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, [...]

Blue View: Lay of the Land

11 March 2013 | Adelaide, AUS
David
When we arrive in a new port, one of the things we enjoy most is getting the "lay of the land". Where is the grocery, the laundromat; are there hot showers; where's the chandlery, the hardware, the fishing supply place, the guy that does welding? Depending on how long it's been since our last port, we always need to find some of these places, if not all.

We begin by asking the other yachties, checking Lonely Planet, searching online and finding the local tourist info center. If I can get a map, I can start learning street names and what road goes where. Before long, we have a pretty good handle on where everything of importance is and all the shortcuts.

Some ports have everything you need within walking distance. Hobart Town in Tasmania was a great port in this respect. Things were expensive, but you could find anything you needed.

It isn't quite as convenient here in North Haven. North Haven is a suburb of Port Adelaide, which is a suburb of the city of Adelaide. There is a chandlery, a pub and a few restaurants within a few hundred yards. The closest grocery is about a mile away. Anything else requires transportation. Today, I needed a hardware store, a building supply store, a larger chandlery, and an electronics supply place. Finding a tourist info center was also high on the list.

A new friend here in the marina has offered me the use of her car, but I decided to save that opportunity until I get a better feel for the area. I find it quite stressful trying to follow a map, read street signs, locate the store I'm looking for in heavy traffic, all the while trying to remember to stay on the left side of the road. This is a good opportunity to learn the public transit system.

Adelaide has a good transit system with clean, frequent buses and trains connecting everywhere. They have a good online route planning program, and I can buy an all day "Day Tripper" pass for a few dollars that allows me to ride all the buses and trains I can handle until 4 AM. I spent an hour or so planning all my route segments, and I was ready to go.

Well, as they say here, "it was no drama, mate". I found everything I needed, didn't get lost, and found my way back home at the end of the day. All told, I rode five buses and one train, and never had to wait more than 15 minutes. The bus drivers were amazingly pleasant and helpful. On several occasions, the driver actually got up to help an elderly person with his or her packages (and no, I wasn't one of them). Once, when a young couple was having a very loud, profanity riddled argument, the driver warned them to lower their voices. When they didn't, he stopped the bus and told them he wasn't having them offend the other passengers with their language and made them get off - which they did without argument.

Once we get to know a port well enough to find everything without a map, it usually means w're starting to get itchy feet, and it's time to move on. I'm not at that point yet. I am liking it here just fine, and looking forward to sharing it with Marcie on her return. I am starting to feel comfortable enough with the lay of the land, however, that I may borrow Dee's car next time.
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