Boston, MA to Naples, FL

Transcription

Log Book
Of the Vessels
Good Fortune2
and
Myeerah
Being the Narrative Journal of All Voyages
In 2001-2005
by
Joan and Peter Fortune
i
Contents
On Good Fortune2
Trip
Naples to Cape Romano, FL
Naples to Everglades City, FL
Naples to Cape Romano, FL
Naples to Key West, FL
Naples to Everglades, FL
Naples to Everglades City, FL
Naples to Boca Grande, FL
Naples to Boston, MA: Leg 1
Naples to Boston, MA: Leg 2
Vessel Renaming Ritual
Boston to Falmouth, MA
Boston to Newport, RI
Boston to Portland, ME
Boston to Penobscot Bay, ME
Boston to Marion, MA
Boston to Naples, FL: Leg 1
Naples to Spanish Wells, Bahamas
Naples to Big Pine Key, FL
Naples to the Dry Tortugas, FL
Naples to Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Dates
Pg
January 12, 201
January 16-17, 2001
February 21, 2001
March 15-17, 2001
March 24, 2001
April 3-5, 2001
April 13-15, 2001
April 29-May 2, 2001
May 20-26, 2001
May 20, 2001
June 23-28, 2001
July 13-16, 2001
August 10-12, 2001
September 7-12, 2001
October 13-14, 2001
November 2-6, 2001
December 3-7, 2001
December 9-16, 2001
January 13-19, 2001
February 20-22, 2001
March 14-17, 2001
April 20-21, 2001
65
67
69
71
73
75
79
81
83
87
89
91
95
99
103
105
108
110
115
119
121
125
ii
On Myeerah
Trip
Looking for a New Yacht
Boston MA – Falmouth MA
Boston MA – Newport RI
Boston MA – Portsmouth RI
Cruising the Maine Coast
Boston MA – Edgartown MA
Portsmouth RI – Charleston SC
Charleston SC – Savannah GA
Engine Failure!
Naples FL – Key West FL
Cruising the Exuma Chain, Bahamas
Naples FL – Everglades City FL
Naples FL – Dry Tortugas – Key West FL
Another Engine Failure!
The Chesapeake Bay: Norfolk VA – Philadelphia PA
Father’s Day Fishing Trip-Annisquam to New Castle
Newport RI – Block Island – Portsmouth RI
Newport RI – Block Island – Sag Harbor – Mystic CT
Newport RI – Block Island – Saybrook – Mystic CT
The Chesapeake Bay: Philadelphia – Norfolk
Cruising the Caribbean, The Virgin Islands
Cruising the Caribbean, The Leeward Islands
Naples, FL to Useppa Island
Naples, FL to Key West, FL via Dry Tortugas
Boston, MA to Falmouth, MA
Cruising the Western Mediterranean
Annisquam, MA to Cundy’s Harbor, ME
Annisquam, MA to New Castle, NH
Boston, MA to Newport, RI
Annisquam, MA to Wiscasset, ME
Cruising the Western Mediterranean – Again
Newport, RI to Essex, CT
Charleston, SC to Savannah, GA
Cruising the Bahamas
Naples to Boca Grande
Naples to St. Petersburg: the Naples Yacht Club
Dates
Pg
December 2001 – February 2002
July 4-7, 2002
July 18-21, 2002
August 10-12, 2002
August 17-21, 2002
October 4-6, 2002
October 27 – 29, 2002
October 31 – November 4, 2002
November 5–December 8, 2002
January 5 – 8, 2003
January 17 – 26, 2003
February 20 – 21, 2003
February 24 – March 1, 2003
March 8 – May 16, 2003
May 22 – 27, 2003
June 13 – 15, 2003
July 3 – 7, 2003
July 18 – 20, 2003
July 25 – August 10, 2003
October 23-28, 2003
December 26, 2003 – January 7, 2004
February 21, 2004 – March 6, 2004
April 19-20, 2004
May 2-6, 2004
June 25-28, 2004
July 7-18, 2004
July 27-30, 2004
August 7-9, 2004
August 13-15, 2004
September 3-6, 2004
October 2 - 8, 2004
October 21 - 25, 2004
November 5 - 8, 2004
January 22-February 11, 2005
March 14 – 19, 2005
127
129
131
133
135
137
143
145
147
151
153
157
165
167
171
173
177
179
183
187
203
207
211
215
231
247
249
253
257
273
277
279
283
287
295
299
305
325
331
iii
Trip
Naples to Boca Grande: The Nicholas Wedding
Naples to Key West: Naples Yacht Club Cruise
Annisquam, MA to Portsmouth, NH
Newport, RI to Martha’s Vineyard, MA
Annisquam, MA to Portland, ME
Newport, RI to Block Island, RI
The Connecticut Coast
Dates
Pg
March 31 – April 2, 2005
April 25 – 27, 2005
June 24 – 26, 2005
July 14 - 21, 2005
July 29 – Aug 1, 2005
August 5 – 9, 2005
August 26 -28, 2005
September 1 – 5, 2005
November 5 – 20, 2005
335
339
343
345
353
357
363
367
373
iv
Naples, Florida to Cape Romano, FL
January 12, 2001
Captain Peter Fortune
First Mate George Vyverberg
Crew Robert Fortune
Start
Engines
Gensets
End
Port
Stbd
1363hrs
1186
1359hrs
992
Port
1370hrs
1186
Stbd
1366hrs
999
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
7hrs
0
7hrs
7
Joan’s brother, George Vyverberg, is in Naples for January with his wife, Paula,
and their two children. Our son, Robert, is visiting with Victoria and their son, Talman.
Baby Fortune, expected in March, was along with them. On this day, George and Rob
joined me on a second expedition to the Cape Romano ruins.
Hope springs eternal. After repairs from the last trip, the Good Fortune was ready
for another trip. At 12:00 noon we departed Naples in cloudy, but unthreatening, skies.
Winds were low and the water was extremely calm as we headed south to the ruins.
Careful examination of the charts revealed that Cape Romano is the southern tip of Kice
Island, an uninhabited island just south of Marco Island.
We arrived at 1:45pm and quickly anchored off the ruins. We had a quick lunch,
eating great sandwiched brought by George. Then we lowered the tender and took off to
explore. There are two houses still standing (to some extent). One is on high stilts, and is
completely separated from the current shore. The second—the dome-shaped house—is
falling into the sea. It is completely gutted, and shells and pieces of board that winds have
driven into them dot its foam-material sides.
We met a camper who had been sleeping in the shelter of one of the rooms in the
“mosque” for a week. He came down from Missouri, planning to camp in the Ten
Thousand Islands area. Instead, he canoed from Goodland to Cape Romano. He was set
up in his camp chair with a view of the Gulf, and reported that he hadn’t been bored for
one moment. He has gotten food by catching crabs, and sets a large fire every night. How
he has managed in the very cold weather of recent weeks is a mystery. Why is even more
unfathomable.
We took the tender around the shallow waters off the Cape, observing dolphins
and occasionally encountering pipes sticking out of the water, probably for marking
fishing spots but definitely a hazard.
After returning to the boat, we raised the tender and headed back to Naples in
near-glassy water. Arriving at our dock at 5:00pm, we declared it a successful trip. To my
knowledge, no harm was done to the boat.
Correction: on our return, we found that the new stabilizer pump coupling was
disintegrating, as it had in the original case. Burr advised us that the problem is likely to
be harmonic vibrations in the starboard engine that cause the coupling to vibrate. They
advise getting yet a third coupling of a different type that is more forgiving. This has
been effective in resolving the problem on other Flemings. We shall see!
66
Naples, Florida to Everglades City, FL
January 16-17, 2001
First Mate Joan Fortune
Start
Engines
Gensets
End
Port
Stbd
1370hrs
1186
1367hrs
999
Port
1379hrs
1195
Stbd
1376hrs
999
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
9hrs
9
9hrs
0
7½ hours running time
This was a great short trip. We left Naples at 1:00pm after the stabilizer fins were
locked down (the repair parts delivery was delayed by fog). It was sunny, warm and very
calm. On the way to Everglades City we passed close by the Cape Romano ruins at
2:15pm, and arrived in Everglades City at 5:00pm. On the way through the narrow
channel from Indian Key to Everglades City, we were followed by several dolphins
which played in our wake, sometimes surfing and other times lazily turning their bellies
up to the sun. We docked at the Rod and Gun Club. While cleaning the boat, a couple
passed by in a tender. They were the new owners of a 1994 Fleming that we had seen
anchored on the pass from Indian Key. At 7:00pm we went to the Rod and Gun Club for
a nice dinner. We were in bed at 10:00pm.
The next day we awoke at 7:00am. After breakfast, we took the tender down and
went up the Barron River to Speedy Johnson’s airboat service. At 10:30pm we got on an
airboat and took a great trip through the Everglades. The boat went through narrow trails
through mangrove forests, then into open grasslands, then back into the mangroves. The
drought has left the water level about two feet below normal, so the channels were very
narrow (sometimes only the boat’s width) and shallow. We didn’t see any wildlife,
except a few birds, but the scenery was impressive.
After returning to Speedy Johnson’s, we took the tender back to the boat and, at
12:30pm, we started back to Naples. It was even calmer than the day before—virtually a
flat calm. The trip was uneventful and very pleasant. We arrived at our dock at bout
4:00pm. I cleaned the boat thoroughly, and called it a super day.
67
Left Intentionally Blank
68
Naples, Florida to Cape Romano, FL
February 21, 2001
Crew Lara and Steven Balter, Michele Davidson
Passengers Alexandra, Benjamin and Jacqueline Balter
Start
Engines
Gensets
End
Port
Stbd
1389hrs
1200
1386hrs
1003
Port
1394hrs
1205
Stbd
1391hrs
1003
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
5hrs
5
5hrs
0
This was a beautiful day, with a warm sun and light winds. We started down the
Intracoastal Waterway toward Marco Island at 11:30am. It was slow going because it was
so shallow, even though it was just before high tide. The mangrove forests slid by, and at
about 1:15pm we reached Marco Pass and went outside down Marco Island toward the
ruins.
We arrived at the ruins at about 2:00pm. After quickly anchoring we took the
tender to the long white beach at the southern tip of Kice Island and explored the area.
The children were fascinated by the abandoned houses and by the flora along the lagoon
that had been cut at the end of the island.
After an hour we put the tender (and the children) back on the boat and we
departed at 3:10pm. It was a gentle and quiet ride back to Gordon Pass. The only event
was Steve’s sighting of a large sea turtle playing with a crab pot’s buoy. By the time we
turned around to see it, it was gone.
We came into Gordon Pass at about 4:15pm, and were docked by 4:30pm.
Everyone but me hit the pool, and after a quick washdown of the Fleming, I joined them.
What a nice day!
69
70
Naples, Florida to Key West, FL
March 15-17, 2001
First Mate Derek Marsh
Crew Norman Berg, John McCahan,
Jack Rockart
Start
Engines
Gensets
End
Port
Stbd
1396hrs
1209
1393hrs
1005
Port
1411hrs
1224
Stbd
1408hrs
1005
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
15hrs
5
15hrs
0
200nm, 15 engine hours, 13.3 knots
550 gallons, 36.7 gallons per hour, 2.75 gallons per nm
The four of us flew down to Fort Myers on Wednesday, March 14, planning to
head to the Dry Tortugas on Thursday, with Derek Marsh-a local captain-serving as First
Mate. However, at dawn on the 15 th the wind was very stiff from the southwest, with a
forecast for 25-knot winds throughout the day. Because the anchorage at Fort Jefferson is
poorly protected, especially against southwest winds, we headed for the Margaritaville of
the South, Key West. We left at 9:00am and found that the wind died down considerably,
giving us a sunny and reasonable comfortable trip to Key West. By 3:30pm we were at
the outer marker into Northwest Channel. By 4:30pm we were in slip 14 at A&B Marina.
Following a thorough cleaning, we cleaned ourselves up and had evening libations on the
after deck.
We walked down the waterfront to the Conch Marina, where the Hilarium had
just docked. Doug Coe was, as always, a wonderful host who took us on a tour of the
boat. Pete and Ginny Nicholas were supposed to come in with guests by plane at about
6:30pm, so we left before then so as not to get in their way. We walked over to Front
Street and had dinner at Billie’s, a decent restaurant near the waterfront. We were in bed
by 10:30pm.
On the 16th we were up early to a sunny day. I checked in to the marina, bought
some newspapers, and we had a leisurely breakfast. At about 9:00am we started on our
tour of the town. We walked up Front Street to a tourist trolley stand, and bought tickets
for the 1½-hour tour. This took us through the town, seeing all the wonderful old houses,
and, especially, the high spots on Whitehead Street. We got off at the waterfront marina
area, and had lunch at the Turtle Kraals Restaurant. Then we started a walking tour.
We walked to Whitehead Street and went to the Hemingway house. This was an
interesting tour of a house that Hemingway lived in for most of the ten years he lived in
Key West. This was his most productive period, when he fished, frequented Sloppy Joe’s
71
Bar, and wrote 500 words each morning. After this, we went to Truman’s “Little White
House,” where we had a one hour tour. This is a relatively small house on the former
submarine base, with a great open style and lots of character.
We returned to the Good Fortune by 3:00pm, and spent the rest of the day
relaxing. At 6:00pm we convened on the deck, and then walked to the Turkey Kraals for
a dinner among he younger denizens of Key West. We were in bed by 10:00pm.
The 17th was another fine day in paradise. We got up, had breakfast and read the
paper. At 9:00am we left A&B Marina and headed out through the Northwest Channel.
By 10:00am we were in the open Gulf. It was a straight shot to Naples, in extraordinarily
calm waters. By 3:30pm we were entering Gordon Pass. We went into the Naples City
Dock and refueled (550 gallons), then we were back at the dock by 5:00pm.
This was another great trip. We couldn’t have had better weather, the boat ran
perfectly, and Key West was a very interesting town to visit.
72
March 24, 2001
Captain Derek Marsh
First Mate Jennifer Marsh
Crew Cynthia Berg, Joan Fortune, Sara Jones,
Kay McCahan, Elise Rockart
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
1411hrs 1408hrs
1224
1005
Port
Stbd
1418hrs
1224
1415hrs
1016
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
7hrs
0
7hrs
11
The crew on this trip were the wives of the crew on the previous trip, with the
exception of Hugh Jones who had not been able to come on the men’s trip. The goal was
to go to Everglades City, have lunch at the Rod & Gun Club, take an airboat ride and
return to Naples, all in one day.
This trip began as a quick day trip in the SeaRay. It would take about 2 hours to
get to Everglades City. However, after all had piled aboard Rway and it had started down
the waterway toward Marco Island, it became clear that something was wrong. It turns
out that the captain of the fleet had stripped the outdrive when he ran hard up on a sand
bar during a previous event. So all returned to the dock and started off to Everglades City
in the Good Fortune 2. This turned a 2 hour ride into 3½ hours.
The ride to Everglades City was in sunny weather and calm seas. However, on
arriving it was found that the Rod & Gun Club dock was filled by a large group of
boaters from Marco Island. So the Fleming went back out the channel and anchored near
the entrance to the Baron River. After eating lunch on the boat, Derek took the ladies into
Everglades City on the tender.
The ladies took an airboat ride, but reported that it wasn’t worth it. Apparently,
the Indian Reservation, over whose lands the airboats had ridden in the past, had recently
excluded airboat rides. This meant that they stayed on larger waterways, preventing any
excursion into the swamp areas, and allowing little sighting of wildlife.
On returning from the airboat trip, the sun was getting low and Derek took all five
ladies in one trip back to the Good Fortune 2. They set off for Naples in late afternoon,
with calm seas. On the way there was a vivid sunset, and much laughter was reported to
be heard by the dolphins they passed. They arrived at our dock at about 9:00pm, ate
pizza, and went to bed.
No mechanical problems were reported, and the trip was judged a success in spite
of the requirement that adaptations be made.
73
74
April 3-5, 2001
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
1418hrs 1415hrs
1224
1016
Port
Stbd
1428hrs
1254
1425hrs
1038
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
10hrs
30
10hrs
22
This trip was planned as a 3-day trip to the Marathon area on the keys. In
particular, we wanted to visit Big Pine Key to see the small key deer that are indigenous
to that area. However, the day began with two mechanical problems. First, the fresh water
pump was not working. This was ultimately resolved by the expedient of turning its
power off, then back on. This reset an internal switch, probably for overheating, and the
problem was solved.
The second problem was that the port engine started very sluggishly. At first we
thought that the battery was not being properly charged. We removed the alternator and
took it to a shop for testing; it tested fine. Next we thought that the battery leads might be
corroded, so we set about cleaning them. In the process, one of the posts on a gel cell
battery broke off, a manufacturing defect. So we had to replace the battery. While it was
possible that this could have been the problem ( the weak post might not have carried the
current needed to start the engine quickly), it turned out that the problem still existed. The
last thought was that the starter was beginning to fail, and that it should be rebuilt. That
would take some time.
By now it was getting close to noon, and it was too late to go to the Keys. The
port engine would start, though feebly, so we decided to set off to the Everglades City
area, where we would spend two nights. At 11:30am on April 3rd we left Naples and
headed south. It was a beautiful but windy day, with 4 foot waves.
We arrived at Indian Key at about 3:15pm, and by 3:45pm we were anchored in
the center of the Russell Pass anchorage, where the Barron River channel into Everglades
City begins. The southeast wind was blowing directly into the cove, so it was a bit
choppy. However, as expected, when the sun went down the water became calm.
We got the tender down and took a brief tour of the area. There were only two
other boats, and we stopped to chat with the couple on Dauntless, a 40-foot Independence
trawler with a home port in Bethlehem, CT. The owners, Richard and Lynne last-nameunknown, were on an extended tour of the East Coast. They had gone up the Hudson
75
River to the St. Lawrence Seaway, then into Lake Michigan where they visited Chicago,
finally coming down the ICW to Florida. He was a recently retired engineer in the
construction industry. They showed us around Dauntless, then we headed back to Good
Fortune. We watched the sun set, grilled hamburgers, and watched a DVD (Six Days and
Seven Nights, a weak romance with Harrison Ford and Ann Heche. By 11:30pm we were
in bed.
We awoke at the late hour of 8:00am, to a sunny day with very calm water. After
a gourmet breakfast fixed by the chef, we sat around for a while. At about 10:30am we
hopped into the tender and headed for Everglades City, which we are getting to know all
too well. On the way we took a detour across Chokoloskee Bay to the fishing village of
Chokaloskee. It is connected to Everglades City by a causeway, and I don’t know why
anyone would go there twice. It is a hamlet with very shallow waters and a collection of
mobile homes and near-shacks.
After visiting the Chokaloskee waterfront (we never got off the tender, although
we were on solid ground at one point), we retraced our steps and went to Everglades City.
We tied up at the Rod & Gun Club and had a mediocre lunch (they were very crowded,
and lots of boats were docked there). We took a brief walk and toodled around the Barron
River for a bit. Then we were back at the boat by about 3:30pm. Upon arrival a female
Park Ranger on a boat, who was checking out the vessels anchored on Everglades
National Park water, greeted us. She was very interested in whether the tender was
properly registered.
There were about a dozen boats anchored in our cove, a four-fold increase from
the previous afternoon. We don’t know why there was such an influx. I can only assume
that people learned that this was the place to be. They were right
After lolling around for a while, we sat on the fantail and watched the sun set.
Then we had a chicken dinner, delicately prepared by the chef, and watched Stanley
Kubrick’s 1975 movie Barry Lyndon. This hauntingly beautiful movie was a slow-paced
trip through the life of a poor boy who rose to become a wannabee in London society of
th
the 18 century, then was dashed to pieces by society’s recognition that he was a cruel
wastrel. The movie was visually gorgeous, with many of the scenes looking as if they
were paintings. It was also aurally beautiful, with haunting classical music. Based on
Thackeray’s novel, it was a dull story but a great movie. By midnight we were asleep.
On April 5 we awoke at 7:00am, had breakfast and lifted anchor at 9:00am. On
the way past Indian Key we had several dolphins surfing our wake—a beautiful sight.
The trip back to Naples took about 3½ hours. It was sunny and relatively calm (2 foot
seas). After arriving at Gordon Pass we went into Naples Bay to refuel. City Dock was
busy, and the first tank we tied up to was broken. After waiting for a sport-fishing boat to
complete its refueling we slid into its spot. We took on about 400 gallons of fuel, and
were back at our dock by 2:00pm.
76
This was a very pleasant trip, with good weather and a relaxing day in the
Everglades National Park. As always, the crew got along famously. The boat performed
well, though its sluggish-starting port engine needs attention. We checked the alternator
for charging ability, and the starter motor for problems. Eventually we found that both
port-side 8D GelCell batteries that had been replaced in October of 2000 were defective.
77
78
Naples, Florida to Boca Grande, FL
April 13-15, 2001
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
1428hrs 1425hrs
1254
1038
Port
Stbd
1438hrs
1261
1435hrs
1040
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
10hrs
7
10hrs
2
This trip was the result of an invitation from Peter and Ginny Nicholas to join
them and their family on Easter at Boca Grande. We were not with family because our
plans to have everyone in Naples fell through when Lara, Michele and Victoria all
became pregnant, with delivery dates in April, March and July, respectively.
On Good Friday the Good Fortune2 left our dock at about 11:30am. The start was
delayed for a bit because the second port-side battery had to be replaced (the engine
starting problem we had been experiencing was because both port-side batteries, new in
October, had failed and needed replacing. The first had been replaced several days
earlier, at the time of our previous trip.
It was sunny, calm and very warm—in the high 80’s. After clearing Gordon Pass,
we turned north toward Sanibel Island. We passed Sanibel, Captiva and a couple of
unnamed islands, and arrived at Gasparilla Island at about 3:00pm. We navigated the
Gasparilla Pass, entered Boca Grande harbor at 3:15pm, and were tied up next to
Hilarium at the Nicholas marina at about 3:30pm.
That evening we had dinner at the Nicholas’s with their extended family. Their
children (Katy, Peter and JK) with JK’s wife (Virginia) and daughter (Catherine) were
there, along with Eli and Debbie Lilly and three of their children (Jennifer, Eric and
Becky, with her daughter Lilly). Also present were Bill and Renny McCutcheon and their
son, Bill, with his girl friend, Tracy. Alice Hollingsworth was the only foreigner besides
us. It was quite a group. Crissy, the Hilarium chef, catered the dinner. At 11:00pm we
were back at the boat, well fed and lubricated.
At 7:30am I joined Pete, Peter, Billy and Tracy on Plugger, Pete’s 45-foot Buddy
Davis sportfishing boat. With Captain Doug Coe at the helm we headed out Gasparilla
Pass and anchored about 15 miles offshore, over an artificial reef formed by an old ferry
that had been deliberately sunk. We fished for several hours with little success. Pete
caught a small flounder and a small grouper. The fish were stripping bait from the hooks
as quickly as we could restore it, so there were lots of fish around. They were just too
wise.
79
At about 10:30am we headed back. We anchored right in the pass and fished for
tarpon. Pete had a strike but it got away. By 12:00pm we were back in Boca Grande.
During this time Joan and Alice had played nine holes of golf. We all joined at the Boca
Grande Club for lunch. Then it was an afternoon siesta. At 7:00pm we all met at the
Hilarium for cocktails, then we went to the Pink Elephant Restaurant for a fantastic
dinner.
On Easter Sunday we were invited on a brunch cruise on Hilarium. However, it
would return at about 4:00pm, and if we left for Naples at that time we would be coming
through Gordon Pass at night. We regretted the invitation and, at 11:15pm we left Boca
Grande, following Hilarium out the Pass. We set a course south for Naples as they turned
north to go up the coast. It was very calm water with a hot sun. By 3:15pm we were at
our dock.
This was a special trip with special friends, and we were grateful to be included.
The weather was fine, and the boat ran well. It was as good a way to spend Easter as I can
imagine, if one has to spend it without children and grandchildren.
80
Naples, Florida to Boston, MA
April 29-May 26, 2001
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
1438hrs 1435hrs
1261
1040
Port
Stbd
1581hrs
1385
1576hrs
1079
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
143hrs
124
141hrs
39
Total: 1556nm, 143 hours, 10.9 knots, 4146 gallons, 29.0 gal/hr, 2.7 gal/nm
The original plan was that Marc Casasanta and Trevor Bearham would take Good
Fortune2 from Naples to Norfolk in about eight days. Trevor would return to Boston by
air and I, with an Annisquam friend, Bob Anderson, would meet the boat in Norfolk and
join Captain Casasanta for the three-day trip to Boston. Just about everything that could
upset this plan did happen. The normal route would have been to Fort Myers and over the
Okeechobee Waterway to Stuart, FL. But the drought had reduced Lake Okeechobee’s
minimum depth to less than four feet and the vessel had to be brought through the Keys
and around the tip of Florida. In addition, serious mechanical and electrical problems
would occur.
Leg 1
Captain Marc Casasanta
First Mate Trevor Bearham
April 29-May 2, 2001
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
1438hrs 1435hrs
1261
1040
Port
Stbd
1481hrs
1298
1476hrs
1052
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
43hrs
37
41hrs
12
Total: 437nm, 34 hours, 12.9 knots, 1186 gallons, 34.9 gal/hr, 2.7 gal/nm
Day 1 April 29, 2001
Naples, FL to Miami, FL
212nm, 15 hours, 14.1 knots
Marc planned to depart at 6:00am, but found that the GPS was not communicating
with the computer. This was minor, and was traced to a loose serial plug connecting the
GPS with the computer. Departure at 7:00am was uneventful, and the vessel passed
through the Keys, going under Seven Mile Bridge near Marathon FL at 2:00pm. On the
way the computer program locked up and the chartplotting facility was lost. This
81
ultimately was traced to a corrupted file and was solved by reinstalling the navigation
software.
After turning north toward Miami the boat encountered heavy seas and was
caught in squalls with very high winds. The wind blew the spray from the bow wave back
into the portside vent behind the pilothouse. This sent water throughout the electrical
system and created major electrical problems. Among them were shorting of some
electrical outlets, loss of the microwave oven’s circuit board, and—most seriously—an
untraced short sending voltage through the wheel on the flybridge.
The boat arrived in Miami at 10:00pm. There was major cleanup to do after the
squalls, and both the computer and electrical problems needed attention.
Day 2 April 30,2001
No Progress, 658 gallons
This day was spent in Miami dealing with the problems and avoiding the bad
weather that had settled in. The electrical problems were ultimately traced to loose
grounding wires and to corroded wires on an AC unit that were sending current back
through the system rather than sending it to ground. Several GFI outlets required
replacement. A small voltage still remained at the flybridge helm station. The vessel was
refueled, taking on 658 gallons.
Day 3 May 1, 2001
Miami, FL to Fort Pierce, FL
At 8:00am the boat left Miami on an outside run. Weather forced it in to Lake
Worth Inlet at 12:30pm, and it proceeded up the ICW to Fort Pierce, arriving at 5:00pm.
Day 4 May 2, 2001
Fort Pierce, FL to Daytona Beach, FL
Leaving Fort Pierce at 7:00am, the Good Fortune 2 proceeded up the ICW. Passing
the Mile 900 marker at 11:00am, it continued past Daytona Beach but developed a loud
metallic sound in the starboard engine. Returning to Daytona Beach, it found a slip at
Daytona Marina & Boat Works, a full-service marina, at 5:00pm. Ringhaver Caterpiller
was called and the problem was found to be “catastrophic engine failure.” The crankshaft
had distorted because it was not properly installed, then it had broken and had cracked the
block. The entire engine had to be rebuilt.
The rebuilding process was lengthy. Because the engine could not be lifted from
the engine room without tearing the salon apart, Caterpillar decided to strip all removable
parts from the engine, remove the block, put a new block in place, and rebuild the engine
while it was in the engine room. The work was completed on May 19, 2001. Fortunately,
82
the $20,000 bill was mostly covered by an extended warranty bought by the previous
owner (I never buy such things!).
Bob Anderson and I arrived in Daytona Beach at about 3:00pm on the 19th and
joined the boat for its sea trial at 5:00pm. Everything went well, and after the sea trial we
had an official vessel renaming ceremony. Undoubtedly my renaming of it from Nuthatch
to Good Fortune2 without seeking the blessings of the Gods had jinxed the boat. The
renaming ceremony asked the vessel’s permission to be renamed, it officially renamed
the vessel, and it ended with an appeal to the gods to treat the vessel and all hands with
loving care. A copy is attached.
We then went to a fine dinner at the Chart House Restaurant and went to bed. We
refueled in the morning, taking on 528 gallons.
Leg 2
First Mates Bob Anderson, Peter Fortune
May 20-May 26, 2001
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
1481hrs 1476hrs
1298
1052
Port
Stbd
1581hrs
1385
1576hrs
1079
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
100hrs
87
100hrs
27
Total: 1,138nm, 100 hours, 11.4 knots, 2960 gallons, 29.6 gal/hr, 2.6 gal/nm
Day 1 May 20, 2001
Daytona Beach, FL to Beaufort, SC
228nm, 19 hours, 12.0 knots, 583 gallons, 30.7 gal/hr 2.6 gal/nm
After refueling we left Daytona Beach at 8:00am. Heading south for about ten
miles, we exited Ponce De Leon Inlet and took the outside route, in fine weather, toward
Beaufort SC. We anchored off the Beaufort City Dock at 12:30am on May 21. After
several tries, the anchor held in a rapid current.
We woke early and, at 6:30am, headed up the ICW to Dataw Island Marina, about
20 miles north, where we refueled (583 gallons).
83
Day 2 May 21, 2001
Beaufort, SC to Little River, SC
At 9:30am we left Dataw Island and exited through St. Helena Sound. Once
outside, we turned north in 3-5 foot seas. We decided to spend the night at the Crickett
Cove Marina in Little River SC, just below the North Carolina border. Entering Little
River Inlet was a bit dicey because of following seas and a confusing entrance between
jetties. Also, several large casino boats were heading out the narrow inlet just as we were
entering.
We tied up at the face dock for Crickett Cove Marina, and refueled (425 gallons).
The current was rapid, and the weather was deteriorating. The marina restaurant was
closed and there was no transportation available, so we ate on the boat and went to bed.
Day 3 May 22, 2001
Little River, SC to Beaufort, NC
We awoke at 6:00am and left at 7:00am. The weather was sunny with brisk
southerly winds. Our first plan was to go out the Little River Inlet, head southeast to get
around Frying Pan Shoals, then turn north. But the travel was bouncy and we decided to
head directly northeast to the Cape Fear River, where we could connect with the ICW.
We entered the Cape Fear River at about 9:00am. On passing Southport NC, we
saw a familiar (to me) sight. It was the Dauntless from Bethel CT, a 40-foot
Independence trawler that Joan and I had encountered it on our trip to Everglades City.
We had exchanged visits then, and it was good to talk with acquaintances over the radio
as we passed. They were on their way to Boston!
We headed up the ICW toward Beaufort, NC. Arriving at 6:00pm we docked at
Beaufort Docks, cleaned the boat, and refueled (298 gallons). Then we went across the
street to Clawson’s Restaurant, modeled after an old-style railroad station. The food was
very good, and we enjoyed the ambiance. Beaufort is one of those old North Carolina
towns that has cleaned itself up and become a tourist stop.
Day 4 May 23, 2001
Beaufort, NC to Coinjock, NC
After a five block walk to Big Daddy’s convenience store for supplies, we left
Beaufort at 8:00am. Our goal was Coinjock, NC, a standard stop about 50 miles south of
Norfolk, VA. Our route was north through Adams Creek, then on the open water though
Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds.
We arrived in Coinjock at 7:00pm and docked at the Coinjock Marina. After
refueling (346 gallons) and checking out the store, we went to the restaurant, known for
84
its 32 ounce prime rib. Bob and I watched Marc eat all 32 ounces, and had very good
home cooked meals ourselves. Then to bed—the last thing I heard was “Moooooo”
coming from Marc’s stateroom.
Days 5-6 May 24-25, 2001
Coinjock, NC to Branford, CT
375nm, 37 hours, 10.1 knots, 554 gal
This was a long and grueling segment. We left Coinjock at 7:00am in deep fog. As soon
as we got into the fog, the port generator overloaded and shut down, causing the
navigation system to stop. The reason was simple—I had started the cloths dryer at the
same time that the air conditioning units were on. Once identified, it was easily corrected,
but there were a few moments of blindness.
We proceeded toward Norfolk, passing through several bridges and the Great
Bridge Lock. The tugboat Capt. David, whose skipper had a marvelous sense of humor,
lightened the trip. For example, at one point he and another tug, both pushing large
barges and going in opposite directions, had to pass at a narrow section. The Capt. David
asked the other captain if he had a jar of Vaseline on board! At another point a bridge
tender asked the Capt. David if it was a “red flag” vessel (carrying hazardous materials).
His answer was that the only dangerous things on his boat were the deckhands.
At 1:00pm we reached Norfolk, and by 2:30pm we were past the Chesapeake Bay
Bridge and Tunnel, heading north toward New York. The weather was fine—sunny and
only a light chop. But by the time we reached the Delaware Bay area, well after midnight,
the winds were coming from the northeast and the seas were building. After this, our
overnight trip became unpleasant. We had 6-8 foot seas with occasional ten-footers. The
frequency was such that even at 7 knots it was very “lumpy.” In spite of the potential
ability to rest because we had three drivers, I found it impossible to sleep. The boat would
hit waves like a rollercoaster, up, down, further up, further down, and, finally, a crash as
the bottom seemed to drop out. Then it would start again!
We put into Mannsquan Inlet in northern New Jersey for refueling (554 gallons),
and then set out again. The seas seemed a bit calmer, and we got more relief as we
approached the base of Long Island. At 2:00pm on the 25th we passed under the
Verrazano Narrows Bridge and started through New York Harbor. We passed under
Throg’s Neck Bridge at 3:00pm, and exited into Long Island Sound.
Once again we had a strong northeast wind kicking up large waves. We decided
to stop at Branford, CT, just east of New Haven. It was a very crowded but nice harbor.
Marc and Bob had dinner at the local restaurant, and I ate on the boat while cleaning
things up.
85
Day 7 May 26, 2001
Branford, CT to Boston, MA
152nm, 12 hours, 12.7 knots, 754 gallons
We left Branford at 6:30am, fully expecting more heavy seas. We were pleasantly
surprised that the water had laid down quite a bit. Our trip to Cape Cod Canal was easy
and the skies brightened as we went. We entered the canal at about 2:00pm, and exited on
the east end at 2:45pm. We turned north to Boston, still enjoying light seas, and arrived at
the Boat Yard in Boston Harbor at about 6:30pm.
Following a thorough cleaning of the vessel, we shook hands and congratulated
ourselves on a trip well done. Bob got a taxi to his car at Logan, Marc went home, and I
stayed on the boat to wash the sheets and generally clean up the interior. Refueling a few
days later took on 754 gallons.
Altogether we had traveled 1138 miles from Daytona Beach in seven days. Our
running time was precisely 100 hours, giving an average speed of 11.38 knots.
86
Vessel Renaming Ritual
Seeking Permission to Rename
Oh Gods of Sea and Wind. Oh Spirits of all things mechanical and electrical! Oh Vessel with the name of
Nuthatch! I beg your forgiveness for my failure to properly rename this vessel, and I ask your permission to
rename it now. May the distressed spirits that have remained bound to this vessel be free and no longer
remain aboard.
Prayer of Renomination
Aeolus, Poseidon and the Spirits of All Things Mechanical and Electrical.
I seek your benefaction on this vessel,
May the name she carried before be gone as the winds of yore,
Having served her former master with honor.
I now, with deep respect, petition you
to give this vessel’s new hailing, and her next voyages, your kindnesses.
Be it known by one and all! All references to the former name of Nuthatch are hereby expunged. From this
day this vessel will be hailed as Good Fortune 2. May she bring fair winds and good fortune to all who sail
her.
Prayer to Appease the Spirits
Aeolus, whose mighty hand doth change the wind,
To this vessel gentle zephyrs send,
And we who sail within will bend
Our heads in tribute, never end.
With breath from high that maketh heaven’s breeze,
To cause mariners joy, or fear, upon the seas.
We call upon you, Aeolus, please
Grant this ship and its mortals ease.
O Poseidon! You spirit god of waters great and small,
On this vessel, by your grace, allow these sons and daughters all,
To pass from port of hailing to their port of call,
And on these sailing subjects make your blessings fall.
You who cause the seas to rage or lie in sweet repose,
Please list’n to we mariners here, your servants of the flows.
This ship, the captain, crew and all of those,
Who love the wind and seas, will follow where thee goes.
You spirits of inanimate things,
Who make the engines and power sing,
Accept this vessel as your own,
And stop the crap that you have thrown.
Good red Wine is then poured on the bow pulpit
87
88
June 22-June 25, 2001
First Mate Peter Fortune
Crew Joan Fortune
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
1589hrs 1583hrs
1395
1082
Port
Stbd
1601hrs
1407
1595hrs
1094
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
12hrs
12
12hrs
12
Total: 184nm, 12 hours, 15.3 knots
This was our annual trip to see Lara and her family on the Cape. In the past two
years we had stayed at the Mad Max Marina in Edgartown, and the Nicholas’s had made
their dock in Falmouth available for pick-up and drop-off. This year the Nicholas dock
was available through our entire stay and we stayed there. While Joan and I stayed on the
boat, Marc stayed in the Nicholas’ crew house across the street.
Day 1: Friday, June 22
When we arrived at the boat at 10:30am it was immaculate. Marc had cleaned and
shined every part of it, inside and out, and we arrived to the CD player piping classical
music throughout the boat. We could get used to this!
We left Boston Harbor at 11:00am in rather heavy fog. By the time we reached
Plymouth the fog had lifted and at 2:45pm we reached the east end of the Cape Cod .
Canal. Pushed along by a strong 6-knot current we departed the west end at 3:15pm. By
4:45pm we were through Wood’s Hole and passing Nobska Light. At 5:00pm we were
docked at the foot of Falmouth Harbor. John and Patty, the Nicholas’s Northeast property
managers, greeted us and helped us tie down.
After cleaning up, Marc picked up a rental car in Falmouth and Joan and I drove
to Lara’s house at Nobska Light. Judy Balter joined us all for a great lobster dinner. By
10:00pm we were back on the boat with a new crewman, Ben Balter, who stayed with us
for the night.
Day 2: Saturday, June 23
We woke up early to a gray day with a forecast of thunderstorms later in the day.
After a lazy morning, Marc, Joan, Judy and I joined Lara and her children for a trip to
Heritage Plantation. It was a warm and humid day, but we enjoyed walking through the
antique car exhibit and the military museum. The kids—and the grownups—all enjoyed
89
several rides on the carousel. The weather never turned into the stormy forecast we had
heard.
Returning to the boat, Joan and I took a nap. Then we went to Lara’s house at
6:30pm and enjoyed a great dinner made by Judy. Returning to the boat, again with our
new crewman, we were in bed by 11:00pm.
Day 3: Sunday, June 24
On Sunday Mark, Ben and I did some shopping at West Marine. We bought Ben a
life vest and we bought some fishing gear. Then we returned to the boat and Ben fished
from it for a while, under Marc’s tutelage. Lara arrived with Allie, and Lara and Joan
went shopping while Ben, Allie and I went fishing in the tender. We trolled around the
harbor for about an hour, picking up lots of seaweed but no fish.
After returning to the boat, Marc joined us and we went out to the jetty to try
fishing in the harbor inlet. Marc managed the hook-baiting, using sea worms. The fish
were nibbling the worms, but never took the hook. After about an hour we returned to the
boat.
Following a nap, Joan and I met Lara at the Flying Bridge Restaurant on the other
side of the harbor. The weather still held, with only brief periods of light rain. We had a
good dinner, went “home” and went to bed.
Day 4: Monday, June 25
We left Falmouth Harbor at 8:15am and had an uneventful trip in calm water. By
8:45am we were entering the Canal, and by 10:30am we were out the other side heading
toward Boston. By 2:15pm we were docked at BBYM. Leaving Marc to clean up, we
headed home. The trip was really a fine one in spite of the gray weather. We enjoyed the
time with Lara and the kids, we had a good time together, and we really enjoyed Marc’s
company.
There was only one mechanical problem. We had used the sea water for flushing
the heads, and as we entered Boston Harbor the bilge pump alarm sounded, indicating a
high water level in the bilge. The reason was that a hose clamp had failed, and the sea
water pump was pumping the ocean into our bilge. We turned the pump off and that was
the end of that. However, had this happened after we left the boat at the dock, it would
have kept pumping sea water into the bilge until either the expensive sea water pump
failed or the bilge pumps failed. In the latter case, the boat could eventually have sunk!
90
July 13-July 16, 2001
Crew Joan Fortune
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
1603hrs 1597hrs
1410
1095
Port
Stbd
1620hrs
1446
1614hrs
1131
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
17hrs
36
17hrs
36
Total: 195nm, 17 hours, 11.5 knots
Day 1: Friday, July 13
Our destination was Newport, during Race Week. We left Boston Harbor at
9:00am, with sunny skies and a light northwest wind. At 12:15am we entered the Cape
Cod Canal, going into a stiff current. It took 1¼ hours to get to the west end of the canal,
and the wind in Buzzards Bay was about 20 knots, kicking up 5 foot waves.
The trip to Newport was uneventful except for a radio call we heard as we neared
Newport. A 63-foot Sea>Ray, the Endangered Species, reported to the Coast Guard that
it had a Siberian Tiger on board. Apparently, the boat’s owner was a wildlife officer and
the law required the animal to be registered at any port.
We entered Newport Harbor at about 4:45pm and passed by some of the most
beautiful boats, both sail and power, that were ever collected in one place. We tied up at
the Newport Yacht Club, with our stern facing the stern of—you guessed it—the
Endangered Species. We had a tiger almost in our tank! The tiger was a cub, about 4
months old, and it was the most normal occupant of the boat.
After a washdown we cleaned ourselves up and had drinks on the boat. We
chatted with our neighbors, who were not unlike the Sopranos. The boat owner, and
animal control person, reported that in addition to the SeaRay he owned a 130-foot boat
and a 300-acre game preserve in Homestead, Florida. His guests were another Sopranotype guy, function unknown, a thin blond bimbo, function probably known, and a tall
older man with his two children. The tall guy was the brightwork specialist on the 130footer.
The boat owner reported that his father owned an insurance company that was the
largest auto insurance company in the world (The Robert Parks ? Company). They
specialize in assigned risk policies, taking these policies from major insurers that wrote
them as loss leaders to do other insurance lines. Finally we understood—this was
91
Daddy’s boy, who probably owned little but enjoyed it all. The Endangered Species’
home port is listed as Philadelphia, but it is kept at Montauk.
Following our entertaining time with the animals, Joan and I walked about two
blocks to the Brick Alley Restaurant, where the average age skyrocketed when we
walked in. While waiting for a table we chatted with a group of young Navy people who
were at the Naval College in Newport. One of them, a gregarious young man, told us that
he really admired the way we seemed to enjoy life together, We agree, but I think he
really meant that he was surprised that such old people weren’t dead!
After a late dinner we returned to the boat and went to bed.
Day 2: Saturday, July 14
I got up at about 4:00am after a short sleep. Until 7:00am I worked on some
electronics. Then Joan got up and we had breakfast. Marc went to get a rental car and
Joan and I took a tour of the harbor on the tender. It was a sunny day, cool and with light
wind. Our tour revealed more mega yachts than we had ever seen in one place. There
must have been a dozen boats well over 100 feet long, and an expedition yacht, Dream,
was almost 200 feet (see attached New York Times article). It was a real treat.
At about 11:00am we took the car to see The Elms, one of the great Newport
mansions. It was very interesting, even more than the Vanderbilt summer home, The
Breakers. Built in 1900 by E.J. Berwind, a coal magnate, and it was a Berwind home
until 1965, when his daughter, Julia, died. In the 1970s it was going to be torn down and
replaced by a shopping center, but the Newport Preservation Society bought it and
restored it. It had all the “new” technology of its time—intercoms, electricity, and central
heating. Family photos personalized the space and added warmth.
We took the long way home, along Ocean Drive. This followed the coastline, then
turned toward Newport Harbor. Not only were there many interesting homes, but there
were actual horse farms on the way. At about 2:00pm we returned to the boat, took a nap
to recover from an almost-sleepless night, then we sat around talking to the animals.
Loads of people, having read the local newspaper article (see attached), dropped by to see
the tiger. We had a grand stand seat at the zoo.
At about 6:00pm we went to the Grappa Restaurant, adjacent to the Newport
Yacht Club. After a good dinner, we went home and to bed.
Day 3: Sunday, July 15
On Sunday, after a good night’s sleep, we got up and had breakfast. I bought
some newspapers and we read them while Marc returned the car. At one point there were
seven large US class sailboats rafted together at a dock behind us. They each glided in
and tied up to an earlier arrival. After a few minutes, they glided out, one by one. I
92
assume that they were here for the races and were just getting supplies, or meeting and
greeting each other.
At 10:00am we loaded the tender back on the Fleming, and by 10:30 we were
heading out of Newport Harbor. It was slow going because there were so many sailboats.
Our plan was to go to Block Island for lunch, then head to Mattapoisett to see our friend,
the Perriellos, who had come on our St. Augustine trip. However, we realized that we
didn’t have time for Block Island, so we headed directly to Mattapoisett. It was calm,
sunny and a bit cool. We arrived in Mattapoisett Harbor at about 2:00pm, and tied up at a
mooring at Mattapoisett Boat Yard.
At 4:30pm the Perriellos came to the boat by launch. We had drinks, then took the
launch back to their car and went to the Mattapoisett Inn for dinner. Mattapoisett is a
lovely and untouched village that was a shipbuilding center in the late 18th and early 19 th
centuries. It built whaling ships for the New Bedford and Nantucket whaling industry.
Now it is just a quiet village that has nothing to offer but beauty and serenity.
Following a fine meal, and great company, we walked to the town dock and Marc
picked Joan and me up in the tender. We were back on the Good Fortune by 9:00pm and
had a very good night’s sleep, helped by the slight rocking of the boat.
We left Mattapoisett at 8:00am, entered the Cape Cod Canal at 9:00am (against
the current), and exited the canal at about 10:00am. It was a calm and sunny ride to
Boston, and we were docked at the Boat Yard by 1:30pm. It had been a marvelous
weekend, with no mechanical or electrical problems to report.
93
94
Boston, MA to Portland, ME
August 10-August 12, 2001
Crew Joan Fortune
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
1624hrs 1630hrs
1450
1133
Port
Stbd
1639hrs
1501
1632hrs
1184
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
15hrs
51
15hrs
51
Total Running Stats: 190nm, 15 hours, 12.7 knots
Day 1: Friday, August 10
This trip was to visit a good friend in Portland, and to stay at Isles of Shoals on
the return trip. We left the dock at 9:00am in light fog. It was hot and humid, and the seas
had light swells. The trip to Portland was uneventful though a cold front did kick up one
thunderstorm through which we passed. We arrived at Portland Yacht Services at
4:00pm. PYS is located in a rundown warehouse section on a long bike path that goes
along the waterfront. Portland Yacht Services is anything but that—its rickety docks have
no protection from the wakes of boats entering Portland Harbor. To top that off, its shore
power did not work so we had to run on the generators.
At 6:30pm our friend, Sally Jurgeleit, came to the boat and we chatted for a while.
We have known her since the early 1970s, when she was a neighbor in Watertown, MA.
When we moved to Weston in 1973, she moved to Bangor, ME with her two children and
her surgeon-husband. A few years ago they were divorced and she moved to Portland.
At 8:00pm Joan, Sally and I went to a very Italian restaurant in the Old Port,
where the warehouses have been restored and turned into restaurants and shops. After an
excellent meal, Joan and I returned to the boat and to bed.
Day 2: Saturday, August 11
We awoke at about 6:30am, I walked into town to get newspapers at Dimillo’s,
the preferred-but-fully-booked marina. Returning to the boat we read the papers and had
breakfast. We left the dock at 11:00pm and took the long route around Peaks Island on
our way out to the Atlantic. At 11:45pm we were at the outer marker headed toward the
Isles of Shoals. The trip was easy, with slight swells, and the weather was cool but sunny.
At 3:00pm we arrived in Gosport Harbor at the Isles of Shoals. All moorings were
taken, so we dropped the anchor between Star Island and Smuttynose Island. After two
95
tries the anchor held, and we settled down for a nice evening. We dropped the tender and
went around the isles. We went by the Isles of Shoals Marine Laboratory, maintained by
Cornell University, on the west side of Appledore,. We visited the deep chasms in the
limestone cliffs at Appledore’s northern end, then we went around the eastern sides of
Smuttynose, Cedar and Star Islands before returning to Gosport Harbor.
On returning to the harbor we went into Haley’s Cove between Malaga and
Smuttynose Islands. There are two houses here, one is the Hontvet house where famous
murders occurred in 1873. These are the subject of Anita Shreve’s novel, The Weight of
Water. We brought the tender in to the rocky “beach” in the cove, and got off at the
Hontvet house. From here we walked the trail to the eastern side of Smuttynose, where a
cairn of rocks marks the place where the survivor of the murders was found. The walk
was along a poorly marked trail past two graveyards—the Haley Family Cemetery and
the Spanish Sailors’ Cemetery, where the bodies of sailors wrecked on Duck Island in
1813 were buried (the bodies of some of them were found near the front doors of a house
on Appledore. The trail then became narrow, extremely rocky, and covered by seagulls.
With some difficulty we made it to the cairn. It was really not worth it, except to give an
appreciation for how treacherous it must have been for the surviving woman to run there
for safety in bad weather at night.
We returned to the boat, where Marc made us a great dinner of stuffed
mushrooms, salad, chicken kabobs and pasta with pesto. We watched the sun set on
glassy water, giving a warm yellow light to the islands and the houses. Some beautiful
sail boats surrounded us. During our dinner a boat circled the harbor with three people on
the bow, tooting its horn as other boats answered back. It was a wedding! We watched
the bride and groom steam off into the sunset.
By 10:00pm we were in bed.
Day 3: Sunday, August 12
We had planned to start the day with a visit to Star Island, which has a large hotellike building with numerous outbuildings, including a church. It was here that Celia
Thaxter, the poetess of the Isles, lived and tended her famous garden in the late 19 th
century. It is now a non-denominational retreat, visited by ferry boats full of tourists.
However, it was a gloomy morning. So we decided to go home. Before we left I
noticed a beautiful sailboat, the Citron Presse’ from Boston, slip its mooring and prepare
to leave. But it drifted into another empty mooring and got tangled with its pickup line.
After watching the crew’s efforts to extricate it, I took the tender over to help just as it
began to rain heavily. I took a line to the original mooring so it could get a safe purchase.
Then I took our swim goggles over so that they could check the situation out. Luckily,
they had not started the motor, so the only problem was that the mooring’s pickup line
had snagged on their skeg. It was cleared up quickly, and, after returning our goggles,
they left the harbor with no harm done. The guide books say that “Gosport Harbor can be
96
a real horror show.” This event was reminiscent of the debacle we experienced in the
same harbor in August, 1999 (see Volume 1).
We then left Gosport Harbor at about 9:00am. It was foggy with periodic rain. We
didn’t see shore until rounding Thatcher Island at the tip of Cape Ann. As we headed
toward Boston, it cleared up a bit. We arrived in Boston Harbor at 1:00pm, docked in an
easterly wind, and went home.
97
98
Boston, MA to Penobscot Bay, ME
September 7-September 12, 2001
Crew John McGlennon, George Vyverberg
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
1652hrs 1645hrs
1514
1186
Port
Stbd
1698hrs
1553
1691hrs
1200
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
46hrs
39
46hrs
14
Total Running Stats: 467nm, 46 hours, 10.2 knots, 1072 gal, 23.3 gal/hr, 2.3 gal/nm
This was a “guy” trip to Maine. There was no particular destination, but much of
the route had been traveled last year at about this time. The weather was excellent
throughout the trip, with only one day of poor weather--fog and swells as Hurricane Erin
pushed water toward the east coast.
Day 1: Friday, September 7, 120nm
George arrived from Indianapolis on Thursday and we departed from Boston at
9:15am on Friday in sun and light breezes. At 10:45am we reached the Annisquam River,
and by 11:15am we were at the Annisquam Boat Livery dock, where we picked up John
McGlennon.
After showing George around the house in Annisquam, we left the livery dock at
12:00pm and headed north. At about 5:00pm we arrived at the Coveside Inn and Marina
at Christmas Cove. We had heard of Christmas Cove from the Nicholas’s. They had
obviously been there because the dockhand was wearing a Hilarium tee shirt.
We had a very good dinner at the Inn’s rustic downeast restaurant, and were in
bed by 10:30pm.
Day 2: Saturday, September 8, 73nm
We left Christmas Cove at 8:30am and took a side trip north on the beautiful
Damariscotta River. After about 5 miles we reached a shallow section and retraced our
steps. Leaving the River, we headed to Monhegan Island 13 miles away. We tied to a
mooring and took the tender into the beach. Just as we tied up, a ferry boat arrived and
told us to get off their mooring. Marc took the tender back, tied up to another mooring,
and stayed with the boat while we walked around for about an hour. There isn’t much on
the island, and it is not easy to get around. It is very primitive, though there are some
large houses. At least I finally got to set foot on Monhegan after four visits.
99
Marc picked us up in the tender and we returned to the Good Fortune 2. We left
Monhegan Island at 12:15pm, heading north through Muscle Ridge Channel, where you
can walk across on the lobster pots. I was at the helm, adding to everyone’s anxiety, but
we made it through and went up to Camden. After a quick tour of the harbor, we headed
up the West Penobscot Bay to Castine.
Reaching Castine we anchored in Smith’s Cove, a large and well-protected cove
dotted by ledges that appear only at low tide. After dropping the hook at 4:30pm we
dropped the tender and took a tour of the cove. It is a very wild area, with steep and rocky
shorelines covered by pine trees and very few houses. On our tour we saw a bald eagle
sitting in a tree. As if to entertain us, it spread its wings and flew off.
Marc cooked an excellent dinner of stuffed pork and pasta, with a strawberry
cheesecake desert. We enjoyed the sunset and were in bed early.
Day 3: Sunday, September 9, 68 nm
On a beautiful Sunday morning we all got into the tender and went to Castine,
where we had a great breakfast (Eggs McJannis) at the Castine Variety Store. This very
local spot is well named—while there was little variety on the shelves, the customers
made up for it.
After a short walk up a residential street with grand old Victorian houses, we
returned to the boat. At 9:15am we left Smith’s Cove and took a leisurely ten-knot stroll
down East Penobscot Bay to Eggemoggin Reach. We went through the Reach toward
Mount Desert Island (John kept reminding me it is pronounced like Dessert). We went to
Bar Harbor and took a quick trip through the harbor. Then we went back toward
Southwest Harbor. We first took a trip around Somes Sound, the only legitimate fjord in
the northeast. On the way we saw a refitted expedition yacht, Intuition II, that was a
sizable 195-feet long (information gleaned from a yachting magazine we had on board).
We also saw a smaller yacht, Royal Eagle, about 125 feet long. This is the Newport of the
North. After Somes Sound we went next door to Southwest Harbor. By 4:15pm we were
docked at the Great Harbor Marina at the harbor’s head. Marc fit the boat into a very tight
spot between a large sailboat at a wooden barrier, an impressive bit of boat handling.
After thoroughly washing the boat we had drinks and headed up to the Head of
Harbour Restaurant. The food was tough, as was the waitress. Then we watched The
Maltese Falcon on DVD. I was the only one who stayed the course.
Day 4: Monday, September 10, 75nm
At 9:00am we left Southwest Harbor in deep fog and headed south of Swan’s
Island to Boothbay Harbor. The visibility was low for most of the day. Hurricane Erin
had gone out to sea but not without leaving a calling card of sizable swells. As a result we
were forced to a slow pace averaging about 8 knots. At one point a lobster boat popped
100
out of the fog about 50 yards away. It was a bit stressful watching for boats, lobster pots
and waves.
In mid-afternoon, just before reaching Monhegan Island, we left the fog and the
swells subsided. By 4:00pm we were at the approach to Boothbay Harbor, and by 5:00pm
we were at our dock at the Boothbay Harbor Marina. The harbor was surprisingly empty.
After a quick wash, we walked around a little outdoor shopping area where I bought a
cute toy box for the grandchildren in Annisquam. We then had a good dinner at a nearby
restaurant overlooking the harbor.
Day 5: Tuesday, September 11, 83nm
We awoke early and went to the nearby Carousel Marina to refuel, arriving before
it opened. Soon after we began refueling the TV began showing the damage to the north
tower of the World Trade Center from a plane that had hit it. While we were watching the
smoke pour from the building, a second plane came into view and hit the south tower. It
was so unreal—we were safe in Boothbay Harbor on crisp sunny fall morning, watching
the world change!
At about 10:30am. after refueling, we took a beautiful but somewhat treacherous
route from Boothbay to Bath, Maine, on the Kennebec River. The route was narrow at
some points, especially at an area called Hellgate, just south of Bath. Here the water was
not much wider than the boat, and the rapid current was against us, forcing us to use an
unusual amount of power. After Hellgate, we entered the Kennebec River at the Bath Iron
Works. Then we heard a Coast Guard radio report that the Kennebec was closed to nonmilitary traffic because of security concerns at the Iron Works following the terrorist
attack in New York. But we were already on the river so we just steamed on downriver to
the coast. It was a beautiful ride past lighthouses and small towns.
After facing large incoming swells at the mouth of the Kennebec, we headed
south to the Isles of Shoals. The sea was a bit choppy but it was sunny and fine.
However, by the time we moored at Gosport Harbor (3:30pm) a west wind of about 1520 knots had kicked up. It was coming directly into the harbor, but the seas were not
uncomfortable. Freighters were anchored off Portsmouth because the Pisqataqua River
was closed due to the Portsmouth Naval Yard’s security. We grilled steaks, talked about
the world situation, and went to bed.
Day 6: Wednesday, September 12, 48nm
After a good night’s sleep we dropped the tender and John, George and I took a
tour of the area. We first went to Star Island, where we tied to the back side of the dock
and walked around the island. The island is a “Religious and Educational Retreat” with
spartan facilities and services. One fellow we talked to had been there three days without
a bath. The main building is an old wooden resort hotel that is a true firetrap. As you
walk around the island you encounter an old cemetery, a tall obelisk commemorating a
minister who died in the 1850s, a stone church and a plaque commemorating the arrival
101
th
of John Smith in the 17 century, who named the area “Smith’s Isles.” The walk is
through heavily vegetated areas and along wild limestone shores with breakers casting
water high in the air. It is beautiful.
Returning to the tender, we went over to Smuttynose Island and tied up at Haley
Cove. We investigated the two buildings there and the two cemeteries, one for the Haley
family in the early 1800s and the other for the Spanish sailors killed in 1813 in the wreck
of the Conception from Cadiz. I learned that what I thought was the “murder house” was
not. It is marked by a rough stone foundation next to the house that stands on the island.
After returning to the boat we lifted the tender aboard and, at 9:15am, steamed out
of Gosport Harbor toward Annisquam. Arriving at 10:45am, we tied up at the Livery.
Marc transferred the perishables from the boat to the house refrigerator while George,
John and I hopped into our Boston Whaler, Squam Lite, and took John to his home down
the Annisquam River.
We left Annisquam at 12:15pm and went down the river at very low tide. Exiting
through Blynman Canal, we entered Gloucester Harbor and headed south to Boston in
calm seas and sunny but cold skies. At 2:45pm we were at the dock in Boston Harbor.
Marc cleaned the boat while George and I went home.
George could not fly out of Logan as scheduled because the airport was closed for
security. In fact, Logan stayed closed for several days so on Wednesday George got on a
Greyhound for the 25-hour trip to Indianapolis. What a sad end to a fine trip.
102
Boston, MA to Marion, MA
October 13-October 14, 2001
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
1703hrs 1695hrs
1553
1200
Port
Stbd
1715hrs
1574
1707hrs
1211
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
12hrs
21
12hrs
11
Total Running Stats: 130nm, 12 hours, 10.8 knots, 300 gal, 25.0 gal/hr, 2.3 gal/nm
This trip was a short two day cruise to southern Massachusetts to visit Meg and
Bob Ackerman at their new home in Marion. It was just Joan and me, because Marc was
at a wedding in Connecticut. It was the first time that I had had full responsibility for the
boat in many months. There were no mechanical problems and Joan and I had a good
time.
Day 1: Saturday, October 13
We left Boston Shipyard at 9:45am in dense fog. The forecast was for partly
sunny skies after the fog lifted. Unfortunately, the fog lightened but never completely left
us.
The trip to the Cape Cod Canal was fairly calm but slowed by low visibility. We
arrived at 1:30pm and exited at the west end at 2:15pm. Marion is near the west end of
the Canal and by 3:00pm we were entering the harbor.
Our plan was to take a mooring that we had reserved at Burr Brothers Yacht Yard.
The harbor was very tight, so filled with boats that it was hard to find the channel, and
where there wasn’t a boat there was a lobster pot. We were lucky to be able to take a spot
at the fuel dock because it would have been difficult to pick up a mooring
singlehandedly. A 20 knot wind would have made it very difficult to get by a mooring
and pick it up without drifting into another boat. We docked at 3:30pm, bringing with us
a lobster buoy that we had picked up while picking our way through the mooring field.
At 6:00pm the Ackermans came to pick us up. Following a brief tour we went
with them to a small cocktail party at some mutual friends in Marion, Barbara Crow and
Bob Danforth. Then we went to the Ackermans for dinner. Their house is near the end of
Point Road, close by Geraldo Rivera’s ex-wife’s house (what an honor!). It had a
fantastic view of Buzzards Bay and the Marion Harbor. By 10:30 we were back at the
boat.
103
Day 2: Sunday, October 14
We awoke at about 7:00am to gray skies and fog. We departed at 9:30am after a
nice breakfast. On the way out of the harbor we passed close to the Ackermans house and
gave them a toot as they came out to shout hello. Then it was back to the canal, reaching
the west entrance at 10:30am.
There was a strong current against us so it took an hour to get through the canal.
When we reached the east end we turned north into a 20-knot northeast wind. Hurricane
Karen was around Bermuda and was pushing swells up north. The seas were 3-6 feet and
the going was not pleasant. We slowed down and finally reached Boston Harbor at about
3:00pm. By 3:30pm we were docked at the shipyard.
It was a pleasant trip, with the exception that we faced some weather coming back
and we never saw a ray of sunlight. But it was good to see good friends and to enjoy their
hospitality.
104
Boston, MA to Naples FL
November 2-6, 2001
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
1718hrs 1710 hrs
1579
1211
Port
Stbd
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
1867 hrs 1861 hrs 153hrs
1766
1286
187
151 hrs
75
Entire Trip
1,529nm (1,705sm), 143 hours running, 10.7 knots
3,487 gallons, 24.4 gph, 2.3 gal per nm
This trip was supposed to be direct to Naples with a short stop at Burr to inspect
the new Fleming 75. Mechanical problems turned it into a two-legged trip, and additional
mechanical problems made it a three-legged trip.
Leg 1
November 2-6, 2001
Crew George Vyverberg
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
1718hrs 1710 hrs
1579
1211
Port
Stbd
1764hrs
1662
1759hrs
1265
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
46hrs
83
48hrs
55
Total Leg 1
524nm, 43 hours running, 12.2 knots
Day 1 Boston to Block Island, RI
We left Boston Harbor at 7:00am. It was breezy, a west wind at 25-30 knots. The
trip to the Cape Cod Canal was easy because we were in the lee of the land. But after
exiting the west end of the canal at 11:00am it started to get lumpy—typical Buzzards
Bay! The further we got into Buzzards Bay, the worse it got, with winds up to 35 knots.
We slowed to 10 knots, and decided to stop at Block Island, 20 miles short of Montauk,
our original destination.
105
Reaching Great Salt Pond at about 4:00pm, we stayed (with permission) at
Champlin’s fuel dock. The harbor was almost empty, and Champlin’s was closed so there
were no services—and no charges. After a quick washing of the brightwork, we sat down
for “cocktails” and dinner. It was an early dinner and early to bed.
Day 2 Block Island, RI to Sandy Hook, NJ
141nm, 11 hours running, 12.8 knots, 575 gallons
We left Block Island at 6:30am. The first hour was pretty rough, with 6-8 foot
waves from the southwest. But once we got into the protection of Long Island, it became
calmer, less windy and almost pleasant. We decided to go down the north side of Long
Island, through New York Harbor. After passing through Plum Island Race, it was a
straight shot to NYC.
Before entering New York Harbor we stopped for fuel (575 gallons) at Manhasset
Bay. The fuel was the most expensive I’ve ever seen--$1.85 per gallon for diesel, $2.40
for gasoline. At 2:45pm we left the fuel dock and by 3:15pm we were at Throg’s Neck
Bridge, the northern entrance to the East River..
The sun came out as we entered NYC. It was an uneventful trip, with a strong
following current. And very little traffic. We went up the Hudson for a bit to see the
World Trade Center site. You could smell smoke, and several buildings near the site were
badly damaged, some covered with cloth. We could see some smoke still rising, and there
were huge cranes in the area.
At 4:30pm we passed under the Verazzano Narrows Bridge. Instead of heading
down the New Jersey coast we decided to anchor behind Sandy Hook. On the way we
saw a beautiful orange sunset over Raritan Bay. We found a nice cove to anchor in with
two sailboats, and by 5:30pm we were at anchor. By 8:30pm we were in bed. While we
slept, the Yankees lost the sixth game of the 2001 World Series, sending it to a seventh
game in Phoenix.
Day 3 Sandy Hook, NJ to Edgewater, MD
During the night a west wind had come up and between the boat swinging and the
anchor chain rattling, sleep was limited. So we picked up the anchor at 4:30am and got an
early start. As we headed south along the New Jersey coast the sun came up in a big
orange ball, and we had a smooth ride. At 12:30pm we reached Cape May and passed
through the canal into Delaware Bay by 1:00pm. The 3½ hour ride up to the Chesapeake
and Delaware Canal was smooth, with a few large ships and lots of small fishing boats
along the way. We entered the canal just at sunset, and had a pleasant one-hour trip at
cruising speed.
106
The ride down the Chesapeake Bay to Edgewater was interesting. We passed a
large dredging barge, several barges being pushed by a tug, a double barge being towed
by a tug. As this was at night, and each of these vessels burned bright with multicolored
lights, it was quite a sight.
At 10:30pm we arrived at Burr Yacht Sales in Edgewater. We tied up at the fuel
dock adjacent to Burr, and quickly went to bed. It had been a long day, but the weather
cooperated.
Day 4 No Progress, 712 gallons
This was supposed to be a quiet day, spent looking over the new 75-foot Fleming.
At 8:00am we refueled (712 gallons) and Marc checked the engine room. He reported
that the port engine showed that all coolant had been lost. He suspected that the heat
exchanger core had ruptured, and that the coolant had leaked into the sea water cooling
system. The symptoms were that the coolant overflow reservoir showed clear salt water
instead of coolant.
At noon, after a view of the new Fleming, we borrowed a car from Burr and drove
to Alban Tractor in Baltimore to have the heat exchanger core pressure tested. The test
showed a failed core, so the next step was to get a new one. None were available on site.
The only one we could track down was a three hour drive away. The possibility of a
closer one was foreclosed because the Caterpillar parts availability computer was down.
But at 4:00pm the computer came back up and showed a replacement at the York, PA
warehouse. We drove there and at 6:15pm we had a replacement in hand. By 8:30pm we
were back at the boat and Marc began installing the new core and flushing out the cooling
system to replace the salt water with coolant. By 11:30pm he had completed the job, and
we went to bed.
Day 5 Edgewater, MD to Edgewater, MD
Well, the renaming ceremony last May—when the starboard engine had been
replaced--didn’t do much good. Here’s the story.
We got up at around 6:00am and left Edgewater at 7:00am, heading south down
the Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk. There was a strong 25-knot tailwind, and as we got
further south the following sea became quite frothy with high-frequency eight-foot
waves. Marc was catching up on sleep down below and I was driving the boat.
After about two hours there was a terrible grinding sound and the port engine
died. Yes, you guessed it. Exactly the same thing had happened to the port engine as had
happened to the starboard engine on the trip north in May. The engine had simply
imploded from a massive internal failure. There was oil all over the engine room, and
smoke but no fire. The block was cracked in several places. This engine was gone! I was
not terribly surprised because the first failure had been from assembly line incompetence
107
or sabotage, and the two engines had adjacent serial numbers. I had been wondering if the
same thing would happen to the port engine.
The immediate problem was that we had only one engine and, worse yet, that the
synchronizer was still activated. Because the starboard engine was the slave, it was
maintaining a speed as close as it could to that of the dead port engine, that is, it remained
at idle speed regardless of the throttle setting. This made our turn to head back to Burr a
treacherous one. Without the throttle, we could not execute the turn quickly and the
process was unpleasant. At the point where the eight foot seas were broadside, we began
rolling violently. I was able to deactivate the synchronizer so we now had throttle control
for the starboard engine. Finally we executed the turn and headed north into the heavy
seas.
We returned to Burr at about noon, after calling to let them know of our problem.
They had arranged a slip for us and Marc did a superb job of getting the boat into the slip
on one engine in brisk wind. Unfortunately, it was low tide, and as we glided into the slip
we ran aground and were stuck for several hours. Finally the rising tide allowed us to
move into a more secure position.
That evening we borrowed a van from Burr and went to dinner at the Greene
Turtle (a Fridays kind of place) in Edgewater. We were all beat, and were in bed early.
The next morning a Caterpillar representative came and verified that the engine had to be
rebuilt. The extended warranty was useful once again. The Good Fortune would have
two new engines within six months. I am planning on naming the next boat Down Time,
to reflect the hope that it will be used for relaxation and the reality that boats are always
broken.
At 11:15am Marc and I got a cab for the 1½ hour drive to Dulles airport, where
we had a 3:30pm United flight to Boston. George had taken an earlier cab to fly from
Dulles to Indianapolis. The flight was uneventful.
Leg 2
December 3 – December 7, 2001
This “leg” had no progress, The port engine repairs were to be finished by
Wednesday, November 21. However, on the sea trial it was found that one cylinder on
the port engine was missing. This was traced to the fuel injection pump (which had been
rebuilt by the same people in November of 1999): apparently a lifter and camshaft were
damaged. This was apparently independent of the original engine failure. The fuel
injection pump was pulled and rebuilt, and it was reinstalled. On Wednesday, November
27, The boat was sea trialed again. This time the engine and fuel pump worked properly
but there was a fuel leak at the governor housing of the fuel injection pump. A dowel pin
on the side of the pump housing had come out because of excessive wear. The pump was
pulled again and repaired by replacing the governor housing. The boat was scheduled for
another sea trial on Monday.
108
On Monday, December 3, Marc and I, with a guest, Rob Perriello, flew down to
Baltimore-Washington Airport and were on the boat by noon. We planned to provision
the boat, then on Tuesday morning the fuel injection pump would be reinstalled and we
would be on our way. Monday evening we had dinner at Adam’s Rib, a local restaurant
with an ambiance laced heavily with the odor of urinal disinfectant. After some confusion
on the wine list (the waitress said they had a house red, and, when pushed, described it as
“chabernet.” I ordered the “chabernet” but a white zinfandel arrived, which she said was
chardonnay). The food was actually pretty good, but perhaps our taste buds were dulled
by the ambiance.
On Tuesday, December 4, the Cat mechanics arrived at 9:00am and installed the
pump. There was no fuel leak, but now the pump—which had worked so well on the
previous sea trial--was not maintaining fuel pressure at low idle; the engine was
“hunting” (surging) at speeds below 750RPM. This is well above the acceptable range of
650-700RPM. They worked on it all day but had to take the pump back to the shop again.
They promised to have it back on the boat by 2:00pm on Wednesday. Tuesday evening
we had dinner on the boat, drank lots of wine, and were in bed by 10:30pm
On Wednesday we drove into Annapolis and visited the Naval Academy and the
State House, where George Washington resigned his commission. We were back at the
boat by 1:30pm. At 5:00pm the Cat mechanics arrived and set to work. They had found
no problem with the fuel pump, but hoped that their personal reassembly had corrected
the problem. No such luck! After four hours there was no improvement in the low idle
speed. In fact, it was worse. They took the fuel pump with them once again, this time to
replace the governor springs.
On Thursday we heard that they were once again waiting for parts and couldn’t
come to the boat until Friday morning. I decided on a Plan B—sell the Fleming and buy
another boat. We chartered a plane to Fort Lauderdale to look at a new 62’ Offshore
yacht. If it looked good, I could buy it for delivery in the Spring and (hopefully) use the
Fleming until then. The Fleming is just jinxed, and I have learned that part of the problem
is that it is underpowered for the uses that Fleming recommends. Added to that, the
engine is no longer produced and finding parts has become an obvious difficulty.
We arrived in Fort Lauderdale on a brand new Falcon 2000 heavy jet at 7:00am
By 8:00pm we were at the Hyatt Pier 66. By 10:00pm we had finished a late dinner and I
went to bed. On Friday morning we went to Offshore Yachts to see their 62’ boat. It was
really nicely done, with a better layout than the Fleming and with larger engines and
better electronics. We also talked about their 80-footer, which I really like. Much of the
day was spent on the phone because business issues came up, but in the afternoon we
visited Bonnet House, the 35-acre estate that had been donated to the state by my greataunt. It has been kept in its original form, unchanged since it was built in the 1920’s.
At 5:00pm I got a call from Burr. The latest attempt at rebuilding the fuel
injection pump had been successful. The problem was that simply that they had not
109
replaced the governor springs in the last three attempts! I quickly arranged a flight to
BWI for the next morning, then we had dinner at the hotel and went to bed. On Saturday
we flew to BWI and took a cab to Burr. They had cleaned the boat well and it was ready
to go after a thorough check to ensure that the engine room was in good order. During the
check we found that one of the mechanics had not put a throttle linkage bushing on the
“new” engine. Fortunately, Burr was able to fashion one in their machine shop.
Finally, we could go!
Leg 3
December 8 – December 16, 2001
Crew Robert Perriello
Start
Port
Stbd
Engines
Gensets
1764hrs 1759hrs
1662
1269
End
Port
Stbd
1867 hrs 1861 hrs
1766
1286
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
103hrs
104
103 hrs
17
Total Leg 3
1,005nm (1,120sm), 100 hours running time, 10.1 knots
2,180 gal, 21.8gph, 2.17 gallons per nm
Day 1 Edgewater, MD to Solomon’s Island, MD
After a month of repairs and 4 days of additional delay. We started off toward
Norfolk, VA. Because of the late start, and a somewhat reduced confidence in the
engines, we decided to make the first day a short one and to end up in an area where
repairs were possible. Solomon’s Island, MD is one of the few decent areas to stop on the
way to Norfolk. We left Burr at 2:30pm and arrived at Solomon’s Island at 6:30pm. Just
as we got into the harbor the annual Parade of Lights began. About 10-15 large boats,
decorated festively in a Christmas motif (some had reindeer and a sled, others were
covered with multi-colored lights). They began circling the harbor just as we arrived.
They knew that we had to make way for “sponsored events,” so some of them made it
difficult to arrive at that time. But by 7:00pm we were at the Town Center Marina, and by
8:30pm we had dinner and were watching a DVD of Cool Hand Luke. By 10:30pm we
were in bed, resting up for a 6:00am departure.
110
Day 2 Solomon’s Island, MD to Norfolk, VA
I awoke at 5:30am and we departed at 6:00am, in pitch dark. Fortunately, Marc
has excellent night vision and he kept me from hitting an unmarked island in the center of
the harbor. We headed south with a strong following wind of about 20 knots, gusting tom
35 knots. Except for several barges being pushed by tugboats, and a few fishing boats,
there was no traffic. Everyone else had the good sense not to be out in 6-8 foot seas! It
was too bad—during the four day delay the weather had been perfect, but now it was
cool, cloudy and very windy.
At 2:00pm we docked at the Waterside Marina. Marc and I thoroughly cleaned
the boat. Afterward, Rob’s brother-in-law came to collect him, and Marc and I took a
quick walk to see the USS Wisconsin, an active battleship on display at the Nautical
Museum. It was too late to go on board, but we walked along the pier and admired its size
and complexity. Following this, Marc went to a local restaurant to watch a football game,
and I returned to the boat for dinner and some TV. We were in bed very early!
Day 3 Norfolk, VA to Alligator River, NC
78nm, 9½ hours running, 8.2 knots, 572 gallons
We left Waterside Marina at 7:00am, beginning the trip down the ICW in cold,
bright sunlight. It was slow because of the many bridges and the Great Bridge Lock in the
first 20 miles. Two barges were being pushed down the ICW, and the bridges were
opening according to their schedule rather than the published schedule.
We went though Currituck Sound on the way to Coinjock, NC. The water was
unusually low, probably because of the drought (it is a fresh-water area). We ran aground
several times in mid-channel, with no apparent damage. After passing through Coinjock,
NC (SM 50), we continued to find the bottom. It got a bit deeper as we reached the North
River. In past trips on this route we had reached an anchorage at SM103, but we decided
to stop at the Alligator River Marina in Columbia, NC (SM85). We reached it at 5:00pm,
It was a long fuel dock with a Texaco station, located in the middle of the wilderness. But
it was quiet and calm. We refueled (572 gallons at an unbelievably low 77 cents per
gallon), had a pizza dinner, watched Snow Falling on Cedars on HBO, and were in bed
early.
