Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Very poor internet connection today. We are safe and sound – will try to post today’s fun tomorrow morning.

ttfn

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Well, the dinghy repair seems to have worked.  We gave the adhesive 48 hours to cure, and it looks like we’re OK.  Fingers crossed!

Today we:

• Pumped out the holding tank

• Topped off the cooler with ice

• Had a great visit from three young men who graduated from marine design school together – one was from Swan Creek Maryland, and he recognized our hailing port.

• Did a final load of wash

• Got the dinghy mounted on the stern

• Went to the beach at Siasconset (Sconset), a quaint little town on Nantucket’s Eastern tip.

Tonight, we’ll have dinner at Dune (also the name of one of my favorite Sci-Fi movies)

Nantucket is as far East as we’ll go this trip.  This has been a fascinating stop.  WE learned a lot about the island and its history.  It’s a special place.

Tomorrow, we start to head west back toward NYC.  Our first stop is Cuttyhunk, in the Elizabeth Islands just west of Cape Cod.  

So far, so good

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Hi everyone…

This special post is brought to you by WHALES!

This past Sunday morning, as we were plowing our way from Martha’s Vineyard to Nantucket, we heard the Coast Guard on the radio, responding to a report that whales were breaching.  As a mariner, you are expected to report all whale sightings to the Coast Guard, but I had never really heard it done.  

We could only hear one half of the conversation: “Affirmative, Captain.  You are reporting whales breaching.  What is your location?”  We couldn’t hear the answer, but I said, “As soon as he responds, there will be 50 boats in the area.”

We thought no more of it.  Spent yesterday in the whaling museum.  Learned how whaling was America’s first global enterprise, with our ships sailing all over the world.  Seeing that amazing whale skeleton.

Then, this morning, we saw a news feed about a whale breaching and landing on a boat in Plymouth Harbor on Sunday morning at 10 AM!  So cool to have actually heard it real time.

We would have been ”blubbering”if it had been our boat.

Heres a link to the video and news story:

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/video-shows-whale-breaching-off-mass-coast-landing-on-boat-it-was-insane/2787896/

Monday, July 25

Hi, it’s Lynn writing today’s post.

Nantucket is an island formed by rocks and sand -1200 feet deep – left behind by glaciers, and it’s history is rich, having been settled in the 1600’s by folks fleeing persecution by the Puritans in Massachusetts. Empowered by Quaker beliefs and philosophy, women played a big part in the development of business and industry – the major industry was whaling.  

Today was a day of sightseeing starting with the Whale Museum. This skeleton is of a young mature whale, only 45 feet long that washed up on shore in the late 90’s. If full grown it could be as long as 70 feet and weigh 90,000 pounds. 

The boat below it would have been cast off from a larger whaling ship to harpoon the whale and bring it alongside the larger ship to collect the whale oil (spermaceti)  that was used in machinery and lamps until the discovery of petroleum in Pennsylvania in 1859. 

This discovery changed the economy of Nantucket as people left, and it wasn’t until the mid 20th century that developers started restoring the island as an upmarket destination spot for the wealthy. Very quaint and picturesque today with many shops and cobblestone streets. 

We visited the Hadwen House, where there was a beautiful display of Nantucket baskets including a demonstration by one of the docents who also makes baskets. He took his time giving us a complete tutorial on making these baskets and all the work involved. Look at the nesting baskets below designed with scrimshaw – each depicting a different theme relating to Nantucket. 

We’ve had some great meals here so far and tonight’s reservation seems promising too…if only we could remember where we’re going!

TTFN

L&R&G

Sunday,July 24

We left Vineyard Haven at 8AM.  We could have relaxed (brekky at the Black Dog, etc.,) but the weather app told us that the wind and waves were going to build as the day went along, so we left early.

The dinghy glue was still curing, so we had to rig a bridle and tow it.  Here’s a great shot Lynn took as it followed us at the end of two 50ft. lines:

One hour into the trip we hit fog.  Visibility maybe 200 feet.  Thank goodness for radar.  Intense but manageable.

And sure enough, the seas started to build as we approached Nantucket.  Lots of spray over the bow.

But despite all that, we made it with no trauma.  We were fueled and docked by 11:00.  Whew.

The Nantucket Boat Basin is unique…Built on three large piers that jut out into the harbor.  The piers are so large that there are restaurants, and shops, and rental cottages up the center of the piers, with slips on either side.

And there are some BIG yachts here!  Many of them tow a boat the size of ours as their tender.

