Cape Cod

Without a weather forecast, we would have loved to stay another day in Martha's Vineyard with the Mandel's. But the weather service was calling for rain on Monday all over the region. Sunday was going to be good travel day and we needed to take advantage of it.

We got up early at the Mandel's and they took us to the grocery for provisions. Then we hugged them goodbye and boarded the water taxi out to Invictus. She was in great shape with her fridge completely defrosted. We fired up the fridge, reloaded it with food from the cooler and untied from the mooring ball a little before 9 a.m.

Our trip for the day was going to take us through three distinctly different bodies of water. First, we would go northwest In Vineyard Sound then take the cut into Buzzard's Bay at Wood's Hole. Both of these big bodies of water were relatively calm and the sun was out bright.

Next we were headed into the Cape Cod Canal. This is a man-made canal (300 yards wide, 42 feet deep and 7 miles long) that allows you to cut off that long arm of Massachusetts (Cape Cod) that sticks out into the North Atlantic. The swift current in this "ditch" is legendary among boaters. We left early from Edgartown to make sure that we were going through the canal WITH the current. And on this day it was running 4.5 mph. There is a strictly enforced boat speed limit of 10mph, so we're were moving at 14.5 mph from west to East into Cape Cod Bay. Halfway through our passage we came upon a huge ocean-going tug pulling an immense barge into the current. His prop caused a set of three foot rollers that went behind him for a quarter mile.

Since it was Memorial Day weekend, the number of boats in the canal was huge. It was quite a show as we made our way toward the last big
big body of water of our trip. When we got to the Eastern mouth of the canal the wind was blowing hard from the Northeast. (At the other end, it had been blowing from the Southwest - a 180 degree swing). The wind was pushing all the water toward the end of the canal while the tide was pulling the water in the opposite direction. The resulting confused waters hit us quickly. As soon as I turned the boat northeast we got hit by a series of huge waves -- the biggest of the trip so far. I guessed that they were 6-footers but the talk in the Marina later that afternoon said they were much bigger, more like 8-10 feet. Here's all I know -- it was scary as hell. Linda was down below and she said later that she and Olive left the sofa a couple of times headed for the ceiling.

I thought seriously about turning around but decided to stick with it for a few more minutes to see if it would get better or worse. Fortunately, it got better. Not a lot better, but better. For about a half hour we slammed Invictus into wave after wave. Olive's tongue was out (the snake) and Linda was picking things off of the floor of the boat.

The further we got from the bottom end of the bay, the calmer it got. Finally I was able to go a little faster as we got about ten miles from Plymouth -- our goal.

The harbor at Plymouth is protected, but very shallow. Of course we should have remembered that from our third grade civics lessons. The protection from the Atlantic is why the Pilgrims chose it in the late fall of 1620. The shallowness was the reason that had to get off on a rock -- hence, Plymouth Rock.












We also learned in the museum the next day that they were really headed to Virginia but they ran out of beer. Seriously. We were almost out of bourbon so we could relate. I love America's drinking history.

We decided to walk through the town, see the Rock and buy some bourbon before the predicted rains arrived. We grilled a steak on board and enjoyed a nice dinner knowing that we wouldn't be able to leave here until Tuesday at the earliest.

Next stop, Boston!

The Vineyard

On Thursday (May 26) we slipped out of Cuttyhunk Harbor to make our way to Martha's Vineyard. We had to wiggle our way out thru a very narrow, shallow opening between CuttyHunk Island and the next island to the east. The chart showed the last buoy as green but it sure was red to our sight. I hugged it close and as we got right on it we could see that it was rusty red, but had a little patch of green paint on it. By the time we passed it the depth had increased to 10 feet so we were safe.

It was only 20 miles to Vinyard Haven Harbor. The sun was out and the sound was relatively calm so we arrived at the Black Dog Wharf just after lunch. As we were entering the harbor my phone rang and it was the harbor master asking when we would arrive. Talk about service. We pulled up to the best spot on the entire island...our stern was 100 feet from the porch of the Black Dog Tavern.

















