Home Again, Home Again



VELOMER at her home port

PM'S perspective:

Home, sweet home!  There is nothing sweeter than a long absence to make the heart grow fonder.

The weather over our last two travel days from Boston to Spring Point Marina could not have been more favorable. Calm seas and warm temperatures only added to our enjoyment of the journey and anticipation of homecoming.  But I am getting ahead of myself.

Tuesday evening (September 17, 2013) Bob and I ventured out via the MTA from Constitution Marina to Logan Airport to meet Phoebe, Erik and the twins for their first visit to Maine in more than two years.  My background in utilizing the Paris Metro served us well in finding our way from the orange line at North Station to the blue line at Government Center to the silver line depositing us at Logan's Terminal C.  We left an hour and a half before the JetBlue flight was scheduled to arrive thinking we would probably get lost or at least delayed by rush hour.  Our transfers went perfectly smoothly getting us to the airport with 45 minutes to spare.  To pass the time, we had dinner as well as got a take out order of sweet potato fries for the twins figuring that they probably wouldn't have eaten much on the plane.  We patiently awaited at the security exit of the JetBlue gate area scanning the crowd for signs of familiar faces.  Our reward came when we saw Phoebe and Annika hand-in-hand waving to us followed by Erik and Trygvy.  What a lovely sight for our yearning eyes!  After lots of hugs, we all moved to the baggage claim area chatting away about flight experiences and boating adventures. 
Tryg and Anni seemed a bit overwhelmed and not quite sure who these two crazed adults were (after all, three months to an almost three year old is quite a long time) but they soon warmed up to us and remembered MaiMai and Baba.  The sweet potato fries helped!  With collected bags we all headed to the ground transportation area where we met Erik's mom, Mary Longley, who provided transportation from the airport to Maine.  After everyone hugged some more, Bob and I bid farewell to the Maine bound group and headed back to the boat.  The return trip was not quite as smooth as the trip out.  Fortunately, folks in Boston are very helpful to lost looking travelers.  As we walked back to the marina from North Station, we enjoyed the stars and full moon and delighted in the warm feelings only family can bring.  The following morning we got up at the crack of dawn and headed north.

Boston Harbor early in the morning is tranquil and ready to greet the day.  Boat traffic consisted of a handful of fishing boats and the occasional ferry, all easy to navigate around.  The city itself was still asleep as the sun poked over the horizon.  We were on our way back!  More than an hour passed as we wove our way through the channel markers and the many islands out to open water.  Over the last three months I have become increasingly comfortable being on the water and not in need of cruising close to land (so I can swim ashore if need be).  I have grown confident that Velomer will not sink or break down or befall some other disaster necessitating the abandonment of ship.  Therefore, our route to Portsmouth included going six miles off shore, something I would have felt nearly impossible at the start of this adventure.  As Bob often states, "There's a lot less to run into off shore."  We arrived at Wentworth by the Sea Marina by 3:30 PM and enjoyed another wonderful evening with Rachel and Jeff at their house in Portsmouth dining on a delicious meal prepared by Jeff.

The next morning we took our time getting going as the tide was not favorable in the early hours.  We left about 8:15 AM after hot showers and a tasty breakfast and headed out to open water again.  Once in open water we headed north on a straight course for 33 nautical miles until the red nun marking Portland Harbor. The day was so clear we could easily recognize Long Sands Beach, Nubble Lighthouse and Cape Neddick in York from miles away. We knew we were approaching home port when we spotted a harbor seal off the coast of Biddeford Pool.  The sight and sound of Portland Head Light accented our approach.  Fort Gorges came into view, then Spring Point Light, then our marina.  As we rounded the outer dock to pull into our assigned slip, Peter, the always smiling dock hand, was there to catch the stern line.  We were home!  We saw the familiar faces of fellow boat owners many of whom we don't know by name but with whom we share the same marina community.

After we got securely docked with electric and cable hooked up, the charts stowed until the next time, and things in ship shape, Phoebe, Erik and the twins and our good friends the Guyots came by and we celebrated our homecoming with a bottle of champagne.  Life is good!

An adventure such as the last three months gives you reason to pause.  Bob and I have never been so closely in each other's company since we first met.  We remain speaking to each other and sleeping in the same bed. Not all couples could do that.  We have found that we have a renewed respect and confidence in each other as well as our own abilities.  We have thoroughly enjoyed the travel, the adventure, the exploring.  That being said, we also have a renewed awareness of how much we enjoy the company of family and friends who know our story and love us anyway.  To review of a few key items:

Medical - Neither of us got scurvy.  This may be the result of all the Vitamin C from the grapes in the Pinot Grigio which we consumed medicinally each evening purveying anchorage.  PM's cap came unglued when flossing, Bob chipped a tooth, and Bob got a blood shot left eye from some unknown event -- all minor and easily remedied.  Of course we experienced minor aches and pains, all of which were remedied by time and/or Valerian root.
Financial - We are poorer but we didn't go bankrupt.  We could have done this more cheaply had we anchored more but did enjoy the security and community of marinas, drank less wine and ate less gourmet foods and at restaurants.  However, life is to enjoy.  What if you keep saving for a rainy day and the rain never comes?
Diet - We ate remarkably well, able to find fresh fruits and vegetables when needed.  The only scarcity was fine chocolate.  This was remedied in Boston when Joyce Stephens turned us on to Cocoanuts in the North End where we spent an outrageous amount of money (see finances above) on delicious gourmet chocolates. My favorite is the dark chocolate, caramel, peanut butter and bacon (yes, you read correctly, applewood smoked bacon) bar.  This combination sounds atrocious but is delicious.  Another benefit of this adventure was discovering local specialties such as Seranac Ginger Beer and Root Beer and Splash, a craft ale produced in Croton and flavored with grapefruit.
Exercise - This came naturally from the constant core workout due to wave action moving the boat.  We were pleasantly surprised when we took a 30-mile bike ride with no resulting aches or pains.  Maybe the Aleve we took afterwards helped!
Why Boats Are Referred to in the Feminine -- After spending so much time aboard VELOMER this summer I thoroughly understand why boats are referred to using feminine pronouns.  The boat reflects those things generally associated with the feminine -- nurturing, protective, motherly, sometimes womb-like, occasionally fickle, and a harsh disciplinarian when warranted.  My observation is that most boat owners are men and many of the terms associated with boats have sexual innuendos. For example, if a boat has one engine, the descriptive term is single screw; and if two engines, the term is double screw.  What's that about?  (That's a rhetorical question!)  When you put a boat up on land for the winter, the term is "on the hard." Another term is breast line for the mid cleat attached line.  Maidenhead is the front of the boat, usually on sailboats with a carved bare-breasted female form.  And of course, the cockpit.


Bob's View:

Courses and Distance: 
1) Boston to Portsmouth, Wentworth By the Sea Marina - 55.2 miles (N), 62.7 miles (S)
2) Portsmouth to South Portland, Spring Point/Port Harbor Marina - 46.3 miles (N), 49.5 miles (S)

Seas and Weather:
1) less than 1 foot, wind SSW at 5 knts, ample sun shine
2) less than 1 foot, wind occasional SW gusts to 5 knts, mostly a flat ocean with only mild swells from the east and south, ample sunshine, a perfect day for a cruise up the Maine Coast to Portland.

Departing Boston at dawn

After a departure from Portland Harbor June 15, cruising 1,565 miles (N), 1,778 miles (S) and logging 316 engine hours, as of September 19, VELOMER is back at her home port in South Portland at Spring Point Marina (one of the very best marinas we have found during this summer's adventure), owned and managed professionally by Mike Soucy.  It has been an incredibly fascinating and instructive adventure, cruising this summer. We have learned something every day about the boat, life as a cruiser and each other.  I would not have imagined it would be so entertaining and fulfilling and looking back on the summer, I cannot recall one I have so thoroughly enjoyed since I was a child and spent my summers in the idyllic North Channel in Ontario playing with boats and discovering all the magic of long summer days with minimal adult presence, except for meals. While we have a VCR on board, we have only watched it two or three times these last 100 days.

