Here in lovely Bucks Harbor for 2 nights.
A somewhat foggy afternoon looking out towards Eggemoggin Reach.

Here we are in Glouchester MA - Cape Ann, an old stomping ground for Dick in his younger years. We are holding up here waiting out a rainy spell.

Went ashore yesterday to do general tasks and look around. Harbor master and staff all very nice. There are 3 (2 sail and one cat) in the mooring field here from Germany. Wow and we think of VT as far....
Also fishing vessel Midnight Sun arrived this am to offload her catch.
Since it is rainy day will try and backfill some of our antics :-)

No complaints so far we have had really nice weather overall.

Ahah! Richard A here, I'll figure this thing out, given enough rainy days ...
Our Sistership, motored into port hid AM. I was in the Comet at the time. Cheryl was sleeping in. I had no camera with me, so I went and got one. Ergo, Midnight Sun was already at the pier. Not a great pic - soo cloudy & rainy, but had to be documented . Maybe I'll add some more ?

Boat stink

What is this smell that emanates
from me, I cannot say
I wash - shampoo - I shower
It will not go away

Fair landlubber as you avert your nose
I do apologize
I know I stink - I just got clean
Can't you see it in mine eyes?

My hands smell like a yeasty beer
even though I do not drink
The nicest way to say it
'Tis simply "that I've got boat stink"

With boat stink all around me
I now fully understand 
How the trades in rum and spices
made their way to the "New" land

For without such sense masking commodities
Humans might prefer to stay far apart
But "boat stink"
blocked by Captain Morgan and cinnamon
Will go straight
to any sailors heart

Boy, this blog site sure butchers crystal clear photos :-(

A solitary beach

Video won't fit, so here's a few stills instead. I'll work on file size another time ..

Riding out a Hurricane?
What next? Stress levels max out again! A beautiful anchorage on the back side of napa tree beach, adjacent to Watch Hill, RI. Took the Comet for test drive #2 - to Watch Hill Village, walked to the lighthouse, had lunch in town, and back around "back bay". I'll see if I have any pictures downloaded here yet ... Hang on!

Yes very delinquent on updates -- too busy enjoying the journey.
Hit 9.2 kts under sail today SOG.
Nice transit from Port Jefferson NY to Stonington CT.
Picked up a mooring at Dodson's Boatyard.
Lots of fun going on here -especially all the really little kids going out for sailing lessons--and I mean tiny folks :-)
Nice to see them having fun on the water.

Big boats, little boats; all sizes of boats!

The new World Trade Center
Getting ready to shoot through the East River and Hell Gate.
What beautiful weather.

Yesterday we bid farewell to Ed who helped us transit the locks both emotionally and physically down the Champlain canal and the Federal lock at Troy.
We spent last night at a private dock and the owner charged us a fair rate given there were no real facilities other than the dock. It worked well for us - very nice dock and a bit away from the hub-bub so made for a restful evening. The owner Robert is in the property restoration business and is currently restoring/saving WWII PT boats. Tim another entrepreneur is restoring tugs and previously ran tugs so he was a super soure of local knowledge both here and in NYC. Tim also produced a video of what it is like to run a tug out of Roundout Creek for the Hudson River Maritime Museum which is where we will stay the next 2 nites.
We are doing laundry and "re-discovering" what we have and have not stowed onboard.
We will head for Nyack Wednesday
The museum here is a real treat and the cruiser facilities very nice and all staff very accomocating.

Stayed at the museum docks for 2 nights.

Re-connected all the mast wiring and various other items "post-mast" erection.

Really nice folks at the museum - very helpful. Museum had wonderful info on the local area. Hard to believe that there was a canal from here all the way to PA with over 100 locks and 22 aqueducts at one time! And here I felt challenged with 11. I am so humbled.

The big fist!!! Wow I thought this tiller was awesome....

Currently at Hop-O-Nose Marina in Catskill, NY
Mast back up early this am. Ed and Dick moved all the mast framing off to the back 40 and then worked most the afternoon on getting the rig tension - "just so".
The crane used to step the mast was used to build the Erie Canal... it looks like a relic but it moves real slow and smooth as butter.

Great gang of folks here - like a large extended family. Highly recommend this place and if you are over here by land the Creekside Restaurant here is first class.

We again look like a sailing vessel - yeah!

Here we are next to the crane... with our "mono-pack" abs....
Hoping by the end of the trip to at least achieve a "nano-pack" :-)

However, with all this darn riverside revitalization and wonderful restaurants it is going to be a challenge :-/

Sadly the picture capability of some of our devices is not that intuitive... So maybe tomorrow I will get some more posted.

We stayed "on the wall" in Waterrford,NY.
We can ago several directions from here. The Erie canal or down on to "The Big Apple".
Plan is on Catskill, NY to Hop-o-Nose Marina to put the mast back up.

Photo from inside the lock "going down". The goal is to keep the stepped mast from hitting at either end.... strange... place to be as the water dumps out.

Goals today was Federal lock -- just past Lock 1.

We went from, osprey alley to Grey Heron lane... Also alerted by one of the lock keepers of bald eagle in flight - which we saw then afteer exiting that lock spotted 2 more! We are not "birders" per se but you cannot help but take the beauty of all the local wildlife.

Crew all showered at Lock 3 - Mechanicville,NY BEAUTIFUL new facilities all handicapped accessible - real treat.

Arrived at lock 1 and are in holding pattern - as valves are not working - they have someone working on it but don't know how long it will be.

Prior to arriving in Fort Edwards it was like "osprey alley". Each pair of osprey stacked out raising their young on one of many day markers. It is a if they were to say so much as " Hey we live at 23 green - cruise on by when you get a chance.". Such a treat to see.


Decided to overnite in Fort Edwards.
Great food at local diner.
Wednesdays are concert note and fireworks at the park.
Whoo Hoo! What at treat !!

What do you do as you are just about to leave the house - with the last load of provisions for a long journey. You head to the freezer in the basement for a few special delicacies that you have saved for h event.... Only to find it has been OFF for several days since a lightening storm.... Some items must be given away or cooked.... What to do?

We were lucky that friend Anne lived near the marina and offered a "grill-fest"...it was a dinner of steaks and chicken - corn/mashed.... Then the "Anchors Away" chocolate cake.

Cotter pins, spark plugs, impellers and tape
Dive gear, food, fender boards - what else do we take?
Electronic gear that will boggle the mind - encased in packaging that is very unkind.

Sextant, paper charts and a well rested crew - let us hope that the rest in not too much ado.
The list is a jumble of survival and fun.

When we cast off the lines - "The List" is inevitably DONE !! :-)

The mast came down today. Always an adventure on what you may find once "the stick" is horizontal. So far so good.