2025-07-13 Lots of friends in Bridgeport and disappointing fireworks in New London

 

Had a nice sail from Port Washington to Cockenoe Island.  A bit of a lumpy anchorage until sunset, then it all calmed down.  Long Island Sound can get lumpy with boat traffic, especially on weekends, but when night falls, it is just wind driven waves, which you can plan for.

 Monday we got to Fairfield, and stayed at a transient floating dock at Fayerweather Yacht Club.  They only charge 1.50 per foot per night – so great price.   There is no water or power at the floating dock, but you can use the clubhouse, and the launch is included in the price.  Fun fact - Fayerweather is very close to Captain's Cove in Bridgeport.  Captain's Cove is where we had our first Manta, What If hauled out while we worked on it, and where we started cruising from in 2011.

Charm at the floating dock at Fayerweather, with Captain's Cove in the background.

Monday afternoon Dean went and had a nice visit with Jim Sinnott, a friend from work when Dean was at Bigelow tea.  They had a good time catching up.   Kris stayed on board and took the water maker motor apart again, cleaned and checked the brushes, as it was running sluggish last time we used it.

Tuesday we went for a nice walk – and got eaten up by mosquitoes, which are quite bad here near the water.  In the afternoon, we met with our financial advisor.  Good news – we are not broke, and are under budget on spending, so he told us we could and should spend a bit more if we want.   Kris is happy, as she wants a new shower control valve, some engine maintenance maybe, and to stay at a dock with power for heat should the temperature drop below 60 degrees at any point.  Yes, we are the big spenders.

A pretty little street in the Black Rock area of Bridgeport, CT

Nice bee farm bordered by two homes with a lot of flowers in the yards.

You just never know what you will see when walking around neighborhoods.

Wednesday, we met our friend John McCraw for lunch at Super Duper Weenie.  Dean and John worked together at Bigelow, and used to eat there frequently.  Good catching up with John.   After lunch, we walked to the grocery store, got a few things, then back to the boat. 

Kris and John enjoying the french fries.

John and Dean in front of Super Duper Weenie.

Wednesday night was a nice treat, we went out to dinner with good friends Mark and Laurie that we spent a bit of time with when we lived in Connecticut.  Our son Derek was friends with their two sons.  As it happens frequently, the parents remain friends, while the kids grow up and grow apart.   It was a great dinner, and even better conversation and catch up.

Dinner with our friends Mark and Laurie.  Great to catch up

Thursday we headed east, as we wanted to make it to New Haven by the 12^th of July for a big firework show.  It was a motor trip, with flat seas, better than headwinds though.   About halfway into the trip we came to a spot where currents must meet because we saw a bunch of Mylar balloons spread out over an area.   Since the seas were flat, Kris decided we needed to pick them up.  We motored in circles, zigzags and other various turns, until we had picked up all 13 of the Mylar balloons we could see.  Even got a small neon green nerf ball.  I think anyone who spend time on the water gets to hate Mylar balloons.  Even with the balloon detour, we made it to New London and anchor down by 6:30 p.m.

Kris stuffing collected Mylar balloons into a trash bag

Flat calm seas - a bit cloudy - but excellent motoring weather

Friday we took it easy.  Kris worked on some financial stuff, and we took the dinghy out and toured the harbor a bit, because we saw a large ship lifted on legs.   They have three wind farms going in around the area, and New London is the staging point for them all.   You realize how big those windmills are, when you see one blade on a cargo ship, and it takes up all the room from stern to bow.

The special ship just for installing wind farms.  Lifts on its 4 legs to remain stable.  Weird to see that big of a ship on 4 small looking legs.

Yes, that is a wind turbine blade filling up that very long ship

We watched that same ship on stilts leave the harbor later.  You can see the 4 legs and how tall they are.

Saturday, we got busy on a couple of projects.  We had ordered new foam for Deans salon cushion when we changed the fabric, back in January 2024.  Used the older foam for all the rest of the cushions.  Kris noticed her foam seemed a bit saggy, so wanted new foam, and Deans side is still nice and supportive.  So we got new foam for the bottom cushions on Kris’s side and installed that.  

Old foam and leftovers from new foam.  Now to cut it all up and stuff it in a trash bag

We also started working on a new water catch for the port side, as the fabric on that side is falling apart and developed a hole, letting all the water out.

Saturday night was the big day – largest fireworks show in Connecticut.  It was not good.   Fog started rolling in around 7:30.  When the fireworks show started you could see the fireworks launch from the barge and go up and up, and disappear into the foggy clouds, and then the foggy clouds would turn white, or red, or blue, but that is all you saw.  Disappointing.

We imagine this was a rather pretty red colored large firework.

We will head out today when the fog lifts to Fisher Island, and spend a couple of days before heading off to Newport, Rhode Island.

