Greetings from in the fog

Morning in Block Island, RI, in the fog and rain.

As Jim pointed out in the comments about our last posts, this is quite a change from St Croix. In the course of 2 weeks we've gone from hot, sunny days, warm turquois waters and balmy nights under the stars, to cold, wet, foggy and "Have you seen my gloves?" As we came north from Bermuda, adding layer upon layer of clothing, I kept asking Steve "Whose idea was this anyway?" He was always very quick to point out that it was mine. Hmmmm.

We decided (back on one of those balmy warm nights, when we couldn't even imagine cold) to sail north, in one chunk, as far as we're going to get this year and then work our way south along the east coast before putting the boat up and driving around the country, bothering our relatives along the way. We almost made it. We're just south of our final destination of Amesbury MA and the home of friends Alex and Gary and their mooring on the Merrimac River. We ducked into Block Island to avoid yet another cold front and it's accompanying storms. Beautiful, but the mooring rates have gone up 50% since last we were here, it's now $45 a night. We'll be leaving ASAP.

The entrance to Salt Pond, looking north.

We had a nice trip up from the USVI. I won't use the 'b' word again, but it was nicely uneventful. Just a couple of days of sloppy seas, good wind most of the way and another 1500 miles under the keel. We didn't plan a stop in Bermuda, but the weather decided for us. It was a wonderful surprise and has been added to the list of places to go back to. I have loads of pictures and will do a separate post on Bermuda soon.

Last of the Salty Dawgs

May 31st:

It's getting a little lonely out here as most the bigger, newer, faster boats in the rally continue to make port. Several made it this morning, a few more will reach port tonight. We on the other hand expect to be in sometime Sunday so we'll be the last on the Salty Dawg net for this Spring Rally

Meanwhile it remains pretty much like we like it....not too eventful. Today we are seeing wind and that will continue to pick up through the remainder of our trip. Right now we are crossing the Gulf Stream several hundred miles south of Block Island. Rolly and a few squalls, confused seas like the stream does but we have ~15 more miles to where we expect the north bound. We'll be through it by day and expect the sea to settle, and a bit better point to the west. Winds forecast 15-18kts or so for the night and tomorrow..should be good sailing. We are looking forward to being on land again.

Position
Time: 2013/05/31 20:10:40 (GMT)
Latitude: 37-12.68N
Longitude: 070-33.85W
Speed: 6.0

Steve & Lynn


May 30th:

Another day at sea and all is well. We have decided not to go around the Cape this trip but to go inside. On going around the cape. We are going inside. Wind is forecast to be pretty strong from the west and WSW (25-35) while we would be outside...then followed by another cold front on Monday eve/Tuesday. Right now going west far enough to make it an easier reach when the wind picks up.  We should be somewhere in Buzzards bay, most likely Cuttyhunk or Woods Hole by Sunday afternoon.  Would have loved to have made it one shot but not to be this trip. No desire on this boat to be in weather already forecast to be bad if we can avoid it.

Boat chores: put one of the backup anchors on the bow this AM while the weather is good and seas settled. A little vegetable oil in the evacuation pump for the holding tank and working through another John Scalzi novel
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Position:
Time: 2013/05/30 15:14:29 (GMT)
Latitude: 35-02.71N
Longitude: 068-46.19W

Steve & Lynn