Our last day at sea, Portland 33 miles (N) in the distance

Each place we have visited has had its unique interests and we have tried to learn as much as we could about the history, culture and lifestyle of each of the 62 separate ports where we found shelter.  Every place we have stopped for the night or a few days has had its charms.  In no order of preference or enjoyment:  Croton-on-Hudson afforded PM a walk down Memory Lane; fabulous Italian food and friendship; Newburg had bountiful eye candy; Whitehall taught us naval history; Chipman Point, now a safe marina since the ownership changed and no longer are boats targets for a 22 short round, introduced us to our first stop on Lake Champlain and a fascinating tour of old warehouses from the era of intense commercial activity along this now neglected waterway; Lake Champlain, where we cruised for the entire month of August, had unimaginable scenery, warm clear water and wonderful people to meet; New York gave us family and life long friends to visit; New Jersey provided the best view of New York's Freedom Tower, just recently complete; Utica had really good PM college era company and more Italian food, this time home made, and a chance to bike to and get lost biking to Rome; Connecticut provided sweet undiscovered harbors to explore; Rhode Island was a source of friendship and a tasty home cooked meal; Massachusetts provided Boston and the chance to explore Little Italy, eat well with friends and family, visit the Science Museum, walk the Freedom Trail; Burlington was a great place to ride an exquisite bike trail into Burlington and discover the real story about "Champ" residing in the 400 foot plus depths of Lake Champlain and give us access to an unbelievably good organic market; Canajoharie showed us that economic vitality is temporary at best  for any city dependent on one industry; Portsmouth gave us special time with family and a chance to become more familiar with the harbor and currents of the Piscataqua River; Pocassett and Kingston gave us an appreciation for marine mechanic's talents; Rouse's Point was a sweet discovery for the marina owned and managed by a former Maine lobsterman but little else; and every place we went we fortuitously were able to restock with local Pinot and sometimes, if we were really fortunate, a tasty chocolate shop that will forever claim the best of this category is Cocoanuts at Hanover Street in Boston's Little Italy.  Champlain Marina on Mallett's Bay in Colchester, Vermont gave us a party to die for with fresh shrimp and bottomless glasses of Champaigne and some wonderful new friendships; Long Island Sound gave us an up close and personal experience with the Coast Guard's chase boat and their military manner of responding to a call from VELOMER about a boat adrift; Hellgate reminded us to read Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book, carefully, as did the Cape Cod Canal, and Stonington, Connecticut showed us what an entire town obsessed with anal neatness looks like.  As I peruse our logbook, many other events and places and people are recalled.  Perhaps as we have down time this fall watching the leaves turn  and the snows of the winter of 2014 arrive from the warmth of a well situated condo here at Spring Point and before we return to Colorado for the dry portion of winter after the New Year, we intend to reflect more on our 2013 summer's adventures.  As the muse invades our minds, we will revise and extend this blog to include some extra tidbits about the special people and places we found. Perhaps a few more of the more embarrassing moments will be included in the revision, while others will remain forever safely locked in memory only.

PM enjoys her daily nap.  Note the life vest!

Comparing projections with reality, our financial spreadsheet has been interesting to review. We had budgeted about $5,000 a month for our expenses and this was comfortably sufficient for the cruising costs of dockage, fuel, food, land travel, tourist activities, Pinot and chocolate.  We spent more on repairs for the hydraulic leak on the upper steering station and the cutlass bearings than we had expected so that line item will be adjusted somewhat as we depart on a two to three year cruise around the great loop. We were able to move as often as we desired, we were able to stay in some of the more expensive marinas, like Newport Yachting Center at $5/foot plus $10 for electric hookup and no cable (geesh, who do they think they are?), when they were within our day's cruising limits, and we had no financial restrictions on tourist activities that appealed to us or going out to pricey restaurants when we wished.  We learned to streth our budget with discounts, such as the 25% off at Brewer's marinas in Long Island Sound and the senior discount at City Market in Burlington and fuel discounts with our US Boat Membership Card.

We did and saw just about everything we wished to see and do and in short we thoroughly consumed with relish our 2013 summer adventure on the amazing ship VELOMER.

Arriving in Portland Harbor and greeted by a familiar sight

Our end of season work to get ready for the extended trip next spring includes some upgrades and repairs:
1) purchase 200 feet of 5/16 chain and hope I do not have to replace the windless to handle the extra length and weight;
2) replace the throttle cable from the flybridge to the lower helm station and perhaps the longer one from there to the engine due to binding caused by the internal lubrication grease desiccating and the cable stretching that has occurred over the 25 years it has been in service;
3) after many back and forths in the discussion bout this on the Monk Blog regarding operation at low speeds such as when approaching a dock or a lock wall, VELOMER will have 6 inches of stainless steel welded to the back of the rudder and 1 inch added to the front.  According to those who have made this upgrade, it significantly improves handling and also allows the autopilot to work much less, particularly in following or cross seas;
4) (it can be put off no longer), the heads will be rebuilt with new gaskets and seals.  After a small incident which a chopstick could not solve as the incident went into the holding tank, I may need to disassemble and clean out this necessary but rarely serviced system;
5) bright-work still needs constant attention on this old boat.  I had sanded to bare wood the top-rail last summer and will tackle the toe-rail, apply another coat of Epiphanies high gloss to the top-rail and detail several other teak moldings, which VELOMER has an abundance of, this fall.  I have read that the bright-work on a cruising boat venturing into the Caribbean gets really abused by the sun, so several additional layers of varnish annually applied are in order;
6) I am still undecided about the swim platform, some captains leave it as raw wood and some cover it with Cetol,  but I am thinking treatment with teak oil reapplied as needed would be best;
7) a dedicated GPS antenna mounted outside for the new Garmin 4212 Chart-plotter will be installed.  I had installed it under the lower helm station and this seemed to work OK at first.  But several times on this trip and especially in busy harbors like Boston and New York, I lost satellite reception, a chilling experience in unfamiliar water.  A call to Garmin was made and they recommended the new Chart-plotter have a dedicated outside antenna so I will need to run cables and figure a way to mount it high enough that it is not interfered with by the flybridge canvass supports;
8) reviewing my mechanic's log, I note that the house batteries are from 2004 and have exceeded their nominal working life of 5 years so the four 6 Volt Trojan Golf Cart batteries will be replaced;
9) and PM has promised to go through every locker and compartment to remove all for which we have found no need (12 pairs of shoes- really?).

Arriving in Portland harbor, passing Portland Head Light - back in home water again

I hesitate to say "that's all" as there is always something that needs changing, fixing, refinishing or replacing on a boat.  As the seasoned codger once said, "Son, ev'r'thn' on a boat is broke, you jus' don't know it yet". PM and I will be away for 2-3 years on next spring's departure for the Great Loop and, of course, we prefer to have all in order before we leave next June.  I have discovered that one can always find a decent mechanic and Wallmarts are ubiquitous in America.  To a lesser degree are found Napa stores and Westmarine Stores, but there is always the internet and drop shipping to General Delivery with our Federal Express account, so we will leave on this adventure again in the spring of 2014 with a clear sense of anticipation and confidence that " it will be fine ", and thank you forever John Larsson for that enduring thought.

This is our last update for the cruising season and to all, including those of you dedicated followers in Russia, have a great winter, stay warm, keep your thoughts positive and we will connect with you again at velomeradventure.blogspot.com in the Spring.

Until then, fair winds, and check your cutlass bearings,

Captain Bob & Admiral PM

We Made it!!

