up to Chase for some more tartlettes.

to July 17 - Kennebunkport, ME to Richmond, ME

In just four hours we cruised from Kennebunkport to Portland, Maine.  The winds were light and we encountered only a light sprinkle.  Along the way we saw a puffin, seals, dolphins and loons. 

Portland Yacht Services is an Active Captain sponsor with glowing reviews.  We decided to have them look at our inverter situation.  The two batteries on the inverter bank were fine.  However some of the wiring (thanks Dog River) needed to be corrected.  We don't understand it all but something about daisy chain wiring and wiring on the wrong side of the shunt.  It took eight hours for the electrician to figure out the system first of all and then to fix what he could that day.  He labeled the wires, moved the chart plotter wiring to the other side of the shunt, and corrected the fridge wiring.  The inverter reads correctly now.  For the first time, we have a really good idea what battery powers what device and how to properly charge the systems.  There is one wire that he was unable to identify and suggested we leave it be until the mystery is solved.   Our wish list now includes an amp monitor for the house and starter batteries and a common ground bar.

We also had the teak cap rail repaired while we were there.  It is not perfect but maybe with a few more coats of Cetol no one will notice.

All in all, we were there for five nights, two on the mooring ball and three tied to the floating dock.  It was the worst rolling we have experienced - over 15 degrees each way.  In fact it was so bad, the boat had to be held off the dock with a line to a mooring ball amidships.  How bad you ask?  While sitting down for dinner, the fingers of my left hand grasped the dinner plate, stretched to secure the wine glass, and my thumb held onto the condiment basket.

Portland was a foodie delight.  Within walking distance were coffee houses, bakeries, Italian delis, veggie/fruit market, and Whole Foods.  The winding and hilly sidewalks were paved with red bricks and I thought we could be in Europe.  Not related was another observation: a large number of people who looked like they might be homeless, or a bit out of it.  We learned that the police had a relaxed policy regarding the use of marijuana.  Later we heard on the news that a law was being proposed to permit recreational use of weed to go with the city ordinance banning all cigar smoking on the streets!

Incredible croissants and rolls at 6:30 am

There was a narrow gauge railroad museum next to Portland Yacht Services.  The narrow gauge railroad lines served the outlying areas and feed off the regular gauge railroad lines.

Outside view of narrow gauge rail car
 

 

Bench seating - 3rd class?

 

Comfortable leather seats - 2nd class?

Posh seats - lst class?

 

Morse code

  

Tool to pass written messages

The tool in action - train did not have to slow down.

Gigi was groomed by Zoe, a gal with great Google reviews, who works out of her home. Gigi looks like a million bucks and while she had a makeover, I discovered a fabulous coffee house around the corner, Yordprom Coffee on Congress.  The best!

Oh yes, almost forgot, the crown on a my tooth that got patched in Port Jefferson developed a fissure (Rusty's words).  So a referral to a referral to a referral  took me to Alpen Dental Clinic, where I was told there were no appointments to be had, but I could come in and wait for an opening.  I had no choice. Rusty encouraged me to take a taxi but when I did the calculations it would have been over $20 each way and I could not stomach that so I took the bus.  As I was waiting at the bus stop, not far from the dock, I realized I had not brought my retainers.  I know that without retainers the dentist is limited in what he can do but at that point I was (1) hoping the crown could be glued together and (2) afraid to miss the next bus.  Long and short of it, my wait at the dentist was less than an hour, the crown could not be repaired, and a new crown could be fitted and a temporary crown put in that day, within 1.5 hours.  Each bus trip would take 45 minutes but that would not leave enough time to walk from the bus to the boat to get the retainer.  A phone call to Rusty and he agreed to be at the bus stop by the dock to hand me the retainer. As the bus rolled to the stop, the door opened, my arm went out, his arm went in, and the transfer was made.  I made it back with five minutes to spare.  We will be back in Portland in a few weeks and the permanent crown will be installed.

On Friday afternoon, July 12, we left Portland headed for an anchorage in Potts Harbor but changed our mind along the way when we read the reviews about Jewell Island.  What a gorgeous and protected cove it turned out to be.  The next day we went ashore at low tide and collected mussels for our lunch.  Gigi went off the leash and had a ball.  It was so peaceful we decided to spent another night.

 

Gorgeous colors on the rocks early morning

 

Rusty looking for mussels

Jewell Island anchorage at low tide

 



Rusty preparing broth for mussels

Mussels offered some pearls

A little too close for comfort

Tight anchorage

Gotta watch those tides!