We enjoyed strolling (shopping) in Vineyard Haven. It had a really nice vibe. Boats were being prepared for the season and the shops were obviously preparing for the summer crunch. But we were way ahead of the crunch. Linda decided that she needed a pedicure, so I got out the boat bucket and she went to work in the afternoon sun.











We went to dinner at the Tavern and ordered a LOBSTAH. We had fun getting every last morsel of meat out of it. After dinner we went 100 feet back to the boat and turned up the stereo and played country music for the Vineyard locals. We are so far east that the sun sets early and we were in bed fairly early by vacation standards.

We enjoyed another sunny morning in Vineyard Haven and walked to the grocery store for ice and bottled water. (It was only a few hundred yards from the boat so we didn't have to carry it far.). Olive had a celebrity moment, too. She got to sniff THE Black Dog. Of course he got to sniff her, too. She'll be bragging about it at Play Dog Excellent when she gets back home.





But it was time to head for Edgartown to put Invictus on a mooring ball for a couple of days so that we could go ashore and stay with our friends, the Mandels.

We made the 10 mile trip in about an hour. The Harbourmaster told us to pick any blue colored ball. We had made our reservation on-line, so our credit card had already been charged for 2 nights. We packed the contents of our little fridge into the cooler that was packed with ice. We were using the stopover for a much needed defrosting of the fridge.

We shut down all systems on the boat and disconnected the battery. Then we called the water taxi and he took us to shore where Joyce was waiting. She drive us to their cottage about 2 miles away. Olive was so happy to see their beautiful grassy yard that she was twitching and whimpering with excitement. Their dog, Lillie, six times Olive's size, shared her space very graciously. Olive spent the next two days chasing squirrels in their yard non-stop.






During those two days, Robert and Joyce gave us a royal tour of the eastern Vineyard. We ate a fabulous dinner in Oak Bluffs. On Saturday, Robert deflated the tires of their big SUV to take us driving on the beach. He had an annual permit for this. Some years there is a "breech" in the strand that separates Chappaquiddick from the rest of Martha's Vinyard, which is why they call "Chappy" an island. This year however, the strand is connected and we drove all the way around the point and back to the ferry at Edgartown. We stopped at one deserted area so the dogs could play in the sand and the surf. The CMO got her batteries recharged jumping through the deep sand and sniffing all matter of sea creatures.








We made it home in time to pick up lobsters at the local seafood market for a fabulous dinner. We rekindled our friendship with Port wine and fell asleep with the window's cracked in the cool night air.

Now we know why everyone loves Martha's Vineyard.

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Some unfamiliar names

(Author's note: We have had a string of pretty days and fun times with friends, so I haven't had time to post on the blog. Today it is raining in Plymouth, Mass. so I will catch you up on our voyage)

Wickford and Cuttyhunk, May 24 and 25.

I can't say that it was on my life dream list to spend my birthday (May 24) in Wickford Rhode Island. I had never heard of it. But it's a nice little town whose historic highway bridge is being rebuilt. The Wickford Marina is not really open for transients (that's what we are called) yet. They told us this when we called for a reservation but told us to come on anyway.

When we called on the marine radio in the early afternoon, we got no response. When we called on the telephone we got no answer. So we just picked the best slip in the Marina and pulled ourselves in. After lunch (complete with the heater in the cabin) I walked up to the Marina office. The old man in charge looked out and said, "That's where I would have put you anyway." Between his hearing aids and my southern accent, it was a difficult conversation.

On the way there, I got a phone call from Betsy telling me that her house had been burglarized in Nashville. Because of her burglar alarm, the thieves ran in and out. The only thing they got was her jewelry box. It upset us both because I had made the black walnut jewelry box for her a couple of years ago. The contents were valuable but so was the box. Oh well, life isn't about possessions.

Linda and I walked into Wickford and found several things we had been looking for. I found a jewelry store that could replace my watch battery. This is important for my job as the skipper. We also found a kitchen store that had several cooking items that we needed. Once again we saw lots of 1700s buildings and cemeteries that we enjoyed.























Linda cooked a great birthday dinner on board as the evening rain started again.

