Days 6-9:  June 5-8, 2018

The morning of June 5^th, I somewhat expected the marina to be buzzing with discussions of the previous night’s events, but no such occurrence.  I did hear hushed tones among the marina staff and asked outright what happened after I described my previous night’s experience.  Apparently, one of the live-aboards had a guest who had a heart condition staying with him.  After the guest left to use the restroom but didn't return, the live aboard contacted the marina manager who searched the marina and found the body in the water.  No official word on the actual cause of death but I speculate that the guest had a heart event, fell in the water and was either dead when he fell in or died in the water.  So, foul play was ruled out.  I felt a bit safer.

We treated ourselves to breakfast at the little shop on the corner near the marina, mailed some letters at the mailbox in front of the nearby district courthouse, and enjoyed City Park with its fountain and fish sculptures.  The day was overcast with intermittent showers, a perfect day for inside projects and just chilling.  That afternoon we took a walk to the Constitution and around the Navy Pier neighborhood as well as a dock walk around the marina.  The crafts within the marina range from near derelict boats in need of extensive refurbishing to large luxury yachts with cleaning crews busily polishing and shining all surfaces.  This is a marina of contrasts, a microcosm of the macrocosm, right here!  That evening while having our wine on the flybridge, we watched as a storm moved over the Boston area.

Bob pets the fish sculpture!

Old Ironsides in her glory!

A storm moves over Charlestown. 
Note the Bunker Hill Monument in the right background

The next day, at the request of the dockmaster, we moved Velomer from D dock to T dock as the regular occupant of our D dock slip was returning to the marina.  T dock provided us a better view of the harbor but was closer to the Charlestown Bridge.  As a result, the noise level was a bit higher particularly at night.  I’ll take the view, thank you!  We met Carol Jackson for lunch as she was in Boston for the day and we had a wonderful time catching up.  After lunch, we checked the marina office and found that the new Keurig had arrived!

Velomer on T dock near the Charlestown Bridge (background)

Carol Jackson joined us in Boston.

Our new Keurig coffee maker!

That evening Bob’s cousin, Annie, and her husband, also Bob, came for a visit aboard Velomer.  Annie’s dad, Howard, recently passed away.  Howard, who was well into his 90s, was Bob’s mother’s first cousin whom we met decades ago in Tucson, Arizona and thoroughly enjoyed his mellowness and gentle ways.  We inquired about services for Howard and Annie replied that it was Howard’s wish not to have an obituary, funeral, or even a memorial service.  She did say that the internment was to be at Green Farm in East Greenwich, RI, the family homestead with a cemetery.  As we may very well be in that area aboard Velomer in the next week or so, we inquired about the date and time with thoughts of possibly attending.  At that point, Annie’s husband piped in, “Sorry, you are being disinvited.  Close family only.  I’m lucky I get to attend.” We’ve never heard of an invitation-only internment! Despite being disinvited, Annie and Bob’s visit was delightful.

In 1972, Annie’s husband kept a boat, which he described as” little more than a shed on a raft,” at the marina.  He abandoned it and apparently the marina used his boat as the location for vending machines after that.  We took a dockwalk to see if his boat was still around.  If it was, it was unrecognizable.  After many goodbyes and promises to keep in touch, Annie and Bob drove off.

The next morning, Thursday, we made coffee with the new Keurig.  I still felt a little bit guilty but thoroughly enjoyed my freshly brewed coffee on the flybridge.  The weather was slightly better than yesterday but still chilly with overcast skies.  Our morning and afternoon were filled with boat maintenance/projects.  

Bob continued to clean and polish/wax the exterior fiberglass.  I cooked one of our favorite dishes – chicken, tomatoes and okra – along with daily cleaning.  Our only “have to complete today” task was a visit to Ace Hardware to pick up our order of a Meyer’s hand cleaner refill bottle.  Of course, you can’t go to the hardware store and buy just one item so we also got shop towels and Minwax satin polyurethane to touch up the interior floor in the saloon.  As we were in the same shopping center as Whole Foods, a visit there was also indicated.  While at the center, Bob started up a conversation with a local and found out that there will be a parade on Sunday celebrating the Battle of Bunker Hill.  This will be a great way to spend part of Sunday.

CHHS 50th reunion -- a private event with Joyce Stevens!

