May 28, 2023

After two months of land lubber-style travel and lots of grillin' n chillin' in Florida, we provisioned AZ and sailed out the Fort Pierce inlet. We had a great time but were ready to get AZ out of there. It being high season, the marina was unwilling to let us stay in a slip for longer than a week. We didn't like it because the marina has a habit of assigning more than one boat to a mooring ball. Just what we were afraid of, we got hit while on the mooring. We discovered the damage when we returned from a 2 1/2 week trip to Europe and Latin America. Of course, the perpetrator was long gone by then, having left a line of scratches down our port side. Of course, it would have been a non-issue with a bare aluminum hull. Grrr... With hurricane season approaching, off we went in search of a yard capable of painting an alu boat. Destination: north of Charleston for as far as we could until the wind turned.

We were hoping to make Beaufort, NC, but the going was too slow. With a counter current against us and little wind, we struggled to make it north and into the Gulf Stream. At least the waves were small. Overall it was a pretty uneventful passage, with bouts of motoring mixed in with slow sailing. The first night, we were visited by a homing pigeon during dinner in the cockpit. It almost landed in De Captain's lap, startling him. We could have easily picked him up. He was clearly used to humans. At first we were going to let him stay, but when we let him sit on the cockpit cushions, he decided to relieve himself. So we shooed him away and watched him circle the boat and then head toward land.



The second night, we dodged squalls with lightning. During the third day of the passage, we flew the spinnaker but then a squall hit. Although we snuffed it in time, we did not get it down below in time, and it got soaked. One of a handful of times that we regretted compromising on a forward sail locker. The next morning the wind started to turn and we decided to make for Winyah Bay, SC, instead of Southport, which we had set course for the day before. As usual, the Gulf Stream tried to take us to across the Atlantic, but was no match for AZ, at least that day.

We didn't make it into the Chesapeake Bay by June 1. Oops. Luckily, other than something fizzling out in the Gulf of Mexico, NOAA proclaimed that no tropical nonsense would befall us during the next week. We decided to take our time and enjoy some ICW fun until the wind turned back to the south. That night, we anchored next to Butler Island and were awoken with a loud thud. "What the...?" We ran on deck in our pajamas to find that we had been hit by an island. No, we did not drag and hit an island; an island was floating down the river and hit us. Apparently a tree broke off the bank of the river and decided to take the surrounding earth with it. We were so bewildered we didn't think to take a picture. Oh, the ICW...

The next day, we motored past Myrtle Beach and into the beautiful Waccamaw River. The area around Myrtle Beach was quite a scene. There were tons of little speedboats and pontoon boats pulling up to the plethora of dockside establishments. There was even a floating tiki bar with an outboard on the back going down the river.



Love it!


That night, we anchored just inside the Little River inlet with plans to hop outside to Wrightsville Beach. Even though we were barely inside the inlet, there was zero swell. It was spectacular setting with a view of the open sea.

 


Another beautiful sunset by the sea.


  It was a nice upwind sail to Wrightsville Beach in nonexistent waves and 10-15 knots of wind from the northwest. We were very glad for the nonexistent waves when we tried to start the engine before entering the inlet. After igniting, it sputtered. Then again. Da Captain went down below and found that the wires to the primary electric fuel pump had broken off. We hadn't gotten around to replacing the secondary pump after burning it out during our Atlantic crossing. Guess what boat job had to get done right then and there?! Luckily, Da Captain had done it before and it was calmer than some anchorages we've been in. So, we were into the inlet and at anchor in Wrightsville Beach before dark. We stayed for three nights, doing boat jobs and sitting out a minor blow from the north. We were a little dismayed at all the waterskiing taking place in the anchorage, but it's not our place to complain to the locals. Needless to say, we were glad to leave for an overnighter to Beaufort.

We decided to sail overnight due to impending weather and the scarcity of anchorages near Beaufort. We had great southwest winds and a full moon. We timed it to sail into Beaufort with a favorable current and, after stopping at Jarrett for fuel and water, continued to the Bay River. We even unfurled the yankee in the Neuse River. We recalled how we had stopped at Jarrett years ago, after a passage from Ponce Inlet, Florida, with a tropical storm a few days behind us. We were dirty, crusty and salty, so while paying for the fuel, Da Admiral felt the need to explain her appearance to southern belles shopping for nautical attire in the shop.

That night, we anchored in the mouth of Little Bear Creek and there was not a soul in sight--the benefit of leaving so late in the season. Once the sun set, we were glad to have screens. It was bugs galore.

