06/30/2008
Bob keeps us off the wall as we go down Lock 12 at Whitehall NY.
I can see how people could spend a week transiting the Canal. It was beautiful. The tree lined river and canal with little villages along the way. Each town has a town "sea-wall" that you can tie up to and walk into town. I think I would opt for anchoring to be away from the lights and noise. The locks take you from sea level at Troy up 139 feet to fort Edwards, then down again 44 feet to Whitehall at the southern tip of Lake Champlain. Each lock raises or lowers the boat between 12 and 19 feet at a lift. We go in one end, hang on to lines strung off the sides. When the gates close up we go.
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06/29/2008, Peekskill, NY
Bob operates the 100 yr old crane.
The First Mate jumped ship in Hudson NY hoping a day with her god-daughter would ease her discomfort. Bob and I returned to Peekskill to prepare the boat for the Canal. Using a 100 year old crane, we took down the mast and stored it on top of racks we built from 2 x 6 lumber and ratchet straps. It was Sunday at 1:30 before we were motoring north toward Albany and the Canal beyond.
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Leaving Jersey City, NJ we had just enough wind to fly the cruising spinnaker. That allowed us to match the pace of the ebb current, so we sat there just south of the George Washington Bridge for an hour. Neither of us want to have our trips being about "getting there," That is why we named the boat "Be Here Now." We started to realize that it might be kind-a nice to get there and cranked up the iron sail.
Unfortunately, the First Mate, being pregnant, was not feeling great. We were motoring, which we both hate, there was just enough following wind to match out boat speed, which made the air on the boat still... with the occasional gust to blow our diesel exhaust across the boat. Temperatures were in the high eighties.
We anchored in the shallows at the edge of the river. This was very nice and much cooler than a marina or sea-wall. We were well out of the channel and spent some time identifying the barges by their lights. We ate chicken which had been marinating, and which Bob cooked on the grill hung off the pushpit. We all slept soundly in the cool, dark air.
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06/27/2008, Newport Marina, Jersey City NJ
Lady Liberty
After the Maelstrom of the harbor, Lady Liberty's torch beckoned us. From there we had a gentle sail with wonderful views of NYC. We arrived in the Newport Marina in Jersey city as they prepared for the Rainbow Sailing Rally. We spend the night with little air and bright lights. We did meet two architects who live on their Endeavor 40 and commute to work in NYC.
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06/27/2008, Jersey City, NJ
Under the Brooklyn Bridge on the way to rush hour...
Tensions ran high as we approached Hell Gate, known for 7 knot currents, swirling eddies and huge barges intent on crushing sailboats... There was none of that! A couple barges passed, the current was slack and everything was so peaceful that we put up the Genoa and sailed past mid-town Manhattan looking at buildings and other landmarks. Little did we know as we peacefully made our way through Hell Gate and down the East River what waited for us .... What we hadn't realized is that we would sail into the New York Harbor and the area of the South Street Seaport at Rush Hour! As we approached the sea taxies started to fly out of their little ports. They would go from docked to 30 mph in seconds, zooming toward their destinations. Others started to arrive from Brooklyn, and the Staten Island Ferry, and more and more... Each one throwing up a huge wake. A maelstrom of 5 and 6 foot wave from every angle. Now under motor, Be Here Now rolled and crashed and we hung on, agog at the scene around us. And there were helicopters overhead, many of them...
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06/26/2008, Manhasset Bay n 40 49.983 w73 43.370
Lara stows provisions...
We have had two days of sailing after two days stuck in Essex by thunderstorms. Today we prepare to sail around Manhattan via Throgs Neck, Hell Gate, the East River and New York Harbor. The current will not be right in Hell Gate until mid afternoon so we will wait here and get organized.
Yesterday was spectacular. From Mt Sinai harbor to Manhasset in 10.52 hours, averaging 4.8 mph. Although the wind died a couple times it was mostly 5 to 12 kts with waves under a foot. Smooth Sailing with long tacks. Lots of other boats out. Mexican dinner with Ken who welcomed us from the bow of his boat at the Northshore Yacht Club.
The steering is wonderful after the repair at Brewer's Dauntless in Essex. Other systems seem to be pretty good. We have already had to replace a seawater pump on the diesel and the fresh water domestic pump... the galley cold water line burst... the adventure begins!
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Bill at the helm, Be Here Now sails into th CT River under the Old Lyme Rail Bridge.
Tentative itinerary for the trip north:
22th Sunday
42 nm from Essex CT to Mt Sinai Harbor 5 to 8 hours
Ralph's Fishing Station
23th Monday
48 nm from Mt Sinai Harbor to Manhasset bay 6 to 10 hours.
