9/29/19

9/29/19

First apple pie!  We made our first apple pie upon reaching Waterford, NY at the end of the Erie Canal.  And we had good reason – our friend Lisa Church, who recently graduated with a degree in chemistry from the university here in nearby Albany, just started her first job about 10 miles from where we were docked..  Many reasons to celebrate!

Nice visit with Lisa - she drove to Wateford for dinner.  Enjoyable visit.  Apple pie too!

Of course, we made another pie when we reached Kingston on the Hudson to take down our mast.  We always make an apple pie for our buddy Vince at Hideaway Marina.  He sure takes good care of us!

Two more days on the Hudson to Atlantic Highlands, NJ where we visited with Marianne and her friend Richard before heading to sea.

Another picturesque day motor sailing the Hudson River.  Spectacular and warm!

I’m always intrigued to see what new structures have been built in New York City.

Hmmm….maybe we’ll see how this turns out upon our return in the spring.

We’re heading out to go under the Verrazanno Bridge as a “box boat”/freighter is coming in.  Looks close for clearance but he had plenty of room.

And the tomatoes you saw on the cabin top in the last group of pictures…Had to take care of the tomatoes before heading out to sea!

Our route in the past has been one hop from Atlantic Highlands to Norfolk.  Because of all the southerly winds this season we took a short hop from Atlantic Highlands, NJ to Barnegat, NJ – almost enough northerly winds before they built from the south as we neared Barnegat.  The exciting part of that leg – we were playing backgammon in the cockpit and keeping watch.  I happened to look towards shore and saw a 60’ whale jump straight up out of the water!  A number of times!  (But not enough times for me to get the camera in time.)  Also, lots of dolphin stopped to swim with Persephone for a few minutes before going about their business all along the coast.

From Barnegat we had a fantastic sail down to Norfolk!  The winds clocked around, as they do with an approaching cold front, from west to north, to east.  All about 12 knots give or take.  We finished the passage with a southeast wind coming into the Chesapeake Bay.  Ron and Deb on Scheherazade just behind.  Sure has been a warm trip thus far!

9/18/19

What a busy summer…graduation, wedding, family reunion, reuniting with friends and family, the Clayton Boat Show for Debbie and I and my parents,  cars, projects galore!  It seemed like we arrived a week ago and we’re already on our way south!

The last big project was to haul and paint the bottom at Callahan’s Marina on Oneida Lake.  With that done, we headed back to “home base” at Brian and Debbie’s, loaded up the boat and were ready to leave – the earliest we’ve ever left!  The weather should be better, the days longer, less stress as we head south a couple weeks earlier.

If you click on the SPOT link (upper right hand corner of this page) you  should be able to follow us this winter thanks to my brother Brian, our neighbors Laurie and Bill, fellow sailors Liz in NY, Sunny in NY & SC, Arnaud in FL,  Tracie in CT, colleague from Trumansburg Elementary Pat, friend from grade school Bernadette, family friend and wooden boat enthusiast Anne, and Ya-Shian who was a 3^rd grader in my class of my first ever teaching position in Ithaca many years ago!  Thank you for funding the SPOT tracker.

We traveled the Erie here to Waterford, NY with Ron and Deb on Scheherazade.  Tomorrow onto the Hudson where we will put the mast up, head to Sandy Hook, NJ, and then on onto the Atlantic.  Our first and foremost concern will be, as always, the weather.  We always carefully watch the weather, especially now as we are still in an active hurricane season, and we will travel with plans to duck into safe harbors if and when needed.
PS: There are harbor cams at the Waterford Visitor Center: http://www.town.waterford.ny.us/harbor-visitors-center.html  I don't think we're on the camera (we're closest to the lock) but maybe you'd like to see Waterford!

My niece Kira's graduation in Maine

My niece Marjatta's wedding in Candor, NY.

A picture of the rearview mirror of a classic wooden boat - Miss Thousand Islands in Clayton.  You'll see the driver, me, Debbie, Dad and Mom enjoying a beautiful ride on the St. Lawrence River.

One of the castles along the St. Lawrence River boat ride.

Screens, handrails, and companionway trim freshly varnished.

The anchor chain is pulled into the yard and marked so we know how many feet we're putting out when anchoring.

Persephone is ready to put back in the water after new bottom paint application.

My 4 five gallon buckets produced a load of roma tomatoes on the cabin top.

Apples on the aft deck.  No pies yet but soon come!

Persephone and Scheherazade tied up at Lock 15 at the end of a long day of motoring.

Up early from Lock 15 and headed down the Erie with the fog.

Looking back a Scheherazade in the fog.

Fog clears - another glorious day on the Erie!

This morning's approach to the Waterford docks.