Day 4 Alligator River, NC to Beaufort, NC
We left Alligator River Marina at 7:00am and headed to the 20-mile canal
connecting the Alligator and Pungo Rivers. It was very cool, overcast, and misty. The trip
down the canal was uneventful. We passed very few boats, and it was quiet. After exiting
into the Pungo River we crossed Pamlico Sound and entered Goose Creek canal, a short
111
stretch to Albemarle Sound. Finally, we went down Adams Creek and, soon after, docked
at Beaufort Docks in Beaufort, NC. It was almost 5:00pm.
We filled the aft fuel tanks (278 gallons) so we were topped off for a long run the
next day. Then Marc rinsed the boat and I did some work for the Rway Farm sale. After
this we watched the news (Ossama Bin Laden again!). Then we went to Clawson’s
Restaurant on the waterfront. By 9:30pm we were in bed..
Days 5-6 Beaufort, NC to Fernandina Beach, FL
We left Beaufort Docks at dawn, about 7:00am, and exited the inlet to the Atlantic
for an overnight run. Our destination was uncertain because it had to have fuel and
dockage. There are very few navigable inlets on the Georgia and Florida coasts, and the
one we chose had to have fuel and dockage as well as to be situated for the timing on the
rest of the trip. We decided on Fernandina Beach, a resort town at St. Mary’s Inlet on the
Florida-Georgia border. From there we could do an overnight to Fort Pierce, FL, the best
access to the Okeechobee Waterway. If the weather turned bad, we could put in at Cape
Canaveral.
We had a strong following sea for the first 18 hours, but in the middle of the night
the wind calmed a bit and the going was easier. We ran three four-hour watches until
dawn, so the night was fairly easy. There was little traffic, but one sailboat we passed
never showed on the radar—a disturbing thing that could easily have been avoided if only
the sailboat had a radar reflector. The tugboat Atlantic Bay was queried at length by the
Coast Guard and reported a 555 foot length (with barge), an 84 foot width, and a Texas
destination. He crossed a few miles ahead of us. At dawn the sun shone and it was calm
except for swells from bad weather up north.
We arrived at Fernandina Beach at 12:00pm. It had been clear and fairly calm
until we got close to the coast, where a bank of heavy fog made entry to St. Mary’s inlet a
challenge. We docked at Fernandina Harbor Marina, where we refueled (678 gallons) and
stayed on their long face dock. Who should pull in but Ya Neva No, the new Fleming 75
that was at Burr when we left.
We walked around the town center, ate lunch at Angel’s Porch, and picked up
some sundries at a gas station. Then Marc and I thoroughly washed the boat, we had
dinner at the marina restaurant, and went to bed early.
Days 7-8 Fernandina Beach, FL to LaBelle, FL
312nm, 33hours running, 9.5 knots
We left Fernandina Beach at 7:00am on Friday, just after Ya Neva No, which
disappeared over the horizon pretty quickly. Our destination was “someplace on the
Okeechobee Waterway,” leaving a short day to Naples. We stayed at a steady 10-11
knots, facing light winds but fairly high swells. We passed Cape Canaveral at about
112
10:00pm, skirting our way around a cruise ship, a very large casino boat, and a few other
small boats. We arrived at Fort Pierce Inlet at 3:00am.
The trip down the Indian River was great. It was calm and the ambient light from
the city and the moon was sufficient to miss the unlighted markers along the way. At one
point several dolphin traveled with us, playing in our wake. Marc drove this section
because his night vision is so good. He has dubbed himself my “seeing-eye captain.”
We arrived at the junction of the Indian River and the St. Lucie River at 6:00am,
then headed west past Stuart, FL and into the Okeechobee Waterway. After passing Palm
City, at the mouth of the waterway, we saw several people rowing skulls on the river. It
was a beautiful sunrise, a perfectly quiet river, and a great feeling.
At the first lock we saw vultures sunning their wings. What a sight (not an omen,
we hoped). Several miles on a seven-foot high bridge that was broken in a closed position
blocked us. We tied up by the bridge fender with another boat while awaiting repairs.
Eventually the bridge tender came out with a big sledgehammer, whacked the bridge a
few times, and it opened!
We arrived in LaBelle at 4:00pm. It was a municipal dock that we had to back in
and tie up stern to, with the anchor holding the bow. We did it beautifully, but a
Frenchman in a sailboat next to us, whom we dubbed Pepe Le Peu, took an instant dislike
to our presence, insisting that we turn off the engines instantly. When it wasn’t instant
enough, he hailed a police car and complained about the presence of ugly Americans. The
police were not sympathetic! In spite of our neighbor it had been a beautiful day.
After dinner we saw lights on the Caloosahatchee River. It was a “parade of
lights,” just like the one at Solomon’s Island, MD, when we had started our trip. It
seemed fitting to start and stop on the same celebratory note.
Days 9 LaBelle, FL to Naples, FL
65 nm, 7 hours running, 9.3 knots, 652 gallons
We departed LaBelle at 7:00am in a patchy fog that deepened as we went
westward, then lifted as we approached Fort Myers. It was slow going, but eerily
beautiful. The long leg through Fort Myers was very slow as we tried to slow down for
traffic and for manatee.
We exited from Fort Myers at the Punta Rassa Bridge. The 25 miles to Naples
was pleasant. It was sunny and warm, and the stiff 20 knot wind was blowing from the
east so we were in the lee. We arrived at Gordon Pass at 1:45pm, and were docked by
2:00pm. We had traveled over 1100 statute miles, and had gotten along very well in spite
of some trying circumstances, especially during the first week of enforced idleness.
113
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114
Naples FL to Spanish Wells, Eleuthra, The Bahamas
January 13-19, 2002
Crew Robert Anderson, John McGlennon
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
1871hrs 1865 hrs
1767
1286
Port
Stbd
1938 hrs 1932 hrs
1859
1309
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
67hrs
92
67 hrs
23
Entire Trip
712nm (794sm), 67 hours running, 10.6 knots
This was a guy-trip with two friends from Annisquam, Bob Anderson and John
McGlennon. Both had been on previous trips, Bob on the run to Boston from Daytona
Beach in May and John on the trip to Maine in September. The goal was to deliver John
to his home in Spanish Wells, Eleuthra.
Marc came to Naples on January 10 to prepare the boat, Bob arrived on the 11th.
th
On the 12 Bob, Marc and I took Pelican, our newly-purchased Hinckley Picnic Boat, to
Everglades City for lunch, then returned to greet John as he arrived from RSW. That
night we cooked hamburgers and got to bed at a reasonable hour, ready for an early start.
Days 1-2 Naples, FL to Chub Cay, the Bahamas
We intended to leave at dawn, but a low low tide forced us to wait until 9:30am to
get out of the dock at Harbor Head. We also had to do some switching of boats, as we
had rafted Pelican to Good Fortune. As we left, the skies seemed threatening toward the
south, but they cleared as we went south toward Marathon, on Vaca Key, the only path
through the Keys for a boat Good Fortune’s size.
We arrived in Marathon at 5:00pm, filled the aft tanks (271 gallons), and ate a
light dinner at Burdine’s, a waterfront restaurant at the fuel dock, with metal buckets for
trash. We left Marathon at 7:00pm in very calm water. The night-long trip past the
southern edge of the keys and across the gulf stream was uneventful, with a few cruise
ships and fishing vessels along the way. We stood three hour watches, and arrived at our
port of entry, North Cat Cay (south of the Bimini Island), at 7:00am. The Cat Cay Yacht
Club had more docks than boats, and we tied up at the fuel dock and waited for the
customs office to open
115
By 10:00am we had cleared customs and were heading east across Great Bahama
Bank. This was a calm trip of about 65 miles in shallow water, a consistent 9-10 feet. The
water was so clear that you could see the grass on the sandy bottom, with an occasional
dark coral head. As the day progressed we had a stiffening west wind and the waves
reached the six foot range. We exited the Bank at Northwest Channel, with 15 miles to go
before reaching Chub Cay at the western end of Frazer’s Hog Cay. We reached an
anchorage off the Chub Bay Yacht Club, and dropped anchor at about 5:00pm.
Our anchorage was not as good as advertised in the guides. We had a strong wind
and currents. The boat would drift forward, then backward. On the backward drift the
anchor chain would suddenly tighten with a snapping sound, bringing the boat to a sharp
halt and initiating a rocking notion, sometimes wild. It was impossible to sleep in the
forward stateroom because of the sound when the anchor chain tightened, so I tried to
sleep in the salon.
Day 3 Chub Cay, the Bahamas to Spanish Wells, the Bahamas
We left Chub Cay at 8:00am, heading west to ward Spanish Wells, a small island
and town just north of Eleuthra. It was calm and sunny, and we arrived at Spanish Wells
at 1:30pm. After a slow entry past Royal Island and Meek’s Patch, in shallow water that
left as little as a foot under the keel, we arrived in Spanish Wells and tied up at the
Spanish Wells Yacht Club and Marina at 2:00pm.
Spanish Wells is named after the fresh water wells that the Spanish used in the
th
17 and 18 centuries. It is a long waterfront area with small, colorfully painted, houses.
Bob, John and I took the tender to John’s house on north Eleuthra, about two miles from
the Spanish Wells. Once outside the town, only sticks in the sand mark the shallow
channel. His house is situated on a hill with a view of the Spanish Wells harbor on one
side and the Atlantic on the other. The water color ranges from almost white in the
shallows, to deep blue, to dark where coral and grass grow. The Atlantic side of Eleuthra
is protected by a coral reef known as the Devil’s Backbone—a treacherous “local
knowledge only” route along Eleuthra’s eastern coast.
th
After visiting John’s house, we took the tender to the flats between his house and
the town. Bob and John bone-fished in the ankle-deep water, while I explored the shallow
channels with the tender. After an unsuccessful hour—if fish on board defines success—
we took John to his boat in Spanish Wells. He drove it to the Good Fortune, and we all
had drinks and a fine Casasanta dinner of rice and chicken-kabob. After dinner we waved
our handkerchiefs to John as he headed off in the dark to find his way home. Bob and
Marc took a walk into town, and I went to bed at the late hour of 7:00pm.
116
Day 4 Spanish Wells, Eleuthra to Royal Island, Eleuthra
6nm, ½ hour running, 12.0 knots, 501 gallons
After a 12 hour sleep, we had breakfast and John came in his boat to pick Bob up
for a fishing trip. Marc refueled at the Spanish Wells Yacht Club and Marina (501
gallons) while I turned our exit papers in at the customs office. We then went a short
distance to one of the great anchorages in the Bahamas, Royal Island; I led the way in the
tender, looking for shallow spots. The entrance to Royal Island’s harbor is very tricky,
with a large visible rock in the middle of a narrow gap, and a submerged rock on the right
side. As we began to enter the open and inviting channel to the right of the visible rock, a
sailboat anchored in the harbor called on the radio to warn us, and a second sailboat sent
out a dinghy to show us the way. Thank heavens they did—the submerged rock would
have torn up yet another boat! We entered safely on the port side and were quickly
anchored with six sailboats.
John and Bob came to the Good Fortune and John took us all to an abandoned
estate on Royal Island. It had been built in the 1920s and abandoned after the builder’s
wife died. It was very elaborate—several houses, some for servants, and concrete
walkways between them. One concrete road went across the island to a harbor where a
small semicircular breakwater had been built, probably for delivering building materials.
After this, Marc, Bob and John took John’s boat fishing. I followed in the tender, but
after they caught, and released, a couple of barracudas, I went off to explore the long
white beaches. Some of them were unreachable in the tender, but others could be reached
easily. At one the sand was white well out from the beach, then covered with grass
further out. It was as advertised in the brochures. The water was comfortably cool, and
crystal clear.
I returned to the Good Fortune at about 3:00pm, and the others soon arrived. John
went home, ending his part in our trip, and the rest of us swam in the clear comfortable
water. Marc and I washed the boat’s waterline, something rarely done. Marc made a
dinner of steak tips and sausage, and we ate under a bright canopy of stars. Much was
discussed, some of it memorable. Then to bed at about 10:00pm.
Days 5-6 Royal Island, Eleuthra to Naples, FL
We left the Royal Island harbor at 6:45am, retracing our path past Chub Cay to
the Northwest Channel light, about 75 miles. At the light we turned to a direct west
heading across the Great Bahama Bank to its western end at South Riding Rock. This is
about 20 miles below Cat Key, where we had entered the Bank. The winds were from the
east and were light, about 8 knots, pushing us along. It was calm on the Bank, and the sun
was shining. We saw only three boats on the way, and we were the only boat on our
course--everyone else seemed to be going to Cat Cay.
117
We reached South Riding Rock at 5:15pm. At sunset, with the sun setting directly
ahead under a bank of distant clouds, I saw my first green flash. Bob had seen two before,
and said that this wasn’t as impressive as the others. The top of the sun simply went green
at the instant it fell below the horizon.
Our course continued due west to the Florida Keys. After about the first third of
the Keys we turned slightly north toward Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge. This leg
was about 115 nautical miles, and we wanted to arrive at Marathon at dawn. So we
slowed to 8½ knots. Even though the wind remained light, the following seas turned from
one-footers to three-footers. Perhaps this was the effect of storms up north, but it seemed
surprising to have more seas in the deep water of the Florida Strait than on the shallow
Bahama Bank.
On our trip to Cat Cay we had been helped by the north-flowing gulf stream, but
the return was slightly against the current. This slowed us a bit, but that was no problem
as we wanted to keep a slow pace to time our arrival at Marathon. We set up three fourhour watches from 7:00pm to 7:00am. During my watch (7:00pm-11:00pm) there was a
lot of traffic. At one point a northbound yacht crossed our path only ¼ mile ahead,
ignoring all the rules of the road that gave us the right-of-way. If I hadn’t slowed down
for him, he would have hit us! I suppose nobody was on the bridge, or the crew was
feeling its testosterone.
The crossing of the Straits of Florida was quiet, especially compared with the
horror stories one hears about the effects of a northerly wind meeting the gulf stream’s
currents.We arrived at Marathon at 7:00am, just at dawn. After passing under Seven-Mile
Bridge we encountered deep fog that lifted only after we had passed Cape Sable, the
southwestern tip of Florida. Overnight we had developed an electrical problem—the
voltage in the starboard service batteries was down to 24 volts from the normal 28 volts.
The same problem then appeared on the port side, but we could recharge those service
batteries from the generator. Apparently, the alternators on both engines had failed!
Once the fog lifted we had a low gray cloud cover much of the way to Naples, but
the sun came out when we reached Cape Romano, south of Marco Island. We started into
Gordon Pass at 2:45pm and we were at the dock by 3:00pm. Everything had gone well
except for the alternator problems, which were not show-stoppers. We had very good
weather for almost the entire trip, and while we had spent most of the time on the move,
the one day of rest at Royal Island had been very special.
118
Naples FL to Big Pine Key, FL
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
Port
1939hrs 1933hrs 1960hrs
1860
1308
1868
Stbd
1954hrs
1357
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
21hrs
8
21hrs
49
Entire Trip
610 gallons, 29.0 gph, 2.6 gal per nm
Day 1 Naples, FL to Marathon, FL
We left Naples just before 9:00am in sunny skies with a light southeast wind,
about 5-10 knots. Our trip to the Keys was a straight line. Our first destination was on the
north side of Vaca Key, where we tried to anchor between two islands called the Fanny
Keys. This would have been ideal because we would be in the lee, but it was a bit
shallow. So we went through Seven Mile Bridge and anchored off Marathon. The wind
was brisker here, and it was not as calm as we hoped, but it was a good spot. We were
near a large yacht, Recreation, which I had seen before. We anchored by 5:00pm, and did
a quick rinsing of the bright work before having a sunset dinner on the cockpit. After this
we watched an episode of the Sopranos, a cable TV series about a mafia family, then we
went to bed.
Day 2 Marathon, FL to Little Shark River, FL
At about 9:00am we left Marathon to head to Big Pine Key, where we hoped to
see the miniature deer that have been there since the last ice age. At first we tried to go
down the south side of the keys, but the seas were a bit uncomfortable so after about 8
miles we turned around and went back through Seven Mile Bridge to the north side of the
keys. It was much calmer there, so we turned south and reached an anchorage at the north
end of No Name Key, just east of Big Pine Key.
At 11:00am we dropped the tender and then, while going back into the Good
Fortune to get life jackets, we heard a threatening hiss and discovered that we were very
close to real wildlife. A raccoon had come onto the boat at some unknown place and it
was trying to hide on the top step of the ladder going up to the boat deck. How it got
there we haven’t a clue. If it had come aboard in Naples it would have been discovered
119
because I had been on all parts of the boat. Perhaps it had swum out to us while we were
attempting to anchor at the Fanny Keys, or while we were anchored off Marathon, but
both seem unlikely. The question was, what to do about it. I thought about shooting it, but
I would probably put a hole in the boat. It was curled up in a tight spot so I couldn’t
dislodge it and push it off the boat. So I opened the transom door in hopes that he would
leave and we just left it while we toured the water around Big Pine Key.
We saw no deer, and found the waters shallow even for the tender. There was no
discernible place to land, so we returned to the boat. The raccoon had disappeared! A
thorough search of the boat showed only two signs that he had been there, a paw print
and his scat where he had been on the ladder. He must have left through the transom and
swum to No Name Key.
At 1:00pm we headed north toward the Shark River. By 4:30pm we were
anchored about a mile into the Little Shark River. It was a beautiful spot, surrounded by
mangroves. We attempted to sit out and watch the sunset, but the gnats wanted to join us,
so we went back inside. After dinner we watched another episode of the Sopranos, then
went to bed by 10:00pm.
Day 3 Little Shark River, FL to Naples, FL
The day dawned and the sun rose over the mangroves. It was a beautiful, almost
ethereal, sight. After breakfast we got into the tender and explored the area. The small
channels between mangroves yielded blue and white herons, and one raccoon (not our
friend) watching us from a high branch. Our trip took us from the Little Shark River to
the Shark River, and back. It was amazingly quiet and peaceful, with nobody around and
only the sound of our motor to disturb the peace.
At 11:30am we lifted anchor and exited the Little Shark River, turning north on
almost a direct line to Naples. As we passed the Ten Thousand Islands area the sky
clouded over, and on arrival at Gordon Pass there was a threatening layer of dark clouds
just coming over us. At 4:30pm we were tied up at the dock. After a brief boat rinsing,
during which the clouds passed over us, we hit the pool spa and enjoyed a nice evening.
We had had three beautiful days. The day after our return started with heavy rain
and stayed cloudy and quite cool. Our timing was great. We still don’t know where the
raccoon came from, or where he went. Joan calls him “Winky.” He’ll be forever in our
thoughts.
120
Naples FL to Dry Tortugas, FL
March 14-17, 2002
Captain Trevor Bearham
Crew Norman Berg
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
1960hrs 1954hrs
1869
1357
Port
Stbd
1986hrs 1980hrs
1879
1409
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
26hrs
10
26hrs
52
Entire Trip
256nm (285sm), 20½ hours running, 12.5 knots
xxx gallons, xxx gph, xxx gal per nm
Day 1 Thursday Naples, FL to Dr Tortugas Harbor, FL
We left the dock at 9:15am. It was sunny and warm, with light winds. As we exited
Gordon Pass we encountered swells that created a mildly nauseating motion. Our
crewman slept for most of the trip, but perked up as we approached the Dry Tortugas and
the swells moderated.
We arrived at Dry Tortugas Harbor at about 5:00pm. There were several other boats but
we found a nice spot near the entrance to drop anchor. By 5:15pm we were at anchor. A
quick rinsing, followed by drinks and a perfect sunset, then dinner cooked by Trevor—a
treat.
After dinner Trevor turned out a light in the salon—and the starboard generator shut
down! We couldn’t start the port generator (which had just been serviced) so we had only
the power from the batteries.
The shutdown of the starboard generator was unrelated to the light switch—the timing
was a pure coincidence. The problem was that the generator had run low on oil. Once we
found that out, we filled it with oil and it started. The port generator was a mystery—it
just wouldn’t start. At first we suspected bad fuel, so we changed both fuel filters (1869
hours). Finally we decided that air had somehow gotten into the fuel system. While the
diesel engine for the generator was supposed to be self-priming, Trevor had to manually
prime it to get it started.
After this, we went to bed.
121
Day 2 Friday At Rest in Dry Tortugas Harbor, FL
0nm, 0 hours running
This was a perfect day. It was warm and sunny, winds were very light, and there was a lot
to do. After breakfast we dropped the tender. Trevor took Norm and I to Fort Jefferson
and we spent a couple of hours exploring the fort. After this we returned to the boat for
lunch.
Following lunch Norm and I took the tender to Loggerhead Key, about 2½ miles away.
The water was clear and we went to the deserted beach on the southwest side and swam
for a while. The sand is clean and white well out into the water. The sun was intense.
After the swim we continued around the key, past the lighthouse, and returned to the
boat. There was schools of barracudas in the coral areas—no place to hit coral and sink!
After returning to the boat we took a well deserved nap.
At 6:00pm we had drinks on the boat, watched a great sunset, had a fine dinner, and
watched the nightlife. Frigate birds (which are kleptoparasitic, according to a park ranger)
were chasing terns to get them to drop food they had gotten. The aerial combat was
intriguing.
After nightfall we began hearing fish jumping, and shined a flashlight into the water.
There were hundreds of fish, about a foot ling, swarming around the boat. Occasionally
we would hear a slapping sound as a bigger fish jumped, or a smaller fish jumped to
avoid a bigger fish. Then we heard a loud thump, and saw that a flying fish had flown
into the boat, hitting the salon window on the port side. Norm threw him back in. What a
spectacle. All day we had seen no fish, except the barracudas, but at night the place was
teeming.
Day 3 Saturday Dry Tortugas, FL to Everglades City, FL
112nm, 8½ hours running, 13.2 knots
I awoke at 5:00am, having gone to bed before 10:00pm. At 7:00am we left the harbor,
almost the last boat to leave. It was calm, warm and sunny, and we set a course for
Everglades City. Our original destination was the Shark River, but we found that the
tender was low on fuel so decided to go to a place that had fuel.
The trip to Everglades City was pleasant and uneventful. We arrived at the Rod and Gun
Club dock at 3:30 pm. While Trevor rinsed the boat, Norm and I trudged a couple of
blocks with a gas can and returned to refuel the tender. Then we took a trip down the
Barron River and up the back side of Everglades City to Chokoloskee.
After returning to the boat we cleaned up and had dinner. It was an early bedtime.
122
Day 4 Sunday Everglades City, FL to Naples, FL
We left the Rod & Gun Club at 9:30am. It was low tide, so we had to go very
slowly until we reached the outer marker at Indian Key. We turned north toward Naples,
and made a stop for 1½ hours at the ruins on Cape Romano. It was a busy place, with
boaters enjoying the great weather. After lunch we lifted the anchor and headed toward
Naples.
We reached the dock at near high tide at 3:00pm. A thorough washing of the boat
followed, after which Norm and I took a swim in the pool, had dinner, watched The
Sopranos on TV, and went to bed.
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124
Naples FL to Ft. Lauderdale, FL
April 20-21, 2002
Crew Joan Fortune
Start
Port
Engines
Gensets
End
Stbd
1986hrs 1980hrs
1879
1409
Port
Stbd
2010hrs
1916
2004hrs
1409
Elapsed
Port
Stbd
24hrs
37
24hrs
0
Entire Trip
500 gallons, 21.7 gph, 2.1 gal per nm
Day 1 Saturday, Naples, FL to Moorehaven, FL
We left Naples at 10:30am. It was sunny and very calm as we headed north to the
ICW in Fort Myers. The trip was uneventful, and we stopped at 7:00pm about 5 miles
short of Moorehaven, the access to Lake Okeechobee. It was a gorgeous day, and the
Waterway was filled with fisherman and boating families.
At 7:00pm we stopped and anchored on the waterway, just across from what
appeared to be a shooting range where whole families were enjoying themselves. We
grilled steaks, watched TV and were in bed by 10:00pm.
Day 2 Sunday, Moorehaven, FL to Palm Beach, FL
We awoke at 7:00am, breakfasted at dawn, and lifted anchor at 8:00am. By
1:30pm we were in Stuart, FL. While crossing the St. Lucie River toward its intersection
with the ICW we almost had a serious accident: we were passing a trawler on its port side
and it suddenly turned into our path. The captain called to apologize, claiming that he
was looking at his chart and suddenly the boat veered left.
At the intersection with the ICW we briefly ran aground at the usual spot. We
then turned south on the ICW. The going was slow, and when we reached Jupiter Island
the congestion of boats was very bad. Finally we reached Palm Beach and docked at the
Sailfish Marina right by Lake Worth Inlet. This was a very happening spot, filled with
boats and young people. By 6:30pm we were settled in. After a dinner on board, we
watched The Sopranos and were in bed by 10:00pm.
125
Day 3 Monday, Palm Beach, FL to Ft. Lauderdale, FL
We left Sailfish Marina at 9:00am and headed out of Lake Worth Inlet. Heading
south toward Ft. Lauderdale, we had calm water and sunny skies until arriving at Ft.
Lauderdale Inlet at 12:30pm. By 1:00pm we were in our slip at Bahia Mar Marina.
We then rented a car and drove to Allied Marine Group’s yard, where we
inspected Myeerah, our new 90’ Ferretti Navetta. This was the last trip on the Good
2
Fortune before it is sold to a new owner. After the crew stays on board the Fleming
while the new boat is prepared, it will probably be taken to Burr in Stuart for sale. It has
been a good boat with bad troubles!
126
Looking for a New Yacht
December 2001 – February 2002
We decided to replace the Fleming for two reasons. First, and foremost, Joan
found it small and less comfortable for longer trips, especially with guests aboard. She
wanted something more suitable. Second, I was fed up with the unending string of serious
mechanical problems we had experienced with the poorly-named Good Fortune 2.
We looked at boats in the 75-foot range, and narrowed it down to a new build of
an 80 foot Offshore Voyager, possibly extended to 90 feet, and a 75-foot Fleming. We
were about to commission the extended Offshore when we went to the Miami Boat show
with a Murray Lord, a broker from Little Harbor Yacht Brokerage. While driving past the
show area, Joan saw a boat she liked out of the corner of her eye, but I didn’t see it and
we never went on it. When we returned to Naples Joan saw an article in Yachting
magazine on a 27-meter (90-foot) Ferretti Navetta and said that this was the boat she had
seen in Miami. (Navetta means “little ship” in Italian, and, we later learned, translates to
something like “cow barn” in Finnish). I called Murray and asked him to find out about
it. He reported back that that boat was hull #1 in a new Ferretti line produced by CRN’s
Custom Line division in Ancona, Italy. An Italian owned it and it was in Fort Lauderdale
for the Miami boat show. It was scheduled to return to Italy the next week.
We arranged a sea trial and went to Miami. The sea trial was a disaster—the boat
was filthy and was all packed up for its return to Italy, there was bad weather, and the
captain ran aground in Miami and bent a prop. But we loved the boat’s potential and
made an offer. Apparently we made the seller happy, and he accepted. The closing was
set for March 28.
That’s when we began to learn about the Italians. In order to get the boat
documented in the U.S. we had to pay a 1½% import tax—easily done. The seller also
had to have the boat deleted from the Italian Registry of Vessels—less easily done! The
seller thought this was a formality and didn’t begin the process until the March 28 closing
failed. Each bureaucrat in the country had to sign off, and it took 90 days. We didn’t
close until the end of June, a process made less pleasant by Ferretti’s foot-dragging on
answering any questions about the boat.
This created an awkward situation. We had a lot of work to do on the boat, but we
didn’t own it. After we realized that the paperwork would take some time, we worked out
an arrangement in which we did the work while they owned the boat. The risk was that
the closing would never happen and we would be out of pocket for extensive
improvements.
From early May through the end of June the boat was at Allied Marine Group’s
shipyard in Ft. Lauderdale. We had to install a shore power management system—the
boat could not connect to U.S. power and it had been on generator power since it had
come over from Italy six month earlier. We installed electrical equipment to accept
220V-60 hertz and transform it to both European 240V-50 hertz and to U.S. 220/110V
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60-hertz power. That way we could run both U.S. and European devices. We installed
new electronic equipment, adding a second radar, second GPS, second VHF radio and
second navigation computer. The tiny Jacuzzi was removed from the boat deck, opening
that space up for use, and the decks were repaired and spruced up. The garage door was
rebuilt, reshaping it so that it would come down all the way—fixing a design error
On June 23 the closing happened and, simultaneously, the work was done. The
boat, with 770 hours on the engines, headed north with a three-person crew: Marc
Casasanta, Trevor Bearham and Brett Casasanta, Marc’s brother. Marc’s uncle also came
along. There were two stops, Beaufort NC and Portsmouth RI. It arrived in Boston on
June 30.
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Boston, Massachusetts to Falmouth, Massachusetts
July 4-7, 2002
Steward David
Passengers Peter and Joan Fortune
This was the first trip on Myeerah. We stayed at the Nicholas’s dock in Falmouth
and visited Lara and her family, who were staying at the house in Wood’s Hole that we
had rented for a month each summer when she was a child.
Day 1: Thursday, July 4, 2002
Boston to Falmouth
71 nm, 6½ hours running, 358 gallons
The trip to Falmouth Harbor was uneventful. We left Boston in calm and sunny
weather at 9:30am. We went through the Cape Cod Canal and Wood’s Hole, arriving at
the Nicholas’ dock at about 4:00pm. Lara came on the boat with two of her children,
After a few minutes she announced that they were staying on Myeerah for the weekend.
Steve, Lara and their children moved on board (Alex was at camp) and we had a great
time together. Trevor cooked a gourmet meal and we went to bed early.
Day 2-3: Friday-Saturday, June 5-6, 2002
In Falmouth
No travel. We stayed around Falmouth.
Day 4: Sunday, July 7, 2002
Boston to Falmouth
The return to Boston was in clear and calm weather. Nothing eventful to report. It
had been a wonderful maiden voyage for us.
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Boston, Massachusetts to Falmouth, Massachusetts
July 18-21, 2002
Steward David Noname
Alice Hollingsworth, Bill Sadler
This was a return to Falmouth for the wedding of Katie Nicholas at their home in
Wood’s Hole. Alice Hollingsworth—Joan’s best friend from high school—and Bill
Sadler, with whom I had gone to school, both from Indianapolis, joined us.
Day 1: Thursday, July 18, 2002
Boston to Falmouth
The route taken, and the timing, were the same as for the previous trip. As we
passed through Wood Hole we heard saw a small sailboat that had been dismasted. We
stood by it for about 15 minutes to wait for the Coast Guard to arrive, then we went on to
Falmouth.
We docked at McDougal’s marina, and settled in. Marc got a rental van, and in
the evening we had dinner on the boat. Ginny and Peter Nicholas dropped by and the six
of us had a nice long talk.
Day 2: Friday, July 19, 2002
In Falmouth
Friday was cloudy with no rain. After breakfast, Bill Sadler, Eli Lilly and I played
golf at a course near Falmouth. After returning to the boat we rested, then went to the
rehearsal dinner.
The rehearsal dinner was quite an affair. It was at the Nicholas’s marina at the
foot of Falmouth Harbor. A very large, brand-new tent gave shelter for the 150 guests.
There was a great lobster dinner, lots of toasts, and a professional-quality DVD slideshow
with pictures of Katie and Jim. Jim’s family is from North Carolina, and the southern
gentility and humor was lots of fun.
After the dinner it began to rain. Marc picked us up in the van and we returned to
the boat. Joan, Bill, Alice and I talked for quite a while about our lives, about
Indianapolis, and about family. Then to bed.
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Day 2: Saturday, July 20, 2002
In Falmouth
This was the big day. The skies were threatening until about 30 minutes before
the wedding. As we arrived at the Nicholas’s estate at Penzance Point in Woods Hole, the
sun came out. It stayed cool, but the threat of rain was gone.
The wedding was under a tent, officiated by the minister at Babson College,
where Katie had gotten her MBA. Following a lovely service, we gathered under several
large tents for the reception. It was a full house, as one would expect after a rehearsal
dinner for about 150 guests.
After the wedding dinner, we were driven “home” and went to bed.
Day 4: Sunday, July 21, 2002
Falmouth to Boston
The return trip was under clear skies, with cool weather. Nothing unusual to
report.
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Boston, Massachusetts to Newport, Rhode Island
August 10-12, 2002
First Mate Dawn Ward
Stewardess DeLaine Brown
This was a low-key trip for the two of us. One goal was to vet two potential new
crewmembers. Trevor Bearham had quit in a welcome fit of pique. We decided to have a
threee-person crew, so there were two openings. Dawn Ward and DeLaine Brown were
both recommended by Crew Finders in Newport. In spite of Newport Jazz Festival, we
found a slip at the American Ship Yard through the help of Murray Lord, the Little
Harbor Yacht broker who sold Myeerah to us.
Day 1: Saturday, August 10, 2002
Boston to Newport
98 nm, 9 hours running, 10.9 kts, 500 gallons
We had a quiet trip to Newport, leaving Boston at about 9:00am. When we
reached the Fort Adams area we found ourselves in a tangle of boats, some on the move
and others anchored while listening to a concert. On the way in, Murray Lord, who was
on his sailboat with his family, hailed us. We wound our way through the maze, crowded
by a large sailboat that stayed right alongside. We arrived at the slip at 7:00pm. Berthed
right near us, was Eagle, the Nicholas’s new Trumpy. There was a cocktail party of
young people unknown to us.
Joan and I walked into Newport for dinner, then back to the boat and to bed.
Day 2: Sunday, August 11, 2002
In Newport
This was a lazy day. In the morning I took the tender around the harbor. It had
been having serious motor problems, and finally I returned because it was dying. We had
had the three carburetors rebuilt, but apparently the bad fuel in the tanks had not been
entirely cleaned out and the carbs were fouled again. Eventually, just before the Maine
cruising trip 6 weeks later, we had new carbs installed and the fuel tank was thoroughly
cleaned.
At about 5:00pm Murray and Aimee Lord arrived for dinner. Just at that time
Dawn Ward hit her head badly coming through the low galley door from the outside. It
knocked her out and cut her forehead, so she went to the emergency room with Marc. She
returned about 8:00pm, and was out of commission for the night.
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In spite of the emergency, DeLaine laid on an excellent meal and we all had a
delightful evening together. Marc has been great about keeping things going while shorthanded, especially since he’s had so much to do to get Myeerah into the shape we want.
And he does it so cheerfully and calmly.
Day 3: Monday, August 12, 2002
Newport to Boston
The ride back to Boston was uneventful, in calm weather.
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Boston, Massachusetts to Portsmouth, New Hampshire
August 17-19, 2002
First Mate Dawn Ward
Stewardess DeLaine Brown
Lara and Alexandra Balter
Olivia and XXXX
Total Trip
60 miles, 6 hours running time, 10.0 kts average speed
330 gallons, 4.85 gpm, 55.0 gph
This was our 10-year old granddaughter’s birthday present. Her real birthday was
May 20, but we had promised her a trip with friends. The crew was made up of two
people we were trying out for permanent positions. Dawn Ward had experience as a mate
on large private yachts, and DeLaine Brown was an experienced cook/stewardess. The
boat came up to Annisquam on Friday and anchored in Ipswich Bay. We joined it on
Saturday morning.
Annisquam to Portsmouth
At about 9:00am we took our Boston Whaler, Squam Lite, out to Myeerah and
departed with the Whaler in tow (the tender motor was not working). At about 10 knots
the trip to Wentworth-by-the-Sea Marina took two hours. We were docked by 12:30pm
and rented a car. While the girls were at the swimming pool with the crew, Lara, Joan and
I took the car to Portsmouth. We returned at about 3:00pm and I took the girls out on
Squam Lite for “speeding bullets,” a family tradition in which something fast is made to
go fast. They loved zipping along at 40mph.
The girls had an early dinner and settled down for a movie. Joan, Lara and I went
to the marina’s restaurant for a very slow dinner, then back to the boat by 9:30pm.
In Portsmouth, NH
After breakfast we took Myeerah over to the Isles of Shoals. The girls and I took
Squam Lite and met it. It was a pretty day, and we spent it just lazing around the isles,
having a leisurely lunch. In the afternoon we returned to Wentworth-by-the-Sea. Then
Lara took the girls into Portsmouth where they did some shopping. After an early dinner
on the boat we went to bed.
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Day 3: Monday, August 19
Portsmouth to Annisquam
30 nm, 3 hours running, 165 gallons
We had breakfast on the boat, then left for Annisquam in the late morning. The
girls and I took Squam Lite for some last speeding bullets and we met Myeerah off of
Portsmouth. The seas had rolling swells, making it difficult to dock at Myeerah. But
eventually we did, and then we headed to Annisquam. We arrived in mid-afternoon and
took Squam Lite back to the house. Joan and I stayed at the Barnacle for the night and
Lara took the girls back to Boston.
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First Mate Ben Wentworth
Stewardess Amanda Taylor
Passengers Peter Fortune, Bob Anderson,
John McGlennon, George Vyverberg
This was the annual guy-trip to Maine. It was the first trip with our new
permanent crewmembers, Ben Wentworth and Amanda Taylor. Ben and Amanda are
sailors, who had been crewing a 54-foot sailboat, Alemar, for a couple of years.
Myeerah came to Ipswich Bay on Friday. George arrived at Logan Airport at
about 6:00pm on Friday and came to our Beacon Hill home. We had a nice dinner with
Joan and drove to Annisquam to be ready for an early morning departure.
Total Trip
495 miles, 42½ hours running time, 11.7 kts average speed
Day 1: Saturday, September 21
Annisquam to Christmas Cove, Maine’
90 miles, 6½ hours, 13.8 kts
At 8:00am Bob and John met us at our dock and I took them out to Myeerah in
Squam Lite with their bags. I came back and returned with Myeerah’s tender, which had
been left overnight at our dock after it had been launched at the yacht club following
engine repairs. By 9:00am we were on our way north toward Christmas Cove, Maine, at
the entrance to the Damariscotta River. The weather was sunny with a brisk following
wind.
I drove the boat into Christmas Cove and Marc docked it at the Coveside Inn at
3:30pm. Nobody was there, though we had reservations. The restaurant was closed for
the season, so we had a fine salmon dinner prepared by Amanda. After dinner we
watched “Full Metal Jacket” then went to bed.
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Day 2: Sunday, September 22
Christmas Cove, Maine to Bar Harbor, Maine
80 miles, 6 hours, 13.3 kts
At 9:00am, after a good breakfast, we left Christmas Cove and headed north.
Passing close to Monhegan Island, we decided to go to Bar Harbor, on the east side of
Mt. Desert Island. We passed through some thick lobster pot fields, and by the time we
had docked at the Municipal Pier we were trailing much of the lobster industry’s gear.
After docking at about 3:00pm, Marc donned his scuba gear and went underneath
to cut away the lines and lobster buoys that we had accumulated—it amounted to several
hundred feet of line and two buoys. Then Bob, George, John and I took a walk into town.
After returning to the boat we cleaned up, then went to a local waterside restaurant for
dinner. Following dinner we watched The Sopranos on TV and retired.
Days 3-4: Monday, September 23-Tuesday, September 24
Bar Harbor to Roque Island, Maine
We woke up to heavy rain and fog, and decided to wait a while before departing.
At 12:30pm we left Bar Harbor. It was still heavy fog with intermittent rain. We headed
north to Roque Island, called the Down East Shangri-La. It is an exquisite privately
owned island with craggy shores and pine trees. Owned by the Gardner family, which has
a large compound in Shorey Cove on the north end, Roque Island has a well-protected
large central harbor and several small coves for protection from all directions. Smaller
islands with several channels and inlets to explore surround it. There are beautiful sand
beaches, and sheep graze on the islands.
We entered the harbor in fog through a narrow channel between Anguila and
Halifax islands. Anchoring west of Seal Ledge near the sand beach, we found that swells
were rocking the boat so we set out a stern anchor to hold the bow into the swells. We
were just off a large meadow with sheep grazing in a pen, but no other signs of life. We
dropped the tender and Marc and I took it to explore the thorofare between the harbor and
the Atlantic. It was absolutely gorgeous, with granite cliffs topped by thick stands of pine
trees. The only sign of civilization was a small cove with a wooden pier and a small
building; a sailboat was moored in front. The geography was very like the Alaskan coast
or the islands of Puget Sound. After returning from our short trip, we had a steak dinner,
watched TV, and went to bed.
On Tuesday morning it was cloudy, but with good visibility. The rain brought in a
cold front and we decided to stay at Roque Island for the day. After breakfast John, Bob
and I took the tender through the thorofare and around the island. On the way we bought
eight lobsters from a lobster boat.
On our trip around the island we saw only two small outbuildings—possibly
pump houses. At Shorey Cove, on the north end, there is a large compound of houses and
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barns for the Gardner family. On returning we went through a narrow passage into a
protected cove where a sailboat was at anchor. We talked with the couple on the sailboat
that had been cruising the coast for the summer. They told us of several places to go in
the future—a nice anchorage at “The Cow Pen” south of Roque Island, and the town of
St. Johns, about 40 miles north, where the world-famous reversing falls are.
We spent most of the day just lying around, napping, and reading. At 4:00pm we
all hopped in the tender and explored the inlets in the thorofare. We went down one long
inlet and saw seals. The sun had finally come out. Turning the engine off, we drifted and
could hear only the faint whisper of wind and the occasional seagull. This was heaven!
We then went by Seal Ledge, which was barely exposed by the half-tide, and saw large
seals at rest. Returning to the boat, we had our lobster dinner, watched the Gettysburg
episode of the Civil War series, and went to bed.
Day 5: Wednesday. September 25
Roque Island, Maine to Southwest Harbor, Maine
We awoke at about 7:00am to no water. Apparently the seven of us used over 400
gallons between mid-afternoon yesterday and this morning. I suspect a leak. We’ll have
to watch it carefully. At 8:30pm we left Roque Island and headed west toward Jonesport
in sunny but cool weather with light winds. The trip through Moosebec Reach was
beautiful, with a narrow passage winding through granite outcrops and islands. John and I
took the director’s chairs from the boat deck and sat on the observation deck, getting a
perfect view all around.
We drove slowly down the coast toward Southwest Harbor. On arriving at
2:00pm we went down Somes Sound, then back to Grand Harbor Marina at the head of
Southwest Harbor. We arrived at 3:00pm and took a short walk along the main road.
At 5:30pm John’s wife, Mary Jane, arrived with a friend and the couple she was
staying with. Mary Jane has been on Mt. Desert helping her friend find a house to rent for
next summer. By 7:00pm, after cocktails, they had left and we had dinner (roast beef).
Then we settled down for the first show of the new season of The West Wing—it was
awful!
The weather reports are not good. Tomorrow is supposed to be cloudy and cool,
then Hurricane Isidore’s remnants will move into the area. Friday is forecast to be windy
and rainy, and Saturday will be near gale force winds and heavy seas. We might have to
find a hurricane hole to hide in.
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Day 6: Thursday. September 26
Southwest Harbor, Maine to Castine, Maine
We stayed around Southwest Harbor for most of the morning. The voltage
regulator first generator #1 failed, but we have two other generators. At about 11:30am
we left. It was cloudy but with light winds. We went around the southern end of Mt.
Desert and passed through Eggemoggin Reach into Penobscot Bay
At the western end of the Reach it was a flat calm. We saw a Minke whale (also
called a pilot whale), a school of dolphins, and several seals. We turned north into
Penobscot Bay and went past Castine and into the Penobscot River. We followed the
river up to Bucksport, a pretty little town on the water. The river goes through high
wooded hills, and narrows as you go north.
At Bucksport we turned around and headed south to Castine. Passing the Maine
Maritime Academy, we turned south into Smith Cove. At 5:30pm we were anchored at
the foot of the cove, surrounded by a granite-ledged shoreline with a few houses and only
two other boats. After dinner we watched Push, Nevada, sleeping through most of it.
Then to bed.
Day 7: Friday. September 27
Castine, Maine to Boothbay Harbor, Maine
The weather report is not great. Hurricane Isidore hit Louisiana on Wednesday,
with heavy rains. Today is supposed to turn to rain, and tomorrow is expected to be rainy
with winds of 25-35 knots.
At 8:30am we left Castine and went about 10 miles down Penobscot Bay to
Northaven Island, where we dropped Bob Anderson off at Barnet Cove (near Pulpit
Harbor) for his annual golf tournament. Then continued on to Boothbay Harbor, arriving
at about 2:00pm. It had been light rain and fog for the entire trip, but the seas were only
1-3 feet so it was comfortable.
After docking at Boothbay Harbor Marine, George, John and I walked through the
little town of Boothbay Harbor, occasionally looking into a gift shop. This is a pretty
little town--for tourists only. We returned to the boat and, after the obligatory nap, went
to dinner at a local downeast restaurant. After dinner we watched The Deer Hunter. In the
middle, at about 10:00pm, we heard a grinding noise and went out to find the cause. It
was the bow thruster of a 110-foot Trinity yacht, Time For Us, coming alongside. The
yacht was registered in St. Vincent, the owners were from Kansas, and this was their
maiden voyage. The boat had come up from Gloucester, having docked at the Madfish
Grill. It had started in Ft. Lauderdale and come through Boston. The owners and guests,
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not enjoying the lumpy trip, had gotten off in Newburyport and rented a car to drive to
Boothbay Harbor.
After finishing the movie we went to bed.
Day 8: Saturday. September 28
Boothbay Harbor, Maine to Portland, Maine
35 miles, 3½ hrs, 10.0 kts
During the night high winds and heavy rain passed through. The winds had been
high enough to create waves that lapped against the boat even though we were in a very
sheltered dock. But and in the morning it was cool, but bright and sunny.
At 9:30am we left the dock and headed through Townsend Gut toward Sheepscott
River. The Gut was very narrow, especially passing through a swing bridge that was
perhaps 10 feet wider than the boat. We sat in Directors chairs in the top observation
platform, viewing the beautiful houses and boats along the way and betting on which of
the lobster pots we would miss.
As we exited the Gut, through a very narrow sharp turn between the shore and a
ledge, we encountered a brisk north wind picked up. Heading down Sheepscott Bay past
the lighthouse at Dogfish Point, we entered the Gulf of Maine. Our course directly toward
Portland was a bit rocky, with good-size swells coming in on the port beam and winddriven waves coming offshore on the starboard beam.
At 1:00pm we were docked at DiMillo’s in Portland Harbor, just behind the
floating restaurant where a wedding reception was starting. John, George and I took a
walk through the waterfront stores-—lots of them—to scout out a restaurant. Returning to
the boat, we watched the Ryder Cup and took the required nap. At 6:30pm we went to
Molly’s, an Irish pub, for dinner. Then we watched The Legend of Bagger Vance and
went to bed at midnight.
Day 9: Sunday. September 29
Portland, Maine to Annisquam, Massachusetts
65 miles, 5 hrs, 13.0 kts
We left DiMillo’s at 9:30am under sunny skies with light winds. A following sea with
mild swells pushed us south toward Ipswich Bay. It was a beautiful ride. As we
approached the Annisquam River a following swells built up and we decided not to drop
the tender. Instead, at 2:30pm we called the Annisquam Yacht Club launch and hat it
come out to the lighthouse and pick us up.
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142
Boston, Massachusetts to Edgartown, Massachusetts
October 4-6, 2002
Passengers Peter and Joan Fortune,
Thomas, Michele and Riley Davidson
Christopher Kohler
th
This trip was Thom’s 35 birthday present. We were honored that he wanted to
share the occasion with us. A good friend of Thom’s, Chris Kohler joined us. Chris is an
engineer who happens to have a captain’s license (6-pak). He is an extremely nice young
man, and we enjoyed his company.
We decided to go to Edgartown after rejecting Nantucket because of our previous
experience with Thom and Michele there—bad weather Heavy rain), crowds, and no
place to go. We ended up with mediocre weather, and we didn’t leave Edgartown’s center
area. But it was a great time.
Total Trip
167 nm, 15 hours running time, 11.1 kts average speed
700 gallons, 4.2 g/nm, 46.7 gph
Day 1: Friday, October 4
Boston to Edgartown
Chris came to our house at 8:15am and by 8:30am we were driving to the
Shipyard. At 9:15am Myeerah left the dock. It was cloudy and very breezy (winds about
25 knots). The wind was from the southwest, so we were banging into the waves all the
way to the Cape Cod Canal. Several passengers lost their breakfast. We had lunch while
going through the canal, and the trip down to Woods Hole was quieter because we were
in the lee. After passing through Woods Hole, we once again had waves all the way to
Edgartown, but they were more direct and frequent so it was a bit easier.
At 4:15pm we were at the dock at the Harborside Inn, just past the Edgartown
Yacht Club. The is the second most expensive dockage we’ve had, $5 per linear foot per
day. The most expensive is at the Mad Max Marina about three docks down ($6 per foot).
The Harborside Inn is right in the heart of Edgartown, and it has no amenities, not even
electrical power. The entry was very narrow because a dredging barge was docked on the
north side (at the yacht club) and boats on moorings drifted into our path on the south
side. But it was a quiet spot and had a great view of the harbor.
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After walking around the town center a bit, we returned to the boat and had dinner
at 7:30pm. By 10:30pm we were in bed.
In Edgartown
It was very cloudy with some morning fog. At about noon the sun came out, and
while it remained windy and raw, the day improved after that. After breakfast we took a
walk, then started a lazy day. Thom and Chris rented fishing rods and went out on the
tender for several hours—no luck. We had lunch at the Navigator restaurant on the
waterfront, next to Myeerah.
The afternoon was a lazy one, with some short walks, watching the Patriots game,
and a nap. We had dinner at Alchemy, a restaurant on Maine Street—very nice and good
food. Then we returned to the boat, read a bit, and went to bed.
Edgartown to Boston
The sun was strong but it was cool and very windy, about 25-30 knots from the
North East. We left the dock at 9:00am and took a quick ride down to Katama Bay, the
innermost area of Watertown. On the way we passed Ernie Boch’s house—a major car
dealer. A huge faux Victorian house with acres of land around it, the construction had
been a local cause celebe. He even has llamas and a donkey on the grounds. His boats are
all name Come On Down, his slogan.
The ride to the Canal was reasonably gentle, given the stiff northeast wind. As we
entered Woods Hole the Hilarium, just starting its trip from Falmouth to Boca Grande,
passed us. We had lunch in the canal.
We had a strong 4-5 knot current against us in the canal, slowing us considerable.
After the canal we encountered 4-6 foot waves that battered us a bit. But about half way
to Boston they subsided and it was more pleasant. Unlike the trip down, nobody lost their
breakfast or lunch.
At 5:00pm we docked at the Shipyard. The trip had taken an extra hour because of
the weather and current, but it had gone well. The most comfortable sailor on the trip was
Riley, whose good humor just never stopped.
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Portsmouth RI to Charleston SC
October 27-29, 2002
Total Trip
The crew took the boat to Portsmouth RI on October 16. The bottom was scraped
and painted, changing the color to a dark red from a light blue. The steel anchor plates
were replaced with larger, thicker plates, and some electronics work was done to improve
tracking ability of the radar and integrate it with the chart plotter.
The boat was supposed to leave on Friday, October 25. But it didn’t go into the
water and complete sea trials until late Friday, and when it left on Saturday the weather
was bad, creating 10-footers in Buzzards Bay. Sit it stayed at the Newport Ship Yard
until 8:00am on Sunday morning.
We had planned a trip from Charleston SC to Savannah GA, beginning on
Halloween (October 31). Because of the delays and the unsettled weather we were pretty
sure we couldn’t connect in Charleston and were developing Plan B (possibly meeting it
in Beaufort NC and doing the Outer Banks). But after 57 hours of continuous running,
Myeerah arrived at the Charleston City Marina 5:00pm on Tuesday, October 29, a full
day ahead of my best-case prediction. Marc reported that they averaged 13.5 knots
because of the clean bottom, a following sea, and improved radar allowing faster
nighttime speed.
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146
Charleston SC to Savannah GA
October 31-November 4, 2002
John and Karen MacDuffie
Charles and Ethel Hamman
Stephen and Gina White
Total Trip
Day 1: Thursday, October 29
No Boat Travel
Our six guests and we flew down on Thursday, October 31, in a Gulfstream II
heavy jet (N74HH). We arrived at the FBO at about 12:00pm. Marc and Ben picked us
up and we were settled on Myeerah by 1:00pm. We had lunch on the boat and then took a
ferry to Fort Sumter. It was sunny, quite cool, and very calm. After an hour at the fort, we
returned to Charleston by 5:00pm and were back at the boat by 5:30pm. After cleaning up
we went to dinner at the Charleston Grill, and were in bed at midnight.
Day 2: Friday. November 1
No Boat Travel
We awoke at about 7:00am and, after breakfast, the Whites and the Macduffie’s
joined me on a tender trip up the Ashley River. Our destination was the Drayton Hall and
Magnolia plantations up the River. The trip took almost 2 hours because we stopped to
get fuel and it was shallow in spots. Not much of the plantations could be seen from the
river, but it was beautiful low country and we could get a sense of how barges with rice
and cotton traveled up from and down to Charleston.
We were back at the boat by 1:00pm. Joan and the Hamanns had gone into
Charleston so we joined them. Joan and I had lunch with the Hammans at a restaurant at
Broad and Meeting streets. Then we went through the Nathaniel Russell house. After
returning to the boat we had cocktails and went to the Peninsula Grill restaurant in the
Planter House hotel. The food was excellent and the ambiance was super—oil portraits
on the walls, and dark velvet wallpaper that gave a surprisingly warm feeling to the room.
We were home and in bed by 10:30PM.
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Day 3: Saturday, November 2
Charleston SC to Beaufort, SC
After breakfast Marc and Ben returned the cars, and at 10:00am we left the dock.
First we did a short tour of the harbor, with special attention to the Battery. At 11:00am
we started south on the ICW. The sky was sunny but it was very cool.
The trip down the ICW was beautiful and, at a couple of points, a bit treacherous
as shoaling had developed in the channel and we were near low tide. Steve White piloted
for much of the trip, helping us all to feel safe. We saw dolphins along the way, and lots
of birds. To show how careful we had to be, we saw one sailboat hung up on the mud
flats. Apparently it had seen open water ahead at high tide, but now it was completely out
of the water.
There was a slight scare as we passed Dataw Island south of St. Helena’s sound.
We were told by passing boats that the Lady Island Bridge at Beaufort was closed. If true,
we would have to retrace our steps and go out St. Helena Sound, then down the coast to
Port Royal Sound, to get to Beaufort. But we called the bridge and found that the rumor
was only partially true—the bridge was closed to vehicles but would open for boats. We
arrived at Beaufort at about 4:30pm. We then walked the historic district until it got dark.
After a great dinner on the boat—baked haddock—we were in bed by 10:00pm.
Day 4: Sunday, November 3
Beaufort, SC to Savannah, GA
We had a late breakfast and, at 9:30am, took a long walk around Beaufort. It was
cloudy and warmer than the previous days. At 11:00am we left the Beaufort Downtown
Marina and headed south. It was very pretty, and a bit narrower in many sections, though
deeper, than on the ICW down from Charleston. The sun came out as we approached
Savannah and we all sat on the observation deck enjoying the scenery.
We reached Savanna at 3:00pm. The Savannah Hyatt Regency, where we had
reserved dock space, had nobody on duty to help at the dock. After a wait in the middle
of the Savannah River we pulled in to the City Dock for the night. Just after we docked, a
Coast Guard helicopter began rescue training in the middle of the river, about 100 yards
away. It was quite a sight to see them hovering while they lowered a rescue basket to a
Sheriff’s boat.
After this, we walked to Ogelthorpe Square and went through the Owens-Thomas
House, built about 1810 by the 21-year old architect William Jay. Then back to the boat
for a well-deserved nap. At 8:00pm we headed out for dinner at the Old Pink House
Restaurant, on nearby Richardson Square. At 10:00pm we were back at the boat watching
huge tankers and an over-165 foot Feadship, Gallant Lady, go up the Savannah River,
Soon we were in bed.
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No Boat Travel
We had breakfast at about 8:30am. Soon after, it began to rain, sometimes
heavily. I stayed at the boat doing some work while everyone else walked down Bull
Street to visit a Colonial Dames house. Fortunately, the rain stopped, although it
remained cloudy.
At 1:00pm we had lunch on the boat and at 2:30pm we were picked up by cabs to
go the Savannah airport for a 3:00pm departure in another Gulfstream II (N571BJ) to
Hanscom Field in Bedford. We touched down at about 5:00pm and were home by
6:15pm.
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Engine Failure!
November 5 – December 8, 2002
After leaving Savannah, Myeerah was scheduled to go to Fort Lauderdale for a
month to get work done. Then it was to go to the Bahamas for a weeklong cruise in early
December. We were looking forward to that because Lara and Stephen would join us
sans children, and we always enjoy being with them.
But it was not to be. Off the coast of southern Georgia the starboard engine began
vibrating and blowing black smoke. It was shut down and Myeerah limped into
Fernandina Beach FL, right on the Florida-Georgia border. The repairs took five weeks.
The problem was that an intake valve in the starboard engine had broken up, sending
metal pieces throughout the 6 cylinders of the outside bank of that engine. All cylinders
were damaged, as was the turbocharger. Omar Cueto, president of L&J Diesel in
Jacksonville, FL, oversaw the repairs. After consultation with MAN the speculation was
that the valve clearance had been set too tight and that it had carboned up, leading it to
stick open and be hit by the piston. At first we thought it might be due to a failure of fuel
injection nozzles, leading to valve damage. Apparently, fuel injector nozzles are a wellknown problem with MAN engines. Bosch produces the fuel injectors. Bosch claims that
MAN gave it bad specs for the nozzles. MAN claims that the specs were correct but that
Bosch didn’t make them to specs. Neither company has issued a recall or even a warning,
and the MAN warranty is for only 12 months (with no special arrangement for fuel
injector failures).
At the same time that this happened (about 1100 engine hours), exactly the same
thing had happened to a MAN engine on a 60’ Viking operated by Amanda’s mother’s
boyfriend. We also know of a 75-foot Lyman Morse, Magpie, with valve failure. There is
something going on, and we believe that later events revealed the truth. At any rate, all
repairs were completed, including replacing all 24 fuel injector nozzles with another
brand that is designed without the Bosch injector problems. Apparently, a German
company realized that Bosch injector failures gave them an opportunity, and reverseengineered the Bosch’s without the flaws. One might ask why MAN doesn’t use those
injectors in its new engines. MAN has kept its relationship with Bosch, and Bosch’s new
injectors are improved but are being produced in a supply only sufficient to meet the
needs of new MAN engines.
On December 8, 2002, Myeerah left Fernandina Beach and went to Ft. Lauderdale
for some additional work. By mid-December, she had arrived at her brand-new slip in
Naples. The starboard engine was completely repaired. All unaffected cylinders on both
engines had been thoroughly inspected, and new injectors were in place.
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Naples FL to Key West FL
January 5-8, 2003
Total Trip
Prologue
After leaving Savannah, Myeerah was scheduled to go to Fort Lauderdale for a
month to get work done. Then it was to go to the Bahamas for a week-long cruise in early
December. We were looking forward to that because Lara and Stephen would join us
sans children, and we always enjoy being with them.
But it was not to be. Off the coast of southern Georgia the starboard engine began
vibrating and blowing black smoke. It was shut down and Myeerah limped into
Fernandina Beach FL, right on the Florida-Georgia border. The repairs took five weeks.
The problem appeared to be failure of fuel injection nozzles, leading to valve, damage in
six of the twelve cylinders on the starboard engine—the valves, pistons and heads
required replacement or rebuilding, and the turbocharger for that side of the engine was
replaced. Apparently, this is a well-known problem with MAN engines. The owner of the
MAN distributor that did the repairs told me that the fuel injectors are produced by
Bosch. Bosch claims that MAN gave it bad specs for the nozzles. MAN claims that the
specs were correct but that Bosch didn’t make them to specs. Neither company has issued
a recall or even a warning, and the MAN warranty is for only 12 months (with no special
arrangement for fuel injector failures). At the same time that this happened (about 1100
engine hours), exactly the same thing had happened to a MAN engine on a 60’ Viking
operated by Amanda’s mother’s boyfriend.
Guests on Myeerah should be heartened to know that we replaced all 24 fuel
injectors with another brand that is designed without the Bosch injector problems.
Apparently, a German company realized that Bosch injector failures gave them an
opportunity, and reverse-engineered the Bosch’s without the flaws. One might ask why
MAN doesn’t use those injectors in its new engines. MAN has kept its relationship with
Bosch, and Bosch’s new injectors are improved but are being produced in a supply only
sufficient to meet the needs of new MAN engines.
By mid-December Myeerah had arrived at its brand-new slip in Naples. The
starboard engine was completely repaired. All unaffected cylinders on both engines had
been thoroughly inspected, and new injectors were in place..
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Day 1: Sunday, January 5
Naples to Little Shark River
Because there are several low-water spots that would prevent ingress or egress
below mid-tide, Myeerah had left Naples at high tide the previous day, about 2:30pm.
She anchored outside Gordon Pass for the night. At 8:30am Ben brought the tender to our
dock and by 9:00am we were on board. After an unsuccessful attempt to lift the tender to
the boat deck—the sea swells were enough to keep it from being controlled while lifted—
we headed south with the tender in tow. Departure was at about 9:30am,
We had initially intended to go to the Dry Tortugas, then to Key West and back
through the Shark River. But the weather reports called for 20-25 knot winds with 3-5
foot seas on Monday and 7-9 foot seas on Tuesday. The Dry Tortugas are not well
protected, so we decided to go to the Little Shark River first. After an uneventful trip, we
arrived at the mouth at high tide, about 2:30pm. We anchored near the mouth, using a
stern anchor to keep us from swinging into the channel. Joan and I took a trip in the
tender through the mangrove islands back into the Big Shark River.
At 6:30pm we had dinner and watched TV until about 10:00pm. And so to bed.
Day 2: Monday, January 6
Little Shark River to Key West
We awoke at 7:00am. Fortunately, we had used a stern anchor to maintain position
because the current had shifted with the tide and a sailboat had anchored within our
swing radius. Thus, we avoided the proverbial bump in the night.
I took the tender for a short ride. It was a lower-low tide, revealing the complex
root structure of the mangroves, and mud flats had grown where water had been the night
before. Blue heron, egrets and a raccoon watched as I went by. It was beautiful and very
serene.
After breakfast we lifted the anchors. The strong current made it difficult to lift
the stern anchor because the tension on the rode couldn’t be released easily. But the job
was done and we took a short trip into the river. The low tide was becoming a problem,
and we turned around to exit the river. At the mouth we ran aground very slightly--the
low tide had created about 7 feet of water, and we have a 6-foot nine-inch draft. In
addition, the NOAA navigation charts were wildly misleading--the Green “1” marker was
actually 250 yards north of its charted location, an error that lead us toward shallow water
instead of the deeper water our chart indicated.
After a while we found our way out of the shallows. We had taken one good hit
on the props—hard mud or a sunken tree—but there was no noticeable damage. Our six-
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bladed props are very finely balanced, and almost any distortions create noticeable
vibration. This time we were lucky. If we had damaged the wheels, we would have had
to fly the spare props down from Boston and take the boat out of the water to replace
them.
At 10:30am, we headed south-west for Key West. As we went the north-west
wind built to about 25 knots, and the seas were about 3-6 feet. Because the waves were
almost on our beam, it was a rolling ride. At about 3:30pm we were at the Conch Harbor
Marina dock in Key West. While the boat was being cleaned, Joan and I walked into
town to Mallory Square, the southernmost point of the keys. It was windy and cold,
keeping the crowds down at the street performances. We returned to the boat, then went
to a nearby restaurant for dinner. And so to bed, before 10:00pm.
Day 3: Tuesday, January 7
In Key West
We got up at 7:00am. Ben got the New York Times and we had a nice, leisurely
breakfast. In spite of high winds (about 25 knots) it was sunny and clear, though quite
cool (in the low 60’s).
At 10:30am Joan and I walked into town. Our first visit was the Truman White
House. This is such a laid back place, and one gets a good sense of what Harry was like.
Then we walked to Hemingway’s home on Whitehead Street. We had lunch at an outdoor
spot on the may (Mama Bahama’s). The Hemingway house is the largest single piece of
residential property in Key West (about one acre). It was built in the 1850’s by a sea
captain, and Hemingway bought it for $8,000 in 1932. He wrote most of his novels and
short stories in the nine years he lived in the house. It is a very old Key West feel, with
over 60 cats and great landscaping.
After this, we walked back to the boat, arriving at about 3:30pm. Our dogs were barking,
so we just put our feet up and relaxed. After a well-deserved nap, we had dinner at
6:30pm and watched the last half of the movie Dick Tracy on HBO. Retired at 9:30pm.
And so to bed.
Day 3: Wednesday, January 8
Key West to Naples
We got up at 7:00am. This is my last day as a young man—tomorrow I’ll be 60.
Joan’s present to me is no present and no party. While Joan and I had a light breakfast,
Marc, Ben, and Amanda prepared for an 8:30am departure. The wind was from the north
at about ten knots, and seas were forecast to be 2-4 feet. It was forecast to be the coldest
morning in southern Florida for the winter—an achievement since the area has been
unusually cold since early November. Apparently, a stable low from El Nino off Africa
was pulling the jet stream south and, with it, the cold winter weather from the north.
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At 8:30am I took the boat from the dock, made more fun by the need to walk it
sideways against the wind while avoiding being pushed back into the Sugar Bill, a
sportfisherman docked right behind us. We headed out the northwest channel to the outer
marker. After this eight-mile leg, we turned almost due north for the eighty-six mile run
to Gordon Pass. The ride was a bit lumpy, with occasional six-footers, but the sun was
out and it seemed warmer than the original forecast.
Making almost 13 knots, we arrived at Gordon Pass at about 4:00pm. By 4:45pm
we were at our slip in Naples Bay.
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Cruising the Exuma Chain, Bahamas
January 17-26 2003
Norman and Cynthia Berg
Jack and Elise Rockart
Total Trip
Prologue
Myeerah left Naples at high tide on Monday, January 13, bound for Nassau. She
stayed the first night at Key West, where she refueled on Tuesday morning and started
out for the leg on the south side of the Keys. Upon reaching the Gulf Stream she
encountered 10-12 foot waves, kicked up by a strong north wind going against a fast
current. Because it was late afternoon, the visibility to anticipate the waves would soon
be lost. Also, the waves would be even higher in the middle of the Gulf Stream. The
captain decided to turn to Miami and try again after the wind shifted to the south, as
predicted. So after dark on Tuesday, January 14, Myeerah found a berth in Miami.
On the morning of January 16, after the wind had shifted to the south, she started
again for Nassau. The winds were more favorable, and the conditions were much better.
After about 13 hours, at 9:30pm, she arrived at Nassau and sidled into slip 61 at the
Marina at Atlantis, a tight little slip requiring a sharp turn to avoid hitting the Atlantis
hotel..
Atlantis is a new resort on Paradise Island. Originally named Hog Island, it served
as a farm area for Nassau until the A&P heir, Huntington Hartford, bought it in 1960. He
renamed it Paradise Island and began plans for development. He built a grand house, now
the Ocean Club, but his development plans failed to be successful. Within the last five
years, a new developer built Atlantis, consisting of a huge pink building towering over
everything else and dominating the skyline. Domes cap it with leaping swordfish as a
motif. Inside the building is a casino with four massive blown-glass figures costing a
million dollars each.
The marina at Atlantis is beautiful, and filled with even more beautiful boats. At
90 feet, we were among the smallest boats. The Scott Free, a 125-foot Delta, was docked
next to us, and its sister ship, the Thirteen, was docked nearby. At the channel entrance
the Southerly, about 150-feet long, was parked.
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Day 1: Friday, January 17
Naples to Nassau by Air
At 10:00am Joan and I took off from Naples Municipal Airport in a 5-passenger
Cessna 335. A cold front was moving through, and there were cumulonimbus clouds
across Florida, especially near Naples. After passing over Miami the skies cleared and the
flight was quiet. We could see the aquamarine waters of the Great Bahamas Bank as we
passed over the north end of Andros Island. At 11:30am we landed at the Nassau airport
(MYNN) and taxied to the Millionaire FBO.
After clearing Bahamian customs, we got in a cab for the 45-minute ride to
Atlantis, on Paradise Island across the harbor from Nassau. The driver had a cold or flu
and was coughing the whole way. Everyone tested their car horns frequently to be sure
that other people knew where they were, and we saw one car get run off the road. It was a
trip!
We arrived at the marina at about 12:30pm and took a jitney to Myeerah. After a
light lunch, we waited for our guests. The Bergs arrived at about 4:00pm, having been
delayed by a security check of their plane in Charlotte, NC. The Rockarts arrived at about
7:00pm. We had dinner on the boat, and so to bed by 10:00pm.
Day 2: Saturday, January 18
At Atlantis
Today was spent at Atlantis. It is a fascinating place, with beaches, lagoons, a
casino and waterslides at the “Mayan Temple.” The water slides are awesome. One, the
high speed “Leap of Faith,” sends the rider through a tube passing through a tank filled
with sharks and piranha. The second slide is a leisurely two mile-per-hour inner tube ride
that also passes through the shark tank. Some of the lagoons are for recreation, others are
for fish and are connected to the two aquariums.
The main feature of Atlantis is the aquariums. The smallest, with one million
gallons of water, is reached by walking through simulated caves with Plexiglas windows
into the tank. It is filled with sharks, tropical fish, large grouper, swordfish, bonefish, and
just about anything else that swims. After walking through this, one enters the large
aquarium, with 2½ million gallons. Here the simulated cave is a recreation of the original
Atlantis, built to resemble an archeological dig. The same fish are swimming in this, with
the exception of a tank of piranha and a large Manta Ray with a 9-foot wingspan,
weighing 800 pounds.
After the aquariums we walked the perimeter of the lagoons, had lunch, and
returned to the boat for a well-deserved rest. Some took a walk to the Ocean Club, where
we were to have dinner, others took a ride in the tender around Nassau Harbor, and still
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others napped or rested. At 5:15pm we all piled in a cab for the short ride to the Ocean
Club.
The Ocean Club, originally the home of Huntington Hartford, is one of the few
five-star resort hotels in the world. Among its features is a long walk along an through a
garden. The walk climbs several levels, broken up by patios with statuary, up a hill to a
Greek pavilion at the top, then it descends to the water in a harbor on the north side of
Paradise Island. The “garden” not heavily flowered, is more of an architectural
experience than a garden. Very impressive.
At 6:30pm we went to the Dunes Restaurant at the Ocean Club. This is a beautiful
ocean-side ambiance with excellent food. After dinner we returned to the boat. And so to
bed.
Nassau to Highborne Cay
40nm, 3½ hours, 10.3 kts
Sunday was windy with scattered clouds. The conditions weren’t ideal for the trip
to our first stop, Highborne Cay, because we had to cross the banks. At an average depth
of 20 feet there was no problem except for the dark coral heads that occasionally come
near the surface. The morning sun was in our eyes, and the following seas were tossing
up 2-4 foot breaking waves. The combination made it very hard to see the coral. But we
forged ahead, leaving Atlantis at 10:00am.
The trip was uneventful. Most of the way we all sat on the bow and enjoyed the
sun. The apparent wind was light, and napping was common, though rarely admitted to.
At about 1:30pm we entered the very narrow cut between two ledges that defines the
entrance to the cay's harbor. The marina was full, so we anchored nearby with several
other boats. The swirling currents combined with swell coming from both sides, made it a
bit uncomfortable. A ride in the tender to the marina revealed that there was an empty
slip our size. We called the marina again, and were told that there was a cancellation so
we could have that slip. Soon we were ate the dock and were more comfortable. As a
bonus, only marina customers were allowed ashore, so we could explore Highborne Cay.
Highborne Cay once had a plantation on it (Highbourne Plantation), whose ruins
are reported to exist but nobody knows the location. It grew aloe and watermelons,
suggesting a source of fresh water. It is about 2½ miles long and 500 yards wide. It
consists of several hills, the highest being 102 feet. It gets its name from the high cliffs
along the shore, dropping off to nine white-sand beaches. In the 1950s a Philadelphia
businessman, who built a marina and paved roads, bought it. In 1996 it was sold and the
new owners have refurbished the marina and built a store about ½ mile north of the
marina that is reportedly one of the best provisioning spots in the Exumas. With several
houses for staff (the manager’s house is at the highest point on the cay), and several
houses for rental, Highborne Cay is the northernmost Exuma cay with “civilization.”
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Highborne Cay is about five miles north of notorious Norman’s Cay. Norman’s
Cay had been the center of the drug-running trade that was found along the Exumas in the
early 1980s. A famous resort, the Norman’s Cay Club, had been on the cay, and villas of
affluent foreigners populated the cay. In 1979 Carlos Lehder bought half of the cay,
including the resort. A German-born Colombian, Lehder was the leader of a major drug
cartel. In the next four years he turned Norman’s Cay into a drug-running center with fast
boats and seaplanes. His men plundered the villas on the island, and the business at the
resort was destroyed. By the mid-1980s Lehder and his gang were gone, and the local
economy had been destroyed.
After arriving at the marina we took a long walk along the road running from the
marina northward along the center of the island. After reaching the manager’s house at
the top of the highest hill, the road turns into walking paths that circle back to the marina
at the south end. At one spot there is a bench labeled “Bus Stop” with a plastic figure of a
skeleton sitting cross-legged, waiting for Godot. While the ladies and I turned around at
the manager’s house, Norm and Jack continued on the walking paths. We watched the
sunset from the cockpit, waiting for the lost patrol to return. Dinner at about 7:00pm and
so to bed by 9:00pm.
Day 4: Monday, January 20
Highborne Cay to Sampson Cay
We had originally intended to cross Exuma Sound to Little San Salvador Island,
south of Eleuthra, then further south to Cat Island the next day. But the wind remained
strong at 20 knots and, more importantly, came from the north, the water at the marinas
was too shallow, and the only anchorages gave little protection from northerly winds. So
we decided to continue down the Exuma Chain to Sampson’s cay. There is a new marina
there, with a restaurant and some stores. It is also only a few miles north of Staniel Cay, a
major stopping place with water to shallow for us.
At 10:00am we left the dock at Highborne Cay, exiting to the west into the
thousand-foot deep Exuma Sound and turning south along the chain. Along the way we
passed a number of small barren rocks, the uninhabitable northern cays in the Exuma
Chain. At 1:00pm we passed into a large shallow bay between Sampson Cay and Little
Majors Spot, a larger cay. The bay, dotted with ledges and small islands, was a passage
from Exuma Sound to the Great Bahama Banks west of the Exumas. The water was about
10-15 feet deep, and crystal clear. Turning into the harbor at Sampson Cay Club, located
on Little Sampson Cay, we passed through a very narrow cut with pilings on each side.
This brought us into a peaceful marina with clear water about 7½ feet deep at low tide. At
1:30pm we were at the dock tied up and connected to 100 amp-3 phase power, a luxury
not often found even in Florida.
After a walk around Little Sampson Cay, exploring the white sand beaches,
Norm, Jack and I took the tender to Staniel Cay, about 3 miles south. The route was slow
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because of shallow area, but after a while we were at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club. Just
offshore were three small islands, heavily undercut by tides and currents. At the north end
of the northernmost island is Thunderball Grotto, a snorkeling destination featured in the
James Bond movie Thunderball.
We returned to Sampson Cay using a deep-water route that goes between Big
Majors Spot and Little Majors Spot. On returning we saw the ladies swimming in the
waist-deep shallows off the boat. While everyone rested from their exertions, I took an
hour-long swim around the boat, washing the waterline. At 6:00pm, after a quick shower,
I joined the others in the salon, and at about 7:00pm we had a great meal at Chez
Myeerah. And so to bed, by 9:30pm.
Day 5: Tuesday, January 21
In Sampson Cay
The weather report is for a front coming through from the west. Today and
tomorrow are supposed to be nice, but winds from the north will build on Thursday and
peak on Friday. Seas are predicted at 5-7 feet on Thursday and 9-12 on Friday. This
makes it difficult to go further south in the Exumas because we would have to make it
across the Great Bahama Bank on Thursday. So we decided to stay at the Sampson Cay
Club for today. If the weather forecast improves, we will stay tomorrow as well, then
return to Highborne Cay on Thursday and to Nassau on Friday.
The day began as has every day—mostly sunny with patches of cumulus clouds
and a north wind at about 15 knots. In the morning I took the tender around the cay while
the others walked and swam. At 1:00pm we had lunch, then five of us took the tender to
Staniel Cay. The sun was out, the winds were calm, and it was a fine trip. We didn’t go
ashore since, as far as we could tell, the town offered nothing of interest. On returning we
passed by Thunderball Grotto, which was not visible because of the tide.
On returning to Myeerah we took a quick walk to the store and bought Sampson
Cay shirts—we’ll be the envy of our friends. We got one for Marc, whose 28th birthday is
tomorrow. After resting, we went up to the observation tower to watch the sunset, then
had a fine dinner. After dinner Norm and I watched 13 Days on TV. It’s the story of the
Cuban Missile Crisis—very well done. The others played bridge. And so to bed.
Day 6: Wednesday, January 22
In Sampson Cay
The weather at 7:00am was just like yesterday’s—light winds, a beautiful dawn.
It’s tough work, and in a few months it would get tiresome, but we decided to stay
another day at Sampson Cay.
The morning was spent walking, swimming and being lazy. We also celebrated
th
Captain Marc’s 28 birthday by singing Happy Birthday and giving him a Sampson Cay
Club polo shirt. I took the tender out to Sandy Cay, which I could almost get to before it
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got too shallow. It is a large crescent-shaped beach on cay about a mile or so west of
Sampson Cay. Norm, Jack and I then took a longer ride up north, past Wild Tamarind
Cay and Outyonder Cay.
We all lunched at the restaurant, which was quite nice. A seaplane had delivered
goods to the Club and was tied to the dock like a boat, with its wings fitted nicely
between two dock pilings. What a world!
