Cruising With Our Friends

We're in what we thought would be our final week - Friday, August 21st being our take off day. So we planned some day cruises with friends to say good-bye. While we're looking forward to the trip, we're also going to miss those back home. We had two beautiful days cruising around the Penobscot Bay. Our friend, Marion, took this picture after we pulled into the dock one day. I think it's a pretty good looking crew!

While we're almost ready to go, it seems that Mother Nature has some other plans for us. The weather is deteriorating as the week goes on so Friday is looking like a "no go." We're actively watching the building disturbances in the Caribbean with Hurricane Bill too. We're still moving ahead as planned. That way if the weather clears we can go and if it doesn't, we'll have some down time before we leave. No more projects are left - we're simply loading clothes, books, last minute supplies, readying the house, etc.

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"!

Less Than Two Weeks

Time is growing short. Last week Jeff made a calendar of each day remaining and what we needed to get done. So of course we started the week with me in bed with a cold, followed by my computer dying, totally blowing the schedule - a good lesson to re-learn prior to our departure. We did manage to get the engine room painting mostly done along with applying the ActiveCaptain logo to the side of the boat. The provisioning process is coming along quite well with our "to get" list down to a single column. Our home freezer is filled-to-overflowing with meat and frozen vegetables. The dining room is stacked with other must-have things that need to be stored onboard. Once again, I'm really appreciating the vast amount of storage space they put into DeFever trawlers.

We finished the week with a visit from JoDee and Al. JoDee owns Birchwood Labrador Retrievers where we adopted Dyna, Dylan and our beloved Tucker. JoDee needed some "Dyna time" before we left and we wanted them to see the kids on the boat. We finally had a wonderful day on the boat without projects to do!

She Fits!

We loaded the new anchor into the car, drove to the Castine Town Dock, and lugged it down the gangway to the dinghy. Of course, several “friends” felt the need to comment on its dimensions while no one offered to help carry it. We didn't care. We know we'll be sleeping better. Our little Whaler had a bit of a time getting onto plane – I'm pretty sure I heard her saying, “I think I can, I think I can.” Once at the boat I lowered the Bruce down to Jeff in the dinghy. He disconnected the old anchor, attached the new anchor, and we pulled her up. She fit like a dream. I think she looks rather stately. We're off to Southwest Harbor for routine engine maintenance at our favorite John Deere mechanic – Downeast Diesel. The owner, John Spofford, is the best and has watched over our engines for the last 6 years. He's always been there when we had a question or needed help in any way.

We hope to do several anchor tests starting next week. It'll be a good chance for a shake down cruise and will give our crew some more experience before we leave on the 9 month adventure.