Sept 8th - Sunday after the Great Chase, Norman and I spent the whole day getting Averisera ready for our trip to Maine. We stowed all the gear, like the Man Overboard Pole, and the strobe. Installed the jacklines that we tether ourselves to while underway. Added the big anchor for safety (2 different anchors and rodes for different bottom conditions). Brought saucepans and pots aboard, silverware, glasses and plates, and on and on.
Sept 9th - Monday morning we brought down the food and our personal stuff, like clothing, sleeping bags. We replaced some hose on the water pump, bought hose for the hand bilge pump, inflated the dinghy a bit. We were finished just before noon. Norm took the truck back home, and I distributed all the stuff into the nooks and crannies that we have become used to.
Averisera waiting at Piers Park, East Boston, for her next adventure.
Gear ready to put aboard.
We were off the dock at 12:30pm.
Winds were from the W/SW in the harbor. Once we passed Deer Island Light, we had another wind direction in Broad Sound, SE, at 10-15kts. We motorsailed 1) to get there without having to tack back and forth, and 2) to test the engine (so previous blog post on Thumper). One glitch manifested itself, a throttle race sort of condition. We're not sure what triggers it, or how to fix it. Happened once on the 6 hr trip to Rockport.
We arrived in Rockport, and tied up to the floating dock, per instructions from the harbormaster. We settled down for some wine with our cheese and crackers.
While we were thus engaged, a Freedom 28 came in, looking for a place to stop. They were on their way from Maine to South Dartmouth, since the boat is going up for sale, and that is where the broker wants it. We lent them our dinghy so they could go ashore, get something to eat, and clean up at the Sandy Bay Yacht club shower.
Waiting for supper! Tortellini and red sauce for dinner, and early to bed.
Tuesday morning in Rockport. The red building on the granite pier is named Motif #1. It is famous for its picturesqueness and has been included in art-work by many artists. Lobster boat in foreground.
Notice the different sky. Those low cold clouds had appeared, bringing with them much wind.
Sept 10th - Norm's entry in the log:
Up at 06:30, coffee aboard. Ashore for breakfast at Flav's Red Skiff. Met Rosemary's grand-daughter, Maggie Rose. A two-year old and cute as a button.
Underway at harbor entrance 0900. Two reefs, and the number 4 jib. 6kts. Weatherbug shows big low over Burlington VT. We expect a wind shift NW -> SW and some rain. Sea gentle, wind a 15-20kts and 25kt gusts.
Sept 10th - E's notes in the log:
eft Rockport Harbor after breakfast ashore. 2 reefs and #4 moved us along pretty speedily. Wind changed to SE most of the day, and began to die. Around 10kts, we put up the spinnaker, Summer Squash, which gave us a boost. Wind continued to fall off and eventually Thumper was called into play.
Eerie sky all day. Cold low clouds covered the sky. We had intermittent rain and could see rain bands in the distance. As night fell, we were closing in on land again. Looking straight up you could see the stars, but on the horizon there were big gray clouds or fog banks.
Straining to see Sequin Light, which has a characteristic that it can be seen at 18nautical miles. But not tonight. Less than 5 miles away we were finally able to make her out. We reached Seguin around 11:30pm.
I went down for a nap, and Norm continued on to the Cuckolds, which is at the entrance to Boothbay Harbor. I watched for pots as we slid between Squirrel Island and Burnt Island in the fog.
At 1:45am we pulled alongside a floating dock at Carousel Marina. After cleaning up the boat a bit, we relaxed and tried to still the adrenaline rush that comes with navigating to your destination safely in adverse conditions, whatever they may be.
Thank goodness for Thumper, who toiled away for a great part of this journey's leg. We tumbled into our berths around 3am.
Drying the spinnaker in Boothbay.