The next morning, we prepared ourselves for two days of ICW slogging to Norfolk and the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. It was familiar territory and the first day went fine. We were nervous about getting under the notoriously low Wilkerson Bridge, but water levels were low and we made it under with room to spare. But the excitement didn't end there. As we entered the wider portion of the Alligator River, De Captain pointed to something in the water and asked, "is that a log or an animal?" Da Admiral grabbed the binoculars and gasped. "It's a bear!" We watched the creature for a while, gasping when it turned to look at us before continuing on its way. Luckily, it wasn't that far from shore, because it must have been two miles across. The poor thing must have been exhausted. Needless to say, that night we made sure all the large hatches were closed. We've heard of sailors getting snakes and other small animals on board, but a bear?!


  

No, that is not a log.






We were glad to reach Norfolk and catch up with an old friend and his beautiful family. As a bonus, it happened to be Harborfest! We anchored at Hospital Point and enjoyed the festivities. We saw our first ever drone show. It was super impressive.





We also admired the design and construction of the biggest ship at the dinghy dock.







June 15, 2023


In Solomons, Maryland, we saw another floating tiki bar and a painter looked at AZ's scratches in order to quote. On shore, we biked around the cute town.  Of course, we couldn't miss Thirsty Thursday at the Tiki Bar.

Afterward, the northwest wind took us to the eastern side of the Bay. We anchored off Tilghman Island for the night and were buzzed by a speedboat full of aggressive youth screaming obscenities at us. That was a first. And in of all places...





Then we headed to our old stomping grounds in the West River. We sailed in, just like old times. Except our extra 10 feet of boat length made for more exciting tacking in the close quarters. But the weather was lovely and we were glad to be out of the Florida heat. We were also glad to catch up with old friends at Chalk Point Marine and have a front row seat at the Wednesday night races. Thank you, guys!





Just like old times.



Then we spent some time in Annapolis and Baltimore. Unfortunately, it became unbearably hot. The heat and terrible air quality (Canadian fires, again) got the best of us and we threw in the towel. After waiting weeks for a quote from the yard in Solomons, we decided to head to Maine and stayed with friends and family until we got a weather window. We really appreciate them for taking us climate refugees in.





More of the sun through the Canadian smoke.


 
July 18, 2023


The forecast was for light winds. With the current with us, we sped through the C&D Canal. It was again unbearably hot so we navigated from the breezier front deck using the Ray Control app on the iPad. Then, we sailed nonstop overnight through the Delaware Bay and up to Block Island. In the Delaware Bay, we stayed at the side of the channel to avoid the big ships, but with shallow water on one side and big ships on the other, we were on edge (literally) all night. The next morning, we got hit by a 40-knot squall that pelted De Captain with pea-sized hail until he was able to come about so we could take down some of the already reefed main. It was both terrifying and beautiful. Other than that, the passage was uneventful. We dropped the hook in Block Island just before sunset. The harbor was bursting at the seams but we managed to find a gap.

From Block Island, we sailed into Buzzards Bay, stopping at Scraggy Neck for a night, then motored up the Cape Cod Canal. Even in calm weather and the wind and current with us, we found standing waves at the north end of the canal. We had a great upwind sail to Provincetown, where we spent the weekend. The anchorage is very deep so it took some time to get into the right spot. We had fun exploring the colorful town while we waited for the right wind to head to Maine.




 

Good thing we timed it right through the Cape Cod Canal.


 
  


Finally--we made it to P-town!


   



  July 24, 2023


A colony of seals saw us off as we left Provincetown. We were hoping to spot some whales on our way out, but they were galavanting elsewhere. The wind was perfect and, other than briefly hitting an unidentified object in the night (probably a runaway lobster pot), it was a relaxing passage. We flew the spinnaker most of the way, even slaloming through lobster traps and waving at the lobstermen as we came within 15 miles of the Maine coast in the early morning hours.

We anchored on the north side of Greens Island to be close to friends and proceeded to have a great week dropping in on the goings on on the island: the Atlantic Challenge training session was in full swing. We were honored to meet both the event's founder and the impressive young participants and their leaders. To top off the great vibe, we spotted a bald eagle in the anchorage.

Across on Vinalhaven, we were treated to an authentic lobster roll dinner. It was delicious and we were delighted to make new friends with our hosts.






The Atlantic Challenge HQ looked straight out of Robinson Crusoe.
 





We hiked around the island and checked out the old Scandinavian-style boat house.
 





Maine at its best. We were very lucky with the weather. We were told that the early part of the summer had been wet and cold.



  The rest of that week, we checked out nearby Hurricane Island and more of Vinalhaven, including Lane's Island.
















On our way north, we had reached out to a yard in the area that has experience with aluminum boats. Recommended by friends, they were super responsive, so we headed back west.





