Wednesday April 28, 2010 Partly Cloudy north winds ranged from 10 to 25kts with gusts up to 35

Got an early start to get to Catskill, NY. Very wild day, started out motor sailing but then winds were to direct and could only motor. Enjoyed very pleasant scenery, nice homes, monasteries and other large institutions along the way. Another boat hailed us said he had called the broker about the Yellow Bird and was told she had been sold and he congratulated us saying she is a beautiful looking boat and we certainly agreed. The winds and waves were huge which was slowing us down a bit, Yellow Bird performed beautifully once again. We arrived at Riverview Marina at about 4:00pm. Went for a walk into town down Main St., a lot of funky shops, had dinner at a nice Italian restaurant.

Thursday April 29, 2010 Sunny and calm in the morning but then winds kicked up to gusts of 50mph

Today we prepared for taking the mast down which was supposed to happen after lunch but with the winds as strong as they were we had to put off until tomorrow. Winds were so strong that we had to tie the stern of our boat off to keep the finger dock we were on from bending and pushing us into the boat next to us. Winds finally calmed down 6:00pm. Hopefully tomorrow winds will not be an issue.

Friday April 30, 2010 Calm sunny day.

Moved Yellow Bird into position for pulling the mast, the mast is deck stepped which means it sits on the keel. It has been a long time since this has been done and the corrosion made it difficult, the crane was almost pulling the boat out of the water, after jockeying and hammering it finally came loose and jumped about 2 feet up.

We secured the mast, fueled the boat and headed north to Troy where the 1^st lock is located. It was a long trip today and had to negotiate what seemed like hundreds of fisherman along the way, there is this big stripped bass tourney going on. Tied up at the Troy municipal dock, the dock master said there were more than 30 boats up by the lock waiting for the 6:00 am opening the next day so we decided not rush the next morning and deal with the madness. Went ashore to a brew pub for dinner, very busy in town as the last Friday of the month they have what is called “Night Out in Troy”, galleries stay open later, music events ever where and everyone was out having a great time, very pleasant evening.

Saturday May 1, 2010 Sunny, warm gorgeous day, no wind

Enjoyed a leisurely morning, went to the Farmers Market before heading to the Federal lock There are a total of 12 locks that get us to Lake Champlain, the 1^st 8 ascends 139 feet and the last 3 descends 44 feet, total distance is 64 miles. The Federal lock is free, the rest of the locks are run by the state of NY which requires a pass, we purchased a 2 day pass for $15. We entered the lock around 11:00am along with a tug boat and another sailboat. This was my first experience dealing with a lock which is pretty cool.

The next 2 locks we were alone, pretty much after the early rush there was no more activity. The 2 boats that were in the Federal lock with us headed up the Erie Canal, other than one rude power boat passing us we saw no more the rest of the day. Just after lock 2 we stopped at the (free) municipal dock in Mechanicsville. The warm weather brought out a huge colony of ants that had taken up residence in the main mast stand that we scavenged at Riverview Marina. We went into town in search of and found a can of toxic lemon scented ant killer, it seemed to do the trick.

Sunday May 2, 2010 Another Sunny warm day with no wind.

Got up early and headed for lock 3 for the 7:00 am opening. Went through all but lock 12 in Whitehall, we had an event free passage and saw no other boats, one of the lock masters did say there were 3 other boats ahead of us. It was a gorgeous day to travel saw several Falcons and a bald eagle. We traveled 52.4 miles today which was a good long haul for us. We tied up to the (free)Whitehall municipal dock, free is always a good thing when boating.

Monday May 3, 2010 Cloudy windy day

Transited through lock 12 and tied up at the dock just outside the lock, Stan decided that the winds were too high to risk going out to the lake with the mast laying down in its stands, biggest concern being the main stand that had been infested with ants and could collapse. Walked around town and later in the day motored over to Lock 12 Marina to beef up the main stand, Ray the owner of the Marina was a great help to us and let us stay on the dock overnight.

Tuesday May 4, 2010 Clear, sunny and calm until 11:00 am, then the skies opened up with a passing storm.

