Provisioning

Hi everyone, or anyone for that matter! Getting ready for my Golden Jubilee cruise. Filling the lockers aboard with food, tools, clothing, spares, you name it. Trying to get the house in order for Meg so that things won't fall apart immediately when I leave. She has proven more than capable of keeping things going here. I haven't really told a lot of people I am doing this, so there will be no going away party, no fanfare. Just the way I like it. Hoping to leave sometime during this upcoming week. Yes, I know it's early, and hurricane season is nigh, but my hope is to be able to spend some time enjoying Chesapeake Bay. In other years I have been generally freezing my butt there, and under pressure to make time in a southerly direction.

Back to some remembrances of my first trip. We had pulled out of the Shelburne Shipyard on Lake Champlain with the masts on deck, and the 85 HP Perkins diesel running strong. It took us 4 days total to transit the southern part of the lake, the canal, and the Hudson River, finishing up at City Island. I had made most of this trip in the opposite direction a couple of summers earlier, helping to bring a 45' Alden ketch from Tarrytown, NY to Shelburne. This was another of my father's charter boats. So I was familiar with the river and the beauty of the area. The trip thus far on the schooner Sea Song had been uneventful and we were looking forward to restepping the masts and heading out to sea. None more so than one young man, whose name I disremember, but to whom we shall refer as "Ted". Ted was full of confidence and swagger, and was very disappointed with the work we were doing to get the boat ready for sea, which he deemed as mostly unnecessary and a waste of time. And indeed, it was mostly of a cosmetic nature, since we were enjoying a rare late November warm spell, which Captain Don wanted to make full use of. It was really only about 4 days that we spent at City Island doing that work, but Ted couldn't wait, and made it clear to everyone just how frustrated he was.

Finally, we slipped the docking lines and headed out through Hell Gate and down the East River. It is a process of several hours to negotiate the vastness of New York Harbor, but we finally headed out the Ambrose Channel and set a course southward. The change that overtook Ted was remarkable. As the sails were hoisted and the bow of the Sea Song met the incoming swell of the Atlantic, Ted developed an ashen look, vomited over the side, and retired to his bunk. This marked the end of any usefulness Ted may have had, and it left Captain Don without a watch mate. Don, incidentally, was the penultimate captain, a really great guy, and consummate sailor. Thankfully, I found myself unaffected by any hint of seasickness. If I remember correctly, we spent a couple of nights at sea and found ourselves at daybreak off the Delmarva Coast, right near the entrance to Chesapeake Bay. These were the days before good weather forecasting, but we did hear on the radio about a severe cold front that had passed through Washington DC, bringing high winds and snow, that was headed our way. Sure enough, I was at the helm, riding a flood tide over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel, when the front hit. We started the Perkins, dropped the sails since the wind was almost on the nose, and started pounding into some really ugly waves. They were very steep and close together, not surprising, given the opposition of wind and tide. The weather bureau was saying 7-14 feet, and I could believe it. The wind was about 40 knots.  Captain Don was exhausted, having gotten practically no sleep during the last 2 days, Ted was out of commission, and the other crew member didn't have much experience, though he was very helpful. So I was stuck steering. Eventually we made Hampton Roads and the conditions moderated. Turning the corner into Norfolk was a real relief. We pulled into the big marina there and celebrated our survival with a quiet but heartfelt thanks.

Ted had undergone something of a revival, but the result was that of a completely shattered man. He gathered up his gear quietly and without fanfare. Saying goodbye, he allowed that he was seeking a new life in Kansas, as far from the ocean as he could possibly get. He appeared to be completely serious. Nobody stood in his way as he walked down the dock, away from the salt water, and all it represented. Meanwhile, Captain Don had to return to Vermont for work, and so I was left as the owner's representative,(my father), in spite of being the youngest person aboard. Needless to say, this precipitated a collect call to my dad, and I asked him what he wanted me to do. My father was busy working in one of his other businesses and couldn't spare the time to come down, so he suggested I take the boat south, using the Intracoastal Waterway. This seemed to me like quite a stretch, given my lack of coastal experience, but I was too cowed by the old man to argue back. Then, he sweetened the pot a bit by saying he would send my mother and little sister down to help me. My mother I could see, but sis was only just 10 years old and likely to be as useful as Ted was. But I acquiesced and allowed that I would do it. Sure enough, a couple of days later they showed up, and without further ado, I headed out as a completely green 18 year old captain, on waters I was totally unfamiliar with. But at least I wasn't the youngest aboard anymore, that honor went to my sister.

