Vinyard Haven and Back
24 August 2014 | Vinyard Haven. 45NM
NE 20-30 Overcast on way out. Sunny on way back
Left the house at 7am for a long Slog into wind and tide through Quicks hole. Overcast and with steep wind vs tide waves v wet (though at least this time it was alt water over the bow and not the fresh water tanks leaking). Fast run though. Very choppy over the middle ground around West Chop. Ended up running the motor as the GPS went out just when we needed it (leading to investigation on why the solar panel wasn't charging). Niki saw a shark.
Great mooring inside the breakwater watching the other masts fly around. Dinner at the Black Dog watching people move their (and other peoples) boats up and down the beach. Priceless.
Fast run back on Sunday am. through Woods hole (my god - motor boats reputations are sometimes deserved! Watching them throw up 3 ft wakes in front of everyone in constrained waters - including an ancient schooner taking through under sail with full right of way -as they went through the hole at 20 knots- enough to make you join the NRA and fire a broadside.
Niki sailed back way faster than I did and by the time we were home she had caught a fellow sailor to Padanaram that I let slip by at the Hole.
Late Lunch at the Sail Loft.
Equipment update: Something sat on the Windex so the wind directions are at least 30 degrees out.
The 100W Solar panel isn't working. The two 15W ones are (though they are both rusting from the screws on the J-Boxes!). Explains why after a couple of weeks of turning up and finding her fully charged we now find her 50% or less. Am sure it was working for a week or so. But now we are dead, so I hope a return is in our future.