 

 

2025-07-05 Another Week in Port Washington - Happy 4th of July

 

The dodger project was completed this week.  Lots of work, did a bit of restitching, and replaced the port forward Strataglass.  It probably was not required, as you can still see out of them well, but it is a bit hazy, and since we had spare material, we went ahead and replaced it. 

Hard to tell, but the port side is slightly clearer than the starboard side

It has been a lazy week.  We did go out for Mexican food again on Tuesday.  We did a couple more trips to get groceries.  We do a bit of grocery shopping here, as the store is very convenient, and sales change on Fridays so we shop every week to get sale items, and stock up on bulky items that are a pain to carry a mile or more, which we have to do at most places where the grocery store isn’t so close.

Nice little park right by the dinghy dock.

We had put a new helm seat in when we were in Florida.  We like it, but we could not get it far enough back from the wheel to stand comfortably between the wheel and seat.  This week, Kris was lounging near the helm, reading her book, when she looked up and had a “duh” moment.  If we simply turned the base of the seat 180 degrees, we could move it back.  It was a boat project, though, which means the screws holding the plate to the seat would not all come out. Which meant drilling one out.  Which meant a trip to the hardware store to buy different bolts.  Living on a boat turns a 10-minute job to a 4-hour job quite easily.

Dean spent some time in the dinghy going around and cleaning the hull, which was green and slimy.  He did not want to swim and do it, and good thing, as the water isn't real clear, but when he cleaned from the dinghy, the brush came back from wiping the hull loaded with little skeleton shrimps (we think).  Yuck.

Friday was the 4^th.  We made a special meal.  Dean wanted hot dogs, and chips with dip.  Kris wanted apple pie, so we made them all.   Junk food woo-hoo.   

Kris isn't eating meat, so she just had chips and pie.

We could see numerous fireworks shows from where we were.  4 of them fairly close, and about 6 further away.  Too much to look at.

One of the closer shows

Saturday the 5^th was our 34^th wedding anniversary.  No big celebration. 

Blast from the past - sailing in the winter cold in the Puget Sound 34 years ago.   

We went and checked out the local farmers market, which was quite small and disappointing.  Then decided to stretch our legs, and we walked and wandered a bit in the residential area.   Always interesting to see different homes and architecture.    Checked on Zillow, and the cheapest home in the area we wandered was over $900,000, as it was a bit of a fixer-upper.

Rather small farmers market

Home close to 2 million

More of a fixer-upper, just shy of a million

Just some beautiful flowers that made us stop and smile

Today we leave Port Washington, plan on being in Fairfield, CT on Monday.

2025-06-29 Time in Port Washington, hot and cold

The rest of the trip north off the New Jersey shore was quite exciting.  Winds built, we went to put in a reef, then we got a gust of 45 knots, so dropped the main and just sailed with the jib in about 30 knots for a half hour or so.  

Doing 8.6 knots in 27.5 knots of wind, under jib alone

Then the wind died to nothing, so motored, then the wind built, so back up with the main with a single reef which we carried all the way into New York Harbor.  We got lucky, and timing worked out perfect to keep going through New York, down the East River and all the way to Port Washington. 

Had to turn into the wind and drop the main to stall for time, as needed to wait on a cruise ship backing out of port.   We have been though New York Harbor and down the east river around 12 times now, but still find new things to see on each trip.   This trip was extra lumpy for some reason.  It is always a lumpy trip with the ferries running high speed everywhere kicking up a large wake.

Did not take many photos along the East river through New York, as we have passed this way several times

We like how the built a new building inside the brick facade of the old Domino Sugar Building.

Hit Hells Gate with almost maximum current, and saw 11 knots boat speed.  On one motor, it is usually around 5.3 knots – so double normal speed.

Got into Port Washington around 6:30 in the evening on Sunday.  291 miles in 52.5 hours.   Definitely one of our slower trips, but nice flat seas - which was great.

Nice sunset after arrival in Port Washington, NY

Monday the heat was started, and it was hot.  Felt like 107.  Worse was there was no wind.  The wind finally picked up around 5:00 p.m, and then it was nice.  By 8:00 it was down to 81 degrees, which felt downright chilly out in the wind.  We spent the day relaxing, doing some cleaning of the boat, and recovering from the trip.

Tuesday morning, Kris worked on trying to superglue a broken handle on our OceanAir screen that had broken.  No luck, but we did swap the broken one on the screen side for the good one on the blind side, so at least we can still pull our screens.   New replacement handles are pricey, but we love our OceanAir screens, so we will fork over the money and get a replacement.

Ocean Air screen apart, swapping out the handle.

Kris also worked on cleaning out the tool caddy.  We have a tool box with all our most frequently used had tools, but tools rust a bit in this humid environment, so every so often we take out all the tools, clean the box, and wipe down the tools with WD-40 to help prevent rust.