To be continued.

 Here I go again.....

Not sure why I do this, but I am getting ready to do another trip south. It's really a beautiful time of year here in Vermont and I am quite comfortable in retirement so there is no logical reason why I would go back to living in cramped conditions, dealing with horrible weather, and being away from my lovely wife for many months. No, it makes no sense at all. But there is something about making long trips in small boats that I just can't stay away from.

It was 50 years ago, in 1972, that I made my first trip south. I was crew aboard my father's schooner, "Sea Song", and he wanted the boat delivered to Ft. Lauderdale where it would be advertised for sale. She was 43' on deck, 52' overall, heavily built in Nova Scotia, and gaff rigged. She was one of the boats in the family charter business and I was quite familiar with her, having been responsible for some of the maintenance and assisting the charterers during summers on Lake Champlain. I was capable of taking her out on my own starting around the age of 15 and I remember making other boat owners very nervous in the close confines of the docks at the Shelburne Shipyard. At that age, I was very small, and looked to be about 12 years old, so the seasoned skippers would look askance as I manoevered the massive schooner into the dock around all the other boats, but happily, I never caused any damage.

I will tell more of this story in later posts!

Looking back

Hi fellow sailors,

The last couple of nights have been spent sleeping in a real bed, with no worries about tide changes, wind shifts at 0300, or dragging anchor. I am still in a bit of disbelief that the trip is over. White Seal tests comfortably on her old, familiar, mooring in Kingsland Bay, waiting for me to get the mast back up.

In retrospect,  it was a good trip overall. There were plenty of concerns along the way, but every delay and obstacle was overcome. The Bahamas are a wonderful destination, but the East Coast is equally so. This is the 5th time I have made the trip, and every time I discover new and beautiful places, as well as meeting great people. For this trip is, more than anything, about people. More than anyone, my daughter Mary, who joined me for 3 months. I am eternally grateful for this time with her. Also, my wonderful friends Roger Holzapfel, Tom Hickley, and Carroll Maxwell; who joined me for a few days along the way. They were great, and I apologize for talking too much! I was so excited to have you aboard. Mary's friend and college roommate,  Maggie Smith, was also wonderful to have on board, and I am happy to have her as a new friend. My brother in law , Mike Homza, was also a great crew member to have aboard for  a few days.
Most importantly,  my wonderful wife Meg, who decided not to join me on this trip, stayed home and kept things going during what turned out to be an arduous winter. She stayed employed and somehow managed to keep the homestead solvent. Thank you Meg!

When making a trip like this, you make lots of people along the way. Sailors are all in it together. You'll meet in an anchorage, strike up an acquaintanceship, then bump into them in another harbor a thousand miles away. It is very, very cool. And nowadays much easier to keep in touch via email. And the Bahamians are awesome. Naturally welcoming and gregarious,  they make the Bahamas a wonderful place to cruise. I would love to spend more time living in a small Bahamian town, like my friend Kathleen Patten does in Black Point, Exuma, and really get to know a specific community. One thing that amuses me is when folks here in the US ask if I have any concerns about piracy when I sail in the Bahamas. I respond that there are more pirates in Ferrisburgh!

Another thing people ask about are storms. Sure, you are going to get them. Fortunately,  with good forecasting, I am usually able to be anchored someplace with good protection. I did go thru a pretty serious storm with my buddy Tom Hickley on Chesapeake Bay. That was the worst on this trip with winds gusting to near hurricane force. Glad when that was over!

It is interesting how we tend to forget the unpleasant and sometimes terrifying aspects of cruising. A few days ago, my main focus was on just getting home. But it is impossible to extinguish that desire to make long trips in small boats. And so, the dream continues.

Fair winds to all, Charlie

Domestic tranquillity

Hi everyone,

It is really great to be back! I am unable to post on a variety of other devices, but will consult with my IT advisor, (Mary) to see if I can get something that allows me a real keyboard. So stay tuned for some sort of a summation of the trip.

It is so beautiful here in Vermont right now. I am convinced there is a lushness in the vegetation at this time of year that has been unequaled on this trip. It seems that after a harsh winter, plant life has permission to run wild. To really appreciate it, you need to have gone through the winter, so yours truly is not allowed to enjoy it as much as those who stayed put, like my dear wife Meg, and dealt with the snow and the cold.

Best to all, Charlie

Finis!

Hi everyone,

I picked up my old familiar mooring in Kingsland Bay at about 5PM today! It was emotionally rather overwhelming and I am very excited to be home for good. An excess of sun and a couple of long days have left me rather wiped out, so expect to hear much more from me in a day or so.

Best to all, Charlie

Sand Road

Hi everyone!

Yes, I am home, but without my boat, which is still in Waterford, waiting for the canal to open. I have been chastised by my dear friend Gretchen who was shocked when I answered the front door last evening. I had actually returned Sunday evening. So I apologize for not keeping this post up to date.

It is great, and rather overwhelming to be back. I am sitting here on an easy chair in the living room, a picture of domestic tranquillity,  and reflecting on the lonely islands, the stormy nights, the challenges of singlehanding, but most importantly the people I have met, and it is all pretty gratifying. I will keep posting as I bring White Seal the last 100 miles and attempt to summarize my thoughts on this wonderful experience.

Stop on by if you are in the neighborhood!

Best, Charlie

Yup, still here

Hi everyone,

The Champlain Canal remains closed and a community of stranded boaters has settled in at the town dock in Waterford. I have decided to take advantage of my time here and to that end set out on an excursion to Albany this morning. My destination was the USS Slater, a WW2 destroyer escort tied up on the downtown Albany waterfront. My father had served on one of these ships in the Pacific, and I have been wanting to see this ship to get a sense of what life was like for him.

I rode a couple of city buses to get there and arrived well before the ship opened up at 10. It was a beehive of activity with at least a dozen volunteers visible engaged on various tasks aboard. I was struck by the small size of about 300 feet and the fact that well over 500 of them were built. Standing on the dock it appeared as if the ship was being very well maintained. A few minutes later, I was to find that indeed, that was the case. But first, our guide Paul, had a short movie to show us. It was a great introduction and very helpful as I toured the ship and could see how the various elements worked. Paul was absolutely stellar, and did a really great job showing us around. There was only one other visitor when the gangway opened and he had served on a DE in the Viet Nam war. His name was Roger, and he turned out to be a fellow cruising sailor as well. I was really fortunate to be with these two guys for the visit. The level of authenticity is very high on this ship, as is the quality. She is shipshape and looking wonderful. There are still projects and goals to be pursued, but it is obvious that this ship has a phenomenal core group of supporters. And there were plenty of visitors circulating thru the ship after us.

What an amazing experience! I look forward to going back!

But wait, there's more! I was only about a mile away from Phillip Schuyler's house, and so I made my way there. This house was built in 1761, out of brick, and is really quite remarkable given the fame and importance of its many visitors. Schuyler was very prominent as a Revolutionary War general, but he may be best known these days as the father in law of Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton had married Elizabeth Schuyler in the parlour of the house, and I got to take it all in. Other notable visitors included George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Lafayette, etc. Very, very cool and inspiring. Much in the way of original items from that time. Our guide Ian, was fantastic with a real passion for and knowledge of the history.

What a wonderful day! I learned a lot!

Best to all, Charlie