Forecast: SE 25-35kts with gusts to 45kts. Lets Go!

I kept a close eye on the weather, and found a 36 hr window of light winds, calm seas, and 60º highs nestled in between two New England Autumn Gales. Perfect! Once again Passageweather.com was my main source of weather info and proved to be very accurate.

We had the good intention of leaving Thursday afternoon to get a jump start on the trip. But by the time I discovered the fresh water had been shut off to the docks, had moved the boat to another dock and run out 5 hose extensions, the sun had set, and I decided the first time out on my handicapped boat would be better left for daylight. Our last line came aboard at 0612 on Friday while the kerosene heater melted the frost off the cabin top. We motored out through the crisp 35º mist, as the sun rose above the trees on the eastern shores of the Danvers River. I made the call to the two swing bridges on my handheld VHF “…this is the sailing vessel Elizabeth, uh… well, I don’t actually have a mast up – so I’m not really a sailing vessel”, and heard the reply, “Ok Cap – whatever, just c’mon along behind that fishing boat ahead of you.”

Clear skies, light winds, and a long ocean swell from the previous few days’ strong winds set the stage for a very pleasant ride on our trip to the balmy southern climes of Martha’s Vineyard. I found she settled into a nice groove at about 2400 RPM’s where she made approx. 5.5 kts. The stuffing box was rather drippy, but nothing to cause alarm, at least I had good lubrication of the shaft…which felt good.

We made the Cape Cod Canal entrance at about 1630, 2.5 hrs before the favorable tide change. The Cape Cod Canal current runs at about 4.5 kts, so we anchored just outside the breakwater on the East side and waited for the unfavorable current to decrease. I thought it’d be prudent to try out the anchor during daylight hours, since I knew we wouldn’t get through the canal and find a safe anchorage in Buzzards Bay until well past dark. I found the riding pawl a little cumbersome while dropping the anchor. I’d be curious to learn how others secure their pawl in the up-position for an unhindered “drop”.

The Buzzards Bay side of the canal was typically nasty. The opposing breeze and current always makes for a sloppy exit. We shipped a few steep waves and stuck the end of the mast through a few white caps, but nothing on deck got loose or moved. We found a pleasant anchorage on the Eastern shore of Buzzards Bay in the lee of Scraggy Neck, and settled in for the first night’s sleep aboard Elizabeth. How cozy she seemed to me now, after so long of being nothing more than a storage shed for tools and toxic coatings.

One system I hadn’t sorted out yet on Elizabeth was the head. We used the tried and true “bucket method” for this trip and I was pleasantly surprised at how convenient it really is. I even began to think I might remove the head altogether – so much simpler, and simplicity is where it’s at these days. Teresa is a veteran bucket sailor, having worked for Outward Bound for many summers on the Pulling Boats in Maine.  But that’s enough Potty Talk for now… more on this subject later.

I spent the last week doing a few things getting her ready for the launch. Decided to compound, glaze and wax the hull. Not sure why I didn’t do this earlier in the season to protect against the harsher summer sun, but like most things, better late then never. Rebuilt the raw water pump. Took apart a few seacocks and regreased them. Finished installing the new bobstay chainplate. Sent the alternator regulator out for repairs.

Rosie and Darrah came up for the event, and to help load the mast. Was a beautiful day for a launch indeed.  Feels special when your the only boat around GOING IN the water, rather then being hauled out for the season. We got the mast aboard with the boat still in the slings, but lowered, kissing the water. We were able to walk it aboard without too many grunts or strained muscles.

I heard a steady stream of water flowing into the bilge as we lowered down the last few inches. Stuffing box needed a few turns! Always reassuring to see your auto bilge pumps kick in though. We had a lovely motor over to another marina where I’ll stay for a few days and wait out a forecasted gale, out for a 140 mile trip under power, with mast lashed on deck.

All Pics Can Be Seen Here

Captain Garth Wells contacted me a few weeks ago, when his mate quit unexpectedly. I agreed to fill in for the last two trips of the season on the Lewis R. French out of Camden, Maine. The LRF is the first boat I ever worked on, and is still my favorite schooner around.

We had a pretty rainy 10 days, but the trips were excellent inspite. My poor little computer arms and hands suffered hard when I had to pull heartily on the throat halyard those first couple of days. How soft we get. The trip was a re-awakening for me, a reminder, a fresh breath of air. The focus on the task at hand and the lack of distractions…the hard physical work, and the cold autumn winds… it all cleared the mind’s clutter. I once again learned that simple living, combined with physical team-work is what humans are built to do. I’m reading “Better Off: Flipping The Switch On Technology” by Eric Brende, a fantastic book about how technology has fragmented our lives and displaced us from our own native capabilities. He illustrates that  less technology actually increases and enriches our leisure time; our physical and emotional health. I was able to draw many similarities between his story about living in a technology free community and sailing aboard a schooner bult in 1871.