Tonight, we had dinner at a restaurant called The Company of the Cauldron. Very exclusive… No sign out front…just a cauldron.  Sounds like Harry Potter, doesn’t it?  It looks like it too:

The Cauldron is run by Josef Keller, who – with his brother Thomas Keller – turned the French Laundry into America’s finest restaurant.  Price Fixe.  Menu Fixe.  Tonight: Chicken and Waffles!  Great food and great fun!

Tomorrow we explore Nantucket.

TTFN

Sunday, July 23, 2022

We are loving it here in Vineyard Haven.  That’s the name of the harbor.  The town is called Tisbury, and this was one of the earliest settlements on Martha’s Vineyard.  This is where the schooners stopped on the dangerous run from Boston to New York.  

If we look to our right, we see what looks to be a town of 250 people, and if we look to our left, we see schooners and mega yachts.  One of the schooners is flying a huge flag with the Black Dog logo. Also, notice the guy on the hydro- board in the foreground, flying a foot off the water on a winged keel

.

We planned to eat at the Black Dog Café, but this was a work day, and we’re tired.  But the boat is clean and reprovisioned, and we’ve made an attempt at repairing the dinghy.  It’s been a problem since I bought the boat – the davits that hold the dinghy in position are glued to the rubber hull, and one has come completely loose.  Fingers crossed that our repair holds.

So tonight, we have chosen to make shrimp and rice onboard.  I’m sure it will be delicious – Lynn has the touch.  She can always make something great out of nothing.

Tomorrow, we’re off to Nantucket, and I’m happy to see that the forecast has improved.  It’s just 25 miles – about 2 hours, and I’m hoping for a more comfortable day.

That’s it for tonight – just wanted to let you know that all is well.

TTFN

R&L&G

Saturday Morning, July 23

Lynn decided we should do a post about loss.  Would you believe it if I told you that – since the trip began – we have lost 

• Two coolers 

• Three credit cards

• A sandwich

• And a cell phone

Fed Ex lost the first cooler and gave us a refund.  They then lost the second cooler.  Then they both showed up on the same day, so we got one for free.  One is at Lynn’s house, and the other one was delivered to Metedeconk.  It’s on board now, and it is great.

Our waitress in Rock Hall dropped the first credit card through the cracks in a wooden deck.  We left the second one in a bar in Cape May.  (We were out with Dana and Doug, and we were seriously overserved).  We cancelled that card, had a new one mailed to us and held for our arrival at Saybrook Point.  We used it for dinner at Saybrook Point and (wait for it…) left the card in the restaurant.  They are mailing it back to Lynn’s house.  Are you starting to see a pattern here?

Now…about that sandwich…Yesterday we had a spectacular day on Martha’s Vineyard.  For $5 apiece, we bought one-day passes and rode all over the island on their amazing bus system.  First stop: South Beach, where we sat on a huge driftwood log and ate our lunch, and watched some seriously heavy surf crash against the beach.  Serious rip tides as well.  They have lifeguardstations every 500 feet, and we watched one girl get rescued just after we arrived.  Beautiful lifeguards, by the way…it looked like an episode of Bay Watch.

Anyway, as we sit on our log, Lynn feels something smack into her head from behind, and suddenly her sandwich is gone.  As the gull flew away with her lunch, we realized what had happened: it smacked her with one of its wings as it made a dive for her sandwich.  And that’s how we lost the sandwich.

Back on the bus, we rode to visit the two other towns on the bus route: Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven.  Each is totally different from the other, and each is totally different from Edgartown.  Edgartown is posh and polished.  The houses all feature white clapboard or gray cedar shakes with white trim, and blue hydrangeas are a critical part of the color scheme.  The Edgartown Yacht Club members all wear full formal outfits on Friday night (white captain’s hat, blue blazer, white pants.  Almost a caricature – made me think of Caddyshack.

Oak Bluffs, in contrast, is Victorian – like Cape May but tacky.  Edgartown has boutiques; Oak Bluffs has T-shirt shops.  Yes, the waterfront is spectacular, and yes, they have restored the oldest carrousel in the US.  Just very interesting to see the distinct contrast with Edgartown.

Then, back on the bus, for a short trip to Vineyard Haven.  Again, a striking contrast: very small, relatively undeveloped, and home to a famous wooden boat repair firm.  Much more organic / authentic.  Also, the original home of the Black Dog Café’, the progenitor of all those wonderful Black Dog Boutiques.

Our reservation in Edgartown ends today, and we will move over to Vineyard Haven for one night.  It’s a good opportunity to clean the boat and reprovision before we jump to Nantucket Sunday morning.

Oh yes…the lost cellphone.  You thought I forgot, didn’t you?  

We were pulling into Edgartown on the bus, at the end of a long day, and Lynn realized she didn’t have her phone.  We had a large canvas bag with us that held our lunch, two sodas, two beach towels, etc.  But no phone.  So Lynn – clever girl that she is – checks in at the Edgartown Depot to inquire about Lost & Found.  No luck.  So then she says, “Let’s get back to the boat.  I’ll use your phone as a wi-fi hotspot, connect my iPad to the Internet, and use my ‘Find My Phone” app to locate the missing phone.”  And she did.

And it was moving!  We watched as it left Church Street, took a left onto Pease’s Point Way, and then slowly passed the cemetery.  We realized we were watching the bus we had taken to the beach, and that the phone was still on board.  One patient phone call later, and Lynn had the dispatcher contact the driver, and the phone came home.  Well done, Lynn!

It’s time to wrap up this post – we must get ready to move to Vineyard Haven.  It looks like a good day to be on the water.  Calm and sunny.  I wish this were our travel day for Nantucket.  That takes place tomorrow, and the Windy app warns that it will again be sloppy… Oh Well!

Leaving Edgartown

TTFN

R&L&G

Thursday July 21

Another sloppy day at sea.  15-knot winds and 2.5’ swells. On our beam.  We made a course change about halfway through the trip, choosing to run up Buzzard’s Bay instead of continuing into Vineyard Sound.  That put us in the lee of the Elizabeth Islands, and the swells diminished appreciably.  But then, we became enveloped in fog.  Thank goodness for Radar.

The fog burned off as we ducked through Woods Hole and into Vineyard Sound, and we once again battled with the wind and swells for the last hour into Edgartown.

Despite all the above, we made it to Edgartown in exactly 4 hours, as planned, but it was an uncomfortable ride.  Now we are safe and dry, secured to a mooring ball in Edgartown Harbor.  The brisk breeze is nice, and the sun is shining.

This afternoon, we’ll go into town for some sightseeing and dinner.

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

This was a terrific day. 

The Waterfront District in Newport is lots of fun – tons of restaurants and galleries and shops built out on the huge piers that extend perpendicular to Thames Street.  Bowen’s Wharf; Bannisters Wharf, etc.l   

But we wanted to see more of Newport, particularly the Mansions and the Cliff Walk.  Since we had not booked a tour in advance, we were dismayed to learn that all the tours were fully booked.  But Uber saved the day!  Our driver – Harry – was as personable and knowledgeable as any tour guide.  Plus, it was a private tour…no annoying passengers and unintelligible loudspeaker system!

We didn’t go inside any of the mansions – just a drive-by.  The buildings and the grounds are magnificent.  And the views from Ocean Drive are as spectacular as any in the world.

We also managed to:

• Do the laundry
• Do the food shopping
• Walk the dog
• Top off the engine oil
• Buy more oil
• Enjoy a delicious BBQ lunch from the Smoke House.
• Pack the new cooler with 20 pounds of ice.

Tonight, we’re off to the Clarke Cooke House Candy Store and Bistro for supper.  No, I did not make that up.  It was highly recommended by friends.  AND, it’s on the National Historic Register.

I know you’ve had problems with photos not loading – I believe the problem is on our end.  The Internet is so crappy that we haven’t figured out a foolproof method to transfer the photos from our cameras to WordPress.   As Michael Myers character famously said in some Alaska hockey movie, “It’s not Rocket Surgery”!  Lynn’s pretty smart, and she’ll figure it out when she gets a moment, but (alas) no photos tonight.

Tuesday July 19

It was a rough trip over today. Fortunately, the wind and tide were in our favor, but the swells were almost 5′. The boat would strain to climb them and our speed would drop to 16mph; then the boat would surf down the front of the swell, and our speed would increase to 19mph. Disconcerting, and not good for the boat. Plus the swells kept pushing us off course.

We finally got the boat speed synched with the swell speed, and we had a much more pleasant ride. But it seemed longer that the 4 hours actual travel time.

But finally, we’re here, in one of the prettiest seaport towns on the east coast. Very chi-chi. Here’s a photo of the church where Jack and Jackie tied the knot in 1953:

Newport is, however, authentically maritime. Here’s a photo of a beautiful schooner we passed in the harbor:

Plus, the 12-meter America’s Cup defender “Intrepid” is tied to the end of our pier. Really! You can charter her and experience for yourself what it feels like to captain an America’s Cup defender. I did it in New Zealand 40 years ago, and it was FUN!

Tomorrow, we’re going to tour the town and drive by the famous mansions on Ocean Drive.

Talk to you tomorrow!