On Wednesday morning the rain had stopped and we idled over to the fuel dock to fill up the tank. As we pulled away from the fuel dock at 9:30, I noticed that a thick fog was pouring over the island in the middle of Narragansett Bay. We turned south toward Long Island Sound for our trip to Cuttyhunk. As we got to the mouth of the Bay, the fog rolled over us, too, and we had to slow down and depend on the radar to keep from colliding with other boats. We had a couple of "close calls" but never anything that we didn't see on the radar.

Wednesday's trip was only 37 miles, but I was still very glad to see the fog lift as we approached the Cuttyhunk entrance channel about 1:00 p.m. Once again, there was not response from the radio call or the telephone call, so we made our own decision about where to tie up. After doing so, we found the Harbourmaster getting on a boat to go fishing. We both agreed that he could catch up with us after he returned.

Cuttyhunk is the last island in a chain (called the Elizabeth Islands) that separate Buzzad's Bay from Vineyard Sound to the south. It was a perfect stopover on our trip to Martha's Vineyard. We both commented that it reminded us of Carribean islands. We learned that there are only 15 year round inhabitants. We hiked to the highest point on the small island and soaked in a view of Martha's Vineyard to the southeast.












We walked past the town school and both students were outside playing hopscotch with the teacher. We wondered what winters must be like there. They have plentiful fresh water from a well, but electricity is outrageously expensive (diesel generated). How different this is from the touristy hub-bub of Newport only 35 miles away.

















So, I know many of you are waiting for a medical report on the CMO's paw. She hobbled around Wickford and Cuttyhunk on her duct tape bandage. When we changed the bandage, it looked much better. She no longer yelps when you touch it. It's true, you can fix almost anything with duct tape.




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I'm a Bristol Boy

Growing up in Bristol, Tennessee, I was well aware there were other Bristols. England, Connecticut and Rhode Island. But until Monday, I had never been to any of them.

After a short 14-mile trip up the Narragansett Bay, we arrived in Bristol at 10:00 a.m. We had used a new app called "Dockwa" to book our slip in the Marina that is part of the sailing museum here. It wasn't like we needed a computer to fight off the crowds. Once again, we were the only transient boat in the Marina.



We've now heard the word for this period before people start boating in large numbers here -- it's called the "shoulder season." Things are open but not very busy. The dockmaster at Newport explained that the boating season has been getting longer in the fall because the weather has been staying warm later than it used to. But it has not been getting warmer earlier. He told us that this year it has stayed colder much later than normal (and nobody knows that better than us). So, in the "Shoulder Season" we have had no problem getting a slip in a Marina. He says that will not be the case in June.

America's most famous naval architect was named Nathaniel Herreshoff, from Bristol (Rhode Island). His factory is now a museum of his spectacular wooden boats (both sail and power). The Museum was closed today, but they unlocked the doors and turned on the lights for us. We enjoyed being alone in and among these beautiful vessels. Several of them are positioned so that you can actually go inside the boats and poke around the antique interiors.









"Captain Nat's" design studio has been recreated in the upper loft of the warehouse. Many of the thousands of "half-hull models" that he carved are on display. Like Mystic, it was a very hands-on experience. Mr. Herreshoff was commissioned to design and build eight America's Cup contenders in the early 1900s. One of them, "Reliance," was the largest ever made -- standing taller than today's Space Shuttle. And it was all wood.



We walked into the super clean and neat town of Bristol. The temperature hit 79, a record for us on this trip. The slight breeze made it a perfect day for exploring a New England town on foot. When crossing the Main Street, you pick up an orange flag and carry it through the crosswalk to a receptacle on the other side. I guess it's cheaper than flashing lights.



We came back to the boat and decided that we needed to do some homeopathic doctoring on the CMO's foot. After a couple of attempts we learned that the best material for the job is duct tape. Olive was very glad that I had some duct tape that matched her background fur. We'll let you know if it works to heal her sore foot.


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Newport, the Sailing Capital

After the exciting departure from Mystic (with the whole fire truck thing), the rest of our Friday trip to Newport was calm a and easy. The sound was smooth and the sun was out. After 44 miles, we pulled into the Newport Yacht Club about 1:00 p.m. and immediately took off in search of lunch.









