2014 SDR

We had much more time preparing for the rally this year compared to last.  Also, this year Pratique and Wynot were joined by 4 other Outbound 46's:  Pneumatic, Hedonism, Hippocampus and FuhGedAboutIt.  Another familiar boat was Legato, a beautiful Tayana 48 owned by Larry Terhaar.  Larry sold us our previous boat, Breezin,' when he had Legato built, and later I helped him sail his boat from CT to Florida. 

This year Hank was able to do the rally, and we were joined by Ed Cotter who has done lots of cruising on his own Valiant 42, as well as newcomer Bob Herbert from OPO.



Ed

Hank



Bob



 

 

This year we decided not to leave a day early since the sea state was still a bit bouncy on Sunday. So instead we got going around 0830 on Monday Nov 3.  We set the pole for the Solent sail and went down the coast wing-and-wing.  Then turned east to cross the Gulf Stream at the location provided by Chris Parker.  We spent the next few days sailing and motor sailing the rhumb line toward Virgin Gorda.  However, more and more during the passage the wind was on the nose.  After two days of relative slow going mostly into the wind, I felt that we had enough fuel to continue motoring east toward 64° 30' W, then tack to the south for the last two days in the developing trade winds.  That strategy was confirmed by Chris, and we made it to the BEYC in 9 days, arriving early morning on Wednesday, Nov 12!  Along the way we caught two Mahi, but only one was a good size to eat, and it was delicious!!  Thanks to Hank's usual culinary expertise we ate quite well along the way.

At the Bitter End we were greeted by the crew of Wynot (although Tom was exchanged for Talya by the time we got there!) Then when Pneumatic, Hedonism and Hippocampus arrived, the Outbound celebration started! 



Tina, Geof, Talya



Bob from Hedonism

Kurt

 



Skip

Ed

 

Kurt gets braided!



Time for the Drone!

Lee Corwin, Hippocampus

Our charter neighbors at the end of the dock provided live music all afternoon!

Making Phil Lambert proud:   Hedonism, Hippocampus, Pratique, Pneumatic, and Wynot!
(FuhGedAboutIt went to St. Martin)

 Just like last year, reluctantly I had to move the boat from the Bitter End to Roadtown, Pratique's new home away from home.  Lee came with me to scope out marinas in Tortola:

Village Cay

 Another boat clean-up, then a walk to the ferry. Time for a last lunch before traveling home:

Spicy yellowtail roll.

 

 

Autumn Migration

Late September we began moving the boat to Hampton VA, to prepare for the 2014 Salty Dawg Rally to the British Virgin Islands which takes place the first week in November.  This will be the second year in a row that Pratique has participated in the rally.  Susan and I decided to go west down the Long Island Sound once again, since the weather was rough to the south of LI.  We made stops in Branford and Glen Cove, then into the East River.  There we found out that the usual route between Roosevelt Island and Manhattan was closed to all marine traffic because of U.N. security.  So we went east of Roosevelt Island between it and Queens.  The Roosevelt Island Bridge operator must have had his hands full with all the north-south traffic!

Coast Guard just south of the U.N.

 We exited New York Bay and had a very pleasant motor-sail down the NJ coast.  Next morning up the Deleware, then through the C & D Canal, for our stopover in the Bohemia Bay, Maryland.  Our friends Jay and Tanya keep their Valiant 42 Minx at Bohemia Bay Yacht Harbour and we were excited not just to visit but also to have Jay do our new solar panel install! The BBYH and the Bohemia River were great, and so was Jay's work!

Nice work, Jay!!

One of Jay's custom welds

After that, we spent a few days going south along the Chesapeake, this time stopping in the Little Choptank River off Casson Point, then Solomons Island, and finally Hampton!

Little Choptank anchorage

Boats arrive for the Solomons Grand Prix!

We spent a few nights in Hampton while we cleaned up and organized Pratique for the SDR next month.  Then back to CT, then back to Hampton in a few weeks!

Mistake Island Harbor to Marion

One more stop along the coast before jumping off to cross the Gulf of Maine for home.  We stopped into Mistake Island Harbor for our last Maine overnight.  There's lots of ledge to avoid so we approached the entrance slowly until we rounded the north tip of Knight Island and found the preferred anchorage.  Also lots of lobster traps to avoid, and we managed to stay clear of all of them until after we anchored.  Hank then noticed that one of the nearby floats "disappeared."  This is not a good sign, so Hank volunteered to dive under and take a look.  Sure enough, a line had wrapped around the prop as we swung at anchor.  Good work, Hank!

