Where Did Everyone Go?

The Marine Trawler Owner Association (MTOA) northern rendezvous ended last night with an awards ceremony and party. Karen and I each received a highly coveted ruby pin. By this morning, most of the boats had disappeared.

Our presentation on ActiveCaptain went really well yesterday afternoon. There were some excellent questions and the response was wonderful. It's times like this when we realize that we're onto something important and believe even more strongly that we're headed in the right direction.

Going even further in the "we believe" direction, OceanLinez.biz released a feature article about ActiveCaptain on Wednesday called, "ActiveCaptain Could be the Wave of the Future." Quoting their first paragraph:

Telling you that ActiveCaptain “could” be the wave of the future is probably a little bit like saying the Internet will “probably be a big thing.”  The truth is, ActiveCaptain already is a fantastic resource for cruisers and passagemakers, but it might actually become something huge — a source of real-time, up-to-the-minute information that your navigation system can access while underway.  That’s saying something and the more ActiveCaptain develops, the less far-fetched it sounds.  But more on that later; let’s see why it’s already worth your time to “become” an ActiveCaptain.

The MTOA seminars that we attended were great. We met hundreds of people, ate exceptional food, exchanged sea stories, and made plans for future get togethers with new friends. All of this was exhausting! Today we lounged around, went grocery shopping, caught up on computer work, and arranged play times for Dyna and Dylan with other dogs.

The grocery store in Crisfied is pretty small with few selections. I was, however, able to prevail in getting Breyers ice cream. Karen was seriously considering a type called Turkey Hill and another called PET. I now have veto power over ice cream selection and I draw the line far before ever purchasing something with an animal name or any play-on-words cute names. PET ice cream? That's just asking for trouble!

There are a bunch of DeFever trawlers still here so we're all getting together for a group dinner tonight. It'll be a group of a dozen or so people. Dyna and Dylan were specifically invited and will tag along for the fun. You know, our song was right - it isn't about the boat, the places, or the sunsets. Cruising is about the people you meet.

The Coffee House...

MTOA has been a lot of fun. We're deep in the middle of it right now. We've met a lot of really nice people and have had fun at the different seminars. There are many trawlers here and it's been fun to look at them and get ideas about things we'd like to add. We know we need some type of ramp system to work with fixed docks in a better way. It has been difficult for both man and dog here to get off the boat.

Tuesday night was a pot luck dinner.  With hundreds of people, this was a massive pot luck rivaling any New England dinner we've ever been too. The food was outstanding. After dinner, the dining area was re-decorated as a coffee house with candles, coffee beans, and a warm dark atmosphere. Peter Colket performed for a couple of hours with just one break when he gave the stage to Karen and me. We performed a couple of songs. Thanks to Celeste Yost for taking the video of one of them so we could share it!

Our second song was a re-make of the Marshall Tucker Band's song Can't You See.  Here are the words and music:

Can't You See What That Trawler's Been Doing To Me
(sung to the tune of Can't You See)
Chords: D, C, G, D (repeat)

Verse (Jeff):
    Used to have a day job,
    Workin that 9-to-5,
    Life went by so fast,
    Got me a trawler now,
    Life in the slow lane,
    I know I can't go back.

Chorus:

    Can't you see, oh can't you see,

    What that trawler's, been doing to me

    Can't you see, oh can't you see,

    What that trawler's, been doing to me

Verse (Karen):

    Used to wish for diamonds,

    Wear the latest fashions,

    Silk and satin was for me,

    Now I dress in T-shirts,

    Rarely put my shoes on,

    And only wish for calm seas.

Chorus

Verse (together):

    So we're out there cruising,

    Life on the water, now,

    A life that's hard to beat,

    It isn't just the places,

    It isn't just the sunsets,

    It's the people that we meet.

Chorus (twice)

The "Good" versus the "Not So Good"...

We arrived at the town dock at 7:30 am to find Larry waiting to take us to our boat. That was good. While loading the boat, Dylan decided to jump into the water soaking all of our clothes - this while still tied to the dock. Definitely not so good.

Upon dropping us off at the boat, Larry had one final set of instructions - "Keep her off the rocks" - definitely good.

We unhooked the mooring lines at 8:30 am - right on schedule. It was a beautiful morning and a bunch of friends waved goodbye at the town dock - all very good.

