At Sea Finally--November first
0701 as I pass the Black Can at the Entrance to Round Pond Harbor and I'm on the way. Very quiet and I'm under power. Air is cold but not desperately so. Tanks full-water, fuel, kero. Ample supplies for the plannsd leg to PortLand & Boston & perhaps New Bedford. Lots has gotten done--the wharf on Louds Is repaired, 7 new piles, stairs straighted up. Deck relaid, and without help, since Wilkie had vicious back troubles. He was on hand most of the 5 or 6 weeks it took me to do the job. Then the boat--a bow lite, clean the bottom, new tiller (by a shore carpenter). Three trips up the mast to right Hounds, and another to go for the peak halyard, which has to be spliced in at the top.Nov 5The Sea is mine--off to the East there is a blip which might be a lobsterman, but he's too far away to be sure--My Sea. Very light NW breeze, overcast but high and broken. Maybe some sun later. Pemequid Light, Boothbay, Sheepscot Bay--easy going under power on a flat sea. Ducks--Common Elders now--large flocks too. We saw them eariy in Muscongus Bay but they didn't stay. This is their chosen country I guess. Lobsterman too as I get into Saco Bay and the day warms up a bit. These boats pull strings of several pots instead of the singles that 'we' fish with in Muscongus Bay.
In York Hbr, Me. after a good hard day sail from Biddeford Pool-- and that from Portland which in turn was from Round Pond. So we are doing a set of short coastwise day sails--delivering my sister (from Portland) to Boston. First hard weather since St. Pierre today- 30 kn reach for which we were prepsred--lost pots off stove but NO further disasters. SatNav apparently lost its memory completely. Picked it up again in smooth water! I doubt that it is as simple as that.25 Nov
1600--How I could start the first page with 'At Sea' I don't know. We left Boston after one false start and two days waiting out an offshore low that promised low temp and high winds. Itchy, but both Stan & I got things done. We got off finally about noon, power out of Boston and a reachy SW waiting outside for us while we made East to get into warm water. Very lumpy sea left from the hard blow made it wet going. Decks awash and a wet slop inside along the cabin sole. Cold. Close to freezing all the first day--Ice shook out of the sails and the bits of it were crisp and sharp on deck until the seas washed them over. Well below freezing all night, but the sun helped a lot in the morning. Good reach for a day and a half--100 miles in the first 20 hrs - which is 5 kn - and kept it up thru the second day. Still cold and enough flying spray to keep everything wet too. Trading watches all night, two hrs per. Several seas into the cockpit-- none dangerous, not comfortable either. Main in most of the night, and only half the Jib and the Mizzen working. Still did a fat four kn till the wind died in the early am. Laid ahull for a few hours and got it all hung out for a light Westy breeze in the am about daylight. Now it's NE and light. Cold again after promising to warm up all day and hardly making it. Dark approaches as I write on deck with all sail drawing easily aided by all the wet clothes we own hanging all over like a Chinese Laundry. This has heen my first moment of Leisure since Boston. Not much sleep yet either. I'll fix that soon. Stan's in the sack now warming it up for me! SatNav fixes agree with Loran. It's a bit testy-- takes it into its own hands now and again--but it does work!11-26
Offshore, or at least trying to get offshore. Wind nearly dead last night, and we near encugh to get the VHF WX station. I listened to see if it (wind) would come on and heard frightful forecasts of 20 to 35 kn with snow and low vis--couldn't make them out very clearly. Stan tuned himself in and translated--yup--storm coming for Thanksgiving! Bring cranberry jelly! Not due for a while. Nothing happening now, so lets reef her down while-it's calm. Black night, too. But Stan up and assisting, tied in 1st and 2nd reefs and put it to bed--jib and jigger to keep way on the rest of the night. No storm in the am. Pleaaant SE, freshening with sun-up, sailed with jib and jigger for a while. Then put up double reefed main at full daylight, shook out the reefs after coffee and oatmeal, now screaming along East for the Thousand Fathom curve, where we hope we'll lose the storm. Should be there by noon and we are screaming along under whole sail. Stan cooking (as I write, and rest presently) muffins or pancakes he says. I can hardly keep my eyes open in spite of an easy night.
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