HF Radio Install

I finally finished installing my new ICOM 802 HF radio with Pactor III email capability. It was quite a job running all the cabling and copper foil that connects the transceiver, antenna tuner and underwater ground plane (2 dynaplates on our boat). Everything seems to be working as advertised. We can now send and receive emails (short with NO attachments) and send position reports to our blog site here.
And, we can now receive weather reports and wind Grib files which will let us know what the weather is doing out there in the open ocean away from VHF local wx broadcasts.

So, we're officially ready for some ocean passages now. We're planning on heading to NYC in June to meet with Greg and Beth, then to Nova Scotia in August to escape the Chesapeake summer heat. Working up for the big trip to the Mediterranean in the future.

Delivery Trip to NYC

Sue and I just returned from delivering a Hunter 280 from Deltaville, VA, on the Chesapeake, to Rye, NY, on Long Island Sound. The trip had a little of everything with some motoring, some nice sailing, some bad weather and a great sunrise as we entered New York harbor.
We motored up the Chesapeake, through the C&D canal and down the Delaware Bay in very light winds. That was a 38hr leg, leaving Deltaville just before noon on the 14th and arriving at Cape May at 0200 on the 16th.
We then spent a full day + anchored at Cape May awaiting the passage of a frontal storm. After a full day of rain, the front finally passed through, of course, at 2300 that night, bringing a 180degree wind change which required us to reposition our anchor in the middle of the night in 20-30kt winds. But once the anchor was reset we (I?) were finally able to relax and get some sleep. The next morning the winds were dying and by 0900 we and the 10-12 other sailboats in the anchorage were ready to get underway to continue the voyage.
We had some great sailing conditions for most of the day with 10-15kts of SW winds pushing us northward. By late afternoon the wind was down to under 10kts, but was forecast to freshen from the west after dark. We reefed the sails down to 2 reefs and motorsailed along. About 2300 (seems the time things always happen) a couple short squalls went through with gusts to 30kts. Good thing we had those reefs in as we were heeled pretty good even with that short of sail. The wind then went back to 10kts or so, which was OK as we didn't need to arrive at NYC until the tide changed at 0600.
We arrived at Sandy Hook, NJ, the entrance to NY outer harbor at exactly 0600 as the sun rose from the east and the winds rose from the west to 20kts. It was a blustery and bumpy ride across the outer harbor close hauled into the westerly winds which were opposing the incoming tidal current. Its good we had the 2kt current on our side as our speed through the water was down to 3.5kts.
Once we finally bashed our way to the Narrows, the NJ shore sheltered us from the worst of the wind and waves and it was good sailing again up the inner harbor. It was early Sunday morning but we still had a bit of traffic with tugs on one side, a cruise ship coming up the other side, the Staten Island ferry zipping across the channel and several pleasure boats out.
We cruised up along Liberty Island and Ellis Island, then crossed over to the North Cove marina on Manhattan to pick up the boat's owner who would ride with us up the East River to the Long Island Sound and Rye, NY.
We then motored the final 5 hour transit to Rye in very light winds and eventually some light showers as we arrived at Toujour Pret's new home in Rye, NY. Overall, a very successful delivery with no untoward incidents enroute. The best kind.
Here are some good photos of the trip. Photos

Tides Inn is back at Dare Marina in the Chisman Creek off the Poquoson River as of 1 April. We had a brisk sail up from Hampton with 15-20kts of southerly winds. Now for a few days of spring cleaning/polishing/waxing and its time to get sailing.
The Inn is open, so come on by.

Riding Caledonia to Guadalupe (click for link to Canadian Sailing Expeditions)

The SV Caledonia finally set sail for the Caribbean on 23 Feb, arriving in Guadalupe on 2 Mar. I ended up sailing (working) onboard for the trip trying to get her ready for her first cruise - which departed on 8 Mar. Sue stayed home minding Gennie and working with Tara.
It was an uneventful passage, with winds on the nose most of the way but, no significant storms/seas as we hurried down always in front of an advancing cold front.
Many of the crew were seasick pitching in the 6-8ft swells and waves, but I with my patch did fine.

I am now finally home and back to retired life - ready to get working on Tides Inn. Here is a link to some select photos. Photo Link

Caledonia to Sail

Here’s a photo of Caledonia still moored at Nauticus. Chris, Heather, Jackson and Ella visited this weekend and we took them for a tour of the ship then a ferry ride. Cool but sunny day. The Caledonia is scheduled to depart on Tuesday so Sue and I will get one last day of work this Monday. Then back to retired life :-).

Winter work on SV Caledonia, from Halifax

No sailing on Tides Inn during these winter months, so Sue and I have been working on the Canadian Sailing Expedition's barquentine SV Caledonia. The boat is here in Norfolk for yardwork. They were refloated on 7 Feb and doing final fitting out at Nauticus wharf at Waterside.
We've mostly been doing odd carpenter jobs like securing galley/pantry shelves, building fire-fighting gear storage locker, building chart drawer, etc... For awhile I was "Mr firedoor closure mechanism" man, but that job is mostly finished.
The Caledonia is being fitted out as a luxury cruise boat that will cruise Nova Scotia in the summer and Guadalupe in the winter. Passengers can pitch in with hoisting the sails if they desire.

Dry Tortugas Visit

What a fantastic place the Dry Tortugas is and few Americans get to experience it. Waters are crystal blue. The fort is extremely interesting; the snorkling fantastic. And, we actually saw the "green flash" two sunsets in a row! A must visit spot. Click for more photos.

Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River Cruise

It was a clear and breezy day upon departure from Chisman Creek. Too breezy it turned out and we decided to head for shelter in nearby Goose Creek. Lots of wind for the wind generator :-).

The next day was a sunny and windless day and we motored easterly across the bay into a inlet on the Eastern Shore. Water levels were pretty skinny here, about 5ft. Treated to a fantastic sunset looking west out into the Bay.

Next Stop - Tangier Island. Water level buildings begin to line both sides of the channel as you approach the town from the east.

Parks Marina is the place to stay at Tangier Island. Or you can anchor outside the channel on either side of the island depending on wind/seas.

From Tangier Island, we sailed up the Potomac to Washington DC, then returned home to Chisman Creek, Yorktown. The Potomac River has some of the best anchorages and side creeks we have explored on the Chesapeake. One of the best is St Mary's River just inside the mouth of the Potomac on the Md side. Dont miss this great cruising location.
Also, while its a long motor up the river to Wash DC, its a great destination with plenty of anchoring room right downtown off Maine Ave. The new I-95 bridge is plenty high enough for sailboats to pass under without the midnight lift restriction of the past.
Here is a link to some select photos... they really dont do justice to what a great scenic trip this was.