After lunch Joan, Norm and I took the tender up past our northernmost position
on the morning trip, past Wild Tamarind Cay, Little Pipe Cay and Pipe Cay to Compass
Cay. We scouted out the marina there. It was mostly sailboats, and had little going on—
very low key compared to the Sampson Cay Club. A school of nurse sharks was
swimming in 3-foot water, joined by rays and bonefish. An Irish setter was trying to
catch fish by staring them down. His owner said that he was four years old and had been
trying for all four years, without success, to catch a fish. Occasionally he would pounce,
usually he just stared.
We were back at the boat by 4:00pm, preparing for the 5:45pm sunset. But first,
Norm and I took the small tender across the shallow water to the dry mud flats. We then
walked across them to a pretty beach that had tempted us for two days. The wonderful
surprise was that we could walked across this beach to a pristine white sand beach facing
Exuma Sound. A quite roll of waves came in on shallow waters, and the late sun shone
on the limestone ledges in the cut. It was a wonderful sight—and we didn’t have a
camera!
After this, drinks and dinner by 8:00pm. Then bridge for some, and sleep for
others. And so to bed.
Day 7: Thursday, January 23
Sampson Cay to Highborne Cay
40nm, 3 hours, 13.3 kts
Well, we have to leave Sampson Cay. At about 8:30am Jack, Elise and I took the
Zodiac tender, newly christened “Squeaky” because after hours of lubricating the steering
gear to loosen it, it began to squeak badly. Our destination was the beach that Norm and I
had discovered yesterday. The route was outside, around the southeastern end of
Sampson Cay. We found the water at the beach to be surprisingly deep--we could drive
the tender all the way to the shore. After walking around and wading for a few minutes,
we returned to Myeerah and Squeaky was loaded on her.
At 9:00am we left the dock, aiming through the very narrow entrance to the main
harbor. By 9:45am we were in Exuma Sound headed toward Highborne Cay. Tomorrow
the weather is supposed to deteriorate badly, creating 12-14 foot seas in the open ocean.
Originally we planned to go directly back to Nassau through Highborne Cut, but the
weather for Saturday is supposed to be good so we decided to sit the winds out at
Highborne Cay on Friday and leave for Nassau early Saturday morning. The sun would
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be behind us so we could see the coral heads on the Great Bahama Bank. The ladies seem
a bit disappointed by this safety measure—they had been finding things to do in Nassau!
We were placed in the first slip into the breakwater at Highborne Cay Marina,
where Scott Free had been on our trip down. This put us into downtown Highborne, that
is, next to the dockmaster’s office and the fish-cutting table with the sign “Poke Da Eyes,
Cut Da Guts, Clean Up Da Mess.” The only downside was that we caught the edges of
swells coming through the cut and bounced around a bit. The ladies haven’t noticed yet,
and I’m not telling them.
As the afternoon proceeded, a number of boats that we were familiar with arrived.
Leopolda, a blue-hulled Morgan, entered the marina. She had been at Hurricane Hole
Marina at Paradise Island, and had anchored outside the marina at Highborne Cay when
we came into the marina. Navigator, a steel-hulled 50-footer from Tisbury MA, also
arrived; she had been in Charleston when we were there. Other boats tried to get a spot
but passed on—the weather forecast was probably sending people to protected spots.
At about 3:00pm we all walked across the cay to the two-mile-long beach on the
other side. The sand was extremely fine, and areas with reefs were easily seen. For over
an hour we just enjoyed the warm water, the lack of wind, and the very slight swells
coming toward shore. The tide was going out and a few live corals began to pop above
the surface. We could see a few bonefish and some small fish that lived in the reef, about
three inches long with silver sides or yellow sides, and dark vertical stripes. It was an
exquisite time—just what we had hoped to find in the Bahamas.
After returning to the boat we watched the sunset and a cold front move in from
the northwest. The wind built to about 25 knot gusts by dinnertime. We had another super
dinner at Chez Myeerah. Bridge was then played, while Norm and I watched White
Squall, a coming of age movie about young boys on a windjammer that was sunk by a
microburst. And so to bed.
Day 8: Friday, January 24
In Highborne Cay
We awoke at 7:30am. The front was still moving through and northwest winds
were strong at 25-30 knots. The sea was filled with breakers—7 to 111 feet was predicted
in the open ocean.
At 6:00am Jack had begun to experience atrial fibrillation, a condition that has
been controlled by medication. He called his doctor and was told that if the problem had
not stopped within 48 hours, he should get home to the hospital. If we leave at dawn
tomorrow morning we will be in Nassau before noon. He and Elise can then try to get an
earlier flight than their scheduled Sunday flight. Normally the fibrillation stops within 12
hours, so we are keeping our fingers crossed. There is apparently not an urgent need at
this time to try to return to Nassau over the Bank in bad weather.
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After breakfast the Bergs and the Fortunes walked to the manager’s house at the
top of the island. Winds were high, perhaps gusting to 40 knots. We returned to the boat
by 11:30am. After lunch all but me took another walk, this time to investigate the trail to
the spring that was at the south end of the cay. Following the sign marked “Spring” down
a steep trail, they found another sign marked “Da Spring, Ha Ha.” It was under an old
rusted bedspring hanging from a tree branch.
After a dinner of beautiful roast beef, Norm and I watched The Lord of the Rings:
The Fellowship of the Ring while the others played bridge. During the bridge game Jack
announced that his fibrillation had stopped. What good news! And so to bed, at 11:00pm
Day 9: Saturday, January 25
Highborne Cay to Nassau
We left Highborne Cay at 8:30am with the owner at the helm. The wind had
moderated to 15 knots and had shifted from the northwest to the northeast. Seas were
only 2-4 feet, but they were on our starboard beam so some rolling was experienced.
Setting a course toward Porgee Rock east of Nassau, then turning into Nassau Harbor, we
arrived at the entrance to Atlantis at 11:00am. After a wait while other traffic entered and
exited from Atlantis, we glided in with the captain at the helm. Marc turned the boat and
skillfully backed it in to slip 47.
We had a light lunch on board. Marc, Ben and Amanda cleaned Myeerah. The
ladies went into Nassau to see the town (with special interest in the parading pink
flamingos). I went to the casino and dropped a few dollars. Norm and Jack went for a
walk on the beach. By 5:00pm we were all on the boat, getting ready for 7:30pm
reservations at Grey Cliffs, a five-star restaurant with a run-down ambience.
Return to Boston by Air
We and the Bergs left the boat in Atlantis and had an uneventful flight to Boston,
where we arrived after one of the many snowstorms of that winter.
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Naples FL – Everglades City FL
Total Trip
Prologue
This was an overnight for just the two of us, a chance to be together before Joan
returns to Boston on Sunday to go to Canyon Ranch in Eastern Massachusetts with Ginny
Nicholas and all the daughters.
Day 1: Thursday, February 20
Naples to Everglades City
At about 1:45pm we left the dock and slowly went up the Gordon River and out
Gordon Pass. By 2:30pm we were free of the Pass and heading south toward Everglades
City. It was warm with light winds. Joan and I spent much of the time sitting in the bow
watching enormous cumulonimbus clouds come from the interior.
South of Cape Romano Shoals we turned to the east toward Indian Key Pass. The
sky was gorgeous, with dark thunderclouds to the north and south and sun shining off of
cumulus clouds directly ahead. The thunderclouds had soft underbellies of billowy dark
clouds.
At 5:30pm we reached Indian Key, and slowly went to the anchorage about two
miles into the Pass. By 6:15pm we were anchored in Russell Pass, in about 15 feet of
water. It was perfectly peaceful, with no other boats around. As it got dark, lightning lit
up the clouds to the east and south of us, but we only got a slight rain.
We had dinner—Amanda’s fabulous crab cakes—at about 7:00pm. At 8:00pm we
watched Friends and Scrubs, then went to bed.
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Day 2: Friday, February 21
Everglades City to Naples
To catch the high tide in Naples we left at 10:00am. It was sunny and, again, light
winds. However, just as we approached Naples a brisk south wind started. On the trip
down the Gordon River we had a failure in the port wing station—it kept trying to get
control of the boat by shifting command to itself. Finally it was disengaged and we could
proceed to our dock.
The docking was hampered by the strong wind and by the narrow slip—it
required a go-around to line things up so that the drift could be managed. But once in, all
was safe.
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Naples FL – Dry Tortugas – Key West FL
February 24-March 2, 2003
Passengers Peter Fortune
Eli “Ted” Lilly
Total Trip
1,300 gallons, 4.8 gpm, 57.8 gph
Prologue
This was a guy trip. Initially, George Vyverberg and Ed Davis were to join us.
But George had to beg off because the second day of the trip was his 58 th birthday and
Paula was planning a surprise party. Ed canceled because a friend had died and Ed had to
go to the memorial service. That left “Ted” and me, which was a great opportunity to
catch up with him.
Day 1: Monday, February 24
Naples to the Dry Tortugas
We left the dock at 8:45am and went slowly out the Gordon River and Gordon
Pass. By 9:30am we were out of the pass heading south. It was sunny and reasonably
warm, with a north wind at 10-15 knots giving us a following sea of 2-3 feet.
The trip was pleasant, with some power napping along the way. At about 5:30pm
we were at Fort Jefferson. The harbor was too full for us, so we anchored next to another
large blue-hulled boat (Beothuk) at the nearby Bird Key anchorage. We took the tender
into the harbor by the Fort to spec it out, then returned by sunset. At about 7:00pm we
had dinner, and then watched Captain Ron, a silly but funny Kurt Russell-Martin Short
movie about sailing, on DVD. By 10:30pm we were in bed.
Sleep was a bit difficult because the Bird Key anchorage is not that well protected
and we were swinging a lot. With some frequency the seas would be on our beam and we
would roll heavily. Ted reported that he slept well in spite of the rolling and the sound of
the anchor chain as it became taut and then relaxed.
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Day 2: Tuesday, February 25
At the Dry Tortugas
We awoke at about 7:00am to a cloudy sky and had breakfast in the cockpit,
wearing windbreakers against the chilly wind. By 9:00am Ted and I were at Fort
Jefferson. The cloudy skies had turned to sunshine, and it warmed up, with a northerly
breeze. After exploring the fort we returned to Myeerah just as a sailboat left the
anchorage at Fort Jefferson, leaving a space close to the fort in the protected harbor. We
fired up the engines and moved into its spot just off the Park Service dock. The ferries
had come in and it was a bit tight, but there was enough swing room and it was much
more stable.
After this, Ted and I, accompanied by Marc, went fishing at the site of a
windjammer’s wreck, south of Loggerhead Key. Just as we were setting up, Ben called
with the news that the park ranger was asking us to move again. Apparently we were in
an unmarked channel impeding the ferries. So we returned to Myeerah and moved her.
There weren’t many boats in the harbor but the smaller boats had taken the deepest water.
We then went back to the wreck site, arriving at about 3:00pm. It had turned into
a gorgeous afternoon, with temperature in the low 80s, a cloudless sky, and low wind.
Marc and Ted caught and released several barracuda, enjoying the fight that the ‘cuda
gives. I caught--and did not release-- a snowy grouper weighing about 10 pounds. The
fish, named “Gomer,” had failed to die by the time we returned to Myeerah, so we killed
it in a humane way—by pouring some a stiff drink (Triple Eight vodka, made on
Nantucket) into his gills. Thom Davidson had given us three bottles last year, and we
were happy to find a willing customer. The fish looked cross-eyed at us and expired
peacefully.
At 6:30pm, with the sun setting on a cloudless horizon, Ted and I sat down for
drinks and hors d’oeuvres in the cockpit. Following this we enjoyed Amanda’s fabulous
crab cakes. At 8:00pm we sat down to watch Al Pacino in Scarface, which we stopped at
the intermission to go to bed. Tomorrow we’ll finish it. And so to bed, by 10:00pm.
Day 3: Wednesday, February 26
At the Dry Tortugas
Our original plan was to go to Key West today. But instead we decided to spend
another day at the Dry Tortugas. After a 10-hour sleep, I woke to a perfect day—sun, no
wind, and a quiet day on the harbor with most boats gone.
At 10:00am Ted, Marc and I headed off in the tender to the west side of
Loggerhead Key for some snorkeling. The white sand beach was perfect, and the
barracuda hung around, but not too close. After about 45 minutes we headed out to a
shallow area several miles north of Loggerhead Key to try some more fishing. We tied to
a private buoy that marked the shoal and drift-fished for a while. No luck, so we trolled
back to Fort Jefferson for lunch.
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Following lunch Ted took a power nap for an hour. At 3:30pm we were headed
out for more fishing. We went directly south of Fort Jefferson to the other side of the
shallow reef that defines the southern edge of the harbor. There were lots of barracuda
and Marc caught a three-footer that must have weighed 20 pounds—it was beautiful.
Then we saw a number of reef sharks cruising along in 3 to 6 feet of water—and the fun
began. Ted caught a barracuda, and, while he was reeling it in, a reef shark hit it. The
shark refused to give it up for about five minutes until it tired and let the barracuda go.
Ted reeled in all that was left of the barracuda, its head, which we kept for later use.
On returning to Myeerah we saw two huge groupers under the boat. They must
have been Jewfish, the largest of the groupers, which get up to 500 pounds. These were
about 100-150 pounds. Ted fished for them with the barracuda head—and the smaller one
took it. The line was only 25-pound test, but it didn’t break. Ted, Marc and I climbed into
a tender and let the grouper drag us around while Ted played it. After about ½ hour the
grouper disgorged the head and left. We returned to the boat and the grouper followed us
back. We threw the ‘cuda head into the water and the grouper ate it. Then it went for a
curious pelican that we had just shooed off of the swim platform. The pelican avoided the
fish and the fun was over.
After dinner Ted and I watched the last part of Scarface. And so to bed, by
10:00pm.
Day 4: Thursday, February 27
Dry Tortugas to Key West
At about 6:00am the fishing boats that anchor at night in the harbor left for their
day’s work, indicating the start of a new day. At about 7:30am the park ranger came by to
tell us we had to move because the barge and tug that had been docked at the fort were
leaving and we were in the way. At 8:00am we left, with the barge right behind us.
We headed north to the edge of the Park, then east toward Key West. It was very
calm and sunny. At about 1:30pm we arrived at Conch Harbor Marina. We had to back
into a half-length slip with only about a foot of space on each side. We’ve been trying to
get Ben some docking experience but today it was a bit tricky and Marc took over for the
back in. He didn’t even touch the sides!
We were parked next to a party boat that had about 8-10 tarpon lazily swimming
around a chum bag that was hung overboard to attract fish for the customers. I hadn’t
realized that tarpon came so close to shore or to civilization. They were big and tough
looking, matching their reputation as a game fish.
Ted and I walked to the Mel Fisher Museum, where the treasure hunter had, after
20 years, found the wreck of the Spanish galleon Our Lady of Atoche. Wrecked in a
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hurricane off the Marquesas Keys (20 miles west of Key West), the ship had carried aver
$200 million in treasure. The museum was filled with interesting artifacts.
Then it was back to the boat for a power nap. At 6:00pm we watched the news,
then walked to Mallory Square where we had dinner at a waterfront restaurant near the
cat training performance. Back on the boat by 9:30pm, we watched a bit of Arnold
Schwarzenegger’s movie Collateral Damage. And so to bed, by 11:00pm.
Day 5: Friday, February 28
At Key West
Today we were up at about 7:00am. Ben had brought a New York Times and a
Wall Street Journal, our first newspapers in several days. We had breakfast and, at about
10:00am, began walking into town. Our first stop was the Truman White House. I don’t
tire of it because it is so 1940s and so Trumanesquely simple.
After the Truman White House we walked up Whitehead Street to Hemingway’s
house. The guide might have been the best I’ve had there: good delivery, great stories,
and a real sense of humor! At about 12:45pm we had lunch at a café next to the
Hemingway House, then we walked back to the boat. By 3:30pm it was naptime, so an
hour was spent in Olympic-level napping. After this, some phone calls to home and to
work.
At 6:00pm Ted and I met in the salon for drinks, hors d’oeuvres and crossword
puzzles, with a smattering of national news. At 7:15pm we headed off to dinner at Café
Solé on the corner of Southard and Frances Streets. The ambiance was great—an old
house converted to a restaurant—and the food was unbelievably fabulous. We both had
the award-winning hogfish, a type of snapper, also called hog snapper or hog wasse that
tastes a bit like shrimp. It was sautéed and served with a hollandaise-type sauce—
absolutely the best fish I’ve ever had. Topping it off with an excellent Key Lime pie, we
waddled home at 9:00pm. And so to bed, by 9:30pm.
Day 6: Saturday, March 1
Key West to Naples
We needed an early start to make the mid-tide or better at Naples during the day.
So at 6:00am the engines were fired up and at 6:30am we were easing out of our tight
little slip, Ben at the helm. It was warm and heavy with dew, but the sun began to show
by 7:00am, when we were about 5 miles north of Key West. The water was calm.
At about 9:00am we entered a fog bank. At times there was only about ¼ mile
visibility, but by noon it was lifting. We reached Gordon Pass at about 1:45pm and, as
usual, went slowly down the Gordon River to our slip. At 2:30pm we were docked and by
3:00pm we were at the house.
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Another Engine Failure!
March 8 – May 16, 2003
Well, Once burned, shame on you. Twice burned, shame on me. On March 8,
Myeerah was (once again) on its way to the Bahamas. After crossing the Gulf Stream, the
starboard engine failed and the boat turned back to Ft. Lauderdale. It had 1330 hours on
it, just 250 more than the last failure.
A highly regarded MAN service company, Marine Diesel Specialists, Inc., was
called. They had originally surveyed the engines when we were buying the boat. Upon
disassembling the starboard engine, it was found that precisely the same failure had
reoccurred—an intake valve in cylinder 8 had come apart, sending metal through the
other five cylinders in the outer bank of the engine. The first failure had been an intake
valve failure in cylinder 7.
After some investigation it was found that the intake valve that failed was an oldstyle valve, described by its part number as a “499” valve. L&J Diesel had reported that it
had replaced all 6 intake valves with a new style “509” valve. Because the failure was in
an old valve, not in a new valve, MAN refused to honor the new parts warranty that
should have applied if L&J Diesel had done what it said. It did offer to replace all 24
valves with the “509” style. Metallurgical tests show that the “509” valves are stainless
steel and able to withstand higher temperatures than the older nickel-alloy “499” valves.
The testing company also offered its opinion that the valve failure was due to
“temperature fatigue.” Thus, the replacement of all valves offers hope for the future. This
offer is still on the table, but I have started a legal process—either L&J Diesel committed
a fraudulent act and did not replace valves, or MAN is failing to honor its obligation.
Either way, we are at loggerheads at this writing.
After about 5 weeks of haggling, I authorized the repair of the starboard engine
and the replacement of all 24 valves. This is at my expense, but I will continue efforts to
get MAN and L&J Diesel to pony up. On May 16 the boat left Ft. Lauderdale and headed
north.
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172
The Chesapeake Bay: Norfolk VA – Philadelphia PA
May 22 –May 27, 2003
Captain Ben Wentworth
First Mate Amanda Taylor
Stewardess Lauren Taylor
Total Trip
Prologue
Myeerah headed north under the command of Ben Wentworth, who had been
promoted to captain after Marc Casasanta resigned. Amanda Taylor was promoted to
first mate, and her sister, Lauren Taylor, had taken Amanda’s place as stewardess.
Murray Lord, the broker who sold the boat to us, joined them on the trip.
The trip north was uneventful except for a weather system that settled over the
east coast. After traveling on the outside to Beaufort, NC, Myeerah took the rest of the
trip to Norfolk on the inside, arriving in the evening of Wednesday, May 20. It made it
through the treacherously shallow Currituck Sound, aided by recent rains and by high
tide.
On May 21, after work, Joan and I flew to Norfolk in a private plane. The weather
was threatening all the way, and just after we landed it began to rain heavily. We were on
the boat at 6:00pm. We were at the Waterside Marine, at Mile Zero of the ICW heading
south to Miami. We had dinner on the boat. And so to bed.
Day 1: Thursday, May 22
Norfolk VA to Solomon’s Island MD
We left the Waterside Marina in Norfolk at 9:00am. It was light rain and fog, with
calm waters, on the northbound trip. We arrived at Solomon’s Island, MD, on the
Patuxent River, at 5:30pm. After docking at Zahnhiser’s Yachting Center, Joan and I took
a walk in the rain. Solomon’s Island is a major boating center on the western shore of the
Chesapeake, north of the mouth of the Potomac River. It is charming, with small houses
often painted in pastel trim. It’s small and very quiet, especially when it rains.
After eating on Myeerah, we watched a movie--and so to bed.
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Day 2: Friday, May 23
Solomon’s Island MD to Annapolis, MD
We left Solomon’s Island at 10:00am. It was very cool, and light rain with fog
stayed with us as we headed to Annapolis. We poked into the South River at about
1:30pm and drove by Burr Yacht sales to see if there were any Flemings. There was one
75 footer, probably in for engine repairs. By 3:00pm we were at the Atlantic Yacht Basin
Company docks in Annapolis. We stayed on the fuel dock, and enjoyed the light rain.
Joan and I walked to the Naval Academy in the light rain. Graduation had been
that morning, and very few cadets were around. We picked up some souvenirs at the gift
shop, walked around the main campus, and walked back to the boat through the State
House Circle.
Dinner on the boat, in light rain. And so to bed.
Day 3: Saturday, May 24
Annapolis, MD to Georgetown, MD
We awoke to light rain and fog. After walking to the Maryland State House—the
first capitol building of the United States and the place where George Washington
resigned his commission—we returned to the boat and left Annapolis at 10:30am.
It was light rain and fog all the way to the Sassafras River. This is a beautiful river
with interesting houses and property. About 7 miles down the Sassafras is Georgetown, a
very small town with lots of docks. We were the only entertainment as we docked—in
light rain—at the Georgetown Yacht Basin, at 3:00pm. The waters had been very calm
the whole way.
Joan and I walked to the town center, which consisted of a marine supply store—
really! We walked across the bridge toward the Kitty Hawke house, a restaurant, then
back to the boat. After dinner we watched a movie, and so to bed.
Day 4: Sunday, May 25
Georgetown, MD to Philadelphia PA
We left Georgetown at 9:30am and slowly headed out the Sassafras River and
northward to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal that links the Chesapeake and
Delaware bays. It was light rain and sometimes-heavy fog. The Coast Guard reported that
the C&D canal was closed due to fog, so we were in no hurry. We anchored for a while
outside the Sassafras River, then wandered up toward the C&D Canal.
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We arrived at the Chesapeake Bay end of the C&D and tied up at the long dock at
Shaeffer’s, in Chesapeake City MD. This is a major fuel and overnight stop for boats
during the seasonal migrations north and south. It was light rain and fog as Joan and I
walked along the canal bank road. After about ½ hour the word came that the C&D Canal
had reopened. Apparently the Canal Authority had thought it was always open while the
USCG thought the Authority had closed it—so it was all miscommunication. And we
think we can solve the Mideast’s problems!
We left Shaeffer’s at about 2:00pm and headed to the Delaware River, at the top
of Delaware Bay. It was rain and light fog. Heading up the Delaware we saw an unending
string of refineries, oil tank farms, and electrical generating stations all along the
Delaware and Pennsylvania sides—New Jersey seemed pristine by comparison. Flotsam
floated in the water, and we saw little jetsam. What an awful place to be—it could have
been Hell but it was too cold!
At 6:00pm we arrived at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia. It was low tide and there
was so little water that the boat had to be wrestled to the dock. We were in front of a 105foot Italian boat, made by Maiori, named Pocono. The owner also owns a car racing
team. It was a pretty boat, just up from Ft. Lauderdale at 22 knots. Philadelphia is its
homeport.
Fortunately the light rain had ended. Unfortunately, it had become spotty heavy
rain. There was an annual event at Penn’s landing with entertainment on an old steamboat
(Al Green was playing—whoever he is) and with rides and games for kids.
Unfortunately, the weather was keeping people away in droves. Joan and I walked around
the historic area a bit, then had dinner on the boat—and so to bed.
Day 6: Monday, May 26
In Philadelphia PA
Well, the light rain had disappeared—we now had heavy rain in the morning. But
it began to lighten by late morning so Joan and I walked through the historic district to
the Bourse, a mall area near Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. We passed the first
Bank of the United States, the old Philadelphia Stock Exchange. Then we took a 1½-hour
trolley ride around the city—it was very helpful. It was Memorial Day, so everything was
closed.
At about 2:00pm we had lunch at Benny’s Place—a very missable sandwich
place. Then we walked back to the boat. At about 7:00pm we went to dinner at the City
Tavern, an historic house where the wait staff dresses in colonial garb and the menu is
18th century. By 9:30pm we were on the boat—and so to bed.
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Day 7: Tuesday, May 27
In Philadelphia PA
.Finally we saw the sun—for the first time in six days. We celebrated by buying
tickets to see the U.S.S. Becona and the U.S.S. Olympia. Both are on display at the docks
of the historical maritime museum at Penn’s Landing. The U.S.S. Becona is a WWII
submarine. We felt claustrophobic just walking through her. Imagine dozens of men
living in such tight quarters—often underwater—for up to three months at a time. The
slightest fart would be deadly!
The Becona is rafted to the Olympia, Admiral Dewey’s flagship at the Battle of
Manila Bay during the Spanish-American war in 1898. It is a white battleship, very small
by later standards. It was a double-ender, making it hard to distinguish between the bow
and the stern. Commissioned in the 1890’s, it was decommissioned in 1922. It had been
part of Theodore Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet that sailed around the world flexing
Uncle Sam’s new muscles. It seemed very roomy after the submarine, but it had about
475 men on it, and it must have been a tight fit. It must have been smaller than a WWII
destroyer, and it was unusually narrow.
After this, we caught a cab to the airport and took a 1:30pm flight home. By
3:00pm we were at our front door. The trip had been fun, though the weather had been
rotten—lots of light rain and fog, and some heavy rain. However, it had been almost
windless throughout, and the boat slid through calm waters for five days.
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Annisquam MA to New Castle NH
June 13-15, 2003
Passengers Peter and Robert Fortune
Prologue
This was a Father’s Day fishing trip. Initially we had hoped that Stephen Balter
and Thom Davidson could join us, but Thom had a commitment out-of-stet and Steve
was flying to London on business.
Annisquam to New Castle via Isles of Shoals
Rob and I met at Annisquam and took the Squam Lite, our 20-foot Boston
Whaler, out to Myeerah., which was waiting for us in Ipswich Bay, having come up from
Boston in the morning. At 12:30pm we had the Whaler in tow and were headed toward
the Isles of Shoals. It was cloudy, with rain predicted, and calm.
We arrived at Gosport Harbor at 2:30pm. Rob and I took Squam Lite to fish, and
Myeerah went to the Wentworth-by-the Sea Marina in New Castle, NH. New Castle is
the smallest town in New Hampshire, and is at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, a
couple of miles from Portsmouth. The marina has been expanded and upgraded in the
past few years, and the Wentworth-by-the-Sea Resort Hotel, which had closed in 1982,
has been renovated and reopened.
Rob and I went into the old harbor on the outside (east side) of the breakwater
connecting Star Island with Smuttynose Island. We were in about 10 feet of water and
could see lobster traps and trap lines on the bottom. We caught several small cod, and at
about 4:30pm we left and trolled through the pass between Malaga and Appledore
Islands, then headed to Myeerah. At 5:00pm we arrived, just as light rain began to fall. It
was old-home week—Magpie and Five Star, both in Naples during the winter, were at
the marina.
Rob fished at the dock for a while (no luck) then we had dinner at 7:00pm and
watched the rerun of the U.S. Open until about 9:30pm. I went to bed and Rob stayed up
to watch the golf.
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In New Castle, NH
I awoke late, at 8:30pm. It had rained heavily, but that stopped in the very early
morning and it was cool and cloudy. After a quick breakfast, Rob and I took Squam Lite
to the Red “2 KP” buoy in the mouth of the Piscataqua River. We joined several other
boats fishing for mackerel. It took a while to get the right depth, but then they kept hitting
until we had caught 40 small ones, just right for bait for stripers.
At 12:30pm we went back to Myeerah for lunch (home made pizza, yum yum!).
Then we walked up to the newly opened Wentworth-by-the-Sea Resort Hotel. It was
quite beautiful in an elegant new old-fashioned way. We returned to the boat and Rob
fished from the dock. The tide was going out and there was a very strong current. He
hooked several large striped bass, but each got away by using the current, or the docks, to
break the line. While Rob was fishing, I took Squam Lite around New Castle Island, into
the Piscataqua and back to Wentworth-by-the-Sea. I had returned by 4:00pm and rested
until 6:00pm.
We watched the third day of the U.S. Open, and had dinner at 7:00pm. By
10:00pm I was asleep.
New Castle to Ipswich Bay
It’s Father’s Day. By 7:30pm we were having breakfast. It was very foggy; at
times we could barely see the houses just across Little Harbor. By 9:00pm we were in
Squam Lite heading out the Red “2 KP” buoy to catch more mackerel. We just kept
pulling them in for a while, then it slowed down and we went to the rocky shore to see if
our mackerel would bring us any stripers. No luck, so we went down Little Harbor into
the narrow river going into the Piscataqua River. The current was strong, and, after
trolling unsuccessfully for a while, we dropped anchor and put the new mackerel to good
use. Rob brought in an almost-legal striper (6 pounds and 26 inches, 2 inches short). At
12:00pm we picked up the anchor and headed back to Myeerah.
At 12:30pm, just before high tide, with the current taking her away from the dock,
Myeerah left. I followed in Squam Lite, and at the entrance to Little Harbor we attached
the towrope and headed back to Annisquam. The sun finally came out for the first time in
three days. It was a bit rolly because our stabilizers weren’t working. After a nice lunch
we arrived at the mouth of the Annisquam River at 3:30pm. We took Squam Lite to the
Boat Livery dock, and our fine trip was over. It had been great fun to just be with Rob.
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Boston MA to Falmouth MA
July 3-7, 2003
Lara and Steven Balter
Ben, Jackie, and Maddy Balter
Total Trip
260 miles, 22¼ hours running time, 11.7 kts average speed
Prologue
This was an annual trip to visit Lara and her family on the Cape, where they stay
for three weeks in the Lawrence home at Wood’s Hole. Joan and I took Myeerah down to
the Nicholas’ dock in Falmouth Harbor, and the Balters stayed with us for the weekend.
Day 1: Thursday, July 3
Boston to Falmouth
We left Boston at 9:45am in sun with a westerly 20-knot wind. At 1:45pm we
arrived at the Cape Cod Canal, in light rain and clouds. At 2:30pm we passed the
Massachusetts Merchant Marine Academy and at 4:15pm we arrived at the Nicholas’
dock in Falmouth Harbor. The Eagle was there, but Hilarium was in Nantucket with the
Nicholases.
At 5:00pm Lara arrived with Jackie and Maddy, and about ½ hour later Steve
arrived with Ben. I walked to West Marine to get children’s life vests (we have dozens by
now, but they are always where we aren’t). We had a great dinner. And so to bed, by
about 10:00pm.
Falmouth to Nantucket
68 miles, 5¾ hours, 11.8 kts
We started the engines at 7:00am for a day trip to Nantucket. By 7:30am we were
on our way. There was heavy fog—and some navigational computer problems—on the
way, but the fog lifted at Nantucket, where it was cloudy and cool.
At 10:30am we entered Nantucket Harbor, passed Hilarium and Endeavor (an
America’s Cup winner in the 1930s, recently restored at great expense by Dennis
Kozlowski, the now-infamous chairman of Tyco International). Passing by Serenity, a 90-
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foot Burger like the original Hilarium, we found no room to anchor so we turned around
and anchored outside the harbor.
After dropping T/T Myeerah, we took Steve into the dinghy dock with his bike.
Then we returned and took everyone else into town. We walked around, just missing the
Independence Day parade on Main Street, then had lunch at The Boarding House
Restaurant. Captain Ben had picked Steve and his bike up and returned them to the boat,
then he came back to get us. On the way out we stopped at Hilarium and talked with Pete
Nicholas.
At 3:30pm we lifted the anchor and slipped back into the fog bank for our return
to Falmouth. By 5:45pm we were back at the Nicholas’ dock. Another nice dinner, and so
to bed.
In Falmouth
We awoke to a 20-knot wind against our beam at the dock. Our plan was to go to
Cuttyhunk for the day, but a combination of wind and low water kept us from leaving the
dock without risking hitting Eagle. So we sat around for much of the day.
At 4:00pm we were able to leave by pivoting the bow against a piling. We only
went 100 yards, to McDougall’s Marine, where we had reserved the face dock for two
nights (Hilarium was coming back to Falmouth). After docking, Joan and I took a walk,
then returned to the boat for dinner and a movie (Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in
Golden Eye). Lara and I stayed up for the whole thing, but Joan went to bed early.
Falmouth to Cuttyhunk and Back
The day began cool and foggy, but the sun came out early. There was a 15-20
knot wind from the southwest. Steve went fishing off the Vineyard with some friends,
returning at 9:30am. At 10:30am we left the harbor and headed toward Cuttyhunk. On the
way we stuck our nose into Tarpaulin Cove, a nice but busy anchorage on the west side
of Naushon Island (we told the kids it was “Pirate’s Cove”). We passed through Quick’s
Hole between Naushon and Pasque Islands, then went south along the east side of the
Elizabeths to Cuttyhunk Harbor.
We anchored at the outer edge of the harbor at 12:30pm. After lunch, we took the
tender into the dinghy dock and walked around for a bit. Ben was having a bit of a hissy,
so we returned to the boat and picked up the anchor at 3:30pm. Returning through
Quick’s Hole into Vineyard Sound, we were back at the Nicholas dock at 5:00pm. On the
trip back we passed the Forbes yacht The Highlander as it headed to Cuttyhunk. Lara,
Jackie and Maddy returned to their Woods Hole House, and Ben stayed with us for the
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night. He worked hard with Captain Ben to clean the boat. After a nice dinner, we retired.
And so to bed.
Day 5: Monday, July 7
Falmouth to Boston
Lara and the other kids joined us for breakfast. It was a sunny and very calm
morning. After breakfast the Balters returned to their house at Woods Hole. We left
McDougall’s at 9:30am and by 11:45am we were exiting the east end of the Cape Cod
Canal. At 3:30pm we were at the Shipyard. It had remained sunny, warm and calm—the
best weather of the trip.
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182
Newport RI to Block Island to Portsmouth RI
July 18 - 20, 2003
Robert and Victoria Fortune
Total Trip
Prologue
Myeerah came down to Newport on Wednesday, July 16, staying at the Newport
Shipyard. Rob and Victoria drove down to meet her on Thursday night, arriving at about
11:00pm, after getting a bit lost. On Friday morning Joan and I drove down. It was our
39th anniversary.
The weekend’s objectives were to be together, to go to Block Island on Saturday
for a bit of fishing and exploring, and to return to Newport for Saturday night. Rob and
Victoria would return home on Sunday, and Joan and I would stay on Myeerah Sunday
night. On Monday Joan would drive home and I would come back to Boston on the boat.
Not all objectives were achieved.
In Newport
We arrived at Myeerah at about 11:30am. It was cloudy and a light rain began as
we arrived. Myeerah was docked next to a gorgeous 175-foot sailboat. About 100 yards
away was a pier with fishing trawlers. When we arrived, Ben told me that they had just
had an interesting experience. Maggots were crawling up the sides of our boat and some
other nearby boats. The maggots were living on seaweed that had gotten caught between
the boats and the dock. Apparently the nearby fishing boats had dumped their fish guts at
their dock and flies had planted eggs in them. The eggs had then gotten caught in the
seaweed and had hatched. The dockmaster had just cleared the maggots away by using
the prop was from a dinghy to push the seaweed out into Narraganset Bay.
When we arrived Rob and Victoria were shopping in Newport. Joan took a short
walk and when everyone was together we had a light lunch. The afternoon was spent
lazing around, with a power nap thrown in. We had a nice dinner on the boat and were in
bed by 10:00pm.
During the day, Ben had a conversation with the captain of a 72-foot Italian boat
docked in front of us. He had just had a MAN technician out to look at his Mannesmann
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Rexroth electronic controls, identical to ours. He had had the engine throttle and gearshift
stop responding several times in the past few days, leaving him without control over
speed or direction.
Newport toward Block Island and Back
38 miles, 5 hours, 7.6 knots
At 9:30am, after breakfast, we left for Block Island. There was a light wind and
we had swells on the bow. Our stabilizers weren’t working because the gyroscope had
broken months before, and we had never been able to get an answer from Italy about
replacement parts, so we had a bit more rock and roll than normal. I took the boat out,
and when I set the synchronizer as we left Newport Harbor, there was an ominous
flashing red alarm on the electronic controls. The controls seemed to reset, so we
continued on—not realizing that this was a sign of a problem.
We headed toward Block Island at about 12 knots (1800 RPM). As we
approached the entrance to Great Salt Pond we found that the controls were frozen—the
port engine continued in forward gear at 1800 RPM regardless of the setting of the
throttle or shifter. We were a runaway boat! Fortunately, this happened before we entered
the channel, and we still had control of the starboard engine. We could turn and avoid the
island, and we could bomb around in Block Island Sound until we figured it out. The
episode was complicated by the port engine suddenly going into reverse as we played
with the controls—we now were a runaway boat in reverse!
This was something new—we had had problems when the starboard engine
wouldn’t run after the intake valve failures, now we couldn’t get the port engine to stop
running. We hoped for a happy medium. After we had shifted into reverse at high RPMs,
Ben shut off the fuel to the port engine and the engine died. We proceeded back toward
Newport on the starboard engine. Because there was such poor control on one engine, we
didn’t want to try to dock at Newport Shipyard, so we decided to continue up
Narragansett Bay to the Little Harbor shipyard in Portsmouth, RI. At 2:30pm we dropped
anchor off Little Harbor and called their emergency mechanic, who came right out on
Papoose.
Ben and the mechanic tested the systems. There was no apparent damage to the
engine from being shut down at cruising speed, and the transmission appeared to be
unhurt even though it had suddenly gone from forward to reverse at 1800 RPM. The
problem appeared to be in the circuit board that received signals from the control station
and transmitted them to the port throttle and transmission. We decided to stay where we
were until a MAN mechanic came out, hopefully on Monday. It was ironic that we had an
electronic control failure just after being told by another captain that he had experienced
the same failures with the same equipment.
After anchoring, Rob, Lauren, and I took Papoose to the Little Harbor yard and
borrowed their courtesy car. We drove to the Newport Shipyard and picked up our cars.
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At 6:30pm, after returning to Little Harbor, we all had drinks on the observation deck.
The wind had died to almost nothing, and it was very sunny and warm. We watched the
sun go down as we had dinner in the cockpit. We were in bed at 9:30pm—it had been an
exhausting day.
In Portsmouth
This was a gorgeous day—warm, sunny and calm. We had had a quiet night at
anchor, and we were up by 8:00am. Ben had taken Papoose to Newport for newspapers,
and he returned as we were having breakfast. While in Newport he had gotten the phone
number of the captain he had talked with the day before. When he got back to the boat, he
called him for advice.
The captain said that he had corrected his problem by turning off all power to the
Rexroth controls, then turning it back on, that is, he had effectively rebooted the
computer. He had experienced the problem several times, so had called the MAN
technician for a permanent solution. Ben did the same thing and our problems
disappeared—we now had full control of the gears on both engines. We couldn’t test the
throttles until the throttle linkage was reattached. Ben planned to do that and to give the
boat a sea trial after we left.
After breakfast, I took Rob and Victoria to their car and they headed home. Joan
and I stayed on Myeerah until about 11:30am, then we were taken to the Little Harbor
dock and hopped in our car for the drive home. By 1:00pm we were back home. Ben
called to say that after we left he had taken Myeerah out for a sea trial, and found
everything functioning normally. We suspect that the problem started with the
synchronizer, so the boat will attempt to come back to Boston without using the
synchronizer. We then hope to get a MAN technician to look at it on Wednesday.
Ben and Amanda handled the situation very well. They stayed calm, they worked
together, and they got the boat back under control and safely back to an anchorage. Ben’s
familiarity with the systems paid off. We feel very comfortable with our crew!
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July 25 – August 10, 2003
Michele and Thom Davidson (3 days)
Jack and Nancy Curtin (4 days)
Lara and Ben Balter (5 days)
Total Trip
878 miles, 78¾ hours running time, 11.1 kts average speed
4,725 gallons at 60.0gph
Prologue
Myeerah‘s problem has been diagnosed as a defective synchronizer. The
temporary remedy is to not use the synchronizer; the long-term solution is to send the
circuit board back to Rexroth for diagnosis, repair or replacement.
This trip is the annual trip-to-Maine. In the past it has been a guy trip, but Joan is
coming this year. The first weekend is with Michele and Thom. After that we will pick up
the Curtins—our Beacon Hill neighbors--in Castine, Maine, where they have a
summerhouse. We will then have a week alone, and the last few days will be with Lara
and Ben. They will fly to Bangor, where we will meet them with the boat.
Myeerah left Boston Harbor at about 3:00pm on Wednesday, July 24; I watched it
from my office window. The weather was a bit rough, so the original plan to anchor in
Ipswich Bay was abandoned and she docked at the Studio Restaurant in the Rocky Neck
section of Gloucester. She was next to Whale Song, a 94-foot expedition yacht registered
in the Caymans. She had come up from West Palm Beach and was waiting for the owner,
who had not arrived several times. In the three years since her launch, Whale Song had
traveled twice “on her own bottom” to the Mediterranean.
Gloucester to Portland, ME
75 nm, 6½ hours, 11.5 kts
Rob drove us to the boat at about 9:30am, and we left the dock at 10:30am. It was
sunny and pretty calm as we left Gloucester Harbor and turned north to Portland. We sat
on the bow for a while, then watched the DVD of our Bahamas trip in the spring of 2002,
and the Falmouth trip a few weeks ago—it was very creative and lots of fun. I hope they
keep this record up to date.
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As we arrived at Cape Elizabeth the excitement began. Sunshine gave way to light
rain, then to a wild squall with 50-knot winds, no visibility, and drenching rain. Three
cushions on the stern seats blew overboard, one of the VHF radio antennas blew down,
the flag and flagstaff were lost as the bracket was ripped from its mount, and the chairs in
the cockpit blew around. It came on very suddenly, then stopped as quickly. We actually
retrieved the cushions in spite of the strong swells and continuing rain. Ben maneuvered
the boat so that the cushions could be reached with a long boat hook and pushed toward
the stern, where Thom and I were perched on the swim platform to catch the cushions
and drag them out of the water. It was a magnificent example of boat control under
difficult circumstance. But it was pretty dumb to be on the swim platform in swells
breaking over it while the props were churning a few feet away. After it was over we
were soaked and victorious, though we could have been soaked and fish food.
We arrived at DiMillo’s Marina in Portland at 5:00pm, passing down a long,
narrow channel between boats to get to our dock. At 5:30pm we took a walk around the
shopping district of Portland, then back to the boat for drinks at 6:15pm. At 7:15pm we
were seated at Perfetto’s, a restaurant on Exchange Street, ready for a good meal and
conversation. By 9:45pm Joan and I were back on the boat and in bed by 1030pm.
Michele and Thom went to a Blues bar for music, and were home at a decent (but
unknown) hour.
Portland, ME to Boothbay Harbor ME
36 nm, 3 hours, 12.0 kts
Awake at 7:00am to a sunny day, we had breakfast and took a long walk
northward along the waterfront to a park at the point at the harbor head. We then left
DiMillo’s at 10:30am, backing out of the narrow channel just as an orange U.S. Coast
Guard inflatable came in with its lights flashing. We headed north with swell coming in
on the starboard beam, rolling us from side to side, sometimes pretty badly. If our
stabilizers were working, it would have been much more pleasant.
The original idea had been to go past Boothbay Harbor to Monhegan Island, then
return to Boothbay Harbor. But the unpleasant motion caused us to go directly to
Boothbay Harbor. We arrived at the harbor—threading our way through the minefield of
lobster pots—and docked at 1:30 at Boothbay Harbor Marina. It was a tight fit next to
Loose, a 75 foot Burger from West Palm Beach, with a lobster pot just off the dock
blocking the direct access. Just after arrival the sun disappeared and a brisk wind came
up.
After a walk through the town, we returned to the boat and took T/T Myeerah for
a ride. Then Ben and I spent some time working on the tender. After this, Joan and I had
some down time and, at 6:30pm met for drinks. A 7:00pm dinner was followed by the
movie Vertigo, with Kim Novak and James Stewart. At 11:00pm I took a short ride in the
tender and located the lobster buoy behind the boat. Then to bed.
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Boothbay Harbor ME to Pulpit Harbor on Northaven Island, ME
48 nm, 4¼ hours, 11.3 kts
A brisk 25-knot wind from the southwest came whistling down the harbor when
we awoke. We spent the morning at the dock waiting for Michele and Thom to get picked
up by the taxi we’d hired to take them back to Annisquam. Much to my near surprise, the
offending lobster buoy had disappeared—I wonder what happened to it? Could someone
have cut it loose in the night?
At noon we left the dock and headed into the wind to head toward Penobscot Bay.
The first hour was spent pounding into 5-foot seas, and the next 1½ hours were spent
rolling with waves broad on the starboard quarter. At about 2:30pm we turned more to
the northeast and things settled down with a following sea. It was overcast, with fog
hiding the coast.
By 3:00pm we were entering the outer fringes of Penobscot Bay, weaving
between rocky islands and ledges. The waves died down and it was a smooth ride, though
still overcast with fog along the shore. At 4:15pm we entered Pulpit Harbor. Since our
last visit two years ago it has had many more moorings put in, taking up considerable
space. We anchored astern of two sailboats, who expressed their concern by saying “Just
don’t know what will happen when the wind shifts!” The answer, of course, is that we
will all shift together so there won’t be a problem. But perhaps sailors haven’t noticed the
basic laws of fluid dynamics.
The tender was dropped and Joan and I rode around the harbor. It was busier than
before, but still retained its rugged look and beautiful coastline. At 6:30pm we sat down
for drinks, and had dinner at 7:30pm. I had to stay up for The Sopranos and for Sex and
the City, but I was tired from having awakened at 4:30am worrying about the lobsterman
whose pot was missing in Boothbay Harbor. By 10:00pm I was in bed. Another fine day
on the water!
Pulpit Harbor to Castine, ME to Southwest Harbor, ME
After a refreshing night’s sleep we awoke at 7:30pm to a sunny day with a bit of a
breeze. At 9:00am we left Pulpit Harbor and headed the 15 miles north to Castine. At
10:30am we dropped the anchor off Castine across from the Maine Maritime Academy’s
State of Maine. We set T/T Myeerah in the water. Joan and I went to the Town Dock and
met the Jack and Nancy Curtin. After a nice tour of the town in the Curtin’s jeep we went
to see their house—a very large gray-shingled home on the channel into Castine. It had
an uncountable number of rooms and seemed to be a delightful place where several
generations could gather in comfort.
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We all walked to the Town Dock and took the tender back to Myeerah. At about
noon we left Castine, heading south on East Penobscot Bay till we reached Eggomoggin
Reach. Heading up (down?) the Reach we passed Swan’s Island and Bass Harbor, then
turned up toward Southwest Harbor where we had dock space for the night. Before
docking we traveled down Somes Sound, then back to Southwest Harbor. By 4:30pm we
were at Dysart’s Great Harbor Marina nestled at the edge of the town of Southwest
Harbor.
We had drinks on the observation deck, where we watched the evening light
shining on the boats in the harbor. At 7:30pm we had dinner, talked a while, and went to
bed early.
Day 5: Tuesday, July 29
Southwest Harbor, ME to Roque Island, ME
We awakened late, at about 8:00am, to a sunny day with very light winds. The
Curtins walked into town, then we had breakfast and took a walk. While we were gone,
Ben snaked Myeerah around the docks to a pier on the inside and a fuel oil truck arrived
to fill us up. At 10:30am, about an hour—and 950 gallons—later, we were on our way.
Exiting the fuel dock area was a challenge, and Ben did it perfectly; Ben has become very
skilled in handling the boat.
At noon sharp we passed Schoodic Island, then at 12:30pm we passed Petit
Manan Island, heading up toward Moosabec Reach. By 2:30pm we had entered the
Reach, weaving between barren islands with the occasional sign of a deserted house.
Passing Jonesport, ME, we could see Roque Island ahead. We went clockwise around the
island, entering Shorey Cove at the north end where the Gardner family compound is
located. After viewing the houses, barns, pastures, and horses, we continued around the
island to Roque Island Harbor. At 3:30pm we were anchored between Seal Ledge and the
beach.
We dropped both tenders and the four of us took T/T Myeerah for a tour of the
Thorofare between Roque Island and Great Spruce Island. We returned Joan and Nancy
to Myeerah and Jack and I went back to the Thorofare to fish. At 6:00pm, after having
caught some seaweed (it put up quite a fight) and what might have been a sea cucumber,
we returned to the boat. Ground swells coming into the harbor were rolling us quite a bit
so Ben and Amanda put out a stern anchor and put a snubber on the bow anchor.
After a fine dinner, we retired early to rest up for the next day.
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Day 6: Wednesday, July 30
Roque Island, ME to Cranberry Harbor, Islesford, ME, via Machias Seal Island
We awoke at 8:00am, later than usual, to a cool but sunny day. After breakfast,
Jack and I took the tender through Lakeman Harbor, just across from the Thorofare. By
10:30am the tenders were back on the boat deck at we were under way. Fog was
beginning to drift in, and as we left the harbor it thickened.
We set a course for the 18-mile ride to Machias Seal Island, known for its
population of puffins and auks. The fog made the trip a bit slow, and we spent a fair
amount of time avoiding lobster boats. By 1:00pm we had circled the island, passing
within ¼ mile of land. We could hear the foghorn and the squawking of terns and puffins,
but we never saw land. We did see puffins in the water and flying by, but never in large
numbers. Still, it was an adventure.
At 1:00pm we headed toward Schoodic Point. Our destination was Winter
Harbor, just across from Bar Harbor. But as we approached Winter Harbor the fog
thickened, and at 4:30pm we decided against trying to enter a crowded “destination”
harbor without visibility. So we diverted to Somes Sound on Mount Desert Island, which
would be more open. As we approached Mount Desert we came out of the fog.
Eventually we ended up in Cranberry Harbor, at the town of Islesford, after first poking
into Seal Harbor to look for space. At 5:00pm we were anchored and at 6:00pm we were
on T/T Myeerah headed toward the Islesford Dock Restaurant, where we docked for a
short walk through town. By 7:00pm we were back on Myeerah.
At about 8:00pm we had dinner, and, once again, an early bedtime.
Cranberry Harbor, Mount Desert Island to Castine, ME
Up at 7:30am, it was so foggy that we couldn’t see the boats around us. Ben put
on his diving gear and went down to cut loose the lobster lines that we had picked up
yesterday. However, he ran out of air before he could get one side loose, so we still have
the lines with us. If it stays foggy today we will inevitably pick up more lobster line.
At about 9:00am the fog began to lift and we could see the shore. Ben took T/T
Myeerah over to Southwest Harbor to fill the dive tank with air. He returned at about
9:45am and by 10:30am the fog had cleared completely and we left Cranberry Harbor. It
was sunny and very calm, though a bit cool. At noon we entered Eggomoggin Reach and
at 12:30pm we passed under the Deer Isle Bridge.
. Soon after we poked into Bucks Harbor for a look-see. This is a very pretty
place, protected by an island that creates a horseshoe shaped channel. It got very tight and
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we turned around and left. In the process the load of lobster line on the port shaft shifted
and we experienced considerable increased vibration. We ran the rest of the way at
1700RPMs on the starboard engine and about 1200 on the port engine. At 2:00 pm we
dropped the anchor at the anchorage across from the town dock.
We dropped T/T Myeerah and Ben took the Curtins to the town dock so they
could drive to the Bangor airport to pick up their son. He also picked up the long-missing
gyroscope for our stabilizers, which had been shipped to the art gallery belonging to the
mother of his friend, Sarah Woodman. On returning to Myeerah he installed the
gyroscope and Joan and I took the tender to Castine to take a walk. When we returned,
the stabilizers were working and Myeerah was on her way to her overnight location deep
in Smith Cove.
At 6:45pm Joan and I took the tender to the town dock and the Curtins picked us
up for a lobster roll dinner at their house. By 9:30pm we were back at the boat and ready
for bed.
Castine, ME to Northeast Harbor, Mount Desert Island, ME
We awoke at 7:30am, and at 8:00am I took the tender to Castine Variety for
newspapers. The family that runs the place, whom I call the Surleys after their demeanor,
told me that the papers come in at 9:00am, so I returned to the boat. At 9:00am Joan and I
hopped on the tender for a return trip to Castine Variety. While I filled up with gas, Joan
went to the store to find that the papers still weren’t in. So we returned to the boat.
It had now become overcast. We left Smith Cove at 10:15pm, and by 10:30am we
were passing the Curtin’s house. They waved to us and we tooted back. Then we headed
out into Penobscot Bay. Ben turned the stabilizers on, and we could hear them engage.
However, it was almost dead calm, so we couldn’t tell how well they worked.
By 11:15am we had turned (once again) into Eggomoggin Reach and were heading
toward Northeast Harbor on Mount Desert. It was very calm, so we couldn’t get a sense
of how well the stabilizers were working. There is supposed to be an excellent chandlery
there, so we should be able to get some parts we need. Also, we need to reprovision the
galley, especially with greens. At 1:00pm we passed by the lighthouse in the narrow cut
at Bass Harbor Head, and by 1:45pm we were at the dock in Northeast Harbor Marina;
Ben had spun Myeerah and backed her skillfully into a slap next to Dani, an 80-foot
Hatteras from New York.
Joan and I walked up the hill to Main Street, a cute street with lots of shops, while
the crew washed the boat. The “excellent chandlery” had become an Ace Hardware store
with limited marine supplies. I went back to the boat but Joan stayed to do some
shopping. By 3:30pm a very light rain was falling—the inevitable result of a boat wash.
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After a nap, we had dinner and watched the DVD of Adaptation, a Nicholas Cage-Meryl
Streep movie about a screenwriter with multiple personality. By 10:30pm we were in
bed, and so to sleep.
Northeast Harbor, Mount Desert Island, ME to Cutler, ME
We awoke at 7:00am to light rain and the hint of fog. After breakfast, Joan
walked into town to finish her shopping. If the fog isn’t too thick we will head toward
Macias Seal Island again, then, perhaps, to Grand Manan Island.
By 10:00am the fog appeared to be retreating. We left the dock at 10:30pm and
headed northeast toward Machias Seal Island. But about ten miles out we slipped into
heavy fog and decided not to go to NOT see the puffins again. So we went up the coast
past Little Machias Bay to the town of Cutler. We arrived at Cutler’s protected harbor
that goes into the Little River at 3:00pm, just after the fog lifted, and spent about 40
minutes circling around for a place to drop anchor that wasn’t in conflict with the fish
pens or the underwater communications cables. As we dropped the anchor the fog began
to roll in again. One wonders if anyone in northern Maine ever sees the sun!
Cutler consists of a lot of houses spread along the cleared hills facing the harbor;
all around are heavily wooded granite shores. Cutler is about ten miles northeast of
Roque Island, and it is a short distance north of the Cutler Peninsula, with many large
radio antennas operated by the U.S. government to communicate with the North Atlantic
fleet. It is a pretty spot, but very remote.
We dropped T/T Myeerah and Joan and I went on a tour of the coastline. Getting
off at a lobstering dock was deemed too treacherous so we checked out the two large fish
pens, only one of which was operating. Fish could be seen jumping, and a small tern was
trapped in the nets designed to keep birds out. We also checked out the lighthouse on the
island standing t the head of the harbor, and we toured the town’s waterfront. There were
two good-size sailboats anchored in the harbor, but all the other boats were lobster boats.
Amanda and Lauren took the tender on a ride, and stopped to save the trapped
tern. By 6:00pm the sun was coming out. With the tide going out we were rotating so that
incoming swells were on our beam, giving us a good rock. Ben and Amanda put the stern
anchor out and lined us up into the swells, improving the situation dramatically. The wind
had died down and the sun was coming out. We had dinner and watched About a Boy, a
rather silly Hugh Grant movie about a teenage boy who makes everyone around him a
better person. By 10:30pm we were in bed.
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Cutler, ME to Eastport, ME
Up at 8:00am, I watched Ben dive once again to scheck for lobster line on the
props—we had noticed a low-speed vibration yesterday as we came into Cutler. He found
nothing, suggesting either that we had dropped the line when we maneuvered for
anchoring or that the cutlass bearings had been damaged by previously acquired lobster
line. If the second, the boat will have to be hauled out and new cutlass bearings installed.
By 10:00am we had lifted the stern and bow anchors and were gliding out of the
harbor just behind a beautiful blue-hulled 50-foot sailboat, Aleyeh from Belfast, Maine.
As we turned northward we slipped into a thick bank of fog and visibility fell to about 50
yards. It was extremely calm, as it often is in fog. This is our third day without offshore
visibility.
It was—as in previous days—overcast with fog lying just off shore. We had
hoped to see the puffins on Machias Seal Island, about 10 miles offshore. But the fog
induced us to go directly to Eastport, Maine. We will go around the north end of
Campobello Island, where we stayed on for a week back in the early 1980s. It was sunny
then.
The good news is that the vibration we had experienced yesterday is gone.
Apparently, we had had some line around the shaft and props, but it had been shaken off
when we maneuvered to anchor. My fear that the cutlass bearings had been damaged was
groundless. How nice!
We didn’t see land even though we were a few miles out until we passed the
Canadian border at Lubec Narrows. The water was very calm, so calm that we kept
getting lobster buoys on the radar and slowing down in case they were boats. The current
worked in our favor—at one point we were moving at over 15 knots even though the
engines were turning over a slow 1200 RPMs. We saw lots of sea grass—and one
refrigerator—float by.
At about 11:30 the fog had lifted enough to see the east side of Campobello. By
noon it had lifted almost entirely and we were passing the beautiful East Quoddy
Lighthouse at the north end of the island. Located at the outermost of two or three rocky
islands connected by footbridges, the lighthouse is white with a red vertical stripe. The
red light is always on.
Passing around to the west (and populated) side of Campobello, we proceeded to
Eastport. There appeared to be no docking there except for working boats and a few small
boats, and the Silvia W. Beals, a 1911 schooner now used for cruises. Aquaculture has
taken the area over. Continuing past two areas marked as anchorages, but filled with fish
pens and large freighter moorings, we ended up in Deep Cove, a beautiful spot with a few
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houses and a nearby island overtaken by squawking birds. The anchor was down by
1:30pm.
We took the tender into Eastport, a very dilapidated old town whose waterfront
buildings, constructed in 1887, are either abandoned or used for low-end uses like art and
craft galleries. The sad condition of many wooden buildings indicated that paint had not
been used that far north. Some houses that had interesting architectural flourishes were so
badly maintained that their character was gone.
At 3:00pm we hopped into the tender and returned to Myeerah, first passing by a
Buckminster Fuller-type geodesic dome house on the U.S. mainland, across from Deep
Cove. As we arrived, the sun came out. I took a nap for a while, then took the tender to
scout out a nearby collection of large yellow moorings that outlined a fish pen. At
6:30pm we were having drinks and at 715pm we had dinner. Then it was HBO night:
The Sopranos, Sex and the City, and The Wire. At 10:30pm I was sound asleep.
Eastport, ME to Prospect Harbor, ME
At 5:30am the AC power went off as generator #2 (24kW) shut itself off. The
problem was overheating from impeller failure. Ben started generator #3 (18kW) and
replaced the impeller on #2.
At 8:00am we awoke to a (surprise!) overcast and cool morning. It was low tide.
The tide range at Moose Island is about 19 feet, and low tide reveals ledges and land that
are well underwater at high tide. Just off our bow at high tide are two small islands, with
enough water between them to pass with the tender. But at low tide a mud bar connecting
the two islands appears.
At 9:00am we had breakfast while Ben continued working on the generator,
which was still overheating. Finally, the problem was diagnosed as seaweed that had
clogged the raw water inlet, restricting water flow and leading the burnout of the
impeller. Clearing the problem is more difficult because it require disconnecting the hose
from the through-hull to the seawater pump; this hose is difficult to reach. We decided to
continue on and clear the problem tonight.
At 10:00am the tender was back aboard and we started the long trip toward
Prospect Harbor, northeast of Mount Desert. As we rounded East Quoddy Head we
entered deep fog. It stayed with us the entire way, ranging from thick to very thick. As we
approached the Schoodic Peninsula the lobster pots became unavoidably abundant,
especially with the two or three extra lengths (or “toggles”) that are used on the Maine
coast. Frequent security calls were heard from the Bar Harbor area as pleasure and
cruising boats entered and exited the harbor.
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We entered Prospect Harbor at 4:30pm after six hours of not seeing land. We
could just see the hint of shoreline as we dropped the anchor. It started to rain. This just
gets better and better! I had expected to see lots of moored boats in the harbor, but (to the
extent that anything could be seen) there were only lobster boats.
While we were under way, Ben had continued to work on generator #2. He
cleared the seaweed obstruction at the line from the through-hull, but the pump still
would not generate a water flow. Perhaps the seawater pump is broken, or there are some
obstructions in the heat exchanger that prevent water from flowing through. At one point
he thought it was OK, but the saga will continue.
After dinner, we watched the DVD of Moonlight Mile, a weak movie with a
strong cast about how a young man in his 20s helped a family deal with their grief over
the death of their daughter, his fiancée. Are there only movies about how the young help
the old with their psychological trauma? We were in bed at 11:30pm.
Day 12: Tuesday, August 5
Prospect Harbor, ME to Belfast, ME
At 5:00am the fog was completely gone, but by 7:30am, when we awoke, it was
back, though much less thick than yesterday—we could see the shore and the houses of
Prospect Harbor. My suspicion of yesterday was confirmed—we were the only pleasure
boat in the harbor! There were lobster pots all around, and we were anchored off of a
large fish facility. There is a lighthouse with a radar facility on a point across from the
fish facility. Some of the houses appear to be large well-kept summerhouses, but the
primary value of the place seems to be that it has a well-protected harbor.
As I walked onto the aft deck at 8:00am, I could hear the tinkle of tiny wrenches
as Ben worked on the generator. But there was no improvement and the generator
continued to overheat. The next step is to take off the heat exchanger to see if the water
flow is impeded at the outlet side.
By 9:30am Ben had left the engine room and taken a dive to clear the lobster lines
acquired yesterday. We watched several herring boats arrive and raft together at the fish
facility, while the fog drifted back in and obscured the shore. At 10:00am, with no more
visibility than Stevie Wonder, we left Prospect Harbor at a crawl. In addition to being
blind and trying to avoid the lobster pots, we had the lobster boats darting around us.
Strong swells came fine on the port bow until we turned toward Mount Desert at
Schoodic Point.
At 10:45 am we rounded Schoodic Point and headed west, putting the swells
broad on the port bow. Originally we had planned to go to Southwest Harbor to get fuel,
provisions, some marine supplies, and a tank of compressed air. But the fog was too thick
to allow us to enter a congested harbor, so we set a course past Southwest Harbor toward
Eggomoggin Reach. Our destination is Belfast, Maine, at the north end of West
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Penobscot Bay. There is no dock space there because the Hyannis Yacht Club is cruising
through Penobscot Bay, but perhaps they are smart enough to not be driving in deep fog.
If so, we might get lucky. If not, we will anchor in the harbor. That will put us about 40
miles from Bangor, where we are supposed to meet Lara and Ben on Wednesday, if their
flight can come in.
At noon we approached Bass Harbor Head, where a narrow cut passes close to the
rocky shore. The visibility was about 0.1 miles, and several sailboats were coming
through the cut on our bow. Fortunately, it was calm and we made it through, though at a
slow pace. As we approached Eggomoggin Reach the lobster pots, and lobster boats,
thickened and the visibility remained very low. At 1:00pm we entered the Reach. As we
exited the Reach, the fog lifted somewhat.
We passed Castine and then cut across the top of Isleboro Island, dropping the
anchor in Belfast Harbor at 3:30pm. At 4:00pm Joan and I took T/T Myeerah to the town
dinghy dock and walked for about 45 minutes. Belfast, like many resort towns in Maine,
has a lot of restaurants, art and craft shops, curiosity shops and so on. It might be
interesting in some sections, but we weren’t there. It was several steps up from Eastport,
but not much of a waterfront destination.
By 5:15pm we were back at Myeerah. The fog had thickened again, then lifted,
then thickened. We could see the shore, sometimes clearly, other times not. When we
returned, Ben and Amanda were working on the generator. The heat exchanger had been
removed. After reinstallation, the generator actually worked—but only at idle. It still
overheated when a load was put on it. So we decided that we needed a new seawater
pump. One is on order and will be shipped to meet us at Camden, Maine. But I admire
and appreciate Ben’s persistence—it is how things get done!
At 7:30pm we had dinner, and by 8:45 we were watching Shadowlands, a movie
with Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger. It is a very good movie, but Debra Winger
dies in the end. Her movies seem to end with her death, Terms of Endearment being a
tear-jerking example. At 11:00pm we went to bed.
Day 13: Wednesday, August 6
Belfast, ME to Bangor, ME
th
Today is the 68 anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb—not a day
to celebrate. We awoke at 7:00am to more fog; visibility is, perhaps ¼ mile. Today we
will cross the upper Penobscot Bay and go up the Penobscot River to Bangor, where Lara
and Ben are to meet us. Will they be able to come in this fog? Or will the fog burn off in
the interior? I’m looking forward to the trip, in part because on a river we should be able
to see something even in fog.
The harbormaster at our next stop (Camden) told us how Belfast has changed in
the last decade. It was once a poultry slaughtering center, where the blood of chickens
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could be seen draining directly into the harbor. The harbor was foul, and sand sharks
would come into it following the blood. There were few boats in the harbor, and those
were working boats. Now it has become a tourist destination, and a boating center.
At 9:00am we lifted anchor and departed in deep fog. There was no visibility on
the way to the Penobscot River, but there were also no boats and very few lobster pots.
As we entered the narrow portion of the river we encountered a strong current against us.
There was a dicey few minutes when we passed on the port side of a ledge that split the
river. The strong current increased and swirled, making it extremely difficult to hold a
course. The excitement was compounded by several moored sailboats just at that point,
and the complete lack of visibility. It took three of us to get through—Amanda at the
radar, Ben acting as eyes and navigator, and me at the helm. But soon after this we
reached Bucksport, ME, and the fog began to lift. The rest of the way to Bangor was
clear, but overcast.
We docked at the Bangor Marina Landing Park at 12:30pm, 3½ hours after
leaving Belfast. It had been a slow trip, but relatively easy considering the fog and
current. Joan and I took a walk and ate lunch at a local restaurant. The sun actually came
out and it was warm and humid. When we returned to the boat a heating oil truck was
refueling it. Some locals were hanging around and helping out: southern hospitality up in
the far north.
At 5:00pm Lara and Ben arrived, much delayed by the departure from Logan
airport. It was sunny but a wind had come up. Lara and Joan took a walk while Ben
conferred with Captain Ben, who was in the engine room working on the generators. By
6:30pm we were having drinks and Captain Ben reported that he had successfully gotten
generator #2 working by switching the raw water pump from #3 to #2. This established
that the problem was the pump, and it gave us a larger second generator for the rest of the
trip.
At 7:30pm we had dinner, and by 10:00pm we were getting ready for bed. It is
fun to have Lara and Ben with us. Tomorrow I take Ben to a nearby toy store: he seems
very excited!
Day 14: Thursday, August 7
Bangor, ME to Camden, ME
Slept until after 8:00am. Today’s agenda is the toy store and then the trip to
Camden, where we will have to drop the anchor. A new water pump is supposed to meet
us in Camden, but I’ll be surprised if it’s there.
The day is overcast and a bit muggy, but no fog this far inland, and no rain. The
Bangor waterfront is quiet. Ben B has been up for a while, and is now looking for
Captain Ben. At about 9:30am BenB and I walked to the toy store, where he selected a
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model of a Blue Angels fighter plane and a kit of molded plastic figures—medieval
knights with horses, swords, battle-axes and so forth.
At 11:00am we left the dock after an interesting talk with the harbormaster. He is
a schoolteacher, originally from upstate New York, who knew about Myeerah and her
story.
The current helped our trip down the Penobscot River. Not until we reached the
mouth of the river, at about 1:00pm, did we encounter significant fog. It is a very low
fog, so you can see the higher hills on the shore but not the water around us. It is more
patchy than the fog we had experienced.
We came into Camden Harbor at 2:30pm. After hunting around for a pocket to
anchor in, we settled down near Endeavour, behind the 112 foot Palmer Johnson
sportfishing boat from West Palm Beach, Arrowhead, that we had been near at Southwest
Harbor, and near Battered Bull, a 125 foot motor yacht. Just after settling in, the fog came
in so thickly that we could barely see the boats next to us.
Lara, Joan, Ben and I took T/T Myeerah through the fog to the dinghy dock at
Wayfarer Marina. We walked into town, and did some shopping. Camden has lots of
high-end crafts and arts stores, clothing shops, and restaurants. Ben got something at a
toy store, and we returned to the boat. Meanwhile, Captain Ben had picked up the new
seawater pump that had been shipped to Wayfarer. By dinnertime, all three generators
were back in working condition.
At 6:30pm, just as we were sitting down for drinks, Ben got locked in the head—
the knob had come out. Fortunately, he kept his cool and we got the door opened. We
watched the national news, then had dinner. After dinner we watched TV for a while, and
by 10:00pm were I bed.
Camden, ME to Wiscasset, ME
61 nm, 5¼ hours, 11.6 kts
What a night! Because we were at the entrance to Camden Harbor, near a point of
land, the current swirled and we spent most of the night beam to incoming swells. That
meant that we rolled all night, sometimes so vigorously that things could be heard
banging around in drawers. The usual remedy is to put out a stern anchor that keeps our
bow into the swells. But there are so many boats packed in, many pointing in different
directions, that an adjacent boat might have swung into us if we stayed oriented in one
direction. So we rolled all night! The new “At Rest” stabilizer systems are looking more
promising.
At 7:00am we got up—I can’t say “woke up”—to an overcast day with only
minimum fog. Nobody had slept well. Today we head for Wiscasset, which is up the
Sheepscot River. It is supposed to be a pretty town with lots of antique stores.
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We lifted the two tenders and departed at 8:30am. As we progressed toward the
mouth of Penobscot Bay, the fog thickened. By 10:00am we were back in 100-yard
visibility. At about noon we took the turn to the northwest to go into the Sheepscot River,
with 17 miles left to Wiscasset. The tide had hastened our progress: we were traveling at
about 13.5 knots at 1800 RPMs, but now it worked against us. I noted aloud that we had
passed the 300 hours-since-last-rebuild mark, at which point Captain Ben said “knock on
wood” and began beating his forehead against the dashboard. I hope I didn’t jinx the
engines!
The fog lightened considerably as we went up the Sheepscot River. We could see
the houses on both sides. Our progress was slowed by thick fields of lobster pots, as well
as by the outgoing tide and concern about the welfare of boats at docks along the way. In
spite of his energetic efforts, Ben couldn’t avoid the pots—another dive is in his near
future. We reached Wiscasset and anchored at 1:45pm across the river from the town
dock. Visibility was good but a light mist and light fog on the banks made it difficult to
see the charm of the town. T/T Myeerah was dropped, and, at 2:30pm, we took a ride
across the river to the town dock.
Wiscasset has a small (2 square block) area on the river where Route 1 passes
through. There are several antique shops and a couple of restaurants that bring a lot of
tourists to the area. We scouted out several antique shops, some with interesting items
including nautical things like old-time navigation instruments. By 3:30pm—just as it
started to rain more heavily—Ben and I returned to the boat while Joan and Lara took a
walk. The fog began rolling up the river as a moderate rain came down.
After Joan and Lara returned to the boat, I took Lara back to Wiscasset for a 45
minute run. While she was running, I took the tender farther up the Sheepscot River.
Beyond the Route 1 bridge at Wiscasset, there were few houses. Above the railroad
bridge there were even fewer. This was an undeveloped part of Maine! I returned at
40mph to the Wiscasset area, and picked Lara up at the town dock.
We returned to Myeerah, and prepared for a 7:30pm dinner. We ate outside just to
infuriate the low-lying fog the came in and crept out. At 9:00pm we gathered for a movie,
Reservoir Dogs, but by 9:30pm I had bagged it. Joan and Lara soon followed.
Wiscasset, ME to Portland, ME
Awake at 7:00am. So foggy that we couldn’t see the shore less than 100 yards
away. This is our eleventh day, out of sixteen, with substantial fog. At least the Sheepscot
River has been quiet and calm, so we got a decent night of sleep. As I write this, I can
hear a small boat approaching close, but couldn’t see it till it was almost on us. It’s a
lobsterman checking his traps. I should tell him to come over and check the ones we’re
dragging around!
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We had wanted to go to Kennebunkport today, but there is no room available. So
we decided to go to Portland. Unfortunately, the only space we could find is in the
industrial section of South Portland, across the harbor from the downtown area.
At 9:00am Lara woke up and the fog showed some sign of lightening. At 9:30am
T/T Myeerah was raised and the engines were started. At 10:00am we began our lobster
pot filled trip down the Sheepscot River. Just as we left the Wiscasset waterfront came
into view. As we drifted with the current to get through a field of lobster pots, a lobster
boat cut across in front of us, stopped, and began to pick up a pot. We missed him by no
more than three feet. It wasn’t that he didn’t see us—he just didn’t care. How dumb can
they be?
The trip down the river was at a snail’s pace. The fog was a thin layer that hid any
boats but above which we could see from the pilothouse. It took almost two hours to go
the 15 or so miles to the ocean. Once we got into the open and could speed up, we found
almost no vibration: our slow speed had allowed us to go over lots of pots but not pick
them up. At noon we headed toward Portland, going into sizable swells.
The ride to Portland was in deep fog and was punctuated by frequent collisionavoidance alarms as our ARPA radar detected boats within ½ mile. At one point,
southwest of Seguin Island, we were heading directly toward an eastbound sailboat.
Several times we turned to avoid it, but it would turn in our direction, rejecting the
tradition that both boats should turn to the starboard. Finally, we called it on the radio and
got our signals straightened out. This was our second near collision of the day; other
approaches were less threatening.
We arrived at Portland Harbor at 2:00pm. Dimillo’s could not take us until
4:00pm, so we anchored in the fog off of Little Diamond Island and dropped the tender. I
took Lara, Joan and BenB to Dimillo’s, going solely on compass since there was no
visibility. It was an interesting experience. We hit land at an anchorage area, then slid
along the waterfront to Dimillo’s. Just after the anchorage area, a forest of dead trees rose
out of the water, shrouded in fog: it was the pilings of a long-ago abandoned wharf,
appearing very tall because it was low tide. Then two giant structures came out of the
fog: they were floating oil-drilling rigs parked at a shipyard for repair. Then the small
“Dimillo’s” sign appeared. After dropping them off to walk and shop, I tootled around
the docks. I watched a very large yacht, News, dock expertly. Our spot was at the fuel
dock, stern to stern with a 125-footer named Anjilis. When Myeerah came in, the fog was
so thick that you couldn’t see a thing. I heard her bow thrusters well before I saw her, and
I could guide her to where she was to dock. Captain Ben and Amanda said that coming in
they had boats on the radar about 50 yards away but never saw them.
After docking, I took a walk down Commercial Street. On returning to Myeerah I
met Amanda’s mother, Susan, and her boyfriend, Gary Morfit, who captains a large 100footer, Who Cares, and a 55-foot Viking. Who Cares is a four-deck floating hotel, slow
(8 knots) but designed for space and comfort. It is on its way to Nova Scotia. They are on
their way to Nova Scotia, he on the fast ferry to Yarmouth from Boothbay, she on Who
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Cares, which will be driven by one of the two backup captains. Susan and Gary were
very nice, and now I see where Amanda and Lauren’s personalities come from.
At 7:30pm two of Lara’s friends dropped by for drinks, an hour late, and we just
made it to our 8:00pm reservations at Perfetto, where we had had dinner with Michele
and Thom on the first day of our trip—back when the sun shone. By 10:00am we were
back at the boat. Just after this, a 36-foot Hinckley Picnic Boat, Proposition from
Portsmouth, RI, came to the fuel dock, driven by one of Ben’s friends—it is a small
world. Then to bed.
Day 17: Sunday, August10
Portland, ME to Annisquam
This is our last day, and the first without fog in ten days. At 8:00am I took T/T
Myeerah on a tour of the harbor. Across the way was Wilde I, a Fleming 55 from
Westport, MA. Also across the way, at Spring Point, was Who Cares. It really is a square
box on a hull. Not attractive (hence the name) but very spacious and comfortable. Reports
are that it is quite elegant inside.
After returning to the boat a brisk cross wind sprang up, pinning is to the dock.
We had Anjilis behind us, News across a narrow channel at our bow, and a third boat
docked perpendicular to our bow, limiting the ability to pivot on a piling. Fortunately,
Anjilis left at about 9:00am, and at 9:30am we followed her. As we headed out of the
channel we encountered strong swells. Turning southward, we had steady five footers on
our port bow, with an occasional seven or eight footer—it was very uncomfortable. This
trip has been either heavy fog with calm water, or rough water with visibility!
As we approached Annisquam, the seas died down. We reached the “AR” buoy at
the Annisquam River at 3:00pm and dropped the anchor, then the tender. A crewmember
had forgotten to put the plug in the tender’s hull, so as we all drove in with baggage,
water was flooding into the bilge. Fortunately, the bilge pump was able to keep up until
we reached our dock and unloaded. We put a spare plug in, and Ben took the tender back
to Myeerah.
