Forecast? You wanna forecast?

Written while lying in Kingman mooring field, East Falmouth, Ma.

Last Thursday was supposed to be crummy in the early morning, then clear and be sunny and 72.  Right.  By noon we were in 8 foot seas with a cold 61 degrees and overcast skies.  Bella was a very unhappy crew dog.  We had left Portsmouth at o-dark-and-gloomy intending a fuel stop in Pt Judith (where it was only $3.73 insted of $4.96 in Porstmouth) and then on to Cuttyhunk.  That was the plan.  Mother nature rules so we did the fuel thing and then hunkered down in Pt Judith until Friday morning.  There are no pics of this day as it was not worth recording.  Milly was keeping the sharp knives hidden.

Friday morning it was blowing 15 by 7am and that was the lowest all day.  We left about 8:30 and before the short 28 mile trip was done it had been a steady 24 with gusts over that.  Fortunately it was mostly on the bow.  In this pic you can get some idea from the bow wave (sorry about the reflection in the strataglas panel.  Coda likes this stuff on the bow.

Beating into a 5 footer.

We slogged into Cuttyhunk and picked up a mooring with Milster doing the driving and so well.  Bella was not happy, but she recovers immediately and was promptly patrolling the decks and looking for neighbors.  So many yippy little dogs and Bella just ignores them.

ok, so the slogging was not all bad

I'm leaving out all the bad stuff.  This is about cruising and it is part of my job to perpetuate the myth that it is paradise.  Just one thing...the outboard for the dink will not start.  I am not a happy camper.  This means we can't get into shore from a mooring or anchor.  That means Bella is not happy.  That means we are all  stressed.  That means I want to kill the service guy who prepped the outboard.  That will ruin the myth.

Anyway.  We did not make the date with Dick and Maggie for theater in Falmouth Friday evening.  So on Saturday morning we got up to the same scene.   Cool Northerly breezes building to 18 quickly.
NOAA is not predicting this stuff nor is anyone else. We let it play out for a couple of hours and then when it piped down we headed out into Buzzards Bay and had an easy jaunt to Falmouth where we are now.  Jack and Cindy are joining us for dinner, but not on board.  We will find a place in town.  Bella had a good day,  and seemed to be getting the hang of it.  More on that in another post.

The harbor scene on Cuttyhunk.  Population 150.

A young Dad grills for his family on board.  Father's day weekend!!

So we left my Jeep with Daughter Britte.  She, at 40, has informed us that the top and doors are being removed, she will buy a surfboard and go looking for boys.  And if you know her, you know she will really look the part.  No info on how husband Mike is dealing with this.

We will stay until Monday and hope to get the outboard running.  Not sure where to go next.  Just know it will be north of here.  And let's hope there is some real warm weather in store.  Cheers.