One planned stop in Rockland to top off our fuel at Journey's End Marina. We also picked up a SPOT Messenger and configured it over a cellular internet connection after leaving Rockland. The SPOT device sends our position to satellites every 10 minutes. The track that those positions create can be viewed by anyone so everyone can watch our progress or see exactly where we are. Our public tracking page is located here:

http://tinyurl.com/ActiveCaptainSPOT

All good.

Leaving Rockland we experienced 2-4 foot rolling waves - we call them rollers. They rise slowly and fall slowly. It's a nice gently motion. More good. How much good do we deserve in a single day?

Two hours before sunset we arrived outside Monhegan Island. This is our final go/no-go position before heading overnight across the Gulf of Maine to Cape Cod. There was no change in the weather prediction and the 4 foot rollers continued. Even more good!

It turns out, we used up our allocation of good. About 2 hours after sunset, the period of the waves shortened from 8 seconds to 4 seconds (and less). This turns those nice gentle rollers into choppy, nasty, up-and-down motion. The waves were all coming on our nose too. Straight-at-you waves are the safest bad weather condition but they are mighty uncomfortable. We had 12 more hours of this type of weather to face. This was certainly in the not so good category. In fact, it was worth 10 not-so-goods.

Within 2 hours, Karen was sick. I felt queasy but was OK. The dogs had never been in bad weather and took it wonderfully. We gave them some preventative sea-sickness medication that would make them a little drowsy. They didn't like the motion but they were really great. Karen couldn't do her watches and I had to pilot all night in the dark against those waves with no sleep. Make that 50 not-so-goods. 10 isn't enough.

By 9:30 the next morning, we were in the protection of Cape Cod and the weather was light. I gave the helm to Karen so I could sleep for a couple of hours before piloting through the Cape Cod Canal with close maneuvers and other boats all around.

We eventually found our way to a calm cove off Cuttyhunk where we dropped the anchor, ate one of the three meals we missed, and tried to brush ourselves off. The anchorage was beautiful, the sunset was golden, and all was happy again inside aCappella. Very, very good.

That lasted all of 10 minutes - Hurricane Danny is aiming right at Long Island and set to hit in 3 days.

The not-so-goods won today but we've only just begun this joust.

We're all ready...

The boat is ready. The house is ready. We've gotten everything we're going to get for departing. We just have to do a final loading of perishable foods this afternoon, top off our water tank, and disconnect the mooring pennant. The dogs know that something is up.

We plan to leave tomorrow at 8:30 am headed for Rockland, Maine to quickly top off our fuel tanks. By loading up with fuel now, we won't need fuel again until we're on the Chesapeake unless we come across a good price somewhere. We need to leave Rockland by 1:00 pm to get long past Mongehan Island by sunset. Then we'll be making a straight line from Monhegan to the Cape Cod Canal approaching Cape Cod at sunrise and entering the canal around 9:30 am. Our departure delay of a couple of days will cause us to now be against the current on the canal slowing us down significantly for those 10 miles. Once in Buzzards Bay we plan on heading to Third Beach (ActiveCaptain reference here) off the Sakonnet River to anchor for the night. We've never been on the Sakonnet River or near that anchorage before. But is has a 4 star rating by 3 captains. We especially like the comment someone made about there being a "pet friendly beach".

It's both sad and exciting to leave. We'll miss our friends, Castine, our house, long hot showers, high-speed internet, DVR, and our general routine. The dogs have a huge surprise coming when they take that dinghy ride to the boat expecting a fun day trip only to find that they're not getting off - and not even stopping for the night. It'll certainly be a change. But we'll all be together. We'll face the challenges and share the joys of whatever comes our way.

Fair winds and following seas for all...

Anchor Testing

On Tuesday we left for Carver Cove to do some testing with our new anchor. We wanted to really understand how it worked and how working with it might differ from our other anchors. Carver Cove is a good spot for this as it's a large cove with good water. Tuesday night we were the only boat anchored there - even better. We pulled in around 5:00 PM and set the anchor at a variety of scopes, at first trying to make it not set and skip along the bottom so Jeff could know what that felt like. Whenever we anchor Jeff does the bow work while I handle the helm. When we finally let her set, she really did set. Putting the engines in reverse didn't cause us to move an inch.

The night was calm but we still wondered how hard it would be to haul anchor in the morning. Rocna's have a reputation for being a bear to free - the reason we got it actually. We were up early Wednesday morning and found the process went very smoothly. Using the engines, we were able to free the anchor fairly quickly. It also gave the prefect chance to use our new saltwater wash down. Jeff says he's in love. It's a good thing I'm not the jealous type. There is still an issue with positioning the anchor and chain as she moves in and out to ensure the chain stays on the winch. Jeff and Larry are working on that one so I'm sure a solution is coming.