I drove Lara and Ben back to their house in Wayland, then drove to Beacon Hill.
The trip was over!
Epilogue
This was my longest trip on Myeerah. In spite of the atrocious weather, it had
been fun and the company had been great. The crew worked extremely hard, especially
Ben, who had lots of mechanical things to deal with. The boat actually returned in better
shape than it left—the new stabilizer gyroscope had been installed and was working, and
the generator #2 had been fixed with a new sea water pump—all on the fly.
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Newport RI to Long Island Sound
Passengers Peter Fortune, Norman Berg
Wes Marple, Brooks Parker
Total Trip
650 gallons at 50.0gph
Prologue
This is a guy trip. At 5:00pm I picked Norm, Brooks and Wes up at their homes in
Weston and we began a traffic-filled two-hour drive to Newport. At 7:30pm we arrived at
the boat, having been delayed about ½ hour in Newport to find our way. Myeerah was
docked at Casey’s Marina, next to a large Delta named Gatster and near the famous
Detroit Eagle, a 150-foot Feadship owned by Roger Penske. We had dinner on the deck
and were in bed by 11:00pm.
Day 1: Friday, September 12
Newport RI to Block Island RI
The day broke sunny and cool. At 9:00am, after breakfast, we walked along the
waterfront to Newport Shipyard. The annual Newport Boat Show was on, but we didn’t
want to pay the $15 fee and wait till 10:00am for admission, so we just saw the boats as
we walked along.
At 10:30am we returned to the boat and left, backing out between Gatster and
Lady Sheridan, a 120-footer, on one side and a stray piling on the other. We did a very
slow tour of the waterfront, then we headed out to Buzzard’s Bay. A 20-knot wind was
coming at us against an outgoing tide, so we had 4-6 foot swells that caused some serious
pitching when an occasional 7-8 footer came along. At 1:00pm we reached the channel
into Great Salt Pond at Block Island, and soon after I had skillfully docked Myeerah at
the Block Island Boat Basin.
After lunch in the sky lounge, we went to the parking lot to meet Danny, our tour
driver from Mig’s Rig. We then took a two-hour tour of the island. It is absolutely
beautiful, with well-kept houses on spacious lots dotted all over the island. There is a
small town center, but the island is one large residential area. Fresh water ponds dot the
island, and the views are unbelievable—heavily vegetated areas (about 1/3 of the island is
open land), high cliffs at Mohegan Bluff to low spits of land at Cow’s Cove. The islands
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power is from expensive diesel generators, there are hourly flights from a small airport to
Westerly, RI, and there is almost no business on the island (one grocery store, one liquor
store, but many resort hotels or B&Bs). I can see why it jumps from a year-round
population of 800 to 20,000 in the summer.
By 4:00pm we were back at the marina and Norm and Wes were grilling the
owner about his business. It appears that he has a lease had a sequence of short-term
leases (3-5 years) with an 80 year old woman. The lease expires when she dies, and if her
heirs don’t renew it he will lose all of his permanent investments (a restaurant, a store,
and a fixed pier from which floating docks are hung. Why he would still be putting
money into the business is hard to imagine, but he is. Even so, the docks are not in the
best condition, and the cash flow from the operation must be an attractive incentive—he
is booked a year in advance and charges $2.50-$3.75 per foot for dockage.
At about 5:00pm we were all in power-nap mode to prepare for dinner and the
evening. Dinner was inside because of the stiff breeze, and we chatted at the table until
about 10:30—and so to bed.
Block Island RI to Sag Harbor, NY
Yesterday’s stiff wind was still with us. At 9:30am we left the Block Island Boat
Basin and followed a ferry out of Great Salt Pond. We had 4-6 foot following seas as we
headed west into Long Island Sound. The ride was surprisingly comfortable, though gray
overcast diminished the beauty of the trip.
At about 12:30pm we entered the channel into Sag Harbor, and at 1:00pm we
were at Malloy’s Waterfront Marina. We were to back into a slip next to Lord Jim, a
well-known 150-foot Haakvort, but the slip was narrow and a stiff 20-knot wind was
pushing us away from the dock and into the pilings separating our slip from the
downwind slip. It was clear that the wisest action was to abandon the effort and to anchor
outside the breakwater. We crossed over to a nice spot just off of Shelter Island and
dropped the anchor.
At 2:30pm, after lunch, we got into T/T Myeerah and went over to Sag Harbor. It
was the annual Harborfest, and there were lots of people. We walked a few blocks up the
main street, then back to the tender. After a few minutes on the beach, watching a dory
race between two teams of firefighters, we headed back to the boat. At 4:00pm, following
a brief ride along Shelter Island’s shoreline—it is designated a bird sanctuary and there
was no sign of habitation—we returned to Myeerah at 4:00pm.
The wind remained strong into the evening, about 20-25 knots. At dinnertime it
rained heavily for about ½ hour. We were asleep by 11:00pm.
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Sag Harbor, NY to Mystic, CT
The wind is still with us. Hurricane Henri is far away but affecting us. Isabel—a
category 5 storm—is southeast of the Bahamas but projected to hit around North Carolina
in a few days, with a possibility of turning northward toward us. Ben and I have been
discussing where to take Myeerah if it does hit New England. Up the Sheepscot River in
Maine is a good spot. It is protected, well inland and a bit north of the probable path.
. After breakfast the sun came out and it warmed up nicely. At 9:30am we lifted
the anchor and by 10:00am we were sliding by Cedar Point into Long Island Sound. As
we went by the abandoned lighthouse we passed a gorgeous schooner. Ahead of us was
the 100-foot sloop Saudade, which had been anchored near us last night.
The ride across the Sound to Mystic was fairly gentle, with southeast winds of
about 15 knots. As we got out of Long Island’s lee the seas picked up slightly, but the sun
shone through large sections of stratus clouds. Just after Fisher’s Island we reached
Noank, CT and entered a narrow channel filled with marinas and mooring fields. We
went slowly because it was so tight and because we had to wait for the 1:10pm opening
of a swing bridge in Mystic. When we entered Mystic we went through a narrow channel
with nice houses and condominiums. It really was a beautiful ride! At 1:30pm we docked
right at the Mystic River Seaport Museum.
After a walk through the Seaport Museum and a visit to two of the restored old
boats—the whaler Henry Morgan and the Joseph Conrad--we hopped onto T/T Myeerah
and went up the river as far as we could go. The water was quite shallow so we moved
lazily along. It ended at a dilapidated marina with a few old boats. We then retraced our
path and went south past Myeerah to see the hundreds of boats on the river. It was sunny
and warm, a gorgeous day.
We returned to Myeerah and, at 6:00pm, we gathered on the observation deck for
drinks. After a beautiful sunset we had dinner. By 11:00pm we had disbanded. And so to
bed.
Day 4: Monday, September 15
Mystic, CT to Newport, RI
At 8:30am we left the dock, just in time to get the 8:40am swing bridge opening.
It was overcast, with occasional light sprinkles, but the river was very calm. By 9:00am
we were passing Noank, and by 9:30am we were steaming eastward to Newport. Soon a
deepening fog set in, and the last two hours of the trip were slowed by unseen boat
traffic.
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At about 12:00pm we passé Point Judith and began to turn in toward Newport. As
we passed Newport Neck the fog lifted—not a moment too soon because lots of boats
were leaving Newport after the boat show. We contacted the harbormaster and got a large
mooring for the night. At about 12:30pm we were moored and by 1:00pm we were on a
launch being taken to the car at Casey’s Marina.
Epilogue
In spite of some poor weather, this was a fun trip. Wes, Norm, Brooks and I had a
lot in common, and there were deep discussions of important matters. I learned from each
of them, and their enthusiasm for the trip enhanced my experience. Ben, Amanda, and
Lauren were great, as always, and my guests appreciated their professionalism and their
personalities. Some of our destinations were great, such as Block Island and Mystic.
As we returned to Boston, Isabel got closer. Myeerah will go to Boothbay Harbor
so it can sit out bad weather and get to a hurricane hole if Isabel hits in the northeast.
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Newport RI to the Connecticut Shore
Total Trip
Prologue
Fortunately, Isabel didn’t come to Boston-she hit Cape Hatteras as a Category 2
hurricane (low wind speed, only 100mph). Myeerah stayed in Boston.
This was our last chance for a trip in New England before Myeerah heads south
for the winter. We decided to retrace much of the route on the previous trip because Joan
had not been to Block Island or the Connecticut shore.
At 5:00pm on Wednesday, September 24, we started driving to Newport to meet
Myeerah. The traffic down Interstate 93 was miserably heavy—10 mph felt like
breakneck speed. After two hours we arrived at the Newport Shipyard. We hopped onto
T/T Myeerah, and by 7:30pm we were on the boat. After dinner we watched the new
season’s premiere of West Wing, a show that might have revitalized itself.
By 10:30pm I was asleep.
Day 1: Thursday, September 25
The day broke sunny and warmish, with low winds in Newport Harbor. At
10:00am we left our mooring and headed out of Narragansett Bay, behind a large Coast
Guard cutter. There was very little traffic as we set a course toward Block Island. After
some initial swells, we headed into a brisk 20-knot wind, but faced relatively calm seas.
At 11:45am we were entering Great Salt Pond, and at noon we docked at
Champlin’s Resort. Our first spot turned out to have no exit off the dock—it was blocked
by ramps that had been removed for the winter. The dock girl seemed surprised that we
would want to leave the boat—she must have been a native! So we moved to another
spot. Among the few boats there was Who Cares, the expedition-type vessel run by
Amanda and Lauren’s step-boyfriend.
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At 1:30pm, after lunch, Joan and I met a taxi in the parking lot and took an hourlong tour of the island. Our guide was not as informative as the guide two weeks ago, so I
was glad to have taken the earlier tour so I could ask questions that drew information out
of her. At 2:30pm we were dropped off at Champlin’s and we took a walk for about an
hour, visiting the Island Cemetery along the way to check out the life on the island. We
then walked on about a mile toward the airport. It was warm, but not too warm, windy,
but not too windy, and sunny—perhaps too sunny. By 3:30pm we were back at Myeerah.
After a nap, we had our drinks on the cockpit—it was a bit cool, but clear and
beautiful. One of the 90-passenger American Cruise Lines boats, American Glory, arrived
to tie up at Champlin’s fuel dock, behind Who Cares. We had seen her in Newport, where
she was docked at the New York Yacht Club. She seemed empty except for crew. No
passengers had expressed interest in their arrival at Great Salt Pond—not a person was
outside watching the scenery.
After dinner we watched the season premiere of Friends. Then to bed by
10:30pm.
Block Island RI to Old Saybrook, CT
Once again, the day broke sunny and warmish, with very low wind. Great Salt
Pond was flat as a…pond. Who Cares had left but American Glory was still at
Champlin’s fuel dock. Her passengers gathered for taxi tours of the island while we had
breakfast.
At 9:45am I walked Myeerah away from the dock and we headed out of Great
Salt Pond. By 10:00am we had exited the channel and turned westward toward Old
Saybrook. Buzzards Bay and Long Island Sound were dead calm, an unusual situation.
The sun was out the entire 37 miles. This was an unusually good day on the water in
2003, a year of pretty poor weather in the northeast.
At 12:45pm, after a very pleasant ride across Long Island Sound, we arrived on
“J” dock at Saybrook Point Marina, a face dock just inside the mouth of the Connecticut
River, across from Old Lyme. The current was running strong, and the skies were
beginning to get overcast. Joan called friends, Linda and John Callen, who live in Essex
CT, just upriver from Old Saybrook, and invited them to dinner. So we should have a
nice evening.
We took a walk toward the town of Old Saybrook, spending some time at the
Cypress Cemetery looking for Joan’s Fitch family. Finding none, we went to the historic
site of the first fort in Connecticut, built circa 1635. Sited on a salt marsh near the river,
about ¼ mile from the boat, it was a pretty spot.
At 6:00pm the Callens arrived. We had a nice evening, drinks on the observation
deck and dinner on the aft deck. It was a bit windy, and had cooled down from the warm
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and humid day, but it was great fun. After the Callens left at 9:30pm, I watched Sarah
Brightman in Concert. She is a young woman with a beautiful voice and a terrible sense
of fashion. The show was operatic, but so heavily staged that it overshadowed the
voice—too much Andrew Lloyd Webber is just too much! Bedtime was about 10:30pm.
Old Saybrook, CT to Mystic, CT
Our good weather has disappeared. At 7:00am it was gray and foggy, with a light
drizzle. At 9:30am we left the marina and headed out the narrow channel to Long Island
Sound. It was still foggy, with about ½ mile visibility. We turned eastward toward
Mystic. The further we went, the better the visibility. It was only slightly choppy, so we
had a comfortable ride.
In order to get to Mystic Seaport Museum Marina we had to pass through the
Mystic River Drawbridge, which opens 40 minutes after each hour, with the 12:40pm
opening delayed until 1:10pm. It is only 20 miles from Old Saybrook, so we slowed
down as we approached Mystic to time our arrival for the 11:40am opening.
We made it to the 11:40am opening with five minutes to spare, after passing a
marina where a grandfather and his grandchildren shouted at us to slow down. Since we
were going only 6 knots and not leaving a significant wake, I told him that we really
couldn’t. He said we should go on one engine. I said that was out of the question. In order
to educate his grandchildren on the merits of civility, he threw me the bird. Sometimes
people aren’t nice to their fellow boating enthusiasts!
At 12:00pm we were settled at the Mystic Seaport dock after a dodgy docking—
trouble lining up the starboard door and the fenders, with slight dings resulting from
either misplaced fenders or a misplaced boat. Joan and I then had lunch on the aft deck,
in spite of a brisk wind that had sprung up. This was followed by a walk around the
Seaport Museum. The sun came out and the wind died down, so we walked into Mystic.
It is a pretty well kept resort town spread on both sides of the river, with the main road
across the drawbridge connecting the two sides.
By 3:00pm we were back on Myeerah. We were docked right next to a covered
area which, it turned out, was the site of a 375-guest political reception for Congressman
Richard Sims reelection to the 2nd Congressional District of Connecticut: The caterers
were just setting up as we returned. After letting Ben, Amanda and Lauren field the usual
questions about the boat (How long? Who owns it and what does he do? How much did it
cost?, Can I come aboard?), and after the rally had ended at 6:30pm, we had dinner on the
aft deck Then we watched Paul Newman and Woodward in Mr. and Mrs. Bridges, an
excellent movie. Bedtime was about 10:0pm.
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Mystic, CT to Newport, RI
At 7:30am it was cloudy with a fog downriver. We had breakfast and read the
Sunday Times until about 9:20am, when we departed and headed for the Mystic River
Drawbridge’s 9:40am opening. At 9:30am we left the dock, pivoted around, and headed
for the bridge about ½ mile away. We quickly got through, but had to hold position in a
narrow boat-lined channel for about ½ hour because the railway swing bridge, just
beyond the drawbridge, was down
At 10:30am we reached Noank and the entrance to Long Island Sound. We went
across to the harbor at Fisher’s Island and slid along the island’s north (inboard) coast. It
was heavily overcast , but not raining. A sailboat race was on, and the brightly colored
spinnakers gave a summery cast to a wintry-looking day. After a brief stop off the yacht
club, we continued on. At 11:00 we passed the east end, where a huge house (castle) sits
on the point. Though we had some swells off our starboard beam, it was a quiet ride to
Newport. We arrived at Newport Neck at about 1:00pm, and were docked at Bannister’s
Wharf by 1:30pm. A quick walk to get the car at Newport Shipyard, and we were on our
way home.
Epilogue
This was a very nice trip. Myeerah behaved, the crew was great (as always). The
weather had been predicted to be rain but we had only short episodes of light rain, and
every day had a lengthy period of sun. It was good to have just the two of us together.
When the boat gets back to Boston it will have about 400 hours on the engines
since the last failure. Fingers crossed!
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The Chesapeake Bay:
Philadelphia to Norfolk
October 23-28, 2003
Jack and Nancy Curtin
Woody and Elizabeth Ives
Total Trip
Prologue
This trip is a brief interlude while Myeerah goes south to Florida. Amanda and
Lauren had a 10-day vacation in Mexico with family, and on returning they immediately
departed for Philadelphia. The weather was not good, and a day was spent rocking in
Cuttyhunk Harbor before the winds died down to 20 knots. Myeerah headed directly
down the south side of Long Island, enjoying protection from a brisk north wind.
In the morning of Thursday, October 23rd Myeerah arrived at Penn’s Landing
Marina in Philadelphia. We and our guests flew down in the late afternoon, arriving at the
boat at 7:00pm. We had a fine dinner, and were in bed by 11:00am.
The photos of this trip are on the “Chesapeake” section of the DVD Myeerah,
Volume 2, 2003-2004.
Philadelphia, PA to Georgetown, MD
The day broke very cool but sunny and calm. After reading the papers, we had
breakfast and, at 11:00am we left Philadelphia, heading down the Delaware River to the
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. At 2:00pm, after a leisurely ride past refineries, huge
barges, tankers and other commercial facilities, we reached the C&D Canal. Another
hour and we were exiting the canal into the Chesapeake Bay. Throughout the trip, it was
sunny but very cool and breezy.
At 4:00pm we rounded Worth Point and turned into the Sassafras River, heading
toward Georgetown. It was a quiet ride in the sunshine. By 5:00pm we were docked at
Georgetown Yacht Basin, on the Fredericktown side of the river. We walked to the Kitty
Knight House across the bridge in Georgetown and had a drink in the tavern. We were
back at the boat by 6:46pm, ready for dinner.
Georgetown, MD to Annapolis, MD
We got up at 8:00am, last to rise. The Sassafras was flat, the sun was shining, and
it had warmed up overnight, though ice on the bow cushions attested to the low
temperatures at night. Our goal was to get to Annapolis for lunch—Woody craved a
“crab boil.” So we slipped the bonds of earth at 9:00am and headed out the Sassafras.
There was a fair amount of pleasure boat traffic on the Chesapeake, most of it
heading south. We passed dredgers and barges as well, enjoying the houses along the
eastern shore. Passing under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, we saw a naval warship and a
submarine moored in the anchorage outside Annapolis. We entered the Severn River,
passing through a fleet of sailboats, some in a race. One non-racing boat impatiently cut
right across the channel, forcing us to stop and blow five toots. It didn’t faze him!
We reached Annapolis at 1:00pm, docking at the Annapolis Yacht Basin.
Walking into town, we had an all-you-can eat buffet lunch, where Jack demonstrated the
way to eat crayfish, and we all ate far too much. Then we walked up the street to the State
House and explored its historic interior.
Following this we visited the William Paca House and Garden on a 2½-acre plot
on Prince George Street. This was the home of the first governor of Maryland and a
signer of the Declaration of Independence. The house and garden had been completely
restored, and had very little original features. The garden had been totally destroyed
when, in the early 20th century, a hotel was built on it. It’s original features were
identified by archeologists, who could identify the main features. It was rebuilt in the
Georgian fashion, with perfect symmetry. The house was also reconstructed from
information found when it was gutted—lines on an early floor showing walls and doors.
I returned to the boat while Joan and our guests visited the Naval Academy, two
blocks from the Paca House. By 5:30pm everyone was on the boat. Dinner at 8:00pm,
then to bed. The Daylight Saving Time change (Fall Back) occurred overnight.
Annapolis, MD to Little Choptank River via St. Michaels
We got up at 7:00am (the old 8:00am). It was warmer (not warm), with
heavy overcast. By 8:00am fog was building up. A southerly wind at 15 knots was
forecast. Our plan is to leave Annapolis at 9:00am, go the 27 miles to St. Michaels and
explore the town for a couple of hours. Then we will head south to an unidentified
anchorage, getting us closer to Norfolk in case the weather deteriorates further.
Our trip to St. Michaels, normally 27 miles, was about 40 miles because we took a
side trip down the Southern River, just below Annapolis, to see Burr Yacht Sales and the
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duck blinds along the River. At 12:00pm we reached St. Michaels and docked at the
Town Marina. While the crew fueled the boat, we walked past small and narrow houses,
nicely restored, to the Crab Claw Restaurant. There I watched a disgusting sight—five
adults cracking crabs apart, tearing them to shreds, and discarding the shells and body
parts onto the picnic table provided to us. Being fastidious, I chose to be the dedicated
non-crab eater and had a soup and salad.
While we were lunching, a skipjack—a wooden fishing sailboat common to the
Chesapeake Bay--docked at the restaurant. A ketch with a long prow and low freeboard,
the Skipjack is a very pretty boat. Soon after, a 54-foot SeaRay, Paydirt, pulled in. After
we left the restaurant the men wandered back to the boat and the ladies window shopped,
stopping to get ice cream because the exertion of crab-tearing had left them exhausted
and famished. By 3:00pm we were fueled up, and at 3:15pm we left St. Michaels to head
south to the Little Choptank River, where we would anchor for the night. The 36-mile
trip, under overcast skies, got us to the anchorage at about 6:15pm. The entire day had
taken six hours of running time.
After dinner, Joan and our guests played bridge, leaving me isolated and alone. To
take solace, I went down to read and to sleep.
Day 4: Monday, October 27
Little Choptank River to Deltaville, VA
We got up at 7:00am. The skies were very gray and a 20-26 knot wind was
blowing from the south. In spite of the short fetch at our anchorage (about ½ mile), there
were small breaking waves. The night had been comfortable, with a few larger rolls when
the current shifted and we were abeam the seas. At 8:30am we lifted anchor and headed
south. This is a pretty desolate part of the Chesapeake, with few destinations or
anchorages on the eastern shore. Deltaville, VA is about halfway to Norfolk, and is one
of the few towns on the way.
As we headed south we encountered surprisingly small waves, given the brisk
wind. It was a comfortable ride, with very light fog or haze along the shores. At 2:30pm
we turned into the Piankatank River, just south of the Rappahannock, and by 3:00pm we
were docked at the Fishing Bay Harbor Marina (next to the 2001 Fleming 55 named
Grand Lady). After settling in, we walked around, visiting Deagle’s Boat Yard, where a
111-foot Trumpy, circa 1930, was being completely rebuilt. John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s
64-foot sloop Manitou was in a shed being rebuilt, and a gorgeous Lake Union (Seattle)
ferry boat at the dock, nearing late stages of rebuilding. Deltaville once billed itself as the
Boat Building Capital of the World, and wooden boats seem to be a specialty.
We walked through the boat storage yard, checking out the different hulls—both
sail and motor. After hiding under a Chris Craft’s hull during a heavy downpour, we
returned to Myeerah. It was very gray, and the forecast of afternoon thunderstorms
seemed more real than it had been earlier.
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Returning to Myeerah at about 4:00pm, we rested and read. Bridge began at about
5:30pm and lasted till almost 7:00pm. Then our last supper, followed by bedtime.
Day 5: Tuesday, October 28
Deltaville, VA to Norfolk, VA
Up at 7:30am, we planned an 8:30am departure. It was cool and gray, with about
a 10-15 knot wind from the north. Ben and Jack talked to an oysterman whose well-kept
boat, Three Sons, was being hauled out of the water. He reported that the oyster
population was sharply down. The reason is not known, but Jack told us that he knew an
oyster specialist who said that oysters require specific salinity. If the Chesapeake’s
salinity changes, they either relocate or become targets of disease and parasites.
Just before departing at 9:00am, I talked with Ron, the owner of Grand Lady and,
I think, the owner of the marina. He told me that Fleming is starting a 65-foot model,
adding it to the Fleming 55 and Fleming 75. We left slowly, in part because there are
winding shoals around Flying Bay, and partly because our main GPS was not working.
We shifted to the backup GPS and located the problem with the main system—a loose
wire.
About 10 miles short of the entrance channel to Norfolk we began to experience
vibration and the starboard engine wouldn’t maintain more than 1600 RPMs. We
anchored in 20 feet of water in 1-3 foot seas, and Ben dove to see if we had a crab pot
line wrapped around the shaft. The vertical movement of the boat was too great so we
aborted the attempt. Upon restarting the engines and moving up to cruising speed, we
found that the vibration was gone and the engine was able to maintain 1800 RPMs. The
problem was ultimately diagnosed as dirty fuel filters, probably from stirring up sediment
in the fuel tanks during bad weather, and from our last refueling, where we were drawing
from the last few gallons in the marina’s tank.
At 12:30pm we reached the outer channel, leaving about 10 miles to go to the
Waterside Marina at “Statute Mile Zero” on the ICW. It continued to be gray and cool.
Turning into the channel, we saw a large navy helicopter pulling a small boat across the
water—some sort of training exercise. We passed the naval yard, with several carriers
and destroyers berthed side-by-side, and entered the Elizabeth River. At 2:00pm we were
docked at Waterside Marina, in front of Misty, a 100-foot gray-hulled Burger from
Newport, RI. The Ives got a cab to the airport to rent a car for a two-day visit to
Williamsburg. It began to rain heavily just before we and the Curtins caught a cab to the
airport for a private 4:00pm flight to Boston. We left the grounds at about 3:45pm and at
5:00pm we landed at Logan. By 5:30pm we were home.
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Cruising the Caribbean: The Virgin Islands
December 26, 2003 - January 7, 2004
Charlie and Ethel Hamann
Stephen and Gina White
Total Trip
252 miles, 22 hours running time,11.5 kts average speed
Prologue
This is a two-week rip. The first week is with good friends, the Whites and the
Hamanns, who had joined us for the Charleston to Savannah trip in early November,
2002. The second week is Joan and me alone. The photos of the trip are on the “Virgin
Islands” section of the DVD Myeerah, Volume 2, 2003-2004.
Some historical background: Before the discovery of America there was, in
Europe, the notion that a land called Antilia existed across the Atlantic. When the islands
of the Caribbean were discovered they were named the Antilles. Cuba, the Dominican
Republic, Puerto Rico and Jamaica form the Greater Antilles, being the largest of the
islands. The Lesser Antilles are the chain of small islands that falls like water drops from
the east end of Puerto Rico down to the northern coast of Venezuela.
The Lesser Antilles start with a cluster of islands just east of Puerto Rico, called
the Virgin Islands. The chain below the Virgin Islands is composed of two parts. The
Leeward Islands begin with St. Martin and Anguila and end, roughly at Guadeloupe and
Dominica. The Windward Islands are the lower portion of the Lesser Antilles, ranging
from Martinique down to Trinidad, just off of Venezuela. The trade winds come from the
east, generally northeast, providing the basis for the distinction between the Windward
Islands, the easternmost islands in the chain, and the Leeward Island.
The U.S. Virgin Islands consist of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. Isla de
Viecques, where I spent time as a young Marine during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962,
is in the vicinity but is part of The Spanish Virgin Islands. St. Thomas and St. Croix are
the most densely populated. St. John is largely a National Park, and is sparsely populated
elsewhere. Houses perch on steep hills like birds waiting to drop on their prey.
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The British Virgin Islands are Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke Island and
several smaller islands, such as Peter Island, Norman Island, and, to the northeast,
Anegada. They are less densely populated and more congenial for the yachtsman wanting
to leave civilization. There are some large towns—Road Town on Tortola, Spanish Town
on Virgin Gorda--but they are not highly developed and are tucked into pockets between
the water and the high ridges.
The Virgin Islands are in a very small area—we were on, or passed by, all except
Anegada, and we steamed only 250 miles in 13 days. They are volcanic in origin, with
mountain ridges as high as 1200 feet falling down to shores lined with thin strips of
mangroves. The vegetation is lush low bushes and trees, with cactus interspersed. There
are few native birds, the result of importing the mongoose to eliminate the rats brought in
by ships: Apparently, the effort failed because the rats were nocturnal and the mongoose
were not, but the mongoose did eliminate the native birds.
The Christmas Winds generally come from the northeast at a steady 18-23 knots
during December through April. This is enough to create steep breaking waves in the
narrow passages between islands. The winds can become accelerated near shore as they
come off of the high ridges and fall down to the lee shore, so one gets the wind even if
one is anchored in the lee. The weather at this time of year is normally dry
Day 1: Friday, December 26
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas to Maho Bay, St. Johns
After a 7:30am departure from Logan, and a plane change in San Juan, we arrived
at Charlotte Amalie Airport on St. Thomas at 1:30pm (12:30pm Boston time). The
Hamanns and the Whites arrived on a different flight at about the same time. Ben was to
pick us all up in a van, but the van’s radiator was broken so he had only a small car. We
went in two short trips to the dinghy dock at Charlotte Amalie, where Amanda met us
with T/T Myeerah and took us to Myeerah. There was local color on the way: We passed
a line of large boats that were Med-moored at a quay. One was a 250-foot yacht, Leander
that reportedly chartered for $450,000 per week; another was D’Natalin II, a 150-footer
from St. Louis, MO. When we reached the dinghy dock there was a homeless black man
who had staked out his spot in a small boat. He was shaving when we arrived, but
Amanda reported he had recently been passed out. What a contrast!
After we were all aboard, at about 2:30pm, we had lunch while Ben returned the
car to Red Hook at the eastern end of the island, getting a cab back. At 4:00pm we lifted
the anchor and headed out the channel, passing a large cruise ship that was anchored
offshore, unable to come in because the company had filed for bankruptcy and couldn’t
pay the fees. Apparently, all 700 passengers were trapped aboard until January 4, 2004.
Turning north toward St. John, we encountered some swells. Passing by the town
of Cruz Bay, we headed to Maho Bay, on the northwest side of St. John. We anchored off
of Maho Point, surrounded by several beautiful beaches at Francis Bay, Maho Bay, and
Cinnamon Bay. We were anchored with a lot of sailboats and several large motorboats,
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including Unity, a 125-foot Palmer Johnson that had been docked next to Myeerah at Ft.
Lauderdale Marine Center in March. At that time she was being finished for her maiden
voyage to the Bahamas. Palmer Johnson had just declared bankruptcy and the owner had
taken Unity out of the shipyard in Savannah to have her finished in Ft. Lauderdale. Also
anchored near us was Va Bene, a 150-foot Trinity-like boat.
After a brief trip to the beach at Maho Bay, we returned to Myeerah, cleaned up,
and went to the observation deck for cocktails. Then, after a fine dinner, it was bedtime.
By 10:00pm I was in bed and asleep. Others followed.
Day 2: Saturday, December 27
Maho Bay, St. John to Hurricane Hole, Coral Bay, St. John
Joan and I got up at 8:30am, the last to rise. It was warm and sunny in the cockpit
as we had breakfast. After that, I took everyone to the beach at Cinnamon Bay. While the
Whites snorkeled, and Joan and the Hamanns swam and walked the beach, I took T/T
Myeerah on a tour around the area. On the way, I saw a new Fleming 55, Special
Occasion, from Philadelphia, passing by. By noon I had picked the others up at the
beach, and we were back at the boat for lunch at 12:30pm. It began to rain, and we
decided to take Myeerah to the town of Cruz Bay and take an island tour. To avoid
raising the tender to the boat deck, Charlie and I drove her. We left at 1:30pm, just as
heavy rain began.
It was still raining when we reached Cruz Bay, so the island tour was nixed. We
decided to go around the north side of St. John to Coral Bay at the southeastern end of the
island. Charlie and I followed in T/T Myeerah. The Narrows—the passage between St.
John and Tortola--was beautiful, but we encountered swells that made the tender ride a
bit tender. We reached Coral Bay at about 3:00pm, and by 3:30pm we were anchored in
one of the five small coves that make up Hurricane Hole. We were protected on three
sides, just off of a small beach with an old tattered chair hanging from a tree, and a small
goat bleating at us. The goat went away, the chair stayed.
Charlie and I stayed on Myeerah while Amanda and Lauren took everyone else to
the town of Coral Bay, a couple of miles away. At about 6:00pm they returned, and I took
the tender to Coral Bay for a drive by. The harbor was filled with sailboats, most from the
mainland. As it turned dark, I returned to the boat and by 7:00pm we were having
cocktails in the cockpit. After dinner we watched a DVD of White Oleander, and so to
bed.
Day 3: Sunday, December 28
Hurricane Hole, Coral Bay, St. John to Marina Cay, Tortola via Jost Van Dyke Island
Awake at 7:30am, I went out to the cockpit with coffee and watched the patchy
sun glide over the high green hills. There was a fresh wind, about 15 knots, and we
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rotated on the anchor chain until the stern came within 50 feet of the shore. Still, we had
15 feet of water—the joys of volcanic islands!
At 8:30am Ethel came up, the second to emerge from their stateroom. A brief
rainsquall blew by, and Ben took the tender to Coral Bay to deposit the trash. At 10:30am
we left our snug anchorage in sunlight and headed through the Narrows between St. John
and Tortola to Great Harbor at Jost Van Dyke Island. After passing Soper’s Hole, we
crossed the sound and at 12:00pm, after a very leisurely 10-mile ride, we arrived at the
little crowded harbor, with incoming swells causing a rock and roll. The waterfront is
charming but very Spartan, dominated by Foxy’s, a bar owned by a fellow who
essentially started the tourist trade on the island back in the 1960’s—it is famous among
the dissolute yachting crowd.
We piled into the tender and Ben drove us to a gorgeous beach about a mile from
the harbor, ranked as one of the world’s top 20 beaches. At one end is the Soggy Dollar
Bar, where we had an island lunch and watched the beautiful young things in their tiny
bathing suits. The Soggy Dollar got its name because boats anchor offshore and
customers swim in to pay with soggy dollars. The beach is long and thin, but it has very
white sand and the water is scrumptious. The bar is owned by Foxy’s son.
After an hour-long lunch and another hour swimming under the warm sun in the
warm water, Ben returned to pick us up. While returning to Myeerah he reported that two
sailboats had dragged their anchors in Jost Van Dyke harbor and had gotten entangled.
The owner of one boat was not on board, having gone to Foxy’s to enjoy happy hour.
Lauren had gone in to pull him out of the bar, and the boats eventually became separated.
We talked to the owner of a nearby sailboat that had come in after us--it couldn’t leave
because it couldn’t get its anchor up, and the owner wondered if we had crossed anchors
with them. Several bareboat charters arrived, two of them 56-foot Horizons from Virgin
Trader, and we decided that it was getting too crowded at Jost Van Dyke. At 4:00pm we
lifted the anchor and left while the little sailboat was still trying to lift its anchor.
The wind picked up as we crossed over the sound to the St. John-Tortola passage,
passing Soper’s Hole on the way. Our first goal was to go to an anchorage on Peter
Island, the wind picked up and shifted so that it blew directly into that harbor. So we
redirected to Road Town on Tortola, across from Peter Island. The anchorage there was
too small, so we headed up the coast to an anchorage at the northeast end of Tortola,
southwest of Marina Cay, between Beef Island and Great Camanoe Island. On the way
we were hit by several squalls with 35-knot winds. At 6:00pm we entered the anchorage
with several large boats, including Va Bene, which we had seen at Maho Bay, and a large
expedition-style trawler, Shandor, from Georgetown.
The wind stayed very brisk, at about 30 knots. We decided to have our
entertainment inside, and at 7:00pm we gathered for drinks in the salon. By 8:00pm we
had dinner, and at 9:00pm we were all in our separate spaces—some reading in the salon,
others in their staterooms. Bedtime was not much later.
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Day 4: Monday, December 29
Marina Cay, Tortola to The Bitter End, Virgin Gorda
After a pretty rocky night, occasioned by high winds and swells from water pushing
through the passage between Beef Island and Great Camanoe Island, we got up at about
8:00am. It was still windy—the “Christmas Winds” definitely were underway, and it was
forecast to be 20-knot winds from the NNE for several days; but at least it was sunny. At
about 10:00am we started out for Gorda Sound at the northeast end of Virgin Gorda,
where the famous Bitter End Resort is located. There were large breaking waves on the
beam and bow—some in the 8-10 foot range. One caught us with such force that Gina
White was thrown out of her chair in the cockpit. Fortunately, she wasn’t hurt beyond a
severe bruise, but the going was slow as we tacked up the Virgin Gorda Coast.
We entered the narrow channel between Prickly Pear Island and Mosquito Island,
with a brutal reef on one side and rocks on the other. A following sea pushed us around a
bit, and several boats exiting the channel at the same time made it a bit crowded, but we
finally entered calm water. Gorda Sound, also called North Sound, is a large bay-like
expanse bordered by several islands. With deep water it is a popular big boat destination
as well as crowded with sailboats. At one end is Bitter End Resort and Biras Creek, and
in the middle on the mainland is Leverick Bay, with a hotel, restaurant and small marina.
We headed toward the main anchorage at the Bitter End, where a number of very large
boats were anchored: the ubiquitous Unity, the 150-foot D’Natalin II from St. Louis MO,
which we had seen in Charlotte Amalie, and a 200-footer named Boadicea, from
Georgetown. 1 A large sailboat, about 110 feet, named Timaroon, was also anchored, as
was a moderate-sized cruise ship, Le Levant.
It took a while to find a place. The first spot, in Biras Creek, was about 50 feet
deep and was directly in the wind that blew over the reef past Saba Rock. Eventually we
found a place very near shore in the lee of Prickly Pear Island. We put out a stern anchor
to prevent swinging into shallow water, and settled down for lunch.
After lunch I took Amanda and Steve White to a scuba diving shop on shore so
they could go on a diving trip to one of the local reefs. I returned to the boat and stayed
there while Lauren took everyone else into Bitter End for a walk around the resort. At
about 3:00pm I picked the walkers up and returned to the boat. When we arrived we
found that a sailboat had swung so that it was almost hitting us—it had been moored at
some distance when we arrived, but currents had shifted and we weren’t swinging in
unison. At the same time, we began to swing and found that as the stern went toward the
shore we had only ½ foot of water. So we decided to relocate.
While relocating, Amanda and Steve returned from scuba diving and I picked
them up at the dock. They had gone to Great Dog Island, off Virgin Gorda, where they
1
Boadicea, also written Boudicca, was the Celtic queen of the Iceni who led a rebellion in Britain against
the Romans in the reign of Emperor Claudius. The name appears as the name of a French warship in The
Mauritius Command, the fourth volume of the fictional naval histories written by Patrick O’Brien.
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had swum through a plane wreck and around a coral reef. Amanda returned to Myeerah
to help Ben, and Steve came with me in the tender. Our first relocation effort was to go to
the other end of Gorda Sound, in the lee of Mosquito Island. The tender ride across the
opening between two islands was a wet one, but once Myeerah and T/T Myeerah were
across, we found that we couldn’t avoid swells without entering water too shallow for us.
So we returned to the Bitter End and anchored near our original spot in Biras Creek. Greg
Norman’s 175-foot Aussie Rules had arrived, as had the 150-foot Enterprise V, whose
owner also owns the Peter Island Resort. We noticed that all the big boats had put out two
anchors, even though some has at-rest stabilizers. So we put out two anchors and it
seemed to limit our swinging, keeping us from getting the waves on our beam. So there
we stayed.
At 6:30pm we met in the cockpit for drinks. It was still windy outside, so we
would have dinner inside. After dinner we watched Office Space. At 10:30pm we went to
bed. The wind had died down, and the anchorage was filled with boat lights. It was a
lovely evening.
Day 5: Tuesday, December 30
At the Bitter End, Virgin Gorda
Before breakfast Steve and Gina took T/T Myeerah on a tour of the harbor,
checking out the big boats. After a 9:00am breakfast, during which we almost saw a
nearby sea turtle, we prepared for an excursion by taxi to The Baths, a rock formation at
the west end of Virgin Gorda, where you can walk through “rooms” formed by the rocks,
and where the snorkeling is supposed to be great. By 10:30am we were on our way in the
tender to the dinghy dock at Leverick Bay Hotel, where Pusser’s, a clothing store, is
located.. On the way we passed the Seaborne Legend and the Yorktown Clipper, both
motor cruise ships, and a very large sailing cruise ship, had come in during the night.
We called a taxi and soon a red pickup truck, fitted out with an awning and with
seats in the bed, arrived. We were off to The Baths. The ride was arduous—up long steep
hills till we thought that the truck couldn’t make it, and then down long steep hills till we
wondered if the brakes would hold. Up and down, up and down, until at 11:45am we
finally arrived at a parking lot high above the ocean. The views along the way were
spectacular—high ridges and deep bays.
After a steep and rock-strewn walk down a long path to the water, we arrived at a
beach. Entering a low cave-like passage, we walked through passages of beach and surf
between huge rock formations. At one point it seemed too treacherous, and, fearing an
ankle sprain or worse, I turned back while everyone else continued on. At about 12:45pm
they returned and we climbed the path back to the parking lot and to our truck, which had
returned to meet us for a 1:00pm departure.
Then it was up and down again, until we arrived at 1:30pm at the Leverick Bay
Hotel where we had started. We had a slow lunch at the outdoor restaurant. Afterward
Charlie, Steve and I took T/T Myeerah back to the boat while the ladies shopped at
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Pusser’s. Ben met the ladies in T/T Myeerah while I took Papoose on a ride. I took Steve
to the Bitter End Resort where he rented a windsurfer for an hour. After the ladies
returned with Ben, Gina and I picked Steve up at 4:45pm and by 5:00pm we were all
back at the boat.
After some power naps, we had drinks and dinner, then we watched Stanley
Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, one of my favorite movies, with lush photography mimicking
Gainsborough’s style of painting, heavy period music that fits the ambiance perfectly,
and a tragic-comic plot about a poor and innocent young man who becomes a rich
dissolute older man through the preferred route of the 18th century: marriage. The movie
ended just before midnight, and so to bed.
Day 6: Wednesday, December 31
The Bitter End, Virgin Gorda to Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda
At 8:15am we got up after a pretty quiet night. The wind had shifted a bit, but
it was still about 15-20 knots from the east. Even so, the breaking waves in Gorda Sound
had disappeared. We raised both tenders, and at 11:00am we lifted the anchors and began
to exit the Sound. Our destination was the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor in Spanish Town,
8 miles to the south. As we approached Spanish Town, we learned that the slip had not
been cleared by the previous night’s tenant by the check-out time of 11:00am: We would
have to wait until 2:00pm. We tried to find protection behind Great Dog Rock, between
Spanish Town and Marina Cay, Tortola, but the swells were wrapping around the island
and we couldn’t get close enough to avoid them. So we went another 5 miles to a bay on
the south side of Beef Island, Tortola, This was just about a mile south of Marina Cay,
where we had spent the night on our third day.
Our temporary anchorage, where we had lunch, was a very pretty position facing
a high green point with a nearby reef. I was entertained by Ben’s frequent calls to Virgin
Gorda Yacht Harbor in Spanish Town to find out our status. They didn’t answer on the
radio, and he was getting the run-around on the telephone. I figured that the boat that had
overstayed was simply not going to leave such a nice spot on New Year’s Eve, and that
we were one chair short in a game of musical chairs. But eventually Ben’s persistence
paid off, and we headed across Sir Francis Drake Channel to Virgin Gorda.
The entrance to the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor was very tricky: Around a reef
and through a narrow and shallow channel, bordered by rock jetties, which took a 90degree hairpin turn. Swells crowded the channel, making control a challenge. Once
inside, Ben skillfully spun Myeerah in a space not much wider than the boat was long,
then he backed into a space between two boats, the 100-foot Elisabeth F from London
and a 71-foot Ferretti, Lysandra, from Road Harbour. There was about 110 feet of space
for our 90-foot boat, and Ben did a great job of gently docking us. The crew on the other
two boats were ready with fenders, clearly worried that the tight fit and angled backing
down would lead to disaster. But they were disappointed by the successful docking and
quickly lost interest. At 2:30pm we were docked safely in a very pretty but very small
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yacht harbor. There were only three other large boats—the Elisabeth F in front of us, the
Lysandra behind us, and another Ferretti, the 94-foot Carola, near us on the port quarter..
That three Ferrettis were allowed into such a small harbor at the same time attested to the
dockmaster’s poor risk management skills.
Just before 4:00pm we all took a walk, going past the harbor and over a goatfilled field to a nearby beach, where we swam and some of us (the Whites) snorkeled.
The water was a bit cool, and it quickly got cooler as the sun settled lower, but it was
crystal clear and the bottom was a shell-free fine sand. Quite nice! Locals came to swim,
and the island ferry for the workers arrived at the adjacent concrete pier, steaming in at a
good speed, picking up passengers, and steaming out just as quickly. There seemed to be
a lot of activity for such an isolated town.
By 5:00pm we were back at the boat, cleaning up for our New Year’s dinner at
Little Dix Bay Resort, in the adjacent bay to the east. This was to be our big night out
after many nights on the boat, and we all looked forward to it. At 6:30pm we met in the
salon for a drink before catching a cab to Little Dix Bay. At 7:30pm we took a taxi to
Little Dix Bay Resort—it was driven by David Henry, called “De Goose,” who had
cleverly named his taxi “De Goose.”
After a drink on the veranda overlooking the bay, we went to the Sugar Mill
Restaurant for dinner. The food was very good, its quality matched by its price, but
unfortunately we were too close to the band, whose use of amplified bass was almost
deafening. At 11:45pm we took De Goose back to the boat, and watched the fireworks
from the observation deck. There were three displays, the closest at Little Dix, another
across the Channel at Marina Cay, Tortola, and a third at Road Town, Tortola. By
1:00am we were in bed, soon to sleep. At about 2:00am we were briefly awakened by a
series of booms from a late fireworks action, probably by some slow locals. But sleep
quickly returned.
Day 7: Thursday, January 1, 2004
Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda to Road Harbour, Tortola, via Peter Island
I slept until 10:00am, when I was told to get my lazy bones up because we had to
leave at 11:00am. At about 11:30am we left the harbor just behind Lysandra, heading
southwest on Sir Frances Drake Channel to Peter Island, directly across from Road
Harbour. At 12:30pm we entered an anchorage in the bay just south of the Peter Island
Yacht Club. We tucked up as far as we could go, dropped the anchor, then swam and had
lunch. It was very windy, as usual, but sunny and pleasant. Steve and Charlie swam
around the boat a couple of times, working hard and going slow against the current up the
starboard side, then racing with the current down the port side. They and the ladies then
drifted about at the stern corralled by a loop of lines to keep the current from sweeping
them away.
At 2:00pm we left our anchorage and continued southwest to Norman Island, just
across from Tortola and St. John. By 2:30pm we had arrived in a large but congested
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harbor. We circled the harbor, passing Shandor, the expedition-style trawler first seen at
Marina Cay, and Blue Harem, a very large motor yacht. A dinghy was pulling a long
inflatable banana-like tube with several children on it, and all seemed peaceful as we left
the harbor and passed The Indians, two rock formations off Norman Island popular with
snorkelers, on our way to a dock in Roadtown, the BVI capital.
At about 3:00pm we were docked at the Village Cay Marina, next to Magic, a
100-foot Trinity, near Issimo , a 100-plus footer, and across from Lysandra. Near us was
the marina for The Moorings, a bareboat charter company that has been around since the
early 1960s—lots of sailboats in the Islands are bareboat charters. The Hamanns and we
took a walk along the waterfront. All the shops were closed for New Year’s Day, and
there were no signs of tourists except for the Holland-American ship MasDam that was
just leaving Road Harbour. The gasoline fumes along the waterfront were dense even
though there was almost no traffic. They must have been trapped by the 1200-foot hills
rising sharply over the waterfront. It was not a pretty place!
After returning to Myeerah, Joan joined the others at the small pool while I took a
much-deserved rest, having done nothing to earn it. At 7:00pm we met on the observation
deck for drinks. Beside us was an 80-foot Hatteras from Kingstown, Amphora. She had
been coming down from Florida at the same time as Myeerah, and they kept changing the
lead because, while Amphora could cruise at 22 knots, she had to stop for fuel often.
Apparently, while on watch in the middle of the night, off Puerto Rico, Ben had heard her
captain call the Coast Guard to report that they were being followed by a boat with its
lights out. It turned out that it was a Customs and Immigration boat that was suspicious of
them. They were stopped, boarded, handcuffed, and held at gunpoint until the police were
satisfied.
After dinner I tried to get our guests their American Airlines boarding passes on
the internet, but our satellite service was so slow that I gave up. I went to bed early while
everyone else read in the salon.
Day 8: Friday, January 2, 2004
Road Harbour, Tortola to Soper’s Hole, Tortola via Red Hook, St. Thomas
This is the last day for the Whites and Hamanns. We had breakfast at 8:00am to
get an early start to St. Thomas, where they would get their flight back to Boston. It was
cloudy and cool (for the Islands), and we started our 14-mile ride to Red Hook at 9:00am.
At 10:15am we arrived at Red Hook but decided to cruise around until 11:30am, when
we went into a fuel dock to unload and get enough fuel to justify our use of the dock. As
we approached the dock, a large island ferry, Virgin Pride, passed us on our a port side
and turned directly in front of us to get to its dock—no warning at all! After the Whites
and the Hamanns took a cab at 11:45pm, we departed, backing out of the tight channel
because there was little room to spin. Just as we began to back by the Virgin Pride‘s
dock, after clearly giving the mandatory three short horn signals, the ferryboat decided to
back out into us, giving its three toots well after we had. The contest was on, and after
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some furious horn tooting the Virgin Pride stopped to let us by. Perhaps the term “local
knowledge” means “no brains.” The driver is an accident waiting to happen.
With Joan and I the only passengers, we decided to go to Magens Bay on the
north side of St. Thomas. Surrounded by high hills, it has a long beach, touted as one of
the best in the Virgin Islands. The early gray skies, with squalls in the distance, had given
way to sun. As we rounded a point into the bay, the swells were quite large, pushing us
from behind. We saw a Bluefin motorboat leaving as we entered: Designed as a quietwater cruising boat with low freeboard, it was burying its bow into the swells. We
anchored facing into the familiar 15-20 knot wind with swells at our stern and settled
down to lunch. We certainly weren’t going to stay long, but it was a beautiful spot. Near
us was only one other boat, Aussie Rules. Its companion sportfishing boat was rafted to it,
and several jet skis were in use. We suspect that it was chartered and that Greg Norman
was not aboard.
At 1:30pm, after lunch at Magens Bay, we retraced our way down the back side
of St. Thomas and continued past Maho Bay on St. John to Soper’s Hole at the west end
of Tortola. Soper’s Hole is a well-known sailboat harbor with pastel-colored buildings
along the waterfront—clearly the upscale part of Tortola. It is ringed by high hills and
houses perched precariously on them. There were very few motorboats and lots of
sailboats. After docking at 3:00pm, Joan and I took a walk through the shops at Soper’s
Hole Marina. At 5:00pm we took a tour of the harbor to check out the boats. The 100foot Timeroon and Galileo were both anchored at the outer harbor; the latter is from
Portland, Oregon. After dinner at 7:30pm we watched the local TV channels for a while
(we are out of the area for the satellite TV), and at 9:30pm I was sound asleep
Day 9: Saturday, January 3, 2004
Soper’s Hole, Tortola to Soper’s Hole, Tortola, via Waterlemon Bay, St. John
6 nm, ½ hours, 12.0 kts
After a much-needed eleven-hour sleep, we got up at about 8:00am. Soper’s Hole
was busy with boats entering, leaving, and just driving by. At a bit after 11:00am we left
our dock, having made reservations there for tonight as well. Our destination was
Waterlemon Bay, adjacent to Leinster Bay where the Annaberg Sugar Plantation Ruins
are located. It is about a 3-mile ride. I drove the tender over so we wouldn’t have to raise
and lower it for such a short trip.
Leaving the dock was a challenge—the bow line had gotten jammed in the dock
cleat and had to be hammered loose. But the ride to Waterlemon Bay was pleasant, and
soon Myeerah was anchored with several sailboats in quiet water. Ben took us in the
tender to a small beach at the foot of the road going up to the Annaberg Plantation. It sits
on a step hill overlooking Leinster Bay, with a view into Soper's Hole. The hillside was
once filled with sugar cane. The cane would be crushed at the mill, either by a windmill
on windy days or by horses turning a mill on windless days. The juice ran in pipes down
to a holding tank. From there it was ladled into a series of vats, finally ending up in the
“last vat.” Drained at the right time, it dried into sugar crystals. Drained too early it
became molasses and was turned into rum.
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After a half-hour tour of the plantation, we walked along a road on the waterfront.
It turned into a rocky pathway that led to a beautiful beach at Waterlemon Bay. Ben
picked us up at the beach and, at 1:30pm, we had lunch on the boat. It had turned into a
gorgeous day—warm and cloudless. The Hamanns and the Whites would have loved it.
After lunch, Ben took us to the beach and we swam and snorkeled for well over an hour.
There were small green minnows and larger fish with yellow fins and black tails. Around
a coral reef there were even larger brightly-colored fish, as well as waving fans of coral.
It really was neat.
At about 4:00pm Myeerah headed back to Soper's Hole Marina, and we took a
nap. At 6:30pm we walked to the Pusser’s store to get floppy wide-brimmed hats, called
“Tilley Hats,” then we walked back to the boat for dinner. At 9:00pm we settled down to
watch Heartbreakers, a comedy about con artists conning other con artists. It was cute
but the ads became more frequent and I bailed out at 11:00pm. Joan stayed with it until
11:30pm. Someday we’ll see how it ends.
Day 10: Sunday, January 4, 2004
Soper's Hole, Tortola to Peter Island via Jost Van Dyke Island
Up by 8:30am, the sun was out and the wind had died down. A rain shower
quickly moved through the harbor. At about 11:00am, we left Soper's Hole to go the five
miles to Jost Van Dyke, where we would anchor and have lunch at Foxy’s. I drove the
tender across. In spite of gusts up to 40 knots, it wasn’t too bad a ride. We arrived at
11:30pm and Ben took us to Foxy’s dock.
After walking up the steep road to an overlook at the east end of the Jost Van
Dyke’s Great Harbor, we walked back to Foxy’s for flying fish sandwiches. Then a walk
along “Main Street,” a sand path along the beach where stores and a church are located,
and by 2:00pm we were back at Myeerah with the tender loaded aboard, heading toward
Peter Island about 15 miles away. It was sunny and the wind had become brisk.
We reached the Peter Island Resort in Sprat Bay at 3:30pm. The bay is very small,
with a narrow entrance leading to a small area with a T-dock and several moorings. It is
shallow, about 8 feet, and a 20-25 knot wind came directly on our beam. Ben wrestled the
boat up to the dock, and, after a mighty battle, we were secure. Our dock was the normal
spot for Enterprise V, the large yacht we had seen at the Bitter End on Virgin Gorda—it
is owned by the owner of Peter Island Resort. The Carola and the Amphora were there,
and their captains both reported that they had tried docking at the same face dock but had
given up; they took the only two large-boat spots that faced directly into the wind.
Ben had a long conversation with the captain of Carola, the almost-new 94-foot
Ferretti we had first seen at Spanish Town. He was not happy with his boat. With
1800HP MTUs, he considered it underpowered because it had never achieved its rated
cruising speed of 24 knots. It had no stabilizers, so it wallowed a lot. The gelcoat had
started blistering soon after delivery, and it had been repainted for $110,000: Ferretti had
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said it would pay, but it only paid $75,000. After that, a hot water hose broke because of
an installation problem--several staterooms were drowned just before the owner and
guests arrived for a cruise. Because this happened three days after the warranty expired,
Ferretti refused responsibility. All in all, it makes us feel better to know that we aren’t the
only victims, and that, in fact, we have come out pretty well.
Joan and I took a short walk around the resort. While Joan shopped, I checked our
email at the office—our internet facility is still out. At 5:30pm we started to clean up for
an onshore dinner at the resort’s Tradewinds Restaurant. After a very good dinner, we
returned to the boat, read for a while, and were asleep at about 10:30pm.
Day 11: Monday, January 5, 2004
Peter Island to Waterlemon Bay, St. John
Awake at 7:30am, the skies were gray and the winds remained high. The wind on
our starboard beam had placed considerable tension on the dock lines, and we had heard
the stretching and snapping all night long. At 8:30am heavy rain began. This is the worst
weather we’ve had so far. We have been trying to communicate with American Airlines
about our flight time on Wednesday, but its automated system doesn’t seem to understand
our satellite phone (it is voice only, and hears “January” as “June.”). So I used the Peter
Island internet facility.
At about 10:00am, Joan and I started on a walk over a hill to a beach. But as we
reached the top of the hill, a tropical downpour started. Fortunately, one of the jitneys for
shuttling guests was coming by, so we took it back to the dock. The rain continued for
some time, but at 11:00am the wind died down a bit and we left the dock on a bayhunting trip. We first went to Great Harbor, the adjacent bay on the west side of Sprat
Bay, but it was too exposed and it was filled with boats. We then went next door to Little
Harbor—ditto. So we decided to go across to Waterlemon Bay on St. John, where we had
spent the afternoon on Saturday. It was almost empty, and we dropped two anchors with
the idea of staying for the night. By 12:00pm we were settled in. The sun had come out,
and the wind was still at its normal 20-25 knots.
After lunch, Ben took Joan and me to the beach for a walk and a swim. We
followed a rocky, rain-cut, path up the side of the hill on Waterlemon Bay to an old ruin.
It was about ½ of the way up the hill at the point overlooking Waterlemon Cay. It was a
large, very old, structure, built out of rock on a step-like foundation going down the hill.
It might have been a house for senior management at the Annaberg Plantation a mile
away, or it might have been part of an old sugar mill, though it didn’t have the windmill
like the one at the Annaberg Plantation. At the very top of the hill was a much larger ruin
that we didn’t walk to but could see with binoculars from the boat.
After returning to the beach we swam and snorkeled until about 3:00pm, then we
returned to the boat and read, rested, and recuperated from our exertions. We decided to
stay for the night. After dinner we watched local TV, then went to bed early.
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Day 12: Tuesday, January 6, 2004
Waterlemon Bay, St. John to Hurricane Hole, Coral Bay, St. John via Jost Van Dyke
This was our last full day in the Virgin Islands. It had been a rocky night, though
not as bad as the night at Marina Cay. When I got up at 7:30am, it was raining and gray,
but the wind had died down. Even though we had set two anchors, we had dragged about
50 yards into the outer edges of a mooring field. Fortunately, there were no nearby boats.
At 10:00am we lifted the anchors, put the tender in tow, and headed across to Jost
Van Dyke yet again. Our goal was Green Cay at the east end—pictures of it showed a
very small cay with a center of lush vegetation completely surrounded by a beautiful
white sand beach. On this gray day with fog (actually, more like low clouds), Green Cay
showed its potential, but not its allure. Nearby Sandy Cay, with a beach at one end and a
rocky cliff at the other, also looked promising.
We then went to Jost Van Dyke’s Great Harbor (for the third time), dropped the
hook, and Amanda went to Customs to checks us out of the BVIs. Near us was a 100-foot
Westport, Perseverance, from Columbus GA, which had been in Soper's Hole the second
night we were there.
At about 12:00pm we set out for Coral Bay, where we had spent our second night.
As we passed Soper's Hole, the large sailing cruise ship Sea Cloud II was entering the
hole. The wind was whistling right up the Narrows, kicking up 8 foot waves as we passed
between Tortola and St. John. As we rounded the southeast corner of St. John to go into
Coral Bay, we passed an old rickety gaff-rigged 30-foot sailboat, the African Queen IV,
which is well known in the Islands: The owner had settled here is the 1960s and had once
circumnavigated the globe in the tiny boat; he is considered one of the great Old Salts in
the area.
At about 2:00pm we anchored in Hurricane Hole, the area with five small bays
that serves its name well. This was in the bay just next to the one we had stayed in before.
We could get pretty far into the bay before the water dropped below 10 feet. We put out
both bow anchors and, for good measure, a stern anchor to keep us from swinging too
close to shore. It was pretty windy even though we were surrounded on three sides by
land. But we were out of the swells and sitting quietly.
Joan and I took T/T Myeerah into the dinghy dock at Coral Bay, where boats
longer than 14 feet or with motors over 25HP are absolutely not allowed. Near the
dinghy dock is Skinny Legs, a bar and grill that supplies the night (and day) life.
Adjacent to it is a T-shirt and island souvenir shop. We walked along the very narrow
roads (no sidewalks) with cars squeezing by. Muddy and, I suspect, sewage-filled water
was running into the bay, flooding the roads at some points. There was an elementary
school, a small gas station, a bar and restaurant, and a 50-something bearded islander
chipping golf balls on the school soccer field. There seemed to be little to recommend
Coral Bay to any but the most hardened islander. Ben and Amanda had lived here for
three months, working at a farm picking weeds for 8 hours a week and filling in the other
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time working day charters to Jost Van Dyke. To see a movie, they report, one took the
ferry to St. Thomas and had to catch the midnight ferry back or get a hotel room.
By 4:30pm we had returned to the boat. The sun was trying to get through the
clouds, which was a real improvement over the very wet and gray day that we had had.
We had dinner at 7:00pm, watching the lights of Coral Bay, and the planet Venus
descending. The sounds of cicada from the shore, and a large bright moon above the bow,
its light reflecting on the clouds and the water: It doesn’t get better than this!
Day 13: Wednesday, January 7, 2004
Hurricane Hole, Coral Bay, St. John to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
These are our final hours before a 4:00pm flight from Charlotte Amalie to Miami,
followed by a two hour drive to Naples. Naturally, the sun is out and the wind seems to
have died down. At 8:00am our little cove had the sound of birds chirping, goats bleating,
and a view of the hillside homes at the town of Coral Bay across the water. Very idyllic.
As expected, the weather is much improved, no doubt a consequence of our
leaving. At 11:00am we lifted the anchors and left Coral Bay, heading westward toward
St. Thomas. By 12:30pm, when we were having lunch, we approached St. Thomas harbor
and saw five large cruise ships, three in the main harbor, one anchored outside (where the
bankrupt cruise ship had been when we arrived), and a fifth at the dock near Crown
Marina, behind Water Island. A parasail was in the air, and it looked like Charlotte
Amalie was bustling.
By 1:00pm we were anchored off Crown Marina, and by 1:30pm we were on T/T
Myeerah heading toward the taxi stand at the marina. By 2:30pm we were through U.S.
Customs and waiting to board our flight. Liftoff at 4:00pm, arrival in Miami at 5:30pm
(time change), with a 15 minute wait for American Airlines to remember that our plane
was there and that it required a gangway, a one-hour ordeal to get a car, and a 2 ½ hour
drive to Naples. We were home at 9:00pm, just in time for The West Wing. How much
nicer it is to travel on a boat!
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Epilogue
It had been a fun two weeks. The Virgin Islands are beautiful, though one does
retrace one’s steps often because the Islands are in such a small area—our longest day
was only about 40 miles. Still, there is always something to see. The weather was
moderately good—two days of significant rainfall, a few days with brief squalls or rain
showers, but most days were dry and sunny. The only negative on this trip was the steady
15-20 knot Christmas Winds.
The boat performed well. The engines ended the trip with about 2040 hours on
them, 700 hours since the second failure in March, 2003—a good sign. The internet cum
secondary satellite phone went out, and that system will need attention from a specialist.
We had no satellite TV, receiving only local programming (including NBC and CBS)
when available. Some instruments on T/T Myeerah shorted out—the depth sounder and
tachometer. These are the sorts of problems one would choose to have if one has boat
problems!
Ben, Amanda, and Lauren were, as always, just great. The boat was organized and
well maintained, the food was super, and they were cheerful and enthusiastic. Our guests
loved them, and they made the experience extra pleasurable.
We enjoyed our time with the Hamanns and the Whites. They were good boating
companions and seemed to enjoy being on the water and touring the Islands. Their
previous experience in the Islands led us to places we might not otherwise have seen, and
they bore the lack of excitement cheerfully. It is our second trip with them and we hope
that they will keep us on their list—they are certainly on ours.
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230
Cruising the Caribbean: The Leeward Islands
Part 1: Robert, Talman and Denby Fortune
Part 2: George and Paula Vyverberg
Lara Balter
Total Trip
Prologue
This is another two-part trip. From February 21 through February 28 we will have
Rob and his children as guests. They leave from St. Maarten in the early afternoon of the
th
28 , about when Lara and George and Paula Vyverberg arrive.
The Leeward Island are split into three sections. The first week, with Rob, we’ll
be in the “Renaissance Islands,” so named because they were settled by the French and
Dutch in the Renaissance period: St. Martin/Sint Maarten, St. Barthelemy, and Anguilla.
The second week we will be in the “Islands of Mountains and Mangroves,” Antigua,
Guadeloupe and Dominica are three of these. We’ll also see some of the “Islands that
Brush the Clouds:” Saba, Nevis, and St. Kitts.
At 6:30am on February 21, Joan and I were picked up by a driver who took us on
the two-hour drive to Miami International Airport. At 10:45am our flight to St. Maarten
departed; at just after 2:00pm we were on the ground. Following a brief trip though
immigration, and a 15-minute taxi ride, we arrived at Simpson Bay Marina in Simpson
Bay Lagoon. This is just inside a low bridge crossing a narrow channel between Simpson
Bay on the outside and Simpson Bay Lagoon. The bridge opens at 9:30am, 11:30am and
5:30pm. This is our first trip to St. Maarten since the early 1980s, when we came with the
Nicholases and the Thomsons to La Habitacion, a brand-new just-opened hotel on Ansee
Marcy on the French side. Before that we had come with the Nicholases to Mullet Bay, a
large resort on the Dutch side. Mullet Bay was destroyed by Hurricane Luis in 1995 and
has not been rebuilt—the story from our cab driver is that the owner is waiting ten years
to maximize the insurance benefits.
After getting settled, at about 4:30pm we all took an hour-long ride in T/T
Myeerah across the lagoon to Marigot, the capitol on the French side. After a tour along a
waterfront filled with multi-colored shops, we returned to Myeerah. On the way we saw
lots of very large—and very beautiful—yachts. Among them were Time for Us, a 110-
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foot Trinity that had parked next to us in Boothbay Harbor last September, and
Enterprise V, owned by the fellow who owns Peter Island Resort in the BVIs.
Day 1: Sunday, February 22, 2004
In Simpson’s Bay, Sint Maarten
After a looong night of sleep, from 9:30pm to 9:00am, we got up to a warm and
sunny day at Simpson Bay Marina. A 15-20 knot wind will keep us in place for the day,
but the wind is supposed to die down for the rest of the week. Rob and the kids went to
the tiny pool while Joan and I lazed around. We joined them at the pool for a while, then
we all returned to the boat for lunch. It was warm and very sunny, with a few cumulus
clouds dotting the sky.
After lunch we had some power naps, and at 3:00pm we all hopped onto T/T
Myeerah and went out the channel connecting Simpson Bay with the Simpson Bay
Lagoon We followed the coast for a mile to Mullet Bay, where we saw some of the
damage from Hurricane Luis. Then we returned to Simpson Bay and I dropped Joan,
Rob, and the kids at a long beach near the airport. After this, I toured the area on the
tender, going over to Marigot Bay, where there were large swells and lots of sailboats
bobbing at the anchorage. Marigot has very colorful buildings, with a French-Caribbean
flavor.
At 5:00pm I picked Ben up and we went to get the others. The pickup was
treacherous because of surf that was coming in to the beach, making the tender a moving
projectile. Eventually—after Ben took an unscheduled dip in the surf-- we were
successful, and all were aboard. We were back at Myeerah at 5:30pm, the sun low on the
horizon.
At about 7:15pm, Joan, Rob and I set out in the tender to go to Marigot, where we
had dinner reservations at La Vie En Rose. But a mild rain squall, and the fear that it
would get worse, led us back to Myeerah. We decided to have dinner at the marina
restaurant.
At just after 9:00pm we returned to Myeerah and watched the final episode of
HBO’s Sex and the City. And so to bed.
Day 2: Monday, February 23, 2004
Simpson Bay, St. Maarten to Marigot, St. Martin, via Saba
55 miles, 5 hours, 11.0 knots
At 8:30am Myeerah backed out of her slip, weaving down a narrow channel
between Med-moored boats with their bow anchor chains reducing the width to almost
nothing. Exiting between two very large yachts, Vava and a yacht jutting out from the
fuel dock, that were blocking most of the access to the channel, then spinning in a small
space between Vava and a man-made island bordered by shoals, we glided out into the
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main channel. Lining up as number 2 in a long string of boats waiting for the 9:00am
bridge opening, at exactly 9:00am we passed from Simpson Bay Lagoon to Simpson Bay.
Our destination, Saba (“Say-ba”), was visible straight ahead, 28 miles out—a
five-mile long volcanic cone rising straight out of the sea, clouds obscuring the top of the
cone. At 11:00am we reached Diamond Rock along the north end of Saba. The ride
across had been with beam seas and swells building to about six feet. We took a slow
pass along the shore, viewing the step cliffs with occasional houses riding on the edges.
At about 11:30am we arrived at Fort Bay on the south side of Saba. Finding that it was
not well-protected, we retraced our steps and went back to the west side, where we
dropped an anchor and had lunch.
The anchorage at Saba was a bit too rolly to put the tender in the water, and
clouds were beginning to cover the blue sky, so we decided against a taxi tour of the
island. Instead, at 12:45pm we returned to St. Maarten and docked at Marina Fort-Louis
in Marigot. This is a new marina with no big boats, perhaps because of a swell that comes
into Marigot Bay. By 4:00pm we were docked Med-style, which took a little doing, and
then we walked into Marigot to do some shopping. By 5:30pm we were back at the boat.
At 6:30pm we sat down for dinner. The boat was moving around in the swell, but it was
quite comfortable because we were bow into the swell.
I spent much of the evening trying to get the colors on the TV back to true
colors—who knows what happened—and by 11:00pm I was in bed. Rob had gone into
Marigot for the night life, so all was well.
Day 3: Tuesday, February 24, 2004
Marigot, St. Martin to Gustavia, St. Barts
22 nm, 2½ hours, 8.8 knots
Oh, what a night! At 5:00am, while in deep sleep, I spilled the glass of water on
the table by my bed. It soaked the rheostatic light switch, and the stateroom lights began
an endless cycle—up, down, up, down. Then the water soaked into the phone, and the
speakerphone repeatedly came on, then off. Joan loved the show. I finally stopped it by
unscrewing the light bulbs and disconnecting the phone.
At 8:00am we got up. It was sunny, with a 15 knot wind from the south. At
9:30am, following breakfast, we left Marigot and headed up the St. Martin coast. Passing
Grand Case, with its long beach and waterfront restaurants, we continued on to Anse
Marcel, with the La Habitacion Hotel , which we had stayed at almost 20 years ago.
Finally, we passed the island of Tintemarre just across from Orient Beach. Almost
undeveloped when we had visited in the 1980s, Orient Beach now had a long line of
small tents on the beach with people galore, and condominiums or resorts strung all along
the heights above the beach.
After Orient Beach we headed to St. Barthelemy, called St. Barth by the French
and St. Barts by all English-speaking and right-thinking people. It was a bit lumpy on the
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ride over, but nobody got sick, though the children slept the whole way. At about
12:00pm we anchored off of Anse Carrousol in the outer section of Gustavia Harbor, next
to Wind Star, a 200-foot four-masted cruise boat that had been in Marigot the night
before. After lunch, Ben took Rob and the kids to a beach, then he took Joan and me to
St. Barts’ main town of Gustavia.
We walked the streets. To our surprise the stores were closed, and we saw people
dressed in weird costumes—colored hair, gruesome face masks, odd garb ranging from
tutus to combat fatigues. Along the waterfront were huge yachts—Relentless, Excellence
III, and many others. After a bit of walking along the waterfront streets, we realized that
we had arrived on a special day—it was Carnivale, Mardi Gras, or, to most of us, Fat
Tuesday. So we sat on a wall and watched groups of people go by marching or on floats
(local trucks) go past, each with a theme and some with real panache—the French do
know how to party!. My personal favorite was a group playing ABBA music: two guys
dressed as girls with fake busts lip-synching the ABBA songs, and two other guys,
dressed as guys, air-playing a guitar and a toy piano. This was a real treat—local color in
the extreme.
After the show, Ben and Lauren arrived in the tender with Rob and the kids and at
4:00pm we all returned to Myeerah. After a bit of time decompressing, I took a tender
ride around the harbor and over to an adjacent anchorage, while Rob fished off of
Myeerah with the children. After a meltdown by Talman, and Denby’s announcement
that she was ready to go to bed, we had dinner. At about 7:00pm Apogee, a 150-foot
yacht, dropped its anchor some distance behind us, and at 9:00pm I watched Wind Star
leave. By 9:30pm I had gone to bed. Unfortunately, the gentle sea swell on our beam was
turning into larger swells; we were beginning the St. Barts Roll in the Gustavia harbor.
And so to bed… but to sleep?
Day 4: Wednesday, February 25 2004
Gustavia, St. Barts to Marigot, St. Martin
Well, another night with little sleep. The gentle swells that had started the night
increased in size and, as we were broadside to them, we experienced occasional sharp
rolls. These seemed to worsen through the night. At 6:00am I gave up and went upstairs.
It wasn’t as bad as Camden Harbor had been in our Maine trip last fall. But it wasn’t very
comfortable.
At 8:00am Amanda, Lauren, Joan, Rob and the kids took the tender into Gustavia
to do some provisioning and to be on land. Several cruise ships had come in—the
Radisson Diamond, a catamaran-hulled ship, the Seven Seas Navigator, a traditional
cruise ship, and the Club Med 2, a five-masted motor sailer. Apogee left at about 8:30am,
and, at 9:30am, we put the tender in tow and headed for Anguilla.
By 10:30am we passed Philipsburg on St. Maarten; three huge cruise ships were
in port. The following seas, at 2-4 feet, were comfortable and we headed up the coast to
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investigate Grand Case as a possible anchorage. Another option was to try to get through
the very narrow channel into the Port Lonvilliers Marina at La Habitacion. That would be
very calm, and allow (hopefully) a good night sleep. A third option was to find a cozy
and comfortable anchorage on Anguilla, where we expected to spend the afternoon.
We dropped the anchor at Grand Case Bay, about 50 yards offshore, at about
noon. The water was about 15 feet deep and a clear greenish blue. There was a stiff
breeze from the shore, but the swells were gone. Several sailboats were at the anchorage
with us. We discovered that we were anchored right under the flight path for the small
planes that flew into Grand Case—they went very low over the shore and the waterfront
buildings, then dropped behind a hill.
Rob and Talman were taken to the very long Grand Case beach, while Denby
took a well-deserved nap. Ben and I took the tender the 1½ miles around a point to Port
Lonvilliers Marina to see if it would be worth taking Myeerah there for the night. We
decided against it—the channel to the boat basin had a very narrow entrance with a sharp
turn and little wiggle room (rocks on both sides and a nine foot depth at the center
shallowing quickly at the rocky edges). The boat basin seemed uninteresting, and would
be a tight fit. Discussion with a Frenchman with a 65 foot sportfishing boat indicated that
it was doable but required some luck (and, of course, great skill).
When we returned to Myeerah, Denby had awakened to a major crying fit. This
went on for some time. Eventually, I went to the beach to get Rob and Talman to see if
Rob could do something with Denby. By the time they returned, the fit had ended, so
Rob, Talman, Denby and Joan all went to the beach. I returned to Myeerah and took a
shower and nap. When I awoke at about 5:30pm, everyone was back aboard. The wind
stayed strong, and it clouded over, but the boat seemed stable. At 6:00pm we sat in the
cockpit and prepared for dinner in town. Rob took the kids to a suitable place, and Joan
and I went to the Rainbow Restaurant at the south end of Grand Case beach. The walk
down the narrow waterfront street was a treat—no sidewalks, solid cars, lots of
restaurants and shops. The dinner was excellent, and by 8:30pm we were back at the boat.
Rob had thrown a fishing line over the side, and just after we arrived he hooked a
huge tarpon. For over 30 minutes it lazily swam around, occasionally running with the
line, then jumping. Eventually, the line broke and the show was over. But it was a
beautiful sight. Unfortunately, photos didn’t come out—too dark and too distant--so all
you have is our word.
By 9:30pm we were in bed, soon to be asleep (hopefully).
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Day 5: Thursday, February 26, 2004
Grand Case, St. Martin to Crocus Bay, Anguilla
Ahhhh! A full night’s sleep—thank you Ambien! Up at 8:00am, the wind still
brisk from the east, a cover of low cumulus, and airplanes descending over the boat. It is
a Grand Case morning. Talman continues to taunt and badger Denby, creating fits in one
or the other. A boat is just too confining for young children.
We left Grand Case at 9:30am and headed for Anguilla. The west side was in the
lee, so we went around Anguillita, a tiny island at Anguilla’s southern tip, and headed up
to Crocus Bay, just north of Road Bay, the capital. By 11:00 we were anchored with the
141-foot Mia Elise and several sailboats just off of a town called The Valley. There was a
long beach with a broken down old bathhouse that once rented towels and other beach
equipment. Large residences or condominiums perched on the hilltop overlooking the
bay, and it was quiet, calm and sunny. We could even hear birds chirping.
After lunch, Ben used the tender to pull Rob and the kids around the bay in an
inner tube. They seemed to love it! Then we all went to the beach while Ben took the
tender to Road Bay to check in and out. The sand on the beach was very fine, and it
extended out fairly far except for a section of shelf a few feet deep just along the shore.
The water was clear, but the snorkeling was not good because there were no fish to be
seen—the sandy bottom was clear of rocks and fishy hiding places.
After returning to the boat, Ben and I took the tender out to Sandy Island, a small
cay surrounded by reefs with a shallow lagoon for swimming. The only features on the
island were a structure that once was probably a little food shack, and an old fishing boat
that had run aground on the reef.
We returned to Myeerah, where naps were required. At about 6:00pm we settled
down to dinner—scrumptious steak and baked potatoes. Other sailboats had come in to
anchor, including Ticonderoga, a large white ketch with teak superstructure. After dinner,
Joan and I watched Coal Miner’s Daughter, with Sissy Spacek playing Loretta Lynn and
Tommy Lee Jones as her husband. A great movie! And so to bed, at about 11:00pm.