We found our way to a waterfront restaurant and you could tell that Newport was gearing up for the weekend--the tourists were rolling in. Since the sun was out, we hiked the"Cliff Walk" a similar idea to our "RiverWalk" in Chattanooga. It is a public walking trail along the cliffs over looking the ocean around Newport's southern tip. The difference is that the shoreside of the walk is a string of huge mansions from Newport's Victorian era, when the captains of industry had gargantuan summer homes in Newport.


The Chief Morale Officer enjoyed the long walk with us, but we might have overdone it for her. She has been favoring her right rear paw for a few days and after the long (5 or 6 mile) walk we noticed that the pad of her paw was pretty raw. We decided that she would not take any more long walks for a few days. It would not be a good thing for the CMO to be infirm.

In our now 1,300 mile trip, Newport is the third place to call itself "the sailing capital." First, Oriental said they were the sailing capital of North Carolina. Then Annapolis said they were "the Sailing Capital" and now Newport. Newport's claim is based mostly on the history of the America's Cup sailboat races that took place here for decades. The New York Yacht Club does their sailing here, not in New York. The grand races of that event in the early 1900s were done in the waters off Newport.



After the loss of the America's Cup in the 80s the event has moved around the world. But there is still a great interest in sailing here. And there are t-shirt shops to prove it. We had a great time shopping for more warm clothing because the last thing we need is a t-shirt. We've got lockers full of southern clothing that hasn't been worn yet. Linda is laughing about her hands and feet being tanned, but nothing else.

We were treated to a day of touring and exploring with the Commodore of the Newport Yacht Club and his wife, who are best friends with our friends Darrell and Claudia. On Saturday, we went to the farmer's market where they were selling...farmed oysters (among other things). We had a fascinating talk with the young man who was farming oysters in a 4-acre underwater plot near Newport. Later that night, they treated us to dinner and he taught me how to shuck them without going to the emergency room.

Sunday's weather was a huge surprise. It was supposed to be windy and rough...but it wasn't. It actually got so warm that we took our jackets off! We had a great time exploring Newport on foot. We walked to the Newport Tower, a primitive rock structure that predates all written history here. Historians aren't sure who built it and why. The best guess seems to be a windmill for grinding grain, possibly built by Benedict Arnold's father.


We were hoping for a great sunset but it didn't materialize. I decided that we should salute the day by playing taps across the harbor. Next stop, Bristol, Rhode Island.


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The beautiful waters of Connecticut

We left Mamaroneck after breakfast on Tuesday for a long 81-mile run to Saybrook on the Connecticut River. The Sound had calmed down and was very pleasant. We were able to speed along at 20 miles-per-hour through the very center of Long Island Sound. At the mid-point of the sound you can see both the north and south shore, but they are a long way away. This is a big body of water.



We pulled into a really nice Marina that is attached to the Saybrook Point Inn. We refueled and were tied up in our slip by 1:00. We watched the crazy Yankees swim in the outdoor pool (air temperature 58 degrees) as we made our way to the indoor hot tub. We walked around and found the town cemetery with headstones from the early 1700s. Early English and Dutch settlers built a fortress here to protect the very navigable Connecticut River. The CMO treed many squirrels while Linda and I read old headstones.

On Wednesday morning, Linda wanted to make good use of the resort's fitness center. We pulled away about 10:40 for our short 29 mile trip to Mystic. We had two low bridges to get under in the town of Mystic -- a railroad swing bridge and a highway bascule bridge. The railroad bridge has lots of commuter trains running over it and the highway bridge only opens at 40 minutes past the hour. So we slowed way down in an attempt to time it just right. We almost blew it because the rail bridge was held closed for a train. But the highway bridge tender took pity on us and delayed his opening a few minutes to let us get up to his bridge and pass under with a sailboat that was waiting. Thankfully, the two bridges are very close to each other.



So, at 12:50 we were under the bridge and idling up the tiny little Mystic River passing the tall ships that were on display or being repaired in the Mystic Seaport Museum shipyard. I radioed the dockmaster and couldn't believe my eyes when he directed us to a dock right in the middle of the Museum grounds. We were so close to everything that he gave us a sign to post on the boat asking museum visitors not to board our boat! We felt like one of the displays and the CMO enjoyed showing off for all the school kids that were touring the museum.






