First post-launch post

Aug. 23 - Well, we’re finally on our way (Andy, Kryss, and Paul Parks, our friend who did our refit). Left Ocean Point Marina in East Boothbay, Maine at 10:00 a.m. after fueling. Light winds out of the North and sunshine. Motored to mouth of Damariscotta River and put up main for first time. Winds continue to be light and we motor sail on our way to the Cape Cod Canal. Shortly after starting out we are overrun by flies, hundreds and hundreds of them, everywhere inside and outside the boat. Horrible. Not much life to see on the surface of the ocean, but we do see a small shark at the surface and a sunfish. We motor sail all day and have a nice dinner in mild conditions. At around midnight wind picks up and we get a miserable following sea. All of a sudden it’s like a Nantucket sleigh ride, the autopilot is of marginal use and we are constantly in danger of jybing (without a preventer up) if we are not careful. Conditions are too difficult at nighttime with small crew to try to rig preventer safely at this point. Seas build through the night and by morning it’s a heck of a ride to the Canal. Get to the Canal around 10:30 a.m. and take down the main. Getting into the Canal was not a picnic with the strong broadside seas. Shortly after entering the Canal we are passed by a large barge under tow from tug. Conditions in Buzzard’s Bay are mild when we exit the Canal and we put up the jib and sail at around 5 knots to Cuttyhunk. Bounce on the bottom when we pick up the first mooring near the beach and have to get an assist from one of the marina’s small boats to get towed out to deeper water where we find a better mooring. Learned a lesson (never assume there’s adequate water for you just because someone set a mooring there). Weather is sunny and breezes mild and dinner is a delight.

August 25 - Sunny with light winds. Left Cuttyhunk under power at 9:30 a.m. Motored to Newport because of light winds on nose most of the way. Crazy busy in the harbor entrance with hundreds of sailboats of all sizes out for Sunday afternoon sail. Almost run down by maxi-racer which missed a mark racing another maxi in the entrance to the harbor near Castle Point and rounded up on our stern with it’s crew at the bow gesticulating and yelling "get out of the way, get out of the way". They had no business racing where they were racing and it could have been bad, really but we were able to get out of the way without colliding with any of the numerous other sailboats on intersecting courses with us. Second new freezer stopped working. Must be something with the electrical installation or sizing. Paul left for home. Finally just me and Kryss on the boat, so the adventure really begins now.

Took a mooring near Steve and Jane Koenig in Newport. They came over on the launch with appetizers and a bottle of wine, and then joined us for dinner at the White Horse Tavern. Very tired by the end of the night.

Aug. 26 - Left Newport at 9:00 a.m. with predictions of very strong SW winds and building head seas. Hoped to motor to New London and get some protection along the way as we got towards Watch Hill and into Fisher Sound. Wasn’t to be. Made too slow headway to get to New London in the light, and diverted to Block Island for the night.