Got underway way at 6:00am, it was beautiful start to the day, enjoyed the scenery: cable ferry, Fort Ticonderoga and all kinds of wildlife. This is the first time Yellow Bird has been in fresh water, she made no complaints and continued to chug along. We had no delays as we passed by the construction area at the site of the route 17 bridge although there was a lot of activity. Made good time and got into Point Bay Marina around 1:30 pm, had the mast removed and put her in a slip, she will be taken out of the water next week. I went and picked Whoopi up at Paula’s who took wonderful care of her. It was now time for Whoopi to meet Yellow Bird and her new future home.

Fort Ticonderoga

Ferry and construction @ route 17

Yellow Bird @ Pt Bay Marina

Last mate at the helm

Whoopi below (notice the captains new sneakers)

Well that is the end of this adventure, it is time for Yellow Bird to undergo numerous improvements in preparation for taking off on a much bigger adventure a year from now. Hope you have enjoyed the blog and I apologize for my poor use of grammar and punctuation but writing was never my strong point, also I spelled windlass wrong, can’t believe Capt. Stan did not catch that one.

Not sure if we will continue to use this blog site but if we change we will post the new location here.

Introduction

This is for those who are not aware of what Stan and I are up to.

For the past 3 years we have been looking for a bigger boat suitable for taking off to the Caribbean. Our requirements were to find a boat no bigger than 36’, could be single handled, a windless, hot and cold pressure water, shower, galley with stove/oven, navigation station, of course most of which could be added if not already on board.

Stan found several good looking prospects and it turned out “Yellow Bird” had everything we were looking for in the price range. She is a 36’ Islander built in 1977 and for the past 18 years she has made the trip from Annapolis to the Bahamas so she already knows the way at least for part of our intended route. Stan made the trip to Annapolis to look her over and she spoke to him right away. There are several improvements we are planning on doing to make her ready for the trip of our lifetime.

So begins our adventure: The plan is to have her ready for next spring with the hopes of taking her out the St. Lawrence and around follow the coast down to Florida, the Bahamas and follow the Caribbean chain down to Tobago and return home. This will be a 2 year trip.

In preparation I left Sugarbush to start work on dealing with getting the Duxbury home ready for renting and numerous other tasks that need to be taken care of when taking on a trip of this magnitude.

So the adventure begins with Stan and I going to Annapolis to bring Yellow Bird to her new home on Lake Champlain.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Moving Day

Today we got our gear together, rented a Penski one-way truck to haul everything we thought we would need to get our new boat home safely from Annapolis. Of course we rented the smallest truck available which we knew was too big for our needs and wouldn’t you know it, Penski upgraded us to a 16’ box truck which was enormous for our needs. Got a late start out of town and made it to Elkton, MD about 10:30 pm.

Friday, April 16^th, 2010 Weather today was Sunny and in the 80’s, winds up to 25kts by afternoon.

Got up early and headed for Annapolis, met up with Tim the broker who gave us a ride to Yellow Bird, I had a hard time not crying with happiness as I walked out to see our future home, she was a beautiful sight, I was speechless for a while as I looked around at the exterior and interior of the vessel that had the look of a well cared and loved boat.

But enough of that for now as we had to get the boat underway to take a slip at the boat yard to have some work done. Engine started right away, and Stan maneuvered Yellow Bird nicely out of the slip, we motored around and did a little practicing with backing up, which takes some finesse, and will need more practice with this for sure.

We tied up at the boat yard which was just across the bay from the Naval Academy and a short walk from downtown Annapolis. The boat yard allowed us to back the Penski up close to the slip we were at and laughed when we opened the back to see the small cargo in such a huge truck.

One important maintenance item for the day was having the fuel tank cleaned out as Stan was a little worried about going out in the ocean and sloshing around possible debris accumulation that could foul the engine. The boat yard made arraignments with a contractor to do this for $250, yet when the guy showed up to do the job he informed us that with the tank access set up the way it was he could not do the jobL And it was going to cost us $150 for him to show up. Needless to say we were not happy and the boat yard decided under the circumstances that we could stay at the slip with water and electric hook-up at no charge over the weekend. Of course we did hire them to do a few maintenance tasks necessary for us to feel comfortable with the engine before we leave.

Tim was kind enough to run me into West Marine for a few supplies.