Friday involved continued projects such as repairing/replacing some of the canvas snaps and tie-downs, more exterior fiberglass cleaning and polishing/waxing (a never ending activity) and general cleaning, organizing to keep things orderly on the boat (also a never ending activity).  The highlight of the day was having lunch with my high school buddy, Joyce Stephens, a classmate I highly regard – she doesn’t beat around the bush and tells it like it is.  She has been a North End resident for more than 30 years and knows the area so well.  She is a great resource for finding whatever you need from foodstuffs, to good restaurants, to where to find clean and safe public bathrooms, to specialty hardware.  Our 50^th high school reunion is coming up this fall and we decided to have our own private HS reunion and took a class picture!

While in Boston we also had a visit by my sister and brother-in-law, Alice and Bob Roemer.  Great to catch up with family!

June 3 & 4, 2018, Days 4 & 5

We awoke Sunday morning to the gently rocking of Velomer and clear blue skies.  We gave the Keurig one last chance to redeem itself but to no avail, so out came the French press.  During morning coffee on the flybridge, we planned our day and decided to restock fresh fruits and vegetables and anything else that we might want for provisioning.  A Whole Foods Market is within easy walking distance from the marina and that was our destination.  Much of our morning was idled away.  I broke down and got on line and ordered a new Keurig from Amazon which will arrive by June 6.  Bob decided to hose down the deck but neglected to close the stateroom window by his side of the bed and had to deal with minor flooding.  The dysfunctional Keurig was deposited in the dumpster.

The shopping center with the Whole Foods Market also has an Ace Hardware store, US Post Office, liquor store, pharmacy, hair salon, and bank with an ATM.  What more could a boater ask for?  We did our shopping and returned to the boat.

Constitution Marina is one of the best marinas we have encountered.  The location is incredibly convenient within walking distance to many of Boston’s attractions and shopping.  The facility itself has very attractive private bathrooms, a laundry room, swimming pool, lounge, large deck with grills and friendly staff.  Sunday mornings include bagels and donuts, and fresh pot of coffee is always in the office.  The best feature is the community of boaters many of whom are live aboards.  We met Tony and Phil with their ten-week old baby on the sailboat adjacent to Velomer, Chuck and Victoria on the Sea Ray on the other side, Steve and Sherri across the dock.  We also found out that Sunday evening was the “Start of the Season” party hosted by the marina with all boaters invited including us transients.  What a welcome to the area!

As expected, Monday’s weather was dreary with rain including the occasional downpour.  The bright spot was meeting up with our friends Sally and Randy who happened to be celebrating their 48^th wedding anniversary.  We had a fabulous three hour lunch at their favorite Portuguese restaurant in Cambridge where we discussed everything under the sun.  Sally, Randy and I go way back, more than 50 years.  I was with Sally when she met Randy and witnessed their budding romance.  Still very much in love, they can bicker like nobody else I know and it’s always a treat to watch the show.

We arrived back on Velomer stuffed to full capacity and enjoyed some quiet time.  About 2030 hours, I decided to use the marina bathrooms, put on my yellow slicker and headed down D dock.  The trek to the bathrooms is a good hike of about 500 paces along various floating docks.  Night was descending and the overcast skies limited whatever daylight remained.  I saw some activity where D dock joins A dock and thought that another dockside gathering was taking place.  I had to pass by the gathering to get to the bathrooms.  As I approached, I saw something across the dock and as I got closer realized it was police tape.  I looked closer at the gathering and realized the people standing around were all police officers.  One officer approached me and I explained I needed to use the marina restroom.  He lifted the tape and escorted me along the dock about 25 feet to another police tape cordoning off the area.  He asked me if I had any identification.  I said I only had my I-Phone with me.  He then asked my name which I gave him and my birth date which I also told him and he wrote this down in a small notebok.  I then asked him if he was going to send me a birthday card.  He smiled and replied, “Maybe next year.”  I didn’t think anything of this thinking maybe a boat had been damaged and the police were investigating.  A few by-standers were on A dock watching the police activity and I asked them what was going on.  They said someone had fallen into the water and died.  Not the answer I expected.

I used the restroom and walked back to D dock where the same officer met me and escorted me along the dock to the opposite side of the police tape.  Along the way I noticed something on the dock covered with a blanket.  I realized that must be the body!  From the size of the covered item, I suspected the deceased was male at least six feet, but the body could have been bloated.  How long had the body been in the water?  Who discovered the body?  Did the person drown? Was it an accident?  Was it foul play?  So many questions.  No answers!

