Coming Home

June 10, 2011, Friday


Yesterday we left Jerry and Sandy's mooring in the cove on the Thames River heading outbound. The railroad bridge informed us they had a problem and could not open for us. It turned out they had been struck by lightening in the storm the previous evening. We hung around doing circles in the channel, anchored out for over an hour, and then at 8:30 am we decided we could not make our Block Island destination even if the bridge was fixed and called Jerry and Sandy and asked if we could hang out with them another day. It was a great day. We visited for awhile and then did Mystic Seaport, which was very interesting, and then dinner out. Then they had a Tstorm and high winds. Glad we were not out in it. Some things are meant to be. Anyway, we left our friends while they hopefully were stiill sleeping at 5 AM, went back to the Snow Goose on their mooring, had breakfast and did some boat things, and then went down the Thames. We had the tide going with us from the time we left the mooring, all the way around the Race and all the way into Block Island Salt Lake Harbor. We did 36 miles plus by 12:30 pm. at an average of 5.8 knots. I saw 7 plus knots on the helm many times. The Salt Lake Harbor is evidently having a regatta this weekend and it is lucky for us that we are in so early because about 2 PM many, many sailboats starting arriving. They are rafted, anchored, in the marinas, etc --many, many sailboats. We took the dinghy to get ice and checked them all out.

We hope to be able to continue on up Buzzard's Bay tomorrow, but the weather predicts high winds. We will see how it plays out tomorrow. Buzzard's Bay is not a place to play against high winds or against the tides. We miss everyone at home and Snow Goose needs some tender loving care after two years away.

June 12, 2011, Sunday

We are still sitting out the winds and rain here in Salt Lake Harbor, Block Island. It was cold, windy and rainy all day yesterday and we never left Snow Goose. We did some cabin cleaning and some odd jobs. We also did a lot of reading. All the sailboats that came in on Friday went out into the channel for a couple of hours and played in the rain, then they all came back in.

Today it has rained this morning, but the wind is calmer, 15, 16 knots, and the skies look a little better. However, thunderstorms are predicted for this afternoon. All the sailboats that came for their regatta left this morning. I am sure they had a disappointing weekend. A couple of guys came by the boat last evening in the driving rain paddling a kayak. They had lost a bet. Today we would like to be able to get ashore to see some of Block Island.
NOAA tells us we should be able to leave Monday.

June 13, 2011, Monday

We did finally get ashore to walk through the streets and shops of Block Island on Sunday afternoon. It is a very pretty island, catering to the boaters. It looked as though they had put a moratorium on new construction as all the buildings were older.

We got an early start, 6 AM, and left Block Island headed for Buzzards Bay. The going was tough as the tide was against us the whole way (who can figure out why) and the wind wasn't very beneficial. However, we hung in there for 53 miles and pulled into Mattapoisett Harbor at 5:30 p.m. We picked up a mooring at the Mattapoisett Boatyard.
June 14, 2011, Tuesday

The wind and rain will keep us here in Mattapoisett today. I called BoatUS for the Cape Cod Canal tide flow. We will leave here by 7 AM to get the flow through the canal and then probably go on to Plymouth, MA. Today is cold and tonight and tomorrow are supposed to be too. With the air at 55 degrees and the water at 51 degrees, there is nothing involving warmth. We have gone from sleeping with just sheets to a down comforter.

June 15, Wednesday
 
We left Mattapoisett Harbor a little before 7:00 AM for the Cape Cod Canal.  We had a beautiful ride through the canal doing between 6 and 7 knots the whole way.  The main was flying and we motored too--you have to through the canal.  The railroad bridge went down for a train ahead of us so security came out and asked us to turn into the wind and ride with them until the bridge went back up.  All went find until we stuck out nose out into the Cape Cod Canal, and found our nose directly in a stiff 25 knot wind.  Small craft warnings had been raised.  Okay, back into the canal and into the Sandwich Marina.  We filled the tanks and headed into a slip.  That too was a difficult task with the wind pushing us sidewards and no line handlers.  Anyway, we made it and here we are.  We walked into town for lunch and a few groceries and to find a sports bar where we hope to watch the Bruins win the Stanley Cup tonight.
 
Tomorrow is another junket of our journey that is turning out to be quite a long one home.