We got settled in for the day and I cooked our 1^st meal on board, full 3 burner stove and oven, hot and cold pressure water, refrigeration, what more could a galley slave ask for. Oh, and did I mention the shower and windless (motor that pulls anchor up).

Saturday April 17, 2010 Weather today, Sunny but cooler and very breezy.

I went for an early morning stroll to downtown Annapolis as Stan was still sleeping (snoring), what a beautiful downtown. Spent the morning looking through all the nooks and crannies and writing up questions we had from Skip and Gerry(sp?) the folks that we bought Yellow Bird from.

Skip and Gerry showed up around 10:00 am and began providing answers to most of our questions and when the questions got tough Skip referred Stan to all the original manuals they left on board. They are a wonderful couple and very much enjoyed the time spent together that day, I knew right away they were happy with us as taking over as they are sure we will love and care for Yellow Bird as much as they have. We were relieved that they were not hurt by the fact we intended on changing her name but for now until we sell “Jacks Fault” it will remain “Yellow Bird”. They left us with a bottle of champagne and 4 glasses which we wished we had time to share before they left but we had much to do still. We called them back later that day and asked if they could spend more time with us before we left and we also wanted their photo behind the wheel both as a couple and with us as the changing the guard.

Spent the rest of the day organizing, stowing gear, reading manuals etc. Used the Penski to make runs into West Marine, hardware and grocery store, not the best vehicle for running errands. Cooked on board again, I really love the galley.

Sunday, April 18, 2010 Weather was cool and very windy but mostly sunny.

Tim was kind enough to follow us to drop off the Penski truck.

Dealt with a few boat problems then spent the afternoon walking Annapolis, and had dinner out at the Boatyard Bar and Grill, excellent food at a reasonable price. Annapolis has the tendency to be expensive.

Monday, April 19, 2010 Weather still cool/windy/partly sunny

Decided to put off leaving until tomorrow due to weather. This gave us the last chance to do some final shopping and other organizing. We were delighted to have Skip and Gerry come back, we shared some champagne, more stories, and got some photos, we are really happy to have gotten Yellow Bird from them. They invited us anytime we are in the area to visit at their guest dock, which we will surely do when we pass back through.

Went to the Boatyard Bar and Grill again for dinner, the place seems busy all the time, they serve breakfast/lunch/dinner.

Changing of the Guard

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 Weather Sunny with winds 5-10 kts out of the SW

Today we got an early start with a plan to make it to either the Sassafras or Bohemia Rivers to anchor for the night. Stan piloted us in reverse out of our slip with Kevin from the boat yard standing by with a boat hook to fend us off from hitting anything of value. Captain Stan did a great job and Kevin did not need to do anything although I did a little fending as did Stan but all in all I would say Captain Stan did a great job. We motored off and almost immediately got into shallow water but able to get out unscathed.

We hoisted the main and pulled out the jib and enjoyed a beautiful sail towards our destination. As wind died we had to finish our trip under power and dropped anchor just inside the Bohemia River. Beautiful spot. And did I mention how happy I am with the windless (motor that pulls anchor up).

Wednesday April 21, 2010 Weather Partly sunny 60’s no wind

Stanley’s birthday. He woke up and enjoyed a cup of coffee in the cockpit watching 3 bald eagles flying overhead, turkey calling in the distance and osprey everywhere.

Today all we could do is motor as we headed through the C&D canal, almost every buoy along the way to the canal had osprey nests, very active. The trip through the canal was peaceful except for one large container ship passing us in the other direction causing some major rocking and a rolling due to the wake, I can not imagine doing this when the canal is busy during the season.

We anchored just the other side of Reedy Island once we got through the canal and had a relaxing afternoon. Got settled in and then the rains came, we are just outside a major shipping channel to Philadelphia, several large container/tankers passed by. And did I mention how happy I am with the windless (motor that pulls anchor up).