The kids did great. They're settling in and finding the spots they like - the bow is a favorite for sniffing those good sea smells. We tried feeding them while underway (something our last crew mate, Tucker, never liked doing) and they finished in their usual rush. They both seem to understand the "poop deck," although Dylan still waits for Dyna to go first. He seems a bit unsure whether or not it's OK. We stuff our pockets with treats so I'm sure he'll feel more confident soon.

When we returned home, the dogs were loaded into the car for a ride to Bangor. We had a promise to fulfill for JoDee -- a four generation picture of Dyan, daughter Katie, granddaughter Daisy, and great-grandson Sarge. Of course, we also took the opportunity to get Dylan with his grandma Dyna, and mom Katie. Dyna has certainly created quite a "Dynasty"!

Washdown Complete!

The saltwater washdown is now installed and fully functioning. We're amazed that it went in without a single real hitch. Of course, we're not tempting fate, so we keep checking the staterooms where the hose runs through for leaks. This is not to say it was easy. It was the most complex addition we've undertaken on the boat so far. But for several days of effort we now have a way to save about 25 gallons or more of fresh water each time we anchor. Our plan is to anchor most nights on this cruise, so that's significant.


In light of our anchoring plans, Jeff decided to upgrade our anchor. Currently, we have four anchors: a Bruce, a CQR, a Fortress, and a Danforth. The Bruce is the anchor we use from Maine to Charleston. It works well in the soft, muddy bottoms from the Penobscot Bay to the Chesapeake. Unfortunately, the first time we anchored in the Bahamas we discovered (at 3 AM) that it is poor in hard sand bottoms. So we started switching to the Fortress and then back again to the Bruce - kind of a pain. The CQR was our backup anchor which we've never used and the Danforth is our stern anchor.

While we've only dragged anchor twice in 15,000 miles of cruising, Jeff has always worried that our Bruce, at 66 pounds, and our Fortress FX55 were a bit undersized. For the sake of many good night's sleep, we decided to get a heavier anchor that would also eliminate the need to switch mid-cruise. After much research, Jeff settled on the Rocna 55 (55 kg or 121 lbs). Unfortunately, the manufacturer had no experience with mounting a large Rocna on a newer model DeFever, so we were a bit concerned it would be too big for our bow roller. After some testing with cardboard templates, we decided to give it a try.

So off we went late last week to West Marine in Southwest Harbor (an hour and a half drive) on my 50th birthday - Jeff was smart enough not to put a ribbon on it and say, "Happy Birthday, honey!" - to meet the delivery truck. The next day we left to drive to Mystic, CT to talk at the MTOA NE Rendevous (great people, great fun) so we will have to wait until later this week for our first anchor fit test. Our hope is that eventually we can get rid of the CQR and maybe the Bruce to gain some needed space in the lazarette. Any one need a gently used anchor?

Here Comes The Sunshine?

As I write this it is pouring down rain - again - even though Yahoo Weather says "Light Rain." The rain and fog just refuses to let up. According to AccuWeather, we had over 8 inches of rain in June, our normal is 3. We have been going to the boat when it's merely been raining, as opposed to pouring with blowing wind. There have been trips back in pea soup fog. Most trips we've taken one or both of the dogs. They're settling back in and finding the places they like to sleep. But we've mostly been confined to doing indoor tasks.

The biggest job we've worked on was running hose for the saltwater wash-down. On the first trip we decided to cut two of the five holes we'd need. Somehow it always feels ominous when cutting a hole in the boat. The first hole went from the chain locker, which has an access door in the guest stateroom, to behind the curtained area. That took pretty much all afternoon and we returned home well after dinner time, much to Dyna and Dylan's dismay. The next time we decided to cut just two more holes and all four went in quickly without a hitch! Jeff spent one more trip pulling the hose from the master stateroom through an access hatch to the engine room which required one more hole. Dylan was there to help with that one. So now the hose runs from the chain locker at the bow, aft to the engine room where we will mount the pump. One last hole in the deck to connect the deck fitting and she's ready for a trial. Hopefully we'll get that done this week.

On July 4th we had an amazing break of afternoon sun so Jeff took Dyna out to help him install new site-glass material on the fuel tanks. They've become so discolored that we can no longer see the fuel level. Jeff heard about this special tubing called Tygon from another trawler owner who has had it for several years. He says it's still crystal clear. We'll see. He said it was about the smoothest project he's done to date, and was back earlier than predicted. He stepped in the door just before the sky opened up. Went to the annual July 4th party to watch the fireworks. Fortunately, the rain slowed to a drizzle just about 9PM so we had a beautiful fireworks display before the rain started again.

