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, [...]

St. Helena to French Guiana - Day 11

21 September 2015 | Enroute to French Guiana, South America
Marcie
Day 11 - 1,979 nm to go Milestone - under 2,000nm left

Sailboats don't always go exactly where you want them to go. We've been heading more N than NW as the wind has backed more easterly, so our daily mileage yesterday of 130 nm equalled under 100 nm to the good. The wind finally changed enough to warrant a jibe and once again we re-rigged the whisker pole to port. Re-rigging the pole every third or fourth day for long, long jibes is definitely not something to complain about.

The night was mild. The breeze was warm and steady and the star-studded sky was glorious. The moon is with us again. She's waxing now and every night she shines just a bit brighter and just a while longer with her sidekick, Venus, twinkling not far away. She'll be with us now for the rest of the passage.

Other than the celestial display, the night was pretty unremarkable until around 0400. I alternate my watch activities between reading, playing a game or two on my iPad and singing my at-sea repertoire. Evidently, I was singing a siren's song (or possibly annoying the local marine life) because something suddenly leaped from the ocean's depths over the port rail, sailed across the cockpit and attacked me. Thwack!

I screamed. I eeked. I shrieked. Whatever it was, was in my lap, flailing and writhing, perilously close to my private parts. I nearly jumped out of my skin. I managed to bat it away and it landed on the cockpit settee beside me. I could hear it moving and thrashing violently. It was so dark, I couldn't tell what I was fending off. I finally found the flashlight. A very large, silver-winged flying fish stared back at me...obviously just as traumatized by the ordeal as I was. Once my heart started beating again, I had to laugh out loud. The poor misguided fellow continued to flail as I, emitting involuntary yips, attempted to get a handhold on his slippery wing to toss him overboard. I advised him to stay still for a second, which he promptly did. Over the side he went, leaving scale residue and a strong fish stink behind. I was afraid I'd woken David with all the ruckus, but no worries. The captain was oblivious to my plight and snored peacefully below. I wisely chose to discontinue singing for the rest of my watch.

Last night it was the crash...tonight the thrash. Enough with night watch thrills.

Another flying fish landed just outside the cockpit during David's watch, and yet another was found on the foredeck on David's morning rounds, bringing the total passage count to a measly 7.

Are you checking justalittlefurther.com "http://justalittlefurther.com" regularly? There's lots of photos and info to enjoy there. Sorry I can't make hotlinks on SailBlogs remotely when we're at sea. You'll have to tough it out, but it's worth the effort.
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