Five Days in Boston

Bob's View:

Courses: 

1) Plymouth to Hingham, Massachusetts; 42 miles (S)
2) Hingham Shipyard to Constitution Marina, Boston Massachusetts; 14 miles (S)

Seas:
1) misty in the AM and breezy, 10-20 knots SW from the starboard aft quarter, in the PM from Plymouth to Hingham; seas 2-4 feet
2) early morning calm and bright sun under fair weather Cumulus clouds while making our gentle way into Boston; seas less than 1 foot

Engine Hours: 300.1

Miles (since departure from South Portland June 15): 1,665.8 (S); 1,456 (N); (6,000 feet (N) = 5,280 (S))

A Schooner under sail outside Boston Harbor

We have transited the exposed southeast coast of Massachussetts Bay to arrive at the inner harbor in Boston.  Resting, socializing and restocking here for 5 days, VELOMER is safely secured to a floating dock at Constitution Marina in Charlestown, Massachusetts in the shadow of USS CONSTITUTION, the restored American naval frigate from the war of 1812 with the British naval  forces of the Napoleonic era.  The current ship's company (active duty navy) fires a gun at dawn (really around 8 as this is a civilized town) and again at sundown to mark these occasions in naval life aboard.  As PM and I have been at sea now for almost 100 days (we return to Spring Point Marina in South Portland on the 100'th day-imagine our evolved perspective having been so long at sea), we have adjusted our internal clocks to the sun. Often we have no idea what day of the week it is nor do we care.

It is day when the sun is up and evening when the sun begins to set and night when the moon and stars are in the sky.  Our ship's bell marks each passing 1/2 hour with a clear tone as neither of us wears a watch aboard. Beginning at 8 AM, the bell strikes 8 bells, than one bell at 8:30, two bells at 9 and so on till noon when the process begins again.  This time keeping method developed for shipboard life to mark the passage of a watch at sea, generally 4 hours, although the dog watch from 2-4 AM was curtailed, the other watches were changed every 4 hours.  For common sailors, "before the mast jacks", this was the time frame they were called to duty, sleeping, eating, mending and socializing only in their off hours, a rough life.  Combined with the grog, rum mixed with lemon water they were issued each day, shipboard life was a dangerous time. Many more were injured or killed in shipboard accidents than in battles.

Thursday's run north and west into Boston Harbor was a somewhat rocky passage along the coast from Plymouth to Hingham, Massachusetts.  We had thoughts of stopping in Scituate but as this was only a few sea miles from Plymouth and enjoying a good weather window to make Boston Harbor, we continued to Hingham, where we found a surprisingly well run marina located next to a mall with fresh coffee and a movie theater.  After spending all summer essentially out of the loop regarding news and entertainment, it was a treat to have lunch at a burger joint, enjoy a cold draft beer and see a Sandra Bullock movie, The Heat.  PM and I may need a few more days to adjust to a land based life after this summer's cruise, we decided after this somewhat disconnected experience in Hingham.  We also had cable TV on board for the first time in over a month so a local Boston news channel filled us in on world events.  It seems we have not missed much of anything, its the same news as when we last checked.

We departed the Hingham Shipyard Marina, Hingham, Massachusetts last Friday and after a brief 2 1/2 hour passage through outer Boston Harbor, made landfall at Constitution marina, where we had enloyed two days stay in June.  Other that the fast ferry that swept by us at 20 knots, we had no incidents making port here, unlike the last time we entered Boston on a Saturday afternoon last June.  The difference was a lack of traffic this time, although I noted that the majority of other crafts are still captained by Bostonians, who drive their boats similarly to the way they drive their cars, with little reference to the rules of the road.

Since Friday afternoon, we have been social, connecting with PM's sister and brother in law, Bob and Alice Roemer, a high school friend, Joyce Stevens, who lives in the North End of Boston within a 10 minute walk from the marina, and who took us to a fabulous Italian Restaurant, Carmalina's on Hanover Street in the  in Little Italy, Rand and Sally Peabody, our friends of many years, who live in the Boston suburb of Medford, and restocking wine and chocolate stores on VELOMER.  Reconnecting with long term friends and family has been a joy.  And we have been touristy, walking the Freedom Trail, visiting the Museum of Science and the Dead Sea Scroll Exhibit, and just meandering streets and exploring parks feeling like newbees at this urban experience.  Boat life and land life are as oil and water.

There has been but one small dark cloud over VELOMER's adventure and that has been not seeing those whom we love and adore, as PM would say it.  For me it has been a surprise that our friends and family did not find time and space in their lives to join us this summer, except for Sam Merrell, whose presence was a treat travelling to Newburgh, New York on the Hudson River over July 4'th weekend to experience eye candy and competence and twenty somethings grouping each other at the bar off off our bow, and again coming south from Croton-on-Hudson to Jersey City, New Jersey ( note its in New Jersey, PM) in September with Li, his amazingly accomplished artist daughter.  They all have their busy engaged lives ashore, I know, but what a unique and entertaining time PM and I have had afloat over the past three months and it grieves me not to have had some days to share a portion of our adventures this year with them. Perhaps next season will be different when schedules and/or life circumstances will align more smoothly to allow a voyage together with friend and family.

This down time at this really convenient to Boston and reasonable ($3.00/foot) Constitution Marina has been an ideal location.  We changed the oil and filters, both the oil filter for the engine and Racor 10 micron fuel filter for the diesel, for the third time this summer as we have logged 300 hours on the engine.  Routine maintenance of keeping the heads running smoothly, refilling water tanks, doing laundry, shopping for stores, topping up the batteries, cleaning the mustache off the bow, cleaning the isinglass on the flybridge, keeping the interior shipshape and exterior clean of spider poop, and generally supporting the activities of daily living on a boat have been done without much thought as these daily, weekly and monthly chores have become just ( like it Sam?) part of our life aboard.  I am hopeful we will continue to enjoy pleasant weather at sea as we have all summer.  Amazing that we have really had no time when we could not cruise when and where we wished. Only on a single day did it rain so hard that travel would have been less than comfortable but we were at a mooring at Burton Island State Park that day anyway.  We have had some few hours underway with wind and seas that made us hunker down a bit but braced into a comfortable position on the fly bridge, wearing our PFDs, we have been able to safely make our daily mileage in relative ease.  We have two days of cruising on Wednesday and Thursday this week prior to our return to Spring Point Marina, where we will dock until weather and temperature force us to avail again of our friends for a warm bed.  I am estimating we will be able to stay aboard for just another 5-6 weeks, so heads up Greenleafs and Guyots.

Our plans include a condo rental this November, December and perhaps January for as long as the g-kids, Phoebe and Erik are in Maine before we return to Colorado for another winter of skiing and playing with Annika and Trygvy as often as their parents will allow.  One unfulfilled activity this summer has been biking. We have used our bikes when it was opportune however infrequently that has been.  A 22 mile ride to Willsboro Bay from Essex, a 30 mile ride into Burlington from Champlain Marina, a 40 mile ride to Rome from Utica and a few more miles in and around Croton-on-Hudson have been our only opportunities. Colorado will, I anticipate, afford us many miles of trails and road to alleviate this unmet need.

While here in Boston, our  critical food and personal supplies have been refilled, and our appetites have been royally stimulated by meals with Joyce, Bob and Alice and Rand and Sally.  A visit to a convenient Whole Foods Market today will complete our stores of fresh fruit and veggies for the two day passage to Maine starting tomorrow at 7 AM.  Our course to Portsmouth, and landfall at Wentworth Marina, will be along day with a calculated 52 sea miles(N).  One more long day in South Portland of 42 sea miles(N) will be our final course of VELOMER's adventure for the 2013 season on Thursday.  Today will be spent doing laundry and waiting for our departure to Logan to briefly see Phoebe and her family, whom we have missed painfully this summer.