Day 6: Friday, February 27, 2004
Crocus Bay, Anguilla to Simpson Bay Lagoon, St. Maarten
20 nm, 2 hours, 10.0 knots
We awoke at about 8:30am after a quiet night at anchor. The early morning
clouds gave way to a warm and sunny day. We had a slow and lazy morning. Joan and I
took the tender to the north end of Crocus Bay, where we investigated the limestone
cliffs, with deep caves riddling them. One section was limestone with a surface of lava. A
cave ran for perhaps 100 yards right along the shoreline. Cactus grew on the cliffs, and
pelicans rested in the low bushes. Polynesia, a small sailing ship with cruise clients on
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board, came into our bay and dropped anchor. It then splashed a funky double-ended
tender and began taking people to shore. What they did there, I don’t know—they didn’t
seem to go to the beach. Perhaps they got on buses and took an island tour.
After lunch, Rob, Talman and I went fishing for the elusive tarpon. Rob had had a
hit the evening before, with Ben driving, and this time we trolled along the shore where
reefs were common. He caught two small fish, we saw several sea turtles, and he had one
strong hit from a big fish, but it didn’t take the lure. At about 2:00pm we returned to
Myeerah, and at 3:00pm we lifted anchor and headed out to go to Simpson Bay. This
time we would stay at the new big boat marina called the Yacht Club at Isle de Sol.
At 5:00pm, after a lumpy but reasonably comfortable ride, we arrived at Simpson
Bay. There were a lot of boats waiting with us for the 5:30pm bridge opening. Relentless,
the 150-foot yacht seen before, was there, as was Jasmine, a 100-foot expedition-style
yacht from Istanbul. I drove the tender through the narrow channel to find Timoneer, a
large sailing yacht that we had seen in the Virgin Islands. Then I watched the procession
of boats coming through the channel into the lagoon.
By 6:00pm we were docked. I talked to the captain of Va Bene, a large Feadship
that we had seen around Maine. He was familiar with Jasmine, and described it
(correctly) as a beautiful boat that was very badly made: On its first charter in Croatia it
lost an engine, the bow thruster, and the crane. It was built with the generators on top of
the fuel tanks, making servicing of the tanks impossible without removing the generators.
But it is beautiful!
At 6:30pm Joan, Rob and the kids took a walk. As I wrote these notes, I think I
could hear my grand-daughter expressing her dismay about something—she couldn’t
have been more that a mile away! That young lady can scream. At 7:15pm they returned
to the boat and the kids went to bed.
This is Rob’s last day. It’s been great to have him. Talman and Denby have, for
the most part, been good troupers. Rob has been great with them, but I suspect that a
week on a boat, away from home and mother, is hard on them and they will be happy to
get back to Boxford.
Day 7: Saturday, February 28, 2004
Simpson Bay Lagoon, St. Maarten to Falmouth Harbour, Antigua
101 nm, 8 hours, 12.6 knots
We woke up at 7:00am. The weather forecast was for a nice day and night, then
winds to 25 knots and seas building to 9-12 feet and staying there for a few days. So we
decided to exit the Lagoon at the 4:30pm bridge opening (earlier on Saturdays), then head
south for 100 miles to Antigua.
Rob and the kids will leave the boat at noon for a 2:15pm flight. Lara will arrive
at 1:45pm, and George and Paula will fly in at 2:30pm. They should all be on the boat by
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3:30pm. It looks like the timing will work out well, though it is a bit complicated. Ben
found out that the immigration office closed at 3:00pm, so George and Paula couldn’t
check out—you have to check in at the airport, then check out to leave St. Maarten. But
he talked the lady at immigration into checking the Vyverbergs out even before they
arrive, so that obstacle is met.
At noon, Rob and the kids left and the boat interior got a quick clean. Joan and I
had lunch at the marina restaurant by the pool—a very good lunch with lots of eye candy.
Then we went back to the boat and I got a quick rest. At about 3:00pm, Lara, George and
Paula arrived. We took a quick walk down the line of yachts, passing the 200-foot
Parrafin and ending at the 245-foot Leander, which we had seen in the U.S. Virgin
Islands. By 4:00pm we had returned to the boat, started the engines, and readied for the
4:30pm bridge opening. At 4:15pm we left our slip and lined up behind Parrafin and Mi
Nina, a smaller yacht. The bridge went up and at 4:30pm we left Simpson Bay Lagoon.
Turning south, we headed for Antigua.
The trip was relatively calm—the easiest sea ride we’d had so far. We had good
speed, about 13 knots the whole way. At 6:15pm, as we passed south of St. Barts, we
enjoyed a beautiful sunset, then had a nice pork dinner. It was dark as we passed the
lights of St. Kitts. Our ETA at Antigua was about midnight. Unfortunately, the ladies
were all feeling a bit sick, so they went to bed. I caught about an hour of sleep, and at
11:00pm I joined Ben and Amanda in the pilothouse for the last part of the ride. As we
approached Antigua we found that small fishing boats were anchored out in the shallower
areas, requiring careful scanning of the path ahead. The moon shone bright, and the stars
stood out like on a cold Vermont night. I do love night rides!
At 12:15am, after a pretty smooth ride with some swells, we reached Falmouth
Harbor. It took about ½ hour to find a sheltered spot to drop the hook, and by 1:00am we
were fast asleep.
Day 8: Sunday, February 29, 2004
In Falmouth Harbour, Antigua
It’s Leap Day! What a treat to be in the sunny Caribbean when an extra day
comes along. Up at 8:00am (everyone else still abed), I found the harbor calm with a
slight swell. The morning clouds were hanging around, especially to the West, but if
experience serves, they’ll soon be gone. Today is supposed to show 25 knot winds with
9-12 foot waves—not a time to be on the move!
At about 9:30am Ben, George and I took the tender to view our spot at the
Antigua Yacht Club. Ben had reserved a starboard side slip, but the only thing available
was stern-to because, they said, a boat had come I during the night and taken our spot. So
we found a great spot at the Falmouth Harbour Marina, next door, and cancelled the AYC
slip. At 10:30am I brought Myeerah to our slip, spinning her between the AYC and FHM
docks, gently walking her over to the dock. The applause was very quiet as nobody was
there.
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The town we were in was English Harbour Town, situated between Falmouth
Harbor and English Harbour about ¼ mile away. At 11:00am we all walked to Nelson’s
Dockyard at English Harbor. This was a major British naval station commanded by,
among others, Captain Horatio Nelson. It has been restored and converted to inns,
restaurants, and gift shops. English Harbor is small and very beautiful, protected by a
narrow and twisting entrance under a fortified position. It is very quiet, and known as one
of the best hurricane holes in the Caribbean.
By 12:00pm we were back at the boat, soon to have lunch. Following lunch, we
all took the tender. First we went to a nearby beach, where Joan and Lara were let off.
Then George, Paula, Ben and I drove around Snapper Point into English Harbor to view
it from the water. After a slow drive-through, we returned to Falmouth Harbor and passed
by the marinas: First to Catamaran Marina in Falmouth, where the 194-foot expedition
yacht Intuition II was docked; then to the Antigua Yacht Club, where we saw Talitha G, a
247-foot motor sailer with two masts, built in Germany in 1930, the 177-foot Maridome,
and Cakewalk, a 204-foot modern yacht that was recently the most expensive charter in
the world. We returned to our dock to find Casuarina , a tiny 120-footer, in the space in
front of us, stealing our sunset.
At 4:00pm Ben took the tender to get Joan and Lara at the beach. We all lazed
around until 6:00pm, when we met on the observation deck to watch the sunset through
Casuarina’s radar mast. At 9:00pm, after dinner in the cockpit, we all turned in—it had
been a long, tough, day in paradise.
Day 9: Monday, March 1, 2004
In Falmouth Harbour, Antigua
Still sunny, though the wind has picked up appreciably, as forecasted. At 10:00am
Jock and Penny arrived with their housemates, John and Linda Axe. The Axes are from
Grosse Point, Michigan. Linda, originally from Indianapolis, is the sister of Bill Sadler,
Jock’s best friend.
At 11:00am, after a tour of the boat, and some chatting, we all went in two vans to
the Mill Reef Club, where they are staying. The ride was about ½ hour, past island-style
houses, some pretty large and many small native homes. There were ruins of windmills
once used to crush sugar cane, lots of goats, and some spectacular views of bays and the
ocean.
The house that Jock and Penny shared with the Axes, called Stargazers, is at the
southern end of the coastline that makes up the Mill Reef Club, near the beach club. The
view from the house is spectacular, over Smith Island past a reef with heavy surf. At
1:00pm we met Joe and Ann Pelligrino at the beach club restaurant. The Pelligrinos
(think Prince Spaghetti) had lived at 56 Beacon Street but sold it to the Verrocchis before
we moved into Beacon Hill. They now live at 101 Chestnut Street. After a slooow but
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very good lunch, we walked around the beach club’s buildings, the sat on the beach in
front of Stargazers. At 3:30pm we got a taxi and returned to the boat.
After a rest and clean up, we all took JB Taxi to the Wardroom Restaurant in
Nelson’s Dockyard. This is in an inn with a beautiful courtyard, built in an old structure
called the Copper. When we arrived for our 7:00pm reservations, we were the only
people in the restaurant. Over the night two tables of two also appeared—no more. It was
a decent meal, not great, but a great ambience. At 9:00pm JB arrived to take us back to
the boat.
As we walked down the dock we passed Canim, a 96-foot boat built in 1930 in
Lake Union in Seattle for ferry service. It’s home port is Boston, and we have seen it at
Rowe’s Wharf. We spoke with Dan Printer, the owner, who invited us in for a tour. The
boat has been completely reconditioned—beautiful wood and bright work. With a narrow
beam, she is stabilized and apparently has a controlled roll; but her canoe stern gives her
a severe pitch. She is gorgeous, but not for the faint-hearted, though Dan says she is not a
maintenance hog. With twin 300hp diesels, she cruises at less than two gallons per hour
and a 12-knot speed. It was a treat to see her!
At 10:30pm I went to bed to read a while. By 11:00pm it was sleep time.
Day 10: Tuesday, March 2, 2004
Falmouth Harbour, Antigua to Falmouth Harbour, Antigua via Green Island
20 nm, 2½ hrs, 8.0 knots.
We got on deck at 8:00am. It had rained heavily during the night, and brief
squalls were still coming through. The plan was to leave at 10:00am and go the 10 miles
to Green Island, where we would anchor and a launch would bring Jock and Penny, with
their housemates, the Pelligrinos, and the Thornes out to Myeerah. We would have lunch,
swim, and so forth. Lauren had made lots of lasagna.
At 10:00am we left the dock, as planned, in sunlight. The forecast was for eastnortheast winds at 20 knots with ground swells, all coming from a low that had passed
through: 6-8 foot waves were forecast. We headed eastward along the Antigua coast. At
the outset, we had 6-8 foot breaking waves on the nose, uncomfortable but bearable. But
as we continued on, the seas built. When we reached the shallower water near the Mill
Reef Club and Green Island, we began to experience 10-12 foot breaking seas. It got
treacherous, and we began to get concerned about making the turn to go into the narrows
between the mainland and Green Island—we would have a 10-12 foot seas on our beam
during the turn, then a big following sea would push us into a narrow channel bordered
by reefs.
After some discussion, we decided not to chance it. At 11:30am I called the
launch that was to bring our guests out, and I told Jock that we had to cancel. Ben
expertly made the turn to go back to Falmouth Harbour. The following seas were far
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more congenial, but we were disappointed that we couldn’t entertain Jock’s party and the
Thornes. But safety is first!!
At 12:30pm we were back in Falmouth Harbour. We heard through the grapevine
that someone on Leander’s crew had said that it was “just awful“ coming down from St.
Maarten. So we figured that if a 250-foot boat was uncomfortable, we were doing pretty
well. Everyone but me walked to the beach. Ben and I spent some time trying to see what
our options were for getting to St. Kitts tomorrow. None look great—St. Kitts is westnorthwest of Antigua, and the wind and swells would be from the east-northeast, right on
our beam or broad on the starboard quarter. One option is to travel toward Montserrat,
almost south west, putting the seas on our stern, then turn northward to St. Kitts, with the
seas on the starboard bow. Hopefully, we’ll find a path that works for us and for the boat.
.
The afternoon was filled with frequent but short rain squalls. Joan, George, Paula
and Lara walked to the public beach and stayed for an hour or so, during which the rain
stayed away. I took a nap, then I talked with Ben about our options. At 5:00pm, we
listened to Captain Lord Jim’s weather forecast—he is a local who has a reputation for
better local forecasts than NOAA. Tomorrow is supposed to be more of the same, with
the front completely through the area by Thursday morning. So we decided to stay in
Falmouth Harbour through Wednesday.
After dinner, we sat down to watch Far From Heaven. By 10:30pm I was in bed;
the others stayed up a bit longer to finish the movie.
Day 11: Wednesday, March 3, 2004
Falmouth Harbour, Antigua to Basseterre, St. Kitts
81 nm, 7 hrs, 11.6 knots.
The morning was sunny but very windy. Captain Lord Jim’s 9:00am forecast was
for more of the same: 25-30 knot winds from the east-northeast, offshore seas 9-12 feet.
We decided to go to Curtain Bluff Hotel, anchor in Morris Bay, and have lunch. But then
we changed the plan: we would head for St. Kitts on an extended route that might be the
most comfortable. If it was too uncomfortable, we’d turn back and go to Jolly Harbour at
Antigua’s west end.
At 10:30am we left the dock and headed along the southern coast of Antigua to
the west end, where the capital St. Johns, is located. After experiencing a low oil pressure
alarm in the port engine’s transmission (apparently corrected by adding oil even though
the dipstick didn’t call for it) we reached the southwestern end. We turned due north,
keeping in Antigua’s protection. Once we were exposed to the higher seas from the eastnortheast we turned south-southwest, with the waves on our stern, toward Nevis. As we
got farther from Antigua the seas built to well above 10 feet, often pushing us around.
The fallacy of our thinking was clear—by the time we saw what the full force of the seas
was, it was too late to turn around. We were encountering following seas well over 10
feet, some waves combined into 15-footers. But it was doable as long as we kept it on our
stern. Of course, that would send us to Venezuela, a bit out of the way.
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We passed the mile-long island of Redonda at 2:30pm, keeping the seas on the
starboard quarter. The wave frequency lessened and we could turn more directly toward
the west coast of Nevis. At about 3:00pm we heard on the VHF radio that a yacht
anchored off of Montserrat had reported that the volcano had had a minor eruption,
belching an ash plume that was heading downwind, fortunately out to sea.
By 4:00pm we were in Nevis’ lee, heading northward toward St. Kitts’ capital of
Basseterre. By 5:00pm we were entering the harbor, and at 5:30pm we were docked at
Port Zanta Marina, a downscale new facility with no power (next year!) and water
through a hose connected somewhere over the horizon. Most of the boats were
sailboats—several catamarans. The only other power boat of any size was Special
Occasion, a 2003 Fleming 55 from Philadelphia: the owner reported that they were
heading to Tortola (about 150 miles) tomorrow. From our weather forecast and recent
experience, we are glad not to be with them!
We walked around Basseterre. It’s a poor, but still attractive (in a Caribbean way)
town. At Picadilly Circus, a rotary fashioned after the one in London, we saw a tall foursided clock in the center; known as the Berkeley Memorial. A block away was
Independence Park, flanked by a large gothic church. We had local rum drinks at the
Ballahoo Restaurant on the circus then we walked back to the boat.
By 9:00pm, after a mahi-mahi dinner, I was in bed. Lara and Paula stayed up to
watch A Boy’s Life; everyone else was in bed.
Day 12: Thursday, March 4, 2004
In Basseterre, St. Kitts
We were up by 7:00am. The weather was just like the last few days: eastnortheast winds at 25 knots, sunny. We took a walk around the waterfront area. At
10:00am we boarded “Spice of the Island,” a taxi owned by Basil Gardner, tour guide par
excellence. Basil also is the drummer for 4 Play, a reggae-style band.
We drove the island clockwise. After a few miles, passing by the original
settlement of Old Road, we went to an old ruin where we parked and walked up narrow,
rocky, path into the Rain Forest. It was not particularly magnificent, especially since the
river down which rain drained from the mountainside was dry, the government having
built catchments and directed the water throughout the island. But it was pretty lush, and
there was a semblance of a canopy of leaves.
After this we drove a very short distance to the Botanical Gardens, where there
were beautiful specimens of different palm trees and other flora. Once the location of the
slave quarters, a colorful house now contained Caribe Batik, a shop where the batik
process is demonstrated and where you can buy all sorts of beautiful scarves, sarongs,
etc. It was well worth the stop, in spite of the commercial quality.
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Our next stop—at some distance—was Brimstone National Park, an old British
fort built very high on a mountainside, with an amazing view of the Caribbean, of the
towns and sugar fields below, and of St. Eustacius, about 10 miles to the north.. The fort
had been started in 1690 and was successfully besieged by the French in 1782 when the
two nations were fighting over control of the island; the British got it back in a Treaty of
Versailles in 1783. The construction, by slaves, continued until 1794. The fort was
abandoned in 1852. It was nicely restored, and very impressive.
We continued around the island, past miles and miles of sugar plantations, often
crossing the railroad tracks that carry the cars that carry the cane to the processing plants
(you can see the smoke from the refinery billowing up from Basseterre). We passed the
windy Atlantic side of the island, viewing a black sand beach with crashing surf. Above
us loomed the volcano that is dormant, not having exploded for thousands of years
(though Montserrat, 30 miles away, has been exploding since 1995). One beach had
vertical lava pillars that had cooled when the flow from the last explosion hit the water.
After quite a while we reached Ottley Plantation, a very upscale resort that had a
large plantation house, lots of cottages, and gorgeous landscaping and lawns. We ate at
the Royal Palm Restaurant, a beautiful spot with a small swimming pool framed by the
stone walls of one of the old buildings on the property. It was a slow lunch (it always is
on the islands) but it was very good. After lunch, we checked out a room at the plantation
house—the rooms open onto a wrap-around veranda with views over the grounds down
to the ocean.
Then it was back to the boat, arriving at 3:30pm. Our 5½ hour tour had been a
great success. We bought Basil’s demonstration disk for his band playing at the Pavilion,
an island club. It was surprisingly good music!
The rest of the afternoon was at leisure. At 7:30pm our friend Basil took us to the
Fisherman’s Wharf Restaurant on Basseterre’s waterfront. This is a picnic table type of
restaurant, with an open-air arrangement. We enjoyed the 20 knot wind whistling across
the table, as well as the singer with guitar whose amplified sound drowned out any
conversation. The loud party behind us added to the ambiance. All in all, it was a place
that some people could really enjoy.
At 9:00pm Basil picked us up and we returned to Myeerah. The weather report is
for more of the same: 25 knot winds from the northeast, with 8 to 10 foot waves. It
appears that the low that passed through some days ago is stuck. We will be beaten up
quite a bit tomorrow when we’ve completed the 55 miles to Simpson Bay!
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Day 13: Friday, March 5, 2004
Basseterre, St. Kitts to Simpson Bay, St. Maarten
75 nm, 6½ hrs, 11.5 knots.
Up at 7:00am, the skies were clear but the winds were still at 20 knots and up. At
8:00am we left Port Zante and headed northwest in the lee of St. Kitts. We soon
experienced a low oil pressure alarm in the port engine. After hearing it yesterday, Ben
had changed the transmission oil and cleaned the oil screens. He also changed all the fuel
filters to minimize our chances of having fuel problems on today’s rough passage. In
spite of his efforts, this time the alarm didn’t stop. Eventually, Ben found that a wire had
come loose from the sender, and reattaching it seemed to solve the problem.
As we passed through the 8-mile stretch between St. Kitts and St. Eustacius, we
experienced high seas almost on the starboard beam. They were quite high but relatively
low frequency, so we rolled but didn’t get battered. We could see a lot of tankers off of
the fuel storage facility on the lee side of St. Eustacius (Statia) At 10:00am we passed out
of Statia’s lee and entered open waters with high seas off the starboard bow and beam.
Ben worked very hard for the next 2 ½ hours, attempting to minimize the banging and
rolling. But there was still a lot of rolling and some banging. We didn’t see another boat
until we passed a sportfisherman well off of St. Barts.
At about noon we were off of Philipsburg, still in heavy seas. We went up the St.
Maarten coast, passing Simpson Bay at 12:45pm and reaching Grand Case at 1:30pm,
after 5½ hours of bumping. In contrast to our previous visit, Grand Case Bay was pretty
lumpy—as we came in we saw a 45 knot wind gust. We had lunch, then dropped the
tender and went to the broken down cement dock. The wind and the waves made tying up
difficult, but finally—over my objections that it was too dangerous—we succeeded.
George, Paula, Joan and Lara walked through the stores while I kept an eye on the tender.
At 3:30pm they returned. Joan and Lara decided to stay on the beach and take a taxi to
Simpson Bay. George, Paula and I returned to the boat and we lifted the anchor at
4:00pm.
Towing the tender in a following sea, we reached Simpson Bay at 5:00pm and
waited for the bridge opening. George, Paula and I hopped into the tender and waited in
the lagoon. At 5:30pm the bridge opened and a loooong line of sailboats came through (it
is Regatta week), followed by only two power boats: the 161-foot Evviva, with its own
helicopter, and Myeerah. Evviva turned to go into its slip, then just stopped and blocked
the channel, making it hard for Myeerah to hold position in 30 knot winds. Finally, Ben
slipped by, but then he had to wait an hour for his spot at the fuel dock because a sailboat
was casually taking on water. Simpson Bay Marina had promised a slip with power—
once again they had baited and switched!
At 6:30pm, just as Myeerah finished docking, Joan and Lara returned. They had
stayed on the beach at Grand Case, then done some power shopping for jewelry. They
had trouble finding a cab, but eventually succeeded. I was beginning to worry, but they
had a great time together.
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We had the last supper at about 8:00pm. The others took a walk, and I finished the
video portion of the Leeward Islands section of the “Myeerah Vol 2” DVD. At 9:30pm
we were ready for bed--and for an early wakeup at 5:30am. Our time on Myeerah is over!
Epilogue
The first week of this trip was great—warm, decent weather, nice places to go. St.
Maarten and Anguilla have a lot of variety: beaches, nice anchorages, interesting towns
like Grand Case and Marigot. St. Barts was a less decent place to stop, but the Carnival
parade was great fun. It was great to be with Rob, Talman and Denby. While a week on a
boat with no energy outlet is a bit of a strain on young children—sometimes on old
children—the children were delightful and Rob is such good company.
The second week was less appealing. The high winds really cramped our style.
We couldn’t go anywhere by boat, we couldn’t even be outdoors comfortably, and
Antigua seemed to have little to offer unless one stayed at one of the posh clubs. The
stress about getting back to St. Maarten for departure was a downer, and the failure of the
winds to ever die down in spite of repeated forecasts of improvement was frustrating. The
high point of the week was the passengers: George, and Paula are always a pleasure to be
around, and it was a very special treat to get a week with Lara. I couldn’t think of better
people to be stranded with.
As always, Ben, Amanda and Lauren were a delight, keeping their cheer in spite
of the conditions. Ben and Amanda will be trying to get back to the Virgin Islands to be
married, and I hope that the weather allows it.
My overall assessment is that the Caribbean is hard to do by boat. It isn’t easy to
get to, especially for the boat—lots of time and expense, and uncertain weather windows.
Unreliable weather is a real limiting factor, and while there is much left to see, I think
that the best has been done. Myeerah will eventually go back, but not for a while.
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Naples, FL to Useppa Island
April 19-20, 2004
Stephen and Lara Balter
Allie, Ben, Jackie and Maddy Balter
Total Trip
Prologue
This was a short trip up the Florida coast from Naples to Useppa Island, which is
just south of Boca Grande. We would be there just one night, returning the next evening.
Day 1: Monday, April 19
Naples to Useppa Island
We all piled onto Myeerah at about 2:00pm and backed out of the slip at 2:30pm.
It was sunny and warm with a 15-20 knot wind from the east. The pace out of Naples Bay
and through Gordon Pass was slow, taking about 45 minutes to cover the three miles. We
exited the Pass at 3:15pm and found that the Gulf was calm—the wind was brisk but
from the east, so we were protected by the land.
Turning northward, we reached the outside of Sanibel Island , then passed Captiva
Island, North Captiva Island, and Caya Costa Island. We entered Boca Grande Pass at
about 7:00pm, and by 7:30pm we were anchored about a mile north of Useppa Island.
The children had eaten dinner on the way, and we sat down to dinner as the sun set on
Caya Costa—quite a sight.
After dinner, we watched the Myeerah DVDs, then went to bed to prepare for a
busy day.
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Day 2: Tuesday, April 20
Useppa Island to Naples
We awoke at 8:00am, following a fitful night. It had been very calm throughout
the night, so who knows what caused the fitfulness-perhaps it was the cold I had gotten.
At any rate, it was sunny with a northwest wind.
After breakfast we all took T/T Myeerah to Useppa. We sat on the beach at the
Inn, then sat by the swimming pool while the kids got very wet. Lara had invited her
Wayland neighbors—Rob and Beth Junkin and their three children—to join us for lunch.
They were staying at a family home at Boca Grande. They arrived at 1:00pm on their
boat. After a lunch with all thirteen in attendance, Steve played some tennis with Ben, the
Junkin kids went swimming with Allie, Jackie and Maddy, and Lara, Joan, Beth Junkin,
and I walked around part of the island.
At 3:00pm we returned to Myeerah and the Junkins came by to see her. After they
left, Ben and Amanda took the children “tubing” behind T/T Myeerah. First Allie went,
racing along in the tube at 20 knots. Then Lara went with Jackie, followed by Lara and
Maddy at a sedate pace. Finally, Allie took another ride. It looked like great fun!
At 5:00pm we lifted the anchors and headed toward Boca Grand Pass. By 5:30pm
we were out of the Pass and heading south toward Naples. There was a mild chop
following us, so it was as easy a ride as the one up to Useppa. Sunset came at about
8:00pm as we had dinner. Darkness soon came, and Allie and I stayed on the bow
looking at the stars until we arrived at Gordon Pass at about 9:15pm.
The ride down the Gordon River was very pretty, though it was hard to see the
new small temporary red buoys that had been set up to mark the new course. It was a bit
above low tide, so the channel was very narrow and some adjustments had to be made.
But at 10:00pm we arrived at the slip, transferred ourselves to our cars, and headed home.
It had been a very nice 24+ hours.
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Naples, FL to Key West, FL via The Dry Tortugas
May 2-6, 2004
Alan Keller
Total Trip
Prologue
On Sunday, May 2, Joan left Naples to go to Boston for her last annual meeting as
president of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Society of Colonial Dames. She
would return on Wednesday, May 5, for a few days and we would both go back to Boston
on Sunday. To avoid the heartache of bachelorhood, I arranged a guy trip on Myeerah to
the Dry Tortugas and Key West. Alan Keller, whom I knew from high school, and who
has recently retired from a career with the United Nations doing population control work
around the world, was a new guest. George Vyverberg was to go also, but he
unexpectedly had to have his heart defibrillator replaced so he could not go. Alan
remained game, so I picked him up at 9:45am on Sunday and we headed to Myeerah’s
slip at the Naples Boat Club.
Day 1: Sunday, May 2
Naples to The Dry Tortugas
112 nm, 9 hrs, 12.4 knots.
Alan and I reached the slip at 10:00am. By 10:15am we had backed out and were
heading into Naples Bay. It was breezy but warm. At 11:00am we exited Gordon Pass
and set a course directly south to the Dry Tortugas. Seas from the southeast were 3-4 feet
with occasional five footers. But once we reached deeper water, it flattened out and the
ride was very comfortable. At first the sky was dark in the south, showing signs of rain,
but that soon cleared up.
At 1:00pm we had lunch in the pilothouse salon—Lauren’s great salad and pizza.
At about 2:30pm Alan fell asleep in the cockpit while I went down below for a good
power nap. At 4:45pm I returned to life. We had about 25 miles—two hours—to go
before we reached the boundary of the Dry Tortugas Park, then another half-hour to the
harbor.
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At 7:15pm we arrived at Fort Jefferson. There were lots of sailboats anchored in
the harbor, and more anchored outside the harbor on the west side of the fort. At 8:00pm
we sat down in the cockpit, watched the sunset over Loggerhead Key, and had drinks and
appetizers. After a dinner of crab cakes—and a long conversation about life, children,
high school and people we know--we went to bed at 9:30am. I watched HBO--the end of
The Sopranos, and all of Deadwood. Then to sleep at 11:00pm.
Day 2: Monday, May 3
At the Dry Tortugas
Up at 8:00am, a gray day with high humidity. It was a quiet night in spite of our
exposed position outside the harbor. By 9:00am T/T Myeerah was in the water and we
were set for the day. At 9:30m Alan and I toured Tortugas Harbor and Alan identified the
birds at Bush Key Then we landed at Fort Jefferson’s dinghy beach. The first ferry had
not yet arrived, and the first seaplane had just landed. It was very quiet and peaceful.
Following a walk around the fort, we returned to Myeerah for lunch Then Alan
and I took T/T Myeerah with two fishing poles and four Ballyhoo to the well-known
wreck at Loggerhead Reef, about a mile south of Loggerhead Key. When we arrived, we
began fishing at the wreck. Immediately we had a hit—probably barracuda. Then a
snorkeler from a nearby sailboat decided to dive on the wreck, thereby screwing up our
ability to get close enough to fish it. Even so, we caught three barracuda before packing it
in and returning to Myeerah. By 3:30pm we were back on Myeerah, which, the wind
having shifted to the west, had been moved from her original spot on the west side of the
fort to the east side: She was now in a pocket of deep water where the old channel into
Tortugas Harbor but had been blocked by a sandbar following a storm several years ago.
The sandbar had now grown to a height of 2 feet above high tide, and it now connected
Bush Key, where the rookery is, to Garden Key, where Fort Jefferson is located. The
result was a very nice anchorage protected from the south and west.
At about 4:00pm, Alan, Amanda and Lauren took Papoose to the beach for a walk
and a look at the fort. I took a shower and a practice nap. At 6:00pm Alan and I met in
the cockpit and watched the birds in the rookery. After a 6:30pm dinner (steak kabobs)
we watched the sunset. At 8:30pm we each went to our rooms to read and get an early
bedtime—it had been a long, great, day.
Day 3: Tuesday, May 4
The Dry Tortugas to Key West, FL
Overnight the wind had shifted to the north, running at about 15 knots and
sending 2-3 footers directly down the old channel where we were anchored. Because we
had a stern anchor out, the boat was pretty stable through the night. At 8:00am I awoke
and joined Alan for breakfast. He then went to the beach between Bush and Garden Keys
to get closer to the birds and to talk with a knowledgeable Norwegian birdwatcher.
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At 10:15pm Myeerah headed due north to exit the National Park area, directly
into six-foot waves, some larger sending spray over the boat. She then turned east, then
south, and finally east again to follow a course to Key West along the southern side of the
string of keys that stretched from the Dry Tortugas to Key West—the Quicksands, the
Marquesas Keys, and Boca Grande Key.
The trip was very calm once we got into the protection of the outer keys and the
reefs that connected them. Bright and sunny, it was a fine trip. While Alan read and
watched the scenery, I trouble-shot the satellite internet system and the on-board
computer, and Ben diagnosed a continuing problem with our electronic throttle and shift
controls—the starboard wing station kept trying to take control, sort of a power grab.
We approached Key West at about 3:45pm and prepared for the passage through
the harbor to the Conch Harbor Marina, our normal stop. A cruise ship and several
smaller powerboats were entering the channel at the same time—it has been pretty busy
for so late in the season. By 4:15pm Ben had skillfully backed us in to a narrow spot at
the Marina. Alan and I walked in to town to visit the Mallory Square area. At 5:15pm I
returned to Myeerah while Alan continued to walk around Key West.
By 6:00pm we were both back at Myeerah. We then walked back into town and
had dinner at Kelly’s, a nice old house at Caroline and Whitehead streets, with a large
open, heavily shaded, patio. By 8:45pm we had returned to the boat and each retired to
our rooms to read, watch TV, or sleep.
Day 4: Wednesday, May 5
In Key West, FL
Up at 8:00am, after a very good night’s sleep, I met Alan for breakfast and to read
the morning papers. It was bright and sunny. Following breakfast I tried to do some work
and Alan walked to see the Walker Evans photograph exhibit at the Hemingway house—
Evans had been a frequent visitor to Key West and had photographed people and places
there.
At noon, Alan returned, having never made it past the Audobon House. We had
lunch and at 1:30pm, just as Ben began refueling the boat in our slip, Alan and I walked a
coupe of blocks to “Flagler Station,” where we got on the Conch Republic Trolley to tour
the city. Our guide, Vicki, was good, and the architecture and sights were interesting
(though by now familiar). At 3:30pm we returned to Flagler Station and I walked back to
the boat while Alan set off again for the Evans exhibit at the Hemingway House. Just as I
returned, the refueling ended and a funnel cloud quickly appeared—then disappeared. It
was in the distance, but I’d never seen one before. I don’t think that it touched down
At 6:00pm Alan returned and by 6:45pm we were heading to Café Sole, at the
corner of Frances and Southard Streets. This is my favorite Key West restaurant, with a
quiet homey ambiance and great seafood. As always, I had the Hogfish Snapper. Alan
had Black Grouper. Bu 8:45pm we were back at Myeerah. I was asleep by 10:00pm.
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Day 6: Thursday, May 6
Key West, FL to Naples, FL
We left the slip at 7:30am and headed out Key West’s Northwest Channel under a
sunny sky with 15-knot winds from the northeast. As we exited the jetty, we had 4-6 foot
waves broad on the starboard bow—a bit rocky but not too bad. This continued until we
got closer to land, at about 2:00pm. We reached Gordon Pass at 3:00pm, and were in the
slip at 3:30pm.
Epilogue
This was a very pleasant short trip. Alan was a great guest—an interesting person
with lots of ideas worth contemplating. His interest in bird-watching gave the Dry
Tortugas a different perspective than the previous trips. He was admirably self-sufficient,
having interests ranging from birds to the Walker Evans exhibit in Key West. It was good
to get acquainted with him.
Myeerah is in the best shape she’s been in. It’s been a long road to overcoming
her initial problems and deficiencies, but Ben has been tenacious on those issues, and
Amanda and Lauren have been conscientious in maintaining her both inside and out.
She’ll always have things to work on, but they are now of a more routine character than
in the past—knock wood!.
As always, Ben, Amanda and Lauren were delightful to be around, and they made
the trip a pleasure. It’s been great to experience nice trips on a fine boat with such a good
crew.
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June 25-28, 2004
Allie Balter
Total Trip
Prologue
This is the third or fourth year that we have taken a boat trip to Falmouth to be
with Lara and her family on the fourth of July. This year family scheduling required that
it be a week earlier. Steve dropped Allie off at our Beacon Hill home at about 8:30am.
She planned to drive down to Falmouth with Joan while I took Myeerah. Joan would then
drive back to Boston on Sunday so that she could help Michele on Monday--Michele had
delivered our 8 th grandchild, Tessa Fortune Davidson, on June 22.
Instead, Allie decided to come with me on Myeerah, a real treat. At 8:45am we
left Beacon Hill ands drove to the marina in East Boston.
Boston to Falmouth
71 nm, 6½ hrs, 10.9 knots.
At 9:15am we left the dock. It was overcast with light westerly wind. After an
hour we had passed through The Narrows and by Georges Island, and we were in
Nantasket Road heading south. At 1:00pm we entered the east end of Cape Cod Canal,
behind Energy Enterprise, a large freighter that had been good enough to accompany us
all the way from Boston.
The trip through the canal was unusually slow due to a 4 knot current against us,
and the slow progress of the freighter ahead of us. At about 2:00pm we passed the
Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Bourne. As we continued out the channel into
Buzzards Bay, a fog settled in. It soon lifted as we approached Woods Hole, and by the
time we entered Woods Hole Passage the sun was out. At 3:15pm we passed the Balter
house at Nobska Light, waving at the entire family gathered outside to greet us.
At 3:45pm we were at the face dock at McDougall’s Marina on the east side of
Falmouth Harbor. In the 6½ hours, Allie had taken a nap and watched two movies:
Starsky and Hutch and Only a Boy. I had driven the boat a bit, read a bit, and just enjoyed
the ride.
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At 4:45pm Joan arrived, having spent the afternoon with the Balters at Nobska
Point. Allie, Joan, and I took a tender tour of the harbor. One stop was at a piece of
property on the west side that was advertised for sale at $11.9 million! It had a 300 foot
waterfront footage, a 100 foot face dock and several smaller slips, a house and a 1500
square foot shed. It seemed greatly overpriced. Another stop was at the Nicholas’ docks,
where Eagle, Plugger and Youseff were docked. They have now bought Eastern Marine, a
marina just south of their crew house and docks.
At about 5:30pm Lara arrived with Jackie and Maddy: She had ridden her bike
from Nobska Point, pulling a trailer with the two girls. At about 7:00pm, just as we were
sitting down to dinner, Steve arrived, having been in traffic from Boston for a couple of
hours. After dinner, Lara and the girls were driven home by Joan. Steve and Ben stayed
on the boat for the night. Joan returned and so to bed…
Falmouth to Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard and Back
10 nm, 1 hr, 10.0 knots.
At 8:00am we awoke to a cool, overcast day with light winds. Ben had gotten up
at 6:25am (precisely, he said). Steve came on deck at about 9:30am. At 10:00am Joan and
I took a long walk around the harbor, and at 11:45am Lara arrived with her other three
kids and two extra children, friends of Allie’s and Ben. We immediately left the dock for
Vineyard Haven, only five miles away.
We arrived at Vineyard Haven at about 12:30pm and had lunch before going into
the town of Vineyard Haven in two tender trips. We walked around the main street,
visiting art galleries. One gallery, the Kidder-Smith gallery, was very interesting. One
artist did painting on canvas of water scenes with perspective—you really thought you
were seeing three dimensions. Another did Dick Tracy-like cartoons scenes of buses, cars
and buildings. There is also a Kiddder-Smith gallery on Newbury Street in Boston, so
we’ll have to visit it.
We all met at the dinghy dock after a quick trip to the world-famous Black Dog
bakery by the ferry dock. At 4:00pm, after two tender trips back and forth, we hauled the
anchor and headed back to Falmouth. It had been overcast most of the day, but it hadn’t
rained and when the sun broke through it got hot. It was a great day. But soon after we
started, a fog rolled in.
At 4:30pm we entered Falmouth Inner Harbor and by 4:45pm we were at the
dock, still in moderate fog. Lara, Steve and the kids left and we took a power nap. At
7:00pm Lara and Steve returned to Myeerah. The fog had lifted and at 7:30pm we had a
fine dinner. Lara and Steve left at about 8:30pm, and Joan and I took a walk up to
Falmouth Heights. By 9:00pm we were back at the boat. And so to bed…
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In Falmouth
Up at 9:00am, after an 11 hour Ambien-induced sleep, it was sunny, very cool
and windy. A front had quietly moved through during the night. The harbor was busy
with boats going in and out. One sailboat kept tacking across the narrow channel,
bordered by moored boats on one side and the land on the other—it was a treat to watch
all the boats trying to avoid him.
Joan and I had breakfast, and, at about 11:00am, Lara arrived, having run from
Nobska Point. Joan and I drove her back to her house, and at 12:30 Steve, Ben and I
headed out to the Old Barnstable Fairgrounds for a round of golf. Joan drove to Boston so
that she could help Michele the next day.
After a nice golfing day—cool, windy, and very sunny—Steve, Ben and I met
Lara and the kids at 7:00pm the Landfall Restaurant in Woods Hole. We had a nice
dinner together, and at 9:00pm Steve and Ben dropped me off at McDougall’s, just in
time to see Six Feet Under At 10:00pm it was bedtime.
Falmouth to Boston
71 nm, 6½ hrs, 10.9 knots.
Up at 7:00am, to a bright sunny day with 10-15 knot wind. We left the dock at
8:00am and waved at the Balters as we passed Nobska Point. By 8:45am we were
through Woods Hole, where the current ran strong but with us, and we turned north
toward the canal. A light west wind pushed small 1-2 foot waves at our port beam. It was
very comfortable.
At 10:00am we reached the west end jetty at the canal. The current was 3+ knots
against us, but there was little traffic in the canal so we made decent time, exiting the east
end at 10:45am. It was dead calm on the other side. We passed a beaten-up 177-foot
three-masted schooner, the Gozella, as we exited the canal. After 30 minutes spent
calibrating our new anemometer, at 11:15am we turned due north toward Boston. It was
still flat calm.
We arrived at Nastasket Roads at 1:30pm, and at 3:00pm we were at the dock. It
had been a windless day until we arrived at Boston’s Outer Harbor. Then, just in time for
docking, the wind jumped to 20 knots from the west.
It had been a great weekend.
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Cruising the Western Mediterranean
July 7-18, 2004
Captain Doug Coe
First Mate Shannon Coe
Passengers Peter and Ginny Nicholas
Peter and Joan Fortune
Carolyn and Marty Brotzman
Debby Rubush
Alice Hollingsworth
Prologue
Normally this journal is only for trips on our boats. But this is special!
Pete and Ginny Nicholas invited us to take a trip with them on their new Hilarium, a 140foot Haakvoort that had been built in 1986. Over two years it has been completely rebuilt
at Derektor Shipyard in Ft. Lauderdale. She was originally the Lady Alice, then Mayan
Queen, then Mimosa, and finally, Hilarium. We would leave on July 7 on the Nicholas’
jet, a Bombardier Global Express that carries about 15 passengers. The original plan was
to fly to Genoa, Italy and meet the boat in Portofina. Then we would cruise down the
th
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western coast of Italy to Corsica and Sardinia, flying back on July 18 —our 40
anniversary. The trip was a more-than-generous gift from Ginny and Pete.
But this is boating. The new boat was delayed at the shipyard, then she was held
up by weather after passing the Azores. Since it would not reach Portofino in time, Ginny
and Pete booked us for two days at a splendid hotel in Portofino, then for another two
days at a similar hotel in Sardinia, 200 miles south. As Pete would say--we would call
audibles throughout the trip!
The other guests were Alice Hollingsworth ,Ginny’s half-sisters, Debby Rubush
and Carolyn Rubush Brotzman, and Marty Brotzman, Carolyn’s husband. Alice arrived at
our house on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 6th . The next morning we started our trip by
following the Nicholas’s out to Hanscom Field in Bedford.
Day 1 Wednesday, July 7, 2004
Bedford, MA to Portofino, Italy
7 hours flight time
At 8:00am Alice, Joan and I left for Hanscom Air Base in Lexington, MA. We
met Pete and Ginny’s plane at Pete’s hangar, and at 9:15pm the plane was wheels up. The
seven hour flight to Genoa was very comfortable—the plane was roomy, amazingly
quiet, and quite stable. On the way we read, talked, slept, and ate. Time passed
surprisingly quickly.
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At 10:15pm (Italian time)—4:15pm Boston time—we landed at Genoa’s coastal
airport—the view from the onboard forward-looking camera made it seem like we were
landing on an aircraft carrier.. After a quick check through immigration and customs, and
a 45 minute drive to Portofino in a rented van, we arrived at the Hotel Splendido, high
above Portfino’s small harbor. Hokily named, Hotel Splendido describes it perfectly:
This is one of the most expensive hotels in the world. The building had been built in the
16th century as a monastery, and it had been a monastery for much of the time until the
monks deserted it after repeated attacks by evildoers (terrorists?). It was a private villa
until, in 1901, it was converted to a hotel. It had charming rooms, great views, and
excellent service.
Our room was wonderful. An entry area with storage to the right and a sizable
bathroom to the left, a large bedroom, a sitting room with a small room beside it, and two
balconies. The rooms were white with trim painted on the walls to look like threedimensional molding. This is a regional touch—many houses had devices like shells,
flowers and shields painted above or around the windows, and with molding-like trim
painted around windows. Our balconies looked out over the harbor onto a steep hill next
to the hotel with large villas, the hillside dropping sharply down to the harbor. Across the
harbor was another steep hill with a castle, a church and several villas.
Our first challenge was to borrow a converter from the hotel—we had completely
forgotten the power problem, and I need my sleep apnea machine. At midnight, after
settling into our rooms, we all met on the patio for a light dinner. By 2:00am, Italian time,
we were getting ready for bed. And by 3:00pm it was lights out.
Day 2 Thursday, July 8, 2004
In Portofino, Italy
Ahhhh! Jet lag! Lights out at 3:00am, awake at 6:00am, up at 8:00am. The first
thing I did was open the French doors to one of our balconies and see the most perfect
sight I’ve ever seen on earth. The Hotel Splendido sits high on a hill overlooking
Portofino Harbor. The town is not in sight—it is tucked around a hillside and nestles deep
between several upthrust hills. Our room looked out over the harbor to another high hill
with medieval villas and a castle on it. The entire area looked as if it had been landscaped
by God: Villas (not houses) dotted the hillsides, each in some light shade of yellow or
salmon or green; the houses were stucco with ornate painted window ornaments—
shields, flowers, shutters, you name it.
After breakfast on the balcony, Joan and I walked into the town of Portofino.
Following a well-maintained pathway down the steep hillside into a square with a church
named Divo Martino, we then took a short walk down a cobblestone street to the most
perfect tiny harbor I’ve seen. Ringed by a granite seawall and filled by boats, the large
ones all Med-moored, the harbor was a glacial bowl that was perhaps 100 feet deep but
no more than 300 yards across. A large 100-plus foot boat was leaving, drawing itself
along its anchor rode for about 700 feet before the anchor finally broke the water. There
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was a large square with shops at the edge of the harbor, and a beautiful wide stone street
(walking only) edged the entire harbor.
The shops and houses along the harbor and in the surrounding hillsides were all
exquisitely maintained, made of stucco, and painted in faded light pastels. The
landscaping was perfect—bright flowers on house porches and, in the central square, tall
thin cedars, spreading evergreens, olive trees. It was as if the entire town was a single
perfectly manicured estate. Zoning bylaws must have maintained the town in its medieval
perfection—humans would never have been willing to conform voluntarily to the town’s
design and colors.
It was warm, and a very light rain fell intermittently, with stretches of dry cloudy
skies and occasional sun. After a walk around, and a stop at a bank to get some euros
($1.25 per euro), we took a shuttle back to the hotel and caught up on some sleep. At
1:30pm we met the Nicholas’s and Debbie at the poolside restaurant for lunch. Pete told
us the news on Hilarium—she had been slowed by weather when she passed the Azores
heading for Gibraltar. She was expected to arrive at the Spanish island of Mallorca (“Myorca”) on Saturday. We would fly to Sardinia tomorrow and stay in a hotel for two nights.
Then we would fly to Mallorca and get on the boat for a twenty-four hour ride to Corsica.
Pete is very composed, but obviously frustrated by the delay in getting onto his new
boat—I don’t blame him a bit. I’m anxious to see her also.
After lunch we went back to the room, where Joan changed to a swimsuit to go to
the pool with Alice. I stayed to write these notes and to read. At 4:00pm I dropped off to
sleep as rain began to come down hard, and it wasn’t until 7:00pm that I awoke and
quickly dressed for dinner in Portofino. The rain was now coming down with some force.
All eight of us met for a drink in the hotel, then, at 7:45pm, we took the shuttle to
the town square and gathered at the Chufly (“Shoo-Fly”) Restaurant at Splendido Mare, a
small hotel right on the harbor. It was a delightful setting, and the dinner and service were
excellent. At 11:00pm, in a light rain, we took a walk around the big boats, then we
shuttled back to the hotel for a midnight drop into deep slumber.
Day 3 Friday, July 9, 2004
Portofino, Italy to Porto Cervo, Sardinia
Hilarium is still beating its way toward Palma, Spain, on the island of Mallorca. It
has been held up by high seas, and is scheduled to arrive there today. We will fly to
Sardinia for two nights, and on Sunday we will fly to Palma to meet the boat. Pete is
anxious to see the boat—so is Pete Nicholas!
At 9:30pm, Joan and I had breakfast on our balcony in the sun, with birds singing
in the trees. After breakfast we walked into town and visited the Divo Martino church. It
had a very elaborate interior—saints’ windows, a Michelangelo ceiling, sacred relics, the
whole nine yards. We then walked down to the harbor and watched a large yacht,
Domenici, leave: It drew itself out on its anchor, which was apparently stuck on ledge at
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the harbor bottom. Finally, after some time and maneuvering, the anchor released and the
yacht left Portofino. After this we walked through Museo del Parco, a botanical garden
with contemporary sculptures that overlooked the harbor: It was pretty dismal—poorly
maintained and not very interesting. Then we returned to the hotel.
At 12:00pm we checked out, and at 2:30pm we all piled into the same van that
had brought us from Genoa and drove to the Genoa airport. Seeing the towns along the
way was a real treat—the houses were pastel with painted trim and devices on them, like
fake window trim. We arrived at Christopher Colombo Airport at about 3:15pm. After
some typical Italian confusion that created delays even though nobody else was there, our
plane lifted off for the 200 mile trip to Olbia, Sardinia.
The thirty minute flight was over seas that were quite rough. We passed by
several rocky islands—Gorgona, Elba, Corsica and several unidentified rocks. We landed
at Olbia (Greek for ”Happy,” a description of the deep, protected harbor and attitude of
the Sardinians) on the northeastern tip of Sardinia. Sardinia (“Sardegna” to the locals)
means “Sundial,” and is so named because of its sundial shape. We quickly got into two
vans and drove to Hotel Romazzino , in Porto Cervo on Costa Smeralda (”Emerald
Coast”)--Romazzino is the Sardinian word for Rosemary. The forty-five minute drive
was beautiful. The Sardinian landscape is very arid with low vegetation due to the winds.
The coastline is rough with many beautiful coves dotted by boats and bordered by hotels.
The hills were fairly low, but craggy high rocks filled the horizon.
Built in 1965 by the Agha Khan, who had bought a 35 square kilometer area that
he named the Emerald Coast, the hotel was refurbished in 1986. It has a Mediterranean
style—whitewashed buildings with arched doorways and red tile roofs. It looks out over
a cove into the water between Sardinia and Corsica. It appears to be brand new. We had
an absolutely beautiful view toward a miles-long high rock near Olbia.
After a walk down to the beach and a short layabout on a beach chair, we went to
our room and cleaned up. At 8:30pm we went to the bar overlooking the sea, and by
9:00pm everyone else had gathered. At 9:30pm we went to the restaurant for a very fine
meal, and by 11:30pm we were in our room. Lights out soon after midnight.
Day 4 Saturday, July 10, 2004
In Porto Cervo, Costa Smeralda, Sardinia
We were awakened suddenly at 9:00am by the arrival of our breakfast. I had slept
very soundly, Joan had not. After a continental breakfast on our ground level balcony,
looking over a great view of water and islands, we went down to see the pool—very
large and very pretty, with a sizable playground for children and an exercise area.
At 12:30pm, after sitting in the shade and reading for a while, we went to get
dressed. At 1:30pm we met Ginny and Pete, Debbie, and Alice and took taxis to Cala di
Volpe, the best hotel on Sardinia, for lunch. Translated at “Small Bay of Foxes,” named
for the two-legged foxes that are abundant in the hotel, Cala di Volpe sits on a large
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harbor just around a point from the bay that our hotel is on; it is only about a ten minute
drive from our hotel. The large open-but-roofed lunch area looks over a huge pool and
then over the bay. There were many sights to see, often in pairs. The buffet-style food
was outstanding, the service just as good. Nubile young things cavorted in the pool or
draped themselves over the beach lounges next to their aged sugar daddies. Boats came in
to anchor and tenders brought their owners or clients to lunch. A pretty jet-setty group.
At 3:30pm the ladies took a cab back to Hotel Romazzino and Pete and I rented a
small boat and took an hour-long tour of the bay, identifying and ranking all the boats.
One power boat was over 200 feet, several sailboats were in the 100-foot range, and most
of the boats were sizable—75 feet and up. There was a strong land breeze, perhaps 30
knots, kicking up sizable waves only a few hundred yards offshore. After an hour we
returned the boat and took a taxi back to the hotel, arriving just before 5:00pm.
It was naptime. At 7:00pm we got up, dressed, and went to the outdoor bar. Pete
and Ginny arrived with news that the boat had arrived in Palma, but that it could not be
refueled until early Monday morning—it would take two fuel trucks to deliver the 10,000
gallons of diesel fuel. Eventually, all of us had gathered and at 8:45pm we went to dinner.
It was a great meal, ending with Peach Flambe for all. At 11:00pm we were in our room.
And so to bed…
Day 5 Sunday, July 11, 2004
Porto Cervo, Sardinia, to Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca, Spain
Today is the big day: We fly to Palma on the island of Mallorca to meet Hilarium.
Mallorca and, slightly to its east, Menorca, comprise the largest of Spain’s Balearic
Islands; Ibiza and Formentera, southwest of Mallorca, are also part of the group. The day
will be spent in Palma and tomorrow, after refueling, we will start a long ride to Corsica.
At 11:30am, after a 10:00am breakfast, we all got on a van to take a tour of the
area before going to the airport in Olbia. We went to Porto Cervo, the main town in the
area, and stayed for about an hour and had lunch. Porto Cervo is really a new town with
upscale shopping at the harbor. We priced a nice—but not fabulous—necklace at 36,000
euros! Italy’s prime minister, a billionaire, has a house on the harbor.
Then we headed for Olbia. After an Italian delay we took off from Olbia at
2:00pm for the one hour, 400 mile, ride to Palma de Mallorca. At about 3:00pm we
landed at the Palma airport, having passed over many windmills dotting the Mallorcan
landscape. Within ½ hour we were at a huge marina in Palma, then we were on the new
Hilarium. She looks very like the old Hilarium, but larger. She has many new features—
longer (137’ vs. 120’), a wider beam (28’ vs. 25’), a much wider width at the stern (26’
vs. 18’), a sky lounge, a larger engine room with bigger engines (1550HP MTUs vs. 750
HP), newer electronic systems, and at-rest stabilizers.
Joan and Alice took a long walk while the rest of us conversed on the aft deck.
We all gathered at about 7:00pm for a christening ceremony on the foredeck. Pete
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thanked the crew for their efforts, then—after four failed attempts—broke a champagne
bottle over the bell. We then went to dinner on the aft weather deck at about 8:00pm. It
was quite good—Coquilles St. Jacque, salad, lamb chops, and mousse for dessert. By
11:00pm we were in our stateroom. I wrote these notes until midnight--and so to bed…
Day 6 Monday, July 12, 2004
In Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Well, this is boating. The weather is supposed to worsen on Tuesday, making the
area around Corsica very lumpy. So instead of heading east to Corsica, we will go
northwest to Barcelona on the eastern coast of Spain--it is only about 120 miles. Today
we will have a tour of the high spots in Palma, then at 2:30pm we will get under way.
Mallorca is a very wealthy island because of its former position on trade routes,
its reliable sun and consequent tourism, and its status as a luxury yacht and jet-set
stopping spot. It has a population of about 750,000; three-quarters of the population of
the Balearic Islands. It has a very rough coastline, a flat arable plain, and a mountainous
interior. The language of Mallorca is Catalan, which is the language of the Catalonian
district of Spain, around Barcelona..
At 9:00am we awoke to leaden skies threatening rain. At 10:00pm, after a light
breakfast, our 14-passenger private tour bus arrived and we started on our tour with
Samuel, our guide, and Miguel, our driver. Our first stop was Castell de Bellver, called
“The Castle.” Castell de Bellver (“Castle with a Beautiful View”) is a 14th century round
castle situated 350 feet above sea level; it overlooks the Palma harbor and from it we
could see Hilarium. It is made of limestone, absorbing water in the rainy season and
giving it back in the dry season. This turns it black as pollutants leach into the stone, but
it has recently been cleaned. It has a deep, dry moat and an open center with a theater in
the round. It is in a large park far from other buildings. Today the regional government
was to meet in the open air. Unfortunately, it began to rain lightly, then heavily, and fog
rolled in.
The museum in the castle tells the history of Palma and of Mallorca. The first
sign of habitation was cave dwellings dated to 5000 years BC. The Romans occupied the
island in 200BC-500AD, after which the Vandals and other “barbarians” held the island.
In 902-1229AD the Moors (Arabs who had invaded and occupied Spain) controlled the
area. In the 13th century Jaime I of Aragon and Catalonia (“James the Conqueror”) drove
the Moors out of Spain and returned Mallorca to Roman Catholic control. Following this
there was a major building boom and the land was split into districts, each owned by a
catholic family. Over the years the influence of the area, and its population, increased.
Out next stop was the Catedral de Mallorca near Palma’s waterfront. Of Gothic
design, larger than Notre Dame, it has over 70,000 square feet of space with two large
rose windows and an elaborate interior having eighteen family chapels, each dedicated to
a different saint. Over 1,500 bodies are buried beneath the floor or in crypts below the
cathedral. It is quite majestic, holding as many as 18,000 people. Its main doors, rarely
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used, are as impressive as Notre Dame’s. The other two entrances are the Alms Door,
facing inland, and the Sea Door, which faces the water.
At 1:00pm, following our visit to the cathedral, we walked through the old city of
Palma and visited the lobby of the Municipal Building, with its oversized mannequins in
traditional Mallorcan dress. We then walked through a nearby plaza with street
performers--the Green Man and Zorro—to get to our bus. Then we drove to a suburban
town for a lunch of “typical” Mallorcan food, which turned out to be beef and French
Fries cooked in the standard way. It was an excellent meal in a great setting—stone walls
and a medieval feel. It was still raining.
While at lunch, Pete called Captain Doug and found that the weather front
expected to move in on Tuesday had arrived early, and that we would not leave Mallorca
today. So instead of hurrying to get back to the boat for departure, we decided to continue
our tour by going to the “typical” Mallorcan village of Valdemossa. Set in the mountains
on a step hillside, this medieval village is the richest in Spain, the result of tourism. It is
completely restored, with stone streets, well maintained houses, shops, and a large
cathedral (Real Cartuja de Valdemossa) overlooking it. Originally a royal residence, then
after 1339 a Carthusian monastery, the grounds have a Charterhouse, church, cloisters
and gardens. In 1835, after 500 years, the monks were thrown out by Mendizabal’s Law
of Disentailment, which took all the property except the church and sold it to private
interests. In 1838-39, Frederick Chopin and George Sands lived together at the
Charterhouse for a year while he composed and she wrote A Winter in Mallorca. The
cathedral has beautiful gardens, which we walked through on our way back to the bus.
At about 3:30pm we drove back to the boat. Pete, Marty, and I got off and the
ladies took the bus to a local jewelry shop to hunt for pearls. The guys hung around the
boat for a while, then walked up the quay to see Navetta from Turks & Caicos, a 30meter (101-foot) Ferretti Navetta of which our 27-meter (90-foot) version was hull #1. I
prefer the lines of our boat, though the extra ten feet would be nice.
At 8:00pm we met for dinner, and by 10:30 the ladies were watching the rest of a
movie that they had started in the afternoon after shopping: Something’s Gotta Give, with
Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson. At about 11:00pm we watched the first hour of the
first season of The Sopranos; Joan and I had given the DVD set of all four seasons to the
Nicholas’s. At 12:15am we went to our staterooms, and by 1:00am it was lights out.
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Day 7 Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Palma de Mallorca, Spain to Barcelona, Spain
120 nm, 9½ hours, 12.6 kts
Finally the Hilarium is under way with its owners aboard. We awoke to a sunny
and almost windless day. Our scheduled 8:00am departure was delayed for an hour
because the dockmaster could not to be found for the checkout. At 9:00am, Hilarium very
quietly slipped away from its berth and headed out of Palma for a clockwise trip around
the southwest end of Mallorca, then north to Barcelona. We passed high limestone cliffs,
some with lighthouses and large light tender houses attached. A particularly impressive
one was on the craggy island of Dragonera. The coastline of Mallorca is very rough and
rugged, creating lots of beautiful sights.
As we headed north at 14 knots, we were passed by the large hydrofoil ferry from
Palma to Barcelona—it covers the 120-mile run in three hours. It was still very calm, but
a bit of sea built as we went northward. Still, this boat is very stable, comfortable and
quiet. It remained sunny and warm.
At 1:00pm we had a safety lecture from the captain, followed by lunch. It
remained sunny and warm, with six foot swells creating a usually-gentle roll and pitch.
We sat around, read, checked email on the new wireless internet access, and generally
enjoyed ourselves. At 5:30pm we were passed as if standing still by a 300-foot freighter
carrying trucks and equipment, also heading from Mallorca to Barcelona. At 6:30pm we
approached Barcelona’s harbor after a grueling 9½ hour trip. We all sat on the
observation deck having drinks and appetizers as we approached the harbor. Passing
through a large breakwater and a commercial channel, we reached a very large marina at
an inner harbor. We passed Pegasus, about 250 feet, and Mayan Queen, the new boat
built by the people who had sold Pete the current Hilarium.
After docking everyone went for a walk except Pete and I. At 8:30pm we met the
others at the central arch of a museum and municipal administration building on the
waterfront, and by 9:00pm we were sitting in a local restaurant. We sat at two tables for
four, and by 11:00pm we were back at the boat watching the second episode of the first
season of The Sopranos. At 12:15pm we were all in our staterooms. And so to bed…
Barcelona, Spain to Marseille, France
182 nm, 15 hours, 12.1 kts
We were up at 9:00am to have breakfast before meeting our private tour bus. At
10:15am we met Guillermo, our guide, and Angel, our driver. It was a sunny day, not
very hot, so it was perfect for a tour. Our first stop was Montjuic, a large park high above
the city. On the way we passed the diving venue for the 1982 Olympics. It was built into
the precipitous hillside with the audience looking out and down on Barcelona spread out
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below. It was designed to give the impression that the competitors were diving down into
the city itself-very dramatic.
At Montjuic there are several fountains and commanding views over the
Mediterranean, the harbor and the city. A haze prevented a clear view, but it was still
very impressive. The ladies bought some printed silk scarves from a vendor, talking the
price down from 2 for 10 euros to 6 for 30!
We then drove through the city. What architecture. The telecommunications tower
looked like a sculpture, big buildings—many residential--were designed with a
surrealistic look—after all, this is the city of Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, and Salvador Dali.
We stopped at the Temple de la Sagrada Familia (“Temple of the Sacred Family”).
Designed by Antonio Gaudi (1852-1926), and under construction since 1882, it is about
50 percent completed. It is huge, with a surrealistic-gothic design. The spires on it—there
will be eighteen—look like natural carved rock structures rather than manmade regular
shapes; there are fruit-like devices on some of the towers; each tower has “sanctus
sanctus sanctus” (holy, holy, holy) written on it in raised letters. It’s sort of a Lord of the
Rings-type structure. The construction is funded by contributions from the people, largely
by admission fees; this explains its slow construction. Some sections are black with age,
others are brightly new. It is bizarre!
Following this we went to the Old City, with its own traditional gothic cathedral,
government buildings, narrow streets, and high residential buildings each looking out at
the other. Under the old city are excavations of Roman ruins, which we did not have time
to visit. It was like most old cities—old. But it was very clean, with no signs of its greater
age
Our bus then took us through the 1992 Olympic Village area, then by the beaches
near our marina. One beach, the “textile beach” is for the clothed, while the other is for
nude beaching. We had a Catalonian lunch at 2:00pm at a restaurant overlooking the
marina, with a fine view of Hilarium. At 4:00pm we were back at the boat and everyone
took a walk while I caught up on the photos and notes of the day. We were scheduled to
leave for the overnight run to Marseille at 5:00pm, but we didn’t leave till after 6:00pm
because Pete and Ginny met the “old” Hilarium’s original owners, when she had been
Ilona. So it really is a small world--in one day the Nicholas’s saw the old owners of one
Hilarium and the new boat of the old owners of another Hilarium.
Just after 6:00pm we left the dock with all passengers on the sundeck. As we
approached the channel, a pilot boat told us to hold our position because a large freighter
was coming into the harbor. This delayed our departure until 6:30pm, and when we left
the breakwater we encountered a stiff breeze and some wave action. But when we turned
northwest toward Marseille the waves came on our starboard quarter and the ride was
very nice. Marty and I stayed on the sun deck for quite a while, talking and watching the
Spanish coastline slide by. It reminded me of the Alaskan coast—mountains came almost
to the water, leaving a strip along the shore for development. The cost seemed to be one
large city, very thin and long.
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After a while we had dinner, then we watched two episodes of The Sopranos. By
12:30am we were in our stateroom and by 1:00am we were sound asleep.
In Marseille, France
In the middle of the night we had some serious rolling as we crossed the Gulf of
Lions, where we lost the protection of a close shore. But things soon quieted down and, at
10:00am, we passed from Marseille Bay between two large castles into the inner harbor
of Vieux Port, the Old Port. The harbor is long and narrow, completely surrounded by the
city. Most of the boats are sailboats. We Med-moored, backing down between two large
sailboats. A jackhammer was pounding the concrete about 20 yards away as we sat down
for a late breakfast. Our stern faced the City Hall, so our American flag waved at the
French flag. We prepared for sniper attacks. We were in Marseille, the capitol of
Provence.
At 12:00pm we met our two taxis for a tour. Neither driver spoke English, so we
had little idea what we were seeing or what was the significance. Our first stop was the
Palais du Pharo, built by Napoleon and now housing the legislature. It looks over
Marseille from a point high above the forts protecting Vieux Port. The view from Palais
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du Pharo is magnificent. Below it are the Fort of St. John, originally built in the 13
century by the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem and expanded over the years, and the Fort
of St. Nicholas, built in the 17 th century. Each fort stands on one side of the channel from
Marseille Bay to Vieux Port.
Next we drove to Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde (Church of Our Lady of the
Garde). La Garde is a very high hill overlooking Marseille, where watch towers have
been built for centuries. In 1214 Master Peter, a religious hermit, built a chapel on the top
of la Garde. Over the centuries this was expanded until, in the 1850s, a massive church
was built. It is about 150 meters (500 feet) high, topped by a huge statue of the Virgin
Mary. The faithful look to the virgin’s healing powers at this site. Its view over Marseille
is even more impressive than that at the Palais du Pharo, and from the city it is an
impressive sight to look up and see the church standing alone on a high hill.
We then drove along the coast road to a monument for French soldiers and
sailors: the Monument to the Dead of the Orient. It overlooks Marseille Bay and its three
protecting rocky islands. The two largest are the Frioul Islands, joined by a breakwater
since the time of Louis XVIII, where there is now a marina and a town. The closest, and
smallest, island is Isle de Chateau d’If ("Chateau Deef"), built as a fort in the 16 th century
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and converted to a prison in the 17 century. It is here that Alexander Dumas‘ fictional
character, Edmond Dante, the Count of Monte Cristo, was imprisoned; tourists can visit
his cell.
We then drove to the seaside town of Cassis, about 15 miles southeast of
Marseille. The countryside is typical of a large portion of Provence: sparsely vegetated
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with high limestone hills having sharp cliffs, a sandy and rocky soil not very good for
farming. As we approached Cassis we could see the Calanque of En-Vau--a calanque is a
small cove bordered by high rock cliffs. Calanque En-Vou has a very high steep cliff
falling down to the sea; it looks like Ireland’s famous Cliffs of Mohr. It is said to be
extraordinarily beautiful, and it certainly is impressive from a distance.
The town of Cassis is very pretty, with a large castle, initially constructed in the
7th century to protect against the Saracens, overlooking it. There is a nice small harbor
and a large beach. It was full of tourists, mostly French. Most restaurants were closed (the
French restaurants typically serve from 12 to 2), but we found one right on the harbor that
was open. We had a nice lunch, except for the French couple at the next table: He was
shouting into his cell phone and impatiently demanding attention from the waiter; she
kept sneezing on me. I do so hate the French!
After lunch we walked the short way to the beach and the ladies went shopping.
At 4:00pm we got into our taxis and drove back to the boat, arriving at 5:00pm. It had
been a day of bright sun all day long. Apparently while we had been gone several young
French people took exception to Hilarium’s presence, shouting niceties like “F__k the
Americans!” Once again, I do so….
At 7:30pm we met on the sundeck for drinks. The light was playing on the
buildings around the harbor and on the Basilica high on le Garde. It was very beautiful!
At 8:30pm we walked around the harbor to a street of restaurants and selected one. It
turned out to be terrible—the service was slow in spite of Jeanpierre’s efforts, the orders
got mixed up, and the food was nearly inedible—tough stringy tasteless beef, but decent
vegetables and salad. Joan and I had Chateubriand for two—the first in 30 years—and it
was cold, tough, and without any Bernaise (or other) sauce. I am sure that they were
punishing the Americans for coming to France. But we had four bottles of wine and that
created considerable levity. It was a nice evening with a bad meal.
At midnight we were back at the boat. I caught up on these notes and Joan read.
And so to bed…at 1:30am!
Marseille, France to Saint-Tropez, France
We got an early start so we could get to St. Tropez for lunch. At 5:45am, as the
sun came up, we left Vieux Port. Joan and I first noticed it at 6:15am, with the rocking of
the boat as it exited Marseilles Bay. We stayed in bed—1:30am is simply too late for us
to stay up.
At 9:30am we got up and I went on deck. We had passed Toulon and were
entering Petit Passage between the mainland and Isle de Porquerolles. The wide entrance
was guarded by a fort on each side. A lighthouse marked a ledge on the starboard side.
The sun was beginning to break through the clouds. There were quite a few boats—one
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was an 80-foot jet boat that passed us like we were standing still, its jet drives throwing a
rooster tail higher than the boat. Later we passed Lady George, a very large Haakvoort
that was going the other way.
By 10:00am Debbie, Alice, Joan and I were having breakfast on the aft weather
deck. The Botzmans and the Nicholases had not appeared. The rocky coast was slipping
by on the port side. Unlike Provence, there were trees covering the hillsides. Few houses
were seen, and those few were high on the hillsides.
At 12:00pm, after six hours, we entered the bay at Saint-Tropez. The small harbor
was filled and we anchored outside near Crystal Serenity, a large cruise ship. Around us
were Leander, Giant (a refitted Antarctic Icebreaker with a maroon hull), and Octopus,
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s old Tatoosh—300 feet long, a 49 foot beam, twin
4,350HP diesels, and two helicopters on her; his new boat, Tatoosh II, is over 400 feet!
The water was very choppy from all the small boats scooting around, but the at-rest
stabilizers considerably limited the roll.
The new tender, a “Nicholas 22,” was dropped into the water by its huge 8,000
pound crane. The task was a bit tricky because of the wave action, but when completed
we began to transport ourselves to Saint-Tropez. The Botzmans, Debbie, and Alice went
first, then Pete, Ginny, Joan and I. The narrow channel between jetties gave way to quays
on each side that were lined with boats, some—like the infamous Trinity Relentless—
quite large. After a short distance the channel opened into a bowl of water bordered by a
quay and fronted by the town’s restaurant district.
We couldn’t find the others so we had a lunch on the waterfront and walked
around the town. It is very upscale, with clean, well-maintained, narrow stone streets
bordered by pastel-colored old townhouses. We went to the beach, then we walked back
to the harbor. Pete and I walked around checking out the boats while Ginny and Joan
shopped.
At 4:00pm we were picked up by the tender. We toured around, going to a newly
developed marina and housing complex across the bay. Then, at about 5:00pm we went
back to Hilarium, and the tender went into town to try to find the others—we had never
seen them! After working on these notes, I went down for a nap.
At 7:30pm we appeared on the weather deck A helicopter was landing on Lady
Marina, a very large yacht. Other large yachts had come into the bay, among them
Inevitable, the Palmer Johnson that had been rejected by its buyer, starting Palmer
Johnson’s downward spiral into bankruptcy. Crystal Serenity and Octopus had left. The
bay had a lot of boats 100 feet or longer. Myeerah would have been the smallest.
At almost 8:00pm we sat down to a fine dinner—crab cakes, Greek salad, lobster
tails, dessert. Night had fallen, the wind had died down, and a fireworks display appeared
across the bay at the new marina/development. It was another evening in paradise, topped
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off by another episode of The Sopranos. At 12:30pm we were in our rooms, and at
1:30am (once again, too late for us) we were asleep.
Day 11 Saturday, July 17, 2004
Saint-Tropez, France to St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France via Monte Carlo
Sadly, today is our last full day on Hilarium—every good party must come to an
end. We woke up at 9:00am to a sunny day with flat water. Overnight the bay had filled
in with even more boats and it was really a bit crowded. Tenders were scurrying back and
forth to Saint-Tropez.
At 10:30am we lifted the anchor and headed out to sea, pulling the tender. Our
course will take us up the French coast as far as Monte Carlo, then we will backtrack a bit
to the village of St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. On the way—about four hours—we will pass
Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Cap Ferrat, and Monaco. It is a sunny and not-too-hot day, perfect
for us.
The ride from Saint-Tropez to Cannes was very pleasant, along a rocky coast with
high hills. We did the shoreline in Cannes, seeing several large high-end marinas and the
city spread out on the water. A small blue-hulled cruise ship, Alexander, and several
other large boats were anchored in the harbor.
Going around the Isle du Saint-Marguerite and the Isle de St-Honorat, we saw the
old abbey on the western end of Isle de St-Honorat. Then we slipped into the next large
bay where the new part of Antibes is set: High rise buildings covered the hills. Going
around Cap d’Antibes, with its large private houses set back from the water, we visited
the next cove where old Antibes can be seen.
Around another point and we entered the large bay at Naples, with its old walled
city. Around another point was the lovely village of Villefranche, with gorgeous big
houses on the hillside and beautiful lighthouses on Cap Ferrat, its northern point. Around
Cap Ferrat is the village of St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, where we would anchor for the night.
But we continued a short distance to Port d’Ail, France’s northernmost port on
this coast. Just beyond Port d’Ail is Monaco, with its capital city of Monte Carlo. Here
we could see a palace built into the cliff, a large protected harbor for cruise ships, and the
famous casinos.
We turned around and went the short distance back to St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. The
small bay was filled with large boats, the largest by far was the 300-foot Octopus.. I took
a picture of Hilarium next to Octopus--Hilarium looked like Octopus’s tender. This is a
beautiful bay, with a lovely town surrounded by high hills and cliffs.
At about 5:30pm we went into the town. It really is precious, with a sizable
marina filled with boats and upscale shops along the waterfront. Large villas dot the
hillsides, and cozy apartment buildings occupy the center of town. At 6:30pm we got
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back on the tender and, after checking out some boats in the harbor, we returned to
Hilarium. I worked on these notes for a while, and at about 8:00pm I joined the others on
the sun deck for a beautiful sunset.
Just before 9:00pm we went down to dinner. It was a delightful evening and a
good meal. We watched yet another episode of The Sopranos, then the others went to bed
while Ginny, Pete, Joan and I talked for a while about the old days. This was a nice time
because it was a chance to re-establish our close relationship. At 12:30am we went to our
staterooms, and by 1:15am we were in bed. I worked on the trip photos and these notes,
and turned out the light just before 2:00am.
Day 12 Sunday, July 18, 2004
St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France to Bedford, Massachusetts via Antibes, France
8 hours flight time
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Today is our 40 anniversary!! What a way to celebrate it—we’ve had a super
trip and today is our last day in paradise. We will take the boat to Antibes, then a taxi to
Peter and Ginny’s plane at the Nice airport, then the plane to Hanscom Field near Boston.
Up at 9:30am to another sunny day, we lifted the anchor at 10:00am and left StJean-Cap-Ferrat for the one hour trip to Antibes. Passing Cap Ferrat, Villefrenche, and
Nice, we entered the port of Antibes with its Old City. Aussie Rules, Leander, and
Boadicea were all Med-moored together on the outer quay—at 235 feet, Aussie Rules
looked small against the 250-260 feet of the other two boats. As we entered the tight
harbor, a small French powerboat almost hit us because he assumed that being French
was enough to know how to drive a boat. Of course, under French rules of the road, he
had right-of-way over any foreign vessel under all possible conditions, so I suppose that
we almost hit him!
We turned perpendicular to the channel to back in to a spot between a line of
small boats and a Med-moored large older boat, about 100 feet long. But the crew of the
large boat hadn’t put out enough fenders, so there was a 10-minute delay while they got
their act together—during that time we were blocking the channel. Finally, we backed in,
but the captain of the large boat had returned and complained that we had taken his
mooring line. That discussion continued for at least an hour.
We walked into the medieval town of Antibes, dominated by a large old fort that
protected the port. Antibes was full of tourists and shops, and it was very quaint. We
walked through the center of the town, seeing narrow streets and a beautiful church with
a large bell tower. We returned along an ancient wall rising high above the sea. At
12:30pm we returned to the boat for the last lunch. At 1:30pm we left for the airport in
two vans.
The Nice airport was a bit chaotic. We walked through the main terminal to the
FBO’s wing to find that it was closed down for a bomb scare. After a while they let us
proceed but all the luggage had to be unloaded from the carts for a security scan,
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reloaded, then unloaded to be carried down some stairs to the waiting vans, which then
just sat still for a while.
Finally, at about 3:00pm French time (noon EST) we were airborne for our eight
hour flight: over an hour longer than the July 7 flight to Genoa because of the
headwinds—we were going about 525mph instead of the 625mph coming over. But the
flight was uneventful, and after a short stop at Customs at Hanscom Field we were in our
cars and headed home..
Epilogue
Ah, boating! Adaptability is essential. Our initial plans were for a north-to-south
trip along the western Italian coast. Instead, we did a clockwise circle. From Portofino we
went south to the northeastern coast of Sardinia, the south west to Palma de Mallorca,
then north to Barcelona, northeast to Marseille, Saint-Tropez and Nice; this almost closed
a large circle back to Portofino.