The job we are most anxious to get done is touching up the cap-rail. For that we need several dry days in a row. Fat chance. 7 weeks from today is our targeted take off date.....

5200 In My Hair!

It's been a busy week. The boat goes in a week from Friday and there is much left to do. Jeff installed new engine room blowers and a new VHF antenna on Thursday. We began prepping our “Castine dinghy” for its launch date next week. We have two dinghies, one inflatable which stays on the fly-bridge of aCappella and a 13 foot Boston Whaler that we keep at the Castine Town Dock in the summer. The Whaler allows us to easily cart the dogs, ourselves, and lots of gear across the river to our mooring. Truth be told, it's the dog's favorite boat as we often use it to take them swimming at Indian Bar.

Today we left very early to spend the day at the boat. Our main task for the day was to remove the shrink-wrap and put up the bimini. It has to be completed in a single day as once we remove the shrink-wrap the upper helm is exposed to the elements. Taking off the shrink-wrap, that's kind of like opening a present - it's fun. But putting up the bimini? This is always a frustrating task which tries the marriage. The absolute worst part is putting the anchor light back up. It's a 5 pound pole that I must hold above my head for hours (he claims moments) while Jeff applies 5200 sealant and puts in the screws. To add insult to injury, this year a glob of 5200 landed in my hair! Yes, a thoroughly waterproof, resistant to everything sealant ended up in my hair (on a boat with no water, on a Sunday when nothing around was open). As the wind picked up and dark clouds gathered, we rushed to apply the canvas and miraculously finished before the sky opened up. After a few other minor tasks were finished, we climbed into the car for the nearly 2 hour ride home. We decided to reward ourselves with a DQ Blizzard on the way home. It was great but doesn't help the fact that I still have 5200 sealant in my hair...

Take Me To Cuba?

We have long discussed the idea of taking our boat to Cuba. It could be the purported beauty of their beaches, the thrill of the forbidden, or just the desire to experience something new (to us) and different. Only 90 miles off Key West, it’s tempting. We’ve never had the nerve to break the law and just go. Having met one captain who did, and then lost his boat and faced jail time, we decided that was just a bit too much excitement for us. But we have read up, followed some web sites, and spent time talking about it. We even found a funky propaganda film in our tiny library - came in a cigar box - and watched it this past winter. Well, now the news is abuzz about the possibility of the US opening relations with Cuba. Could our dream be within reach? Might Dyna be swimming on Cuban beaches next winter rather than the Bahamas? Oh, it is still so much speculation. But we are keeping an eye on the news and renewing our research. If it happens we want to be prepared to get there fast before it losses its charm to casinos and big development.

New Window Screens From the Microburst

One evening in September of 2007 Castine experienced a “microburst.” We were home with Dyna and our new puppy, Dylan, when it hit. By the time I whisked the two dogs away from the windows, it was over - maybe a minute or two. I’m told that a microbust has winds as strong as a hurricane but hits in only a single spot and without warning. We were the spot. M/V aCapella was across the river on our “normal” mooring - as opposed to our storm mooring in Smith’s Cove, since no storm was predicted! After surveying the amazing damage in town the next day, which sadly included the loss of many old elm tress, we went out to check on the boat. Now our “normal” mooring has a 7,500 pound stone which sucks down 3-4 feet in that good Maine mud bottom. Even with that strong hold, the boat dragged the mooring 200 feet due to the strong winds!!!! The only damage was 3 missing window screens which we think may have blown to Kansas. Several calls trying to find someone to come to the boat to measure for new ones proved fruitless. Just not a big enough job.

On to plan B. I began sewing at about age ten and have made clothes, crafts, quilts, upholstered items, you name it. Heck, how hard could it be to sew a few window screens? Finding the material was relatively easy. Sailrite carried everything I needed online. Now I just had to measure the windows, cut out the screens and bind them. Piece of cake, right? Wrong! Dozens of heavy duty needles, lots of words I won’t list here, and one trip to the sewing machine repair shop later, and I was still shy of getting the final binding on. For that I went to a canvas shop in Bangor. Now we “just” have to get them to the boat to measure and install the snaps. Luckily for me that will be Jeff’s job.

Oh, and if you’re wondering about the screens blowing off in 2007 and not being replaced until 2009, well, last year we “improvised.” We decided we didn’t want to look like hillbillies on our next cruise.....