Cleaning the toolbox and tools

Tuesday was another over 100 degree day, so from around 10:00 on, we mostly just sit in the shade with fans on trying not to drip too much sweat, and drink lots of water.

We headed into town on Tuesday evening to get dinner – as it is Taco Tuesday.  We both got delicious bowls from a local restaurant, and brought it back to the boat to eat.

Good food and funky interior

Wednesday was another hot one, so just trying to stay cool most of the day.

From extreme heat on Wednesday to quite cool and windy on Thursday.  Stayed inside with hatches shut to keep warm, as it was breezy all day.  Went into town in the afternoon to stretch the legs and got some sale items from the Stop and Shop.

Friday was even colder, so inside with everything shut up.  Dean even had blankets on his half the bed, it was so cold – around 65 degrees.   Just couch potatoes all day.  Except of course Dean making his homemade pizza dough for Friday night pizza dinner.

Saturday brought nice weather, so we started working on our dodger project.   It had some loose seams, but the big wind we had coming north ripped it a bunch more.   Some broken zipper teeth needed fixed, and our Strataglass was getting cloudy.  It can only take so much Saharan dust, salt, and sun before you just can't get it super clear anymore.  So we took down the dodger for Kris to start working on repairs, and slight design modifications, as well as putting in a new piece of Strataglass in the main window in front of the helm.  

Kris ripping out the seams of the old Strataglass to replace with new.

Today we will continue the dodger project, and enjoy the pleasant weather.  Plan on staying here until July 4^th to watch the fireworks, then we will move on.

2025-06-22 Mainsail work finished - and heading north into heat and flies

 

Kris continued her chiropractic visits twice a day on Monday.  She also continued to work on the mainsail cover. Let's just say that this is not a happy project for her, and lots of frustration is involved.   She went up the mast 4 or 5 times to try to adjust and fit the top of the cover to the mast, which Dean can barely reach, but Kris needs to be hoisted up 8 ft to work with pinning the fabric.

Fun watching large ships pass by the anchorage

Kris made many many trips here, but her back is much better

Tuesday we had some rain off and on, and got the water tanks filled up.  We also spent some time calling around to haul out yards to find out current pricing to plan our haul out for late August.  It's only been a year, but we want to plug another thru hull (should have done it in Trinidad) and might as well touch up the bottom pain while we are at it.   As well as planning a visit to the West Coast to visit family while the boat is hauled.

Wednesday, the feel like temperature was 102 degrees, so not a lot got done in the afternoons.  Kris worked on the mainsail cover in the morning, and we sat by our fans, or outside in the shade in the breeze.  Had some visitors each day.  Kris resisted a couple of days, but then did give in and share her wheat bread with them.

Luckily, they refrained from leaving deposits on the step

Kris sharing some bread

Thursday was another hot one, but we headed back to Lowes on the bus, as our vacuum and sander that Dean uses for doing bottom jobs died in Trinidad.  Portsmouth was the easiest spot we will have until we haul out in late August to get a new shop vac and sander.  It was June 19^th, and being a holiday, the bus was free – so we were happy on that.  We rescued a nice hat on one of our many dinghy trips to shore.   No boats to rescue this time, so our standards are dropping to just hats.

Kris also finished the mainsail cover on Thursday.  She doesn't like it. Not happy with how it looks, but it is functional, but not a project she will show off, that is for sure.

We had been in Portsmouth 9 days, so it was time to head north, especially with the hot weather continuing into the feel like temps over 100, so we looked at the weather for heading north.  

Fun looking at all the military ships on the way through Norfolk

Always something to see on the water around here

We usually like to be in Long Island sound by July 1, for fireworks and weather, which meant only 10 days to get there, and it takes about 6 days to comfortably go up the Chesapeake and down the Delaware to be in position to make the offshore jump to Long Island Sound.   So instead we took a not ideal weather window and left Friday night, motoring for the first 6 hours, then sailing downwind for the next 12, then motor, then sail, then motor, then sail, then .... - We are not there yet, hoping to time going all the way to Port Washington, but need to time it with the tides, meaning we have until tonight until 7:00 p.m. or so - we will try to make it, but don't know until later today if we will.

One thing we like about our boat is the ease with which we can pull the screens over all the openings to keep the bugs out of the boat.  While offshore Friday night, we did not close the main door screen as we did not notice any bugs during the night – but they were sneaky.  Around 10:00 in the morning, after Kris got up from her nap, she went on a fly killing spree and got 16 of the irritating little pests.  How we got 16 flies in without either of us noticing them at all during the night remains a mystery.    However, Saturday night, the flies returned, many many many flies - but at least we are ready for them and the boat is closed up against them.  Irritating outside, but good inside.  