The weather was superb—sunny and relatively cool with light-to-moderate seas,
some rain but not too much. The venues we visited were all very different and all
delightful: Porofino was perfection, the most exquisite jewel I’ve ever seen; Sardinia was
beautifully rugged; Mallorca was historical and very diverse; Barcelona was a gorgeous,
cosmopolitan, city; Marseilles was a working city where the French appreciate their
Frenchness; Saint-Tropez was another jewel, a perfectly manicured town catering to the
self-appreciative.
But perhaps the best part was our companions. Ginny and Pete are, as always,
generous, gracious, and entertaining. Alice, Debbie and Marty and Carolyn were lots of
fun: friendly, articulate and interesting. It was a great group! We had relaxed days
together, enjoyed many hours of tours where we visited the high spots in the most
comfortable and informative way—private tours. Our evenings were great fun. We never
went to bed before midnight.
And the piece de resistance was Hilarium. She is a beautiful boat designed for
great living and extraordinary functionality. She was comfortable, stable, and quiet. Her
crew were real professionals and delightful people. What a treat to enjoy her maiden
voyage!
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The Western Mediterranean 2004
DVD Music and Sources
Segment
Music
Source
Italy
Si fuggire
Voi che sapete cha cosa e amour
Nessum dorma
Pace pace mio dio
Boston Lyric Opera
Boston Lyric Opera
Boston Lyric Opera
Boston Lyric Opera
Spain
Malaguena
Rosas y Espinas
Fernando
Local Artist
Lola Flores
ABBA
France
1812 Overture
Thank Heaven for Little Girls
1812 Overture (continued)
Hymne a l’amour
J’m’en fous pas mal
I Will Remember You
Leaving on a Jet Plane
Tchaikovsky
From “Gigi”
Tchaikovsky
Edith Piaf
Edith Piaf
Sarah McLaughlan
John Denver
Hilarium
The Lucky One
Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)
Allison Kraus
Enya
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Annisquam, MA to the Cundy’s Harbor, ME
July 27-30, 2004
First Mate Amanda Wentworth
Total Trip
Day 1 Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Annisquam, MA to Portland, ME
67 nm, 6 hrs, 11.2 kts
The day started with cool weather and a gray overcast. Myeerah had arrived in
Ipswich Bay at 8:00pm the previous night, and at 10:00am Ben arrived at our dock in T/T
Myeerah. At 10:30am we were on Myeerah and getting underway.
The ride to Portland was very calm—almost flat water with a very slight swell.
We saw Minke whales, one breaking the water very close on our starboard quarter. As we
approached Cape Elizabeth we were passed by Impetuous, a 120-foot Crescent heading
toward Dimillo’s. We entered Portland harbor at 4:00pm, and were at a face dock by
4:30pm. Behind us was Big Play, a 100 plus-footer with its ICW bow stain still attached,
and Maverick, another 120-footer.
Joan and I walked northward along the waterfront toward the park, and at about
5:30pm we were back at the boat. She called a good friend, Sally Jurgeleit, who lives in
Portland, and chatted with her for awhile. At about 6:30pm we sat down for pre-dinner,
and at 7:15pm we had a dinner of steak tips teriyaki.
After dinner we watched the test DVD of our Mediterranean trip in the salon. The
big screen did not show it well—it was washed out and without definition. We
discovered that the small screens work much better with homemade DVDs. Once we
went to our stateroom to watch, it was much better.
At about 10:30pm we went to bed.
Portland, ME to Winnegance Bay, ME
25 nm, 2 hrs, 12.5 kts
At 8:30am, after a very good night sleep, we got up. It was gray with a light
rain—we’re in Maine again! It had been predicted to rain torrentially overnight and
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through today, but beyond a light rain and some fog in the harbor it was good Maine
weather, though quite cool for the end of July.
At 10:00am we finished breakfast and Ben fired the engines up. We left Portland
for the New Meadow River on Casco Bay. On the way we saw several Minke whales, but
few boats other than lobster boats. We passed Antares, an 80 foot Offshore like the one
we almost bought, as she headed south toward Portland. Turning into the New Meadow
River, we passed lots of small rocky islands and encountered a fair number of lobster
pots. Going up the river we passed The Basin, a well-known anchorage with a tight inlet
opening into a large open bay. We stopped at Winngance Bay, a small bay with nice
houses all around. We anchored there for the night, at about 12::30pm. The skies were
dark, but the wind was light.
After lunch Joan and I took the tender down to investigate The Basin. On the way
we ran into uncharted rocks, then encountered the same in The Basin—later I looked on
the chart and found the one lone rock that I had hit; I think I should start buying lottery
tickets. Clearly, this is a “local knowledge” area! It began to rain lightly. We stopped at a
lobsterman’s dock in Cundy’s Harbor, ME to take a walk through the back streets of the
old fishing village. Then we returned to Myeerah, where we stayed to read and relax.
At 6:30pm we watched a bit of the evening news, and by 7:30pm we had dinner,
after which we watched the movie Moonlight Mile, with Susan Sarandon--OK but not
great! At 10:30pm we were in bed, and soon it was lights out.
Winnegance Bay, ME to New Castle, NH
We woke up at about 8:30am. The skies were still overcast but not as heavily as
the day before. Winds were still very light. A very light fog—almost a haze—lay over
the coastline. At 9:15am we lifted the anchor and left Winnegance Bay. Passing The
Basin on our port, Cundy’s Harbor on our starboard, and then Sebasco Estates on our
port, we entered the Gulf of Maine—and a thick fog!
As we headed south we had repeated ARPA warnings that lobster boats were
close. The visibility was less than 100 yards, and ground swells were upsetting my
bride’s equilibrium. But by noon the swells had moderated and the sun was out—it was a
beautiful day. As we headed south Ben heard his old whale watch captain’s voice on the
radio, so he chatted with him for a while.
As we approached Portsmouth the wind picked up a bit. At 2:30pm, Myeerah
entered the Wentworth-by-the-Sea Marina, and at 2:45pm she was docked. Near us was
Five Star, the 105-foot Dennison docked near us in Naples during the winter. A new 75foot Fleming, Caritta, was nearby, and Impetuous, or old friend of two days ago in
Portland, was at a face dock. The sun was shining—and the bugs were out.
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Wentworth Marina’s facilities are now complete. The dock and office area was
done a few years ago. The new waterfront building with suites overlooking the marina is
now completed—last year it was just framed. The Hotel reopened last year. It is a very
nice facility.
Joan took a walk, while I stayed onboard and tried to get the boat’s backup
computer to work—the keyboard seems to be locked up. No luck! Then when she
returned we showered and walked up to the hotel to see the art gallery. They had nice
prints of ships, but not what I’m looking for.
After that, Joan and I took a ride in the tender through the back channel into the
Pisquataqua River, then around the island of New Castle back to the marina. It was sunny
and comfortable, and there were some magnificent houses on the back channel. On
returning to the boat we sat on the sun deck and watched the boat traffic, then we had
dinner in the cockpit. A party of three boats had developed just behind us, and people
were enjoying themselves. Joan tried to stay up to see John Kerry’s speech at the
Democratic National Convention in Boston, but she didn’t make it through the
preliminary hooplah. After this, it was bedtime.
New Castle, NH to Annisquam, MA
We woke up at 7:00am to a quiet and sunny day. We have to return to the
real world. At 9:30am we left Wentworth, just as Impetuous decided to leave—we had
first departure slot, but her name says it all!
The ride to Ipswich Bay was in very calm water with a slight ground swell. At
11:30am we were anchored and on the way to our dock. The sun still shone, and it was
about 80 degrees—the warmest we had seen in many days. At 11:30am we were
anchored in Ipswich Bay and by noon we were at The Barnacle.
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August 7-8, 2004
Stephen Balter
Benjamin Balter
Shane Brady
Michael Marquarth
Total Trip
Prologue
When Joan and I visited Lara and Steve on the Cape in late June, Ben asked if he
could take some friends on Myeerah for his tenth birthday, just like Allie had done two
years earlier. Not knowing what the boat’s availability would be, I was noncommittal.
But, fortunately, a mutually beneficial schedule emerged, so this is Ben’s birthday trip—
an overnight at Wentworth-by-the-Sea Marina in New Castle, NH. I was invited, along
with Ben, two of his friends, and Ben’s father. Lara would come to Annisquam with
Jackie and Maddy and stay with Mimi.
Day 1 Saturday, August 7, 2004
23 nm, 2 hrs, 11.5 kts
The day dawned sunny and cool. At 6:30am I got up to have breakfast and do
some work—get Squam Lite’s motor to start (this summer’s continuing project), and
varnish some sections of Pelican (another long-running summer project).. At 9:30am,
when Steven arrived with Ben and his friends, the work was done. We loaded into Squam
Lite, which would be our tender for the trip (Myeerah’s davit being “under repair”) and
met Myeerah in Ipswich Bay.
At 10:45am we were on our way. The seas were calm and the sun shone. We
towed Squam Lite at a sedate pace to New Castle, arriving at 12:45pm. Myeerah docked
at the face dock, where Impetuous had been the week before. At 1:00pm Steve and I had
a lunch of Lauren’s Famous Pizza and Caesar Salad—the boys had eaten earlier, but they
arrived to help us eat the Cookies of the Day.
At 1:30pm Steve took the boys to see the marina’s pool, while dark
cumulonimbus clouds began to arrive. Rob had given us some frozen herring for bait, and
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I took half of it out of the freezer to thaw. By 2:00pm they had returned and we put the
fishing gear, Captain Ben, and ourselves on Squam Lite and went down the back channel
toward Portsmouth. A wicked current was running, and we soon passed a small boat that
was pulling in a very large striped bass. We anchored nearby, but had no bites. So we
began to troll the river, first toward Portsmouth, then back and down another river to
Sagamore Creek, NH. The threatening clouds had passed over, and the sun was shining
again.
At 3:30pm we returned to Myeerah, fishless: Steve, who had taken Dramamine,
had slept much of the time. I went to my stateroom to watch golf, and to listen to the boys
running around the boat—they had been repeatedly told “no running,” but just couldn’t
stop themselves. At 5:30pm, I took a shower and went upstairs. The boys had already had
dinner, so at 6:00pm Steve and I started the arduous ordeal of appetizers and drinks, then
had dinner. After watching some TV, we went to our staterooms by 9:30pm. And so to
bed…
Day 2 Sunday, August 8, 2004
New Castle, NH to Annisquam, MA via Isles of Shoals
28 nm, 2½ hrs, 10.1 kts
The day dawned sunny and cool. At 7:30am I got up to the pitter patter of
pounding feet running overhead—no doubt the crew was celebrating the arrival of a new
day! We’ve told the boys not to run several hundred times, but their feet just don’t hear it.
At 9:00am Myeerah left the dock for the five mile ride to the Isles of Shoals. The
boys and I took Squam Lite all the way, doing a “speeding bullet” and bouncing around a
lot—they loved it!
On arriving at the Isles, we went clockwise around Appledore Island and through
the pass between Appledore and Smuttynose islands. I pointed out the cairn of rocks and
the cave where the survivor of the 1873 murders hid. I also pointed out where the Murder
House was located. Then I told them the murder story and the story of the wreck of the
Spanish ship Cadiz. They listened quietly, then Ben said “Can you gun it now?”
Obviously, they have their priorities.
At 9:30am Myeerah arrived in Gosport Harbor and we re-attached to her. The
boys didn’t want to go ashore to see the Murder House, the Spanish Sailors’ Cemetery, or
the old hotel on Star Island. Instead, Shane watched the sports channel on TV while Ben
and Michael fished off Myeerah.
After lunch, and a bit of boys running around, we left the Isles of Shoals and
headed toward Annisquam. Arriving at about 1:30pm in Ipswich Bay, we were back at
The Barnacle by 2:00pm.
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August 12-15, 2004
Prologue
This is a short and quiet trip, though Hurricanes Bonnie and Charley, now in the
Gulf of Mexico, might affect it: This is the first time in 100 years that two hurricanes
have traveled into the Gulf within 24 hours. The weather in the Northeast is supposed to
be dreary, but Joan and I are driving down to Newport to meet Myeerah at Newport
Shipyard, then to cruise up the Connecticut River.
Day 0 Thursday, August 12, 2004
To Newport, RI by land
At 4:30pm we began the trek to Newport. Normally a 1½ hour drive, the traffic
was so bad that it took nearly three hours. Just before 7:30pm we were on the boat. The
Besenzoni crane repairman—Tom, from Compass Marine--was on board trying to install
the repaired motor—he had tried several new motors but none fit. It turned out that the
repair facility had installed the windings in reverse, so the motor turned the wrong way!
Back to the drawing board…
We had a very good dinner—pork that was so tender it melted in the mouth. By
9:30pm I was in bed reading the book Longitude, about the development of the first
chronometer for measuring longitude. And so, by 10:00pm, to bed. Joan stayed up to
watch George and Laura Bush on Larry King Live.
Day 1 Friday, August 13, 2004
In Newport, RI
At 4:00am the power went out at the docks. I was the first to know because my
CPAP machine stopped and I couldn’t breathe. I waited for it to come back on, but at
4:45am I had to wake Ben to turn the generator on. By 5:00am I was back in bed. I slept
until 9:00am, almost 12 hours with the hour-long interruption.
The skies were dark and a wind was up, creating 5-8 foot seas in Buzzards Bay.
An overnight rain had turned to mist, and we decided to stay in Newport for the day.
Hopefully, our friend Tom can come to finish the crane motor repair.
We had breakfast at about 10:00am and caught up on Hurricane Charley. Bonnie
had passed by without incident, hitting the Florida Panhandle as a tropical storm. Charlie
had passed west of Key West and was traveling due north at about 18 knots. This put its
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path to the west of the original path, placing its likely landfall at Tampa rather than Fort
Myers. We also called George, who had moved to a friend’s house inland from Naples—
Paula was safe in Pittsburgh visiting family. He said that Port Royal had a mandatory
evacuation and that 10-12 foot storm surge was expected. That will flood our house!
At noon, after a late breakfast, Joan and I prepared to walk into Newport, but a
squall with heavy rain came through. When it passed, we walked along the waterfront
and down Thames Street, full of restaurants and shops. After a visit to the Armchair
Sailor, a “sister store” of Bluewater Books, we had lunch at the Red Parrot. The meal was
good but service was very slow.
On the way back to Myeerah we stopped at Sheldon Fine Arts Gallery, where we
saw a painting that would work in Myeerah’s salon. When we got back to the boat, I
called and made an offer contingent on seeing it on the boat. Within ½ hour the painting
was brought to the boat along with several others. We bought five in all—three prints of
sailboat scenes, a small oil of a red rowboat, and the main painting—a sailboat sailing
away from the viewer in heavy seas.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Charley had grown to Category 4 and was heading directly
to Punta Gorda, 20 miles north of Fort Myers and about five miles from Boca Grande. At
7:30pm we had dinner on the aft deck, then we watched part of Catch Me If You Can on
HBO. By 10:00pm we were in bed, soon asleep.
Day 2 Saturday, August 13, 2004
In Newport, RI
Up at 7:30am, to a bright day with calm winds. It had rained overnight, the end of
Tropical Storm Bonnie. After breakfast we got the weather report—while today would be
a good day to go to Essex, CT, tomorrow would be a very bad day to return to Newport:
40 knot winds with 7-10 foot seas were forecast for Buzzards Bay as Hurricane Charley
comes to the Northeast..
So we decided to stay in Newport. Joan took a long walk while the crew and I
began to hang our new paintings. The one in the salon took quite a while because we
were using secure metal fastenings and there were repeated measurements. At !!:00pm
we finished it, and began to work on hanging the red rowboat in the salon. At 1:00pm we
had lunch, then we took a slow tender ride around Newport Harbor. There were fewer big
boats than in previous years, perhaps because of the weather, perhaps because of high
fuel prices (Arabian oil hit $46 a barrel last week).
We called Mike Bowen, our builder in Naples, and found out that we had dodged
a bullet—we had some yard damage but no serious harm was done to our house. George
reported that he escaped unscathed as well. However, Punta Gorda had taken a
tremendous beating—wind speeds of 185mph had been recorded, and Charley had been
far worse than Donna in 1860. We hope that the Nicholas’ homes and boats in Boca
Grande are safe and secure.
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After our tender ride we returned to Myeerah and I continued hanging paintings
while Joan sat in the bow and read. The weather was deteriorating—clouds had come in,
the wind was building, and Charley was clearly coming. At 3:30pm it was reported that
maximum sustained winds were 70mph; by the time it reaches us it is expected to be in
the 40-50mph range, .with torrential rain. At least we were safe at a dock.
By 4:00pm the last painting had been hung--a sailboat scene placed in the VIP
stateroom. At 4:15pm I started a power nap, and at 5:30pm it was time to return to reality.
At 6:00pm we learned that Charley’s center was located in North Carolina, about 100
miles south of the Chesapeake Bay. The time of maximum winds in Boston is expected to
be 3:00am to noon tomorrow.
At about 7:00pm we had a very good dinner, then we walked around the shipyard
and looked at the boats. Next to us on one side was Arriva, a green-hulled boat that had
been near us in Simpson Bay, St. Martin; On the other side was Princess Marcie, an 85foot Azimut with a hole in its fuel tank. Sacajewea, a 130-foot Hatteras, was nearby, and
Top Times, a 120-foot Burger with a blue hull, expedition yacht bow, and Hilarium-style
house, was across from us—a very pretty boat.
At 8:30pm we were back on Myeerah. We were prepared for the dirty weather
coming—extra lines had been put on, connected to pilings rather than cleats; cushions
had been taken in; the shore power line had been pulled in and the generator turned on;
hatches were dogged; dogs were hatched.. It was a nice, though heavily overcast, night. .
Day 3 Sunday, August 14, 2004
Newport, RI to Boston, MA by car
It was a surprisingly quiet night. Apparently, Charley’s remains had passed
farther inland than expected. Some heavy rain during the night was accompanied by 3040 knot winds, much lighter than the prediction.
Awake by 8:00am, we had breakfast at about 9:00am. Then we drove directly
back to Boston in 1½ hours.
Epilogue
This was our first trip on a boat with no movement. Oh, well. It was a relaxing
weekend, and we finally found the art we wanted. So it wasn’t a loss. We had escaped
storm damage both in Naples and in Newport. We had also had some very good dinners
on Myeerah. All is well!
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Annisquam, MA to Wiscasset, ME
September 3-6, 2004
John and Mary Jane McGlennon
Caroline Stride
Jack Bullard
Total Trip
Prologue
Ah! It is Labor Day weekend again. Our children are otherwise occupied, so we
invited friends for a trip to Maine, starting at Annisquam, going to Boothbay Harbor, and
then winging it from there. Our guests are John and Mary Jane McGlennon, John’s sister,
Caroline Stride, who is also a very good friend and who has done a great deal of interior
decorating for us, and Mary Jane’s second cousin, Jack Bullard, who is a good friend of
Caroline’s. It’s like a family weekend, but with someone else’s family.
Day 1 Friday, September 3, 2004
Annisquam to Boothbay Harbor
90 nm, 7½ hours, kts
At 9:00am Ben picked us all up in T/T Myeerah. It was very sunny, and a bit cool,
with light wind. By 9:30am we were all on the boat in Ipswich Bay, the anchor was up,
and we were heading toward Maine. With light following seas we passed the Isles of
Shoals and Boon Island. Throughout the day Hurricane Frances was passing over the
McGlennon’s house on Eleuthra in the Bahamas, heading toward landfall on Florida’s
east coast. It was Category 4 in the Bahamas and fell of to Category 3 by the time it
reached Florida. It also was Florida’s second hurricane in a month, the first having hit
just above Fort Myers on the west coast.
We had lunch around noon, and by 3:30pm we were nearing Seguin Island, an
impressive high and large rock with a lighthouse, surrounded by treacherous ledges. The
seas had built to about five feet as the afternoon winds arrived--nothing to do with
Frances.
At 4:30pm we were approaching Boothbay Harbor. John and I took the tender and
separated from the mother ship. By 5:00pm we were docked at our usual spot at
Boothbay Harbor Marina, next to their fuel dock. Our arrival was noted by a crowd.
Everyone except me took a walk. I showered and wrote these notes.
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At 6:30pm we all met on the sun deck for drinks. The sun was low in the west and
the harbor seemed very quiet for the big weekend. At 7:00pm we went down to the
dining room for a dinner of roast beef and vegetables. After dinner, at about 9:15pm, we
all sat down to watch Lost in Translation. It seemed flatter than when we had first seen it
in a theater, as if it were a different cut. By 11:00pm the movie was over and we went to
our staterooms. And so to bed…
Day 2 Saturday, September 4, 2004
Boothbay Harbor, ME to Wiscasset, ME
Up at 8:00am, breakfasted by 9:00am. It was a calm, sunny and warm start to the
day. At about 9:30am we all walked into town and checked out the shops. John and I
walked the waterfront street and bought a photograph of Cuckold’s Light to put on
Myeerah. By 10:45am we were on Myeerah and the engines were started. At 11:00am I
backed her out of our slip, pivoted her, and headed out the fairway. Our destination was
Wiscasset, ME, up the Sheepscot River, about 22 miles northeast of Boothbay Harbor.
The sun was out and warm, and the wind picked up, as we passed Cuckold’s
Light and rounded the point to enter the Sheepscot River. At the mouth there were tidal
swells, but these soon moderated. We passed the Goose Rock Passage to Robin Hood
Cove. As we moved north, the river narrowed. We arrived at Wiscasset at 1:00pm,
anchored across from the town, and had lunch.
After lunch we all took the tender to the town landing. We walked around,
visiting antique stores and art galleries. Then John and I took the tender up the Sheepscot
River almost to its end. We passed through a large open bay, under several bridges (one
so low that we had to duck) and into a narrow marshy stretch of water passing by an old
Maine town.
At 4:15pm we picked the others up at the town landing and returned to Myeerah.
We checked the Florida weather—Frances was just hitting land at Fort Pierce, having
fallen to a Category 2 hurricane. While the wind was still brisk, the sun was out—having
hidden for a while—and it was warm in lee areas.
While others read or napped, I took the tender about 10 miles down the back side
of Westport Island, past the old nuclear power plant in the late stages of disassembly. My
goal was to see if it was navigable by Myeerah. If so, we could take it down to
Robinhood Cove, then across Goose Rock Passage to the lower Sheepscot River. It was a
beautiful ride, but would be a bit tricky for Myeerah at low tide.
At 6:30pm we met for drinks. After a 7:00pm dinner (excellent swordfish), we
watched Amadeus. Regrettably, our plasma TV doesn’t show good color for DVDs, so it
was a bit of a disappointment. I bailed out and went to bed before it was over.
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Day 3 Sunday, September 5, 2004
Wiscasset, ME to Kenebunkport, ME
Awake at 8:00pm to the news that I had crowded my spouse into a small corner of
the bed for the entire night. It was very sunny and quite cool. After breakfast, Ben,
Caroline, John and I went down the back route to investigate a five foot spot at the bridge
just below Clough Point. We could not find it, but we decided against taking that route
because it was low tide with a strong current running—just a tad too risky.
At 10:00am we lifted the anchor and headed down the Sheepscot River. Picking
up some lobster line on the way, we ducked into Robinhood Cove at about 11:00am,
anchoring while Ben cut the line off. By 12:15pm we were heading through Goose Rock
Passage out into the Sheepscot River, and by 12:45pm we were at the river’s mouth
headed toward Kenebunkport.
After an uneventful trip under sunny cool skies, we passed Walker Point, home of
Presidents, and approached the narrow jetty going into Kennebunkport. The ride in was
short but slow—it was tight and not very deep. After passing Ben’s mother, who was
watching from the shore, we docked at the Yachtsman Marina at 3:00pm..
Once secure, we took a walk into Kennebunkport. We visited an art gallery that
had wonderful marine paintings, one of which I particularly like—a scene of several
rowboats on a quiet river, with a hint of clouds on the horizon. John and I walked back to
Myeerah while the others kept walking. We hopped on the tender and went up the river.
After passing under a low bridge—at high tide we couldn’t have done it—we found that
the river got narrow, at some points only about 10 yards across. It was very pretty, and
after reaching the golf course we turned around and went to the harbor entrance.
At almost 7:00pm we returned to Myeerah and had dinner—Lauren’s famous crab
cakes. Jack, Caroline and the McGlennon’s presented us with the painting that I had
admired. It was a wonderful gift, unexpected and very generous.
After dinner, at about 9:30pm, I went to bed while everyone else stayed up for a
while.
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Day 4 Sunday, September 5, 2004
Wiscasset, ME to Kenebunkport, ME
Up at 6:30am for an early departure—low tide is at 11:30am and by about 9:00am
we will be running out of water. It is, again, sunny but cool. We glided out of
Kennebunkport at 7:00am for the forty mile ride to Ipswich Bay. There were some
sizable swells on our port beam, possibly a sign of Hurricane Frances, which had finally
crossed into Florida’s panhandle.
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Cruising the Western Mediterranean-Again
October 2 - 8, 2004
Captain Doug Coe
First Mate Shannon Coe
Passengers Peter and Ginny Nicholas
Peter and Joan Fortune
Pebo and Elise Brown
Prologue
We thought that the last Mediterranean cruise on Hilarium would be the
end of the story. But events intruded! Joan and I were scheduled to take a two-week
Holland America cruise from Lisbon to Rome, leaving on September 22. This was to be
our official 40 th anniversary gift to ourselves.
But about three days before we were to leave I experienced a sciatic nerve
problem that made it impossible to walk. We delayed our trip for two days, but I was still
bed ridden. So we had to cancel (too late to get our money back). Ultimately, it was
diagnosed as a facet joint problem in the spine, not as a disk problem. But it took 10 days
of bed rest for the major pain to disappear.
Hearing of our plight, Pete and Ginny were kind enough to invite us to join them
on their last Mediterranean trip of 2004. This trip was to Corsica. The other guests were
Pebo and Elise Brown, whom we had met on a previous Hilarium trip. Pebo had been
traveling in England, and would meet us in Palma de Mallorca. Elise would join us on the
flight from Hanscom Field in Bedford.
At 8:30pm we were at Hanscom, arriving just after Elise. At about 9:15pm Ginny
and Pete arrived, and by 9:30pm the Global was wheels up. We soon went to bed—Joan,
Elise, and I on the sofas made into beds, Ginny and Pete in the reclining seats.
Some history: Corsica has a long history of occupation—Rome, the Barbarians,
the Saracens (Moors), Italy and France. It was a Genoese territory from about 1550 to
1769. In 1550 the Genoans built a series of 85 watchtowers around the island so that any
invading force could be identified and signals sent around Corsica. Those watchtowers
still stand, some in ruins, others restored. Over the years there were several Corsican
rebellions against the Genoese. A particularly important one was in 1755, when Pascal
Paoli led a rebellion that induced the Genoans to ask the French for help. While Genoan
rule was continued, the problems continued and in 1769 Corsica became a French
province. It has remained that way.
Corsica is divided into two departments: Sud de Corse in the south and Haut
Corse in the north. Sud de Corse has very exposed, craggy, rock formations, is warmer
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and drier, and has sparse vegetation—like Provence. Haut Corse is dominated by higher
mountains, more heavily forested, with more precipitation.
Day 1 Sunday, October 3, 2004
Bedford, MA to Bonifacia, Corsica
7 hours flight time, 3 hours boat time
At 10:00am European Time (4:00pm Boston time) I woke up to find that we were
approaching Olbia’s airport. At 10:30am we landed and quickly transferred to minivans
for the 40 minute drive to Porto Cervo, Sardinia, where Hilarium waited. It was sunny
and about 80°F.
At 11:30am we were on the boat. We expected to leave right away but were
delayed by a problem with the cooling system for the port engines shaft seal. We had
lunch while this was being fixed, and left the new Porto Cervo marina at 1:30pm.
Heading northwest between Sardinia and a series of islands (the largest being Madalena
Island) we passed the U.S. submarine base at Stefano Island. Our destination was the
ancient city of Bonifacio, on the southwestern tip of Corsica. It was very good ride for a
strait that is notorious for its lumpiness.
At 4:00pm we rounded high limestone cliffs, white like the cliffs of Dover, and
entered the very narrow channel into Bonifacio, bordered by high vertical cliffs. The
town was strung along the side of a narrow harbor, with shops and residential buildings at
the harbor level, and a very old town dominating the cliff top above. By 4:30pm we were
Med-moored. Joan and I took a slow walk along the waterfront, returning to Hilarium at
6:00pm. While the old town above us was old and very picturesque, its waterfront was
restaurants, cheap boutiques, and postcard shops.
At 8:00pm we met in the library, and at 8:30pm we all walked the ½ block to the
Restaurant les 4 Vents for dinner. It was a delightful experience, and by 10:30 we were
back on the boat, and so to bed…
Day 2 Monday, October 4, 2004
Bonifacia, Corsica to Ajaccio, Corsica via Campomoro
4½ hours, 48 miles
Up at 10:00am, after a fitful night getting adjusted to a new clock. It was sunny
and bright. At 11:30pm, after breakfast, we took cabs up the steep road to the old town, a
walled city filled with narrow streets, lots of tacky shops, and grand old buildings
connected by flying buttresses. The view of the harbor far below, and of the rocky crags
in the distance, was magnificent.
At 1:00pm we returned to the Hilarium and immediately departed. We all sat on
the sun deck to see the grand view of limestone cliffs and fortifications slide by as we left
the narrow channel. Once free, we turned northward, following closely along the
coastline. At about 2:00pm we sat down to a delightful lunch, and at 4:00pm, after about
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28 miles, we glided into a protected cove at the small village of Campomoro, with deep
water up to the shore, a long sandy beach, and old stucco houses along the shore.
Everyone took a swim in the 68° water. Then, at 5:00pm we started off to our final
destination of Ajaccio, 20 miles further north.
At 6:30pm we reached Ajaccio (“Ajax”), the capital of Sud de Corse, one of
Corsica’s two departments, and Napoleon’s birthplace. It is a sizable city with a good
marina (Porte de Plaisance) and a beautiful waterfront. At 8:00pm we went to the Senso
Restaurant, which had been highly recommended. But it was dark, had loud music, and
was empty. Pebo found a very nice place where we sat outside, had a quiet dinner, and
could enjoy the conversation.
By 10:30pm we had walked back to the boat. John Berry and Pete took Pebo and
me on a tour of the engine room. It has very state-of-the-art systems—electrical,
mechanical, and waste control. I got good advice on things to do with Myeerah. A great
tour, more informative than when I had first seen it with Chris, the previous engineer.
At 11:00pm I retired, read for a while… and so to bed.
Day 3 Tuesday, October 5, 2004
Ajaccio, Corsica to Porto, Corsica
3 hours, 40 miles
Well, the clock is still resetting…not much sleep last night. But up at 8:00am to
another bright and sunny day, with warm temperature. After breakfast, at about 10:30am,
we all walked into Ajaccio to visit the museums.
Our first stop was City Hall, the home of Musee de Napoleon. A rather dirty
collection of old painting, medals and coins, this “museum” was as decrepit as
Napoleon’s body. Then a jaunt of several blocks to the Musee Fresch, a collection of
1,000 paintings contributed by Napoleon’s right-hand man, Cardinal Freche. Housed in
an enormous building that had once been the Cardinal’s home, we arrived just before
noon to find that it was closed until 2:00pm. I walked back to the boat while everyone
else shopped in the Farmer’s Market that had been set up near the waterfront.
At 1:00pm Hilarium slipped away and headed northward. She passed close to the
coast, often between the mainland and small but high and rocky islands. At 2:30pm, after
about 20 miles, we reached a long sandy beach with a small resort town—simple houses,
no shops—called Plage de Lava; we could see no lava, so maybe it means “Clean
Beach.” We dropped the anchor about 150 feet from shore and sat down to lunch. At
3:30pm all but me went for a swim. I went for a power nap.
At 4:00pm we left, and at 5:30pm we approached the small harbor of Porto, which
is the harbor for the mountain village of Ota, about three miles inland. There is a large
open bay (the Golfe de Porto) surrounded by high hills, with a small marina and several
restaurants nestled at the juncture of the bay and the Porto River, a narrow river that
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winds its way far inland. On the port side is a giant red rock structure like a mountain-top
with an old Genoese fort, one of the forts and watchtowers build ariund1550 to keep the
Saracens at bay. The fort is small, like a gun station designed to prevent incursions into
the river.
At 6:30pm we took the tender into the village. We walked up a nice newlyrestored stone street bordered by restaurants, thinking that that was the extent of the town.
But at the top a whole village opened up, standing over an adjacent bay. A lot of money
had been put into making this a picture-perfect resort town. I keep repeating it, but this
was one of the prettiest places I’ve been on a boat!
By 8:00pm we were back at the dock and waiting for the tender. It soon arrived,
its underwater lights showing the sandy bottom, and we were back on the boat, preparing
for a dinner at anchor. After dinner, starting at seven bells (8:30pm), we sat on
Hilarium’s aft deck and watched the underwater camera attached to a small submarine
motor, showing the bottom and the fish. It was a sandy moonscape about 20 feet deep,
almost devoid of fish. There was a skate that rose out of the sand, frightened by the lights,
and flew away, pursued by the remote-controlled camera. Several fish were caught
sleeping on the bottom before they flitted away. One fish was seen burying itself in the
sand until only its mottled sand-colored back was showing. Finally, we saw a tropical
fish, yellow ,blue and purple. It was quite an experience.
After this, we watched the first two episodes of the first season of Sex and the
City. At 11:30pm it was bed time but lights went out at 1:00am.
Day 4 Wednesday, October 6, 2004
Porto, Corsica to Calvi, Corsica
4 hours, 43 miles
Ah…Sweet Ambien. Up at 10:00am. Once again, bright, sunny, and warm. At
10:30pm, while having breakfast, we lifted the anchor and left the Golfe de Porto. Sliding
past high red sandstone cliffs, we sat down to watch part of the CNN replay of the
Cheney-Edwards Vice Presidential debate.
As we went northward the shoreline turned into high red sandstone rocks with
dense low vegetation—an eerie wasteland. After several miles we poked into Girolata, a
small semi-circular bay with a few resort-style buildings, guarded by—you guessed it—a
castle on a high rock thrust out into the bay. It seemed like a primitive frontier setting—
apparently it can be reached only by boat or a 1½-hour walk.
We then continued until 1:00pm, when we stopped at Baie de Crovani, with a
long pebbled beach, a few waterfront buildings (one an abandoned silver factory), and a
large farm in the distance. Here we dropped anchor for lunch and for the daily swim, this
time with a red jellyfish surrounded by embryonic babies.
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At 3:30pm Pete and I got into the tender with Shannon driving and followed
Hilarium out of the bay so we could see how she rode and how the bow bulb affected the
bow wave. She looked great—riding with no sign of a squat. We continued on to Calvi,
arriving at 5:00pm. Calvi is dominated by the Citadel, containing the old town. It is the
capitol of Haut Corse, the second department. As we arrived, with the sun getting low,
several planes released paratroopers in the hills: Calvi is the primary training area for the
French Foreign Legion.
Everyone but me took a long walk, returning at about 7:15pm after the sun had
set. I rested, cleaned up, and did my daily journal. At 7:30pm we gathered in the salon
and at 8:00pm we sat down to dinner—a melt-in-your-mouth veal chop. After dinner the
ladies took a walk while Pete and I identified—and resolved—most of the world’s
problems. Bedtime at a bit past midnight…and so to sleep..
Day 5 Thursday, October 7, 2004
Calvi, Corsica St. Florent, Corsica
2½ hours, 25 miles
This is our last day on Hilarium. Tomorrow we take a long driving tour of the
interior, then to the Bastia Airport for our plane back to the U.S. It has been great!
Awake at 9:00am, breakfast at 9:30am. Another sunny, windless, day. A large
cruise ship, Sea Dream, and a smaller cruise ship, Silver Wind, had come in during the
night. Parachutists—probably Foreign Legion—were drifting down into the mountains
the distance. Wow!
Joan and I took a walk through Calvi’s narrow medieval streets, and back to the
boat by 11:00am. At 11:30am we departed. Once out in the open, flat, water, Pebo, Pete
and I got into the tender to see how Hilarium rode at different speeds. We had done this
yesterday, but the bow bulb had 1,100 gallons (8,800 pounds) of water in it: she had
ridden slightly bow down, with the bow wave ricocheting off of the anchors. This time,
with the water pumped out of the bulb, she was dead level with only a slight disturbance
at the anchor plate.
By 12:00pm we were on our way to St. Florent.. At 1:00pm we stopped at another
bay—Anse de Peraiola--with a very long sandy beach. It had a few people on it, and a car
park above, so it was probably part of the Corsican park system. We had a nice lunch,
chatting at length about the dysfunctionality of Ginny’s family and mine. At 2:30pm, we
all took a swim off the boat: The water depth was only about 15 feet, and it was very
clear, showing a clean sandy bottom. At 3:30pm we showered and settled down for the
all-important nap, while Hilarium continued on the northbound trip.
At 5:00pm we arrived at St. Florent. Located at the western base of Cap Corse, a
long thin and very straight peninsula at the north end of Corsica, dubbed “The Dick.” St.
Florent is a charming real village—a bit shabby, not as upscale as Calvi, but with a nice
marina and restaurants all along a quay. The young and the old were playing boule on the
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town brown (it would have been green had there been a blade of grass). St. Florent’s
geography is very different from what we had seen before—the barren crags had been
replaced by high rounded “mountains,” up to about 3,000 feet. It suggested a more
volcanic origin than the south.
After a nice walk along the quay, we returned to the boat at 6:00pm. At 7:00pm
we met for evening libation, and at 6:00pm we wandered off to find a restaurant.
Eventually we settled at Le Cabalesta, a restaurant whose main attributes were nobody
else was there, the lights were bright, the menus were plastic, and they were out of many
dishes. But they had Jessica, a cute French waitress who was very pleasant and who put
up with the foreigners.
At 10:30pm we were back on Hilarium, and soon we sat down to an hour of The
Sopranos. And then to bed.
Day 5 Thursday, October 7, 2004
St. Florent, Corsica to Bedford, MA via Erbalunga, Corsica
Up at 9:30am—our last day. The weather is turning—overcast skies, a bit more
cool. Rain is supposed to come in soon. Our timing is perfect.
Today is an all-land day. At 11:30am we got into a van s for a tour of towns on
the other side of The Dick. Our guide, Isabella, was French and married to a Corsican—
very sweet. We drove up over the mountains to Bastia, about 15 miles and an hour away,
almost directly across Cap Corse. The roads were filled with switchbacks and climbed to
about 2000 feet, almost into the clouds that covered the higher mountain tops. Bastia is a
new city, created in the 1960s to provide housing and occupations for the flood of
Algerian immigrants following the French war in Algeria. It was densely populated, with
high-rise buildings and a large sea port.
Passing through Bastia, we continued on to Erbalunga, farther up the eastern side
of The Dick. Erbalaunga (“Long Herbs”) is a medieval village that seemed completely
empty. We had lunch at a very nice restaurant right on the small harbor—largest boat
perhaps 20 feet. One very large, once elegant, mansion overlooked the harbor. It had been
abandoned for 40 years because the descendants couldn’t agree to sell it. Apparently,
Corsican property law was based on Italian law, and there was no mechanism to force a
decision on what to do with the property. Its windows were gone, vines wound along—
and through—it; it looked like a house of horror. Ten we walked through the canyonlike
houses along the waterfront—small narrow streets, a Byzantine sort of pattern to them.
At the end was yet aother Genoese watchtower. The weather was cloudy and cool as we
were close to the cloud layer.
At about 2:30pm we started back to St. Florent, arriving at about 3:15pm. At
4:30pm we started out to the Bastia Airport, located at Lucciana a few miles south of
Bastia. At 6:00pm the wheels were up. Our trip was quiet, with the sunset heading west
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faster than us. The sight of a slowly receding sunset reminded me of Beryl Markham’s
great book West with the Night.
At 8:00pm, after eight hours, two watching The Sopranos, we landed at Hanscom
just as the Angels-Red Sox playoff game went into extra innings. The customs officer
came on board, collected our papers, and we were in the hangar by 8:15pm.
Epilogue
This was a special trip. Totally unexpected, it was a great way to soothe the
disappointment of having to cancel our 2-week cruise. The weather was unusually
pleasant. Northwest winds, the mistral, normally make the western coast of Corsica very
frothy—but they didn’t appear and the water was almost flat! Each day was sunny,
starting with a hint of coolness and warming into the high 70s and low 80s. The sun was
bright and skies were clear, though a haze hung over the Corsican coast.
Corsica’s west coast is as beautiful, and varied, as one could hope for. The
medieval towns are well maintained, there are some great beaches, and there is a sense of
great wilderness with little settlement even on the coast. The food ranged from mediocre
to quite good, but it is not a gourmet’s delight.
The company was fantastic. Pete and Ginny are always gracious and fun to be
with. Pebo and Elise were the same, and we enjoyed their company immensely.
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Newport, RI to Sag Harbor, NY
October 22 - 24, 2004
Total Trip
Prologue
Ah! The last trip in the Northeast for the season. On October 20, Myeerah
departed Boston on her way south. She stopped at Newport, after encountering eight-foot
seas coming out of Boston Harbor.
At 5:00pm Joan and I arrived by car to meet her at Newport Shipyard. The yard’s
slips were filled with magnificent transatlantic sailboats, all preparing for the trip south:
next to us was Sheherazade, a 140-foot Perrini Navi; nearby was Georgia, at least 160
feet with a maroon hull.
It was cold, windy, and cloudy. At 7:00pm we had a fine dinner—steak and
potatoes--and at 8:30pm we settled down to watch the 7th game of the National League
Championship Series, between the Houston Astros and the St Louis cardinals. The
outcome would determine who plays the Boston Red Sox in the 2004 World Series. The
Sox had come from a 0-3 deficit to win the American League Championship 4-3—the
first time that any team had come from that far back to win the ALCS. It’s been a wild
week! The Cardinals won the NLCS, which might not be good news for us as they are
considered a better team than the Astros.
The plan is to go to go up the Connecticut River to Essex, CT. then to return on
Monday for a drive back to Boston. Myeerah will then head down to Charleston, SC,
where we will meet her with friends for a ride to Savannah, GA--our last trip of 2004.
Day 1 Friday, October 22, 2004
Newport, RI to Essex, CT
We awoke at about 9:30am to a cloudy and drizzly morning—is it always like this
in Newport? At 11:00am we left the Newport Shipyard bound for Essex, CT, six miles up
the Connecticut River. For the first hour or so we had sizable swells on the port beam,
exaggerating the upset stomachs that we’ve had for a few days. But eventually we had the
seas directly on the stern, so it got better. The fog and drizzle followed us all the way.
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At 3:00pm we passed Old Saybrook and entered the Connecticut River. Waiting
for 15 minutes for the train to pass over the Old Lyme Draw Bridge, we proceeded
slowly up the river, and at 4:00pm we docked at the Essex Island Marina’s face dock. It
was very gray and quite cold and windy.
At 4:30pm, Joan and I walked to the little ferry going from Essex Island to Essex,
and wandered around the town for a while. It is a very Connecticut sort of village, strung
along a single street from the riverfront inland, with lots of upscale shops—antiques, art
galleries, boutiques. The foliage was beautiful, with some trees wearing bright orange.
By 5:45pm we were back at the boat. At 6:45pm we began a great dinner—grilled
coconut shrimp for appetizer, stuffed pork for dinner, and cheesecake for dessert. Lauren
had outdone herself! By 8:00pm it was TV time; but a careful examination showed that
there was nothing interesting among the hundreds of channels available. I stayed up a
while, but…soon to bed.
Day 2 Saturday, October 23, 2004
Essex, CT to Sag Harbor, NY
A looong night’s sleep—about 12 hours! We awoke at about 9:30am to another
cloudy morning—but no rain. At 10:30am Joan took a walk, and at about 11:45am we
left the Essex Island Marina. Heading slowly up the Connecticut River for about five
miles, past large waterfront estates and orange and red foliage, we saw the Gillette Castle
on the port side. A monstrous stone building, topped by a copper cupola with a cross, it
was built in the early 1900s for $1,000,000. The owner was a railroad buff, and a steam
locomotive still runs on tracks around the property. We saw the locomotive’s steam trail
as it passed the castle, heading north, and disappeared into the hills. This would be fun to
see on a glorious summer day!
We reached the castle at about 1:00pm and turned around to head for Sag Harbor.
At 2:00pm we passed the lighthouse at Old Saybrook and entered Long Island Sound. A
20 knot wind put a following sea on our starboard quarter, kicking up whitecaps, but it
was a reasonably comfortable ride past Plum Island and through the Race. At 3:15pm we
passed the stone lighthouse at Cedar Point. With Shelter Island on our starboard, we
headed into Sag Harbor. At 3:45pm we were at the Sag Harbor Yacht Club. The wind
was pretty brisk.
Joan and I took a walk through Sag Harbor’s downtown area, stopping in some
shops. At 5:30pm we returned to Myeerah. At 7:00pm we had dinner (shrimp creole), and
at 8:30pm we settled down to watch the first game of the 2004 World Series—the Red
Sox vs. the Cardinals at Fenway Park. At the bottom of the 8th inning it was 9-9 and we
gave up, figuring that it would go to overtime. But the Sox won by two at the bottom of
the 9th.
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Day 3 Sunday, October 24, 2004
Sag Harbor, NY to Newport, RI
Up at 8:00am to a very brisk wind howling into Sag Harbor. The weather report
suggests only 2-3 foot seas in Long Island Sound, but there will be 8-12 foot seas from
the Cape to Watch Hill. It is supposed to worsen tomorrow, so we decided to return to
Newport a day early and stay there for the night. We left Sag Harbor at 10:00am.
As we headed past Cedar point, toward Plum Island and Gardiner’s Island, the
seas were probably 2-4 feet, very doable. But, to our surprise, it settled down after the
Plum Island Gut and it was a reasonably gentle ride to Newport. Our first leg was toward
Mystic, CT, then up the coast inside of Fisher’s Island. After passing Fisher’s Island the
seas began to build to, perhaps, 4-6 feet. The forecast for the Cape to Watch Hill had
been 7-12 feet, so we were improving on that by quite a bit.
We rounded Point Judith and headed into Narragansett Bay. At 2:30pm we were
in the calm of the bay, and at 3:00pm pm we were at the Newport Shipyard. I took a long
nap, Joan took a long walk. Dinner at 7:00pm, the second game of the World Series at
8:00pm—the Sox won—bedtime at midnight.
Prologue
It has been a long time since we’ve had good weather in Narragansett Bay and
Long Island Sound. Our last attempt to cruise this area for a weekend was foiled by
weather, and we stayed on the boat in Newport. The weather was really nasty then—this
time it was just cold, cloudy, windy and rainy.
But it’s always fun to be on Myeerah. And Lauren served some very good
dinners—she’s been working hard on new recipes. The next trip—Charleston to
Savannah—should be in warmer weather. Fingers crossed!
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November 5 – 8, 2004
Mate Amanda Wentworth
Ralph and Carol Hinckley
Brooks and Gale Parker
Total Trip
98 miles, 10½ hours running time, 9.3 knots average speed
400 gallons at 38 gph
Prologue
This is our third trip from Charleston, SC to Savannah. Two years ago we did it
on Myeerah With the McDuffys, the Whites and the Hamanns. The year before that wed
did it on Good Fortune with the Vernons.
At 4:30pm on Thursday, November 4, we took off from Hanscom Field in a
Beechcraft 400A (Tail Number N311GL). There was heavy weather all the way, and at
times it got a bit fluttery. High crosswinds made our 7:00pm landing at Charleston an
interesting experience as we wobbled in to a safe landing. At 7:30pm Ben picked us up in
an SUV and at 8:00pm we arrived at Charleston City Marina. The walk down the docks
was amazingly long—that is one huge marina-- and it began to rain vigorously while we
were carrying our bags. We arrived wet but undaunted.
At 8:45pm, after appetizers, we had a fine dinner of butterfly lamb, done
beautifully by Lauren. Our primary conversation was about George W. Bush’s reelection.
All six of us are Republicans and were quite pleased with it—perhaps the only people in
Massachusetts who were. Certainly many of our friends, from whom we have heard
much self-righteous proselytizing, are disappointed.
At 11:00pm I was in bed. And so to sleep.
Day 1 Friday, November 05, 2004
In Charleston
Awake at 8:30am to a sunny but cool Charleston, about 65-70 degree high for the
day. The wind was brisk, but the rain had blown through. After breakfast, at about
10:00am, Lauren—who had graduated from the College of Charleston--drove us into old
Charleston, through the Old Slave Mart area and down to the Battery, showing us the
high spots.
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Our first stop was the Edmondston-Alston House on East Battery Street, looking
out at Fort Sumter about two miles across the harbor. From the second story veranda
General Beauregard had given the command to start the shelling of the fort in 1860. The
house was build about 1830, and is the finest example of vintage Charleston. It has a
wonderful large veranda on the second floor, above a large first floor porch. Most of the
furniture and furnishings are original to the house. Our guide was an older woman who
described her age as “between 40 and death.”
Following this we walked the two blocks down to the Battery, then up to the
newly restored Nathaniel Russell House on Meeting Street. Joan and I had seen it two
years earlier when it was nearing the end of restoration. It has a free-standing fireplace
and faux-painted marbled walls. The final touches of restoration had made a huge
difference—it was gorgeously authentic
Then it was to the Old Slave Mart, where the ladies did some shopping. There are
several stories about the name—the slaves either shopped there or sold goods there. It
was not the slave block on which they were sold. We had a late lunch (2:00pm) at the
nearby is Cru Café by Motley Lane (“Motley Cru”--get it?). The chef, who also served as
a waiter, was first in his class at the Cordon Bleu. The waitress was a cute young girl who
hailed from Kennebunkport and who knew Ben’s family. It was superb food, and very
busy—in part because other restaurants served only dinner.
At 3:00pm we were back on Myeerah. At 3:30pm we all took T/T Myeerah on a
ride around the Battery, then down the ICW for a couple of miles. At 5:30pm, with the
sun having set, we were back on the boat. At 6:45pm we left for dinner at Cypress, a very
good upscale restaurant with great ambience, service and food. By 10:00pm we were
back on Myeerah. And so to bed…
Day 2 Saturday, November 6, 2004
Charleston, SC to Beaufort, SC
I was up at 7:30am. It was cool, but sunny and bright. We left City Marina at
8:00am and lined up with sailboats for the 8:30am opening of the bascule bridge about a
mile down the ICW. After this we followed the sailboats at a slow pace until, finally, we
could pass. The tide was at dead-low, so we had to be careful about our depth.
The trip down the ICW was great. It warmed up so that we could sit outside, and
at one point we all sat on the sun deck to watch the low country slide by. Most of the way
we followed a 60-foot Hatteras, Master Plan, which had a 5 ½ foot draft and would tell
us when it got shallow.
At about 1:00pm we had lunch in the cockpit. Sea Tabby, a 60-foot Trumpy that
had been docked in front of us in Charleston, passed us at about 20 knots—she sure
looked beautiful!
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At 3:00pm we passed through the Ladies Island Swing Bridge at Beaufort and slid
into a spot on the face dock at the Beaufort Town Marina. Behind us was Reflection, hull
20 of the Fleming 55s. Just in front of us was Fugitive, a six-month old Azimut of about
70 feet, whose owner was excited to see a Ferretti—he had been negotiating for a new
94-foot Ferretti. We talked a bit about the merits of Ferrettis. His boat-of-interest was
built for the U.S. market, so it was outfitted with equipment that could be serviced. But
he was unhappy with Allied Richard Bertram for its failure to do warranty work on his
Azimut.
By 3:30pm we were on a walk into Beaufort, where we stopped at the Carolina
Carriage Company to sign up for a carriage tour. The six of us joined eight other tourists
on a carriage pulled by Rocky, a three year old Percheron who was so slow we could
have crawled faster. Our guide was Jack, an apprentice not yet ready for prime time; but
the tour was OK. Still, I prefer just walking around the antebellum homes.
At 4:30pm, after our carriage ride, the others took a walk and I returned to the
boat and took a tour of the area on T/T Myeerah. As I returned the sun was just setting
over Beaufort. Ben and I talked for a few minutes, after which three young ladies came
down the dock to admire the boat, to invite us to their boat for a party, and, generally, to
hit on us (well, perhaps not “us”).
At about 6:00pm the walkers returned, and at 7:00pm we sat down for dinner. By
10:00pm we had disbanded, having identified most of the world’s problems and solved
many. And so to bed…
Day 3 Sunday, November 7, 2004
Beaufort, SC to Savannah, GA
Awake at 7:00am, a bright and sunny day, somewhat cool. The morning exodus
from Beaufort Downtown Marina had not yet begun, and birds could be heard singing
happily. At 9:00am we left the marina for an adventuresome trip to Savannah. The first
adventure occurred as we went under the bridge just south of Beaufort. The ICW between
this bridge and Beaufort is an idle-speed zone with a $1,000 fine for violations (poorly
posted). A 35-foot boat behind us charged through the area throwing a big wake and
ignoring calls from a marina to slow down; another boat, just behind the evildoer, was
following his example. The marina dock master caught them in his boat, forced them to
stop, chewed them out, and took their registration numbers. I think some big bills will be
sent!
As we headed south we passed Hilton Head Island. We heard a radio call “Large
yacht heading south, go hard to port. There is a sandbar just ahead of you.” We took a
hard turn to port, then we discovered that the call wasn’t for us—about a mile ahead a
boat had run aground because he hadn’t been watching his instruments. But he had gotten
free with the rising tide by the time we arrived there. The danger is that I could have
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turned directly in front of someone in my unnecessary effort to avoid running up on a
sandbar. Just after this, we got a call from Gary Moffit, captain of Who Cares? He lives
in Hilton Head with Amanda’s mother, and he had seen us go by.
As we approached Savannah, having passed through some gorgeous narrow
channels in the marshes, we heard a call from someone angry at a boat for forcing him
out of the channel—twice! The offending boat was Special K, which had been at the
Beaufort Downtown Marina with us. Readers of these notes will recall that a couple of
years ago Special K was notorious on the ICW for insensitive wakes and erratic driving—
apparently nothing has changed.
At 12:30pm we reached the industrial part of the ICW north of Savannah. There
are large oil or gas tank farms, as well as sand and gravel operations and a paper factory.
Not nice stuff. At 3:00pm we docked at the Westin Hotel across the Savannah River from
the city of Savannah. It is an ugly soviet-style building with a nice dock. Our first task in
Savannah was to have lunch under the by-now warm sun.
After lunch Ben took us across the river in T/T Myeerah. We took a 1½ hour Gray
Line trolley tour, with Barbara as our guide, through the Historic District and the
Victorian District. It was a good tour. At about 5:00pm we returned to the boat. Joan
walked while I took the tender up the river. At 6:30pm we showered and at 7:45pm we
took our rented van to the Olde Pink House Restaurant on Savannah’s Reynolds Square,
one of the few very good restaurants open on Sunday night.
The Olde Pink Restaurant is located in an 1850s mansion, about a two blocks
from the waterfront. It has a charming interior with its original rooms used as distinct
dining areas. Our 8:00pm reservations were held up until 8:30pm, but it was worth it: a
quiet ambience, tasteful simple rooms, old paintings on the walls, and excellent food. At
10:30pm we were done and Lauren took us back to the boat. And so to bed…
Day 4 Monday, November 8, 2004
Savannah, GA to Boston, MA
Awake at 8:30am to the warmest morning of the trip. After breakfast I took
everybody across the river in T/T Myeerah, where they would shop until lunchtime. I
returned to the boat to catch up on some reading.
At 1:00pm Joan called and I joined them for lunch at Huey’s, a restaurant in an
old warehouse on the riverfront. At 2:00pm we were back on the boat packing up for our
return to the cold northeast.
At 3:00pm we left for the Signature Flight Support facility at the Savannah
Airport. At 3:30pm it was wheels up on N642AC, another Beechcraft 400, and after an
uneventful flight we landed at Hanscom Field at 5:45pm. By 6:30pm we were home.
Epilogue
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This has been a delightful trip. The weather has cooperated and the ride down the
ICW was gentle and beautiful. Our guests were great fun, and we all enjoyed being with
like-minded people after the stress of living in a blue state during a Presidential election.
Charleston, Beaufort and Savannah are the high spots of the ICW—lots to see, history
galore, and quiet elegance. I hope we can do this again!
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Cruising the Bahamas
January 22 – February 11, 2005
George Vyverberg
Total Trip
598 miles, 71 hours running time, 8.4 knots average speed
2,698 gallons at 38 gph
Prologue
This was the first time we had planned to stay in Florida for the entire winter
season—January through April. My one goal was to spend some time on Myeerah in the
Bahamas. After some “negotiation,” Joan agreed to go until February 3, when she would
return to Naples. On February 5 she would go back to Boston for a few days, returning on
February 10.
I decided to stay on Myeerah after Joan left, and to return with the boat to Naples.
George Vyverberg agreed to join me when Joan left, flying over on the charter plane that
would take Joan back to Naples on February 3. The plan was to start in North Eleuthera,
at Harbor Island, and to end up at Georgetown, on Great Exuma Island, where George
would arrive and Joan would leave.
As it turned out, the weather was not conducive. In order to go from Nassau,
where Myeerah had been waiting, to Harbor Island, the boat had to pass through the
“Devil’s Backbone,” a treacherous coral reef. This had to be done in good weather-sunlight behind and calm seas-- and that combination didn’t occur. Plan B was to go to
the island of Spanish Wells, just off of the west end of North Eleuthera.
Day 1 Saturday, January 22, 2005
Naples, FL to Spanish Wells, The Bahamas
At 10:30am we arrived at Hangar 100 in the General Aviation section of Naples
Airport. Our pilot, Bob Villard, led us to the Cessna 310 that would take us to Spanish
Wells (tail number N310BV). This was a small six-seater, with room for a pilot and
passenger up front, two passengers in the middle seats, and two amputees in the rear.
At 11:00am we took off and headed east. We were told that we would have a
strong headwind and that the flight would take 2½ hours. A few miles offshore from
Miami we reached a large layer of cumulus clouds, almost cumulonimbus
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(thunderheads). But it was a very thin line, and after that it was occasionally cloudy with
good visibility and smooth air.
At 12:30 pm we touched down at North Eleuthera International Airport. To our
surprise, we were an hour early. To Pilot Bob’s surprise, we had had strong tailwinds all
the way. How can they get that wrong? But it was sunny, warm, with light wind—a
perfect day.
We waited for Ben and, after finally making cell phone connection he said that he
was in sight—and there he was walking toward us! It turns out that he had arrived early
and had met John and Mary Jane McGlennon, who were seeing some neighbors off at the
airport. So the McGlennons, the neighbors, Ben and we had a nice lunch at the local
greasy spoon across from the airport.
We then took a cab to the ferry at Jeans Bay on North Eleuthera, which took us
right to Myeerah, docked at the Spanish Wells Yacht Haven.. We learned that Myeerah
had bent a prop (again) when “A-1,” the pilot who was leading her into the narrow
channel entering Spanish Wells, forgot to tell Ben to keep to the port side. It is a
treacherous entry, and that’s what we hired a pilot for. Bad on him!
After putting our things away, Joan and I hopped onto Papoose and took a ride
the several miles to Royal Island, where we explored the wonderful anchorage there,
overseen by an abandoned estate with a house high on a ridge. We then returned to
Myeerah, where we found that we had just missed the McGlennons, who had dropped by
on their boat. We chased them to their dock, and invited them for drinks at 6:00pm.
At 6:00pm Ben picked John and Mary Jane up at the ferry stop and brought them
to Myeerah. We had a wonderful dinner--very fresh and succulent Chilean Sea Bass. By
8:30pm Ben and Amanda shoved off in Papoose to take the McGlennons back to their
car at Jeans Bay. By 9:00pm we were reading in bed (I’m on volume 16 of Patrick
O’Brien’s Aubrey-Maturin series). By 10:00pm it was “lights out”. And so to bed!
Day 2 Sunday, January 23, 2005
In Spanish Wells, The Bahamas
Up at 8:30am to a warmish, overcast and windy start. The winds are supposed to
be 20-25 knots from the southwest. Outside the reef, on the Atlantic side of Eleuthera, the
waves are 7-9 feet. We will stay at Spanish Wells today and, probably, tomorrow.
It is a very quiet morning. The Spanish Wellsians are a very religious lot,
Methodist in inclination, and they are undoubtedly at church. A dry island (with a large
liquor store two miles away at Jeans Bay on Eleuthera), Spanish Wells is a very tight
little community of whites, settled in 1648 by Eleutheran Adventurers from Bermuda and
England who settled on the island and named it Eleuthera—the Greek word for freedom.
The Adventurers wanted to get away from religious persecution during the English Civil
War (Cromwell and all that). Loyalists arrived later, during the American Revolution.
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Spanish Wells is predominantly white, blond, and blue-eyed, with lots of intermarriage—
there are only five family names! Apparently, your sister might be your mother.
Fishing is the main industry here, and the lobstermen are said to catch 75% of the
Bahamian harvest. The large and well-kept houses attest to wealth. Walking around town
we saw clean yards, freshly painted houses (some decked out in tropical colors), and well
kept streets. Apparently, the thing to do on the weekends is to get a bunch of friends in
your car and drive around the few blocks in town!
At 11:30am Joan and I left in the tender to go to the McGlennons for lunch. After
running aground in the channel into their house—silted in by the summer hurricanes—we
reached their dock and walked up to their blue house on a hill. They share seven acres
with four other families. The house has a large kitchen-living room-porch on the second
floor, and three bedrooms below. It looks over Spanish Wells on one side and the Devil’s
Backbone on the other. With 25 knot winds, the second view was very impressive.
After lunch we took a long walk to their private beach, then back along the
waterfront. At 3:00pm we hopped onto Papoose and headed home. After running
aground again, we finally reached Spanish Wells. The raw water cooling system had been
plugged up with sand from our groundings, so on reaching Myeerah at 3:30pm we
cleared that up.
For the first time we turned the TV on—to get news about the big blizzard that
was hitting New England. Johnny Carson had died, and there were memorial shows
covering the event. After a nap we had dinner and watched the Patriots beat the
Pittsburgh Steelers for the NFL championship (41-20)—Superbowl is next. And so to
bed…
Day 3 Monday, January 24, 2005
In Spanish Wells, Eleuthera
Up at 9:00am to a sunny but cool and windy morning. Today we join the
McGlennons for a ferry trip over to Harbour Island. At 10:00am we walked down to
catch the Government Ferry to Jeans Bay, having decided not to run aground again in the
tender trying to go to the McGlennons’ dock. At 10:30am we were at Jeans Bay, soon on
our way in the faithful truck to the ferry to Harbour Island at Three Islands Dock—John
folded nicely into the back seat.
The Harbour Island ferries are actually small private boats serving as water taxis.
In pretty horrible shape, they take about six passengers each. After a 10-minute ride we
arrived at the Harbour Island dock next to Vincent’s Marina—now closed for expansion
and reconstruction. Our first order of business was to rent a four-person golf cart. We
shrewdly chose to rent from “The Minister.” We soon found that the platform for the
rear-facing passengers was broken, but that concern was short-lived because after about
two blocks the right rear tire came off of the wheel. John had been very proud of renting
the $40 cart for only $30, but I reminded him he had paid the full price per wheel!
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While John and I walked back to the dock to seek justice from The Minister, Joan
and Mary Jane went to the shopping district. The Minister saw the merit in our complaint,
and we got another cart—this one only had a broken rear platform. We soon encountered
the ladies wandering down the shopping block. Joining them, we went through Batik
shops, art galleries, and other fine local stores.
At noon we drove the short distance to the Pink Sands Hotel on the other side of
the Island, only about 5 blocks away. This is one of the plushest hotels, its most
expensive cottage renting at $2500 a night. It has an Indian motif with an open-air lobby
and restaurant area, a number of cottages hidden behind landscaping, several very good
hard-surface tennis courts, a swimming pool, and The Blue Bar, a beach bar overlooking
the “...best beach in the western hemisphere,” according to Travel Magazine.
We then returned to the waterfront area and turned in our cart. The restaurant we
had planned to go to was closed in spite of the large sign in the window declaring that it
was open. The next stop was a hotel and restaurant that only served breakfast and dinner,
and the third attempt was a success--the Rock House Restaurant, located up some ancient
steps from the waterfront street. Our lunch was slow, expensive, and not well received by
some of us. But eventually we were on our way back to the water taxi.
After reaching Three Islands Dock—named for the three lumps of rock standing
off the shore--we remounted the trusty truck and returned to Jeans Bay by way of the
Haitian Village, a conglomeration of poorly made shacks with coral rock yards and lots
of abandoned cars. This is where the Spanish Wellsians house the immigrant Haitian
labor that they bring in to work the citrus farms. It was pretty dismal.
By 3:30pm we were back at Myeerah. The sun had come out, but was soon lost
again. The wind had died down considerably, indicating that tomorrow we could leave
Spanish Wells. At 5:30pm I took a short ride in Papoose, heading north up the Spanish
Wells waterfront to the bridge crossing over to Russell Island. Beyond this bridge is a
very large area of sand flats that John reports are great fishing grounds. It is quite
beautiful at or near sunset.
After dinner we watched TV, after finding out that our hot water was in very
limited supply. From 9:00-10:00pm we watched 24 Hours, a series about government
covert espionage against middle eastern terrorists. Meanwhile, Ben was trying to fix our
hot water situation. He traced the problem to a bad heating element in the main tank. The
good news was that we had an extra element. The bad news was that it was a 120V
element, not the 240V element required by our European power supply. So we will have
about 20 gallons of hot water instead of 40 gallons.
Day 4 Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Spanish Wells, Eleuthera to Highborne Cay, The Exumas
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Up at 7:45am to an almost-high-tide engine start. It was sunny and cool with light
four-knot winds. At 8:00am we left Spanish Wells Yacht Haven at a very low speed,
clearing the narrow channel with at least two feet of water under us—to do this we had to
come so close to the starboard shore as to seem to be on land! After passing Meek’s
Patch and Royal Island, the water depth increased and we could pick up speed. A
vibration could be felt from A-1’s excellent piloting, but it was not severe. So we put it at
10 knots and headed southwest through Fleming Channel, where we would then turn for
the Ship Channel then head for Highborne Cay. The distance was about 75 miles.
After breakfast we found that the power to the galley had quit. Once again, Ben
sprang into action. We had been on generator 2, and he found that it wasn’t working
properly. He switched to generator 1—the largest—and we had power. But now the
question was, why was generator 2 not working properly? It eluded us because it
suddenly began working again—undoubtedly a test of our skills.
At 4:00pm, after a day of gentle progress with a 4 knot following wind, we
entered the channel into Highborne Cay. It was just after low tide so we anchored outside
for a while until we could safely enter the marina. Joan and I took Papoose to sound out
the depths into the marina. As we left Myeerah the steering disconnected and I had to
steer the boat by manual movement of the motor—literally by hands on the motor. Ben
fixed it quickly and we returned to our task. At 5:30pm we declared enough water and
Myeerah entered the marina. As we passed the entrance we saw a dozen or more nurse
sharks feeding on the leavings of fish being cleaned at the end of the dock. Just inside the
entrance was Moonraker, a 116-foot space-age jet-drive vessel. Near us on the North
Dock were Princess Sarah, about 100 feet, Renaissance, about 110 feet, and Sunni, a 75foot Hatteras which we had seen before.
As soon as Myeerah docked, Joan and I took a walk. As we climbed the hill to the
road running along the ridge, the sun set in the west as a bright orange ball. It was
beautiful! We passed the bus stop with the old man sitting at the bench, just as he had
been two years ago when we were here. On our return, the moon was rising in the east as
another orange ball, throwing its light across the Atlantic.
An old ruin, about 200 years old, was reportedly found at the north end of
Highborne Cay a few years ago (when we were last here it was “reported,” not “found”).
Long ago the cay was two cays facing each other with a narrow band of water between
them. The middle of that separation has now filled in, leaving a single H-shaped cay. In
the past Highborne Cay was planted with watermelons, indicating an excellent supply of
fresh water. In the 1950s it was an aloe plantation. It has several houses for staff and
owners, and the cay is clearly scheduled for development at a slow pace—underground
electricity and telephone boxes are spaced at sites along the ridge road. A lot of money
has been put into the marina, which sports a new house for office and a shop, very nice
docks, and a beach.
At 6:30pm we were back at the boat. We had drinks outside, though it was quite
cool. Then inside for dinner at 7:00pm: very succulent pork followed by excellent
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cheesecake. After dinner we watched the first two episodes of the second season of
Upstairs, Downstairs, on loan from the McGlennons. At 10:00pm it was to bed.
Day 5 Wednesday, January 26, 2005
In Highbourne Cay, The Exumas
For me, a loooong night’s sleep. Awake at 9:30am to a sunny day, light wind,
cool in the shade but warm in the sun. As we had breakfast in the cockpit, Moonraker
left. Sunni had already left.
At about 10:45am Joan and I went for a walk to the south end of the cay, past
“The Spring,” one of Highborne Cay’s most famous sites, to the foundation of a house
with a concrete slab marked “1961” followed by the names of several residents. This was
probably the staff house for the aloe plantation.
After returning to Myeerah we read and/or computed for a while, then had lunch-conch salad (it’s really rubbery in a salad) and shrimp scampi (very good). Joan called
Lara and chatted with her then we took Papoose around the cay. The Atlantic side has a
very long white-sand beach and little coral. The Caribbean side is rockier, with short nice
beaches, and with sizable coral reefs. A number of sailboats and a large 100-foot bluehulled trawler, Mamu VI, were anchored outside of the pass through the cay. At 3:30 we
were back at the boat, and by 4:00pm we were walking to the Atlantic-side beach.
Joan took a long walk and I stayed on board. At 5:30pm we went to the sun deck
and had hors d’oeuvres and drinks while watching the sun set. It set beautifully, and
eventually we came back to earth! After a fine dinner of veal (Lauren is on a roll!) we sat
down to watch more Upstairs, Downstairs, done only after Amanda and Lauren had
reacquainted us with the television and sound systems on the boat.
At 9:00pm The West Wing came on. It has been a show searching for a path, and I
am about to give up on it. The show has “Jumped the Shark,” a phrase that defines an
episode that begins the downward slide of a show. In our view, the show jumped the
shark when CJ—the President’s press secretary--became the President’s Chief of Staff
after Leo McGary, the first and only chief of staff, had a heart attack. It has descended
low, but we perservere!
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Day 6 Thursday, January 27, 2005
Highbourne Cay to Sampson Cay, The Exumas
40 nm, 4 hrs, 10 kts
At 8:00am we got up. The skies were clear, the sun was strong, and there was
almost no wind. At 8:45am we left the dock, headed westward out the cut, and turned
south for Sampson Cay, 40 miles away. The sea was like glass, and you could see the
bottom clearly. We passed Norman Cay, notorious from the drug-running days of the
early 1980s, and continued on at a 10 knot speed.
At 12:00pm we turned eastward to go into the channel to Sampson Cay. The sun
was slightly behind us, helping us to weave through the shallow channel. It was mid-tide,
but we still had at least 3 feet under the props. At 12:45pm we were docked at Sampson
Cay’s West Dock. The last time we were here, in 2003, we had passed through the
narrow cut into the lagoon, where the East and South Docks are located. As we docked,
Princess Sarah approached and went through the cut—they are stalking us!
By 1:30pm we were walking along the lagoon’s waterfront to the east end of the
island. Lady O, a new Horizon we had seen at Spanish Wells, was in the lagoon, as was
Eitel Time, a Hatteras from Naples. By 3:00pm we had returned to the boat and I
attempted to reinstall our Nobeltec software so that we could use the ARPA facility. No
way to do it! So it took an hour or so to get back to the beginning.
At 4:30pm I took the tender to Twin Cays, about two miles away, where there is
an attractive beach. Unfortunately, it is very shallow to approach, and it looks like it is
not easily reached. So I turned back.
At 5:30pm Joan and I went to the sundeck to watch a marvelous sunset. As the
sun set, Moonraker came in to dock next to us. She was built in 1992, but has been
recently repainted and looks gorgeous. She is 116 feet, has twin 3400HP MTU’s running
jet drives. She draws only 5½ feet, and has a cruising speed of 28 knots, using 300
gallons per hour!
After a 6:30pm diner, we watched more Upstairs, Downstairs—three episodes of
the second season. By 10:30pm we were in bed. It has been a beautiful day, with great
weather and a fine destination.
Day 7 Friday, January 28, 2005
At Sampson Cay, The Exumas
Awake at 9:15pm, after a good night sleep (though I did fall out of bed for the
first time in 50 years!). It is sunny but windy (15-20 knots from the NE). Moonraker had
left before we got up. Breakfast by 10:30pm. We will stay at Sampson Cay tonight then
we go the few miles to Staniel Cay tomorrow, when the weather is supposed to worsen.
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Joan and I took a walk to the other end of the cay. On returning we found that
Inspiration, a 1994 Broward of 155 feet—had taken Moonraker’s place. After lunch, and
some lying about, we left in Papoose for a trip north to Compass Cay. But on the way the
wind came up and a rain squall came through. So at Pipe Cay we turned around and
headed back. At 4:00pm we were back at the boat.
Just before 6:00pm, after a nap, we went to the pilothouse salon for drinks. The
wind had come up to about 40 knots, a serious wind, and there was no sunset. It clearly
was going to be a night to stay at a dock! We had a nice dinner of crab cakes and
tiramisu, followed by three more episodes of Upstairs, Downstairs-we are almost through
the first season And so to bed…
Day 8 Saturday, January 29, 2005
Sampson Cay to Staniel Cay, The Exumas
5 nm, 1 hr, 5.0 kts
Awake at 8:30am. The sun is bright and warm but a 25-30 knot wind is coming
from the NE. The first order of the day was repairing the computer navigation program,
which, for some reason, had gone ahoo. This done, we had a quick breakfast, and at
11:00am Myeerah left for Staniel Cay, about 5 miles south. I followed in Papoose, going
the back route on the eastern side of Fowl Cay. At Staniel Cay Yacht Club I waited for
Myeerah, which was trying to find its way through the shoals—a tricky entrance. She was
docked at 12:00pm.
Joan and I went to the SCYC’s restaurant, where we clearly didn’t understand the
etiquette because nobody acknowledged our presence. So we came back to Myeerah and
had a nice sandwich for lunch. Aisling came in—an 84-foot trawler-style boat built by
Kuipers, a small Dutch shipyard. We had seen her at Highborne Cay in 2003. The owner,
Phil Shannon, said he had been in 25 foot seas in Alaska and that she performed very
well. Phil’s business card says that he is director of the Shannon Foundation. On the
internet we found that this was set up in his daughter’s name after she died of leukemia at
age 28.
At about 4:00pm, Joan and I took Papoose to Thunderball Grotto, where a famous
underwater fight scene for the James Bond movie Thunderball was filmed. It was low
tide and you could see the current coming through the grotto. As we got close to the
entrance, dozens of Sergeant Majors, small fish with vertical black and yellow stripes,
came out to meet us. Clearly, they are used to being fed.
We then retraced our steps, went past the SCYC, and followed the Stanley Cay
shoreline southward, past the Happy People Marina, which appeared anything but—it
seemed abandoned, and it was certainly in a state of decay. After running aground in sand
a couple of times, we decided to return to the boat. By 5:00pm we were on board, just as
Lolly, a 75-foot Lazzara, steamed into the harbor and anchored right in the only passage.
Ben had talked to the captain of Lady O, who had come down from Sampson Cay in the
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tender. He said his owner had just left and the new boat had to go back to Florida because
it was leaking water through the fiberglass!
Amazingly, we still get DirecTV even in the Exumas, though not all the channels.
After a weak sunset we watched CNN—a rocket attack on the US embassy in Baghdad
on the eve of the elections of the first constitutional assembly. At 6:45pm we sat down to
dinner. After dinner it was another three episodes of Upstairs, Downstairs. And so to
bed…
Day 9 Sunday, January 30, 2005
Staniel Cay, The Exumas to Cat Island, The Bahamas
55 nm, 5½ hrs, 10.0 kts
Up at 9:00am to warm, sunny, light winds. We decided to depart through Big
Rock Cut into Exuma Sound and head for an anchorage at Cat Island, about 55 miles
away. On Monday night, the winds are predicted to mount, so we hope to be in
Georgetown by then.
At 10:00am Joan took a walk and Ben and I took Papoose to investigate the cut. It
is narrow but with deep water until the cut itself, between Big Major Spot and Staniel
Cay. The starboard side of the cut showed periodical high, step waves breaking over a
shoal, with a frequency of every minute or so, followed by placid water. We must stay to
the port side and head northeast for about ½ mile.
Soon after 11:00am Joan was back on the boat. The only boat remaining at the
dock was Azzazura, a large Sunseeker from Gibralter run by a former Marine from
Savannah. At 11:00am we left SCYC and headed northward to Big Rock Cut, about a
mile away. After exiting and bearing northeast, we turned to the southeast and set a
course for Fernandez Bay, near the south end of Cat Island. The Ambrister family had
lived there for ages, and in 1950s they turned their home into a hotel—Fernandez Bay
Village. The restaurant, located in the main house and still run by Armbristers, is
considered very fine.
The weather was quite good all the way. After a couple of hours the initial
southeasterly 2-4 foot seas died down to 1-3 feet. There were only a couple of boats in
sight the whole way over—this is the remote end of the Bahamas. As we approached to
within about 10 miles of Cat Island, the deep Exuma Sound gave way to sand and coral
banks about 15-20 feet deep. Some fish could be seen skittering about, and one flying
fish took off right under our bow and flew straight ahead—faster than our 10 knots—for
perhaps 100yards. At 4:30pm we were anchored directly off of the Village. It consisted of
a stone house that had some rooms, an open restaurant and a tiki bar area. Along the
beach were several similar houses. Joan and I took Papoose on a tour of the area. At
5:30pm we showered, and at 6:30pm Ben took us in to the beach for dinner.
