For the little kid in all of us

Since the last post we have visited Plymouth and Scituate Ma and traversed the Cape Cod Canal at 11.6 knots.  That's like doing I95 at 90.  The weather conditions have moderated dramatically and so the crew is feeling really good about things.  Bella has settled into the routine and is really doing well now. The pics in this post are about all the unusual vessels we see. Little boys of all ages will enjoy these shots. Little girls can pretend they don't care.

Fireboat in Plymouth Harbor....the ultimate water gun.

Mayflower II in Plymouth Harbor

 I cannot figure out why this ship does not just fall over on its side.   It's about 10 stories tall and 12 feet wide.  How does that work?

Your basic oil barge headed back to NYC empty.

Coast Guard stealth boats

These rather intimidating boats did not show up on the radar until we were right on top of them.  And on each bow was mounted a 16mm gun.  Very kewl.  We threw a water balloon at them.  It vaporized in mid-air.  

We noticed in Plymouth that people were gathering around what appears to be a shrine of some sort.  All that can be seen is a rock, but people stare and stare at it.  Must be special.  Then we learned it is really a sham.  Not the real deal, but clearly a great marketing tool for the town.  Note to self: tell Newport city fathers that we need a rock thing.  

During the heat wave we whimped out and took a slip so we could use the AC without running the generator.  We slipped in with a group of very well to do local boats.  It demonstrated how we are doing this on the cheap and how others spend small fortunes for the privilege of seating in a lawn chair on a dock.  One couple have just purchased their first boat.  They are retired.  It was a $700,000 beauty with every trick on it.  They took their first ride ever while we were there.  It seemed they bought it on a whim and had "people" to do everything for them.  Wow.  And next to them was a larger $1.2mm version of the same boat.  And then there was... 

So we will head up to Marblehead, Rockport and Newburyport on the next leg.  Hope to pickup our mail in Rockport which daughter Britte is forwarding.  Thanks KB.  

Kudos to the whole crew at Brewers Sakonnet.  CODA systems all running very well.  You guys rock!!!

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.

Goodbyes and down to the last few tasks

It seems like only ten years ago we started on this new cruise to Maine and hopefully Nova Scotia.  Finally we are about to slip the lines.  If you are bored with the waiting, you have some idea of how impatient we are to have something about cruising to report.  In the last few days we have had visits from Dan, Sara, Marcia, Kristen, Mike, The Ritaccos, and Jemi.  And the mechanics left today for what I hope is the last time.  Tomorrow we go out for a "sea trial" and then Thursday we are going down to Newport and Point Judith on our way to the first stop at old standby Cuttyhunk in the Elizabeth Islands.

Your blogger in the new reading room which Bella has claimed as hers.

Oil Can Herk emerges triumphant with the first 5 (of 8) gallons of used oil.  

Milster and the Ritaccos.

I truly hope my next post is from Cuttyhunk and then on to Falmouth to see Dick and Maggie.  Weather and tides look good for Thursday.  First stop in Pt Judith to feed the engines which will likely need about 300 gallons to get us going.  I just close my eyes and hand over the plastic.

MOVING DAY

May 29.  We moved out of the house and onto CODA.  Ah, the glamour of cruising.  Schlepping takes on new meaning.  The list of lists is getting shorter and the Advil supply is dwindling, but this was a good day.  A good day meaning there were no injuries, nothing dropped into the drink, and Bella got fed on time.  

Semi-chaos...it got to full chaos later

Milly amid the bins and baskets of "essentials"

Bella back on her station

Our temporary new neighborhood, Portsmouth, RI

For the next 10 days or so we will get this boat squared away.  Then we intend to slip the lines and begin our lazy cruise north to who-knows-where.  I'm pretty tired so that's about it for this post.  Oh, congratulations to the crew of Sweet Pea for completing their 9000+ mile loop.  We may slip into Westport on our way up Buzzards Bay.  Or not.  Who knows?!

Grandparents are shameless

This post is not about the boat, the crew or anything connected with our plans.  This is a shameless abuse of the blog to do a big shoutout for our new GRANDSON, LIAM.

Liam is the newly born, March 26th, son of our son Ryan and his wife Sara.  Liam arrived at 7lbs, 6oz and healthy as can be.  Mom is doing really well after a very tough labor lasting over 12 hours.

This wonderful family lives in Norwalk, CT.  Ryan is an urban planner in NYC and Sara is a teacher in Harlem.  They met in Central Park at a Lacrosse tailgate.  This will make slipping the lines of CODA just a little bit harder.

Liam Alan Herchenroether

Summer in March??? Unreal launching this early.

March 15, not MAY 15 and we are launching CODA.  68 degrees in Newport.  We are so far ahead of schedule it is....well...it is just smashing wonderful.  The bottom job is perfect and now we can start testing all the systems installed recently.  Life is very good.  

Today CODA was waiting in the slings next to a Nordhavn 52.  For the non-boaters that is like a Chevy sitting next to a Bentley.  But she looks good for her 28 years.  Boat years are sort of like dog-years.  Not quite 1 to 7 but probably 1 to 3 in terms of systems, space and engines.  So in a way we are doing the "this old house" thing here.  And lord knows we have a lot of experience with that.

MARCH 15 AND CODA IS BEING LAUNCHED IN RI....WOW!!!!

DOING OVER THE BOTTOM IS LIKE A NEW FURNACE...NO SHOW-OFF ASPECT.

We have now rented the house for the entire 12 week season in Newport.  So the plan is looking good so far.  Next up is the sea trial to see how all this new stuff works.  Film at 11. We know you are captivated.

March 2012

Whooeee are we having fun.  Spending money like no tomorrow.  As of today Dave, Jon, Rich and Ron have finished the huge re-wiring of the main circuits, installed the new gas range and tanks locker, done some spot painting on the decks and are well into refinishing the bottom.  Friend Dan Ritacco has agreed to make us a new helm door.  The "fishfinder depth meter has been replaced with a network system that includes, drum roll, ....sonar!!!!!

Most likely sometime week after next we will be back in the water and begin testing the electrical systems and the propane setup.  This will reduce the role of the generator to backing up things and it will hopefully get little to no use.  Silence is golden.  Yet to be done is the installation of a new inverter.

Right now the interior is a chaotic and not very welcome space with panels open, cushions stacked everywhere along with tools, cables, and who knows what else.  A typical boat project.  Throw buckets of money and hope it does something useful.

Just heard from ALGONQUIN and they have arrived in the Bahamas....nuff said.

This cartoon by Wiley Miller was a framed gift in 2004 from Jack and Cindy Kadzik.