As we have ventured in and around New England waters and along the pathways of history in the Hudson River Valley this summer and now Fall, we have been steeped in the battles, the fortifications, critical moments, geography and monuments of American life that occurred almost 250 years ago.  Two days ago, PM and I walked the Freedom Trail, which brick marked pathway through the back streets of Boston's North End links the local history of the Revolutionary War as it had its beginning events in the Boston Tea Party, the meetings in small taverns, many of which still exist, the residences of Sam Adams, John Hancock and Paul Revere (and their final resting places in the Granary Burial Ground).  Walking on the streets where these rebels planned a revolution, I am reminded that much of what we have learned in grade and middle school is nothing less than male revisionist Eurocentric history.  I leave it to PM , my well educated anthropological and always questioning spouse these many years, to expound on some of the inaccuracies and edited historical versions of our past in her musings contained in prior postings.  History is always written and often rewritten by the survivors and poets.

---

Paul Revere's Ride

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

---

Listen my children and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; Hardly a man is now alive Who remembers that famous day and year.He said to his friend, "If the British march By land or sea from the town to-night, Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the North Church tower as a signal light,-- One if by land, and two if by sea; And I on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country folk to be up and to arm." Then he said "Good-night!" and with muffled oar Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore, Just as the moon rose over the bay, Where swinging wide at her moorings lay The Somerset, British man-of-war; A phantom ship, with each mast and spar Across the moon like a prison bar, And a huge black hulk, that was magnified By its own reflection in the tide. Meanwhile, his friend through alley and street Wanders and watches, with eager ears, Till in the silence around him he hears The muster of men at the barrack door, The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet, And the measured tread of the grenadiers, Marching down to their boats on the shore. Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church, By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread, To the belfry chamber overhead, And startled the pigeons from their perch On the sombre rafters, that round him made Masses and moving shapes of shade,-- By the trembling ladder, steep and tall, To the highest window in the wall, Where he paused to listen and look down A moment on the roofs of the town And the moonlight flowing over all. Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead, In their night encampment on the hill, Wrapped in silence so deep and still That he could hear, like a sentinel's tread, The watchful night-wind, as it went Creeping along from tent to tent, And seeming to whisper, "All is well!" A moment only he feels the spell Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread Of the lonely belfry and the dead; For suddenly all his thoughts are bent On a shadowy something far away, Where the river widens to meet the bay,-- A line of black that bends and floats On the rising tide like a bridge of boats. Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride, Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere. Now he patted his horse's side, Now he gazed at the landscape far and near, Then, impetuous, stamped the earth, And turned and tightened his saddle girth; But mostly he watched with eager search The belfry tower of the Old North Church, As it rose above the graves on the hill, Lonely and spectral and sombre and still. And lo! as he looks, on the belfry's height A glimmer, and then a gleam of light! He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns, But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight A second lamp in the belfry burns. A hurry of hoofs in a village street, A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark, And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet; That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light, The fate of a nation was riding that night; And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight, Kindled the land into flame with its heat. He has left the village and mounted the steep, And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep, Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides; And under the alders that skirt its edge, Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge, Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides. It was twelve by the village clock When he crossed the bridge into Medford town. He heard the crowing of the cock, And the barking of the farmer's dog, And felt the damp of the river fog, That rises after the sun goes down. It was one by the village clock, When he galloped into Lexington. He saw the gilded weathercock Swim in the moonlight as he passed, And the meeting-house windows, black and bare, Gaze at him with a spectral glare, As if they already stood aghast At the bloody work they would look upon. It was two by the village clock, When he came to the bridge in Concord town. He heard the bleating of the flock, And the twitter of birds among the trees, And felt the breath of the morning breeze Blowing over the meadow brown. And one was safe and asleep in his bed Who at the bridge would be first to fall, Who that day would be lying dead, Pierced by a British musket ball. You know the rest. In the books you have read How the British Regulars fired and fled,--- How the farmers gave them ball for ball, > From behind each fence and farmyard wall, Chasing the redcoats down the lane, Then crossing the fields to emerge again Under the trees at the turn of the road, And only pausing to fire and load. So through the night rode Paul Revere; And so through the night went his cry of alarm To every Middlesex village and farm,--- A cry of defiance, and not of fear, A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door, And a word that shall echo for evermore! For, borne on the night-wind of the Past, Through all our history, to the last, In the hour of darkness and peril and need, The people will waken and listen to hear The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed, And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

(reprinted by permission)

Life continues to be very very good on VELOMER.

PM's Perspective:  Urban Once Again

As much as I have enjoyed the peace and tranquility of upstate rural New York and Vermont, the return to the urban environment of Boston re-energizes me.  I must admit that I find New York City a bit overwhelming and difficult to wrap my head around, so I didn't get my urban fix there.  Not so Boston.  This is the perfect city for me -- other than Paris, of course.  Just the right size to figure out without too much difficulty, lovely user-friendly parks and other public spaces, a unique juxtaposition of the historic with the new, museums, public art, restaurants to suit any tastes, very walkable, and always something to do.  The view from Velomer includes TD Garden/North Station and the Leonard Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge.  What more could I ask for?

View from Velomer

The North End, where every block has at least one restaurant, is a short walk across the Charlestown Bridge from the Constitution Marina. The Museum of Science is a lovely stroll away through the Paul Revere Park that extends under the Zakim Bridge and along the north bank of the Charles River.  Our days are full of visiting with friends and family, playing tourist, and getting ready for the next leg of our journey.

Our primary tourist activities include walking the Freedom Trail and visiting the Museum of Science.  Boston really has its act together with the Freedom Trail neatly laid out on the sidewalk -- just follow the red brick road to hit the high points of historic Boston.  Anchored by the information booth at the Boston Commons at the southwest terminus and the Bunker Hill Monument at the northeast, the trail zigzags through the city passing such highlights as Quincy Market, Fanueil Hall, King's Chapel and Cemetery, Paul Revere's home, the Old North Church, Old South Meeting House, Old Granary Burial Ground, the old city hall (now a Ruth Christie Steak House), and the tavern where the Boston Tea Party reportedly was planned.  While at the King's Chapel Cemetery we had a fascinating conversation with the guide on grave robbing for bodies for medical purposes.  While walking along the trail by Fanueil Hall, we were entertained by street performers doing spinal chord damaging break dancing that just amazed the gathering crowd.  How do they do that?

The Museum of Science exhibit on the Dead Sea Scrolls and planetarium show entitled Moons kept us enthralled as did the permanent exhibit.  I remember bringing Phoebe and Phil to the museum many years ago when they were still in elementary school and how interesting it was then.  The museum still captures our attention.  We are looking forward to bringing our grandchildren here at some point.  Speaking of which, the dears arrive this evening and Bob and I are going to the airport to visit them just briefly before they ride to Maine with Mary Longley who is braving crazy Boston traffic.  We can hardly contain ourselves!

And we found a really good chocolate store where dark chocolate rules: Coconuts, 28 Pamenter Street, North End, Boston, 857-263-7768, they will mail anywhere, including Colorado.

So its now off for a walk then North Station and the MTA to the airport.  Life is good!

RETURN TO BIG WATER

Bob's View: VELOMER is bathing in salt water again

COURSES:
1) Stamford, CT to Branford, CT
2) Branford to Stoneington,CT
3) Stoneington to Wickford, RI
4) Wickford to Pocassett, MA
5) Pocassett to Plymouth, MA

SEAS:  Generally 1-2 feet with several interesting hours of 3-4 feet of rollers and chop
WEATHER:  Sun and wind, perfect for sailing, and cruising in a trawler
DISTANCE TRAVELED since Stanford: 267.5(S) miles or 53.6(S)/day average.  TOO DAMN MUCH.

We have been travelling since our last update in Stamford on September 4 every day for a week and are just (too many "just"s, Sam?) taking some time off now in Plymouth, Massachusetts in sight of Plymouth Rock off our stern, to catch up on sleep, boat maintenance and just slow down a bit.  The reason for the non-stop travels of VELOMER over this past week have been a combination of weather windows and a growing urgency to get back to open waters.