When I returned to Velomer and told Bob of my experience, we closed all the curtains and double checked to make sure the doors were locked.  Just in case.

June 1 & 2, 2018, Days 2 & 3

After a very rejuvenating night’s slumber, we awoke to a day of relatively calm waters, relaxation, decompression and just plain chilling.  Because we were moored with no electrical hookup, we tried to use minimal electrical power to save the charge on the batteries, which means no Keurig coffee making.  I love and hate the Keurig, love it because it’s so easy and convenient to make a single serving cup o’ joe, hate it because the process creates so much one-use plastic waste.  I feel guilty every time I use the Keurig, but not guilty enough to change my ways to save the planet.  This morning, however, saving the batteries was more important than my convenience or the planet, so out came the French press.  The coffee was good and really, the job of cleaning up the French press was not all that inconvenient. Especially when balanced with the thrill of “all in” boat living.

We spent the morning lolly-gagging around, catching our breath from yesterday’s travels, organizing here and there, a little cleaning.  I contemplated taking the dinghy into shore to explore the isles but decided that was way too much effort for the mood I was in.  Our tranquility was soul renewing but short lived. 

Bob started to look at the weather forecast about 1100 hours.  He concluded, “This doesn’t look good.”  Our plan was to stay here on the mooring for another night, go to Portsmouth for two nights, Saturday and Sunday, to spend some time with our niece Rachel and her family, then cruise to Boston on Monday where we have reservations at Constitution Marina for the week of June 4-11.  Bob continued, “Monday’s weather calls for wave heights of six plus feet and periods of six seconds.  There’s no way we can make it to Boston on Monday.  The next decent weather window isn’t until next Thursday.”  We got into action, called Rachel to see if she and her family could squeeze a visit in that evening, called Wentworth Marina in Portsmouth to see if they could accommodate us that night, and called Constitution Marina to see if they could take us for Saturday and Sunday in addition to the week already reserved.   All the pieces fell into place.

Within minutes we dropped the mooring ball with me at the helm and Bob handling the lines.  We were on our way the 7.2 nautical miles (NM) to Wentworth Marina in Portsmouth.  Bob took over the helm as we entered the harbor and expertly glided Velomer into slip B12 stern in.  We visited Rachel, Jeff, and twins Eilana and Amelia briefly that evening enjoying catching up and giving hugs.  We made a quick dinner, cleaned up, and were in bed and asleep by 2100 hours.

At the crack of dawn, Bob jumped out of bed and looked out the stateroom window to see thick fog – not ideal cruising conditions.  Hoping the fog would burn off as the sun came up, he went into the saloon (spelled like a cowboy hangout but pronounced like a place you have your hair cut) to make coffee, using the Keurig.  The first cup brewed just fine (my cup); on the second cup, the Keurig acted like it was possessed spitting out hot water in spits and spurts at the wrong time.  The coffee maker had fallen down during the rough seas on Thursday and obviously sustained fatal injuries.  No amount of cajoling, plugging and unplugging, powering off and powering on could make it work properly.  After sipping the scant cup of coffee, we returned the marina keys, did an engine check, started the engine, unhooked the electric cable, and prepared the dock lines for departure.  Again, I took the helm and Bob handled the dock lines.  Velomer quietly glided out of the slip and into a clearing fog.  The water was a flat calm.  No wind, no waves. 

We left the dock at 0630 hours.  Blue sky was above us with an almost mystical fog surrounding us on the horizontal.  Visibility was about a quarter mile with everything beyond fading into the misty background.  A seal poked its nose through the water’s surface just yards from the bow and greeted us before diving below, its sleek form effortlessly advancing. 

This is not the first time Velomer has run in fog.  I remember the pea soup fog off the New Jersey coast two years before when you couldn’t see 100 yards in front of you and the fog along the North Carolina Intracoastal Waterway.  I find the fog heightens my concentration; all senses are on full alert.  Sight, sound, smell, feel, even taste.  I feel fully alive in the fog.  Radar also helps!

By 0830 hours, the fog lifted and calm seas prevailed.  We had a 54 NM journey to Boston via the Annisquam River that separates Cape Ann from the mainland.  This river has a very narrow navigable channel with multiple twists and turns, so I let Bob take over the helm.  In these situations, having two sets of eyes reading the charts and looking for channel markers is very useful and necessary.  The river flows either into or out of Gloucester Bay depending on the tide.  We came through the river on a rising tide, so we had to battle significant current to enter the bay.  Once out of Gloucester Bay, Boston was a straight run.