Entrance to the harbor between Knight and Steele Harbor Islands

Wetsuit drying out after Hank dives Mistake Island Harbor!

 We took the dinghy ashore to walk Mistake Island and visit Moose Peak Light.  There's a boardwalk to the lighthouse from the tiny dock at the north end of Mistake Island that prevents damage to the abundant and lush natural vegetation that covers the area. 



Moose Peak Lighthouse

Evening fog rolls into the harbor

 Next morning I cracked open a couple of leftover lobster claws for lobster, mushroom and cheese omelets. 

Good to the last claw!

We had an uneventful sail across the Gulf, and into the Cape Cod Canal the next day.  We anchored at dusk in Marion Harbor in Buzzards Bay the next evening. 


Marion Harbor

On the last day, we left Buzzards Bay and pointed the nose into the wind toward Newport.  I usually go home to Barrington via the Narragansett Bay but the timing of the currents favored turning north into the Sakonnet River.  Passing through the Tiverton area was exciting, with lots of current against us at the old Stone Bridge, followed by a big breath hold while passing under the Sakonnet River Bridges.  Then a great final series of double reefed tacks across the west side of Mt. Hope Bay, under the bridge, and, finally, tying up back in Cove Haven late Saturday afternoon. 

Next summer, Nova Scotia and Cape Breton???

Passamaquoddy Bay

We left Grand Manan early in the morning and zipped across the calm bay into the Passamaquoddy Bay, the lower edge of which is the US but most of the rest is still Canadian waters. We were headed to the New Brunswick town of St. Andrews,  I was able to download NOAA charts of the region, including just enough of the Bay that we were cruising.  First realization is that the southernmost passage into the bay through the Lubec Narrows would not allow Pratique under the FDR Memorial Bridge, which has 47' clearance albeit at high tide.  So we sailed north and looked at going through the Letete Passage.  Even though the seas were calm, currents in the passage can run to 8kts and there are obstacles and a frequently running ferry.  I though twice, then a third time, and decided that since I had never been through there before it wasn't such a great idea.  So that left only one other choice:  Round the north tip of Campobello Island then sail south down the Head Harbor Passage, then turning northwest passing between Eastport Maine and Deer Island, Canada and into the Passamaquoddy Bay.  Good choice!!:

Passing the East Quoddy Head Lighthouse

 

Kayakers under the morning haze

When you turn from SSW to NNW and into the Western Passage it is easy to see how strong, converging currents create the famous whirlpool called the "Old Sow."  We were passing through at high tide so were not going to see (avoid) the whirlpool at its strongest.  But to our surprise there was enough of the whirlpool to give our keel a good jolt or two!

 

The "Old Sow," not so quiet even at high tide

 

With no wind, contrast the glass-like areas that have no current with the immediately adjacent frothing and bubbling within a strong local current:
 

Tiny "mini-piglets" within the otherwise glass surface

Churning within a local current

 

Continuing north into Passamaquoddy Bay, we were visited by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police! We were politely boarded, and asked to see our papers.  Good thing we cleared in at Grand Manan two days prior! 

St. Andrews is a beautiful resort town along the north shore of Passamaquoddy Bay.  The harbor was easy to enter and moorings were plentiful!
 

 On Grand Manan we had experienced the range of tides for which the Bay of Fundy is famous. But the tidal range at St. Andrews was more impressive, especially since that night it was a true Supermoon (or "perigee-syzygy"), when the full moon is at its closest to the earth.  

How low can you go?

Some shots in and around St. Andrews:

 

Downtown

The Algonquin Hotel

 

St. Andrews Blockhouse and Battery

Next we visited Eastport, Maine where we cleared back in to the US.  No lack of tides there, either:

LOW

HIGH

We hung out with the folks at the Eastport Lobster and Fish House, just next to the Deer Island Ferry Terminal.  A fun place, and once again, lobsters were plentiful!!

Daybreak

Next day we sailed by FDR's Campobello retreat, then caught a glimpse of the Lubec Bridge, still too low for Pratique to pass under.

Campobello

 Time to start heading home!  On the way out of the bay we were treated to a few whales saying their goodbyes!  Listen carefully and you can hear their breaths: