gknopp's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member gknopp on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/gknopp en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:19:23 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com Long Island- a few good weeks — Sag Harbor, New York, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1249064985/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1249064985/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1249064985/tpod.html Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:19:23 -0400 Summer 2009 First Forty casts off to cool(er) New England.
Sag Harbor, New York, United States

Some of my friends out west or in the south ask me what was so good about coming up here.&nbsp; In fact, I would have to say one of the best things and the most surprising thing is Long Island.&nbsp;&nbsp; Having lived in the south and west for my adult life, Long Island was a bit of a mystery.&nbsp; The image I had of Long Island back then was ....well not that great.&nbsp; I had envisioned, smoke stacks, crowded places and ...well lets say people in a hurry.We came here in our summer cruise in 2007 and my view changed 180 degrees.&nbsp; Long Island is a fascinating place to summer.&nbsp; I guess this should have been an un-surprise given that the Hampton's draw the elite to the sunny beaches each summer.&nbsp; But heck, I thought the Hampton's were in Connecticut.&nbsp; How would I know.In reality Long Island has many great and charming places.&nbsp; Here is a bit of the high spots we encountered in this summer's two weeks on Long Island.After our transit of the East River, we made our stop at Port Washington (see last entry).&nbsp; PW as Ill call it is the closest major city before New York.&nbsp; Naturally, there are a lot of folks who work in NYC that choose to live here.&nbsp; Its a wealthy and place.&nbsp; We had been here a couple times earlier but never devoted more than a night or two.&nbsp; This time, we wanted to see more.Port Washington is very cruiser friendly.&nbsp; We entered the harbor and called the Harbor Master to inquire as to the availability of "comp moorings".&nbsp; Hey what a deal.&nbsp; We picked one up and dropped the dink.&nbsp; Later, we found that it was a two day comp.&nbsp; Ok... great.&nbsp; Then later, we walk by the harbor master's office and I ask. "How long can we stay"....."two nights....but it you drop the mooring, circle around and pick it up again, you stay another two nights....get it?".&nbsp; Yes we got it and that is what we did.&nbsp; It was great too.&nbsp; One of the highlights of stopping here is the ethnic food.&nbsp; At the top of the list is Ahyon's Greek restaurant.&nbsp; They put out a Greek buffet and its fabulous.&nbsp; We had to make that stop.&nbsp; Not to suggest I'm "Food motivated", but we made several other food stops in the week there notable.&nbsp; The best (IMO) was Rosa's Pizza near the Long Island RR station.&nbsp; Not only did I conclude this was some of the best Ive ever had but they also had a "pasta night" where you get salad, pasta and desert for ten bucks.&nbsp; What a deal!&nbsp; For this price, I expected a small portion, a simple recipe and tiny&nbsp;desert.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In reality, we got great salad, full sized pasta portion and a 3"x6" "slab" of tiramisu that was so good it brought tears to my eyes.&nbsp; We also had a good experience at the Manhasset Yacht Club.&nbsp; As members of the South Carolina Yacht club we have reciprocal privileges.&nbsp; I decided to see what that really meant, so Sue and I walk into this very formidable looking club house at&nbsp;the water's edge.&nbsp;&nbsp; I&nbsp;became&nbsp; very impressed when the club manager come down to greet us in the warmest of ways.&nbsp; We went there for several days to use their pool and restaurant.&nbsp; I really nice club dating back to the 1800s.Oyster Bay was a second stop, but only a short one.&nbsp; We had understood there were lots of things we could do near by including the summer&nbsp;home of Teddy Roosevelt.&nbsp; We had also wanted to stop at the nearby college of my later father in law: Webb Academy.&nbsp; We ended up doing neither.&nbsp; As friendly as Port Washington was, Oyster Bay was not.&nbsp; Not only was there little to offer the cruiser in town, but after having a decent night at anchor, the next morning&nbsp;we were promptly ask to leave by the Harbor Patrol.&nbsp; We were told we had to anchor 3 miles&nbsp;away and dink in.&nbsp; Only private moorings available near the town.&nbsp; We prompty hauled anchor and left.&nbsp;&nbsp;We still want to stop to the the TR home and Webb, but we will do it from Port Washington on our return.&nbsp; No more Oyster Bay.Port Jefferson was our next stop.&nbsp; I had heard or read that PJ was an industrial port and one that did not have much to offer.&nbsp; It just happened to be a logical stop on the way to Sag Harbor.&nbsp; We had really liked Sag last time and felt it was our real destination.&nbsp; But we laid a course for PJ as a one night stop.PJ is on a large natural harbor accessible via a fairly small inlet pass.&nbsp; By 1700, I'm ready to enter the pass.&nbsp; To my pleasant surprise its a bigger&nbsp;place than expected and not crowed at all.&nbsp; We anchor over on the south eastern corner in 20 feet of water.&nbsp; Perhaps a mile from the town.&nbsp; This is an easy dink ride in the morning.&nbsp;&nbsp;The next day we dink in around noon and find a very pleasant town with a good number of interesting looking bars and restaurants.&nbsp; Also some summer theater and music.&nbsp; We also have a nice visit with folks a the town museum and learn about the boat building heritage.&nbsp;&nbsp;Of course like countless places we have visited, industry has long left and back-filled by&nbsp;tourism.&nbsp; Its a scary thought- the US can&nbsp;not sustain itself with but tourism.&nbsp; It used to be Id say tourism and real estate agents.&nbsp;&nbsp; Now real estate agents have bitten the dust.One nice happening, I got a call that our friends Chip and Kay about Beso (Nordhavn 40) were en route to PJ too and would be in by&nbsp;1800.&nbsp; Great.&nbsp; We really like then and we always look for&nbsp;a chance to have drinks and dinner with fellow cruiser.&nbsp;&nbsp;So&nbsp;shortly before 1800,&nbsp;Sue and I are on land.&nbsp;&nbsp;I look out and here comes Beso.&nbsp; They anchor near&nbsp;us out in the harbor and before long C&amp;K meet us at the local watering hole.&nbsp; Later we migrate to a&nbsp;one of those 'shrimp in a basket' kind of&nbsp;places.&nbsp; The food disappointed, but&nbsp;he conversation was great.&nbsp;&nbsp;The weather was&nbsp;deteriorating quicky so we got into the dinks and headed back to the boats shortly before 9pm.&nbsp;&nbsp; I'm not a big fan of coming back in the dink at night.&nbsp; We carried our PFDs (life jackets)&nbsp;and a flashlight...I moved out slowly and then I saw Chip&nbsp;the throttle on his outboard.&nbsp; This was one of those "bat out of hell" scenes.&nbsp;&nbsp;He went so fast, it scared the hell out of me.&nbsp; I worry too much about hitting something at night. Anyway they made it.Our night was not so easy.&nbsp; A major storm had been forecast and&nbsp;it came in about midnight.&nbsp; It was really blowing....maybe 35kts or more.&nbsp;&nbsp; I don't worry too much about the boat.&nbsp; Our ground tackle (anchor and chain) is very robust.&nbsp;&nbsp;But when I woke up at 0630, I was very clear we were in good shape....but <i>minus the dinghy.&nbsp; Nothing in sight.&nbsp; Had it broken&nbsp;away?&nbsp;&nbsp;How, I tied it well&nbsp;as usual.&nbsp; Was it stolen?&nbsp; Oh.....S**T....It must have been stolen.&nbsp; In fact, i was sure I heard a boat come near about 0400....yes that had to be it.Sue and I are&nbsp;beside ourselves.&nbsp; I'm envisioning about a 6 grand hit and two days of lost time while we go back a ways and buy a dink and engine.&nbsp; I had already spent much more on repairs than planned this year.&nbsp; :(Then I grab the glasses (binoculars) and I see it washed up on shore&nbsp;at about the high water mark.&nbsp; We were lucky.&nbsp; A call to Sea tow and I was in their boat going to shore.&nbsp; I pulled it into the water and we were again tied up on the mother ship.&nbsp; We were lucky.&nbsp; I still didn't understand how it could have broken loose.&nbsp; Had the three beers I downed on shore resulted in a faulty tie?&nbsp; This mystery will be revealed later in the blog.I was too embarassed to tell my friend Chip, so when we left harbor at 1100 I just called on the radio and never mentioned a word.Sag Harbor is easy to like.&nbsp; Who am I to question the likes of Madonna, Jerry Seinfeld and other notables&nbsp;who happen to own summer places near by.&nbsp; Its fairly boater friendly.&nbsp; Plus&nbsp;there are several other areas nearby that we&nbsp;can anchor&nbsp;for variety.&nbsp; I figured we might spend a week there.&nbsp; We also wanted to attend one of the&nbsp;concerts at the Perlman Music center on nearby&nbsp;Shelter Island.We anchor&nbsp;with plenty of room out side the breakwater.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As someone said, if you are outside the breakwater no one cares what you do.&nbsp; I was here one other&nbsp;time and a guy sat on his boat and played the saxophone for a hour a night.&nbsp; Good thing he had talent.&nbsp;&nbsp;The first night was more than exciting.&nbsp; It was about 8:30 in the evening when we saw a 45' sport fish running at high speed in toward the breakwater.&nbsp;&nbsp; Sue saw it and I saw it as the boat hit the well marked rocks at full speed.&nbsp; It raised out of the water and came down in silence.&nbsp; I looked close to see it was going down feeling like they must be taking water.&nbsp; Nothing.&nbsp; I radioed and made contact "this is the trawler at anchor about a 1000 feet from you....are you ok"?&nbsp;&nbsp; The radio came back "Yes, 10-4".&nbsp;&nbsp; I had my questions as 10-4 is not boat vernacular. But as it happens they weere ok.&nbsp; Any about 2 in the morning they were towed into the yard.&nbsp; I was told 100k of damage.&nbsp; This was a real violation of rule 1- Dont do stupid things.&nbsp; The rocks are well marked on any chart.&nbsp; I suspected the reason they were not towned in for 5 hours was it would take that long to sober up.&nbsp; Sag Harbor an interesting place too as many&nbsp;yachts are on moorings here from various part of the world.&nbsp; Its only a 10 minute dink ride to the tiny, single dinghy dock the city allows cruisers.&nbsp; Its not great, but it works.&nbsp; From there you are immediately in the quaint little town.&nbsp; Its full&nbsp;of tree lined streets, quaint shops, the IGA market, a movie house and a number of restaurants and bars.&nbsp;&nbsp;As you might expect, its no inexpensive to eat out here.&nbsp; Being retired (more or less) I often look for&nbsp;happy hours and meal deals.&nbsp; Just for fun, I went&nbsp;into the bar at B Smith's place right on the water.&nbsp; B Smith is very upscale and I had scant hope, but I went up the bar keep..."hello friend, any 'happy hour' here"???&nbsp;.&nbsp; With a smug, I was told, "you mean like 'two for one'.....NO (read with attitude)".&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; OK, I guess I was told.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sag Harbor is the home of&nbsp;$6-7 beers so .....I find nothing happy about that.&nbsp; We drank on the boat here.Of course any cruise has a few surprises.&nbsp; We had one when one morning the generator would not charge the batteries.&nbsp; When we anchor, we use about 200 amp/hours of power per day for lights, tv, microwave, computer.&nbsp; We replenish that by running our genset (generator) for 1 1/2 hours a day.&nbsp; Today the battery charger woudl not engage and charge the batts.&nbsp;&nbsp; This is pretty much a hard stop.&nbsp; So we went into the local yard for repair. Lucily it was not a big deal and we wwere back in the anchroage the next day.It was a&nbsp;very nice 10 days at Sag.&nbsp; While I did my drinking on the back of First Forty we found a few good dinners, took the bus to the Hampton's three times, went to the fabulous beach on the Atlantic side and even saw a&nbsp;very enjoyable play "Dinner" which was running at the theater right across from the dinghy dock.&nbsp; This was really a good time.&nbsp;&nbsp;We also made it to the Perlman concert.&nbsp; Going over to Shelter is one of my wife's favorites.&nbsp; Its a bit of an effort, but&nbsp;worth it.&nbsp; We go in a very shallow creek and up into a salt water lake inland.&nbsp; There we anchored.&nbsp; It was beautifully.&nbsp; Not only&nbsp;that it offers wind protenction not available in the Sag anchorage.&nbsp; It was blowing again one night and we were happy to take shelter on Shelter.&nbsp;&nbsp;We also went over to the other end of Shelter Island and took the bus out to a little restautant we liked last time called the "Elbow Room".&nbsp; Its a little dive like place about a half our back on the bus.&nbsp; My wife thinks&nbsp;they have the best prime rib in the world.&nbsp; Who am I to question.&nbsp; So we bus out there and fall asleep when we return...so full of outragious beef we can hardly stand it....wonderful.After about three weeks on Long&nbsp;Island, we were about ready to say so long and&nbsp;move toward Newport Rhode Island.&nbsp; It was a very nice visit.&nbsp; The weather had been pretty good but spotted with occasionally heavy storms.&nbsp; Folks had told us it had been raining for weeks straight and now it seemed to be over.....or was it.&nbsp;&nbsp; Stay tuned.d&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
]]> New York Harbor....a major wow — Port Washington, New York, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1248046528/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1248046528/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1248046528/tpod.html Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:00:15 -0400 Summer 2009 First Forty casts off to cool(er) New England.
Port Washington, New York, United States

After making it through hurricane level winds last night, we wondered what the next day might bring.&nbsp; The winds had abated by about 9pm last night and I began to look at the tides for the next day as we made ready to cross to and through New York harbor.&nbsp; We had done this twice before....one perfect....one a real pain.What's the difference....hitting the tides property.&nbsp;&nbsp; The East River is highly tidal and there is a particularly bad place called "Hells Gate" that can be downright treacherous.&nbsp;&nbsp; History tells us of literally hundreds of vessels befell the the currents, eddies and swirls of the big hook in the East River called Hells Gate.&nbsp; Currents can run 4 to 5 knots.&nbsp; With you, its&nbsp;a big lift...against you...a big problem.The last time through (two years ago), we read the book the wrong way and we hit it hard.&nbsp; I think our speed over the ground was 1.5 kts and hour...we burned lots of fuel and it seemed to take forever.&nbsp; Unlike the boats of old, we were not in danger but it sure was a process not to be repeated.&nbsp; So this time, I read the cruising guide multiple times and it was clear that we needed to be at the Battery (the foot of Manhattan) two hours after low tide.&nbsp; This was about 9am.&nbsp; Low tide was 0700 and we decided to leave Atlantic Highlands (NJ) at 630am.&nbsp; I expected us to have fair currents going through the harbor and then continuing on to the east river.&nbsp;&nbsp;So at 0630, we made our way out of the NJ.&nbsp; We saw a number of freighters and barges.&nbsp; Soon we crossed under the big suspension bridge marking the entry to NY harbor.&nbsp; But our speed&nbsp;had fallen to&nbsp;just 5 knots in spite of the predicted flood.&nbsp; We continued&nbsp;and&nbsp;still had no lift.&nbsp; I stated to get worried....had I&nbsp;screwed this up?&nbsp; Was I looking for another miscue?&nbsp;&nbsp;Going though NY harbor is like being in the land of the giants even as you are only 40 feet long.&nbsp; You see large freighters everywhere...most at anchor...some of the move.&nbsp; You see barges, work boats and tugs.&nbsp; You see the fast moving Staten Island ferry.&nbsp; You hope you are out of the way.&nbsp; You see the foot of&nbsp;Manhattan approaching and you see where the twin towers were.&nbsp; One can not help&nbsp;but think of&nbsp;that Thursday in 2001.&nbsp;&nbsp;By the time we were a&nbsp;quarter mile from the&nbsp;Battery I was nervous, but somehow as I turned First Forty up the&nbsp;East River speed began to build....7 kts, then 8.&nbsp; I knew we were good.Our transit of the East River was both un-eventful and spectacular.&nbsp;&nbsp;You see the Gothic bridges up close, you hear the traffic, you see joggers running, you see old and abandon factories...you can only imagine the will it took to build this city.&nbsp;&nbsp;Soon we were at Hells Gate and ....yes we hit it right. Our speed went from our normal 6 1/2 to 7 knots to over 11 kts.&nbsp; This is approaching bobsled speed for First Forty.We made the decision to&nbsp;head into the town of Port Washington&nbsp;NY.&nbsp;&nbsp; Port Washington is a&nbsp;bedroom community of NY and its a great place.&nbsp; We had been there before, but this time we wanted to see more and do more.&nbsp; This year's cruise ...."run less...see more".With the speed we made, by 12:30 we had picked up a mooring and shut the engine down. It was a great morning.&nbsp;
]]> Make ready for our summer cruise to New England — Chesapeake, Virginia, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1245445968/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1245445968/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1245445968/tpod.html Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:07:21 -0400 Summer 2009 First Forty casts off to cool(er) New England.
Chesapeake, Virginia, United States

Welcome to the latest boating season of the mighty First Forty. I've blogged many of our seasons and this one is a definite.&nbsp;&nbsp; We took a long hiatus from using the boat due to our relocation.&nbsp; But with the new home settled it was time to 'wake up' Art (the plastic parrot) and the FF.&nbsp; So here we go.Many of you have said you liked the real world information about cruising under power &nbsp;where I give you the good, bad and ugly of living on a small vessel and running it for hundreds of miles for months at a time.&nbsp;&nbsp; I'll try to keep that up although as we get more and more used to doing this there is less and less of the bad and ugly.&nbsp;&nbsp; It has become very routine which is both good and bad.&nbsp;&nbsp; The good is that things work better, jobs get done faster and problems don’t seem as big.&nbsp; The bad is that one has to be careful about becoming complacent and making mistakes.&nbsp; Ive said in prior blogs that doing coastal cruising is not overly dangerous to us or our vessel, but mistakes happen and every year we hear stories which folks get hurt,&nbsp; lose their boats or even lose their lives doing this endeavor.&nbsp; &nbsp;I’m convinced that most of these fall into the realm of doing stupid things, being distracted at a complex moment, &nbsp;not being mentally prepared for things when they move fast or knowing how to manage their machinery.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We try hard to avoid these but don’t be surprised if you hear a new story about how we had a 'new learning’.&nbsp;&nbsp; That’s all part of the adventure.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If there was no element of risk or danger, it would not offer the satisfaction of overcoming and coping with the unknown.&nbsp;&nbsp; That’s all part of it.For those of you new to this blog, First Forty is a 1999 Nordhavn 40.&nbsp; She is 25 tons, has a 15’ beam and draws 4’ 8" in sea water.&nbsp; She is a beefy boat and is designed for open ocean passages although we primarily use her for near shore cruising.&nbsp; She has much more capability than we use and is very comfortable under way.&nbsp; We can take her out in a wide variety of weather although we don’t take big chances on the weather.&nbsp;&nbsp; Last year, we heard of a 48’ foot vessel going down after getting hit by a 60 knot squall on the Chesapeake.&nbsp;&nbsp; Again….rule 1: &nbsp;don’t do anything stupid.&nbsp; Rule 2- don’t believe you won’t do&nbsp;stupid things.&nbsp;&nbsp; Follow these rules and you will likey be safe on the water.After a 7 month ‘off season’ we arrived at Atlantic yacht basin (AYB) in Chesapeake Virginia about a week ago.&nbsp;&nbsp; I had ask the yard to move her out of the covered storage (we call it the Barn) before we got there.&nbsp;&nbsp; After the short flight up from Savannah GA we arrived in a driving rain and were hopeful to see her tied up on the ‘face dock’ out of the dark and often dirty barn.&nbsp;&nbsp; No luck, the yard had not been able to tow her out and get her ready so we parked the car and made our way into one of the rickety sheds where dozens of vessels from 25 to 50 feet a tied up ‘nose to tail’ for long term storage.&nbsp;&nbsp; AYB is not a marina, but a storage yard where folks leave their boats for a minimum of 2 month.&nbsp;&nbsp; I would say there may be 200 boats in storage there at any one time.&nbsp; The barns (they call them sheds) are built out over a fresh water basin so the vessels stay in the water.&nbsp;&nbsp; These are old rickety places likely built 30 years ago…..we think of it as a fire trap on the water.&nbsp;&nbsp; It serves its purpose, but its not a great place to hang out.So we make our way out walking past many old tired vessels….project boats folks bought years ago and never ‘fixed up’ as well as pristince new vessels looking as if they just arrived.&nbsp;&nbsp; The last barn has historically been FF’s winter shed….old boards, leaking roof….we see her.&nbsp; OMG the boat is so dirty…. The problem with covered storage is that the boats never get rained on and there on thousands of spiders up in the rafters and they poop…..poop…. on my boat.&nbsp; It was covered with crap.We got into the boat and found it in great shape.&nbsp;&nbsp; The yard had managed to get the power on, bring up the batteries and do a little bit of mechanical work I had requested.&nbsp;&nbsp; And bet of all…..no mildew smell.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Gawd, nothing is worse than a mildew boat but we were good.The next day, my wife &nbsp;Sue began to do all the provisioning needed for a 4 month cruise and I began to get the basic mechanical work started leading up to starting the engine. &nbsp;&nbsp;After 7 months in ‘mothballs’, there is no assurance things will work.&nbsp;&nbsp; I was prepared for a lot of work.&nbsp; I was hoping to avoid writing big checks.&nbsp;&nbsp; By noon, I had gone over the basics and was ready to try to fire up the diesel.&nbsp; I turn the key…dead.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Batts look good…I try again…..no dice.&nbsp;&nbsp; Then I look and find the battery switches turned to the off position…&nbsp; ok.&nbsp;&nbsp; I try again….it cranks but wont fire.&nbsp;&nbsp; But after a bit of prompting the fuel pump in the engine room, the big diesel grunts and fires.&nbsp;&nbsp; First Forty roars to life.&nbsp;&nbsp; This was a great moment.Soon we were pulling out of the shed and moving out the the sunshine and good air of the AYB "Face-dock".&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This is the long wharf out in front of the facility on the ICW.&nbsp; We got a good tie and we were ready to begin the ‘make ready’ work.&nbsp; I assumed this would take about 4 days and we hoped to be ready to leave on Monday.&nbsp;&nbsp;What has to be done to ‘make ready’?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Even though we left the boat in very clean condition, half the work is cleaning.&nbsp;&nbsp; A large part of the work is also getting things out which were formerly put away for the off season and testing them.&nbsp;&nbsp; Then there is also additional preventative maintenance where has to be fully caught up before undertaking a 4 -5 month voyage.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I have had little mechanical surprises on FF and one reason is that I have little or no deferred maintenance to&nbsp; our machinery or electronics.&nbsp; I do most all the work myself and I know if its done right.&nbsp; But this takes time and lots of hours.I have to also credit my wife Sue who does substantial amouts of work planning our food and drink requirements.&nbsp;&nbsp; We seldom rent cars and only go to marina’s once a week or so.&nbsp;&nbsp; Now and then we find a convient grocery store and find one we can get to via public transportation but the more staples we have on hand the better.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Every day Sue would take the out for a few hours only to return from Costco or some other store with boxes of food.&nbsp; Somehow it disappears into our many storage areas.&nbsp; Ill bet we carry 200 pounds of cans, bottles and bags….of course some of that goes toward the three cases of wine and several bottles of booze and beer.&nbsp;&nbsp; Beer is my pet peeve.&nbsp; I like beer and I like nice ales and such.&nbsp; You cant get them in cans.&nbsp; Bottles on a boat are a no-no, so I don’t buy a lot of beer.&nbsp; I’m more into margaritas, occasional vodka gimlets and a bit of wine.So the work went on day after day….First Forty took more than a bit of work to clean up.&nbsp;&nbsp; In fact the spider poop was terrible.&nbsp; I thought it might only come off with wax which was a sobering thought.&nbsp; But we met someone who dialed us into a new Softscrub gel with bleach.&nbsp;&nbsp; It worked.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank good news.The only "aww &nbsp;sh—“ was in fact a big check situation.&nbsp; While sleeping the first night, I heard the pressure water pump keep running for a second every few minutes.&nbsp;&nbsp; This can only mean one thing: a leak.&nbsp;&nbsp; Boats have pressure tanks and the pumps replenish the pressure when a water faucet is opened.&nbsp; A small ‘burp’ by the water pump when we don’t have a faucet running is 100% a leak.&nbsp;&nbsp; I had to find it.&nbsp; So it took only a small amount of effort to see water coming out from under the water heater tank.&nbsp; Oh…dam-.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Replacing a tank was a skill not in my bag of tricks.&nbsp; To make matters worse, it was partially hidden behind my generator which had been added after the tank had been put in at the factory.&nbsp; &nbsp;So to make a long story short, the yard had no idea how to get such a water heater in less than 10 days.&nbsp;&nbsp; So I took to the internet and had no luck either.&nbsp;&nbsp; Finally I found one in Los Angeles and had it air freighted in.&nbsp;&nbsp; Two days later the heater was in.&nbsp;&nbsp; I was a grand poorer but at least we were ready to go.&nbsp; It had been a fully week since we arrived and First Forty we fully provisioned and all systems were running.&nbsp;&nbsp; We were finally ready to shove off for New England.&nbsp; Aside from all the work, we had a great time seeing old friends Chip and Kay (MV Beso) whom we met on the medbound rally (see other blog) two years ago.&nbsp; They also have a Nordhavn 40.&nbsp; We enjoyed dinner with them and Chip bailed me out of a couple technical challenges.&nbsp;&nbsp; Then we also met to other interesting couples who had their vessels in port.&nbsp;&nbsp; Truly meeting new friends is one of the joys of this pastime.&nbsp;&nbsp; Finally we met a fellow on a brand new Nordhavn 43 who was single handing.&nbsp; We talked for a half hour and found he was a film producer who had sailed around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp; He had gotten a new Nordhavn and was going to cruise it around the Bay until winter when he will take it to Columbia for the winter.&nbsp;&nbsp; Big plans…. We will be happy going back to Hilton Head.So on Thursday June 18, we catch the 0900 draw bridge and we are underway for our summer adventure.&nbsp;&nbsp; I hope you will enjoy the cruise.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
]]> Delaware Bay — Cape May, New Jersey, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1247352277/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1247352277/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1247352277/tpod.html Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:02:34 -0400 Summer 2009 First Forty casts off to cool(er) New England.
Cape May, New Jersey, United States

We decided to make it a long day for the trip down Delaware Bay is kind of a wasteland for boaters.&nbsp; In fact, its kind of a nasty body of water.&nbsp; There is nothing much to see there short of the nuclear power plant....wow.&nbsp; There is a great deal of shipping with large ships coming out of Philly and tides provide serious current pro or con.&nbsp; In fact, it is essential that the cruiser plan for the current to avoid dropping SOGs in the low 5s....&nbsp; way to low for to transit the long bay in a day.So we looked carefully to plan the trip.&nbsp; We launch from a very nice anchorage just before the C&amp;D canal.&nbsp; The tides reverse in canal so further calcs show we should hit the entrance to the canal (3-4 miles ahead) around 0900.&nbsp; The C&amp;D canal used to carry a great deal of shipping but now after being through it twice, we have yet to see a large ship.&nbsp; Still there are barges and sometimes several.&nbsp; I read a magazine story of a family on a 60 foot wooden sailing vessel foolish enough to transit it at night.&nbsp; They missed seeing a barge and the boat sunk in the canal.&nbsp; Luckily there was no loss of life.&nbsp; Id prefer to make my passage in full day light thank you.The canal transit went well any by the time we got near the eastern entrance, we were hitting speeds of 10kts plus...feeling pretty macho.&nbsp; So by 1100 we turn south east for the 40 mile run down the Delaware.&nbsp; Then the current turned foul and we were pulled down to close to 5kts. I looked again at the tide table and I could not understand why.&nbsp; It showed were were on an ebb and we should be doing well.Suffice it to say, we fought this current until 2-3 in the afternoon and all of a sudden I stated seeing 9kts on the GPS.....then 9.5kts.&nbsp; We were humming.&nbsp; The ETA started pulling in and what had showed an arrival at 8pm not looked like 5pm....looking good.I was ready to make the turn into the Cape May canal but was held up by a very large ferry about ready to leave the narrow channel.&nbsp; I hail the cap on the radio&nbsp;and hear...."small trawler, I would stand off....we both cant make it".&nbsp;&nbsp; OK, he wins.&nbsp; By 1800 we are tied up at the Utchen Marina and heading for a shrimp dinner at the Lobster House.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Lobster House is a giant sea food place right on the docks where the boats come in.&nbsp; Its always packed but the atmosphere was worth it.A good run for the day.&nbsp;&nbsp; The weather looked iffy but the f-cast called for two days of light air and 2-4 foot seas going north.&nbsp; This looked like a good weather window on our passage up to New York and points north.
]]> First week underway — Chesapeake City, Maryland, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1246240723/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1246240723/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1246240723/tpod.html Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:59:56 -0400 Summer 2009 First Forty casts off to cool(er) New England.
Chesapeake City, Maryland, United States

We have been underway for about a week and its time to catch up. I would like to do more here including pics but the slow response of the air card makes it difficult.&nbsp; At this point, it is nearly 20 second response time so uploading pics is unrealistic.&nbsp; Ill try to give you an up date on our progress.After a successful replacement of the leaking water heater, we left Atlantic Yacht Basin for the run north.&nbsp; I had only hoped we had done a good job of prep and planning.&nbsp; The route north to Norfolk is one we have done several time.&nbsp;&nbsp; Its really one of the least likable runs- about 15 miles of bridges, commercial traffic and yachts heading north.&nbsp;&nbsp; Not only do you need to watch the traffic going with and against you, but you also need to be aware of tugs and barges coming into your way from all sides of the waterway.&nbsp; Its a trip Im always glad to see pass.&nbsp; The Great Bridge opened and about 4 vessels including the First Forty steam upstream in the light rain.&nbsp; Then immediately we move into the lock which separates the tidal from the non-tidal zones of the ICW.&nbsp; We have been though this many times and have yet to see the lock move us more than a few inches.&nbsp; Is this a waste?&nbsp; Well the lock worker tells me it can be several feet....justify your job?&nbsp; Ive never seen it.&nbsp; We seem to wait forever while some 60 foot sport fish finds how to tie onto the opposite side then...swish...the gates open and we rise a whopping 6 incues after waiting a half hour.&nbsp; Ok, we are on our way.&nbsp; Actually it was a very easy transit.&nbsp; No crazy boaters and bridge delays.&nbsp; Only one tug captain that clearly did not way me to pass up near Norfolk.&nbsp; Ok, go ahead....Ill fall in behind.&nbsp; As I do that, he turns to starboard.&nbsp; It must be an ego thing.&nbsp; Soon we were passing the Naval base and entering the open water of Chesapeake Bay.&nbsp; We turn the wheel north headed for Reedville MD...our first stop.&nbsp;&nbsp; We had a problem with dink outboard last season and left it at a place called Jett Marine...so its time to pick it up.&nbsp; Ive already been proven to be a terrible rower&nbsp;of the First Forty's 10' dinghy we affectionatly calll "Little Forty" so Ive got to get the outboard.We make one stop along the way before Reedville but do make it about mid-day the second day out.&nbsp; Its about 90 miles north of Norfolk.&nbsp; Reedville is an area with a spit personality.&nbsp; The main industry in Reedville is fishing.&nbsp; There is a fish processing plant there that boils small fish brought in on a half dozen 70-90 foot vessels that troll the Atlantic for a few day and then bring in tons of these little fish.&nbsp; If I recall correctly, the fish are boiled to make pet food and fertilizer.&nbsp;If you are a cruiser, its best to be there when they are not boiling fish or you need to make sure the wind is blowing away from your anchorage.&nbsp; It smells bad...really bad.One you get past the fish plant, the place opens up onto a couple nice creeks and a great little village.&nbsp; I call the repair shop and the bring it out.&nbsp; We pop it on and test it a bit going in for brief walk around town.&nbsp; Its an old village founded by (who else) but captain Reed in the mid-1800s.&nbsp; Several victorian homes and an ice cream shop.&nbsp; We take advantage of the latter and then its back to the First Forty for a quick hoist of the dink and we are underway again.Soon, out outboard on board we are again leaving Reedville headed for a really nice anchorage at Mill Creek a few miles south.&nbsp; We have been here before and find its one of the finer, quiet places around.&nbsp; So we continue north.&nbsp; There are thousands of miles of shoreline in the Chesapeake and surely we have only cruised a small fraction.&nbsp; But we decide that our summer cruise is going to focus on New England so we want to continue to make miles rather than to explore nwe aspects of the Bay.&nbsp; Besides its hot and stormy most days and we are looking for cooler weaWe also made one of our favote stops on the Chesapeake: Solomons Maryland.&nbsp; Its really a boating&nbsp;mecca.&nbsp; There are many marinas in the large and winding creek that seems to go back nearly a mile.&nbsp; So not only is it welll protected, but there also some great restaurants near by including Stoney's on&nbsp;the boardward.&nbsp; We almost never miss the chance to go there and enjoy the baseball size crab cakes and draft beer.We normally anchor in an open area where we can easily dink in.&nbsp; Not too close though as the nearby Tiki Hut can party until much later&nbsp;than we want....past 9pm.&nbsp; It had been hot the night before and we were wonding if we might find it hard to sleep.&nbsp; We eyeed the marinas and after about an hour&nbsp;on the hook we both concluded it was too hot....marina time.&nbsp; We can run the generator to run AC but its noisy&nbsp;so we concluded it was time to tie up and plug in.&nbsp;&nbsp;So we took our place on the long wharf at one of the marinas.&nbsp; We&nbsp;take our place behind a&nbsp;really nice Island Packet 4x sailboat.&nbsp; The captain was good enough to take lines as we came in and we enjoyed&nbsp;chat.&nbsp; Soon a brand new Krogen 48 trawler took its place behind us.&nbsp;&nbsp; I had to keep my tongue from hanging out too far as this might be classified as this captain's dream boat.&nbsp; I told Sue it shined so much I had to wear shades.&nbsp; Of course the price would be more than twice what I paid for my new home in Hilton Head.... back to reality buster.&nbsp;&nbsp;The next day we had to make&nbsp;a choice.&nbsp; It had dropped in temp and the wind was picking up.&nbsp; Both of the vessels around us had choses to stay in&nbsp;port as their skippers described the weather as "snotty" on the bay.&nbsp;&nbsp; Un-deterred, Sue and I got&nbsp;the boat ready.&nbsp; We really wanted to get up to Annapolis and perhaps take a lay day.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We decided that since it was so hot on the bay, we really wanted to get up to LI sound in expedicious fashion and that we would make only a few stops on the way.&nbsp; One simply had to be Annapolis.&nbsp; We have been to this sea faring villiage several times but it always seems to yield new things.&nbsp; We planned on stopping a couple of nights anyway.We enjoy live music and were hoping to catch a band at either of our two haunts: the Rams Head or&nbsp; Pusser's deck on the harbor.&nbsp;&nbsp; This all sounded good except that the calendar and the weather didn’t support us getting into Annapolis until Sunday….not a good day for music.&nbsp;&nbsp; So was we head up the bay I had hoped to get anchored by 3pm and hit the Pusser’s deck by 4.&nbsp; No luck.&nbsp; We found ourselves with an unfavorable tidal flow heading north.&nbsp; For you non-boaters, tidal flow is fundamental to making time.&nbsp;&nbsp; First Forty is what is called a 'full displacement’ trawler.&nbsp;&nbsp; This means it pushes water out of the way as we move forward.&nbsp; Thiis makes it very comfortable and very sea worthy, but its not fast.&nbsp;&nbsp; By contrast ‘semi-displacement’ trawlers carry their weight slightly above the water at crusing speed.&nbsp; This is why they can go 10kts plus.&nbsp; But they roll much more in a seaway and are not really made for open ocean passages.&nbsp; So First Forty is victum to unfavorable currents and the beneficiary of favor able currents.&nbsp; We manage this via a metric called Speed of the Ground or SOG.&nbsp;&nbsp; It’s a display on our plotter and is calculated based on boat movement vs time.&nbsp;&nbsp; We also look at the electronic tide status also on the plotter.&nbsp; We can generally tell if we expect a good our foul current effect.&nbsp; In this case, we saw nearly two knots on the nose.&nbsp;&nbsp; This meant that our ETA looked more like 6 than 3.&nbsp; Oh, well if we wanted to get there fast, you don’t go on a trawler!So it was 5:30 when we started to see the outline of the Naval Academy.&nbsp; The next issue is getting through the small bridge allowing us back into Spa Creek.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The bridge opens only on the half hour and it looked like we had only 15 minutes else we have to wait another half hour.&nbsp; With careful speed control and a bit of luck we arrived at the bridge at exactly 6pm as a ‘heard’ of boats&nbsp; moved in and out.&nbsp; So by 630 we anchor at our ‘regular’ place on Spa Creek.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Spa Creek is generally an ‘mooring only’ place where the city charges and makes money on boats.&nbsp;&nbsp; Out of reasonability they offer&nbsp; a small bit of real estate for those who wish to anchor……perhaps 10 boats or so will find a spot vs the 100 on moorings.&nbsp;&nbsp; With experience, we know the exact spot.&nbsp;&nbsp; Its (don’t tell) just past the cable crossing sign its easy to drop the hook and fall back over the cable….safe and sound.&nbsp; Apparetnly no one wants to try it.&nbsp; Oh well.So two days in Annapolis.&nbsp; We did hit the Rams Head for happy hour and Monday Lobster night.&nbsp; You get a good sized lobster for $19 and $2.50 drafts….cruiser friendly.&nbsp;&nbsp; Then we also made it to Chick’s Deli.&nbsp; This is an unusual place for a small town.&nbsp;&nbsp; Like most successful deli’s they over-deliver.&nbsp; We get a ‘collosal’ corned been rubin for $18.&nbsp;&nbsp; If that sounds like a lot, consider it is almost 2 pounds of meet.&nbsp; We take most it back on board and eat well for days…..cruiser friendly.The trip north of Annapolis we routine.&nbsp; We stopped at a beautiful anchorage on one of the creeks just short of the C&amp;D Canal.&nbsp; Even though this is a long way from New York city, its kind of a staging point voe making the run to the Big Apple.&nbsp; One you begin the passage north, you are somewhat committed.&nbsp; So&nbsp;we get ready to make the pig push.Continued&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
]]> Make ready for New England — Chesapeake, Virginia, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1245611244/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1245611244/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/4/1245611244/tpod.html Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:10:50 -0400 Summer 2009 First Forty casts off to cool(er) New England.
Chesapeake, Virginia, United States

Welcome to the latest boating season of the mighty First Forty. &nbsp; Ive blogged many of our seasons and this one is a definite.&nbsp;&nbsp; We took a long hiatus from using the boat due to our relocation.&nbsp; But with the new home settled it was time to 'wake up' Art (the plastic parrot) and the FF.&nbsp; So here we go.Many of you have said you liked the real world gritty writing style where I give you the good, bad and ugly of living on a small vessel and running it for hundreds of miles for months at a time.&nbsp;&nbsp; I’ll try to keep that up although as we get more and more used to doing this there is less and less of the bad and ugly.&nbsp;&nbsp; It has become very routine which is both good and bad.&nbsp;&nbsp; The good is that things work better and jobs get done faster.&nbsp; The bad is that one has to be careful about becoming complacent and making mistakes.&nbsp; Ive said in prior blogs that doing coastal cruising is not overly dangerous to us or our vessel, but mistakes happen and every year we hear stories which folks get hurt or lose their lives doing this endeavor.&nbsp; &nbsp;I’m convinced that most of these fall into the realm of doing stupid things, being distracted at a complex moment, &nbsp;not being mentally prepared for things when they move fast or knowing how to manage their machinery.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We try hard to avoid these but don’t be surprised if you hear a new story about how we had a ‘new learning’.&nbsp;&nbsp; That’s all part of the adventure.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If there was no element of risk or danger, it would not offer the satisfaction of overcoming and coping with the unknown.&nbsp;&nbsp; That’s all part of it.For those of you new to this blog, First Forty is a 1999 Nordhavn 40.&nbsp; She is 25 tons, has a 15’ beam and draws 4’ 8" in sea water.&nbsp; She is a beefy boat and is designed for open ocean passages although we primarily use her for near shore cruising.&nbsp; She has much more capability than we use and is very comfortable under way.&nbsp; We can take her out in a wide variety of weather although we don’t take big chances on the weather.&nbsp;&nbsp; Last year, we heard of a 48’ foot vessel going down after getting hit by a 60 knot squall on the Chesapeake.&nbsp;&nbsp; Again, don’t do anything stupid.After a 7 month ‘off season’ we arrived at Atlantic yacht basin (AYB) in Chesapeake Virginia about a week ago.&nbsp;&nbsp; I had ask the yard to move her out of the covered storage (we call it the Barn) before we got there.&nbsp;&nbsp; After the short flight up from Savannah we arrived in a driving rain and were hopeful to see her tied up on the ‘face dock’ out of the dark and often dirty barn.&nbsp;&nbsp; No luck, the yard had not been able to tow her out and get her ready so we parked the car and made our way into one of the rickety sheds where dozens of vessels from 25 to 50 feet a tied up ‘nose to tail’ for long term storage.&nbsp;&nbsp; AYB is not a marina but a storage yard where folks leave their boats for a minimum of 2 month.&nbsp;&nbsp; I would say there may be 200 boats in storage there at any one time.&nbsp; The barns (they call them sheds) are built out over a basin so the vessels stay in the water.&nbsp;&nbsp; These are old rickety places likely built 30 years ago…..we think of it as a fire trap on the water.&nbsp;&nbsp; It serves its purpose, but its not a great place to hang out.So we make our way out walking past many old tired vessels….project boats folks bought years ago and never ‘fixed up’ as well as pristince new vessels looking as if they just arrived.&nbsp;&nbsp; The last barn has historically been FF’s winter shed….old boards, leaking roof….we see her.&nbsp; OMG the boat is so dirty…. The problem with covered storage is that the boats never get rained on and there on thousands of spiders up in the rafters and they poop…..poop…. on my boat.&nbsp; It was covered with crap.Once we got inside, we found her to be&nbsp;great shape.&nbsp;&nbsp; The yard had managed to get the power on, bring up the batteries and do a little bit of mechanical work I had requested.&nbsp;&nbsp; And bet of all…..no mildew smell.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Gawd, nothing is worse than a mildew boat but we were good.The next day, Sue began to do all the provisioning needed for a 4 month cruise and I began to get the basic mechical work started leading up to starting the engine. &nbsp;&nbsp;After 7 months in ‘mothballs’, there is no assurance things will work.&nbsp;&nbsp; I was prepared for a lot of work.&nbsp; I was hoping to avoid writing big checks.&nbsp;&nbsp; By noon, I had gone over the basics and was ready to&nbsp; try to fire up the diesel.&nbsp; I turn the key…dead.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Batts look good…I try again…..no dice.&nbsp;&nbsp; Then I look and find the battery switches turned to the off position…&nbsp; ok.&nbsp;&nbsp; I try again….it cranks but wont fire.&nbsp;&nbsp; But after a bit of prompting the fuel pump in the engine room, the big diesel grunts and fires.&nbsp;&nbsp; First Forty roars to life.&nbsp;&nbsp; This was a great moment.Soon we were pulling out of the shed and moving out the the sunshine and good air of the AYB "Face-dock”.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This is the long wharf out in front on the ICW.&nbsp; We got a good tie and we were ready to begin the ‘make ready’ work.&nbsp; I assumed this would take about 4 days and we hoped to be ready to leave on Monday.&nbsp; What has to be done to ‘make ready’?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Even though we left the boat in very clean condition, half the work is cleaning.&nbsp;&nbsp; A large part of the work is also getting things out which were formerly put away for the off season and testing them.&nbsp;&nbsp; Then there is also additional preventative maintenance where has to be fully caught up before undertaking a 4 -5 month voyage.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I have had little mechanical surprises on FF and one reason is that I have little or no deferred maintenance to&nbsp; our machinery or electronics.&nbsp; I do most all the work myself and I know if its done right.&nbsp; But this takes time and lots of hours.I have to also credit my wife Sue who does substantial amouts of work planning our food and drink requirements.&nbsp;&nbsp; We seldom rent cars and only go to marina’s once a week or so.&nbsp;&nbsp; Now and then we find a convient grocery store and find one we can get to via public transportation but the more staples we have on hand the better.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Every day Sue would take the out for a few hours only to return from Costco or some other store with boxes of food.&nbsp; Somehow it disappears into our many storage areas.&nbsp; Ill bet we carry 200 pounds of cans, bottles and bags….of course some of that goes toward the three cases of wine and several bottles of booze and beer.&nbsp;&nbsp; Beer is my pet peeve.&nbsp; I like beer and I like nice ales and such.&nbsp; You cant get them in cans.&nbsp; Bottles on a boat are a no-no, so I don’t buy a lot of beer.&nbsp; I’m more into margaritas, occasional vodka gimlets and a bit of wine.So the work went on day after day….First Forty took more than a bit of work to clean up.&nbsp;&nbsp; In fact the spider poop was terrible.&nbsp; I thought it might only come off with wax which was a sobering thought.&nbsp; But we met someone who dialed us into a new Softscrub gel with bleach.&nbsp;&nbsp; It worked.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank good news.The only “aww &nbsp;sh—“ was in fact a big check situation.&nbsp; While sleeping the first night, I heard the pressure water pump keep running for a second every few minutes.&nbsp;&nbsp; This can only mean one thing: a leak.&nbsp;&nbsp; Boats have pressure tanks and the pumps replenish the pressure when a water faucet is opened.&nbsp; A small ‘burp’ by the water pump when we don’t have a faucet running is 100% a leak.&nbsp;&nbsp; I had to find it.&nbsp; So it took only a small amount of effort to see water coming out from under the water heater tank.&nbsp; Oh…dam-.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Replacing a tank was a skill not in my bag of tricks.&nbsp; To make matters worse, it was partially hidden behind my generator which had been added after the tank had been put in at the factory.&nbsp; &nbsp;So to make a long story short, the yard had no idea how to get such a water heater in less than 10 days.&nbsp;&nbsp; So I took to the internet and had no luck either.&nbsp;&nbsp; Finally I found one in Los Angeles and had it air freighted in.&nbsp;&nbsp; Two days later the heater was in.&nbsp;&nbsp; I was a grand poorer but at least we were ready to go.&nbsp; It had been a fully week since we arrived and First Forty we fully provisioned and all systems were running.&nbsp;&nbsp; We were finally ready to shove off for New England.&nbsp; Aside from all the work, we had a great time seeing old friends Chip and Kay (MV Beso) whom we met on the medbound rally (see other blog) two years ago.&nbsp; They also have a Nordhavn 40.&nbsp; We enjoyed dinner with them and Chip bailed me out of a couple technical challenges.&nbsp;&nbsp; Then we also met to other interesting couples who had their vessels in port.&nbsp;&nbsp; Truly meeting new friends is one of the joys of this pastime.&nbsp;&nbsp; Finally we met a fellow on a brand new Nordhavn 43 who was single handing.&nbsp; We talked for a half hour and found he was a film producer who had sailed around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp; He had gotten a new Nordhavn and was going to cruise it around the Bay until winter when he will take it to Columbia for the winter.&nbsp;&nbsp; Big plans…. We will be happy going back to Hilton Head.So on Thursday June 18, we catch the 0900 draw bridge and we are underway for our summer adventure.&nbsp;&nbsp; I hope you will enjoy the cruise.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
]]> Epilog — Scottsdale, Arizona, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/firstfortyfall/1214142060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/firstfortyfall/1214142060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/firstfortyfall/1214142060/tpod.html Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:53:20 -0400 The "First Forty" with Captain, Admiral and Art (the mechanical Parrot)aboard make a cold December trip down the coast from Norfolk in search of warmer water and the perfect Bahamas beach bar.
Scottsdale, Arizona, United States

Home is home .....as much as I love to cruise and be on the water still find home a necessity of living.&nbsp; Big bed, big screen, soft couch, yard, pool, liquor cabinet&nbsp;....all that stuff.&nbsp;&nbsp; Perhaps that will change as we continue to do more and more cruising in the First Forty.&nbsp;&nbsp; But unlike last time when we were "running for the barn", this time were just ready.&nbsp; We also knew that the really hot and humid weather on the Chesapeake was right around the corner.&nbsp; So we were ready to head to the really hot, but dry weather of the desert.&nbsp;As I write this epilogue,&nbsp;we have been home for three weeks now and in a tsunami of doctor appts, broken Internet, unattended chores and more administrative that I can take.&nbsp; But things&nbsp;have begun to settle down a bit.&nbsp; We have owned&nbsp;First Forty for an amazing two years now.&nbsp; We have cruised this boat nearly 7000 nautical miles.... that is New York to LA three times or so.&nbsp;&nbsp; Wow!&nbsp; So what about this trip and cruising in general?&nbsp; Some of you who read this may be thinking of cruising or already&nbsp; cruise your own vessel.&nbsp; What is our take at this time in our cruising 'career'?First and foremost our attitude about the boat and cruising has morphed dramatically.&nbsp; Cruising has now become "baked in" and we have (to some degree) merged with the First Forty.&nbsp; What started out as something we undertook&nbsp;as a 'get away'.&nbsp; Now it is more of a lifestyle that any sort of a vacation.&nbsp; It's what we do.&nbsp; Things that used to seem unusual or even challenging are now routine.&nbsp;&nbsp;Boat repairs and maintenance which used to be kind of 'in your face' and overwhelming are now an occasional bump in the road which you simply go over.&nbsp;&nbsp; Has that taken the adventure out of this?....heck no.&nbsp; It allows us to better enjoy the journey and better to enjoy the experience.&nbsp;&nbsp; Just as important is how we feel about our boat.&nbsp; First Forty is (of course) 40' and she is not new by Norhavn standards.&nbsp; We have gone back and forth about a bigger, more comfortable boat.&nbsp; Now we have concluded that FF is really a good boat for us.&nbsp; It lacks some of the luxuries and niceties found in many, more&nbsp; elaborate boats but what she does she does very well.&nbsp; And, perhaps, we didn't need those things anyway.&nbsp;&nbsp; Sometimes she has more capability than we need given that we really do coastal not ocean cruising.&nbsp; But its good to have a margin for safety.&nbsp;&nbsp; Both Sue and I started the season saying/thinking (in different ways of course) that we might keep First Forty for "one more season" or "we'll see if we want to stick with&nbsp;boating".&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But amazingly,&nbsp;we both now say that we are in this for the long term.&nbsp;&nbsp;So we have no intent on selling out.&nbsp;&nbsp; In fact, we are almost counting the days until we fire up the big diesel again!&nbsp;&nbsp; In fact, I am counting the days....&nbsp; 46 days to be precise.&nbsp; OK, lets think about best and worst of this trip from Norfolk - Key West&nbsp;- Baltimore.Best Stop: Key West.&nbsp; You just gotta like Key West.&nbsp; Great music, great food, fun people and the Mile Marker 24 Band at Schooners Wharf (http://www.schoonerwharf.com).&nbsp; A great week.&nbsp;&nbsp; If you ever have a chance, you must here the Mile Marker 24 Band (http://www.milemarker24.com).&nbsp;&nbsp; Biggest Positive Surprise:&nbsp; Cumberland Island Georgia was a beautiful place.&nbsp; We could have stayed a few more days.&nbsp; Also Lignumvitae Key was really interesting.&nbsp; If you go to the Keys, you will find this a great stop.&nbsp; Also free moorings is a plus.Most interesting thing we visited: the "Shot Tower" in Baltimore.&nbsp; This is kind of a smokestack sort of structure perhaps 150' high.&nbsp; A hundred and fifty years ago, lead was dropped from high inside the tower to fall as "shot" into a water.&nbsp; It made bird shot and military ammo.Biggest Negative SurpriseThe weather in south Florida.&nbsp; We had no idea there would be week after week of nearly consistent cold front winds.&nbsp;&nbsp; It was fine for sitting in a resort, but not great for boating.&nbsp; We never made it to the Bahamas despite lots of preparation.&nbsp; The trip down to the keys was also a disappointment.&nbsp; The water is not that clear and good anchorages are no where to be found unless you have a much smaller boat and go 'inside'.Best Anchorage:&nbsp; Sue and I differ on this, but I really liked the anchorage near St Catherin's Island in Georgia.&nbsp; This is nearly unspoiled and offers dramatic marsh scenery and sunsets.&nbsp;&nbsp; There is no place to go ashore, which is a negative to Sue.&nbsp;&nbsp; The anchorage at Cumberland Island was a close second.The day I would most like to repeat:We had a very nice day on the water from Ft Lauderdale down to Pumpkin Key.&nbsp; It was offshore all the way with powder blue water and hardly anyone around.&nbsp; Can I do that tomorrow instead of my taxes? The day I would NOT want to repeat: The 'inside passage' from Ft Lauderdale to Lake Worth.&nbsp; If this were what boating was about, I would play golf.&nbsp; Crowds, bridges, racing/noisy and grumpy bridge tenders.&nbsp; When someone yells at me on the radio and others use the "f" word, I'm out of there.&nbsp;&nbsp; This was 6 hours of agony. Scariest Moment:We decided to do an overnight from Georgetown SC to Hilton Head.&nbsp; We left the Georgetown River about 1800 and expected to get to Hilton Head by 0600&nbsp; the next morning.&nbsp; The sunset was beautiful and things were going well.&nbsp; Around 1900 it was pitch dark....no moon.&nbsp; We suddenly see an uncharted, fixed object pass by about 40 feet off the port side.&nbsp; We didn't see it coming at all.&nbsp; It was not on the radar.&nbsp; Hitting this would have made for a very bad day.Best Meals:We loved the food in Baltimore.&nbsp; Where else can you find such a multitude of neighborhood bars and restaurants such as Captain Larry's.&nbsp; Go on Wednesday night: two giant crab cakes for $14 and great draft beers for $2.50.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; * * * * *Well that wraps up our winter season.&nbsp; As I write this I am already planning the 'short season' we will do in September.&nbsp; We will splash First Forty on 8-1 and cruise to Washington DC and then back to Norfolk before putting FF in hibernation for the winter.&nbsp; Don't tell Art....."not another winter in the shed!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Squawk!&nbsp; Squawk!".Thanks to all who have read part or all of this ramble.&nbsp; We wish you peace.
]]> Charleston SC — Charleston, South Carolina, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/firstfortyfall/1209690180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/firstfortyfall/1209690180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/firstfortyfall/1209690180/tpod.html Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:45:13 -0400 The "First Forty" with Captain, Admiral and Art (the mechanical Parrot)aboard make a cold December trip down the coast from Norfolk in search of warmer water and the perfect Bahamas beach bar.
Charleston, South Carolina, United States

The next day we decide to continue our trip on the inside up to Charleston.&nbsp; We could have gone out side, but the tides were against us and there was really no rush.&nbsp; Scott had advised me not to try to dock in his slip with a cross wind.&nbsp; Having docked out sailboat in City Marina when we lived in the CHS area I was familiar with the challenges of docking in this place.&nbsp; Not only can the winds be gusty, but the reversing current can run 3-4 kts.&nbsp;&nbsp; That means your 40' vessel will travel 40 under current alone in about 30 seconds.&nbsp;&nbsp; There is not a lot of margin for error when you are docking in close quarters.&nbsp; Here, discretion is the better part of valor as they say.&nbsp; Even the best captains often wait for slack water to go in.&nbsp; Even the marina hoists a red flag when the current is running.&nbsp; &nbsp;When we arrive under the bridge and assess the area, the winds are blowing hard and a strong cross wind is evident.&nbsp; Even though we had hoped to dock and go in for dinner (it was our anniversary) I opt to anchor in the river and wait until morning.&nbsp; While this was not a happy idea to the 'admiral', I was not going to risk an un happy ending of the day.&nbsp; Later on it stormed and rained like the devil, so it was not to happen.&nbsp; So instead of a big hunk of prime rib to celebrate our 18 years together, leftovers went in the microwave.&nbsp;&nbsp; Ill leave it at that.&nbsp;The next three days were really nice.&nbsp; We entered the slip the next morning at slack water and with minimal winds.&nbsp; All was well.&nbsp; Were tied up in a great location and were ready to get re-acquainted with this great southern city.&nbsp; &nbsp;As it happened our cruising friends Jim and Marge on Summer Skis were pulling into City Marina as well.&nbsp; We ended up having a really good lunch out with them and waked the historical area under perfect conditions.&nbsp; We also met two other cruising couples.&nbsp; One was in a large, older boat they had purchased from a government sale...a former drug runner boat.&nbsp; Who would suspect this large, bulky cruiser would have drugs....I guess the FBI.&nbsp; It was seized coming in from Equator.&nbsp; The new owners are fixing it up and currently make it their home in City Marina.&nbsp; They are both former music educators and very interesting folks.&nbsp; They were kind enough to invite us over for snacks and drinks.&nbsp; We also meet another crusing couple who have moved aboard from St John Canada.&nbsp; Since we are talking our a cruise there in summer 09, we had a lot to discuss. &nbsp;Overall the three days in Charleston we very nice.&nbsp; We could have stayed one more day, but in looking at the calendar it was time to move up.&nbsp; We would like to hit Norfolk VA in a week.&nbsp;&nbsp;
]]> Baltimore - great stop...heading for home — Baltimore, Maryland, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/firstfortyfall/1211417340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/firstfortyfall/1211417340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/firstfortyfall/1211417340/tpod.html Thu, 29 May 2008 16:15:24 -0400 The "First Forty" with Captain, Admiral and Art (the mechanical Parrot)aboard make a cold December trip down the coast from Norfolk in search of warmer water and the perfect Bahamas beach bar.
Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Baltimore.&nbsp; It had always seemed like a place somewhere else.&nbsp; All I ever knew about Baltimore was baseball hero Cal Ripkin.&nbsp; When Sue suggested we make a major stop at Baltimore, I thought "OK, but what will we do there?".&nbsp; Wow, was I mistaken.&nbsp;Writing this after a great 8 days in Baltimore, I am pleased to report this is a very, very nice place for a cruiser to stop.&nbsp;It took us about 2 hours to motor up the Patapsco River from the main channel in the Chesapeake and pass under the I 695 bridge to see the Baltimore skyline.&nbsp;&nbsp; The harbor is large as we might have expected given the amount of shipping we see going up these parts.&nbsp; A fair amount of industry and ship dockage adorns&nbsp; the channel.&nbsp;The first thing we looked for we saw right away: NS Savannah.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Nuclear Ship (NS) Savannah was the first nuclear powered merchant ship built in 1957.&nbsp; It was part of the Eisenhower "Atoms for Peace" initiative back then.&nbsp; It traveled over 400,000 miles as a goodwill ambassador for the US nuclear program before being retired in 1972.&nbsp; &nbsp;Why an interest in this ship?&nbsp; &nbsp;This ship was built by a company called New York Ship in Camden NJ and at that time, Sue's late father was president of that company.&nbsp; So seeing the Savannah is a big deal.&nbsp; It was even bigger as there was a reunion and re-dedication scheduled for the day after our arrival so we were going to be able to tour the historic vessel and meet many of the crew who would be there.&nbsp; We were told as many a two hundred of the former crew and builders would be in attendance.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Savannah had been in 'moth balls' for years being towed here and there but now is gaining new life as a museum piece.&nbsp; We could see it sported a new coat of white paint and (from a distance) looked like it could be ready to go to sea.&nbsp; &nbsp;We chose to moor at Harbor View Marina in Baltimore.&nbsp; We soon found it was in a good location and was really a great place.&nbsp; We were tied up by 1400 and after washing up the boat went inside to register.&nbsp;&nbsp; We picked up some information and began to make our plans for the week.&nbsp; The Savannah events would encompass the first two days, but after that we had a whole week.&nbsp; The only other thing we had pre-arranged was a baseball game at Camden Yards to see the Orioles play the Yankees.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; One thing I miss in cruising is going to spring training back in Scottsdale.&nbsp; Im dieing to see a game and we were able to get good seats despite the Yankee hoopla.&nbsp;We got a lot of good referrals from the kinds folks at the marina.&nbsp; The fist was to eat at the neighborhood places and forget the chains.&nbsp; OK...I didn't know too much about that.&nbsp; But soon we did as we were told to go to "Captain Larry's" up the hill about 5 blocks.&nbsp; Wednesday night was half price crab cakes.&nbsp; No one wants to get between Sue and good Crab Cakes.&nbsp; So by 5:30 we were in there.&nbsp; This is an old, one cut above a dive place and it was terrific.&nbsp; Not only was the food out of this world, but they also had $2/pints for good beer....Blue Moon wheat.&nbsp;&nbsp; This was a find for both of us.&nbsp; Sue got here Crab Cakes and I found that not only was the beer terrific at $2/pint but the fries were world class. &nbsp;We actually went to Larry's twice.&nbsp; One of our best food stops on the entire winter cruise.&nbsp;We actually discovered 4-5 other neighborhood bars/restaurants that were good to terrific.&nbsp; I later found that in Baltimore, 85% of the restaurants are owner operated.&nbsp; This was terrific and I was able to locate serious happy hours most afternoons.&nbsp;So we attended the Savannah events and heard presentations by some of the folks involved with the ship and were able to explore many parts of the old vessel.&nbsp; Having known Sue's later father for 10 years, I felt a real sense of pride for one of his great lifetime accomplishments as we saw pictures of him on launch day 50 years earlier with Ms Eisenhower.&nbsp;The rest of the week, we learned how to use city buses and were rewarded with seeing not only the ball game but some great museums which Sue and I both enjoy.&nbsp;&nbsp; The heroes of sports museum details many of the Baltimore stars including Babe Ruth and Cal Ripkin.&nbsp; Babe Ruth...yes he was born in Baltimore.&nbsp; &nbsp;We also went to the Walter's Museum and the Baltimore Art Museum at John's Hopkins which had some really interesting displays.&nbsp; &nbsp;I cant fail to mention that we were happy to have my wife Sue's longest livelong friend Joy and her husband Dick as guests on board First Forty for an afternoon.&nbsp; Joy and Dick are regular readers of this blog.&nbsp; We took them out on the boat and we anchored near Ft McHenry for an afternoon for food and drinks.&nbsp; Glad to see you Joy and DIck.&nbsp; Sue and Joy have been friends for ..... oops...lets just say since they were small children.&nbsp; We also had a tour of a 300' four masted Spanish sailing ship which was in town and also did a walking tour of Little Italy and some of the inner harbor area.&nbsp; An interesting highlight was what was called the "Shot Tower".&nbsp;&nbsp; This is a 150' tall structure which looked like a smoke stack.&nbsp; In the 1800's it was a place to make shotgun shot by dropping lead inside the tower such that it landed in water...perfectly round.&nbsp; &nbsp;You cant come here without remarking about the amazing job this city had in re-inventing its city-center.&nbsp; The revitalization of the harbor began in the 50-60's and is nothing short of amazing.&nbsp;&nbsp; It is so complete that it has re-energized many of the adjacent neighborhoods and now what was once slums has been turned into interesting and thriving places.&nbsp;&nbsp; When you&nbsp; see a real estate office on every other corner, its easy to see that this city is in good shape.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We ended up staying an extra night in Baltimore before moving on.&nbsp; The weather had ranged from cold enough to run the heat to warm enough to run the AC.&nbsp;&nbsp; Such is the weather around here.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Our last morning was a good chance to begin the process of getting First Forty ready for its 3 month sleep.&nbsp; Unlike other cruises we are feeling sad this time.&nbsp;&nbsp; Still, we have chosen to lead two lives and its time to flip the switch.&nbsp;&nbsp;Tomorrow we arrive at Kent Narrows and prepare to haul First Forty on Saturday morning.&nbsp;&nbsp;To me, taking the boat in is like putting&nbsp;away the Christmas tree.&nbsp; Its never fun.&nbsp; Still we look forward to&nbsp;seeing "home" and our friends.&nbsp; Tonight we are forced the deal with all the extra food and wine we still have on board.&nbsp; Tough duty.No, we didn't make the Bahamas and we never did find that perfect beach bar, but a good time was had.&nbsp; And, this time we had made more peace with just being on the boat.&nbsp; Forty feet is not feeling as small as it used to be.&nbsp; And (knock wood), if I can run another 5 hours (under way as I write this) or so I will have completed the entire winter cruise with not one repair bill!&nbsp;&nbsp; Its true,&nbsp;I have not spent one dollar on boat repair in the entire season.&nbsp; Stay tuned for the cruise "Epilogue" of our 2,500 mile winter cruise.&nbsp;&nbsp;We have now traveled close to 7,000&nbsp;nautical miles on First Forty since June 2006.&nbsp; That is a lot of water under the keel.&nbsp;&nbsp; Are we tired of&nbsp;it???&nbsp; Not yet....we&nbsp;can't wait 'til next year!&nbsp; In May 2009, we plan to head north to&nbsp;Quebec and the Canadian Maritimes.&nbsp;&nbsp; Join us then!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
]]> Annapolis again — Annapolis, Maryland, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/firstfortyfall/1211070360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/firstfortyfall/1211070360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gknopp/firstfortyfall/1211070360/tpod.html Mon, 26 May 2008 20:49:03 -0400 The "First Forty" with Captain, Admiral and Art (the mechanical Parrot)aboard make a cold December trip down the coast from Norfolk in search of warmer water and the perfect Bahamas beach bar.
Annapolis, Maryland, United States

We have had some great stops in Annapolis.&nbsp; Our first season on the Chesapeake.&nbsp; Our trip up to New England and then back to Norfolk all had very nice stops in the great place.&nbsp; Annapolis is a harbor side city with a colonial past.&nbsp; Not only is there great history to experience here but there is also the Naval Academy.&nbsp; We enjoy seeing the midshipmen, seeing them march and experiencing the traditions of the Academy.&nbsp;&nbsp; Its a great stop.&nbsp; We enjoy taking a quaint anchorage up Spa Creek where we can enjoy the same views as the $3M homes that line the banks of this exclusive place.&nbsp; Its then easy to dink in as there is a dinghy dock at the end of each residential street that dead ends on the creek.&nbsp; Its a great cruising experience.We arrived in Annapolis under in a cool to cold foggy afternoon.&nbsp; It was so foggy that we even used the radar on our way up.&nbsp; By 3pm we were entering Spa creek in a light drizzle.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We have to&nbsp;get&nbsp;past the Spa Creek bridge and once it decides to&nbsp;open (I waited a half hour when he didn't answer the radio&nbsp;or see me), we move up the creek.&nbsp; Anchoring is closely regulated in Annapolis so it took us nearly another our of patient&nbsp;measuring and trying to get the boat in a good spot that the "harbor master" would not have some kind of problem with....too close to another boat, too close to shore, too something.&nbsp; We had a great spot albeit a bit far from the city docks.&nbsp; It would take us 15 minutes to motor into the old city....no big deal.We had a great four days at&nbsp;Annapolis in spite of the wetter and colder than average weather.&nbsp; We really did have one great day and three fair&nbsp;days.&nbsp; Not too bad for early spring.&nbsp; Highlights included:- Lunch at Chick and Ruth's deli.&nbsp; This is quite an analyzing delicatessen and not one you would expect in this part of the country.&nbsp; I now have a picture of&nbsp;Sue&nbsp; in front of a pastrami sandwich with over a pound of meet stacked 7" high.&nbsp;&nbsp;We split it.- The military parade at the Naval Academy.&nbsp; We saw&nbsp;2000 midshipmen on the field being reviewed by a General.&nbsp; We heard the Navy&nbsp;band as well as the Drum and Bugal corp.&nbsp; Great time.- The Blue Angeles.&nbsp; We had to leave before the full air show, but an hour and half of practice over the river was great too.&nbsp; We were fortunate that a friend of ours let us use a slip on the Back Creek.&nbsp; We went over there after air show.&nbsp; i had been calling on the radio to make sure they had dock hands.&nbsp;&nbsp;I was assured they did, but we not told that they all went home at 5pm.&nbsp; We got there at 510 only to find&nbsp;no one around.&nbsp; As it happened, we hailed someone on the dock to&nbsp;take lines.&nbsp; We were happy to be&nbsp;tied up and&nbsp;plugged in as temps went to mid&nbsp;40s that night.&nbsp; The next day we left for Baltimore.&nbsp; A great time as usual.&nbsp;
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