FINAL PORT OF CALL

Departing Final Port of Call

Sunday afternoon we cruised over to Red Brook Harbor in Buzzard's Bay at the beginning of Cape Cod, MA, and close to the Cape Cod Canal which we planned to cross on Monday morning on the last leg of our trip to Boston. We tied up at the very busy Kingman Yacht Center where we met some fellow travelers from Boston.  It turns out that Chris and Susan, long time New England boaters, keep their beautiful Sabre at Constitution Marina next to the marina where we will dock the MollyBelle in Boston this summer.  On their way to Nantucket for the holiday week, they shared some boat stories and gave us some very helpful advice about entering Boston Harbor.  Susan snapped some photos of us departing our final port of call on Monday morning.

WICKFORD IS A WINNER!

After an enjoyable cruise from Mystic, we spent last Friday and Saturday in Wickford, Rhode Island, at a quiet marina in this charming small village on the RI coast.  Wickford is located in a protected cove in the West Passage of Narragansett Bay.  It has one of the best and least pretentious collections of 18th and early 19th century buildings. Thanks to Kathy and Jim Matthiessen for recommending this lovely stop as an alternative to nearby Newport where all the transient boat slips were taken because of the popular America's Cup Race taking place that weekend.

 

Wickford Lighthouse

The lighthouse at the end of the point is privately owned and on the market for $6.5 million!

A surprise visitor from Vero Beach came by Saturday morning in her kayak.  Ann Baker, who also lives in nearby Saugerstown, RI, was out kayaking with a friend when they came upon The MollyBelle in the harbor.  I don't know which one of us was more surprised when she called my name and I stuck my head out of the back door of the boat!   

Saturday afternoon Grand Harbor friends, Carol and Michael Corbett, drove over from Westport Point, MA, and took us out to lunch in Jamestown RI.  We had a great time viewing some of the sailboats on Narraganset Bay and taking in some of the sights along the rural RI roads.  We stopped at Dave's Market in Wickford on the way back so that I could pick up a few things for the boat.  What a fabulous grocery store!  Carol and I want to return to Wickford just to shop there!

Ann Baker picked us up at the boat Sunday morning and drove us to Mass at her parish of Christ the King Church in Kingstown.  Their new pastor was saying his first Mass there and he spoke about journeys in his homily.  His emphasis was on the journey of Faith in our lives.  I couldn't help but think about how that applies to our "MollyBelle Journey."  Our visits to the various churches along the way have been very enriching!  Earlier in our journey I took a photo of this prayer at a church in Hilton Head.  I thought it was just perfect for us!

ALONG THE COAST OF CT AND RI

Much like many of the seaport towns in the Southeast, the coastline of Connecticut is dotted with lighthouses villages dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.  Historic homes of former sea captains, museums dedicated to seafaring pursuits, ship building, whaling, fishing, all provide ample opportunity for browsing as we take our time cruising along the coast with stops at Milford, Old Saybrook, Mystic and on to Wickford, RI.

Visits with friends have been pleasant interludes along the way!





Soon we will be heading into Boston--our final destination.  The MollyBelle is ready for a rest and some repairs...and so are we!

NYC Captain

SURFING WITH THE WIND AND THE WAVES

It's Wednesday evening in Mystic Seaport and the boats are gathering for the Wooden Boat Show here in this historic shipbuilding port in CT. The MollyBelle is tied up at the face dock of the Mystic Seaport Museum after a rough day on Long Island Sound. Our departure from Weehawken after the rain subsided on Monday provided us with awesome views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the bridges and canyons of tall buildings across NYC. More memories of times spent working, studying and playing there were brought to mind as we traversed down the Hudson River, around the tip of Manhattan and up the East River out through Hell's Gate and past Laguardia Airport into Long Island Sound. The storm clouds lifted and we made good time getting to Milford, CT, where we were greeted by our old friends, Kathy and Jim, and tied up at their dock. It was great to see them again, catch up and spend some time reminiscing about trips and adventures from the past...like our visit to Foxy's in the BVI's in 1979! Kathy reminded me that I kept a journal back then but I don't know what became of it. Back out into LI Sound again on Tuesday, heading to Old Saybrook, CT, to meet up with friends Peggy and Bill Chadwick from Grand Harbor. We enjoyed a delightful dinner with them at their lovely home and discussed plans for our upcoming annual Boston reunion with fellow members of the "Grand Harbor North" contingent. Bill has our tickets for the Sox game on August 21, and we will host a gathering on the rooftop deck of the Bullfinch Building while the group is in town. Captain Dick said we have been sailing with the wind and the waves on Long Island Sound the past couple of days. And that is a good thing because the seas have been rough--wave heights at three to four and sometimes five feet and the wind has been quite strong. He said that today we "surfed" a few five-footers. The MollyBelle is earning her sea stripes...and so are we!

UP THE COAST AND DOWN THE SHORE

It's a rainy Monday morning and we're docked at Lighthouse Harbor Marina in Weehawken, NJ, across the Hudson River from Manhattan.  The view is wonderful; the weather is not!  We were planning to cruise up to Milton, CT, this morning to meet with old friends, Kathy and Jim Mathiessen.  Perhaps we'll be able to take the short trip later this afternoon.

