Sailing with Nine of Cups

Vessel Name: Nine of Cups
Vessel Make/Model: Liberty 458
Hailing Port: Denver, Colorado, USA
Crew: Marcie & David
About: We've lived aboard Nine of Cups since 2000 and have managed to accumulate 86,000+ nm under the keel since that time. We completed a circumnavigation in April 2015 and managed to sail around the five great southern capes. Come along with us for the ride!
Extra:
Visit our website at www.nineofcups.com for more photos and info about Nine of Cups and her crew. We also have a more extensive blogsite at www.justalittlefurther.com. Are some of our links broken? Links break from time to time. Please let us know which ones are broken and we'll fix them. You [...]
05 January 2017 | Chesapeake, VA
07 July 2016 | Us: East Walpole, MA / Cups: Chesapeake, VA
06 July 2016 | East Walpole, MA
04 July 2016 | East Walpole, MA
02 July 2016 | East Walpole, MA
01 July 2016 | Virginia Beach, Virginia
30 June 2016 | Chesapeake, VA
29 June 2016 | Chesapeake, VA
28 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
27 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
26 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
25 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
24 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
23 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
22 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
21 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
20 June 2016 | Charleston, South Carolina, USA
19 June 2016 | Charleston, South Carolina, USA
18 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
17 June 2016 | Intracoastal Waterway from St Augustine to Norfolk
Recent Blog Posts
05 January 2017 | Chesapeake, VA

Happy 2017!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

07 July 2016 | Us: East Walpole, MA / Cups: Chesapeake, VA

Taking a breather ...

Since we'll be off the boat during July and August, we plan to post only three times per week. The Captain will continue writing a practical Blue View post each week, we'll keep you up to date on what's happening with us and then throw in some cruising nuggets as well.

06 July 2016 | East Walpole, MA

Keeping fit

We’ve written before about keeping fit on the boat. David is so much better at a regimented exercise program than I am. I have all the best intentions, but I can always think of something better to do than sit-ups, push-ups, leg lifts and running in place. It doesn’t take much to distract me. Walking, [...]

04 July 2016 | East Walpole, MA

Happy 240th Birthday, America

Growing up in New England, I took for granted just how lovely a summer’s morning can be in Massachusetts. It’s comfortably cool and everything smells clean and fresh. Spider webs glisten with morning dew and it’s just great to be alive and breathe in the new day. Being back at Lin’s house conjures up wonderful childhood memories of summer mornings past. And this is not just any morning … it’s the 4th of July, the best holiday of the summertime in the USA.

02 July 2016 | East Walpole, MA

Leaving Cups and a Road Trip

Leaving Nine of Cups is never easy. We know she’ll pout while we’re gone and so we do our best to make sure she’s as comfortable as possible before we leave. We were whirling dervishes trying to get everything ready.

01 July 2016 | Virginia Beach, Virginia

Hunting & Gathering - Virginia Beach

We had lots to do before leaving Cups. David was intent on getting as many chores done in advance of our departure as possible so that once we return in September, we can spend time sailing in the Chesapeake rather than doing repairs and maintenance. Much of what we needed in the way of parts and supplies, [...]

Waiting for the next blow

01 February 2011 | Southern Arm, Dagg Sound
Marcie
A much better, calmer night, thank goodness. We got into our usual morning routine...a cuppa, a game of cards, pick up e-mails and the weather. Right out of the shoot, the weather forecast for Puysegur (PYOO-se-ca), our NZ forecast area way at the bottom of the South Island, was rather ominous. "Storm warnings in force. NW 60 kts this evening; easing to 50 kts by morning". At least this time we have warning and we have the whole day to prepare/ fret about it. How come big winds always seem to come at night?

It was actually calm during the day though raining and we made ready for another big blow. We laid out another 35# CQR anchor in series with our big 110# Bruce...a chum system... and let out more scope. It was a good idea, but getting the CQR out from under the aft cabin bunk where it had been stowed was a major disruption. It's under our bunk and all the bedding as well as half the locker had to be emptied in order to get at it and then, of course, re-stowed and the bed remade. The Bruce held during the last big blow, but we thought it could use a bit more help. When the forecast calls for 60 kts, it means sustained winds, so gusts could be much higher. There's no other good all- weather anchorage to move to in this area, so we needed to make the best of where we were.

Several little things went wrong during the day and we were hoping it was not forewarning of bigger things to come. The alternator started smoking during a quick battery charge and melted the wiring on the positive terminal (easily fixed and caused by a nut not being tightened down adequately after the last repair); both flashlights went dead when we needed them most and new batteries only revived one of them; the propane tank ran out when it was raining the hardest and Marcie was trying to make dinner. In trying to connect a new tank, the brass fitting broke...split right down the middle ...which caused some consternation with captain and crew (expletives deleted). Dinner delayed.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss. On the one hand, we had all day to prepare for the blow, but on the other hand, now that we've done what we can to prepare, we're still worried about it. Just waiting for the next blow.
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