Thursday, June 10, 2010

On to Nantucket

We stopped at Montauk after a couple of 100+ nm days to take shelter from waht was expected to be 45+ kt winds in a rapidaly moving low that came up from the south. Turned out that the storm fizzled and all we got was rain and max 25 kt wind.

Today we are going to Nantucket. It is right on the way to Nova Scotia and JD has been reading Moby Dick (Nantucket was a whaling center and the Pequod sailed from there). We have booked a slitp in the Basin at Main Street and a B&B on Chestnut Street just a 5 minute walk away. Then on to Nova Scotia with expectred arrival in Lunenburg to clear customs on the 16th and into Martins River on Mahone Bay on nthe 17th.

Want to lose some weight? Take a cruise on a small sailboat like a Flicka. We have not been sea sick, but the appetite is not big and we use up the clarories we take in, plus some. My pants are now so loose around my waist that they would fall off without a belt which is on its tightest hole. We mostly snack on things like crackers with peanut butter or cheese, Chex-Mix (Traditional), Oreo cookies, Planters peanuts, and M&Ms. JD got the M&Ms with peanuts and I got the plain, and that is how we distinguish his packs of rations from mine. We have one nice hot meal each day usually in the evening fefore the start of the 8 o'clock watch.

Our watch pattern is JD does 8 to midnight, I do midnight to 4 AM, JD does 4 to 8 AM, and I do 8 AM to noon. We are usually both up from noon to 8 PM. Sail changes usually get us both involved although JD has gotten really good at doing it solo so as to not disturb my slumber. We are now so far east that the pre-dawn gray is coming on when I go to "bed" at 4 AM. We are north enough where we live in our fleece and bundle multiple layers at ni8ght.

Woody

Brief stop in Montauk, NY

Day #14, Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Time of Report: 2200 Z

Position: 41.07, -71.9311 (as of 2100 Z Wed, 6/9)

Heading: At port, Montauk, NY

Speed: On solid ground


We have gone a couple of days with out voice to voice communication with Woody & JD, however both BT (Bill Tumlin) and I have received voicemails. Due to weather patterns, Woody & JD made a quick stop into Montauk, NY in route to Nantucket and stayed there last night and planned on leaving this morning to sail on to Nantucket.

The voicemail I received on Tuesday was a report on their dinner. This dinner was the most special one they've had so far (much better than the freeze dried foods) as it was a fresh fish they caught off the stern of Jubliee. They sliced it up and enjoyed some sashimi (raw fish for you non-sushi lovers) and said it was delicious and had more than they could eat. The winds were light and they were motoring. BT did talk with them on Tuesday and had advised them of some severe weather heading in their direction, so again, it was a race against the weather! The weather router was also in agreement that they should head for shore. BT figured the best spot was Montauk, NY.

A little about Montauk, NY (from http://www.montauknyguide.com/): It is located on the farthest tip of Long Island. Different than the Hamptons in so many ways, Montauk is well situated far enough from its neighbors that it is unpretentious and peaceful. Sometimes compared to Ireland, Montauk is home to a vibrant Irish community. Montauk’s temperatures are usually 10 or more degrees cooler than New York City in the summer, and at least 10 degrees warmer in the winter. Montauk's shores are high and breezy and the wind always seems to blow with a slight taste of salt. A lighthouse – New York State's oldest, dating from 1796 – forms an almost symbolic finale to this stretch of the American coast.

If JD and Woody did indeed leave this morning, they should be heading East to Nantucket and according to weather reporter / navigation man, BT, he expects they'll arrive tomorrow morning. He did mention that there were some heavier winds building and they may be shifting in an unfavorable direction (on the nose, which means coming right at them - which entails a lot of chop and tacking). If this proves to be true, I bet they'll be quite tuckered out by the time they reach Nantucket. No "spots" have been dropped since yesterday, but we'll look forward to seeing some hopefully later today (Thursday), as well as getting an update from them.

Reporting from Atlanta Yacht Club's Junior Week (sailing camp), where we've had great breeze and cooler days all week. Being a cabin parent (and responsible for 4 16 year old boys), like Woody & JD, I'm one tuckered out gal! Tracy