  August 1, 2023



Lyman Morse has a long boat building tradition. And a beautiful location. Two of them, actually. AZ was assigned to the Thomaston location. It was the cleanest, tidiest facility we've ever seen.








August 22, 2023


The work complete in record time, we were free to explore Maine. We planned on staying late into the season. First up for us was a lesson on dodging (and drifting free from) lobster pots.




Then, we checked out Isle au Haut and saw a whale breach along the way. The fabulous weather continued while we were anchored in the Cranberry Isles, before heading into beautiful Somes Sound.

We had fun dinghying around and trying to make friends with the residents of Seal Ledge. The hiking was, of course, Acadia fantastic. The clear water and pungent pines reminded us of Norway. And the local humans were just as wonderful. While having an after hours look-see at the grounds of the Mount Desert Island Historical Society (in an old school house), the curator who happened to drive by noticed us, pulled in, unlocked the door, and gave us a private tour (and some great hiking tips too). We took the free bus (aka the L.L. Bean bus) over to Bar Harbour to get the lay of the land and provision for going further down east.

Side note: We were particularly pleased to realize that all the land access issues we experienced in the Chesapeake Bay were behind us. From Block Island, north, it's just not an issue.
 





 



  The locals were shy but loud.










Did we mention that the hiking is spectacular?





After sitting out a minor blow near Sargent Point, we headed back toward the entrance of the Sound to check out Valley Cove.












  August 31, 2023


After checking out Southwest Harbor, we set sail for Roque Island. It was gusty and a hurricane out in the Atlantic was sending us a big, but gentle swell.




Exhilarating sailing along Maine's rocky coast.



Although we dodged lobster pots all day, we were rewarded with a beautiful moonrise after anchoring. There was another alu boat in the anchorage, built in South Africa by the same builder that built our previous boat. After the first night, the swell settled and a few more boats came in. We spent a fabulous three days walking the beautiful beaches and soaking it all in.




Beautiful, secluded Roque.


We decided to press a little further north before turning around. It was a great downwind sail to Cross Island, with not too much fog around. The 5 meter tidal range (and wet weather) reminded us of the coast of Brittany. We were the only ones there, and it was eerily beautiful.



The sun came out the next day, so we set to work prepping the dinghy for the huge tidal fluctuations while we explored the island.


 


 





The nature was spectacular and it was fun to nose around the abandoned coast guard station and peruse through the guestbook, signed by intrepid sailors from all over. Other than Da Admiral's ankle getting attacked by wasps and blowing up like a balloon, it was a perfect day.


 

We found this sign after scrambling up the rocks. We were pleased to have identified the correct place to land the dinghy.

 




  September 5, 2023

 
We were bummed to have to turn back south after Cross Island. We would have loved to cruise Nova Scotia, but it was getting late in the season. We were, however, excited to finally sail into Bar Harbor and it's famous Bar. After making pit stops in Great Wass and Prospect Harbor, we got a front row seat to all the action.




Tourists walking across the famous bar at low tide.




Quintessential Maine. Stunning.






More "cottages."


After a couple days in Bar Harbor, we set sail for Buckle Harbor. Dense fog enveloped us just outside Bar Harbor. It was spooky and, as in the Outer Hebrides, we were glad to have radar. Just in case, Da Admiral pressed the siren on our megaphone every few minutes. But we still managed to completely freak out one of the young crew of a lobster boat who was hauling pots when we blew by them with sails up. We laughed as he jumped back and yelled "Where the #@$% did you come from?!"




Luckily, the fog gave way to glorious sunshine before we reached Buckle Harbor. We had a wonderful couple days hiking the island and dinghying around the area. Unfortunately, the fairy structures had all been destroyed by a storm, but it was enchanting nonetheless.











We found this little guy on our way back to the mother ship. Getting him to stay put until we reached shore was quite the challenge.



September 11, 2023

  Next up was Babson Island. The weather had turned dark and wet again, so we waited for the fog to lift and a break in the rain before weighing anchor. It was a short, 5.5-mile hop, and we made it in just before the fog returned.

Later in the day, we explored the island and discovered a huge fern forest in the middle. There was also an enormous wasps nest, which Da Admiral steered clear of.



 











Back on board, we nervously checked the weather for news of Hurricane Lee every few hours. When we awoke the next morning, we learned that Lee would hit Maine instead of Nova Scotia. We were on passage to Long Island within four hours.