We have successfully transited Long Island Sound and certainly enjoyed our truncated time there but we had been a bit nervous since leaving New York about finding a suitable window for the exposed route from Narragansett Bay at Newport to the Cape Cod Canal.  As it evolved, we had the perfect day to make this passage while the days before and since were and have been fraught with high winds, big seas and generally unfavorable conditions for a trawler that likes to roll in 4-6 foot swells coming at her from just about any quarter.  We did have quite a bit of rocking every day we traveled until we arrived at Wickford.  And somehow, PM managed her afternoon siesta every day.

coming out of the Cape Cod Canal

As a condition of taking VELOMER onto open ocean waters, PM and I committed to each other and our kids to wear life vests while underway and braced into the flybridge helm seat and taking great care to move about the boat while underway, we safely made port Sunday last at Wickford where we connected with PM's college buddy, Tony Stapleton.  He has recovered for the most part from his horrendous bike accident in mid July and hopefully continues to recover until that event becomes a distant and fading memory.  We were feted with a dinner and several gifts from Tony and Jan including a delicious dinner, an author's copy of Jan's first novel, "A Snug Life Somewhere" by Jan Shipman, available now at www.Amazon.com, and a very tasty bottle of wine, which we enjoyed last evening on our flybridge gazing at the harbor here as the Pilgrims must have 300 years ago. We have been collecting reading material from the lending libraries at various marinas this summer and anticipate consuming this new addition as time allows during our cruising life or ashore this Fall and winter.

A few words about Pinot Grigio:  This summer's cruise has included many adventures and pleasures, one of which has become somewhat of a tradition, our nightly glass or two of Pinot on the flybridge overlooking whatever harbor we happen to be at.  We have restocked numerous times in our travels and have discovered that wine, like people, I guess, has a quality and experience which level of enjoyment has little to do with its price (or in the case of people their breeding).  We have had $20 bottles and $3 bottles.  We have had blue bottles, clear bottles, brown bottles and even a black bottle.  We have had brand named wine from California vintners and elegant French Chateaus, and no name wine from small vintners in New York and Vermont.  The labels have ranged from Madison Avenue glitz to homegrown hand lettering.  The amount we drink is fairly constant, one of two glasses.  The time we consume this evening prelude fairly constant, although there have been a few days when happy hour began as early as 4 PM, but its always 5 somewhere. We do not like to run out so often we have restocked at a small Mon and Pop convenience store and when available a specialty wine store. So we will continue to explore on VELOMER and delve deeply into local culture, making full use of the opportunity to drink wine and adventure in equal and appropriate portions. PM, for some unexplained as yet reason, does not like to buy more than one or two bottles at a time. Next season when we cruise, we will stock VELOMER with at least a half dozen cases. Next post, we will discuss the other constant in our adventure, chocolate.

Now back in pure salt water for a week since exiting Hellgate and the brackish Hudson River, we yesterday began to  feel the ocean's breath with the rising and falling of the open sea as we entered the bigger waters of Cape Cod Bay.  Not since we left these waters in late June have we seen a clear horizon across more than 180 degrees.  And only since we left Long Island Sound and entered Block Island Sound last Sunday at noon have we been able to feel the swells of the North Atlantic under our keel. It feels remarkably good to be on open ocean water again, although our travels on the rivers and canals this summer have had unique charms as well.  I think VELOMER was born to travel in salt water along the Atlantic's coastal stretches.  After our exit from the Ten-Tom in 2 years we will be exploring much of the salty realm available to us as far south as Georgetown, Bahamas in the Exumas and northeast along the ICW back to Maine.  But I am getting far ahead of this present adventure, today we rest in Plymouth and tomorrow are off again to find a snug harbor at Scituate or perhaps Hingham before a return to Constitution Marina in Boston for 5 days of restocking and reconnecting with friends and family.

Phoebe, Erik, Annika and Trygvy arrive at Logan next Tuesday and we will be meeting them to recover at long last from our travels this summer without their hugs and smiles and laughter. There is something unexplainable about the smile of a child, and their laughter restores faith in all that is good and pure.






















PM's Perspective:  The Welfare Ducks

Plymouth Rock (at low tide)

The first time we docked at the public wharf in Whitehall, New York, we came across an American Indian powwow taking place at the public park that included the wharf.  One of the cars, assumed to be owned by one of the participants in the powwow, in the parking lot included a bumper sticker that said "Immigration is a problem -- just ask any Native American." This message gave me food for thought.  Fast forward a few months to Plymouth, Massachusetts, home of the famed Plymouth Rock.  As I write this, Velomer is sitting prettily at the transient dock at Brewer Marine Plymouth with a spectacular view of the rock.  If you look closely at the photo on the left, the rock is at the bottom of the structure in the space under the columns.  You can just barely see it.  Truth of the matter is that the rock was not really identified until 1741 as the actual landing place of the Pilgrims based on the testimony of a 94 year old church elder whose father reportedly arrived at Plymouth in 1623 and was told by folks already in the colony that the 10-ton boulder in the harbor was the actual location the first settler placed foot on land.  Over the years, the 10-ton boulder has been moved, whittled away by souvenir seekers, split in two, and engraved with the year 1620.  So this whole Plymouth Rock story we've been fed all these years is just another media hype.

However, that being said, the Pilgrims did come over from England on the good ship Mayflower arriving at Plymouth on November 21, 1620, not the best time of year to start a colony.  Had it not been for the generosity of  the Wampanoag Indians and in particular their Chief Massasoit, the Pilgrims most likely would have perished.  As it was, the fatality rate was about 50%.  So the conclusion is that were it not for the welfare of the American Indians, colonization would have been much more difficult, if not impossible.  And how have we repaid the Indians?  Not very well.  In fact, the Indians have pretty much been summarily dismissed.  For example, a map of Plymouth indicates that Leyden Street is the oldest street in North America.  What about all the roads and pathways of the American Indians that were well established prior to colonization?

Speaking of welfare, I want to share my observations on what Bob and I have termed the Welfare Ducks.  At almost every marina we have stayed, just about sunset, Velomer has been approached by a duck that comes within about 20 feet or so quaking expectantly in hopes of a handout.  As we have had plenty of stale crackers, cookies, pretzels and bread, we have shared these with the one duck rather than toss them into the garbage.  Within a few moments that one duck is joined by several of his friends and family.  What happens next is a point of fascination for us.  When there are two ducks, things are just, well, duckie.  Each one gets its share of the bounty and continue to quake appreciatively into the evening.  Add a third duck, and the dynamics change considerably.  Let the competition begin!  Two of the three ducks start to peck at each other while the third duck gets most of the bounty.  With four and more ducks, a free for all ensues with each duck apparently more concerned with the other ducks not getting anything then with his or her getting a portion of the bounty.  Their appetites seem insatiable, no matter how much we toss to them.

An interesting phenomenon concerns the type of handout.  If there are one or two ducks, neither one will eat a ginger cookie, letting the crumbs just sink in the water.  But three or more ducks, ginger cookies become very desirable vittles to be gobbled up.  A bit of competition seems to change everything and the more competition, the more aggressive the competition becomes.  This reminds me of sale day at Filene's Basement!

Through Hell Gate

PM's Perspective

Hell Gate, the most northerly reaches of the East River between Manhattan and Queens, is aptly named.  On the navigation charts, it appears as two words that label the space in the water between the northern tip of Roosevelt Island and the southern tip of Wards Island.  It looks pretty innocuous on the map.  Do not be fooled.  The name is very descriptive.  The East River is relatively short extending approximately eight miles between Long Island Sound and New York Harbor.  When the East River experiences a flooding tide, Long Island Sound experiences a falling tide and Hell Gate is where the two tides meet.  The area is fraught with strong currents, vortexes, and churning waters, not to mention the wrecks of those vessels that didn't quite make it (labeled "obstn" for obstruction on the charts).

High powered boats typically don't have too much of a problem negotiating this channel, but relatively low powered boats such as VELOMER that top out at seven to eight nautical miles an hour need to time the passage carefully to go with the tide of the East River.  The tidal flow can be as strong as 5.7 nautical miles an hour and when added to the currents, even at top speed a boat can find itself moving backward and unable to steer.  Not a good thing!

After a delightful Labor Day afternoon and evening spent with Nancy Shatzkin and her husband John catching up on at least forty years of personal history and world events, we cruised from Half Moon Bay down to Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City in the company of our brave friends Sam Merrell and his very talented artist daughter Lili the following day.  After Sam and Lili disembarked that afternoon, Bob and I studied the 2013 edition of Eldridge Tide Tables.   "We have a choice here.  We can go in the early morning or wait until the late afternoon for the tide," Bob informed me.  My inclination was to wait when he started to suggest a 4:30 AM departure from the marina.  Bob thought otherwise.  Thinking of getting up and going so early and feeling intimidated by the upcoming challenge, I became rather crabby that evening, banging pots and pans, flinging the rice and beans onto the dinner plates.

To obtain some relief from my foul mood, Bob got off the boat and sought the advice of other mariners about Hell Gate.  He discovered that several other boats were planning on going through Hell Gate the next morning and that making the passage any time prior to 9:00 AM before the tide turned was acceptable.  We decided that we would leave the marina by 7:30 AM which would get us to Hell Gate by 8:30 AM and through well before 9:00 AM.  To leave by 7:30 AM meant we had to get up by 6:00 AM to have breakfast, clean up, and get the boat ready to go.  We went to bed early in preparation for the next day.

Manhattan Sunrise

I awoke bright eyed at 4:00 AM and got out of bed by 4:30 AM so Bob could sleep and not deal with my tossing and turning.  I brewed some tea, read a two-day old New York Times, caught up on e-mail and decided to take a shower at the marina bathrooms.  When I returned to VELOMER, Bob had prepared a breakfast of blueberry pancakes waiting for me.  After breakfast, we got VELOMER ready for the voyage.  The water was early morning calm, a condition we wanted to take advantage of.  We were off by 6:45, a full 45 minutes ahead of schedule.  We were greeted by sunrise over Manhattan as we left the marina and pulled into the Hudson River.  One of our concerns was avoiding ferry traffic which we were anticipating to be relatively heavy at that time of day.  Fortunate for VELOMER, water traffic was light and ferry captains very tolerant of our presence.

Freighter passing us at Hell Gate Narrows

The trip up the East River to Hell Gate took just under an hour, making the northerly tip of Roosevelt Island by 7:40 AM.  I looked into the river, and the water below looked as if it was boiling with eddies and up-wellings.  I could feel the hull of VELOMER side slipping this way and then that way under the force of the currents.  Our top speed struck 13.7 nautical miles per hour indicating we were getting a 5.7 knot lift from the tide.  Bob expertly steered VELOMER easterly around the tip of Roosevelt Island and then northerly toward the Triborough Bridge.  That was when we saw the bow of a huge freighter bearing down on us as it passed under the bridge.  "Oh, shit," I thought knowing that the ship was a whole lot bigger than we are, much faster than we are, and could not quickly move out of our way.  If Bob panicked, he never let on.  He smoothly guided VELOMER to starboard, and the two vessels passed each other without incident.  By 7:50 AM we were through Hell Gate much to my relief!  We continued on to Stamford, CT where we will spend the next two nights.


BOB'S VIEW:

Courses:
1) Half Moon Bay Marina at Croton-On-Hudson to Liberty Landing Marina, Jersey City, NJ (its still in New Jersey, PM)
2) Liberty Landing to Brewer Yacht Basin, Stamford, CT
Distance Run:
1) 32 (S), 4.6 hours
2) 32.2 (S), 5.3 hours
Total since leaving South Portland, June 14: 1,375 (S)
Total Engine Hours: 260

We are officially back in salt water.

following a sail boat at dawn into New York Harbor

The air smells more natural and the tides are again something to be aware of.  I think VELOMER likes the return to her native element as much as PM and I.  Leaving Liberty landing at dawn was a magical time as the sun was rising over the New York skyline.  We followed a de-masted sloop out of the marina and noted several other craft aligning  at the Battery for the trip up the East River.  I was reassured by these others that I had chosen our departure time correctly.

about to transit the Throgs Neck Bridge after Hell Gate

 PM has been spending more time at the helm. She smiles more frequently while doing this now.

our first tow sighted going south from Long Island Sound

All systems have been running smoothly (knock on wood) and the Perkins 135 HP English built diesel in particularly has been turning over a consistent 1,400 to 1,600 RPM without a hiccup.  At the times I have needed a bit more speed or power to negotiate a tight turn, reverse out of a slip against the current and wind or just get to a mark by a particular time (little of that) the engine responds while routinely she hums along daily without complaint.  I have made less frequent trips to the engine room while underway over the time afloat this summer but at a minimum, twice a day I check the stuffing box to confirm adequate cooling of the shaft, inspect the engine for leaks of oil or coolant, confirm the alternator is charging, listen for any unexpected hums, squeals or knocks and give a smile when all is well.  PM has learned to grudgingly accept these minutes away from the helm and only once asked me to delay as we were approaching a lock. She is still a bit hesitant to helm VELOMER into tight spaces.  I have resisted asking her to take control of the helm more often as I respect her need for a comfort zone with this operation and know she will acquire the confidence she lacks in time.  We will be away for two or  three more years on our loop trip and all things come to he who waits, patiently as my mother used to tell me and so the Chinese say (but I'm not Oriental).

We have been diligent in maintenance tasks such as oil and filter changes every 100 hours and have had to readjust the alternator belt twice and change it once as she was making an intermittent squeal while underway.  I have tightened hose clamps, particularly for the coolant line and high pressure water system. The light bulbs in the engine room overhead lights have been replaced three times.  I replaced both primary fuel filters at the start of our trip and once switched the 10 mm primary Racor filter from starboard to port filter at 100 hours, not because the vacuum gauge showed any negative pressure but to be proactive and because we have had a few days of rough seas (probably the reason for the light bulb failure) which in theory stirred up any sediment in the tanks.  In reality, the fuel has run clean and free of sediment, as Winn, the former owner of this fine ship, had replaced both tanks and fuel in 2009, the year before we purchased VELOMER. We have purchased fuel twice, adding 175 and 50 gallons as the sight gauge on the tanks showed about a half tank.  Our fuel usage appears to be less than a gallon an hour but I will not know accurately until I top up the tanks at the end of the summer's trip, still two weeks away. I dove on VELOMER's bottom while in Lake Champlain and noted the zincs were still in good condition and the shaft was free of entanglements.  I  had to remove the wheel assembly for the knot meter to clean away sediment and growth, which had gummed up the free movement of the small wheel that indicates speed through the water while underway.  This instrument has been interesting to compare with the GPS.  Our speed differential between this instrument and the GPS through Hell Gate was a striking example.  One maintenance task I dread but need to perform involves replacing rubber gaskets and movable parts in the manual head pump, but I hope to defer this awhile yet until VELOMER is out of the water this Fall, when it will be a task that generates much less liquid.

Engine checks have been made each day before getting underway involving adjusting the stuffing box, checking the oil level, checking the coolant level, checking the alternator belt tension, noting any unusual smells, and cleaning the raw water screen.  Only then do we start the engine and allow it to reach operating temperature of around 140 degrees for the coolant before setting off for the day.  This routine has been inviolate and appears to have resulted thus far in trouble free operations.  Daily, weekly and monthly cleaning has kept the inside and outside looking good. VELOMER is a bit vain that way.