Quahog Harbor was our next destination and it too was peaceful and beautiful.  Maine is getting to us.  It is so much like the North Channel.

Monday, July 15, we headed up the Kennebec River to the Bath Maritime Museum where mooring balls and docking space is offered to the visiting boater.  On the way we had to wait for the current to reverse and thought we could explore Sequin Island but the remaining  mooring ball was too close to shore and there was no dock or place to anchor so we left.  Disappointing, as the Active Captain reviews were complimentary of the lighthouse and tour.  

The Maritime Museum is wonderful and many of the tours are offered by competent, "elderly" volunteers.  We left with a good sense of the wood boat building industry and the different steps required during a typical 8 month building cycle for a ship.

Depiction of the size of the Wyoming ship

The following pictures are of the fishing schooner Edward Zwicker, docked at the Museum.  It was built in Lunenberg, Nova Scotia in 1942.  Currently owned by an individual in Booth Bay who allows the Museum to give tours and use it for educational purposes.

Photo of the fishing schooner Edward Zwicker  in early 1940's

 

The fishing hold

Officer bunks

Captain's state room

 

The men slept here. Wives would provide curtains.

The galley

Worn stairs

Tuesday afternoon, July 16, we cruised 1.5 miles to dock at the complimentary City of Bath town docks.  Great location. Nice waterfront park.  IGA.  Dot's Ice Cream Shop. Local donut shop that opens at 4 am. The best kitchen supply store we have ever visited "Now You're Cooking", friendly townspeople.  Enjoyed the stop.

It has been five days without being hooked up to shore power.  The batteries and inverter are humming along.

We were going to head to Boothbay Harbor next  but read about Richmond, further up the Kennebec River, and so we made a detour.  Richmond provides a dock, power, and water to visiting boaters. It's warm (90 degrees) and we are grateful to be able to turn on the air conditioner without starting the generator.  As we pulled up to the dock, an emergency worker came over and helped us tie up.  Nice welcome!  We will stay a couple days to get up to date on the blog, paperwork, etc. etc.  Richmond is a small town and is perfect for a bit of R&R.

We are thinking of leaving the boat in Maine and maybe going over to Nova Scotia next year. We are concerned, though, with the harsh winters in Maine and the effect on the boat.  We also need to research Nova Scotia cruising.  The passage across at the narrowest point is only 45 miles, but...

to July 6 - Westport, MA to Kennebunkport, ME

 

 

We left Westport early Wednesday, June 26 to catch the current at the inlet. The rollers for the first 1.5 hours out of Westport were some of the nastiest that we encountered so far.  As soon as we reached Buzzard Bay, the waters settled down.

We took a mooring ball from the Point Independence Yacht Club in Onset.  Super friendly folks.  The manager took me to Walmart so that I could replace the carpets in the salon.  The night before the tin of melted candle wax was accidentally knocked over with wax shooting out across the floor and walls.  We discovered that a plastic grocery store card did a nice job of lifting the wax from the wood.

Early Thursday morning we transited the Cape Cod Canal with a nice push and a good dose of fog.  Coming out of the Canal we encountered rough water until we got into deeper water.  By noon we were in Plymouth.  Interesting town and hopefully we will be back to visit Plimouth Plantation.  The entire two days were drippy.

The Plymouth Rock



The shrine for the Plymouth Rock

 

An old house from 1640

 

 

Notice the leaded glass window repairs.



National Memorial Pilgrim Church

Mill

 

 

Rusty messing around with the water pipes.

Scituate

We debated whether to stay a third night in Plymouth but would have had to move to another mooring location, the weather forecasts looked reasonable so we pushed on to Scituate, a three hour cruise.  Scituate Boat Club was very welcoming.  The town is small and has limited services. We are finding more and more mooring fields operated by Clubs providing launch service but no dinghy access.  It is a bit like riding the bus after owning your own car.



Gloucester



The trip from Scituate to Gloucester bypassed the entire Boston Harbor, which we will visit on our return trip.  Gloucester is an old fishing port with Portuguese and Italian influences.  And that translates into some good food.  The Harbormaster could not have been more friendly and helpful.  Lots of interesting shops on the main street including an Italian deli and a cheese shop.  The cheese shop provided our dinner of pate, baguette, and the best sausage in a long time.

St. Peters Fiesta was underway giving a very festive feel to the town.