It was a very interesting evening. Donna, the manager, greeted us cheerfully and
we joined about five other couples at the bar. One couple was from Columbus, Ohio—he
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was a school administrator and she was a teacher. Another couple, from Scotland, was a
British Airways pilot and his wife. A third couple was from Manhattan. We had some
nice chats, then a buffet dinner of local lobster tails and beef tenderloin.
After dinner we tried to call the boat to get picked up. But our handheld VHF
radio’s batteries had died, and attempts to call with a land line resulted in the boat phone
picking up before it rang. There was no way to make contact, until Donna and Leticia
found a phone that would work! By 9:00pm we were back on the boat. New batteries
were put into the VHF radio, and the boat cell phone was reset by turning it off, then on.
Simple solutions! Soon we were watching the first two episodes of the third season of
Upstairs, Downstairs. Lady Marjorie Bellamy has gone down on the Titanic and
everyone is in turmoil.
Day 10 Monday, January 31, 2005
Fernandez Bay, Cat Island to Georgetown, Great Exuma Island
55 nm, 5½ hrs, 10.0 kts
The night was a bit rolly until the tide turned at about midnight. We got up at
8:30am and left our anchorage at 9:00am. The wind had shifted to the northeast at about
10-15 knots so as we headed southwest to Georgetown we had 1-3 foot seas on our beam.
The sun was out and skies were clear.
As we got further west across Exuma Sound the wind built to about 20 knots.
With a quartering sea it was a nice ride, and I spent the morning in a power nap, arising at
1:30pm for lunch. At 2:30pm we arrived at the entrance to Georgetown Harbor—the
south end of Stocking Island. Because of reefs and shallow areas it was a slow pace until
we anchored off of Georgetown, at about 3:00pm. We were between Intuition II, a canoestern 194-foot Expedition-style yacht that we had seen last year at Antigua, and Glory B,
a 75-foot blue-hulled Grand Alaskan from Key Biscayne, launched in 2004” we chatted
briefly with the owner
At 4:00pm Joan and I took the tender across the troubled water to the marina,
where we saw Aisling at the dock. We passed through the narrow cut under a bridge into
tiny Lake Victoria, where the dinghy dock is located behind the Exuma Market. After an
hour-long walk around Lake Victoria, apparently during Georgetown’s rush hour, we
returned to Myeerah. The wind had started dying down.
At 6:00pm we sat down for the sunset. Soon Tom Dennis, the captain/owner of
Glory B, dropped by in his tender. He apologized for being short with us earlier—we
hadn’t felt that he was—and we invited him aboard. He and his wife cruise for 9 months
a year, he has a nephew with a 141-foot Trinity named Positive Carry, featured in the
July, 2004 issue of Yachts International. Tom and he and his wife, Donna, run Glory B
alone, spending at least 9 months a year on her. He told us of a very active cruising
community at Georgetown—lectures at the Chat & Chill Restaurant, a local beach shack,
by world-class travel authors, bridge played on the beach, church services on the beach
with a French Canadian choir, beaches to visit. They’ve been here two weeks.
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After Tom left we had dinner: The best swordfish I’ve had in years, and a fine
pumpkin pie for dessert. And then we watched three episodes of the third season of
Upstairs, Downstairs. It was a wonderful evening!
Day 11 Tuesday, February 1, 2005
At Georgetown, Great Exuma Island
Awake at 8:30am after a nice 10 hour sleep. Light wind, calm water, warm sun.
We had breakfast while Lauren and Amanda went to the market. By 11:00am they had
returned—the market had been well picked over so little was available. At about that time
Renaissance, which we had seen at Highborne Cay, came in and anchored near us.
Joan and I took Papoose to the Chat & Chill at nearby Volleyball Beach. Some
large sailboats were anchored just a few feet off of the sandy beach. We pulled up onto
the beach at a protected cove behind the Chat & Chill. There were 5 or more feet of water
just off of the sandy beach, so a number of boats were anchored close by. The restaurant
is an open-air shack with loud local music competing with CNN. We both had
cheeseburgers, which were actually quite good—then we took the tender into a shallow
channel that led from the cove to a deep small lake on Stocking Island.
At about 2:00pm we went to Sand Dollar Beach, off of which Myeerah was
anchored. It is a very long and sandy beach with pinkish sand. The afternoon traffic was
arriving--Aisling had come out from the marina to anchor near us, and at about 3:00pm
two identical Bennetti power boats, each 115 feet, arrived and anchored close to us: the
Grand Coroto, flying a Cayman Islands flag, and the Elaldrea, flying a Barbados flag. It
is very unusual that identical boats would be traveling together; we wondered if they had
a common mission.
Tom and Donna Dennis dropped by in their tender and invited us over to see
Glory B. After a shower and a brief rest, we went over at 5:00pm. They gave us a tour of
the boat—a very nice layout for a cruising couple, with a cockpit and dining area, a salon
leading to a large galley, dining table, and pilothouse, and three staterooms below. We sat
on the flybridge and watched the sunset, at which point Tom blew his conch shell—
apparently a standard Bahamian custom. We found that we had much in common—
misspent youths, grand recoveries.
At about 6:00pm we returned to Myeerah and had a very good dinner—stuffed
chicken, baked squash, rice, followed by lemon meringue pie. Oh, what a life! At 7:30pm
we sat down to watch more episodes of Upstairs, Downstairs. With Lady Marjorie gone,
the vultures descend! Poor Richard Bellamy, sans wife, has lost his house and finances to
his son, who has married a very common but sensible young woman. Upstairs will be
changed—but what about Downstairs? And then to bed!
Day 12 Wednesday, February 2, 2005
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Up at 8:45am. Partly sunny, warmish, but with a west wind gusting to 35 knots;
fortunately, we were in the lee of Stocking Island. We had breakfast and sat around until
11:30am. Then Lauren took us to the dinghy dock and we got into Clifford’s taxi at the
Exuma Market. He drove us to the new Four Seasons Hotel & Restaurant at Emerald
Bay, about 15 miles north of Georgetown. The ride was somewhat dismal—poor housing
interspersed with some large homes owned by affluent Canadians or Americans. The
terrain is very rocky and sandy, almost no grass and low vegetation. This is a poor island.
Then you get to the Four Seasons, a very large facility with broad lawns, lavish
landscaping, several pools, tennis courts, two 18-hole golf courses, and a grand beach.
There are beach villas along the water, and large buildings of hotel rooms back from the
water. The marina is still under construction, being dug out from behind a cofferdam; its
completion is scheduled for the end of 2006. A very posh place anywhere, but certainly
over the top on Great Exuma.
After lunch at the Sea Breeze restaurant, and a walk around the property, we got
back into Clifford’s taxi and set out for Georgetown. We arrived at 2:30pm. Ben was
waiting at the dinghy dock and we returned to Myeerah. We had discovered that our
hand-held VHF radio was not working again so we bought two new ones and gave the
old one a military burial at sea: as it slid off of the breadboard and out from under the
dish towel that had been rigged as a burial shroud, a prayer was said. It sank immediately
to the bottom.
At 4:30pm the Dennis’s from Glory B came for a drink and a tour of Myeerah.
We all then went to a nearby 70-foot Bertram, Gear Up, run by a former Air Force pilot
and his new wife—Steve and Terry, from Vacaville, California. This is their first boat,
bought a year ago, and they have been in Georgetown since Christmas. There is a
movable party in the harbor, and about five couples were gathered on Gear Up. It was a
nice group, and at 7:00pm we returned to a good steak dinner on Myeerah. After dinner
we sat down to more Upstairs, Downstairs. And so to bed…
Day 13 Thursday, February 3, 2005
Today is the changing of the guard: George arrives at about noon on a private
flight that will take Joan back to Naples. She will be there for two days then she will go
to Boston for several days, returning to Naples on February 10. George and I will take
Myeerah back to Ft. Lauderdale, where she will have her port propeller reconditioned.
Up at 8:45am. Still windy from the west and partly cloudy. We had breakfast and
read the Bahamas edition of the Miami Tribune, filled with important information. Our
first task was to figure out how we were going to position ourselves to watch the Super
Bowl on Sunday—Georgetown seems to loose its DirecTV satellite at 8:30-9:00pm every
night. It appears that we will have to go as far north as Highborne Cay to get the local
Fox channel out of Ft. Lauderdale.
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At 11:15am Ben took Joan and me to the dinghy dock and we met Clifford,
yesterday’s driver, who took us to the airport at Mosstown, about 10 miles north. After
some confusion about what to do, Joan’s plane arrived (tail number B310XR) with
George on board. Joan left and George and I got into Clifford’s taxi and headed toward
the Four Seasons Hotel & Resort, which he wanted to see for future reference. We had
lunch at the Sea Breeze Restaurant, then hopped into Clifford’s taxi again and were swept
to Georgetown.
On our return to Georgetown at 2:30pm, Ben picked us up in the tender and we
returned to Myeerah. After George got settled, the two of us took Papoose on a tour to
Chat & Chill, around the coves behind it, and then a bit further north on Stocking Island
to the Peace and Plenty Beach Club. We returned at about 4:00pm and cleaned up for the
evening. At about 6:00pm we met for drinks in the cockpit, and at 6:30pm we had a great
dinner—very moist pork, followed by chocolate pie. Lauren has really been great on this
trip!
At 7:15pm George and I sat down to watch TV. The premium channels were not
functioning properly, and the local channels were not available. But we found some
working channels, like the sitcom Raymond on a cable channel. But the pickings are slim
this far south! At about 8:00pm we happened upon an old 1950s John Wayne movie,
Hondo, with a very young Geraldine Paige. But, unfortunately, the signal was lost at
8:30pm--about when it is lost each night. And so to read…and to bed!
Day 14 Friday, February 4, 2005
Georgetown, Great Exuma Island to Lee Stocking Island, Exumas
36 nm, 4hrs, 9.0 kts
Awake at 8:30am with the generator changeover. At 9:00am George and I had a
nice breakfast and we started to weigh anchor to head north toward Sampson Cay. The
operative word is “started.” After coming up about two feet the windlass broke—the shaft
kept turning but it didn’t engage the wildcat, which catches the chain links. So we
couldn’t raise the anchor. Ben hopped into the anchor locker and tried to fix it, but to no
effect. What to do?
Ben got it working! The problem was that the windlass motor shaft inserts
between two flat stainless steel pieces that rotate the wildcat. One of those pieces had
broken so that the shaft rotated without turning the wildcat. Ben created an epoxy form
that fit around the broken piece and kept it in place long enough to get the port anchor up.
But by then it was noon, the wind had come up to 25 knots, and there wasn’t time to get
to Sampson Cay. So we decided to stay at Georgetown for the night. We dropped the
starboard anchor and stayed in the same spot.
At about 12:30pm we all hopped into Papoose for lunch at Chat & Chill to
celebrate Ben’s creative solution. When we arrived it was almost empty, but soon it
began to fill up. We had a good lunch then we went on Papoose over to the small sandy
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beach across from Chat & Chill, where you could climb a path to see the Exuma Sound
side. It looked calm, being in the lee of the west wind. So we decided to head north
toward Sampson Cay. We won’t make it all the way, but we plan to anchor at Lee
Stocking Island, about 30 miles north. We were on our way by 2:00pm, the starboard
anchor having lifted without difficulty. The winds were from the west at 25 knots. We
went south out of the reef-ridden cut then we turned northward along the west side of
Exuma Sound.
At 6:00 we entered Adderly Cut between Lee Stocking Island and Norman Pond
Cay. The skies had turned very gray and we had passed through some rain. It was
difficult to see the rocks and sand bars going into the cut. Luckily, a Bahamian
commercial transporter was exiting the cut and helped us find the best route. The wind
was up to 30 knots, and it was nice to find a good anchorage near the southern end of
Norman Pond Cay. We were followed in by a three-masted schooner, The C. Denis
Sullivan from Milwaukee, Wisconsin; she anchored behind us.
Norman Pond Cay is uninhabited but is supposed to be worth visiting. It has a
large salt pond, which has flooded some old structures. There are other ruins at the edge
of the pond. Just east is Lee Stocking Island, which has a Marine Research Center and a
number of houses.
At 7:00pm we had dinner inside—the wind was strong outside. By 8:00pm we
had settled in the salon to watch a DVD of Mullholland Srive, David Lynch’s
psychological thriller. I’ve seen it several times, but still don’t understand it.
And, and 10:00pm, so to bed…
Day 15 Saturday, February 5, 2005
Lee Stocking Island to Sampson Cay, Exumas
35 nm, 5 hrs, 7.0 kts
Damn the weather! Last night the anchor made lots of noise and the wind picked
up to 40 knots from the north. Unfortunately, we can’t go up the west side of the Exumas,
where it would be calmer, because our seven foot draft is too much for a continuous
route—the banks often go to 3 foot depths at the best. Low tide is at 11:15am, so we
would not get much help there.
At about 9:45am we headed out Adderly Cut to Exuma Sound to see what Mother
Nature offered. It won’t be pleasant, and if it is too bad we will just come back. It was a
very lumpy exit, with high waves building up as they entered the cut. But once past them,
it settled down a bit. The ride was northwesterly, with 6-8 foot waves on the starboard
bow. It was rough, but more comfortable than I had expected. Still, I’m glad Joan wasn’t
on the boat!
We followed the cays north about 27 miles to Dotham Cut. Passing through the
cut onto the banks we found it much calmer. Dotham Cut is a narrow, but deep, slot
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between two cays, perhaps 100 yards across but with a wicked current. On our port side
was Black Point, with the Black Point Community. The starboard side was uninhabited
rock.
As we entered the banks it got quite shallow as we headed west. After clearing the
shoals we turned north to go past Staniel Cay to Twin Cays, at which point we turned
eastward toward Sampson Cay. By 2:45pm we were docked at the same spot we had a
week earlier—the south side of West Dock. The small bay had several anchored boats.
The wind was from the north so we were well protected.
At 3:00pm George and I took a walk around the marina. The only large boat
inside the lagoon was Victory Lane, a 150-foot Trinity from Charlotte, NC. We spent
some time planning the next few days—to Highborne Cay tomorrow, then to Abaco
Island, finally to Grand Bahama Island for the jump over to Ft.Lauderdale.
At 6:30pm we sat down to dinner, then we watched Lake Placid, a big-fiercecrocodile movie on the AMC cable channel. It actually had humor. But, eventually, to
bed…
Day 16 Sunday, February 6, 2005
Sampson Cay to Highborne Cay, Exumas
41 nm, 5 hrs, 8.2 kts
Having taken an Ambien I slept until 9:30am, when the engines started up and we
began to leave Sampson Cay.On our way to Highborne Cay we will go by Norman Cay,
where we will anchor and drop the tender. We’ve gone past Norman Cay several times,
and now I hope to actually see it. As mentioned above, it is a once-fine resort that has
been largely abandoned since it came under the control of Carlos Ledher in the 1980s.
Ledher, an early 1980s drug king, bought part of the cay and then intimidated the
residents into abandoning their property. It has a great anchorage, but for shallow-draft
boats. The harbor has a wrecked DC-3 from the drug days.
There was still a strong 20-25 knot wind from the North. We were traveling on
the bank side, so we were in the lee—but it was still lumpy on the starboard bow. At
1:00pm we anchored off the south end of Normans Cay and had lunch. Then George and
I took Papoose into the lagoon. There were about a dozen sailboats anchored at the
southern end, near the rusted almost-unidentifiable hulk of the old DC-3.
We then beached the tender at the old resort and walked around. Several
bungalows, burned and trashed, overlooked a nice beach. There was a dilapidated old
pier, behind which was a building that probably served as a beach restaurant.. A sign
pointed north along a road to McDuff’s Bar & Grill. Apparently there is a small resort
area with cottages for rent right by the airstrip.
Above the pier and beach restaurant were a series of terraced gardens—not
maintained--climbing up to a restaurant and bar at the top of the hill looking out over the
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lagoon and Normans Cay cut. It was also burned out and trashed, covered with decades
of grafitti. Behind it was another garden area with a driveway going down to a road along
the southern point. More beach bungalows, also destroyed, were along this road. I walked
along the road to toward the airstrip, but couldn’t reach it. As I walked back a large twoengined plane, probably sightseers from Nassau, took off to the north. So the airstrip is
still functional. Apparently, it is now part of McDuff’s resort, consisting of a restaurant
and a few bungalows.
Any rumors of Normans Cay’s revitalization are greatly exaggerated. At 3:00pm,
curiosity satisfied, we returned to Myeerah and at 3:30pm we were on our way the ten
miles to Highborne Cay. The clouds came in and the wind stood at 35-40 knots, kicking
up 4-6 foot waves directly on the bow. At 5:00pm we entered Highborne Cut, turned to
port, and docked at the first dock. Across from us was Lucky Sperm, about 85 feet long
and with a home port of Climax, Pennsylvania—undoubtedly the pride of its owner (no
kidding!). Sea Fever, an 80-foot Burger from New York City, arrived just after us, having
bent its anchor while anchored off of Allan Cay, just north of Highborne.
George took a walk, I took a shower, and we prepared for the 6:30pm kickoff
between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles—it’s Superbowl time. For
future reference, Highborne Cay is just far enough north to pick up Ft. Lauderdale’s local
channels, so we’ll actually be able to see the game! The Patriots won 24-21 in a wellfought game. It is the Patriot’s third Superbowl victory in four years. It was over at
10:15pm…and so to bed.
Day 17 Monday, February 7, 2005
Highborne Cay, Exumas to Nassau, New Providence Island
48 nm, 4.5 hrs, 10.7 kts
Awake at 8:30am. I talked with Joan in Boston until 9:00am—all is well—then
had breakfast. The winds are lighter—about 20 knots—and it is sunny. At 9:45am we left
the dock, fighting a north wind on the beam pinning us down. An uneventful run
westward to the Ship Channel, then north to New Providence Island, put us on the
Hurricane Hole fuel dock at 2:15pm
By 3:00pm we had taken on 800 gallons (at about $2.35 as opposed to $3.15 at
Highborne Cay). I then drove the boat about 100 yards east to the face dock at Hurricane
Hole. A strong current and an offshore wind made it interesting. At 3:30pm George and I
took a walk around to scout out a restaurant for dinner. We stopped by the open-air bar at
the waterfront to have a coke and watch the seagulls crap in the Hurricane Hole
swimming pool—a few would fly in at one end, load up on fresh water, unload, then fly
off and others would take their place. Strange! Nobody was swimming—perhaps because
it was windy and cool?
On returning we found that Victory Lane, from Sampson Cay a few days ago, had
come in behind us. An 80-foot Hatteras came into the very narrow section insides the
docks and expertly backed up through the fairway and docked bow first. I was impressed
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until I saw that he had stern thrusters, so he was cheating. Then a 100 foot Johnson turned
into the narrow opening between two boats bracketing the entry fairway and misjudged
the by-now-very-strong current. He almost hit us as he powered the boat into a turn to get
out of the area. Then he came back at a more sedate pace and got into his slip. What an
exciting place to be!
At 6:00pm George and I met for a drink at the cockpit, then we went to the Blue
Marlin Restaurant in a nearby shopping plaza. I had snapper—the whole fish filled with
bones, dead eye looking up. At 9:00pm we watched 24 Hours. And so to bed…
Day 18 Tuesday, February 8, 2005
Nassau, New Providence Island to Great Harbour Cay, Berry Islands
75 nm, 7.5 hrs, 10.0 kts
Not a good night’s sleep, for no good reason--perhaps it was Snapper’s Revenge.
At 7:30am the engines were started and by 8:00am we were on our way out the western
end of the harbor—an early start because of our reduced speed. There were several cruise
ships in Nassau. Nestled among them at a face dock was Paul Allen’s Tatoosh, a 300-foot
monster with a 36-foot Hinckley Picnic Boat and a 40-foot sailboat as tenders. The
helicopter was on its deck!
We exited on a northbound heading, meeting large waves of 8-10 feet.
Fortunately, they were mostly swells, but still, not fun. The wind was still at about 20-25
knots in spite of a report that it would be 10-15 knots. This north wind has kept up for
five days so the waves had built up.
At 10:30am it began to get calmer—waves in the 4-6 foot range—as we came into
the lee of Great Abaco Island, about 30 miles north. Soon after, the sun cam out and it
was a reasonably pleasant ride from that point. There were no other boats to be seen once
we had gotten away from Nassau.
We had decided to forego the Abacos and head for Great Harbour Cay, where
there was supposed to be a fine marina. After lunch George and I took naps, and at about
2:00pm Myeerah reached Great Stirrup Cay, the northernmost Berry Island, then turned
south to reach into the Grand Bahama Bank, then proceeded northward again to Great
Harbour Cay—a convoluted route made necessary by shallow water. Great Harbour is a
deep-water pocket between Great Stirrup Cay and Great Harbor Cay. In the long ago,
sailing ships would anchor there for protection. Today, cruise ships anchor there for
pleasure—Great Stirrup Cay has beaches and multi-colored waterfront structures used by
tourists.
At 3:00pm we dropped the anchor about five miles from our destination and
waited for the tide to rise. George and I hopped into Papoose and went to see the Great
Harbour Cay Marina, whose advertisements were so enticing. We found that the marina,
in contrast to its beautiful advertisements, was a seedy, dilapidated facility with no
apparent amenities. So at 4:30pm we informed Myeerah that it was not worth the risk of
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entering Great Harbour Cay, with its 80-foot cut and tight channels. Instead, we decided
to stay outside and to anchor at a. friendly spot just off of Bullock’s Point, the
southernmost end of Cistern Cay—Great Harbour Cay’s sister cay.
At 6:00pm George and I sat down to a long and very pleasant conversation about
families and life. This was interrupted by a fine dinner of shrimp scampi, but it continued
afterward. It was a quiet night, and a great pleasure! At 8:00pm George went down to
read and I watched a Frontline episode on the history of Saudi Arabia: a repeat, but a very
interesting, show. And then to bed…
Day 19 Wednesday, February 9, 2005
Great Harbour Cay, Berry Islands to South Bimini Island
85 nm, 8.5 hrs, 10.0 kts
The wind has finally died down. At 9:00am, after breakfast, Myeerah was on her
way to Bimini. As we left, a huge cruise ship arrived at Great Stirrup Cay and disgorged
a fleet of jet skis, which buzzed their way toward Great Harbour Cay. The sun was bright
and there were few clouds—the best weather in a week!
The ride over the Great Bahama Bank was great. The wind, on our starboard
quarter, was relatively light. At about 4:30pm we reached the northern tip of North
Bimini Island. We found that the channel into the North Bimini marinas was shallower
than we felt comfortable with, so we passed Alicetown on North Bimini and anchored off
of the Bimini Beach Club at the south end of South Bimini at 5:30pm. The sea was
almost flat but there was that “Cat Island Swell” coming from the south. Oh well—its
boating.
At 9:00pm, we sat down to watch West Wing. There was a bit more international
tension than has been seen recently. But it is still a bit slow. Anyhow, it was over at
10:00pm and so to bed…
Day 20 Thursday, February 10, 2005
South Bimini Island to Ft. Lauderdale, FL
48 nm, 5 hrs, 9.6 kts
Ah, Mother Nature! When we went to bed last night it was almost a dead calm
with a very slight swell from the southwest. At about 3:30am I awoke to vigorous rolling,
which lasted about ½ hour. I attributed it to a change in tide, which brought us beam to
the swells. But at 8:00am when I awoke the water was very lumpy and the sky was dirty.
The front that was predicted to come through tonight had arrived early. While the
weather radio was reporting 10-15 knot winds and 2-4 foot seas, we were experiencing
20-25 knot winds and 4-6 foot seas. The good news was that the wind was from the west,
allowing us to cross the Gulf Stream. Had it been from the north, as it has for a week, we
would have been stuck in an unprotected anchorage.
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George and I had planned to take Papoose into Alicetown on North Bimini to
sightsee. But the weather led us to abandon this. Lifting Papoose onto the boat deck was
a real challenge—I kept Myeerah’s bow into he waves while Ben, Amanda and Lauren
wrestled the tender aboard: Papoose was a projectile swinging at the end of the cable.
Finally, the job was done and at 9:00am we set off for Ft. Lauderdale, 48 miles away.
On reaching deeper water as we headed due west into the waves, the sea became
less lumpy and the ride to Ft. Lauderdale was comfortable. As we approached Ft.
Lauderdale we noticed a small boat traveling toward Miami at a very high rate of speed.
Following it at a discrete distance was a military helicopter—BUSTED! The cloud cover
thickened and we could see rain in the south, near the Florida keys. Freighters, a cruise
ship, and Crystal, a large yacht, were all heading toward Ft. Lauderdale. Caprice, a large
space age yacht was leaving. This was more activity than I had seen in three weeks.
As we entered the channel at 2:00pm we encountered considerable traffic. Two
sailboats ahead of us slowed things quite a bit as they fought the current. Crystal was
right behind us, a sternwheeler carrying tourists was trying to pass, two large Pershings
bombed out of the channel, blowing by close to our port side and leaving huge wakes,
and so on.
At 2:30pm we docked at Bahia Mar Yacht Marina’s slip D412, next to Victory
Lane. For the first time in a week or more it was actually warm! George and I walked
around the marina admiring the boats. The largest was Gallant Lady, a 180-foot
Feadship. Behind her was Southerly, a traditional yacht that had been in Atlantis when we
were there two years ago. Right on the adjacent dock there was a large camera crew
filming an Old Navy commercial: three young ladies and a young man were dancing on
the swim platform of a 50-foot Sunseeker. They went through the same 20 second routine
time after time after time.
George and I took Papoose for a trip around the nearby marinas. Next door, at
Hall of Fame Marina, we saw Positive Carry, the 140-foot Trinity that was owned by the
son-in-law of Tom and Donna Dennis. Other large boats were Carolinian, about 120 feet,
Second Chance, a Hilarium-like 150 footer from Willemstad, and Tranquility, a canoesterned 150-footer whose name had been removed, probably for sale (the Miami Boat
Show was in progress).. At 5:00pm we returned to Myeerah and cleaned up for dinner. I
called Joan.
At 6:00pm we met on the after deck, just as Caprice—the large yacht that had left
Lauderdale as we arrived—was towed in: one tow boat was pulling and another boat was
stern-to-stern with her, checking her forward motion when needed. They brought her in
so gently that you would have thought she was under her own power. Apparently she had
experienced engine failure on her way to the Bahamas with owner and guests.
At 7:00pm we had a fine steak dinner, after which we watched the DVD of
Bother, Where Art Thou? A very cute movie, built on Homer’s Ulysses updated to the
1930s and with great Depression-era music.
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Day 21 Friday, February 11, 2005
Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Naples, FL
Up at 8:30am. A sunny but very cool day. The news on Caprice is that she had
had an engine room fire a year ago and that during the last year she had been rebuilt,
including her engines. She was going out yesterday at 2:00pm for a sea trial. The
technicians apparently forgot to put enough oil in one of the engines, and the alarms
didn’t sound, so a new engine was destroyed. Hard to believe.
After breakfast Ben and I went to the local Hertz at Bahia Mar. It was a real zoo,
but finally we got a car. On returning, we found that people were working on the
Headhunter ventilation problem, on the engine room vents, and on removing the bad
propeller. A lot was going on.
At about 11:00pm the divers from Mrs.G Propeller arrived to remove Myeerah’s
wheels for reconditioning. It took an hour to get them both off, float them to the dock, lift
them to a cart, and haul them away. But it was a busy hour—hard work for both the diver
and the watchers.
At noon George and I left in our rental car. I two hours we were back in Naples,
tired but happy.
Epilogue
There were some real high points for this trip: the time with Joan was time very
well spent, and it is always a pleasure to be with George. Joan and I had a good time at
Spanish Wells and at Eleuthera visiting the McGlennons. During the first two weeks the
weather was—for the most part—good, and the travel was leisurely.
The last week was less successful. The weather deteriorated, and we spent each
day just beating to the north to get home. The Exumas—with the exceptions noted
above—are not very interesting, and good weather is a necessity if they are to be enjoyed.
But there were high points there as well--the discovery of the cruising community at
Georgetown and the investigation of Norman’s Cay stand out.
As always, the crew was wonderful. Special kudos to Lauren, who showed that
she can be an excellent cook.
All in all, it was a good trip. Just being away from the business of life makes life
so much more enjoyable. And a boat is still the best way to do that!
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George Vyverberg
Jack Curtin
Ted Ongaro
Total Trip
Prologue
Joan has invited Elizabeth Ives, Chris Clyde and Nancy Curtin to Naples for a
week of bridge and fun, as she did last year. I invited the husbands to a week of golf. At
the last minute the Ives’s could not come. On February 28 the guests arrived at Fort
Myers Airport. Joan drove a rented van to Ft Myers Airport to get the ladies and take
them to Naples. Lauren drove our Lexus to the airport to collect the men and drive them
to Boca Grande, where they would meet Myeerah. Meanwhile, George and I took Tarhe
(ex-Pelican) to Boca Grande so we would have a way to explore Charlotte Harbor.
Day 1 Monday, February 28, 2005
60nm, 5 hrs, 12.0 kts
Myeerah left Naples at 6:30am and arrived at Boca Grande Pass at 11:30am. At
2:30pm Tarhe arrived at Gasparilla Island to find Myeerah anchored outside Boca
Grande waiting for the 3:00pm high tide. After some exploration of the very shallow
entrance to Boca Grande, Tarhe entered and docked at the Boca Grande Marina. Myeerah
then entered and docked at Sabrina Fishery, next to the new Hilarium. The entrance was
uneventful.
Jack and Ted arrived soon after, and we all rested and/or took a walk. At 6:00pm
we met for drinks and appetizers, and at 7:00pm we had dinner. At 9:00pm, Ted, George
and I watched the weekly episode of 24. At 10:00pm we all went to bed.
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Day 2 Tuesday, March 1, 2005
In Boca Grande
I awoke at 9:45am, just before George called to find out if I was alive. After a
quick breakfast, we all went to the Gasparilla Inn’s golf course for our first round of golf.
It was sunny but cool, with mackerel skies developing.
At 10:45am we teed off. The course has been recently redone. It is tight, with
narrow fairways, but with forgiveness in that errant shots could go onto adjacent
fairways. There is lots of sand, and there are many waste bunkers, making it a
challenging course. To add to that, the greens are not easy. We had a fun round of golf,
ending at about 2:45pm. Afterwards we went to Jam’s, a local restaurant, for a late lunch.
Following this we took a short driving tour of Boca Grande, then we returned to
Myeerah.
At 5:00pm we all took Tarhe on a leisurely tour of the Boca Grande waterfront,
Ben at the helm. By 6:15pm we were back on Myeerah. Ted and Debbie Lilly had
dropped by and we had missed them, so I called and invited them to join us at the Pink
Elephant Restaurant at 7:30pm. They accepted, and we all had a very good dinner and a
great opportunity to catch up on their lives. At 9:30pm we returned to the boat and at
10:00pm we retired. I left an 8:30am wakeup call so that I wouldn’t oversleep our next
round of golf.
Day 3 Wednesday, March 2, 2005
In Boca Grande
I awoke at 8:30am with a wakeup call. It was sunny but chilly, about 60 degrees.
After breakfast we drove off of Gasparilla Island to Coral Creek Club, where Pete
Nicholas had arranged a round of golf. Arriving at 10:00am, we hired Bob, a forecaddy,
who turned out to be very helpful in guiding us around the course. Coral Creek is an
exquisitely maintained Tom Fazio course, with lots of water, large waste bunkers and
plenty of sand. It is well above my skill level, but it was beautiful, with lots of marsh
areas, and scores didn’t matter. It was a great experience. We were very well treated, and
Pete Nicholas covered our costs—yet another example of his generosity!
At about 4:00pm we returned to Myeerah just as she was leaving on a high tide to
anchor off of Useppa Island. This was done because the next high tide was so late on
Thursday that it would have put her into Naples at night and at low tide. This way we
could be assured of returning to Naples at a reasonable hour. Ted took the car to visit
friends in Boca Grande, while George, Jack, and I followed Myeerah in Tarhe, then we
continued on to tour around Useppa and Cabbage Key. By 5:30pm Tarhe was rafted next
to Myeerah. Ted then called and we went in Tarhe to pick him up at Boca Grande. After
rafting to Myeerah again, we settled down for appetizers, drinks, and a great shrimp
scampi dinner.
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After dinner we intended to watch West Wing at 8:00pm, but the satellite
connection was poor, probably because of weather, so instead we watched the
psychologically inscrutable Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on DVD. Ted showed
good judgment by slipping off into sleep, first on the couch and then to bed. Jack left
soon after to read and sleep. George and I watched the whole thing. The basic message
was, I think, that we are driven by our memories and can not avoid their influence no
matter how we try.
By 10:00pm we were all in our rooms. And so to bed.
Day 4 Thursday, March 3, 2005
Boca Grande to Naples
60 nm, 5 hrs, 12.0 kts
Up at 8:30am. The wind had picked up overnight to 20 knots and there were
whitecaps coming from the NNE. The sky was heavily overcast—clearly, this was a
weather downer. At 10:00am, after a hearty breakfast, George, Lauren, and I got onto
Tarhe. While Myeerah headed out Boca Grande Pass to return to Naples, we took Lauren
to get the car at Boca Grande—she would drive it back to Naples. George and I then
started a tour of Charlotte Harbor.
Our first stop was Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda. As we entered the narrow
channel we saw new condominiums on the left side, older condos on the right. The older
condos showed considerable damage from last August’s Hurricane Charley, which had
hit dead center at Punta Gorda—some buildings were uninhabited, others had serious
roof damage. The new buildings looked fine, perhaps because they had been finished
since Charley.
Burnt Store did not have a lot to offer. It is a very large marina situated in the
middle of condominiums. So after a brief tour we headed down the east side of Pine
Island. This was fun. It is very shallow with an intricately twisted dredged channel. At
some points we had only two feet of water under us.
At about 1:00pm we went under the Sanibel Bridge and headed around Sanibel
Island to meet Myeerah. In spite of the east wind, which put us in the lee, we encountered
some pretty heavy seas. But after about ½ hour we met Myeerah, then we headed down
toward Naples, playing in her wake. On the way we saw two Coast Guard cutters, each
standing guard near a hovering helicopter that was dropping men into the water and
picking them up. It was impressive to see.
At 2:30pm we entered Gordon Pass in Myeerah’s wake. Passing our house we
sent out some horn blasts but nobody cared. At 3:00pm both Tarhe and Myeerah were at
the Naples Boat Club.
After cleaning Tarhe, we visited Charmer, a nearby 55-foot Hinckley, hull 1 in
the line. She was here for the second annual Hinckley Rendezvous this weekend. A
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beautiful boat—lots of teak, very nicely laid out with a queen-size master stateroom and a
small second stateroom. Powered by twin 1000HP Caterpillars, she cruises at 30 knots.
At 6:00pm we met on the after deck for appetizers and cocktails. During the
period until 7:30pm, when we went to Turner’s Lobster House on our dock, we got a call
from Joan that Steve Balter had been admitted to the hospital with indications of a heart
attack. Ted Ongaro, a urologist at MGH, called for information and found out that the
early signs were that there was no heart damage but there were anomalies. Lara is staying
at our house in Boston after outpatient surgery, so Steve must have admitted himself.
Following dinner we sat down to watch Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the
West, a classic Spaghetti Western with a great cast: Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, Charles
Bronson, and—for love interest—Claudia Cardinale as the best little whore from New
Orleans, a women with open heart and legs. Ted wisely decamped before it was over, but
Jack and I, having lower standards, stayed up until the finish at midnight. It was raining
hard. And so to bed.
Day 5 Friday, March 4, 2005
In Naples
Up at 8:30am. The wind was very strong, still at 20 knots, and it was in the low
50s. While at breakfast, Ted called MGH and found out that Steve had been admitted to
the hospital for further observation and treatment. One of two important enzyme tests
came back normal. If confirmed by the second test, it will appear that there has been no
damage. A full diagnosis will take a while.
Because of last night’s heavy rain, and the morning cold, we decided to wait until
the afternoon to go to Royal Poinciana for golf. At noon we drove to RP and at 1:00pm
we were hitting off the first tee at the Pines course. After nine holes we stopped for lunch,
and at 5:00pm we were on our way home. Although the RP courses are much easier than
either the Gasparilla Inn or Coral Creek Club, we played at about the same score. It was a
lot of fun, with some agony to boot.
At 5:30pm we were on the boat cleaning up for a 6:15pm departure to Nelson’s
Walk, after which we will all have dinner together at the Port Royal Club. The really
good news is that Ted found out that Steve has been discharged from the hospital. Tests
indicate that no damage had been done to his heart, though there will be followup of the
situation.
At 6:30pm we arrived at our house to meet the ladies. After a drink, we all went
to the seafood buffet at the Port Royal Club. A good time was had by all, and by 10:00pm
we were back at Myeerah. And so to bed.
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Day 5 Saturday, March 5, 2005
In Naples
After the repeated abuse from my peers regarding my late awakenings, I got up at
8:00am. It was a sunny and warmer day. After breakfast we headed out to RP. Ted and
Jack practiced at the range while I watched—no point in drawing on the store of good
shots! At 10:15am we were hitting off of the first tee of the Cypress course. At the end of
the round—about 2:00pm--I had a 110. Upon checking my golf handicap computer
program, I found that this was the highest score in recorded history—since June 13,1994.
What a day!!
At 3:30pm, after lunch at RP, we were back on Myeerah. Following a two hour
hiatus, Ted, Jack and I left in Tarhe to take a tour of Naples. At 5:45pm we dropped by
the house to invite the ladies for a sunset cruise. They begged off, saying that it was too
cold and that they wanted to play bridge. So we went on our own. It was cold, windy,
high seas and not a good sunset. But we did it!
At 6:30pm we returned to the house and had dinner with the ladies—prepared by
Lauren and Amanda. Crab cakes and other goodies—it was really good. By 10:00pm we
were back on Myeerah, watching Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface. It is a long
movie--first Ted dropped out, then Jack. I stayed on until it was over at 1:00am.
Day 6 Sunday March 6, 2005
In Naples
The last day. Awake at 7:30am, a cool sunny day. After breakfast we piled our
bags into the Lexus and drove home. At 10:30am the Ongaros and Curtins took our
rented van to Regional Southwest Airport for a return to the frigid north
Epilogue
A good time was had by all!
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Naples to St. Petersburg, FL
March 14 – 19, 2005
Total Trip
1,210 gallons at 55 gph
Prologue
This is a Naples Yacht Club cruise to St. Petersburg—our first cruise with any
club. There are 18 boats scheduled to go, including the 110-foot sailing ketch Keewadin,
and the 106 foot motor vessel Susanna Bella. Keewadin is docked at Gordon Pass in Port
Royal. We are the third largest boat.
Because we are slower than most boats we will split the 120 mile trip into two
days. The first is an 80 mile leg to Venice-Sarasota area, where we will stay at the
Crow’s Nest Marina in Venice. The next leg is a 40 mile trip from Venice to St. Pete. On
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Tuesday, March 15, we will host a cocktail party for about 50 guests. On the 17 we will
have Mary and Steve Paul to dinner on Myeerah.
Day 1 Monday, March 14, 2005
Naples to Venice FL
80nm, 6hrs, 13.3 kts
At 8:45am we boarded Myeerah and left Slip 20 at the Naples Boat Club. By
9:30am we had exited Gordon Pass and were heading northwest toward Venice at 13
knots. The seas had a slight swell but were otherwise unusually calm. The early morning
haze lifted within an hour
The ride north was quiet and relatively quick, though under overcast skies. On the
way a few smaller boats from the NYC could be heard on the radio. At noon we had
lunch in the pilothouse—salad and a superb crabcake sandwich. At 3:00pm we were
approaching Venice Inlet, and by 3:30pm we were at the face dock at Crow’s Nest
Marina.
After a walk we decided to take a ride in Papoose, but there was a problem with
her starter so we abandoned the trip (it turned out that the starter was not disengaging
from the flywheel—Ben fixed it with a hammer). Soon after this, Keewaydin came in and
docked behind us after a long fight with a strong current. After showers, we went at
7:00pm for our reservations at the Crow’s Nest Restaurant. It turned out that there was
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quite a wait, so we got to talk with some other NYC members. At about 8:00pm we were
given a table with Larry and Mary Lou King, and their son. Larry has organized this trip,
and we enjoyed dinner with them--the food was excellent. At 10:00pm we were back at
the boat. Ben had taped 24 for us, so we sat down to watch it. But the taping hadn’t
worked, and so to bed…
Day 2 Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Venice to St. Petersburg, FL
53nm, 4hrs, 13.3 kts
Up at 8:00am to a very gray day with lots of dew. I took Papoose for a short ride,
and then had breakfast. At 9:30am we left the dock under my command. For some
strange reason, just as I was pivoting and the bow was headed at the dock the electronic
throttle controls locked up—probably I inadvertently activated the synchronizer. For a
moment the boat moved toward the dock with no way to stop it. But Ben quickly
unlocked the controls and we proceeded safely out of Venice Inlet—into extremely calm
water with a southerly swell and deep—but not Maine deep—fog.
At 1:30pm we sidled up to the face dock at Vinoy Resort Marina. It was still very
gray with a wet feel to the air. After settling down, Joan and I took a walk along the St.
Pete waterfront. It is undeveloped, being devoted to park areas with good walking paths
along the bay. After our walk, I took a nap and prepared for our 6:00pm cocktail party for
about 40 NYC members. We met lots of nice people, among them Stephen Smith, former
commodore and owner of Souvenir; Joe Fogg, owner of Keewaydin, and his family; and
Fred Gohl, octogenarian owner of Susannah Bella and his much-younger oftenremanufactured, wife. After this we all went to the Vinoy’s Terrace Room for dinner—an
excellent dinner indeed. At 10:00pm we were back at the boat…and so to bed.
Day 3 Wednesday, March 16, 2005
In St. Petersburg, FL
Up at 8:30am to a dark and windy day—the weather will get worse for two days,
then (hopefully) better. After breakfast we prepared for the historical tour of the Vinoy at
10:30am. This was a worthwhile hour: the land was bought in 1923 after some friends of
Aymer Vinoy Laughner, including the golfer Walter Hagen who had hit golf balls off of
Laughner’s pocket watch, encouraged Laughner to build a resort hotel on a large tract of
waterfront land. The resort opened on New Year’s Eve, 1925, after only ten months of
construction. A popular resort through the 1930s, the Vinoy became a military training
facility in WWII. After the war it reopened as a resort but it had been battered by misuse
and the years. After a slow decline; it was closed in 1974. It sat as a wreck, occupied by
birds and an alligator, until it was renovated and reopened in 1992. The renovation paid
great attention to the original design. It is a gorgeous facility.
After our tour we went to see Mary and Steve Paul at their new condominium just
a block from the Vinoy. They took us to a good neighborhood restaurant for lunch, then
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they dropped us off at the Florida International Museum, where we saw an exhibit on
Princess Diana, and another on the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
By 4:00pm we were back at the boat. Storm and tornado warnings were still
active, and a bit of rain began falling. By 5:30pm the rain was coming in hard. Ben and
Amanda tried to set us up for taping of American Dreams, at 8:00pm, followed by The
West Wing--but to no avail. When we returned from dinner at the St. Petersburg Yacht
Club at 8:45pm they were still trying. But we could still watch The West Wing, and we
did.
The dinner at the Yacht Club was fun. We sat with Joe Fogg (Keewaydin), his
wife, and their two children, Nathaniel and Whitney. They are very interesting people—
after 25 years at Morgan Stanley, Joe has his own venture capital company, Nathaniel is
in his second year at Harvard Business School, and Whitney is in her freshman year at
Yale: A talented family.
After The West Wing it was to bed. As we headed toward bed the salon ceiling
began to leak—we still haven’t found that pesky leak!
In St. Petersburg, FL
Up at 9:00am. It rained heavily all night, and continued through mid-afternoon.
At 10:00am we all piled into vans and drove to Tampa for a visit to the Lazarra factory.
One of the owners, Dick Lazarra, gave a 20 minute introduction to the company’s
history, then we went to the design area where young men were using computers to run
routers that cut the foam for fiberglass cores of boat parts. After this we went through
boats in several stages of production. The bread-and-butter Lazarra is a 68-footer,
designed to be owner-operated. Next are 80, 106 and 110 foot hulls. The 110 sells for
$9 million and—to my eye—is not as appealing as Myeerah. It has a queen-size master
stateroom but three small staterooms. It has crew quarters for three, with a four berth
bunk-style stateroom forward. But it was very interesting to see the production process,
and the company seems sincere in its focus on its customers—every 20 days they get a
report from the owner or captain of each boat, and they keep this in a database and
discuss the results with an eye to product improvement.
At 12:30pm we went to the nearby Rattlefish Restaurant for lunch, and by 2:30pm
we were back at the boat—it was still raining! Ben reported that he had found the source
of the leak—pray that it be true!
By 3:00pm we were back on the boat. It was still raining, but lighter now than
before. At 6:15pm, after a nap and some reading time, we welcomed Mary and Steve
Paul on board for dinner. The rain had finally stopped! We sat outside in the cold for a
while, then had steak tip kabobs in the dining room. At 9:00pm they left, and by 10:00pm
it was to bed.
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Day 5 Friday, March 18, 2005
St. Petersburg to Useppa Island
88nm, 6½ hrs, 13.5 kts
Up at 8:00am. The sun was temporarily out, but it was cool and a bit windy. By
8:30am, when we left the Vinoy Marina, the sun had hidden itself again. We left just after
Rocinante, the 46-foot Little Harbor sailboat, and just before Susanna Bella, the 106-foot
Lazarra. Most of the other boats in our group were staying for the night.
Soon Susanna Bella blew by us at 21 knots. After leaving Tampa Bay we had a
20 knot wind with 3-5 foot seas fine on our starboard quarter. As we headed south toward
Useppa Island, where we would stop for the night, the sun came out. We reached Boca
Grande Pass at 2:45pm and by 3:00pm we were anchored at our usual resting spot
between Gasparilla Island and Useppa Island.
Our next task was to drop Papoose into the water and take her to Useppa for a
walk. After walking the length of the island, and seeing the hurricane repairs from close
up, we took Papoose for a drive by Cabbage Key. Then it was back to Myeerah at about
5:00pm for a pre-dinner shower. At 6:00pm we were in the salon having our vino. At
7:00pm, after a beautiful sunset, we sat down to dinner. There being no TV worth
watching, we went down to bed at 9:00pm, read for a while, and then to sleep.
Day 6 Saturday, March 19, 2005
Useppa Island to Naples, Fl
60nm, 5 hrs, 12 kts
Up at 8:30am to a sunny but cool morning with a 20 knot northeast wind. During
the night the lights in the starboard stateroom hade come on by themselves-strange, but it
is a computer! At 9:00am we headed toward Boca Grande Pass, and by 9:30am we were
out of the pass and turning southward.
The ride o Naples was uneventful. With the wind from the northeast we were in
the lee, so it was pretty quiet. At 1:30pm we entered Gordon Pass, and by 2:00pm we
were at the Naples Boat Club.
Epilogue
In spite of dreadful weather—we didn’t see the sun for more than a moment for
several days, and the rain was torrential—this was a fun trip. St. Pete is an interesting
town with a lot tom do, and we enjoyed the people we met from the Naples Yacht Club.
Next time, perhaps, we will have the weather to match to other experiences.
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Naples to Boca Grande, FL:
The Nicholas Wedding
March 31 – April 3, 2005
Total Trip
120 miles, 9½ hours running time, 12.6 knots average speed
Prologue
This trip to Boca Grande is for Peter Nicholas Jr’s wedding. We will dock next to
Hilarium. Tonight Lara and Steve will arrive, on Friday Rob and Victoria come, and on
Saturday Michele and Thom arrive. We will all stay on Myeerah. On Sunday Joan and I,
and the Davidsons, will all return to Naples and the Fortunes and Balters will fly back to
Boston.
60nm, 4¾ hrs, 12.6 kts
At 10:00am we left the house for the boat. It was sunny, warm, and humid with a
15 knot southeast wind. By 10:15am we had left the slip and were slowly heading up the
channel to Gordon Pass. At 10:45am we exited the pass and turned northward toward
Sanibel Island.
The ride was very comfortable, though as we approached Sanibel the sun gave
way to a haze that obscured the mainland at Fort Myers Beach. At 2:30pm we reached
the outer marker at Boca Grande Pass and turned eastward toward the channel between
Caya Costa and Gasparilla Islands. At 3:30pm, just at high tide, we entered the shallow
channel into Port Boca Grande and backed into the slip next to the Nicholas’s boathouse.
Let the festivities begin!
Soon after, Alice Hollingsworth came by and we all walked to the Gasparilla Inn
to get two rental golf carts. It was a pleasant walk. After successfully executing our
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mission we took a ride up to 48 Street to see where the Nicholases live—we are
supposed to drive there in the dark for dinner tonight, so a bit of research seemed a good
idea. By 5:00pm we were back on Myeerah for a short rest before dinner. The sun had
come out.
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At 7:30pm Joan and I took our rented golf cart to Ginny and Pete’s house where a
dinner for 50-75 people was being served up. It was a very balmy evening, and we had a
good time. By 11:00pm we were back on Myeerah, reading before bedtime, when we
heard heavy footsteps on the deck. Joan got up to find that Pete Nicholas was visiting. He
came aboard and he, Steve, Joan and I talked for about an hour. It was 2:00am before our
lights went out.
Day 2 Friday, April 1, 2005
In Boca Grande
We awoke at 8:00am to a very warm, muggy, and sunny April Fool’s Day. At
9:00am Steve and I took his rental car to the Coral Creek Club, in which Pete Nicholas is
a partner. Pete had arranged golf for about 5 foursomes, and at 1:00am we teed off. Our
foursome was Steve, Noah (a friend of Peter Nicholas Jr.), Bob Anderson, a friend from
Boston, and me. Steve and Noah were very good golfers. By 2:30pm both Bob and I had
swung a club 102 times, and I was very sunburned. By 2:30pm Steve and I were back on
Myeerah.
At 3:00pm I went down for a two hour power nap, interrupted by power failures
as the oven and hairdryers came into use. At 6:00pm Lara, Steve, Joan and I met in the
salon and we waited for Rob and Victoria to arrive—they had flown into Fort Myers with
Talman and Denby, driven to Naples to leave the kids with Paula and George, then driven
to Boca Grande: three hours of flying and three hours of driving. They arrived at 7:30pm.
We had a great dinner and lots of fun conversation. At 10:00pm the kids all went
to the Boca Grande Beach Club for a post-rehearsal party. We went to bed!
Day 3 Saturday, April 2, 2005
In Boca Grande
At 4:30am the shore power went out so I shifted over to the generators: it turned
out that the whole island had blacked out. Ginny and Pete had probably turned on their
house lights! After returning to bed, I slept until 9:30am. It had rained during the night,
and today—wedding day—is forecast to be cool and windy.
Rob and Steve went fishing in the mangroves with a guide until noon. At about
noon Michele and Thom arrived and we had lunch with them and with Michele’s
childhood friend, Lee, and her husband. After lunch the four “kids” discussed plans for
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the upcoming 20 Weston High School reunion, while I took a ride around the harbor in
Papoose. By 2:45pm I was back on the boat for a brief rest before the 4:15pm departure
for the church.
Well, the wedding at a small Episcopal church was wonderful. The officiant had
been the rector at Trinity Church in Cambridge and was recently elevated to Washington
DC’s cathedral. He gave a great homily on the meaning of promise and commitment.
Except for the strong 35 knot west wind, the weather was great. After the ceremony, we
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crossed the street to the Boca Grande Beach Club for drinks. . While most of the guests
stayed out in the strong wind, a few of us went into the bar area where we could get
protection from the wind as well as sustenance. At 8:00pm we walked to the Gasparilla
Inn for cocktails and dinner
It was a wonderful dinner for 300 guests. Held under a very large tent with
hanging lighted globes, with the Peter Duchin Band playing some of the best music I’d
ever heard--they were really great! We danced in couples, then in large circles. At
10:30pm we left and our kids stayed for the real party. What a wonderful night!
Day 4 Sunday, April 3, 2005
Boca Grande to Naples
60nm, 4¾ hrs, 12.6 kts
The time change occurred last night—Spring Forward--so when we awoke at
9:00pm it was 10:00pm. The day was sunny and cool, with a stiff breeze. After brunch at
the Pink Elephant the happy couple left the Pink Elephant’s dock in Hero, a new and
beautiful 25-foot sterndrive with the immaculate Nicholas look. They would return in an
hour to stay at the Nicholas house until leaving tomorrow on the helicopter for two weeks
in the Bahamas on Eagle.
At 11:30am we were back on Myeerah to get ready to leave. Steve and Lara were
packed to move over to Hilarium, where they would stay until leaving for the airport at
5:00pm. Steve got us all engaged in a funny exercise—he wasn’t sure whether he had
packed his cell phone away, so Lara kept calling it and we listened for a bag to ring. But
the ringing was so muffled that we weren’t sure where it was coming from. So Lara kept
calling the bag!
At noon Myeerah left the Nicholas dock. The Nicholases, the Brotzmans, the
Barneses and the Balters were on Hilarium waving us off as we inched out of Port Boca
Grande with about six inches of water; it was one of those funny tides that slowly rises
throughout the day. At 1:00pm we were out of Boca Grande Pass heading south under
fair skies with a following sea. At 4:45pm we were at our slip in Naples.
Epilogue
This was a very fun trip. We were wined and dined as only the Nicholases can do,
and we saw a lot of friends from up north—both Boston and Indianapolis. But perhaps
the best part is that at least for one night we were together with all of our children.
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Naples to Key West, FL: Naples Yacht Club Cruise
April 25 - 27, 2005
Total Trip
Prologue
This trip is our last of the winter. After a week with children and grandchildren
visiting—a very good time indeed—we decided to join the Naples Yacht Club for its
cruise to the Florida Keys. We will go to Key West until Thursday, when we return to
Naples while the NYC goes on to other keys.
On Sunday night we went to an Aretha Franklin concert at the Naples
Philharmonic—a very active evening where the audience was as interesting as Aretha. By
10:00pm we were aboard Myeerah, where we spent the night so we could get an early
start on Monday morning.
Day 1 Monday, April 25, 2005
Naples to Key West
100nm, 8 hrs, 12.5 kts
At 7:00am we awoke as Myeerah pulled out of her slip. After 30 minutes we were
out of Gordon Pass heading almost due south. The skies were clear and it was a bit cool.
A 15-20 knot northeast wind followed on our port quarter. The trip to Key West, a bit
rolly at the beginning, was uneventful with one exception: Larry Kelley, in the 45-foot
SeaRay Passages, lost a propeller at about the halfway point; two boats stayed with him
as he continued the trip.
As we entered the Northwest Channel a following 2½ knot following current
raised our speed to 14½ knots—we were “flying.” We arrived at Galleon Marina at
3:00pm. Near us, at the Conch Harbor Marina’s fuel dock, was Diamond Lady, a 103foot Hargrave. At about 3:30pm we took a walk up Front Street to the Truman Annex,
then over to Duval Street and back to the Galleon Marina. Joan continued to walk while I
returned to Myeerah just as Passages came in. A dockhand and I helped Larry wrestle her
into her slip. Ben, who was washing Myeerah, agreed to get his diving gear and help
diagnose the problem. It turned out that that the propeller shaft had broken off at the
intermediate strut; the shaft and prop were lost but, fortunately, the upper shaft was still
seated in the shaft log so no leaks!
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At 6:30pm we joined the others at the waterfront bar for a drink. Then the
Gaillards and their guests, Jack and Diane Kraeger—longtime Naples residents, Jack is a
retired urologist--came to Myeeerah for dinner. We watched the sun set from the sun
deck—there was a green flash of unusual size—and had dinner in the dining room. At
about 9:30pm our guests left: the men had been up for 24 hours because they had sailed
overnight—and we went to bed.
Day 2 Tuesday, April 26, 2005
In Key West
Joan was up at 7:30am but I slept until 9:30am. When I came topside she was just
finishing breakfast and going down to prepare for a long walk cum shopping with Jane
and Diane. It was sunny and cool, with enough wind to prevent reading the paper on the
aft deck. The day was a quiet one, with very little going on. In the late morning I took a
ride in Papoose around the bight, then returned to Myeerah for lunch with Joan. After
lunch she and I took a ride in Papoose. We went over to the newly-developed island
across from Key West, then we watch two large cruise ships leave in the south channel
toward the Caribbean or Miami.
After returning to Myeerah we found that Wanderin’ Star, a 112-foot Westport
had parked next to us. We read and napped until 6:30pm, when we walked to the nearby
Hyatt Hotel for dinner with the Yacht Club at Nick’s Restaurant. We had the room all to
ourselves, with a deck looking out at the sunset. At 7:30pm we sat down to dinner with
the Gaillards and Kraegers—a much overdone filet mignon for some, Mahi-mahi for
others. It was a festive gathering, so we enjoyed it thoroughly.
At 10:00pm we were back on Myeerah. And so to bed…
Day 3 Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Key West to Naples
100nm, 8 hrs, 12.5 kts
Slept a long time, waking up at 9:30am to a gray and drizzly day. Several of our
cruisers had left a day early for the next stop at Duck Key—Rocinante, Freedom, and
Amare. The one-engined Passages was scheduled to go back to Naples on Friday with
Maxi Taxi. We decided to return to Naples today because of the rain and because the seas
were quiet.
At 11:00am we left the Galleon Marina and headed out the Northwest Channel.
The sea was calm with a light southeast wind on our starboard quarter. The trip was
uneventful, with the exception of a brief period when the wind rose to 30-45 knots and
wind-blown breakers began to build. After about ½ hour it was back to normal! In the
middle of this, the Schwab’s 62-foot Ferretti Prima Donna blew past us at over 30 knots.
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Before reaching Marco Island the sun came out and the wind died down even
more. We arrived at Gordon Pass at about 6:15pm and had dinner as we glided into the
Pass. By 7:00pm we were at the slip and by 7:30pm we were home. The trip was short
but sweet, and it was the last of the winter and spring season.
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Annisquam to Portsmouth, NH
June 24 -26, 2005
Stewardess Erin Fiske
Total Trip
Prologue
Myeerah just arrived from Florida on June 16. This is our first trip of the season.
Lauren has left the boat to stay in Naples with her new boyfriend, a land use attorney.
Murray Lord suggested Erin Flynn as a replacement. Erin is a 28-year old who went to
Johnson & Wales College, taking courses on the business side rather than in the culinary
school. She has worked as a bookkeeper for Little Harbor and for a catering company in
Philadelphia. She has no experience on a boat but has wanted to do that kind of work.
She loves to cook, though she hasn’t done it professionally. She will join us for the
weekend to see how she takes to the sea.
Annisquam to Portsmouth, NH
Joan and I drove up to Annisquam and took Squam Lite to meet Myeerah in
Ipswich Bay. At 3:30pm we left, in a brisk 20-knot southwest wind and sunny skies. We
towed the Whaler, so it slowed us down to about 10 knots. It was pretty calm as we left
Ipswich Bay, but as we got out into a longer fetch the seas built slightly.
The ride to the Piscataqua River was uneventful. At about 5:30pm we were past
the Isles of Shoals and entering Little Harbor. Joan and I took the Whaler while Myeerah
docked at Wentworth-by-the-Sea Marina. At 6:15pm we started on a 30-minute walk
around Wentworth.
At 7:00pm we went to the sundeck for drinks and the sunset. Erin had two
appetizers for us; both were excellent. At 7:45pm we went to the aft deck for dinner—
Happiness soup (a yellow broth with light-colored vegetables, creating a very enticing
look with excellent tastiness), grilled salmon with dill sauce, and a sponge cake desert
with a lemon sauce. Erin can cook!
After dinner Joan walked and I watched Law and Order: Trial by Jury. And so to
bed…
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In Portsmouth
Awake by 8:00pm to sunny clear skies with a forecast of 90 degrees. We had
breakfast on the aft deck. The plan for the day is to take a walk, then to have Ben drop us
off in Portsmouth for lunch.
After a 45-minute walk we hung around the boat for a while. At noon Ben took us
to the Portsmouth waterfront in Squam Lite. We had lunch at the Old Ferry Landing
Restaurant, then we checked out some of the stores. At 2:00pm Ben picked us up and we
returned to Myeerah. The sun was brutal!!! We napped until about 4:30pm, enjoying the
cool air conditioning—what DID people do on boats before synthetic cooling?
At 5:00pm we went up to the salon. I talked with Ben about boat matters while
Joan read. At 6:00pm we went up to the sun deck to see if we could stay under the
blazing orb. After another fine dinner we watched the last hour of The Cheyenne Social
Club, a 1968 Western with James Stuart, Henry Fonda, and Shirley Jones. And so to bed
at 10:00pm.
Portsmouth, NH to Annisquam
Joan and I awoke at about 8:00am, each with a slightly upset stomach. We suspect
it is the poor air quality that has accompanied the heat. Even at 8:30am it was very warm
and still, with a polluted haze in the air—so polluted that breathing was difficult and eyes
were irritated. Yuck!.
Erin cooked scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast, then she prepared to leave.
She will stay in Portsmouth to take the noon bus to Logan airport for a 3:00pm flight
back to Philadelphia. She has kindly accepted our offer of employment, to start in two
weeks, and we look forward to having her on board.
At 10:00am Ben fired the engines up and by 10:30am we were underway, with
me following in Squam Lite. After attaching the Whaler we left Little Harbor and a
cooling sea breeze came up. The polluted haze receded and gave way to a light fog. The
sea was almost glassy with a slight swell.
We reached Ipswich Bay at 1:00pm, hopped into Squam Lite, and were back at
the house by 1:15pm.
Prologue
A short trip, but very successful.
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July 14 -21, 2005
Lara, Jackie and Maddy Balter
Total Trip
960 gallons at 60.0 gph
Prologue
The Balters had decided not to rent the Lawrence house at Woods Hole this
summer. But we’ve had such fun coming to Falmouth that we decided to do it anyhow.
Lara, Jackie and Maddy joined us for a week while Allie and Ben are at camp. Steve
joined us for the first weekend.
To make day-tripping easier, I decided to bring Tarhé as well. Weather
permitting, we will spend a night or two on a mooring at Nantucket, where Lara has some
friends.
Myeerah left Boston Harbor at 7:00am with crew only. At 10:00am I left in
Tarhé. The ride down the coast was very gentle, with some chop developing around
Plymouth. At 12:30am I arrived at the east end of the Cape Cod Canal. The ride through
the canal was slow because of a strong current against Tarhé. The further west I got, the
more fog developed. By the time Tarhé passed Bourne the fog was pretty thick.
At 2:00pm, as I approached the racon tower at the far west end of the canal, I
heard Ben giving a security call that Myeerah was entering Falmouth Harbor. From this I
gathered that the fog was pretty thick.
At about 2:30pm I entered Woods Hole Passage and encountered heavy fog. From
there on I was on instruments—visibility was down to less than 1/8 mile! As I entered the
outer markers into Falmouth Harbor, ferry Island Queen announced that she was also
entering the harbor. We avoided each other and at 3:00pm I docked at McDougal’s
Marina near Myeerah. After a quick washdown, I went to Myeerah and waited for Joan,
Lara, and the girls, who were driving down. They didn’t arrive until about 5:30pm, by
which time the sun had come out.
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At 6:00pm we all took a walk. At 7:00pm the girls had dinner and we prepared for
the evening. At about 8:30pm we had a fine dinner of nicely grilled tuna steaks—too
large for any of us to complete but a real delight, even for me. AT 9:30pm we tried to
watch Lara’s home-taped DVD of the last episode of NYPD Blue, but the DVD had a
different format and couldn’t be read by our player. And so to bed…
In Falmouth
Up at 8:30pm after a long sleepless period, the sky was gray but there was no rain.
After a light breakfast and a reading of newspapers, the sun came out. Lara took a run
while Joan walked and I watched the girls. I proofread my paper on pension fund
accounting and common stock prices, then we all prepared to take Tarhé to the Landfall
Restaurant in Woods Hole. At noon we left with Ben driving so that we could be dropped
off in Woods Hole.
At about 12:30pm we sidled up to the Landfall’s dock in very shallow water—a
shallow-draft boat is a wonderful thing-- and disgorged ourselves. After a nice lunch, we
walked around town a bit and at 2:30pm Ben picked us up at the little town dock by the
drawbridge going into Eel Pond. We were back in Falmouth by 3:15pm. Joan, Lara and
the girls got off and Ben and I refueled Tarhé. By 3:45 I was back on Myeerah. A bit of
5reading and at 4:00pm it was nap time.
At 6:30pm Steve arrived and at 7:00pm Captain Doug and Pete picked us up in
Pete’s runabout Mascot and drove us the 300 yards to Hilarium. Steve and I got a tour of
Yassou, Pete’s new Eastbay 49, then we all had drinks and dinner. By 11:00pm we were
back home. And so to bed…
In Falmouth
Up at 7:30am, it was foggy but it would eventually burn off. Today we will tour
the Elizabeth Islands and Martha’s Vineyard on Tarhé. Lara’s friends, Paul and Sue
Brady, joined us for the day. Paul had sold a software company at the top of the internet
bubble, and now runs Mazu, a company that writes software to detect network anomalies.
At 11:30am the six of us and Ben hopped onto Tarhé and left Falmouth Harbor,
still in fog. As we passed through Woods Hole the fog lifted and it was clear on the west
side of the hole. We first visited Quisset Harbor, where we had stayed for two weeks one
summer in a rented house behind the Quisset Harbor Hotel. Ginny Nicolas’s grandfather
had lived on Quisset Harbor. It was filled with boats, many of them very nice and several
of them Herreshoff sailboats.
We then headed south to Cuttyhunk Island, which was shrouded in fog. We
stopped at the town dock for a short walk and an ice cream cone. The fog thickened and
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by the time we left the visibility was very low. But as we headed north the fog lifted
again. We passed through Quicks Hole to the east side of Nashawtuck Island and headed
north toward Falmouth. After a brief flyby of Tarpaulin Cove on Naushon Island we
reached Falmouth at 4:30pm. With the exception of brief episodes of fog, it had been a
sunny and warm day.
By 5:00pm, after changing the primary fuel filter, I was back on Myeerah. The
others took a walk while I took a shower. At 5:30pm Rob called from Annisquam to say
that Squam Lite was missing—it had been at the Livery dock in the morning but was
gone when he arrived home in the afternoon. He called the Coast Guard and the
Gloucester harbormaster to let them know. He heard back that the harbormaster had seen
three guys on Squam Lite in the Annisquam River—they had waved at him! So it really
was stolen.
At 6:00pm we joined the Bradys and the Balters on the sun deck for drinks before
an early dinner. Dinner on the aft deck was excellent and the conversation flowed freely,
as did the wine. At about 8:39pm the Brady’s left and Joan took a walk with Lara. At
10:00pm Rob called to say that Squam Lite was back—he had seen a young man dock her
and tie her up, then hop into a kayak and leave, just as the coast guard and harbormaster
arrived with lights flashing. But he got away. My theory is that the harbormaster knew
who the person was and told them to put the boat back, but he couldn’t call off the search.
Strange! The boat is badly scratched up so needs repainting. We’ll find out what other
damage has been done.
And so to bed…
In Falmouth
Up at 8:30am, it was cloudy and humid, with forecasts of rain later in the day.
The Bradys invited us to play golf at the New Seabury country club in Pompanesset. At
9:30am Steve and I drove in his Hummer to New Seabury, and at 10:15am we teed off on
the Ocean Course. It is a beautiful new clubhouse with two very well maintained and
gorgeous course—the Ocean Course and the supposedly easier Dunes Course. At 2:15pm
we finished. It had been great fun, and Paul Brady was very kind to have treated us.
Just as we finished we saw Joan, Lara, and Sue Brady tee off at #1 on the Ocean
Course. We had thought that they would be starting much earlier, but 2:30pm was the
only tee time they could get.
Steve and I returned to Myeerah by 3:30pm, after a short visit to the Brady’s
house and boat (a SeaRay 290 Sundancer). I read for a while and took a nap. At 6:00pm I
was rudely awakened by Joan’s arrival. They had been stuck behind an excruciatingly
slow foursome! Steve and Lara left to go to dinner at his mother’s home inn West
Falmouth. Joan and I had dinner on the aft deck—a very tasty seafood pasta. At 8:00pm
Joan went down to shower and wash her hair. I stayed in the salon and watched TV.
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At 9:00pm Six Feet Under came on HBO, so we watched that. And so to bed…
Falmouth to Nantucket
32 nm, 2½ hrs, 10.4 kts
Up at 8:30am—fog again. This is our 41 st wedding anniversary! Lara took her car
to the Ford dealer to e fixed and ran back to the boat. Joan took a walk At 10:30am
Myeerah and Tarhé left Mcdougall’s bound for Nantucket, where we had arranged
moorings.
The trip was entirely in the fog, often down to only 100 yards visibility. As we
approached Nantucket the visibility improved and we could finally see where we were
going. At 1:00pm I moored Tarhé, Myeerah was soon moored nearby. At 3:00pm Ben
drove us to the dinghy dock and we walked around for a while. The town was much less
busy than the previous times we’d been there, and the ferries were almost empty. By
4:00pm I was back on the boat and the girls were still in town—time for a nap!
At 5:30pm I was alert again. I went to Tarhé and put a coat of varnish on some
bad spots. At 6:30pm Ben took the adults to the dinghy dock and we walked to the
Straight Wharf Restaurant on Straight Wharf. Lara treated us as an anniversary present.
The view was out over the ferry docks and the Nicholas’s docks. It was still very foggy.
We had excellent dinners and caught the harbor launch back to the boat by 9:30pm. And
so to bed…
Day 6: Tuesday, July 19
In Nantucket
Up at 8:30am to deep fog—shades of our Maine trip two years ago. We finished
breakfast by 10:00am and prepared to go into Nantucket town on the harbor launch. At
10:30am we were at the dock. Lara rented two bikes and a child seat and headed off for a
ride with the girls. She soon called and said that they had abandoned their rise for safety
reasons—narrow streets and too much traffic. She and the girls would shop and have
lunch, then return to Myeerah. Joan and I walked around and visited art galleries—there
are some very nice and very pricy fine art on Nantucket.
At noon we were back on the boat. Joan and I had lunch and Lara returned to the
boat at about 1:30pm. Then began the Boating Afternoon from Hell! It was reminiscent
of that Isles of Shoals night with Cay and John six years ago—or the day trip that Lara
and her kids took to Everglades City several years ago on the Fleming. Sometimes
boating is a series of adventures! It began innocently enough—Erin put too much pasta
down the garbage disposal, and it took Ben two hours to clear the pipes.
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Then we decided to take Tarhé for a ride around the island, the fog having lifted. I
brought Tarhé to Myeerah’s swim platform so everyone could get on. Ben took the stern
line but the current carried me away and he couldn’t hold on so he dropped the line in the
water. Of course, it immediately was sucked into the jet drive, which stopped with a
shudder. I had no power and the current was carrying me through the mooring field. I
dropped the anchor but it dragged and was no help. Ben arrived in Papoose just as I was
about to hit a sailboat. He fended us off while I got the stern line out of the jet drive and
started the engine—it seemed OK. So we tried to raise the anchor—but the rode had
wrapped around the sailboat’s rudder. Ben got the anchor rode free but then we found it
had also wrapped around the sailboat’s shaft. Meanwhile, two work boats from Nantucket
Moorings—the company that rented moorings--were rafted together at a nearby mooring
just watching us. They ignored both radio calls and my danger signal of five blasts on the
horn. Not until Amanda called their office would they move their asses!
Finally we got the anchor rode released from the shaft after Ben dove on the
sailboat. Then we found that the anchor was caught on the sailboat’s mooring line.
Finally that was released and we got back to Myeerah and picked up our passengers for
our circumnavigation.
But it wasn’t over yet. We went westward along the north end of the island to Eel
Point, staying at least ½ mile offshore. We were going into the sun and I didn’t realize
that we were approaching a sand bar until the depth suddenly dropped. I slowed down but
couldn’t stop before we were fast aground. Fortunately, it was dead low tide, so we
waited a while. Lara and Jackie walked around the sandbar in knee-deep water, Maddy
slept, and I put another coat of varnish on the repair spots. After about 30 minutes I
wrestled the boat off of the sand bar and we returned to the harbor.
But it wasn’t over yet. Ben helped us attach to our mooring ball and took the
passengers back to Myeerah. Then he returned to help me clean up Tarhé. I got the hose
out from the hold and stupidly left the hatch open. A bit later I was stepping back and—
you guessed it—fell into the hold, a drop of about 3 feet. I wasn’t hurt badly, but I will be
very sore and bruised!
At about 5:00pm Ben and I returned to Myeerah. Lara took the girls to dinner and
a movie (Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory—the new one with Johnny Depp) with
friends who stay on Nantucket for the summer. As Maddy got onto the launch the current
swept it away before Lara had gotten on. Maddy began wailing as she saw her mother
getting farther away! The launch came back and Lara and Jackie got on, and they headed
to town.
Joan and I had dinner and watched Clint Eastwood’s new movie Million Dollar
Baby—excellent! And so to bed…
Day 7: Wednesday, July 20
Nantucket to Falmouth
32 nm, 2½ hrs, 10.4 kts
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Up at 8:30am—not a good night’s sleep because of the bruises from yesterday’s
fall. It was sunny, bright, and very warm. At 9:30am Ben took me to Tarhé and then he
and Amanda put Papoose up on Myeerah’s boat deck. I did some varnishing, and at
10:00am both boats left Nantucket Harbor. The water was very calm, as it often is on hot
days. I traveled along with Myeerah for about an hour, but when we turned westward into
the main channel I went ahead, arriving at McDougall’s at noon. I refueled (100 gallons)
and talked to the owner of Osprey, a new (Hull 130) Fleming 55 from St. Anthony,
Idaho. He and his wife had just arrived up north from Stuart, FL, and will cruise until
October. At 12:30pm Myeerah arrived and Ben expertly slipped around the moored
sailboats and into the slip.
We had lunch at about 1:30pm. Joan, Lara and the girls took a walk while I read
and rested. At about 6:00pm Lara, Joan, and I had drinks on the sun deck—it was
surprisingly cool after such a warm day. After dinner—when Jackie told us her dreams
about her future—we watched Be Cool, a rip-off sequel to Get Shorty, with John
Travolta, Uma Thurman and Harvey Keitel. And so to bed…
Falmouth to Plymouth, RI
46 nm, 4 hrs, 11.5 kts
Today Joan, Lara, and the girls will drive back to Boston while Myeerah and
Tarhé go to Little Harbor in Portsmouth, RI for work. Myeerah’s new crane will be
installed and Tarhé’s jet drive will be thoroughly inspected.
We were up at 8:00am and had a 9:00am breakfast. Lara, Joan and the girls left
and at 9:30am Myeerah left. It was sunny, warm, and very calm. At about 10:00am I left
in Tarhé and (I thought) got within a mile of Myeerah as I went through Woods Hole.
But as I entered Buzzards Bay I couldn’t see Myeerah. Had she shifted into warp drive?
Had she sunk? I called her and found that she hadn’t gone through Woods Hole—I must
have seen another boat going into the Hole. Instead, she was traveling down the east side
of the Elizabeth Islands.
So I went to Penikese Island for a look around. I head someone on the radio
saying “Hey, Big Guy. You aren’t the only one in Quicks Hole” and I knew it was
Myeerah’s wake he was complaining about. Soon I saw her enter Buzzards Bay on a
direct course to Newport. I followed, then went ahead. Tarhé and I poked around the
Sakonnet River and Newport Harbor, then met up with Myeerah as she passed Newport.
We went alongside each other up to Little Harbor in Portsmouth, RI. Arriving at 1:00pm,
I docked right behind Myeerah.
As I was finishing Tarhé’s cleanup, Murray Lord arrived and we chatted. He then
took me to the Hertz in Newport and took Erin on to the Providence Airport—she was
going back to finish moving out of her apartment in Philadelphia. At 4:30pm I was back
on Myeerah.
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At 6:00pm Ben, Amanda, and I sat down to talk about important thing—how is
Lauren? Where is her mother? Is Gary still in Alaska? At 6:45pm we had a great
hamburger, then Ben and I talked about boat business until 8:30pm. There was a beautiful
sunset—the reflected light on the clouds was gorgeous. It was a nice evening!
At 9:00pm I started watching HBO’s showing of The Day after Tomorrow, an
end-of-the-world thriller. The Earth has been hit by devastating storms that return us to
the Ice Age. And so to bed…
Epilogue
This was a fun time. Jackie and Maddy were great together, and they enjoyed the
attention they got. They fought very little. Lara liked to revisit her favorite summer spot,
and had a chance to see friends, play golf, and relax. The weather was good except for
some fog, and we enjoyed our time together.
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Newport, RI to Martha’s Vineyard, MA
July 29 - August 1, 2005
Norman Berg
John McGlennon
Total Trip
Prologue
This is a guy trip. Myeerah and Tarhé are at Little Harbor in Portsmouth, RI.
Myeerah has had her new davit installed and Tarhé has had her jet drive inspected.
Norm, John and I met at the Boston Harbor Shipyard at 4:30pm on Thursday and
drove to Newport—a grueling 2 ½ hour grind through heavy traffic on Route 128 and a
long backup on Route 24. We arrived at 7:00pm, and quickly sat down to a fine dinner
and spirited debate. And so to bed.