Last Wednesday we crossed Delaware Bay in a light fog and arrived at CapeMay NJ where we were greeted with an oppressive heat wave and a recalcitrant air conditioner on the MollyBelle.  We escaped the heat by moving to a seaside motel until a mechanic came Thursday morning and fixed the problem which was an electrical issue.  Thursday promised to be a very long hot first day of summer and the Atlantic Ocean was very calm, so we decided to leave Cape May at noon and head up the NJ coast to our next destination, Belmar, and a visit with our Florida neighbors, Doug and Susanne Sweeney.  Our five-hour cruise up the NJ coast was delightful!  The breeze was so cool--we hung our heads out over the bow like puppies out of car windows--and the memories of days gone by "down the shore" came flooding back!

Once again on land, we enjoyed our seaside day with the Sweeneys on Friday, culminating with a delicious meal at their magnificent Belmar home overlooking the Atlantic Ocean...what a view! 

As expected, it was very exciting for us to cruise into New York Harbor on Saturday under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, past the Statue of Liberty and up the Hudson between the majestic New York skyline and the growing parade of buildings on the Jersey side of the River.  We were looking forward to taking some of our family out for a boat ride on the Hudson, but the conditions were very rough--Capt Dick said the waves were confused--due to all the boat traffic in the harbor.  So we visited on board the MollyBelle while tied up at the dock and then walked over to the Chart House Restaurant where we enjoyed dinner outside on the deck overlooking the skyline of New York with the buildings bathed in the light of the golden sunset.

Visitors to the MollyBelle

BACK TO BOATING

God Bless Sienna Rose!

Last Thursday through Sunday we spent time away from the boat, taking a road trip from Annapolis to Wayne, NJ for the christening of Sienna Rose, our new grand-niece.

Dave, Isabella and Molly flew in from Houston; Susan (the godmother) drove down from Boston and we all converged on the lovely home of new grandparents Trish and Nick Del'Re, where we were welcomed with open arms and bountiful plates of food...as always!

Beautiful baby Sienna Rose was the star of the visit.  We tried not to spoil her too much...but how could we resist!


Izzy & Aunt Trish--Baking & Bantering

So much pleasure is derived from these family visits and stories told of times gone by and yet to come. We are ever so grateful to Trish and Nick for extending such loving care to our family and providing a "home away from home" whenever we return to our NJ roots!

Now we are back to the business of boating.  We departed Annapolis this morning and arrived early afternoon at remote marina in Bear Delaware along the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal.  Tomorrow we plan to cross Delaware Bay over to Cape May, NJ where we will stay for a night or two.

Then we are hoping for calm seas and good weather as we head out into the Atlantic Ocean and up the coast of NJ...perhaps for more visits with family and friends!







ANNAPOLIS EXPERIENCES

Good things have happened while in Annapolis: The boat was repaired today.  A sellanoid problem was causing the starter to misfire.  We were lucky to find a mechanic working at the marina Monday and he came to our boat that night, diagnosed the problem, ordered the part yesterday and fixed it this morning.   Capt Dick is very happy that Starbucks is within bicycle riding distance of the marina!  He's been enjoying his breakfast cappucinos and NYT while overlooking the Annapolis harbor

Although it rained most of yesterday, we toured the Naval Academy and were very impressed to see and hear about the life and education of midshipmen and the rigorous training they undergo to become officers in the US Navy.

Last night we were invited to dinner at the home of former classmate and reunion organizer extraordinaire,  Bill Kardash and his lovely wife, Judy.  They own a faithfully restored and lovingly cared for, 18th century brick home overlooking Spa Creek in Annapolis.  It is absolutely gorgeous and beautifully furnished in the style befitting a gracious home of that period. Judy served us a fabulous dinner prepared with herbs and vegetables grown in her garden.  I think she may very well have taught Martha Stewart a thing or two! The evening was definitely a highlight of our journey!

And we finally have our American flag flying off the back of our boat again.  After we lost our flag and staff in rough seas last week, I ordered a new one from a Beneteau dealer in Annapolis who could provide us with the varnished teak flagstaff in the necessary measurements (millimeters) to fit the holder on the upper stern of the MollyBelle. The dealer attached the new flag to the staff and Bill picked it up for us.  Another "plus" for our stay in Annapolis!

Bicycle riding in Annapolis has been interesting and challenging--it is very hilly, busy and has some very narrow streets.  Dick insists that I can do this.  I'm trying--but I do walk the bike up a lot of hills!  I have to admit that it is a great way to see this fascinating historic small town.

Another wonderful experience: Dinner this evening at Caroll's Creek Cafe outside on the deck overlooking the weekly sailboat races.  We had ringside seats for viewing boats with colorful spinnakers as they swiftly approached the finish line and came about just before colliding with Spa Creek Bridge. And then there was the brilliant sunset over the "sailing capital of the world"...