The auto pilot remained problematic while underway.  The auto pilot screen kept giving us disturbing messages such as “no auto pilot source data” and “auto pilot has lost GPS signal as speed source.”  We had no idea as to what those messages meant in practical troubleshooting terms.  Did a connection come loose?  In addition, the auto pilot kept making high pitched squealing sounds even in calm waters when adjusting the rudder.  Bob thinks there is air in the hydraulic line causing the squealing.  The auto pilot dash board screen was also very warm to the touch.  We got out the heat indicator gun which registered 131 degrees which confirmed our suspicions.  To make matters worse, every time Bob attempted to bring up data from current stations on our GPS 4212 unit, the unit froze and the only way to restart was to turn the unit off and back on.  Another problem was that our boat icon on the GPS screen appeared 14 to 16 degrees less than our course, such that the icon crabbed along the course line as opposed to straight along the course line.  We found this very frustrating particularly because we just spent outrageous amounts of boat units (one boat unit equals $1,000 US dollars) on a new auto pilot system last season and that the new auto pilot worked just fine last year when we cruised to Boothbay Harbor.

Bob wanted to call Garmin while underway to Boston to get these various issues resolved.  I disagreed.  Our conversation went something like this:

Bob:  “I want to call Garmin and get them to resolve this.  This is ridiculous.  I spent too much money on this to have it not work.”

Me:  “Have you read the manual yet?”

Bob:  “No.  I don’t need to read the manual.”

Me:  “Well, maybe the manual will have a section on troubleshooting that may be helpful.”

Bob:  “I never read the manual.”

Me:  “Do you know where the manual is?”

Bob:  “Down in the stateroom with all the other manuals.”

Me:  “Well the manual is a good place to start so that when we do call Garmin, we’ll be educated enough to know what the technician is talking about.  We need to not only read the manual but study it first before we call Garmin.”

Reluctantly Bob retrieved the auto pilot manual from the stateroom.  We spent the next half hour reading and studying and learned that the auto pilot needs two trials, a dockside trial and a sea trial.  We decided the best thing to do was to repeat the two trials and if that doesn’t resolve the issues then we will call Garmin. 

While we were futzing around with the auto pilot, we received two messages from the AIS (Automatic Identification System) telling us we were on a collision course with two sailing vessels.  When we looked in the direction of these vessels we only saw one sailboat but couldn’t find the second.  AIS is a piece of radio equipment consisting of a transponder that transmits and receives information about water craft.  It is an automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services and is the primary method of collision avoidance for water transport.  The visible vessel was named Ghost, a name we had heard about just days prior when we were at MGH with Kath Greenleaf for her final infusion.  We were sitting around with hospital staff chatting about our plans for our stay in Boston at Constitution Marina when one of the staff commented that she has a friend who lives on a sailboat called Ghost at the marina.  Taking a chance that this Ghost was that Ghost, we called the vessel on VHF radio.  Sure enough, it was one and the same.  We made plans to greet each other at the marina this coming week.  As for the second vessel, as we got closer we became aware of a very small sailboat that was unmanned.  Weird! We continued on to Boston.

Boston Harbor is one of the busiest harbors we have encountered.  As we entered the North Channel, we shared the waterway with Northern Justice, a container ship leaving the area.  On our way in to Constitution Marina and in addition to jet planes buzzing overhead on the way in and out of Logan Airport we encountered numerous ferries, a “Shark” boat (that takes tourists out into the harbor at high speed and makes sharp turn to get everyone aboard wet with wake splash), Coast Guard boats, a pilot boat, harbor cruise tour and sail boats, pleasure craft, and sailboats of all sizes.  I don’t quite understand why anyone would take a sailboat into Boston Harbor with all the commercial activity and turbulent wakes, but many sailors do.

As a commercial vessel, this ship commands the right-of-way!

Container ships are huge!

Tour boats cruise the harbor.

Jets buzz in and out of Logan Airport.

Constitution Marina, not surprisingly, is located near the USS Constitution, in Charlestown in the inner most reaches of the harbor.  We radioed the marina for a slip assignment and directions to the slip.  Although we had reservations, the marina was not quite ready for us.  Fortunately, Bob was at the helm when Velomer needed to turn on a dime in a very narrow space which he executed with finesse.  We are now safely docked in slip D11 for the next nine days.