Long Island Sound looking back at the New York skyline

As we cruise north and east along Long Island Sound, I begin to feel the end is in sight now. We have a few days yet before we reach Cape Cod Canal where we can almost see Maine.  Our cruising plan includes a return stop in Branford and Stonington then a jump across the sound to Block Island before turning around again to go to Wickford north of Jamestown, RI to visit a friend recovering from a horrific bike accident, which he was extremely lucky to survive.  We will then make for Kingman Marina in Pocassett on the Cape or perhaps Onset Harbor on the mainland. A transit of the canal on a flooding tide will bring us to Hingham Harbor and then to Constitution Marina in Boston for some social time with Rand and Sally Peabody, PM's friend, Joyce Steverns, some restocking of our chocolate and Pinot Grigio supplies and a few days respite from travelling the sea.

With all that said, we have learned that plans and boat schedules are really only sure for a few hours.

We have many sea miles still to go but the waters seem to be flowing under our keel more quickly as we turn our course to Maine and friends and family.  I daily recall the sounds in my head of Anni and Trig 's laughter and long to be with them again.  We have had Face Time on our I Phones this summer, but this is a poor substitute for the touch of a child's hand.  And we will be able to share with our friends some of the more seedy and embarrassing adventures a modicum of decorum prevents from discussing on this Blog.

This life is so sweet.  The cry of the gulls and the sights only a life afloat at sea affords will be missed this winter.  Spring seems a long way off but time will unfold in the meanwhile with its continuing adventures in its own way.

Half Moon Bay Revisited

PM's Perspective

Velomer rests at the outer dock at Half Moon Bay Marina in Croton-on-Hudson after a week's journey from Lake Champlain.  Our longest travel day extended 63 miles and 8.5 hours from 10:30 AM when we left Shady Harbor Marina in New Baltimore to 7:00 PM when we arrived at Riverfront Marina in Newbourgh.   The day was long, the weather quite variable (very strong winds from about 3 to 4 PM), and the water choppy.  We were fortunate to have the tide going with us for the bulk of our day.  Both of us agree that we just are not the long travel day type of boaters.  A 5-6 hour day is much more to our liking getting safely anchored, moored or docked well before 4 PM.  Our travel south on the Hudson River was a bit more hurried than our journey north as we wanted to get to NYC in time to cross paths with our son and his beloved while they are in town for a wedding.  However, the southerly journey was no less intriguing.  Two themes have emerged as we visit this area -- transportation and his-story.

Hudson River lighthouse

Before the automobile and the Eisenhower era interstate highway system, before the railroad and air travel, there was the waterway system.  This was the means by which people, raw materials, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, and even information moved from one place to another.  The Hudson River, canals and Lake Champlain were integral elements of this system.  Much of the evidence lies in ruins along the shore and even submerged in the water.  The skeletons of former mills, brick factories, and long abandoned stone warehouses hide behind the now mature trees that saw their infancy in the cracks of the mortar, their roots slowly chiseling away at the glue that held the building materials together.  The wrecks of barges and steamboats most assuredly litter the bottom, but the only real evidence of these are broken circles on the navigation chart labeled "snag" when in less than 20 feet of water.  The bonafide evidence is the surviving lighthouses scattered along the route warning mariners of impending danger posed by shallow water, jagged rocks.  The saddest reminder of the past glory of the waterway transportation system are the tired towns with more vacant than occupied storefronts, neglected buildings with weeds taking hold in the seams along the roof line, once filled parking lots slowly making the transition to open field with each passing season.  Even the citizens of the town seem tired in their demeanor, by the way they walk down the street, how they sit at the lunch counter.  Are they resigned, defeated?  Do they have no other place to go?  I just read above and decided I've been reading too many Toni Morrison novels!

Fort Ticonderoga from Champlain Canal

Now for the second theme -- his-story.  The Hudson River has West Point, that bastion of military greatness. Whitehall at the northern tip of the Champlain Canal is the birthplace of the US Navy.  Lake Champlain has Fort Ticonderoga and Valcour Island where Benedict Arnold with 2,000 troops fought the British with the first American naval fleet of 12 ships.  He lost the battle but he delayed the British army's move to New York City by a year -- a maneuver credited with turning the tide in the American Revolution.  The Erie Canal has Fort Stanwyck in Rome.  The Champlain Canal has Saratoga Battlefield, Fort Ann and Fort Edwards.  Notice a common thread here?  Western Civilization has a way of remembering its past, of telling its story through conflict, military action, struggle, triumph.  That's not the whole story at all.  What's missing here is her-story and their-story.  How were the troops supported?  How did they get their supplies?  What did they eat?  Who was back at the farm taking care of the crops, children, farm animals?  Who was running the businesses?  What were the Indians doing during that time?  Who were the soldiers and where did they come from?  What did they do before becoming involved in conflict?  What did they do after?  But all we have are forts and plaques on fields telling of conflict, of battles won and battles lost.  Maybe its time to expand some of our history to tell the full story.


Bob's View:

Now we are back in familiar waters and it feels like this summer cruise has few adventures left to gather. Tuesday morning we depart Half Moon Bay Marina, really a great place despite the scatter brainedness of the manager due to a new baby in his life.  We have been waiting here over the Labor Day weekend to avoid the crazies on the Hudson River getting in their last hurrah before the simmer's end.  So far we have not seen too much of that.  Last evening three Donzis raced down the river at twilight at close to 80 knts.  I was wondering what we would hear if one of them ran into one of the many deadheads we have seen on the river.  All we heard though was the high number of decibels these craft seem to revel in producing.  What I cannot understand is the headset of a boat owner who gets thrills from going that fast and being that loud on the water for the exorbitant cost in fuel and ownership.  I am sure the insurance on the craft is in at rarefied level too. Admittedly, the 26' Boston Whaler, UXOR MARIS, we used to own did 40 knts but that speed was rarely attained on the ocean.  Swells and chop made travel at more than 20 knts too dangerous.

VELOMER has enjoyed a stately speed of 7-8 knts this trip and while we take longer to get places than just about any other craft we have seen, I think the world is much more enjoyable at this pace.  It is all about the journey, unlike the attitude most people seem to have on boats where they act out the pace of land life, going really fast to get somewhere else.  Some aspects of human behavior defy my understanding. I suppose that the pace we go allows for a great number of hours of reflection and that is not comfortable for most.  This trip has been something like a summer's long therapy session.  We feel better each day about ourselves as we gain new skills and confidence managing VELOMER and meeting the unusual challenges of a boating life. We have increased clarity of purpose, we have lessened angst in general and specifically regarding former work issues and have made this time of passage along the waterways of the past a time for renewed love, respect and care for each other in the present.   And all this for the price of fuel, less than $5/hour: a real bargain for psychotherapy.

Tuesday will see us back at Liberty Landing Marina across from Manhattan and Wednesday we cross into Long Island Sound through Hells Gate.  Reading the tide and current tables in our 2013 edition of Eldridge, high tide at the Battery (the southern tip of Manhattan) is at 8:18 AM and low tide at 2:24 PM.  New York Bay current schematics indicate a 1.3 knt flow against our direction of travel north and east on the East River, increasing to over 5 knts 5 hours after high water.  So at 1:18 PM we would need to go at full speed of 8 knts bucking the current and waves to achieve a 2 knt progress up the river.  Friday afternoon while on a walk with Phil in New York, we witnessed the enormous waves set up by the afternoon ferries on the East River going against the water flow so we would be nuts to plan an encounter with those conditions.

This would not be our first choice.  So we could wait until 2 hours after low water at the Battery, 4:24PM, when the current will favor us with a 1.3 knt lift through the narrowest portion of the East River beyond the north end of Roosevelt Island and between Hallets Point in Astoria, Queens, and the southern point of Wards Island.  A departure from Liberty Landing at 3:30 PM would provide us with a favorable current into Long Island Sound.  Alternately we could depart at High Water at the Battery which timing would place us into Hells Gate around an hour later when the current is still 2 knts in our favor.  Given our desire to enjoy the trip and arrive at our destination in time for a nap in the afternoon, we will likely depart at the earlier time.

The happy couple!