Thursday April 22, 2010 Sunny 60’s and no wind

Got an early start to the day as we needed to get to Cape May to fuel and provision. Had to motor the whole way, pulled out the jib for the last few miles to supplement the motor when a breeze came up. Made good time and got into Cape May Harbor, NJ with plenty of time to refuel and provision. A tightly built fishing community with boat houses connected to the homes. Got a tip on a great seafood market and later reaped the benefits

Sunset at Cape May

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Friday April 23, 2010 thru Saturday April 24, 2010 Sunny and 60’s with variable winds, evening to early am was cool and damp, sky very clear.

We decided to do the big jump to Sandy Hook,NJ which meant an overnighter. We left motor sailing, Capt. Stan figured it was a 20 hour trip, ended up sailing and we were making good time. We set up a fishing pole with 60 LB test, a steel leader, and lure which promised to catch the big one, well some fish liked it so much that it bit off the lure along with 6”of the steel leader, hmmm! We ended up sailing until 1:30 am before motoring the rest of the evening. It was quite an experience night sailing in the ocean, far cry from doing it on Lake Champlain. Although I had the 9-12 shift, Capt. found me snoring and I ended up with the 10-1:00am shift. It was a great shift sailing, perfect wind, 3/4 moon, lots of stars OHHH did I mention commercial traffic! BIG SHIPS, we were close to a 2 way shipping channel to NYC. Not a big deal but I was ordered to wake the captain if a big one came by, which it did and very carefully summoned the captain , it was big but veered away.

Sunrise outside of Sandy Hook

We motored from here as the wind shift was putting us to close to big traffic. I ended up with the sunrise shift and watched a beautiful sunrise with NYC in the background as we approached the turn to Sandy Hook. Yellow Bird performed admirably for the whole trip. Fueled up at the marina dropped anchor nearby on the Jersey side, relaxed, did chores, it ended up being a sunny warm day until the afternoon. And did I mention I really love the windless (motor that pulls anchor up).

Sunday April 25, 2010 Rain, mid 50’s 15-20kts

Spent the morning fussing with odds and ends waiting for the tide to change so we could make a run up to NYC and the 79^th St. Marina to pick up a mooring. Got under way around 1:00pm and arrived at 5:30pm. A lot of boat traffic big and small, enjoyed the sites of the city from the water and the Statue of Liberty. Decided to stay and explore the city tomorrow and then begin the big push up the Hudson on Tuesday.

Monday April 26, 2010 Rainy, foggy and cool.

Today we were going to spend the day in the city but due to the force of the outgoing tide currants it was not safe being out in the dinghy we had with us. The plan is to get a hard bottom inflatable with a 15 hp engine. Todays big event was when Stan’s shoe went over board and was swiftly swept away by the current. Stan had only that pair of shoes, (I have 4 pair) fortunately I did grab his foul weather boots. Ok, so much for going down a few piers and touring the Intrepid. We walked up to Broadway and immediately found a Filenes basement store to get Stan a pair of shoes. It turned out that Stan was making a fashion statement in his blue/yellow foul weather boots. We decided on dinner at Nikko’s Mediterranean Grill and Bistro, a waitress confessed to us that she was admiring Stan’s boots when we came in as they are actually the fashionable thing to wear now (I guess the west marine blue/yellow color made them unique). We met , another VT couple in the restaurant heading to VT with their boat. Made a stop at a rather impressive and busy market to replenish our stores. A very rainy afternoon/evening.

Tuesday April 27, 2010 Cool, light rain winds from the northeast.

Up and out by 6:00 am as we wanted to get as much time with the favorable tide/currant thing that goes with traveling by boat. Motored all day due to winds not being in our favor and enjoyed the NY scenery from the water. Got a slip at a small marina in Marlboro, NY, winds were rather fierce from the north and the anchorage we wanted was not safe and Stan really wanted a wifi connection which this marina offered. Hence I am able to make the first post to this log. Hope you are enjoying it and I will update it the next time I can connect but for now we are doing well and so is “Yellow Bird” and of course we are really missing Whoopi on this trip but it won’t be long now. Oh and Stan looks swell in his new Filenes Basement sneakers, they are silver with blue trim.

Well that is it for now I will post again next chance I get but once we get Yellow Bird to VT we will put the blog on hold until she has had all the work done to her and we are ready to launch her for the next phase. If anyone wants me to post the progress between now and then let me know by comment or e-mail ewalker@madriver.com.