Why We Always Listen to Larry Eaton

I’m afraid our blog will often make reference to “Larry” so I’d like to take a moment to explain why, when it comes to anything to do with boats, we always listen to Larry. Larry’s grandfather, Mace, founded Eaton’s Boatyard here in Castine, Maine. It’s become one of those “Maine Traditions” for boaters. Mace Eaton became known as a master boat builder making beautiful wooden boats, most of which are still in use today. Larry’s father, Alonso took over the boat yard from his father and after much family turmoil the yard ended up with Larry’s brother, Kenny. For the next few decades Larry built a thriving boat management business in Ft. Lauderdale handling numerous mega-yachts such as Limitless, one of the biggest American-owned yachts at over 315 feet long. Over the years Larry learned many great techniques and tricks, from how to clean anything on a boat, to where to find obscure items, to how to put together an authentic Maine lobster bake anywhere in the world. We have spent time in several different yards in and around Ft. Lauderdale and Miami and have yet to find someone there who didn’t know about Larry. Even though Eaton’s Boatyard is proud NOT to have a web site, you can still find them on ActiveCaptain.

A few years ago Larry decided to “retire” back to his birthplace here in Castine. We were most fortunate that he agreed to take us under his wing. Larry still get calls from his many patrons begging him to help with difficult situations and sometimes he still obliges. Fortunately for us, he remains just a couple blocks away with advice and guidance. He has never steered us wrong, therefore, when it comes to boats, we ALWAYS listen to Larry.

One of the most beautiful boats in Castine (in my opinion), Leaf, was owned by Mace Eaton and has now been lovingly restored by Deane and Sandra Richardson. Visit Castine this summer and you're sure to see Leaf gliding past the town dock.

Fender Cleaning - It’s Magic!

It’s hard to believe we’ve had aCappella for nearly 6 years! It seems like only yesterday we pulled out of Herrington Harbor on the Chesapeake Bay in dense fog for our first “solo” trip. This was after 2 days of instruction by an onboard captain. My knees were shaking but when we pulled into the Penobscot Bay a couple of weeks later, I felt like quite the salty-mate. We were fortunate to purchase aCappella “practically new” from two very experienced cruisers who had thought of pretty much everything when they outfitted the boat. But now our gear is looking a bit dogged. Ever mindful of keeping our cruising budget down we’ve decided to give our most used items a much needed face lift. Our first target - the fenders. Last year I stumbled on the MagicEraser which I gleefully used in the kitchen, the bathroom, the patio -- I’m pretty sure it is “magic.” Jeff had the idea to try it on our much scuffed up fenders. It only took one evening in front of the TV and they came out beautiful!

Lists, Lists, Lists

OK, so we all have our little quirks. One that Jeff and I share is a passion for lists. Going shopping, make a list. Weekend chores, make a list. Christmas coming, need another list. They’re all over the house, handwritten, printed out, on the computer, and on the mobile phones. Unfortunately, simply making the list isn’t enough - go figure. So we’ve prepared lists of things to get us ready to leave in August. Things to check, things to buy, and projects to complete. In the past we’ve even made a list of our lists! Now we need to get working!!!

She’s Buttoned Up Tight

After winterizing all the systems, aCappella, who is too large for inside storage, needed to be shrink-wrapped to protect her from Maine’s sometimes harsh winters. Journey’s End in Rockland, Maine did a great job padding all the rub spots and ensuring a tight seal. Unfortunately, they miscalculated a bit on the entry door making getting on and off the boat slightly challenging. But hey, being on a boat requires a certain nimbleness and maybe this will keep us prepared for next summer. Yes, she looks lonely but she receives a visit about every other week for a “once over” and a charging of the batteries. We work in a lunch in Rockland so it’s a nice winter diversion.



Fortunately, I regularly practice yoga........

A Sad Day, A Long Winter

Hauling aCappella last fall for a second winter on the hard was a sad day. But we cheered ourselves with thoughts of planning for our 2009-10 winter cruise. We’ve decide to leave our homeport of Castine, Maine in August ‘09 and not return until May ‘10 - our longest cruise yet. The goal: pictures of Dyna swimming in the Bahamas! There is much to do but the winter seemed to stretch out in front of us. It’s now February and, oh my, the time is flying! We thought that reviving our Blog might give us a much needed push. TakingPaws will now begin chronicling the preparations for the next adventure of a boat, a couple, and a couple of dogs.