Now our big dilemma:  we still have about 80 Keurig cups and a discombobulated coffee maker.  Do we give away the cups that cost a fortune?  Or, do we buy a new Keurig coffee maker and contribute to the destruction of the planet?  I am totally undecided!

May 31, 2018, Day 1

Velomer floats patiently at slip H17 at Port Harbor Marina in South Portland, Maine ready to cruise.  All mechanical repairs are completed including a new starter, starting battery and cables, relay switches.  Her engine hums.  The new West Marine 8.5 foot dinghy rests on the swim platform on new weaver davits, the new 8 horsepower dinghy engine safely secured on the motor mount installed just yesterday.  She is fully stocked with ample tasty and healthy foods plus three cases of our favorite wine, Sauvignon Republic available only at Trader Joe’s, and an adequate supply of dark chocolate.  Her interior has been upgraded with new cushions, decorative pillows, new mattress, towels, and curtains.  Her fiberglass exterior shines with buffed polish.  She is now our primary and only residence.  Even the weather reports are favorable.  This is the moment we have been planning for the last several years.  In boating lingo, we are “all in.”

Our dear friend, Kath Greenleaf, picked us up earlier this morning at Autowerkes, the foreign car repair and sales business, where we drove our trusty Volvo.   We consigned our car to Autowerkes to sell on commission.  Our car was our last attachment to the “dirt.”  Kath drove us back to the marina where we said our tearful goodbyes.  Back on the dock we stood admiring our vessel.  We agreed that I would take the helm guiding Velomer out of the slip, out of the marina and into Portland Harbor.  I took my place at the helm on the flybridge, checked the gauges, and turned on and tested the bow thruster.  All was A-okay.

Bob took his place on the fordeck.  He shouted, “Bow line off” ”. This was my signal to slowly move the gear shift forward.  Bob climbed aboard Velomer while Dick, who lives aboard Merlin across the dock from Velomer, held Velomer to the dock with the breast line.  Dick passed the stern line to Bob who shouted to me, “Stern off.” He released the breast line.   Then untethered, Velomer inched forward out of the slip. I moved the bow thruster lever to port and turned the wheel to port as well.  I slowly gave her some throttle while continuing on the thruster.  Velomer glided to the left slowly easing her way out of the slip and into the fairway between H dock and G dock.  She moved effortlessly with grace and deliberation.  We were off.  I steered Velomer out of the marina, through the mooring field and entered the main channel of Portland Harbor. 

Once in the main channel, I went to engage the auto pilot and pressed the correct button.  A message came up on the screen “auto pilot data not available.”  I did what I always do in this situation.  I called Bob.  He came up to the flybridge, looked at the screen.  We have learned from past experience that the most effective approach is to troubleshoot the simple solutions first.   Sure enough when Bob went to the electric panel in the salon of the boat he found that the breaker for the auto pilot was not on.  Once the breaker was turned on, the auto pilot engaged.  However, the sounds coming from under the dashboard in the flybridge sounded more like dying dinosaurs than an auto pilot.  Not good.

The weather reports indicated seas of one to two feet with a period of nine seconds.  Not as uneventful as a flat calm, but comfortable cruising conditions.  Our general rule of thumb is to divide the period by the wave height and any quotient of two or greater is acceptable although two is marginal. So nine divided by two is 4.5, so this was a go.  Once outside Portland Harbor the weather conditions changed a bit to seas of two to three feet with periods of six seconds.  We’re now at quotients of two and three.  A little rough but nothing we can’t handle.  Plus, we figured that things would calm down once the tide changed.  The tide changed all right, but conditions never really calmed down any.  At the peak of discomfort, waves were three to four feet with periods of three to four seconds.  Wind also picked up to gusts of 20 mph to make for choppy seas.  

Moving about the boat became challenging and we found ourselves braced in our seats on the flybridge with our feet tight up against the dashboard.  The only way to describe the experience is to imagine yourself on a huge trampoline with lots of people bouncing on it and you are trying to stay upright.  We are both very fortunate in that we don’t easily get seasick. 

We arrived at Isle of Shoals protected harbor by 5:00 pm exhausted but none the worse for wear!  We were able to pick up a mooring, toast our safe arrival, witness an outstanding sunset, and throw together a dinner of leftovers.  By 9:00 pm we were snuggled in bed enjoying the comfortable gentle rocking of the boat by Mother Nature.