It was a downwind passage in light wind and dense fog, which blew right into the companionway. Everything inside the boat was wet. But we made good speed until the wind turned and died at 23:00. Luckily, the fog cleared near Massachusetts, and we enjoyed a lovely afternoon of sailing. We were visited by a lost little bird, perhaps blown off course by the hurricane, and saw a whale, puffins and a sailfish. We heard the Coast Guard helicoptor on the VHF warning vessels that Hurricane Lee was approaching, to bring "winds of 5-0 knots and waves of 3-0 feet."  We rushed to make it into the Cape Cod canal with a favorable current, so we could get through Buzzards Bay in daylight. We made it into Block Island Sound just in time, and passed The Race in the dark, with a beautiful lightning show in the distance. After the lightning passed, we sailed under a beautifully clear, star-filled sky, with the Big Dipper looking bigger than ever. We entered the Hamptons at sunrise.

Smith Cove, Shelter Island, would be our home while we waited for the hurricane to pass out at sea. Although we were bummed to leave Maine so early, watching the weather, we were glad we didn't stay to ride it out. Instead, we hiked the nearby nature preserve and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and calm waters. There was a lot of dinghy action across to Sag Harbor.

 



The beautiful colors of the edges of a storm system.




    

The day of the hurricane, the clouds were floating up, not by. It was surreal.

After three days, the coast was clear. Having read about the area, we decided we absolutely had to sail across to Essex, Connecticut to take in a Sea Chanty experience.



September 17, 2023

It was a lovely, sporty sail through the Plum Gut and across Long Island Sound. We went through some mini rages, but luckily we timed it well. With the help of the current, we flew along at 7-8 knots. We went through the open Old Lyme Draw, and into the fresh water of the Connecticut River.



We weren't the only Dutch ship in the harbor. The Onrust, flying the flag of Amsterdam, was docked outside the museum.




We wasted no time touring the historic town, where every local we encountered greeted us with a warm New England welcome.





 


Alas, we stumbled upon the Griswold, the oldest pub in America, in all its glory.










Oh, the days when we were welcomed as yachtsmen. Okay, at least half of us...


The next eve, we had a blast at the Gris on Sea Chanty night. Most of the locals arrived in full pirate regalia and knew every song. What a hoot!

We wanted to anchor outside Mystic the following day, but the harbor was much too bumpy. We decided to anchor at Fisher's Island.

Overnight, the wind really picked up, so we made for Newport early the following day. We would be heading back north to explore what we missed while running from Hurricane Lee. It was a great downwind ride with the yankee only in 15-20 gusting 25. We anchored in the south anchorage for a couple nights and checked out the fabulous town. The Cliff Walk was a highlight.
 










In advance of a blow due to distant Hurricane Ophelia, we moved to the north anchorage. We hunkered down on board in the boisterous conditions, and went stir crazy for a few days. Next time we'll stay put near all the action.




Beauty ahead of the Ophelia outskirts.


We were glad to resume our touring when the blow ended.





 







You know it's a sailing town when they have to address the drying of sails in the park rules. It's also got the biggest and best West Marine ever!



  September 27 , 2023


It was a sporty, upwind sail to Cuttyhunk in 20 knots of northeast wind. We were glad to reach the harbor, but nervous about whether there would be enough water to enter, even at high tide. With the wind and waves pushing us in, De Captain steered us into the harbor in slow reverse, with Da Admiral on the bow. The sun was just ahead, so she had to confirm the location of the deeper water by watching the current and ripples. We made it in just fine, and enjoyed a beautiful sunset ahead of yet another blow.





Cuttyhunk sunset



On board, we enjoyed learning about the history of the area while we waited for a break in the weather. As soon as it came, we headed to shore to stretch our legs.













October 2, 2023


From Cuttyhunk, we sailed to Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard.  It was a special few days, as it was on a trip to Martha's Vineyard almost 20 years ago that together we first admired sailboats at anchor. Curiosity turned into sailing lessons (a refresher for De Captain), which turned into buying our first boat, a Cal 27. The rest is history.





We had the best of times admiring the cute town and meeting the locals at the watering hole.
Unfortunately, we couldn't dilly dally. It was getting late in the season, and the first of the nor'easters would arrive any day. We set sail for Nantucket the following day.

In Nantucket, we found cuteness around every corner. Along with seeing the sights and provisioning, we also prepared the ship for passage back to the Chesapeake Bay. Most excitingly, we prepared to welcome our first ever crew member on an overnight/multinight passage.





The history lessons were a highlight of our New England cruise.



d


A reminder that we were 3,200 miles away eight months ago.


Finding this sign was a fitting end to our summer in New England. It was hard to believe it had only been eight months since we left the Cape Verde islands.

The next afternoon, our crew member arrived. The following morning, we set off for the Chesapeake Bay.

Stay tuned for updates on our winter in the beautiful Bahamas!