Chapter IV Newfoundland - 2013

So I haven't posted in a couple of days because we've been in discussions about this trip.  For a variety of reasons, Mark just hasn't been as excited about this adventure as he has about others before, and I could tell even before he left.  He called home from Provincetown, facing the prospect of yet aNOTHER engine repair (more loose connections on this trip than you can shake a roll of electrical tape at), a month until he had company (I was planning on joining him in Cape Breton), and crappy weather.  The conversation went something like this:  Him - how badly would you kill me if I decided to just come home?  Me - only a little,  Him - ok, good.  

 There were some mushy bits in there from him about how much he missed me, and some from me about how he needed to be happy out there and if he's not, he should come home....bottom line is he's headed back this-away.

Cutty Hunk yesterday; Mystic today.  Weather permitting, he'll be back home early to mid next week.

takeaway message - ya gotta be feelin it or ya shouldn't be doin it  ;) 

So Mark stayed in Chatham, spent the 4th of July holiday there.  They had an amazing parade, apparently, but few fireworks.  Chatham had one of the few parades on the island, and it lasted over an hour.  He's been visiting with Carol and Charlie, reading, relaxing, and otherwise being lazy. 

Must be nice to be retired.....  ;)

I've shown Mark how to respond to these postings......let's see if he remembers and comments to add in a few of the details. 

Next scheduled departure is July 9, heading back for Woods Hole to the canal and up north again.

Mark stayed over in RI an extra day to ride out some very bad weather that has been moving around the East coast.  He spent the day with Andree and David, reminiscing, solving the world's problems, and repairing furniture.  Oh - and bought a new CD player so he could listen to all the CD's he bought cause the old one refused to play anymore.

:)

All in all, quite productive!

This morning, he set sail for Cutty Hunk Island, and got there around 1:30.  According to Mark, "Lovely sail.  Good breeze, broad reach.  No rain.  :-)"   And just last night Mark was talking about the high humidity up in that area........ [insert dagger-eyes here] 60%.

Right.  

If any of you are tracking his progress via the Excel spreadsheet he sent, it's already off.  If you wanted to do a leg as crew, let me know when you wanted to go, or where you wanted to go, and I'll see what the latest calculations are.

Cheers

So Mark made it to RI, and will be meeting up with his sister and brother-in-law.

Yesterday, evidently, there was a 30% chance of rain while he was sailing towards Mystic.....which rained on him 100% of the time.  So much for probabilities.

No update since he got to Wickford, so I presume they're all out bar hopping or something.  ;) 

Unfortunately, I got sidetracked and haven't put in the details for the calls I've gotten nightly.  Let's see, where did I leave off.....?

June 25 - Mark anchored in the Shark River after a day of motor sailing.  Turns out that he had anchored in shallow water and had run aground by morning.....thank goodness for tides.  ;)

On the way out, he had to avoid fishing boats on their way to grab the day's catch. 

Oh....did I mention that in order to get up the East River the next morning, he had to be at the Batter by 8am, which meant he had to wake up at 3am and leave by 4am.....hence dodging fishing boats.  :)

June 26 - made it all the way up the river to Atlantic Highland, which is below Sandy Hook.  Apparently the area is still a mess from Sandy.  He managed to find a good Italian deli on recommendation from the locals, and got some bread - jury's still out on whether the bread is any good.  But I guess that's not relevant, really, cause Mark forgot the name of the shop, and there's nothing printed on the receipt.

On the up side, this was...

Here we go again!  ;)

Mark and Lady set sail, well, motor, for Newfoundland by way of wherever he lands each day.  He left on June 22, and promptly had engine trouble.  Of course.  Didn't make it all the way to Chesapeake City, but did find out he had a screw loose.  So did the engine.....

Next day, off to Cape May, where he had - wait for it - engine trouble!  After using his Boat US towing package (yes, again), he got into a marina, and crashed.  Found out the next morning that his wiring wasn't all there.  On the engine, either.  ;)

Fixed that, headed off to Atlantic City, got there today, within sight of Harrah's, and had no incidents!  Amazing!  ;)

Stay tuned for daily or every other day updates, and if any of you want to do a leg or several, let me know and I'll send you the float plan.

Cheers!

Mark and Lady rolled in around 4pm today, more than ready to be finished with the trip.  It was a long and relatively uneventful trip, even for Mark....he obviously wasn't trying.  ;)

No word on when the next trip might be.....nor on when we'll see any pictures.....  I expect, at a minimum, not until the ground stops moving.  

Cheers 

Yesterday Mark went from Atlantic City to Cape May, left at TFE (that's boat speak for too f****** early) because the current was so strong he thought the boat anchor would drag, and so he couldn't sleep, and so woke up at 430 and got ready to go.

Nothing eventful happened yesterday.   Unless you count Mark getting to Cape May, dropping anchor, getting too close to another boat and trying to fight against anchor drag, wrapping the anchor line around the propeller shaft, getting even closer to the other boat, dropping another anchor, grabbing a knife, borrowing some goggles, swimming in the Delaware Bay while he cut the anchor line, unwrapping the line, getting back into the boat, and adjusting everything.  And getting a nice dinner from his new friends in the other boat, who are from Kingston, Ontario (yay).

So it was just another day on the water......  ;)

Today was the next to last day, long haul up the Delaware Bay, across the Chesapeake-Delaware Canal, to Chesapeake City.  He'll be home tomorrow, weather and other things permitting, and says the first thing he wants to do is take a shower.  I don't think the chemicals in the...

Not a bad motor....Mark crossed the line though, literally.

As he was travelling down the East River, he crossed a very straight line where the blue sea water met the brown river water.  Hopefully he took pictures, which I hope to see someday....and post!

Today's trip is to Atlantic City, which is a 10-hour trip on the best of days.

Target arrival date is still September 3

cheers!

Mark and Lady spent the storm in Huntington Yacht Club.  Well, Lady was there.  Mark was in a hotel room.  The YC got flooded; Lady did fine.

He's about 2 - 3 days behind schedule now.  Sunday was spent putting the sails back up, getting miscellaneous vegetation off the deck, getting supplies, and prepping for the next stop.

Yesterday was getting to Manhasset so that he could figure the tides for the ride down the East River.  Today is going down the river to Shark River.  Tides were in his favor starting about 11:30 am, so he had a late start.

At this point, both of them are just ready to get home!  Saturday is the expected arrival date.....pending any more engine, weather, skipper, or sea monster issues...  ;)

cheers