Our stay here in Croton has allowed us time for a visit with Bob and Essie Schlegel at Bob's favorite restaurant in New York.  We enjoyed tapas and a really delicious Cava followed by several more bottles of equally fine white wine, a few more bottles than PM and I are used to consuming, but it was a memorable and joyous occasion.  Dinner with Bettina and her parents and Phil was the first time we have all been together since the young couple announced their desire to wed next October at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, still a year away.  The conversation was lively, the wine was flowing and the food delectable.  All in it was all one of the highlights of our summer.  Bob mentioned, and PM and I would certainly agree, we have all become a larger family with this marriage.  I trust we will enjoy many years of this as we all live our interesting lives in Colorado, New York, California and wherever the winds of time take us all.

We Can Smell the Salt Water

Bob's View:

Courses:
Burlington to Chipman Point (at the southern point of the lake while it still looks like a lake not a river)
Chipman Point to Whitehall town dock (the start of the Champlain Canal)
Whitehall to Skylerville
Skylerville to Waterford (and just one more lock to the tidal Hudson River)

Distance run since leaving Burlington on Lake Champlain: 128 in 4 days
Distance run since leaving Maine in June: 1,193
Engine Hours since Maine: 232
Locks negotiated since leaving Waterford in July: 58


Below are some pictures we took on Lake Champlain.  The one with the moon set was taken at night just after sunset, and it  is one of our favorite moments this trip.  What a visual treat this area has been for us.

Since we departed the lake, its been a few days of non-stop travel for us.  We prefer to take a day or two off every 2-3 days but we wanted to get down to Waterford (and the free dock and Hannafords and the wine store) so we just kept moving- 4 days without a break.  That really is too many in a row and too far to go daily to enjoy peacefully, and after the first three days, the time at the helm becomes a bit blurry.  But we are back where we started a month ago at the bifurcation of the Erie and Champlain Canals.  I admit both PM and I leave Lake Champlain with a certain regret and nostalgia.


We will miss the clean clear warm water, the friends we met, the scenic beauty of the lake and especially the openness of this jewel of American inland waters.  I would liken it to the North Channel in western Georgian Bay of Lake Huron and have a sense we will linger here again on our way around the loop next Spring.

The sun is setting on our last night at Burlington as we prepare mentally to go back south and to canal cruising.  The open waters of this lake have been a genuine pleasure to explore.  We find new little spots to consume every day and will sorely miss these waters.  We are constantly surprised there are not more travelers on these waters.  Perhaps it is the economy and the deterrent this has been to boating tourists, especially Canadian boaters.  Only one day did we share locks with other boats.  Given the enormous cost to maintain these canals and locks, I hope the future does not see a further reduction in use or the governments may erode their financial support to the point the locks cease to be serviceable.  After almost 200 years of operation, this would be a real loss for those of us who voyage by water.

I asked one of the lock masters how much traffic he has seen compared to last year and he told us it has been dismal this season.  The Erie Canal was closed for several weeks in June and July so many boaters gave up their cruising plans for the summer, and others have chosen not to launch boats due to costs of fuel and the shortened season following the rains of early summer this year.  I do not know what has been the situation in other parts of the loop, but this year has been a dire economic disappointment to many of the marinas we have visited.  Reading the Great Loop Cruising Association blog ( www.AGLCA.com ), I see there is a general dearth of cruisers this year, many in the great lakes have been weeks without seeing other loopers.  We had expected to travel in tandem at least a portion of this loop, but have yet to do so. Perhaps next year will be better.

Travel on the Champlain Canal after the few glorious weeks we were on the Lake Champlain was much less enjoyable, but also less worrisome regarding the weather and navigation. The canal is extremely well marked and other that a few yahoos who felt going 40 miles an hour and throwing up a big wake was their right, we had few issues until we got to Fort Edward. Someone, probably a politician, decided that as GE has polluted the Champlain Canal with PCBs over many yeas of producing stuff, they should cover the cost of dredging the river bottom muck and laying down a gravel substrate.  Many of the locals we spoke with about the project, now in its 10th year, were perplexed why the dredging was needed as it merely stirred up these poisons and nature was breaking them down naturally.  Oh well, it keeps cash flowing to the economy, and gives government another stick to swing at big business.The locks around Fort Edward kept us waiting for several hours while commercial barges and tugs were raised or lowered. This was just what we had encountered on the way north so we planned for the time delay and arrived in Skyler Yacht Basin long after 5 and after almost 8 hours to transit less than 35 miles, a trip that would normally have taken 5 hours plus an hour for the locks. We were able to safely negotiate the commercial operations unlike some we have met who described travel through this dredging area as a "free for all".


The Champlain Canal became the Hudson River on the chart as we moved south.  The river is narrow and is really indistinguishable from the canal above Waterford.  One final Lock at Lock 2 and we arrived at our former berth by 2, an easy and comfortable day on the water.  We plan on a two day stay here (the dock is free and the only charge is for power, $10 for as long as one uses it, and the bathroom key, another $10 but you only get $5 back on leaving; gee-sh, it becomes irksome to get charged for every little thing.  The volunteers at the "Welcome Center" often are different day to day so if we stayed a week, I do not think any one would realize it, even though there is a 48 hour limit.

I did enjoy our time on the canal in some ways: lots of wildlife, easy navigation, calm water, and PM saw a blue heron and snowy egret daily.  We also saw several bald eagles (and what a treat it was to watch these magnificent birds soar on the up drafts created by the warm water of the canal), turtles (including a snapping turtle that PM spotted with a shell over a foot across), and I think I saw a beaver in the water at one point, lots of jumping fish, and myriad wetlands as we slowly made our way south.

So now canal life is behind us, well almost, another few miles until we transit the Federal Lock at Troy, and we are taking a day to re-rig VELOMER for the Hudson River and Atlantic waters of Long Island Sound and the New England coast north of Cape Cod. The radar mast will be erected, allowing our flags to fly again,  and I will be able to reattach the overboard discharge line.  While the information in Skipper Bob is very specific about the need to disable this system while cruising on Lake Champlain, we were not inspected anywhere and I never heard that anyone has been in the past several years.  Perhaps this is old information, but it was an easy job to remove a section of the hose that ran from the macerator pump to the thru hull fitting.   I did discover the ends of one of the hoses is split so its off to the hardware store to replace about 6 inches of hose.  Of the many hoses, fittings, connections, and snaps on VELOMER, this is one I do not want to leak.  I have discovered that a boat is constantly in need of tightening fittings, wires, inspecting hoses, securing wire runs, cleaning surfaces and generally looking at everything as frequently as time allows.  Some things need a schedule of maintenance, like oil and filter changes, but others, like alternator belts, throttle cables, rigging, lines, fenders and fluid levels are managed as need arises.  I have learned to watch for everything and anything as I move about on VELOMER and often find my time before a departure in the morning consumed by one "fix it" project after another.  An old sage once told a newbie "Son, ev'r thang on a boat is broke, you just don' know it yet". How true!

We get back to New York in a few more days and the prospect of seeing Phil and Bettina is a very bright light for us.  We have at times sorely missed family and old friends on this trip.  Next year, we are secretly planning on kidnapping a few so we can share this adventure with those we love.  There is a remote possibility that Phoebe, Erik, Annika and Trigvy can join us for a two day run north from Boston to Maine, but that is unlikely, although a sweet prospect for us.  There are times when we feel a large emptiness in our hearts for the missing smiles and giggles emanating from Anni and Trig, and the warm presence of Erik, Phoebe, Phil and Bettina.  We are feeling the end of this adventure in a few weeks is fast approaching for this season and it is sweet and sad.  Life is so fickle, just when you figure it out, it changes.  The skills we have learned every day on this trip will fade somewhat over the winter, but we hope we will reacquire them quickly once we begin our 2014 cruise.  Besides, we still need to meet Champ.



PM's Perspective:

She is burnt out again on reviewing appraisals, perhaps later.