One of the 100's outside just waiting to get in

The overnight passages have been cold, and even Dean is wearing sweats to stay warm.   Seems odd because starting tonight until Wednesday there is an extreme heat watch for the area

Lots of heat coming.

2025-06-05 Up the mast, down the mast, and repeat - more time in Portsmouth

Monday we took the bus to Lowes.  There is a main bus hub less than 1/2 mile from the dinghy dock, which makes it super convenient to get to many places in Portsmouth.  Bus is $2 per person, so not too bad.

Decent buses, clean and not too full

Lots of very pretty lilac bushes/trees in the area.  Smell wonderful and very pretty in full bloom

We needed some longer bolts, and some PVC pipe to build a support for the new anchor light, having lost the old one, and since the old one was no longer made we could not purchase a direct replacement that would easily mount - of course - so had to build a custom support.   

Got hungry, and had time to kill before the next bus came after our Lowes shopping, so tried a new place called "Cook Out".  We have seen a lot of these in the Southeast, but had never eaten there.  Burgers were good, fries only so-so.    

Back at the boat, Dean got all the tools together and Kris hoisted him up the mast - so happy we have an electric winch - it makes taking someone up the mast an easy task.   Unfortunately, when he went to hook up the new anchor light, he found that the wires coming out the top of the mast, which he had tied in place, had managed to slip through the line and had disappeared into the mast.  He did get the new Raymarine wind vane installed though, and it worked right away, so that was a win.

Large hole where the wires were, no wires. 

So - now what.   We have a 24" flexible grabber, so he took that up the mast to grab the wires - no luck.  Next trip he took up the flexible endoscope he could put in the hole to see where the wires were.  He could see them, but could not get the flexible grabber to reach them.  Part of the problem is the hole where the wires come out was not in line with the small PVC tube that holds our wires in the mast.  So decided to drill a hole directly over the PVC tube to reach the wires.  So back up the mast, with drill and drilled a hole.  Then down again and back up with the grabber and scope.   No luck.  Then a modified hook on the end of the scope, but not strong enough.    Between Monday and Tuesday, he made about 10 trips up and down the mast.   Kris's hand were getting raw from the lines, so she even put on sailing gloves as when you let someone down the mast, the lines slide through your hands, and it is a slow-controlled slide, but still burns a bit after 10 trips.  Deans legs were getting sore from death gripping the mast while trying to work at the top, as any little wake at boat level is amplified at mast top - so he had to grip with his legs around the mast.

Dean up the mast

Tuesday we ordered a longer gripper off of Amazon - that would arrive on Wednesday.   We walked up on Wednesday, picked it up.  Dean went up the mast, reached in the hole and got the wires.  So simple 😂  By the end of day Wednesday, the new anchor light was mounted and working.

New anchor/tricolor light mounted on "custom" PVC base.

Another project for the week was the dinghy.  It was leaking again on the patch over the bullet hole.   We decided the one part glue just was not working well, and we were running out of patch material as well.  Kris found a place online nearby called East Coast Inflatables that said they did repairs.  What a lucky find.  The guy came to our boat the same day - in his center console runabout - patched the lead with a two part adhesive, had thick patch material, and did not accept money until two days later when the patch was proven and not leaking.  All for only $200.  Super happy with his service.  We could have got more patch material - but shipping two part adhesives - dangerous chemicals is not permitted to Amazon lockers, so it would have been difficult for us to get the supplies needed.

The other project for the week was working on the new mainsail cover.  Kris's back was feeling good enough that she could work hunched over for short periods.  The mainsail cover is going about as well as the anchor light project, and as much un-sewing as sewing has been occurring.  It is also a pain to work on a 16' long by 12' wide project, when your workspace is only about 6' x 5'.

Kris working on mainsail cover.

So it was not all work and no play.  We went out for a nice dinner Tuesday night at a local Mexican restaurant, which was quite tasty.  

Mexican restaurant "Guads" in old historic building

We have enjoyed our walks to the bus station, and the Amazon locker, seeing new sights in downtown Portsmouth.  There are quite a few murals in Portsmouth.

It is also entertaining to watch the ship traffic, a combination of pleasure boats, cruise ships, and large ships with tug escorts.

Have had rain off and on, keeping temperatures cooler, which is nice.  Using the rain catchment, we have not had to run our water maker in the last two weeks, and have done a couple loads of laundry as well.  There is also enough sun that are batteries are staying up as well.

Water catch still working well, keeping tanks topped off.

Kris is still having chiropractic appointments 8 times a week, and getting better, so that is good.  She was able to walk 3 miles to the grocery store on Saturday, and take the bus back without being exhausted at the end of the trip.

We will spend the rest of the week here, more chiropractor appointments, and working on the mainsail cover.  We thought we would be sick of the area, but surprisingly it has been a great spot to spend a bit of time.

View of the anchorage - dark clouds coming in - more rain coming.

Nice sunset over Hospital point