No proof of luminescent jellies... sorry.

Just like their creator, the jellies refuse to give proof of their existence.

I went out last night and tried to capture them on the digital camera, and got nothing but inky blackness. (Maybe there were giant squid around?). I now have a movie with a black screen and a soundtrack of an outboard motor running in circles. It is pretty funny.

As the trip comes nearer, I am trying to get into the habit of blogging regularly, and I am testing the blogging and email update process. Please remember that you can unsubscribe at any time by following the instructions below.

The summer was not entirely wasted on preparations

The summer was not entirely spent on preparations, though sometimes it feels like it. When I look back, I realize that we got in a number of good trips that I want to capture to my blog.

A few weeks back we took a trip over to Cuttyhunk and ran into our friends TJ and Donna and their two very enjoyable children. In particular, it was good for me to have another 12 year old boy to play with. Mike is my new BFF.

The wind was dead, but we improvised a ski rope from the dinghy painter and a fish club, and did some wake surfing on one of my kite boards. We were especially proud of our rigging the improvised ski rope!

Here are a few pictures:

We haven't left yet, but the adventure has begun

It occurred to me recently that I am already cruising, for what is cruising except working on your boat in exotic locations?

Padanaram has been pretty exotic lately. No one knows why, but the harbor has been taken over by tiny bioluminescent jellies that are incredible on a moonless night. You first notice them when you motor your dinghy through the harbor and cross the thermocline at the jetty. All of a sudden, it is like someone put a light on you; the water all around you just lights up in a ghostly green glow. Anywhere the water is disturbed, the creatures light up. The dinghy’s wake is so bright that looking across it affects your night vision. The bow wave is like lava flow, but cooler.

I saw this one night and tried to describe the intensity to Dana, but words are such a poor substitute for the experience. So I dragged her out on the harbor a few nights ago after dinner to see for herself. I was anxious that she see a display as intense as I did, because it was unseasonably cold that night, with air temps in the 40s and being on the water, 100% humidity. I did not want to drag her out on that inhospitable night if the jellies were giving a poor performance.

At first it seemed like she would not get the show. The jellies were there, but not as numerous, and therefore not as bright. But when we cleared the jetty the water just lit up. Then the coolest thing of all: The big striper and blue fish were hanging out right at the point of the jetty, the way they always do. (They hang out in the cooler water looking for fingerlings that are swept out by the tide). The dinghy engine spooked them, and when they moved we could see a school of blue-green ghost fish darting away from our course, maybe 10 feet below the surface. The smaller pogue that swim just a foot or two below the surface would zig-zag away exercising their best evasive maneuvers, leaving a sparkling trail. It was like a fireworks show, but instead of the percussion soundtrack, there was just silence.

Way cool.

I may try to get pictures tonight since a picture is worth a thousand words, but I cannot imagine a picture or movie will capture the experience either.

ttyl

Caribbean Madness Preparations continue

We continue to prepare for the upcoming trip to the Caribbean. I am going to start using this group and blog for more frequent updates so if they are not of interest to you, my apologies. You can unsubscribe following the instructions below.

Here is a picture that was taken the weekend before last when sailing back from Cuttyhunk. We were over there hosting a very informal get-together and bonfire. My friend Ted came up with the idea and Dana and I brought over the smoker and smoked two whole pork shoulders. I think a good time was had by all 20-30 people who showed up.

One of the highlights of the evening was sitting around the remains of the bonfire around midnight. We took hot stones (and boy, some of the were HOT) and when they cooled enough to touch, we picked them up quckly so we did not burn our hands, and rested them on our stomachs. The layer of clothing was enough to protect us from the heat, but let a very pleasant warmth through. I thought Greg was going to offer a proposal of marriage to his rock. Mine felt like having a puppy sleeping on your belly. Dana got a little burned picking hers up but says it was worth it. It was a good evening.

There has been a lot of phosphorescence in the water. The last few moonless nights have been positively magical. If you put your hand in the water, it looks like your skin is glowing a light green color. The wake of the dinghy looks unreal; it is so bright it affects your night vision.

I appreciate the leaves turning here in New England even more knowing that I will be leaving for a season. I will miss the crisp cold mornings, and knowing that, it helps me appreciate those few I will have this year even more. It is like seeing things with fresh eyes even before taking a break from them.

Dana did the first cut at the provisioning list and bought a lot of non-perishables. I have nearly inventoried the spares and stuff that was on the boat, and added the new provisions.

23 days and counting down.

Walter and Dana

Offshore Run

We did a test run from Padanaram to East Hampton Long Island last weekend with Bruce, Martin Bob and me. Dana took a Ferry out and joined us there.

It went well. Honors for most stalwart crew go to Bruce, who took long stints at the helm and performed admirably. Martin and Bob did very well too, despite some problems with Mal de Mer. The good news was that Martin rebounded well after having chummed.

I think it was a very successful mission, and made the trip much more real for the crew that could come. Martin and Bob came away with a renewed appreciation for all the work and learning that remains to be done with regards to weather and comms, and the challenges and potential for boredom that comes with a long ocean passage. If I had advanced the idea of a poker/dominoes/backgammon tournament before this trip, it may have been greeted with skepticism, but now I think the crew would agree with the need for some entertainment.

After the cruise, Martin Bob and I went on to Cuttyhunk for a couple of days and had a nice time with the Bob and Sherry of Angel Rose and Greg of Delia. We also did some man overboard exercises and refined our procedures.

Check out these photos of Bob jumbing ship to cool off on the sail back home.

Test run with Ken

Ken and I did a test run of kiting off of the boat. It went well. We found that we are quite compatible, there was room for the gear, etc.

We did find that the dinghy had JUST enough room for the gear and the two of us, and would be only marginally adequate for getting us to kiting spots that are more than a mile from the anchoring spot. Anchoring near the kiting spot might result in puting the boat in more jeopardy by anchoring on a lee shore, so it is not a great plan. We did it, but a bigger dinghy may be in order.

Refrigeration was a problem, but I since did some troubleshooting and the system is vastly improved.

Many Thanks to the helpful crew at West Marine Pope's Island

The crew at West Marine Pope's Island has been extremely helpful and friendly and helpful on prepping the boat for this trip.

Thanks Bob, Tom, Sue, Kevin, Matt, Katie and all the rest of the team!