Plymouth, RI to Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard
46 nm, 4 hrs, 11.5 kts
Up at 7:30am to sunny skies and low winds. By 9:30am Myeerah’s engines had
started and John, Norm and I walked over to Tarhé for departure. At 10:00am we left
Little Harbor, just a few minutes after Myeerah. We did a parade lap around Newport
Harbor, seeing Endeavor under way, then we headed toward Woods Hole.
At 12:30pm we went through Woods Hole and turned toward Falmouth to refuel.
Two boats were ahead of us at McDougal’s so it took a while. Then we headed toward
Edgartown. Clouds had come in so our sunny skies were gone. As we approached we met
up with Myeerah—steady wins the race! At 2:30pm she dropped anchor off of
Chapaquidick, where several larger boats were anchored. We went on to Edgartown
Harbor and Katama Bay to explore. Edgartown seemed much less busy than in past visits.
By 3:30pm we were rafted to Myeerah. The wind was strong and even though we
were only 200 yards from shore with a wind from the shore, we had some strong chop.
This was aggravated by the wakes from speeding boats. Tarhé was not happy!
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Ben and I spend almost two hours trying to install the new Northstar 6000i GPS
chartplotter on Tarhé. But we couldn’t get it to receive signals from the antenna—the
wiring we were given had the wrong connectors and our efforts to modify them with
connectors from the old system didn’t pay off.
At 5:30pm I retired from the fray to take a shower in preparation for the 6:30pm
start of festivities. Dinner conversation was, once again, spirited. But this time we talked
less about politics and more about relativity theory, string theory, and the nature of time.
And so to bed…
Edgartown to Cuttyhunk Island
28 nm, 2½ hrs, 11.2 kts
Up at 7:30am to cloudy skies and humidity. During breakfast a gigantic wake
came by and tossed Tarhé all over. We hadn’t seen any boats go by, so we assumed that
it was a wake from a distant ferry. It was vicious!
At 9:30am, after breakfast, we took T/T Myeerah in to Edgartown, docking
illegally at the Edgartown Yacht Club—I thought that it was the town dock—but nobody
objected. We walked to a marine supply store to get a cable made up for the new
Northstar GPS. On the way John dropped off at Mad Max Marina, which his nephew
manages. Then he went missing and Norm and I sat on a wall waiting for him to drift by.
Some time later he did, with his nephew, Payson, who gave us permission to tie up at
Mad Max. I brought the tender around and left it there. John met me at Mad Max but
Norm had gone missing to shop for pants in Nantucket Red. We finally found him at the
third shop we checked. It’s like herding cats!
After reconnecting, we picked up the new cable and walked around, checking out
the art galleries. At 11:30am we sat down to an early lunch at the restaurant by Mad Max.
We were on the deck overlooking the harbor—a fine spot. Then we returned to Myeerah.
The new cable didn’t solve the problem: We still couldn’t get data from the antenna to
the GPS unit.
At 1:00pm both Myeerah and Tarhé left. Tarhé went around the Atlantic side of
the Vineyard, passing Race Point, Wasque Point and, eventually, Gay Head. We went in
to Menemsha and tried to get into Menemsha Pond. But the channel is very shallow and
unmarked, so we gave up and headed for Quicks Hole between Nashawena and Naushon
Islands. It was very calm and pleasant, but cloudy with a hint of haze or fog.
At 3:30pm we arrived at Cuttyhunk Harbor and tied to a mooring. Myeerah had
arrived just a few minutes earlier. After washing Tarhé down, we returned to Myeerah in
T/T Myeerah. John and Norm watched golf while I rested up. By dinner time fog was
beginning to arrive. It thickened to no visibility, as did our conversation! Tonight was
First Amendment rights. Once again Norm and John ganged up and refused to accept the
merits of my arguments. Indeed, I was even called “cynical,” an accurate but still
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disparaging ad hominem. Of course, this occurred when the perpetrator was particularly
disadvantaged, one might say “conversationally challenged.”
After dinner we watched the end of the Red Sox game—they won. And so to
bed…
Cuttyhunk Island to Newport, RI
28 nm, 2½ hrs, 11.2 kts
Up at 7:30am to deep fog. By 9:00am we had finished breakfast and the fog had
lifted enough to see the outline of Penikese Island. Amanda and Erin took T/T Myeerah
into Cuttyhunk to look around and to dispose of trash. When they returned, John, Norm
and I took the tender in to the town of Gosnold on Cutty hunk. We walked up the hill,
then to the right up another hill until we were at the highest elevation. The view would
have been impressive if the visibility had been more than a mile.
At 12:15pm we returned to Myeerah, picked up lobster salad sandwiches, and
went over to Tarhé where we had lunch. It was still cool and foggy. Myeerah left at
12:30pm and we left soon after. Setting a course for Newport in a light-to-moderate fog,
both vessels arrived at the Newport Shipyard at 3:00pm, Tarhé having spent about 45
minutes refueling in Newport. At 4:30pm we took a walk into the shopping section of
Newport’s waterfront. There were lots of tourists and it was quite warm off of the water.
At 5:30pm we were back at the Newport Shipyard and Ben suggested a harbor
tour on Tarhé. By 6:00pm we were on our way with Ben at the helm, and with our
appetizers and our drinks—this was not at all bad! There were interesting boats to see,
including two small remote-controlled sailboats being raced by guys in a dinghy.
At 6:30pm we were back on Myeerah and by 7:30pm dinner was in front of us.
The conversation was more personal and less political--apparently John had suggested a
moratorium on politics because he worried that he and Norm were testing my good
will—what a silly idea, they just were giving me an opportunity to tell them righteous
truths!
By 11:00pm we called it a night. And so to bed…
Newport, RI to Boston MA
105 nm, 8½ hrs, 12.4 kts
Up at 7:30am, foggy but with enough visibility to navigate. At 9:00am Norm,
John, Erin, and I started off in Tarhé to take Norm and Erin to their cars at Little Harbor
in Portsmouth. On the way we encountered a naval exercise that required us to change
course. By 9:30am we had left Norm and Erin off and we continued up Narragansett Bay
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to Tiverton, where we turned south down the Sakonnet River to Buzzards Bay. Myeerah
left Newport at 9:30am.
As we reached Buzzards Bay the fog set in and we were operating on radar. My
Navigator led us to the wrong channel—instead of heading toward Cape Cod Canal we
headed toward Sconicut Neck and into the channel to Fall River. I soon realized the
error—which, I must admit, was the result of my overruling the Navigator. We diverted
back into Buzzards Bay and entered the Cape Cod Canal with the current strongly against
us. As we passed the Bourne Bridge we saw Myeerah about a mile ahead. The going was
very slow, but eventually we exited the west end in sunlight.
Turning due north, we passed Myeerah at Plymouth. It was calm and sunny, and
we were going at over 20 knots. At 3:30pm we passed Minot Ledge Light and turned into
the channel between Hull and the harbor islands. At 4:30pm we docked at the Shipyard.
John left because he had a 6:00pm event in Gloucester. I soon left for home. The trip was
over. Myeerah arrived at about 6:00pm.
Prologue
We had a great time. John and Norm hit it off very well, and by the end we had
agreed that there were no three more perfect people on the planet. There was, however,
no consensus on which of us was the most perfect. We took a vote and I won 5 to 2!
Taking Tarhé made things more interesting. We could do day trips with little
concern about water depth, and in comfort, yet still enjoy Myeerah.
So we had a great time, too much good food, vigorous discussion, and lots to see.
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Annisquam to Portland, ME
August 5 – 9, 2005
Robert, Victoria, Talman, and Denby Fortune
Total Trip
Prologue
This is a long weekend with Rob, Victoria and their families. Victoria has to
return on Sunday, while Rob and the kids can stay until Tuesday. So the plan is to have
Victoria dive to Portsmouth, NH and leave her car at the Wentworth Marina. We will
pick her up in the tender and we all will continue on to Portland. On Sunday we will
return to Wentworth for Sunday and Monday nights.
I left work early and Joan and I drove to Annisquam for Thursday night. It
seemed windy up there and turned rather cool. On Friday it is supposed to be pleasant
with thunderstorms coming through in the afternoon.
Annisquam to Portland, ME
68 nm, 6 hrs, 11.5 kts
We were up at 7:30am, having gone to bed early. A fog was beginning to lift.
Myeerah was anchored in Ipswich Bay, where she had arrived the night before. At
9:30am Ben brought T/T Myeerah to our house dock and picked us all up, except
Victoria, who drove up. It was nice to have the tender active again after six months of
disuse while the Bessenzoni crane was down.
By 10:00am we were on our way, towing T/T Myeerah.. It was hazy and warm,
with a small sea following. On the way we saw two whales and a sunfish—Talman was
very excited. At 12:00pm we arrived at the Piscataqua River and Myeerah drifted off of
the Little Harbor entrance while Rob, the kids, and I took the tender in to pick Victoria up
at the Wentworth-by-the-Sea Marina. As we returned to the boat I saw a guy in a Boston
Whaler circling Myeerah. He asked if we were waiting for the destroyer, to which we
answer no, we were picking someone up at Wentworth. He obviously was Navy security,
though he had no markings.
At 12:30pm we were on our way to Portland. In the distant haze we could see the
outline of a destroyer. Had we arrived an hour earlier we would probably have been kept
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in Little Harbor until the destroyer passed. We had lunch as we continued north to
Portland. The haze lifted and the sun was stronger, though a good swell was rolling in on
our starboard quarter.. As we neared Portland we could see low-hanging fog on the
coastline. Hopefully, it will not be as blinding as our trip in deep fog a couple of years
ago.
At 4:30pm we arrived at Portland and docked at the Spring Point Marina in
Southport, across the harbor from Portland. We didn’t stay long because it was outside
the No Wake Zone and very rocky. Also, they had promised 100A power but when we
arrived another boat had been put in that spot. We tried another marina in Southport, but
it was low tide and too shallow to get in. Then we began searching for a place to anchor.
Finally, at 6:30pm we dropped anchor between Big Diamond Island and the town of
Falmouth Foreside. It was very calm.
Once Myeerah was settled we took the tender, Ben driving, in to Falmouth
Foreside for a walk. There was a nice place to tie up with a waterfront restaurant. We
walked up a long hill to the main road, then along the road for a bit. After about ½ hour
we were back at the dock. Ben had refueled the fender and we went back to Myeerah.
After drinks and appetizers on the sun deck—and a gorgeous sunset—we had dinner
while the children watched the DVD of The Sound of Music.
After dinner Rob watched Office Space while Joan and I read. And so to bed…
Portland to Cape Porpoise, ME
26 nm, 2 hrs, 13.0 kts
We had breakfast at 8:30pm, after which we all took the tender to Portland, where
we walked up to the narrow gauge train station and museum. Victoria, the kids, and I
took a 40 minute ride, which turned out to be 20 minutes of motion and 20 minutes of
sitting still while the engine switched from one end to the other to reverse the train’s
direction. Meanwhile, Joan and Rob took a walk along the path that paralleled the train
tracks.
We then walked into Portland’s redeveloped waterfront area and had lunch at a
slow but very good Italian restaurant. After this a bit of shopping, and at 2:30pm Ben
picked us up at DiMillo’s. At 3:00pm we had lifted anchor and were off for the next stage
of our trip, to Cape Porpoise Harbor just north of Kennebunkport. The skies were mostly
clear with high cirrus clouds—the mare’s tails.
The two hour ride was gentle. At 5:00pm we arrived at the mouth of the harbor
and saw that it was filled with boats on new moorings—Ben said the harbor had been
filled with moorings since he last saw it. A small sailboat took one of the last spots and
dropped its anchor as we investigated the possibilities for anchoring. We found a spot just
big enough and settled in.
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At 6:30pm the adults went up to the sun deck and watched the sunset—
nice but not as glorious as the night before. We had dinner on the aft deck and by 9:30pm
Joan and I were in our room. And so to bed…
Cape Porpoise, ME to New Castle, NH
25 nm, 2 hrs, 12.5 kts
Awake at 7:30am to sunny and clear skies. After breakfast, preceded by some
very successful territorial disputes between Talman and Denby, attention turned to
tubing. Ben and Amanda took Rob and family in circles around Myeerah, pulling the tube
at all speeds. Denby’s shrieks of delight were wonderful.
Once tubing was done Myeerah left Cape Porpoise Harbor and headed the few
miles to Kennebunkport. I drove T/T Myeerah and toured the tiny harbor, then went out
to Myeerah, which was anchored just outside the jetty. Rob and family went in to
Kennebunkport to explore and have lunch while Joan and I stayed on the boat, had lunch,
and read. By 2:30pm Rob et al. had returned, and at 3:00pm we were heading south
toward Portsmouth, NH. The water was lumpier than on other days, but was still pleasant.
The children watched The Sound of Music for the umpteenth time as we rode south.
At 5:00pm we arrived outside Little Harbor. Large swells were coming in so we
went inside the harbor to detach the tender. In a few minutes Myeerah was docked next to
Adios, a Fleming 75, Misty, a 100-footer and Lady Susan, also about 100 feet: both were
blue-hulled. Joan and Victoria took a walk while the kids stayed on board and enjoyed
themselves. I showered and cleaned up.
At 7:00pm the kids had eaten dinner and were ready for bed. Joan put them down
and they watched Benji in their room. Rob and Victoria left for a quiet dinner in
Portsmouth—she would drive back to Annisquam after dinner to be ready for work
tomorrow.. Joan and I enjoyed the sunset and had dinner on the aft deck. And so to bed…
In New Castle, NH
Awake at m9:00am after a long sleep, it was sunny, warm and humid. The boats
around us were gone and our dock was almost empty. Ben put on his scuba gear to cut
away some lobster line we had picked up. It was low tide and the current was slack.
Rob and the kids went to the swimming pool while Joan and I had breakfast and
read the newspapers. Last night’s episode of Six Feet Under, which we had not seen, was
panned as maudlin and insincere, the Fed fears a slowdown in productivity growth, and
so on.
Ben spent most of the morning in his scuba gear, cutting lobster line fro props,
checking zincs, and cleaning the waterline. He was exhausted when it was done. At
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11:00am Rob and the kids returned from the pool. The swimming day had been cut short
by a pool poop that required treatment of the water! As we sat on the aft deck ShaCar , a
light-gray 87 foot Austal Oceanfast from Miami, arrived behind us. It was a really strange
looking boat, with extremely high freeboard topped by a raised pilothouse; the house
sloped down sharply to a low bow; it looked like an open-jawed shark was coming at us.
The captain was docking with a remote control device, the first time I had seen one in
use. I talked to her owner, who was about 40. Shacar is the Hebrew word for “strong
drink.” His father originally owned Mercedes, a 100+ foot Oceanfast (now named
Gazelle), and currently owns Sycara III, a 140 foot Oceanfast.
At about 1:30pm Jackie, a hotel guest whose daughter had become friends with
Talman, came to see the boat and we talked a bit. Then Rob, Jackie and the three kids
went to the poop-free indoor pool. Joan and I hung out to read and check email. At
3:30pm, Joan and I took the tender to explore while Rob fished off the swim platform and
the kids watched The Sound of Music. Denby, who had experienced a minor meltdown at
lunch, fell fast asleep, guaranteeing a poor night of sleep for Rob.
At 4:30pm we returned to the boat. Rob and Talman set out to explore in the
tender while Denby remained fast asleep on the salon floor. At 6:00pm, after a short rest,
Joan and I went up to the sun deck and watched Rob taking both kids on a tender ride.
Rob joined us on the sun deck by 6:30pm and Ben took the kids on another tender ride,
this one quite long with Talman telling jokes all the way. Rob, Joan and I then went down
to the aft deck for a fine dinner while the kids watched Black Beauty. At 8:30pm we
called it a night. And so to bed…
Day 5: Tuesday, August 9
New Castle, NH to Annisquam
25 nm, 2 hrs, 12.5 kts
A short day. Up for an 8:00am departure. The current was against the dock and
we were a bit concerned that we might scrape SheCar as we backed out against the
current. But all went extremely well and at 8:00am sharp we left the dock. The sky was
very overcast but it didn’t threaten anything but a shower.
At 10:00am we arrived at Ipswich Bay and Ben took us out dock in the tender.
Talman said he wanted to stay on Myeerah, but there will be another trip.
Epilogue
This was a fun trip. We had good weather and some nice surprises, like when we
anchored out at Portland rather than stay at a dismal marine—and saw a fantastic sunset.
The weather was very cooperative, so we got the most out of our time together. The kids
exhibited great friendship with each other, mixed with short episodes of sibling rivalry.
Rob and Victoria are` always fun to be with.
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As always,, the crew was great. Erin is a remarkable cook, with a sense of taste
that we have never seen before. We enjoyed her fine meals, as well as her sweet
personality. Amanda and Ben continue to be delightful. Having young children aboard is
always a bit stressful, and they handled it superbly. They all did extremely well with the
back-to-back trips of the last two weekends.
Now there will be a two week hiatus until the next back-to-back trips.
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362
Newport RI to Block Island
August 26 – 28, 2005
Michele and Thom Davidson
Total Trip
Prologue
This is a short weekend with the Davidsons. On Wednesday afternoon, Joan and I
drove down to the Newport Shipyard, arriving at 5:00pm. We were alongside Inspiration,
a 157-foot 1996 Broward that is for sale ($14 million) and was having an open house. On
our other side was Katina, a 100-foot Hargrave
We took the tour on Inspiration—it is a BIG boat, with great decks and five large
staterooms, but an overly glitzy interior decoration. With a crew of 9 I figure it would
cost $2 million a year to run..
At 6:30pm we sat down to a very good dinner. Then we watched Donny Brasco,
an old Johnny Depp/Al Pacino Goodfellas-type movie. And so to bed…
24 nm, 2 hrs, 12.0 kts
We were up at 9:00am, neither having slept well. Joan has a bad cold with a
cough. The skies were sunny and we waited for Michele and Thom to arrive. At 11:00am
they were on board, and at 11:30am we were on our way to Block Island. Buzzards Bay
was calm, and our ride was comfortable.
At 1:30pm we arrived at Great Salt Pond and found a nice spot to anchor across
the channel from Champlin’s Marina and Resort. We were next to an old fireboat
converted to yacht. Soon after Victoria, a very large (Keewaydin-size) sailboat from
London, arrived and anchored in front of us.
T/T Myeerah was put in the water and at 2:30pm Ben took us to Champlin’s
dinghy dock for a walk. We walked past the Island Cemetery, where Thom found a
number of headstones for the Mitchells, his ancestors who settled Block Island in the late
th
17 century.
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At 3:30pm Ben picked us up and we returned to Myeerah. After a few minutes I
took Thom and Michele to a nearby beach. Joan and I retired to read and nap—Joan has
got some bug that is laying her low with coughing and poor sleep; I am getting it.
Amanda picked Thom and Michele up, and at 6:30pm we met on the aft deck. It was
pretty windy—too much for the sun deck—but we saw a fine sunset, had a fine meal, and
at 9:00pm retired. And so to bed…
Block Island RI to Newport RI
36 nm, 2 hrs, 12.0 kts
Another night of poor sleep. I was in bed almost 12 hours and got up feeling
cruddy. The sun was warm and the wind had died down. After breakfast, at about
11:00am, Joan and I took Thom and Michele to the Block Island Marina’s dinghy dock.
They rented bikes and rode around the island, having lunch on the way.
Joan and I took a tender ride into the inlet at the head of the harbor, then at
11:30am I dropped her off at the Block Island Marina’s dinghy dock and she walked for
½ hour. At noon I picked her up and we returned to Myeerah. Victoria had left and
Kaleen, from Falmouth, took her spot. We had lunch at 1:00pm and then rested. Thom
and Michele returned at 2:00pm. After Michele swam a few laps around the boat, we
lifted anchor and at 2:45pm we left Great Salt Pond.
Instead of going directly back to Newport we did a counter-clockwise
circumnavigation of Block Island so we could see the different terrain and the Old Harbor
area. The island has high cliffs on the south side, where Old Harbor is located. Houses
dot the coast with no apparent areas of concentration. It is beautiful from the ocean,
especially with clear skis and calm water.
By 3:45pm we had finished the tour and were heading for Newport. We arrived at
Newport Shipyard at 5:45pm to find that we had to back in to a 26 foot space with our 23
foot beam next to MITSeaAH, a 100-footer. Ben did it flawlessly without hesitation, an
impressive feat.
At 6:30pm we met on the sun deck, with the passersby on Goat Island Bridge
looking over our shoulders. The wind was up and it aggravated Joan’s condition, so we
went down to the aft deck and had dinner. By 10:00pm we were through and headed to
our rooms. And so to bed…
Epilogue
Up at 8:30am.. Joan had a third sleepless night. We had a leisurely breakfast, after
which Michele and I worked on the New York Times crossword puzzle (stymied again!).
Thom and Michele took a long walk, and after lunch we all climbed into our cars and
drove home.
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The trip was short but fun. The weather was super, it was great to be with Michele
and Thom. Myeerah is in great shape, and the crew was a finely-tuned unit. Erin’s
cooking is superb, so mealtimes are even more welcomed than normal. The season is
winding down—it’s hard to believe that it is so short..
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.
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The Connecticut Coast
September 1 - 5, 2005
John and Mary Jane McGlennon
Caroline Stride and Jack Bullard
Total Trip
Prologue
Ah, boating. Uncertainty at its best. Plan A was to meet in Newport, then explore
the Connecticut River, starting at Old Saybrook. But Hurricane Katrina’s Force 5 winds
devastated New Orleans and the Mississippi coast, then sent wind and rain up north. The
damage was enormous, with New Orleans completely flooded by storm surges followed
by levee breaks that made it part of Lake Pontchartrain.
So we went to Plan B—Myeerah went to Old Saybrook during good weather and
stayed there for two days. On Thursday, September 1, Joan and I drove down arriving at
about 12:30pm, and waited for our guests. The weather was perfect. On arriving we took
a walk across the long causeway on nearby Bridge Street, then returned to the boat and
cleaned up.
By 5:30pm we were all gathered together, so we went up to the sundeck for
cocktails. Erin had made great Thai Wonton appetizers, which we devoured as the sun set
beautifully over the Old Saybrook trees. After a fine dinner and much intelligent
conversation, it was time to retire. And so to bed…
Old Saybrook, CT to Essex, CT
25 nm, 2½ hrs, 10.0 kts
Awake at 7:30am after a good night’s sleep, but not up and about until 8:30am.
On arriving upstairs I found that everyone else had been alert for quite a while and had
finished breakfast. After Joan arrived, she and I had breakfast and read the papers. It was
sunny, calm, and comfortably warm.
After breakfast everyone but me took a long walk across the Bridge Street
causeway to Fenwick, where Katherine Hepburn had lived. At 10:30am I took Myeerah
off the dock and we headed north on the Connecticut River, past the towns of Essex and
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Deep River, to East Haddam. The plan was to anchor there and to take the tender to shore
to see the Goodspeed Opera House, a theater like one might find in a frontier territory.
The 14 mile trip was beautiful. Along the way we saw a large monastery-like
building on the port side—this was St. John’s Preparatory School. A bit later, on the right
side, the Gillette Castle looked down from high on a steep hillside at East Haddam.
Situated on a hill called the “Seventh Sister,” built of stone in a primitive style,
construction of the castle was started in 1914 and ended in 1919. The owner, William
Hooker Gillette, was a train buff who also built a three-mile miniature train route that he
called “The Seventh Sister Shortline.” Among its passengers was Albert Einstein! Gillette
was an actor, director and playwright whose primary claim to fame was that he played the
original Sherlock Holmes. He died in 1937 and in 1943 the state of Connecticut bought
his 184 acres for $30,000 and converted it to a state park. The house is a three-story,
14,000 square foot structure, recently renovated at an $11.5 million cost (2002). It is
reported to be well worth seeing, and we plan to stop by on the drive home.
We dropped the anchor just below the bascule bridge at East Haddam, where the
huge wood Opera House was situated. But our plans were frustrated. The new Quick Lift
crane would not work properly. While we had lunch on the aft deck, Ben made several
phone calls. After lunch he traced the problem to a loose nut that was releasing hydraulic
pressure. The crane started working, but by then we had called the Opera House and
learned that we could not see it today—tours would be available tomorrow!
So at 2:30pm we headed back down the river to Essex, arriving at 3:15p. The
channel in to our dock at Brewer’s Dauntless Shipyard Marina was very narrow, and
when we got deep into the small marina Ben skillfully spun the boat in about 100 feet of
space so that we could have a starboard side tie up. Soon after, we walked through
“downtown” Essex. John and I had a ½ beer each (John had the beer, I had a coke) at
the ancient and honorable Griswold Inn while the ladies and Jack shopped.
When we returned to the boat, John, Jack and I took a ride on T/T Myeerah,
finding a number of very shallow spots. Among the interesting boats we saw was
Outrageous, a Gar Wood lake runabout roughly 30 feet long. She was either a lovingly
restored original or a new reproduction—absolutely beautiful! Also, Serendipity II, a
112-foot Westport, was docked at the adjacent Essex Island Marina.
At 5:30pm we were back on Myeerah. After cleaning up we all met on the
sundeck, then had dinner on the aft deck. After dinner we watched the end of the Red
Sox-Baltimore Orioles game. The Sox lost! And so to bed…
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Essex, CT to New London, CT
22 nm, 2 hrs, 11.0 kts
Awake at 7:30am after a good night’s sleep, but not up and about until 8:30am.
On arriving upstairs, Joan and I found that everyone else had been up for a while and had
already had breakfast. It was sunny, but cool and breezy. A nice breakfast and we were
ready for excitement.
At 10:00pm we all started walking to the Essex Steam Train station for an hourlong ride around its circuit. The 30 minute walk was through a very pretty residential
section of Essex. The Steam Train was the modern residue of the Connecticut Valley
Railroad, which once ran from Old Saybrook to New Haven. Completed in 1871, it had
23 miles of track and 15 stops. After several incarnations it ended up as a branch line of
the Penn Central, and it stopped operating in 1968. It was reincarnated by a community
organization with state funds, and in 1971 it resumed operation as a short-line tourist
train between Essex and Deep River, just below East Haddam.
The train left almost promptly for its 7 mile run up the river, up to about the
latitude of the Gillette Castle. Unfortunately, most of the trip was through woods so the
views were limited. When we reached the end the locomotive that had been pulling us
through the sooty air became a pusher and the soot went elsewhere; the return was much
more pleasant but it was on the same track, making ½ of the trip somewhat redundant.
Still, it was an experience!
By 12:45pm we had walked back to our marina and were seated at the Crow’s
Nest Gourmet Deli, a misnomer, at our marina. Myeerah had had to leave the dock at
11:00am to make way for another boat, and she was waiting for us out on the river. The
tender had been left for us at a dock. At 1:30pm we hopped onto the tender and rode out
to Myeerah. At 2:00pm we were headed south down the river to Long Island Sound.
On reaching the Sound we turned to the port and went eastward along the
Connecticut coast to the Thames River, then up to New London. At 4:00pm I docked
Myeerah at the face dock of Burr’s Marina, just inside the mouth of the Thames. New
London has a gritty, industrial, reputation, and this particular location perfectly fit the
stereotype. Just after we arrived a fire engine, ambulance, and several police cars arrived
at a nearby beach in response to some event that we never saw.
I took a nap from 5:15pm until 6:00pm. At 6:30pm we met on the sun deck for
drinks. It was a very nice evening, warmish with calm winds. Lots of good conversation
about sickness, death, dying and disaster—it’s an age thing. At about 8:00pm we went to
the aft deck for dinner. Our time during dinner was carefully overseen by a constant
stream of sightseers ogling what must have been an unusual sight in New London. At
8:45pm we went inside and watched the end of the Red Sox-Baltimore Orioles game—
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this time the Red Sox won. Mary Jane and I talked about serious matters—like the health
care system—while John tried to watch the game. Everyone else had retired.
And so to bed…
New London, CT to Mystic, CT
10 nm, 1 hrs, 10.0 kts
Awake at 7:30am, upstairs at 8:15am—a pattern is developing. The sky was clear
and sunny, but a brisk wind cooled things down to sweater weather. We had breakfast
and, at 10:00am, left the dock. Our first goal was to fly by the nicer part of New
London’s waterfront. Not finding it, we agreed with that city’s stereotype and headed out
the Thames River at 10:15am.
The ride to Noank, CT was on very gentle water under warm skies. As we entered
the river, passing the marvelous lighthouse-turned-residence at Noank Point, we had a
very gentle glide up the busy and narrow channel to Mystic Seaport Museum. This is one
of my favorite channels! We all sat on the bow and watched the people watching us
watch them. At about 11:15am we reached the bridge just below the museum and waited
for its 11:40am opening. By 12:00pm we were docked at the museum. The weather was
perfect.
At 1:00pm we sat down to lunch on the aft deck. Then we all walked separately
through the Seaport, visiting the wonderful exhibition of ship figureheads, the art gallery,
and some of the shops demonstrating old nautical crafts. After returning to the boat we all
took T/T Myeerah for a ride up the river. We passed a huge waterfront cemetery, went
under the bridge at I95, and soon we started hitting mud. So we turned around, as had a
boat in front of us filled with adults and young children.
When we passed that boat on the away back, it was anchored and the engine was
up. Apparently the mud had plugged up the raw water line and their motor had
overheated. I told them how to correct it, having once had the same problem, and we
returned to Myeerah. After dropping Joan and our guests off, Ben and I went back
upriver to see if the stranded boat needed help. On the way we encountered it coming
down river—their problem had cleared up.
At 5:30pm I was back on Myeerah with instructions that we would meet at
6:15pm on the sun deck. After showering, I complied with that order. It was very
comfortable up top, and the Seaport, being closed, was deserted and eerily quiet. We had
a fine dinner in spite of the death of our Gageneau stovetop earlier in the day. After
dinner we watched half of Master and Commander, a gift from Caroline. And so to
bed…
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Day 4: Monday, September 5
Mystic, CT to Old Saybrook, CT
22 nm, 2 hrs, 11.0 kts
Up at 8:00pm to a coolish but sunny start. It is Labor Day. We had German
pancakes whipped up by Erin, read the newspapers, and watched the Seaport come alive.
At 10:00pm we started a 30 minute walk to the Mystic Aquarium, which has
fantastic exhibitions. Three white Beluga whales, penguins, and a great underwater
display of all sorts of sea life. The New England Aquarium pales by comparison.
At noon we were back on the boat. Adios, a Fleming 75, had just arrived. At
12:30pm we stared moving toward the Mystic draw bridge for its 12:40pm opening. It
had warmed up considerably, and we looked forward to a comfortable trip to Old
Saybrook. By 1:00pm, after a late opening and heavy traffic, we were through the bridge
and on our way. Just after we passed through, Passages East, a 100-foot blue-hulled
Burger, went by us on its way to the Mystic Seaport, no doubt to take the dock space we
had just left.
At 1:30pm we had passed Noank and were in the Sound. All along the Mystic
River people were coming out of their houses to see us, and Labor Day picnickers along
the shore were waving. At about 3:00pm we arrived at Old Saybrook. I docked the boat
after some effort—the current was strong and I kept getting pushed toward another boat
at the face dock. Finally I decided to back up to the dock against the current. It worked!
At 6:00pm Joe and Lee Rhodes, friends of the McGlennons, arrived for cocktails.
These folks own a house on Eleuthra that is adjacent to Joan and MJ’s house. They
stayed for a short time and then left for a dinner party. After dinner we watched the
second half of Master and Commander. And so to bed…
Epilogue
On the morning of September 6, we all had breakfast and started the drive
home. On the way Joan and I stopped at the Gillette Castle in Hadlyme, CT. The Gillete
Castle simply can’t be described. Gillette was a childless widower and he designed the
castle and everything in it to suit his taste. He had a remarkable sense of detail, and
everything is very carefully laid out. Idiosyncratic as can be, but fascinating. The exterior
is entirely small fieldstones, giving it a very medieval look. The interior is dark wood
with raffia cloth covering many of the walls. Each of the 47 doors is hand-carved wood
with exotic carving and elaborate latches. A railroad buff (he had a three-mile steamdriven miniature railroad on the property), all the light switches are wooden and carved to
look like railway switches. The four bedrooms are small and designed like the cabins on
his 140-foot houseboat, Aunt Polly. The view of the Connecticut River is gorgeous.
We then drove to Lebanon, CT, where we visited the Trumbull Cemetery, in
which the Rev. James Fitch and many of his descendants are buried. The dates in the
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cemetery range from 1705 to 1879. Most stones are too weathered to read, but we did
identify the Fitch name on many stones. The Connecticut countryside is absolutely
beautiful, making up for the decrepitude of the cities.
This might be among our top ten trips. The weather was superb with no rain, lots
of sun, and light winds. The company was great—good conversations, wicked repartee,
and lots of laughter; this is a group of very interesting people and it is hard to imagine a
better mix. Each destination had a lot to offer, so we were not a bit bored. We should do
this with our kids!
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November 5 - 20, 2005
Total Trip
(Myeerah)
1836 nm, 154½ hours running time, 11.9 kts average speed, 8500 gallons at 55 gph
(Tarhé)
1696 nm, 107 hours running time, 15.9 kts average speed, 1225 gallons, 11.5 gph
Prologue
This is the first time I’ve done this trip with Myeerah. The plan is to take both
Myeerah and Tarhé to Naples. During the day I will drive Tarhé and at night I’ll stay on
Myeerah. Friends will join me along the way: John M. from Boston to Portsmouth, RI;
Jack C. from Portsmouth, RI to Norfolk, VA; Charlie G. from Charleston to Cape
Canaveral, Florida; and George V. from Norfolk to Naples.
On October 1 Myeerah cruised from Boston to the Hinckley Yard at Portsmouth,
RI. During October she was prepped and painted with Awlgrip Flag Blue. Other
(unscheduled) work would also be done, such as rebuilding the garage door, which had
been reshaped and rebuilt by Allied Marine when we bought the boat; replacing the TV
and sound system in the salon, another item installed when we first bought the boat; and
lots of smaller items that had to be done. The final bill was three times the amount I
expected—aaahhh, boating!
So the first task was to get Tarhé to Portsmouth.
Boston, MA to Portsmouth RI
110nm, 8½ hrs, 12.9 kts, 470.0 gallons, 55.0 gph (Myeerah)
110nm, 6 hrs, 18.3 kts, 80.0 gallons, 15.0 gph (Tarhé)
On October 21 Ben was driven up from Portsmouth by Amanda, and he and I
took Tarhé to Portsmouth, RI to join Myeerah. Originally John M. was to join me on this
trip, but weather required rescheduling and he couldn’t come.
Tarhé‘s trip down the Massachusetts coast and across Buzzard’s Bay was easy,
with light wind and sunny skies. We left Boston at 9:30am and arrived without incident at
the Hinckley Yard at 3:30pm. Ben then drove me back to Boston in relatively light
traffic.
At 12:30pm on Friday, November 4, Erin picked me up in Boston and drove me
to Portsmouth. Myeerah’s paint job is gorgeous, and the last pieces of work were just
being finished. Jack C was to join me for the trip to Norfolk, but he had to cancel. So I
would drive Tarhé to Norfolk alone.
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Portsmouth RI to City Island, New York City, New York
125 nm, 10½ hrs, 11.9 kts (Myeerah)
125 nm, 7 hrs, 17.9 kts, 106 gallons, 15.1 gph (Tarhé)
Awake at 6:30am after a good night’s sleep. By 7:00am both Myeerah and Tarhé
were on their way. Myeerah had to stop just after leaving Hinckley because the rudders
were not working. We had just had all the hydraulic hoses for the rudders replaced but
the technicians had forgotten to repressurize the system and there was no hydraulic
pressure. Ben corrected the problem quickly. Where do they get these people? I’m
constantly amazed at how sloppy even the best mechanic can be—they do 99% of the job
correctly, then they forget about the crucial last 1%. Another example: we had a
technician work on the anemometer that sends wind speed and direction to the pilothouse.
In the process he had to remove two transducers that go through the hull. He forgot to
replace them, so when Myeerah was put back in the water she began to sink as water
rushed through the open holes in the hull. The boat was still in the slings so it could
quickly be taken back out of the water and no harm was done--but how dumb can you
get? I used to believe in preventive maintenance, but now I think the better path is no
maintenance because human intervention often makes things worse.
At any rate, by 8:00am we were heading through Newport Neck into Long Island
Sound. There were six foot swells coming directly on Tarhé‘s bow, and they were
frequent enough to throw Tarhé around. Even a Coast Guard cutter leaving Newport was
tacking! But after an hour or two Tarhé was in the lee of Long Island and it became more
pleasant.
I went ahead at about 18 knots, and at 2:00pm I arrived at City Island in New
York City (the Bronx). As I approached I passed Eagle, a Fleming 55 from Newport RI.
When I had a Fleming 55 people would complain about the size of the wake. Now I know
why—Eagle was throwing a wake the size of the Queen Mary’s. The problem is that at a
15 knot cruising speed the boat can almost plane, but not quite. As a result, she squats in
the stern and pushes an enormous amount of water!
Because the North Minneford Yacht Center, where we had reserved dock space,
had no fuel dock, I had to go to another marina for fuel ($3.07 a gallon for diesel!). By
3:00pm I was back at the NMYC. I washed Tarhé down and waited for Myeerah. She
arrived at 5:30pm. Ben told me that the stabilizer system was not working—we had had a
small leak in the port side hydraulic ram fixed at Hinckley, and the new seal had failed so
there was no hydraulic pressure. The stabilizer leak had pumped three gallons of
hydraulic fluid into the bilge. Once again, having things “repaired” created more
problems than we would have had with benign neglect.
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City Island, New York to Atlantic City, NJ
103 nm, 13 hrs, 7.9 kts (Myeerah)
125 nm, 12 ½ hrs, 10.0 kts, 81gallons, 6.5 gph (Tarhé)
Every now and then boating is a real challenge—the kind of thing you would
never choose to do but, when done, is very satisfying. This was one of those days. Awake
at 6:30am after a mediocre night’s sleep. A pea-soup fog had set in. Myeerah left at
7:00am, Tarhé a minute or so later. But by the time I had gotten out of the marina I
couldn’t see Myeerah. After some disorientation, we joined up and I followed her
through New York Harbor. The visibility was less than 100 yards, and I often lost sight of
her, although I could see her on the radar. The pace was excruciatingly slow, at most 6
knots but often less than 3 knots. As we approached the Throgs Neck Bridge we followed
a tug and barge for a while so they could run interference. I passed under the Throgs
Neck Bridge without seeing it!
Soon after this I hit a sunken log so hard that I rode up over it and began pushing
it along—I never saw the log before I hit it or after I dislodged it! But no harm was done.
As we approached Hell Gate, which was boiling with a 6 knot current against us, the
visibility improved. By the time we got to Manhattan we could see both sides of the East
River. On reaching Liberty Island we saw the Statue of Liberty, as well as nearby Ellis
th
Island with its facilities for early 20 century immigrants. Then we headed south out of
New York Harbor toward Sandy Hook, New Jersey. It had taken four hours to go the 20
miles!
The trip past Sandy Hook was comfortable, but a strong south wind came up as
the day progressed. Tarhé was hitting 6 foot waves with a high frequency, and at 1:00pm
I entered northern New Jersey’s Mannesquan Inlet to take the ICW for the last 45
miles—a longer but more comfortable route. Myeerah reported that the seas were
bearable so she continued on the outside.
After entering the Inlet I followed a number of other boats through the 100 foot
wide Point Pleasant Canal that links Mannesquan Inlet with Barnagat Bay. There was a
long no wake zone past densely populated housing, but eventually a good speed could be
achieved when the bay opened out. However, for each ten miles of progress, 15 miles had
to be completed—the dredged channel was very convoluted, twisting back and forth
between sand bars and low sandy islands.
At about 3:00pm I passed Beach Haven, where a TowBoat U.S. inflatable was
refueling. I was in the center of the charted channel—exactly on the magenta line that is
the center of the ICW--congratulating myself on my 21 knot speed when I ran hard
aground in, the chart said, “12 feet” of water. I went from 21 knots to dead stop in one
second!! I’m glad that Jack C. wasn’t with me—I could grab the steering wheel to keep
from going through the windshield, but a passenger had nothing to grab. While things
were thrown around on the boat, I wasn’t hurt.
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I called TowBoat U.S. and my new best friend, Rick, arrived from Beach Haven
in about 10 minutes. Clearly, this uncharted sandbar was a revenue raiser—Rick and his
friends had been depositing sand there for years! After about an hour—and $700—Rick
towed me off of the bar. But by then it was sunset (about 4:45pm), and the light was
fading fast. Rick advised me to put in to a local marina for the night because the rest of
the route to Atlantic City was hell even during the day, and almost impossible at night.
But I forged ahead, finding along the way that my running lights and my
searchlight weren’t working. I proceeded along a very twisty, narrow, and shallow
channel on instruments alone—chartplotter and radar. The chartplotter was extremely
helpful, but the accuracy of the charts was in question after my time with Rick. The radar
was essential in avoiding day markers that were invisible at night. The route to Atlantic
City was only 8 miles as the crow flies, but it took 2½ hours to wind through the very
narrow channel between sandbars and low islands. Finally, at 7:30pm I arrived at the
New Jersey State Farley Marina in Atlantic City.
Myeerah arrived about 30 minutes later. After passing Mannesquan Inlet the
winds had increased to 40 knots and she had been tacking for 50 miles against high seas.
The trip was made less comfortable, and less safe, by the failure of our newly repaired
stabilizers.
But at about 8:30pm we were together with stories to tell. I had a quick dinner—
Erin had prepared pot roast with potatoes and vegetables in spite of the rough trip. And
then to bed—exhausted.
Day 3: Monday, November 7
Atlantic City, NJ to the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal
101 nm, 6½ hrs, 15.5 kts, 67.0 gallons, 10.3 gph (Tarhé)
Myeerah left Atlantic City at 7:00am. At 8:00am, after refueling ($3.09 per
gallon), I left. There was a stiff offshore west wind. As Tarhé headed south toward Cape
May there was a sizable chop coming from the shore even though I was only a mile out.
At 10:00am I caught up with Myeerah just outside Cape May. She went on to the
Delaware Bay while I took the Cape May Canal to the bay.
As I exited the canal heading due west I met two back-to-back 8 footers that sent
water over the bow. The stiff wind was coming directly across the long fetch from
Maryland, kicking up large waves which had built up even higher as they approached the
shallow water. I was getting thrown around quite a bit. At first I tried to get to the
Maryland side to be in the lee. But the wind had shifted so that it came from the
northwest, directly down the Bay, and there was no escape.
Eventually I reached the ship channel and came upon the Ralph Bouchard, a
tugboat pulling a huge barge (B.No.203) up the bay to the Delaware River. I settled in
about 50 yards behind her for an hour or so, enjoying the break she created. When I left
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her wake and passed her we were almost up to the river. While the waves were still
lumpy, they were now manageable at cruising speed.
The chop picked up south of the Delaware nuclear power plant at Artificial Island,
but soon I was in the narrows of the Delaware River and it was more comfortable. At
1:30pm I arrived at the C&D Canal and headed west. I refueled at the Summit North
Yacht Club about half way down the canal. When I was done, Myeerah passed by
heading to our dockage at the Chesapeake Marina across from Shaefer’s, the usual stop
but closed for the season. We both arrived there at about 3:30pm.
After washing Tarhé down and changing the running light bulbs, I retired to take
a well-deserved nap—I was beat! Ben disassembled the searchlight and found that it was
badly corroded. That was not the only loss of the day—the flagstaff had blown off of
Tarhé during the day’s activities.
A pattern is developing. Yesterday we went south against a strong south wind,
today we went northwest against a strong northwest wind. Both days were no fun on
Tarhé, though today was more manageable than yesterday for Myeerah. Tomorrow we go
south down the Chesapeake Bay into a predicted south wind. It’s déjà vu all over again!
At 6:30pm I awoke from my nap and went upstairs to dinner. Erin served pork
ribs with Brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes. It was very good but I couldn’t finish it.
Ben will get ribs for a sandwich! By 8:00pm I went down to bed, and by 9:00pm the
lights were out, and so was I.
Day 4: Tuesday, November8
Chesapeake & Delaware Canal to Solomon’s Island, MD
Myeerah and Tarhé left the Chesapeake Marina at 7:00am. The sun was bright
and the wind, as predicted, was from the southwest, directly into us, but it was relatively
calm at 10-15 knots. The ride down Chesapeake Bay began with some 1-2 foot chop, but
once Tarhé reached the Lane Memorial Bridge from Annapolis to Kent Island (at
10:00am) it was very calm. Along the way there was a dredger and several large barges,
but nothing of significance. Small boat traffic was very light—Eagle, the Fleming 55
from Newport that I had seen near City Island, was heading south, probably to Burr
Yacht Sales for the semiannual service that is a tradition with Fleming owners. Magic
Times, a 100-foot Hatteras pulling a 25-foot tender, was a few miles ahead of Eagle.
These were the only sizable pleasure boats along the way.
After passing Annapolis, where the Naval Academy could be seen but no naval
vessels were anchored, I reached the Thomas Point Shoal lighthouse and took an hour out
to make some phone calls and do a slow fly-by of Burr Yacht Sales: there were 11
Fleming 55s and one Fleming 75 in residence (including Eagle, which was just arriving
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as I left). Burr’s large boat shed was being completely replaced, possibly the result of
storm damage.
At 11:30am I was back on duty heading south toward Solomon’s Island. About
10 miles later I passed Myeerah—she had been making good time! I passed too close to
the large oil terminal just north of the Patunxet River, bringing a Homeland Security boat
out to check me over. Since they had already taken the trouble to leave their dock they
flew off for a joy ride. A few miles later I arrived at Solomon’s Island; it was 1:30pm.
After refueling at the Calvert Marina ($2.31 per gallon) I went to our dock at Harbor
Island Marina, arriving just as Myeerah pulled in at 2:30pm. By 3:00pm both boats were
settled and I retired for a nap. It was nice to arrive early enough in the day to take a
meaningful power nap!
After a long talk with Joan, I sat down to dinner at about 7:15pm—Erin’s mystery
chicken stuffed with ham and served with bowtie pasta; it was excellent. Then at 8:00pm
I watched Commander-in-Chief on TV—Geena Davis is the first woman President and
she will save the world by being tough as nails and sweet as apple pie—move over,
Hillary! Then at 9:00pm it was Boston Legal, a truly funny and zany show with William
Shattner playing Denny Craig, an over-the-hill lawyer who is a senior partner and was
once one of the widely-acknowledged great lawyers; now he has mad cow disease, is
crazy as a loon, and is enamored of firearms (he once proudly landed a salmon with a
shotgun). James Spader plays his young protégé, and Candice Bergen plays another
senior partner. Three cases were in progress. Shattner was drafted by a judge to defend a
killer-rapist of a 13 year old; he (Shattner) pulls out a gun and shoots the pervert in both
knees, claiming self defense and fear of the criminal as a way to get out of defending
him. Spader is defending a TV station against an unlawful termination suit by a clown
who treated his audience to diatribes about global warming; Spader’s character is deathly
afraid of clowns and watching his discomfort is a real treat. He wins the case by arguing
that clowns are supposed to be funny, and this one was not. The best segment was
Candice Bergen defending a man from a suit by his wife who wants to have their 20-year
marriage annulled because the man has been unfaithful to her with Wendy—their cow.
Bergen has to turn it over to a young assistant because as a child she had a warm
relationship with Bumpy, a cow. You’ve got to see this show!
At 11:00pm it was bedtime.
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Day 5: Wednesday, November 9
Solomon’s Island, MD to Norfolk, VA
Up at 6:30am, again. After a quick breakfast, I left in Tarhé right behind
Myeerah. But as I left the dock a terrible grinding noise began in the jet drive, and all
motion was lost. I called Ben and he brought Myeerah back to the dock. I was sure that it
was the jet drive or its transmission, but when we opened up the inspection port we found
that a large piece of wood had been sucked in and was preventing the flow of water. The
grinding sound was the wood being chewed up by the impeller.
After clearing the drive, we both got underway (again) at 8:00am. The sky was
leaden and it looked like a rain was about to start. But the wind was very light, and as we
got out about 30 miles to the south it turned flat calm. At 9:26am Tarhé crossed the state
line from Maryland to Virginia just as a deep fog began; it was instruments-only again.
After about an hour the visibility improved. At 12:15pm I reached Thimble Shoals off of
Norfolk, and by 1:30pm I was refueling at the Tidewater Yacht Agency ($2.38 per
gallon). After this I docked at Norfolk’s Waterside Marina—near Blue Ridge, a Fleming
75 from Middleburg, VA. I thoroughly washed Tarhé, then settled down to wait for
Myeerah.
Myeerah arrived in Norfolk’s Elizabeth River at 3:30pm and went to a low cost
fueling spot in Portsmouth, VA. Though a reservation had been made, another boat had
jumped in front and fueled up. Then it took on water. After waiting for over an hour, Ben
gave up and brought Myeerah across the Elizabeth River to join Tarhé. Finally, at about
5:00pm, I was aboard Myeerah.
The stabilizer technician arrived and reported that the seal had failed because a
standard seal had been installed, not a metric seal—the Hinckley folks had been told it
was metric, but probably screwed it up as a matter of principle. We decided that it would
be best to wait until the boat got to Miami to fix it—it has to go there anyway to get the
new crane working properly.
Soon after, a lady from the place that Myeerah had intended to refuel showed up
and apologized that the dock hands had let the wrong boat refuel. She brought a goody
bag with Virginia wine and peanuts, so all was well.
At 6:45pm I sat down to dinner—crab cakes. By 9:30pm it was bedtime.
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Day 6: Thursday, November 10
In Norfolk, VA
Up at 8:00am to a cloudy day after overnight rain. For the first day on the trip a
New York Times was available. Today will be a rest day, and this afternoon George V.
will join me for the rest of the trip.
After breakfast I started the Times crossword puzzle, then took a stroll around the
Waterside Mall. Ben and I (mostly Ben) fixed Tarhé’s searchlight by disassembling it
and cleaning out the corrosion. ACR, the manufacturer, charges $300 for a
reconditioning! Ben is amazing!
At about 2:00pm, it being a rest day, I rested from my earlier exertions. The sun
went down at about 5:00pm, and George arrived soon after. He had been driven to the
Fort Myers airport at 9:00am and had been en route, through Atlanta, ever since.
After George got settled, we walked to the Outback Steak House at Waterside
Marina for dinner. As we left Ben reported that hydraulic fluid was leaking from the new
crane. The crew was getting a well-deserved night off, but he had stayed to clean up and
identify the source of the problem while the girls went to dinner. We found the wait at
Outback too long, so we went to Hooters for a sandwich—their motto is “tacky yet
unashamedly low class,” or something like that; they earned it!
After dinner we walked a few blocks to a fancy mall where we saw nothing
interesting as we were not looking for women’s clothes. Then we returned to the boat just
as Ben was leaving to meet the girls for the 8:15pm showing of “Jarhead.” He had spent
all that time cleaning up the hydraulic fluid! I went to bed and read until about 10:00pm,
then to sleep.
Day 7: Friday, November 11
Norfolk, VA to Coinjock, NC
45 nm, 5 hrs, 9.0 kts (Tarhé)
Up at 7:30am, George and I planned to leave at 8:30am. After breakfast we
looked out and saw that we were almost being hit by a huge naval ship that was being
backed into a dry dock across the river. There were at least four tugs doing the job, and
their coordination was impressive.
At 8:45am we left Waterside Marina. Tarhé followed Myeerah through the first
few miles, waiting for her at each of the nine bridges and at the Great Bridge Lock. It was
sunny but very cool. After the last bridge we went ahead of Myeerah and the other boats
that had backed up to make a convoy. At 12:45pm we passed the Pungo Ferry Marina
and entered the narrow upper portion of Currituck Sound. As we turned around a bend we
saw a tug pushing two barges coming at us. I made the mistake of going on the outside
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rather than taking the inside corner of the turn. This put us into the path of the tugboat as
it turned! The tugboat turned as quickly as it could, but it swung very close to us even
though I was as far out of the way as I could get. Another lesson learned!
After this we followed the narrow and shallow channel across Currituck Sound,
and at 1:45pm we were at the Coinjock Marina having passed one grounded sailboat. I
checked in to find that they expected Myeerah but had no reservation for Tarhé. Of
course, they had not made a mistake—nobody ever does because the customer is always
wrong! At 2:45pm Myeerah arrived but she had to wait ½ hour while they positioned
other boats to make room for her and for Tarhé. Finally, at 3:15pm she docked and
started refueling ($2.17 per gallon).
After a nap George and I had a good dinner and watched Scary Movie 3, really
funny. Then, at 10:00pm, to bed.
Coinjock, NC to Goose Creek, NC
90 nm, 6 hrs, 15.0 kts, 66 gallons, 6.0 gph from Norfolk (Tarhé)
Awake at 6:30am to a cold and frosty morning—yes, a thin film of ice on the
decks! At 7:00am Tarhé left Coinjock, heading south into a thick but low fog that burned
off within ½ hour. After that, the skies were sunny but it remained cold. We passed
several sailboats before entering the North River toward Albemarle Sound. Then we
crossed Albemarle Sound and entered the Alligator River. Myeerah was behind us but
she had to go very slow because of the traffic and the shallow water. At 10:00am, at mile
100, Tarhé anchored at Newport News Point, where George and I had anchored in the
Fleming on our first trip down in 1999. We relaxed and waited for Myeerah. She arrived
at 12:00pm and we entered the 20-mile Alligator River-Pungo River Canal together.
At 1:30pm Tarhé left the canal and entered the Pungo River; Myeerah was far
behind. At 20 knots we passed the town of Belhaven and went across the Pamlico River
toward our stop at Goose Creek. At 3:00pm we were anchored in Goose Creek just past
the Red #10 at SM 152 (136 nm from Norfolk). We waited until Myeerah arrived at
4:30pm. She anchored and we rafted to her in about 10 feet of water.
George and I sat on the aft deck and watched a beautiful sunset while talking
about family. With no houses around it felt very primitive. At about 6:00pm it became
too cold and we moved inside. Then dinner was served and by 7:30pm we had retired to
our rooms. And so to bed…
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Goose Creek, NC to Southport, NC
138 nm, 8½ hrs, 16.2 kts, 94 gallons,11.1 gph (Tarhé)
Awake at 6:30am after 9½ hours of decent sleep. Today will be a long day so
George is going to stay on Myeerah for the day.
At 7:00am both boats started off for Beaufort, NC. It was eerily quiet with no
boats or houses around. A low ground fog hung over the water. Within a few miles Goose
Creek narrowed and became the Goose Creek Canal linking Albemarle Sound with the
Neuse River. Across the Neuse River is Adams Creek, which narrows into the Adams
Creek Canal. The Adams Creek Canal ends about 5 miles north of the twin cities of
Beaufort and Morehead City. The distance from our anchorage to this is about 47 nm.
The channel is narrow and shallow, and I was considerate of the sailboats. But I don’t
know why, because as I was passing a sailboat slowly so as not to leave a wake, Cruisin’,
a 45-foot sportfishing boat, blasted between us at full throttle, throwing a giant wake that
threw both boats around violently.
At 10:00am I stopped for fuel in Morehead City ($2.34 per gallon). Then, at
10:30am, I continued on the ICW into Bogue Sound, where a narrow trail between spoils
banks often catches unwary boats. This time a large sailboat was high and dry, listing at a
20 degree angle, a few miles outside of Morehead City. I did the only thing I could do—I
took a picture.
After arriving at 12:00pm at Morehead City, Myeerah went outside in a direct line
to Southport, NC at Cape Fear. The 120 mile line would take her about 10 hours, putting
her into Southport at 10:00pm. Ben reported that it was very calm when they exited the
inlet at Morehead City, and that they were making over 13 knots.
Our trip along the ICW was very comfortable, though slowed by sailboats and
low speed zones. It was warm and sunny. At 12:00pm, just as Ben was exiting to the
Atlantic at Morehead City, I reached Swansboro, NC, the home of the Marine Corps’
Camp Lejeune. At 2:30pm I was in Wrightsville Beach, NC, which has a major outlet to
the ocean and, as a result, sports many nice boats, mostly sportfishers. Finally, at 4:00pm
I reached the Southport Marina, where both boats had reservations for the night.
After refueling ($2.90 per gallon) I walked to a nearby restaurant shack and
ordered a cheeseburger and onion rings to go—I was their very last customer for 2005
because they were closing for the season. While my hamburger was cooking—and
cooking, and cooking—the staff was outside taking commemorative pictures of each
other. Taking the food back to the boat, I had an early dinner at 5:00pm. Then I sat and
waited in the dark for Myeerah. Tarhé would occasionally get thrown around by the
wakes from boats passing by on the ICW, boats apparently owned by people who
couldn’t understand the “No” part of “No Wake.” There is no courtesy on the ICW.
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At 9:00pm Myeerah arrived and docked at the fuel dock. Just before she came in
I had an amazing hallucination: I swear that as she approached in the outer channel I saw
a tugboat in front of her showing the three lights associated with long-line towing. But
when Myeerah turned into the entrance to the marina the tugboat wasn’t there. Weird!
Amanda’s father and stepmother (Larry and Carol T.) arrived to watch Myeerah
come in and say hello to Amanda and Ben. Also present was the owner of Ocean Pearl, a
beautifully-maintained old-time yacht docked nearby. He and his wife live on Cape Cod
and are just starting a two year cruise.
After a couple of minutes of chatting—the trip had not been as comfortable as
Ben had thought it would be because of the lack of stabilizers--I went to my room, read
for a few minutes, and went to sleep.
Day 10: Monday, November 14
Southport, NC to Charleston, SC
Up at 6:30am but, because some business had to be done, neither Myeerah nor
Tarhé left the dock until 7:30am. As Myeerah was exiting Southport Marina and entering
the ICW, she was hailed by the driver of a small skiff. Ben obligingly stopped to offer
help in the middle of the channel. The inebriated skiff driver wanted to know if Myeerah
had some gas to spare—there is always something new on the ICW!
Myeerah exited the Cape Fear River and headed directly to Charleston. The sky
was gray and a bit threatening. Tarhé also went outside, but a 2-4 foot swell broad on the
port bow induced her to redirect toward the Wynah Bay entrance to the ICW, a few miles
south of Georgetown, SC. At 11:00am she entered Wynah Bay. A few years ago George
and I had done this at night in the Fleming. Then, as now, there was a strong following
sea pushing us around. But now we saw how foolish we had been to do this at night: The
entrance channel was narrow, and the lights from many side channels were confusing. On
the south side an unmarked ruined jetty that could not be seen at night jutted out at least a
mile, while on the north side a jetty went out only about ½ mile. With no markers or
lights to indicate their existence they must have sunk many boats. Luckily, my practice is
to go to the outermost navigation buoy, then follow the entire channel. Shortcuts can be
fatal!
After entering Wynah Bay we followed the West Channel to the southbound
ICW. At 11:45am, just after we reached the ICW and passed the defunct ferry that once
crossed the ICW at SM 410, we pulled to the side, dropped the anchor, and started a
peaceful lunch. At 12:15pm, just as we finished, I looked up to see a barge pushed by a
tugboat bearing down on us from about ½ mile away. We immediately tried to raise the
anchor to move further out of the way, but—for the first time--the anchor rode was
fouled. George went to the bow to free it, and we were underway just as the barge’s bow
reached us!
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Charging ahead of the barge, we passed through miles of Low Country landscape:
some tall pines, lots of low trees and bushes, and even more marsh grasses. There were
surprisingly few houses along the way, and, for many miles, few boats to pass. The
reason is that it was low tide, and sailboats don’t want to mess with that—we saw one
sailboat high and dry just outside of a channel marker.
A 2:45pm we reached Charleston Harbor, and at 3:00pm we were in our slip at
Charleston City Marina, just across from the southbound ICW. After washing the boat we
were refueled ($2.38 per gallon). By 3:30pm I had finished some varnish work on Tarhé
and at 4:00pm Myeerah arrived and Ben skillfully backed her down an inside channel to
her berth on the “Mega Dock.” She was about two zip codes away from Tarhé, near
Themis, a 180-footer owned by one of the lead attorneys for the state suits against the
tobacco companies. (why don’t the plaintiffs have yachts?) Also near by was Blue Ridge,
the Fleming 75 that we had seen in Norfolk.
By far the most interesting vessels were two Navy “Insertion” boats rafted
together (probably to save the U.S Government some dock fees—who says W isn’t
fiscally responsible?) These boats are 60-foot “go fast” gun-metal gray aluminum boats
that have a five foot draft, a 20-foot beam, and admit to making 50 knots (my guess is 70
knots). They have spring-mounted bucket seats for 21 people—five crew members and
16 passengers. Their mission is rapid insertion of Navy Seal teams. They look very
sinister!
At 6:30pm, after showers, George and I met on the aft deck for drinks. At 7:00pm
Erin served lobster bisque followed by perfectly cooked halibut with saffron rice and
creamed spinach. Then homemade pecan pie with vanilla ice cream. Wow!
After dinner George and I walked the docks looking at boats. Then George retired
for the evening and I stayed up to watch The Man From Snowy River, a 1960s cowboy
movie with Kirk Douglas playing two parts: The Successful-Cowboy-Dad-from-Hell and
his Black-Sheep-Peg-Legged-Brother. I have no taste at all.
And so, at 11:00pm, to my room to write these notes—and then to bed…
Day 11: Tuesday, November 15
In Charleston, SC
Awake at 8:30am—aaahhh! It was sunny and warm as George and I had breakfast
in the aft deck. After breakfast we walked around the docks, then starting looking for
marine supplies. Interestingly, with two huge marinas side-by-side (Charleston City
Marina and Ashley Marina), each catering to large boats and small, there is no nearby
ship store!
We had lunch at the Variety Store—a restaurant, not a store—then returned to
Myeerah. At 2:00pm Scott and Amy, friends of George and Paula, dropped by. About ten
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years ago they had moved from New York City to Charleston’s Battery district. A few
months ago they moved to a house on James Island, across the Ashley River. Amy had
been Paula’s friend in graduate school, and they are very close.
At 3:00pm, just as Amy and Scott were leaving, Charlie G. arrived, having flown
from Naples to join us for a few days. By 4:00pm we were all in our staterooms resting
up for a dinner out on the town. At 6:15pm we met on the aft deck for drinks, and at
7:00pm we went to catch the marina shuttle to the historic district for our 7:30pm
reservations at Magnolias on East Bay Street.
We had a great meal—shellfish and grits for Charlie and George, and a wonderful
beef fillet for me. When we left at 9:30pm it was raining lightly. At 10:00pm we were on
Myeerah to prepare for the next day. Just as we got on board it began raining hard. I
watched Good Fellas on HBO, and so to bed…
Day 12: Wednesday, November 16
112 nm , 6½ hrs, 18.8 kts (Tarhé)
Another day on the water. Up at 6:30pm and off the docks at 7:00am. George is
staying on Myeerah today, while Charlie and I take Tarhé. Myeerah went on the outside
to Savannah, while Tarhé took the inside route.
The sky was sunny and it was warm—perfect for the ride down the placid ICW
past low country marshes and live oaks. Soon after starting we passed Master Plan, a 70foot Hatteras. There were very few southbound boats, either sail or power, so the pace
was quick. When we entered St. Helena Sound, about 10 miles from Beaufort, SC, we
took a 5 mile side trip to Dataw Island just to see the marina that George and I had
enjoyed so much on our first trip down in 1999. The 10 mile round trip took about ½
hour. As we returned to the ICW we passed Master Plan again.
At 11:00pm we arrived at Beaufort and fueled up, taking on 58 gallons ($2.51 per
gallon). Then we tied up at the town dock and walked Beaufort’s famous Bay Street, all
of which is on the National Historic Registry. Charlie and I had a good lunch at
Kathleen’s on Bay Street. Then we went to a ship store to get charts and a pint of varnish.
At 1:00pm we started on the remainder of our trip to Savannah.
We soon passed the Naval Air Station, the a few miles later, the Marine Corps
Recruit Depot on Parris Island. A brisk wind had come up, and as we crossed Port Royal
Sound to enter the ICW at Hilton Head Island we encountered a good chop. I imagined
(correctly) that Myeerah was not having a comfortable ride into the south wind.
After a while we passed Master Plan yet again; they must think that we are
stalking them! As we approached Savannah it was dead low tide and we encountered
many side channels. Normally, the correct channel is easy to identify because there is a
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magenta line on the charts indicating the path of the ICW. But, inexplicably, that line had
disappeared from my Northstar chartplotter: The chartplotter was OK, but the line simply
wasn’t on the chart! Fortunately Charlie is an experienced navigator, so he told me which
turns to take from reading the paper charts.
At 3:00pm we reached the tank farms, sand and gravel tankers, and other
industrial plants on the Savannah River—a very ugly approach to a beautiful city. At
3:30pm, after an eight mile ride upriver, we docked in front of Myeerah at the Hyatt
Hotel. Both boats were hosed down and I retired for a well-earned rest.
At 6:00pm George, Charlie and I met on the aft deck for drinks and dinner.
Sightseers walked past on the Riverwalk as we enjoyed ourselves. It’s fun to be
entertained, but even more fun to be entertaining! By 8:30pm we were disbanded and in
our staterooms. And so to bed…
Day 13: Thursday, November 17
Savannah, GA to Fernandina Beach, FL
102 nm, 8 hrs, 12.8 kts, 2000 gallons (Myeerah)
134 nm, 7½ hrs, 17.9 kts, 188 gallons, 13.4 gph (Tarhé)
This will be the first time I’ve taken the ICW through Georgia—all other trips
have been on the outside because the reputation is that the ICW meanders through
Georgia and the trip is tedious. The differences in mileage for the two boats support
this—Myeerah’s route on the outside is 32 miles shorter.
This will also be the last day that Tarhé will go in tandem with Myeerah. Today is
supposed to be uncomfortable on the outside, but on Friday a 20-knot north wind is
forecast to blow against the northbound Gulf Stream, creating 8-11 foot seas. Even with
stabilizers Myeerah could not go to sea, and she is too deep to take the shallow Florida
section of the ICW. She will have to sit tight in Fernandina Beach until the weather
clears. George and I will take Tarhé the rest of the way to Naples, dropping Charlie off
along the way so he can drive back to Naples for a Saturday event.
We were up at 6:30am and off the dock at 7:00am. It was sunny but very cool,
though our little cabin warmed up nicely. As we went down the Savannah River to
connect to the ICW both Myeerah and Tarhé passed a huge tanker at the same time, one
on each side. Myeerah continued on to the Atlantic and Tarhé turned onto the ICW at SM
575. The first two hours were slowed by lots of No Wake zones associated with marinas
and shipyards. We passed the Palmer Johnson yard at Thunderbolt and saw several very
large yachts out of the water.
Once we were away from Savannah there were few signs of life. It was near high
tide (the range is almost 10 feet) and the rivers were very broad and deep. It seemed to be
all marshland. The ICW meandered all over, and occasionally we would cross large
sounds (St. Catherine’s Sound, Ossawa Sound, Sappolo Sound) where the north wind
was against the current and a sizable chop developed. After a few hours we came upon
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“C” Venture, a 40-foot Carver like George’s. We had docked behind them at Coinjock. I
think the owners were fairly new to the boat. They followed us the rest of the way to
Fernandina Beach, as if we knew what we were doing.
As we approached Fernandina Beach we passed the King’s Bay Naval Station.
There were about eight security boats out and they stopped the traffic on the ICW just
behind us: a naval vessel was leaving to go to sea. It turned out to be a submarine—
Myeerah passed it when she was coming into the Fernandina Inlet.
We arrived at the Fernandina Harbor Marina at 2:30pm and took on 130 gallons
of fuel. Tarhé’s total fuel consumption since Charleston was 188 gallons at an average
price of $2.43 per gallon. We docked Tarhé at the marina for the night. At 3:00pm
Myeerah arrived after a 30 minute delay while the submarine left the Fernandina channel.
She docked at Florida Petroleum, about 4 blocks away, where she took on fuel at a much
better price. Once Tarhé was settled George, Charlie and I walked to Myeerah for the
night. Charlie took a walk in town while George and I rested.
At 6:00pm we met in the salon for drinks and dinner. By 8:00pm, after a
wonderful dinner of pork with Asian sauce followed by flan, we all headed to our
staterooms. And so to bed…
Day 14: Friday, November 18
Fernandina Beach, FL to Cape Canaveral, FL
Up at 6:00am and off in Tarhé at 7:00am. Myeerah remained in Fernandina Beach
because of the weather. The weather was cold and the skies were gray. A very brisk north
wind had come up, as predicted. The trip began well enough—the first 105 nm were
through relatively uninhabited waterways and the ICW is well marked in Florida. There
was little fetch and the wind was behind us, so it was comfortable.
We reached the St. John River south of Jacksonville at 9:00am and saw two tugs
doing a push me-pull you with the largest barge I’ve ever seen, carrying containers.
Crossing the St. John’s River we reentered the ICW with some wild currents—how they
control big barges in those conditions is beyond me.
We went down the narrow Tolomato River. At 10:30am we passed St. Augustine,
and at 12:30pm we reached Daytona Beach, having made an average speed of 18.9 knots
over the 105 nm. Then things went downhill. For the next 27 miles we had very frequent
slow speed zones as we passed Daytona Beach, New Smyrna, and miles of fishing camps
(each with their own boat ramp requiring no wake). Along the way we saw numerous
wr3ecked boats. One was a large tugboat-like diving ship that was thrown up on an
island. Finally we entered the shallow Mosquito Lagoon south of New Smyrna where we
could pick up speed. The strong north wind was blowing against the current, kicking up a
sizable following sea. Upon exiting the lagoon we entered the Indian River and the
problem worsened: we were getting pushed around quite a bit.
387
We reached a bridge north of Cape Canaveral and saw that it had only eleven feet
of clearance at the center, 9 feet at the sides. I needed 10 feet, so I thought there would be
no problem if I stayed in the center. But the following sea pushed the boat around and it
was difficult to maintain course. At the last second I tried to reverse, but the following
sea swept me under and the current turned me sideways. The masthead did go under the
center of the bridge, but the boat passed through sideways. Charlie thought it was
stressful!
At 4:30pm we reached the Cape Canaveral Barge Canal passing through Merritt
Island. Finally it was peaceful, but we didn’t know where the Harbortown Marina was,
and they didn’t respond on the radio. We called on a cell phone and the lady, who seemed
to think our call was social and required chitchat, said she could find no record of our
reservation—which we had paid in advance. Finally I told her the slip that we were to
have and she found the reservation. She was so chatty that you couldn’t get business
done! She then directed us to the marina and told us that everything closed at 5:00pm.
At 4:55pm we arrived at our slip and Charlie called a cab to take him to his rental
car. In the last five hours we had traveled only 57 nm, at an average speed of 11.4 knots.
I’ll take Georgia any time!
George and I hosed the boat down, refueled ($2.35 per gallon), and caught a cab
to the “nearby” Ramada Inn. It took 30 minutes to get there, and the cabby brought us to
the wrong one! Arriving at 6:30pm, we booked rooms and cleaned up. We were both
exhausted. I can’t imagine how Charlie is going to do the 6 hour drive to Naples tonight.
At 7:00pm George and I went to the Ramada Inn “Restaurant,” a room with tables
set up for the next day’s continental breakfast. There was a menu but it also was a Pizza
Hut, without the ambience. We each had a medium Meat Lover’s Pizza, which allowed
some leftovers for the next day’s breakfast.
At 8:00pm we went to our rooms, and by 9:00pm my lights were out.
388
Cape Canaveral, FL to Clewiston, FL
Awake and up at 6:00am before my automated 6:30am wakeup call. At 7:15am,
after pizza leftovers and complimentary coffee and orange juice, our cab arrived to pick
us up. By 7:30am we were at the Harbortown Marina and by 8:00am we were on our
way. The skies were gray and yesterday’s brisk north wind had become a brisk east wind.
We made good time because there were few slow speed zones. Passing
Melbourne at 10:00am, Vero Beach at 11:00am, and Fort Pierce at 11:30am, we
approached the St. Lucie Inlet at 12:00pm. A slight rain began and then, at 12:30pm, just
as we turned westward toward Stuart at the Indian River-St. Lucie River junction, a
strong squall hit with torrential rains, high winds, and no visibility. The waves in the
channel were blown flat by the wind! A large yacht had anchored with its bow into the
wind to sit it out, but we forged ahead, navigating on instruments to the North Fork-South
Fork junction of the St. Lucie River. There we encountered an obstacle: a railroad bridge
with 7-foot clearance was down and we had to wait over 30 minutes for two trains to
pass.
Just before 2:00pm we were on our way down the South Fork of the St. Lucie
River, where the Okeechobee waterway begins. Soon we reached the St. Lucie Lock, just
as a torrential rain began. The lock only took about 20 minutes to go through, but we had
to stand outside holding lines while the rain fell in buckets.
After passing through the lock we found that the culture of the waterway had
changed: development along the banks has continued, and now it is a long slow speed
zone! If I buy a house on a superhighway, can I get my legislature to put slow speed signs
on the road? The answer is a resounding yes! So, ignoring the restrictions, we bombed
along in the rain and fog. Eventually, we reached the Port Mayaca Lock, 40 statute miles
from the St. Lucie Inlet. Again, it rained torrentially just for our passing. After this, we
followed the 25-mile route across Lake Okeechobee to Clewiston. We arrived at 5:30am
to find that we had to navigate another lock into Clewiston. This one was filed with small
branches and leaves because of hurricane damage cleanup. Passing through the lock, we
approached Roland Martin’s Marina, where a bantam rooster of a guy named Little Man
helped us dock. We then refueled ($2.60 per gallon) with the help of the dockmaster,
Captain Sam—he’s the gray-beard with the fatigue-colored duck hunter’s hat with two
bird feathers sticking out. He travels around on his trawler and arrived here a year ago.
He was given a dockmaster’s job, probably because he was the only man around who
wasn’t someone’s brother or sister. But this is too much stability for him—and too many
hurricanes—so next spring he’s off again. Local color!
This is real cracker land! Our rooms were set up as efficiency apartments, with
twin double beds. I imagine that four guys on fishing trips stayed in each one! There is no
reason to be here except for fishing and traveling through the Waterway. But as
389
development proceeds along the banks, the boat traffic will diminish as boaters choose to
go the two days around the Keys to get to the west coast rather than the two days through
Okeechobee.
At 7:30pm George and I went to the Tiki Bar for dinner. The food was actually
good, but the ambiance sucked—fishing guys swilling beer, plastic cups and utensils,
loud country music. At 9:00pm we were in our rooms. And so to bed…
Clewiston, FL to Naples, FL
A late morning—awake at 6:45am, off to breakfast at 7:00am. A good greasyspoon breakfast.
At 8:30am we were leaving the Clewiston Lock. Again, clods of grass and small
limbs in the lock fouled our jet drive, but we eventually cleared them out. Our trip
through the Moore Haven, Ortona and Franklin Locks was uneventful, and the route was
much less interrupted by slow speed zones than the trip from Stuart to Clewiston.
However, it was often “slow speed” from the entrance to the Caloosahatchee River before
Fort Myers to the Punta Rassa bridge at Fort Myers Beach. Then a straight run to Naples.
We docked at our house at 3:00pm. It took only 6½ hours, plus one hour for the locks.
I had intended to take George home, but all three of our cars had dead—very
dead—batteries. Perhaps the guy we’d hired to run the cars hadn’t been doing his job!
Paula came with her two kids to pick George up, and she loaned me her car for ½ hour to
go to the Seven-Eleven get some food in for the night. After this, I washed Tarhé and sat
in the pool spa for an hour. Then dinner, two hours of HBO’s Rome, and bed…
Epilogue
After such a long trip some statistics are in order. Tarhé clocked 115 engine
hours, of which 107 hours were actual running time—the rest were warmup, cooldown,
and time waiting at bridges or locks. She traveled about 1,700 nautical miles (about 1,900
statute miles) in 17 days for an average distance of 100 nm per day. Her average speed
was just short of 16 knots. She had no mechanical troubles and survived the trip
undamaged in spite of some rough treatment.
About 1,225 gallons were of diesel fuel were consumed, costing about $3,200.
Add to that the costs of dockage along the way and of extra provisioning Myeerah for
owner and guests, perhaps $2,500, for a total cost of $5,700. Oh! Let’s not forget $700
for Rick’s help getting off a sandbar. So the overwater route got Tarhé from Boston to
Naples for about $6,400. Trucking Tarhé from Boston to Naples costs about $5,000
($4,000 for trucking plus about $1,000 for packing, unpacking, haul-out and launching. It
looks like the overwater approach is not cost effective.
390
But was the extra cost worth it. Undoubtedly! There were some exciting
moments: running aground at full speed in Barnagat Bay , and the squalls and torrential
rains on the St. Lucie River were high points. There were some tedious times, especially
the very long low speed zones in Florida, but there were many good times: the sunny but
cool days of quick travel on the ICW from Norfolk to Savannah; the company of Charlie
and George, both seasoned mariners, helpful navigators, and good companions. Yes, it
was worth it.
The weather interrupted the plan to have Myeerah and Tarhé meet at the end of
each day. That meeting was important because it was like coming home, and because
Myeerah is so comfortable and has all the amenities. When Myeerah got stuck in
Fernandina Beach the rest of the trip was not particularly pleasant. First, the weather was
bad even in the ICW, making boat driving both uncomfortable and wearing, and, at times,
making it threatening (the Stuart squalls again). The lesson learned is that extra time has
to be built into the schedule to allow the two boats to stay together.
Would I do this again? Certainly not tomorrow or next month. But I suspect that
come the spring it will seem like a good idea again.
391
392

Boston, MA to Naples, FL

Transcription

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