North Shore Yacht Club in Manhasset Bay.
24th Tuesday
Manhasset Bay to Newport Marina in Jersey City 4 hours plus tour of harbor.
Newport Marina.
Jersey City, New Jersey
Or 79th street Marina
NYC, NY
25th Wednesday
50 nm from Jersey City, NJ to Newburg/Poughkeepsie NY
26th Thursday
33 nm to Hop-O-Nose Marina in Catskill, NY
Afternoon un-stepping the mast and preparing the boat for the Canal.
27th Friday
62 nm: 34 nm to Federal Lock at Troy NY. 28 nm to Schuylerville NY
28th, Saturday
69 nm: 32 nm to Whitehall NY, 37 nm to Champlain Bridge Marina
29th, Sunday
Car to Dorset
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06/16/2008 | Felicity (fa dott critchlow att sympatico dott ca)
It sounds like a great trip. Don't forget to take time to smell the roses (or coffee) as well as the diesel.
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07/17/2008 | adriana (tothedog att comcast dott com)
thank you so much for the pictuers &story I miss youall so much Maybe I can take a ride some day ! I have to look at a house ! love AA
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07/17/2008 | adriana (tothedog att comcast dott com)
thank you so much for the pictuers &story I miss youall so much Maybe I can take a ride some day ! I have to look at a house ! love AA
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The maiden Voyage. Newport to Block Island to Shelter Island to Greenport to Hamburg Cove to Essex CT. about 150 miles with wind between 10 and 25 knots... a little on the nose and a lot on the beam.. Sometimes (when the plan went right) with the current and sometimes against it. Learning the boat, proud of my first mate, first rate soul mate up on deck wrestling the sail down. Seeing how the boat heaves to, feeling BHN reach across the Sound under a Genoa and hull speed and more. Lara at the wheel in 4-5 foot waves cresting as the current pushes against the wind. The calm of the sunsets, the peace of the mornings with yoga on the foredeck and meditation on the aft deck. Scrumptious meals and Champagne for our anniversary.
Draw bridges on the Connecticut River, no current in Plumb Gut, biking in Greenport, a north current in Essex harbor. Our first guests on the boat, 15 in all, family gathered around the binnacle, testing out the bunks. Long sleeps in peaceful coves. The windlass works, the glow plugs work, the fresh water works (but not the hot, yet...) Vitamin C works, DR works, GPS works, alternator works, lots of little things to fix and set up. Like a wonderful dream,,, yet we can taste it and feel it and remember it afterward.
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07/21/2008 | Shawn Ferry (sferry att gmail dott com)
It was great to see you and Bill.
I have finally uploaded my pictures the following is a link to one in the gallery. http://lalartu.smugmug.com/gallery/5485549_UFHgJ/1/#335401786_m7KsS-A-LB |
05/19/2008, Newport, RI
Preparations for leaving the security of the Harbor. If the weather is good we are planning to sail the boat on Friday May 24th to Block Island and on the 25th to Orient Point NY. Then on the 27th to Essex CT. Funny how easy it is to write that... and how many little pieces have to be in order. Weather, currents, tides, wind speed and direction. And of course the question: Is the boat ready? The main sheet and upper block have been replaced; the roller furling line has been lengthened. The reefing lines have been checked. Engine has been checked, tested and run a good bit. Of course there is a long list of things left to be done... and we are ready to leave Newport for a new port!
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06/04/2008 | adriana (tothedog att comcast dott com)
WOW !! Im so0happy to see the pictuers good lucl !!
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05/11/2008, Newport, RI
Photo is of Be Here Now II across the wharf from Little Dipper.
On the boat, on a mooring in Newport. Tired... Can't believe we can reach in the fridge and grab a cold beer! Lara is cooking up some Indian food! Indie is lying up in the cockpit. The wind generator whirs. We have spent the past two days learning Celestial Navigation from Tim Queeney at Ocean Navigator. Although neither of us feels that we are quite ready to cast off tomorrow and sail across the Pacific, we both feel we have the concepts and, with a little more practice, we will be able to navigate using the stars, moon and sun. As it turns out, Celestial navigation is not too complicated. It requires simple math and patience.
We also had lots of practice this weekend moving the boat around in tight spaces. Several times we were on and off Bowen's Wharf, each time turning the boat in between the wharf and the next one over... If felt like we were turning our 38' boat in about 40' of space... in reality, maybe we had 45 feet. The boat handles very well under power. We demonstrated several times that one can rotate the boat 180 degrees with out really moving. We both agree that we love the boat!!
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