Statue of Winslow Homer

Going off to the slippery pole contest.

The next morning we walked into town specifically to go to the Italian deli where we picked up incredibly tasty St. Joseph subs for lunch, and a couple of prepared meals for dinners.  We would have stayed another night if a dog grooming place was open and available but it was not meant to be.

We planned to go up the Annassquan River and on to Newburyport.  The inlet at Newburyport was suppose to be tricky and we had it figured that to get there at slack flood tide at 2 pm, we had to leave at 11 am.  At 9:30 we happened to talk with the Harbormaster and mentioned where and when, and he said, "oh, that's not a good idea.  The Annassquan River has had some shoaling and we recommend going on a rising tide" Well it was not going to be a rising tide in Gloucester until early afternoon and we would miss the slack tide going into Newburyport.   He said deeper draft boat go around Cape Ann.  We would be able to make it if we took that route.

Rockport, MA

We began our preparations to get underway, rechecking the new plan, we also looked at alternative B just in case.  To our pleasant surprise, Rockport, only two hours away, had a place for us on a wall with hydro for the same price as a mooring ball.  Here we come!

As we began to round Cape Ann the fog encircled us, the waves were trying to hit us on the beam, and lobster traps prevented the engagement of the autopilot.  We had a choice between the north or south entrance, the north being the furthest and widest, so we called and the harbormaster encouraged us to take the south entrance.  We could not see it visually.  Thank goodness for the chartplotter and the ipad.  The red entrance buoy came into sight just as we were to make a hard left, at which time, the fog began to lift and it was a piece of cake getting into the outer harbor.

The town has lots of interesting shops.  Rusty found lobster plates, etc., and two lobsters  from a lobster man.  Strudel from a shop rated #3 on Trip advisor, and we had a heck of dinner.

 

Street view

Gigi waiting for Rusty

Helmut Strudel was the best

Another street view

Motif #1 - popular art subject

The boat at the dock.

The ladder we used to get from the boat to the dock.

Another view of the ladder

 

Our lobster dinner.

 

The second day in Rockport took me to the Laundromat, a 30 minute walk each way.  I threw everything in one huge machine and, honestly, I can't tell the difference.  By the time I got back to the boat the weather had changed.  The boat was rolling side to side against the pilings.  The winds had shifted and the swells were hitting the boat on the beam.  We put out another fender board, making a total of three.  A crazy sounding noise came from my iphone.  It was a TORNADO ALERT.  We packed a bag with our passports, papers, ipads, iphone, computer power cord (the computer we forgot...), got off the boat and waited for the storm to pass in the boat club. 

 

When it was all over, the harbormaster decided that there was too much rolling and put us on a mooring ball, which also meant we were no longer hooked up to power and therefore no air conditioning or heat.  The mooring field was so tight that boats were tied bow and stern to mooring balls. 

 

The two photos below were taken in the Tuck's Candy Shop.  They make their own salt water taffy.  The roll of taffy is fed into the machine and it is automatically cut and wrapped.  It was fascinating to see this.  Reminded me of the I Love Lucy episode when Lucy and Ethel worked a candy assembly line.  BTW, fresh taffy is really good.

 

 

 

The next morning (July 3rd) we walked into town to get some strudel to take with us.  The sun came out, we looked at each other,  and we decided to stay another two days.  And that is where we spent the 4th of July and were treated to the longest parade of fire trucks ever.

 

Proclamation re-enactment.

 

Kittery, ME

 

We left Rockport on July 5th and had a very pleasant cruise to Kittery, ME.  The town harbormaster could not have been nicer and we took a mooring ball for only $20 and rocked and rolled for most of the stay.  The mooring field was open to the traffic between the Atlantic and Portsmouth and every small wake seemed amplified by the time it reached us. 

 

At the dock was a grocery store that began in 1828.  The old gent at the cash register told us anything we needed he could provide.  It took three walks around the store to find the small cooler with the vegetables.  Sure enough, there was one or two of a number of things. The young gent who ran the deli part of the store was the wine expert.  He put Rusty onto a sancerre knockoff for only $12. Rusty went back after dinner to get some more.

 

Kittery Post Office across the street from the dock.

 

Kennebunkport, ME

 

Less than four hours cruise today (July 6)  and we arrived in Kennebunkport.  The town has two mooring balls, both were available.  The walk to town was 7/10's of a mile and we took a walk early afternoon.  Touristy shops but kind of fun.

 

We still have not resolved the battery problems on the inverter side.