Where did it go?

I started the year in the Caribbean cruising around the French Islands. Had great fun with Stephanie and Jim on Seal boat buddying for a week. Then Rosanna, Ben and Molly came out and we did a lovely whistle stop tour of Guadeloupe and islands but climbing the volcano still eludes me....

After a lovely winter i started a leisurely sale home from Antigua to the USVI where i hung out with Emerald and friends for a while. After a short hop to Puerto Rico i met Matthew and Peter for a bumpy trip to the Bahamas. I enjoyed the bahamas, that were a lot bigger and more diverse than i expected. One minute it was like the third world next was Disney. Nick and Holley joined me at George town and we sailed to Marsh harbor via all the usual spots. Lovely.

Marc and Suzanne sailed with me back to New York and then its was summer. I hoped up to Maine and left the boat in Portland for the winter.

The idea of paying lots of money to put the boat in the deep freeze for the winter was not a winner so we headed to Antigua via Hampton va. The journey as ever had high and low lights, the highs being an early tide on a sunny day that whooshed us through New York and out to the NJ coast, a bumpy night was followed a day or so latter by a beautiful sail down the Delaware coast and early morning arrival in Hampton. After a quick pit stop home we headed out with the salty Dawgs to Antigua. Crossing the Gulf Stream was lovely, the temperature leapt up by 10 degrees and we started to peel off our layers, then the wind stopped. Given limitless time and crew we should have headed to Bermuda to wait for wind, but that was not to be so we motorsailed for days, emptied all the cans of diesel from the deck and heater, until the wind arrived. At two liters ( half a gallon per hour) our big tanks served us well. Seeing Barbuda appear was a treat, quickly followed by Antigua and a few days in the sun and lovely clear water to swim. Thanks to nick and Alec for catching many fish and good company.

I left the boat at Billings yard in stonington for august, nice guys who know what they are doing, but as ever I would recommend being present when they are working on your boat. I think it was the beginning of September when I headed south via Camden, a delightful spot, then to boothbay harbor and a great breakfast at blue moon cafe, where I chatted to motorcyclists who thought solo sailing was dangerous, ha ha. I then found myself back in portland and nice visit to Cushing island and some time with Maisy and the gang, lovely. I set off on a clear windless morning for rockport ma, one of my favorite harbors, where you are always welcomed by someone from their lovely deck. The wind filled in and I had one of those perfect days sailing . After the years most expensive lobster roll I headed to Plymouth, a beautiful entrance through the dunes, but not exciting itself. A quick sail the next day took me to sandwich and dinner a lovely dinner with Lesley and james, so nice. The next morning started foggy but it quickly cleared and I found myself in port Judith eating in a nice seafood cafe. Newport keeps on eluding me, this time it was the boat show and no space. Somehow I caught a manic tide that pushed me passed my planned stop in mystic and all the way to the thimble islands and a beautiful night where Rosanna met me and a full moon. Next day I was home for lunch after an early start.

After a few days of rain.... I headed east, yes not north. Popped in at Christmas cove and then sailed to rockland, that was full of surprise. It's kind of re invented itself around boats and tourists without forgetting its self. More rain I think...then Rosanna came up with some sun and we hoped to rockport, home of many pretty wooden boats and some nice food. My next stop was stonington a delight where fishermen meet art galleries, but with a seemingly good result. Then to center port , a first to be asked to take my motor off and row to the dock"rowing only" at the dock of this Mecca of wooden boats. They made a special exception for my battleship. Visited the wooden boat school where thousands of people are learning to build wooden craft, more fog and rain. Maine has so many different faces, we went to ne harbor that is full of everything fancy but still a few fishermen. Rosanna came and we spent a day with Catherine and Whitney, I went swimming, took a delightful outing to frenchboro, where the walking is fantastic.Boat back in stonington waiting for my return

I have always wanted to sail to maine and the new baby is the perfect excuse. As ever when I finally got to leave the wind was blowing from the east, but I tacked across the sound and ended at one of my favorite spots, Southport. Rosanna drove to meet me for supper and we enjoyed an indifferent meal in a pleasant spot. The next day the wind was still not helping progress so I sailed over to port Jeff where I had never been by boat. A treat was to meet michael and Joanne for supper, def post COVID over there. Continuing with my one tack per day I set off NE to another favorite the thimble islands and my favorite pizza on the sound. Rosanna joined me for the next hop to north cove in old saybrook. I had never been there before and it was good and free. Rosanna caught the train home and i went to stonnington another lovely town on the sound. The next day started sunny and windless so instead of my planned hop to Newport I had a gentile sail in a building wind to block island. I met up with some distant relations of Rosanna who live on the island in a lovely home that they built. The wind had moved into the north so the next day I shot over to cuttyhunk. it is So beautiful there and I was welcomed by 12 free oysters, delivered to me by a man who thought he was welcoming a solo French sailor, he knew about French Aluminium boats and had never seen one here. Friends james and Lesley have a house on the cape, so a long run up through the canal took me to Wellfleet and a delicious supper with them at Mac shack. Next day james and I had the perfect sail to ptown, and more yummy supper. Then the wind stopped and a long day followed motoring to welcoming rockport and a night in that tiny harbor. I had planned one more stop before portland but the wind and weather were good for a long but rewarding day to portland and being greeted at Cushing island by Peter and Debbie.