We were in candy land for boaters. You can walk through the historic vessels and enjoy the many exhibits and displays about whaling and boating in the 1800s. We were very surprised (and delighted) about the hands-on attitude of the place. Children were allowed to pump the bellows for the blacksmith and climb the rat lines of the old ships. In other venues, we've gotten so used to the "nanny state" not letting anyone get close to anything.












There was so much to see and absorb that we stayed for two days. We walked into town and saw "Mystic Pizza" where Julia Roberts made her first film. On the second day, a spectacular 70-foot custom sailboat pulled up next to us. It was one of the trustees of the Mystic Seaport Museum arriving for a board meeting. We enjoyed telling him how impressed we were with the hands-on attitude. He said they really work on that aspect of the experience. Linda and I vowed to bring our grandchildren here as soon as they are old enough to "get it."









On Friday morning we left the dock in time to make the 9:40 bridge opening. We were the only boat going under. As we got within 10 feet of passing under, the bridge tender blew his horn frantically and called us on the radio asking us to back up. I did and we saw a fire truck that needed to get across the bridge. What a way to start our 44 mile trip to Newport!

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Hello from Olive Again

So...my friends at PDX want to hear more about my trip! Let me tell you what it is like from my perspective.









We have a daily routine on our boat. My humans awake by sunlight. Usually around 6:30 or 7:00. It pretty much depends on whether the sun is actually shining (i.e. No clouds). I am the most awesome boat dog ever, because I do not whine to go out immediately. I wedge myself between mom and dad, and well, I hog the whole bed so they wake up and feel sorry for me so I get to go out. #winning!

At port, my mom likes to run or walk before we get underway. That includes me! I am so excited because it means I will usually see a SQUIRREL. I haven't quite grasped that they can run up a tree, but, hey hope springs eternal.

When my humans get ready to leave the dock, they have a pattern. My dad says, "Are you finished with the power?" He had better ask, because if my mom is still blow-drying her hair, well, it would not do to disconnect the power.









The best part comes next when mom calls me to put my life vest on. Now, I am not crazy about the life vest, but it is a signal to me that we are about to get moving! Another port, more smells, and more SQUIRRELS!

The humans motor along for awhile. I don't know how long. I snuggle into mom because it is COLD and sometimes there are wakes and waves. I get yelled at when I try to climb on the foredeck when we are going 20 MPH. They are such helicopter parents!









The best part comes when we get to the next marina. The boat slows down, so that is my signal to get ready for action. My mom rigs the lines while dad drives the boat. I run around everywhere because let's face it, I am the real captain of Invictus. I am on the bowsprit when we glide into the Marina. Every dockmaster says, "What a great dog!" #winningagain!!

Once the boat is all tied off and the power is running, my mom takes me to shore. Wee! It doesn't matter how long I have been on this boat, I am happy to mark a new space. We come back about when dad is rinsing the saltwater off the boat. I like to chase the water stream and try to bite it. Okay, give me a break, I'm still a dog #winningagain!!!

Next, dad goes to pay the Marina while my mom makes lunch. I like to go with my dad because most of the time the Marina folks say, "What a cute dog" and they give me a treat. #winningagain! Most of the marinas say they are pet friendly, but sometimes I wonder if that is just marketing to get my parents to dock there.

I have loved seeing the east coast because they have the most enormous SQUIRREL population ever, or at least that I have seen. In Mamaroneck, there were black squirrels. But best of all in these parts, there are domestic squirrels...which means I might have a fighting chance. No matter, I am like my dad. I love the hunt as much as anything.

I really enjoy seeing new places and meeting new humans. Lots of children want to pet me. Adult humans want to hold me...until my hair comes off on their dark sweaters. I'm spreading hair all over New England.






When evening falls, my parents cook dinner and play their music as loud as they think appropriate. Then they take me on a final walk and to bed. I snuggle in my bed next to their berth. I will stay there until around 5 am, and then I will sneak between the two of them. When they wake up, it will be time to do it all again!



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