Departure Day

After all the logistical nightmares of the last week, Richard and Cornelius finally made it to Newport on Wednesday night as planned. However Lidia hasn't made it here, but the resorceful girl has got herself a ticket to Halifax, Nova Scotia. So it is off to Canada and not Plymouth for us today.

It will be a pleasant and small or even insignificant diversion. Halifax lies as close to the great circle route as possible, so we will do no more distance, and hopefully reduce the longest time at sea to around 18 days.

E and M are slightly nonplussed. E wants to go back to England as soon as possible, while M is just generally nonplussed! E is however desperate to meet Lidia and have someone to take all her attention...

So last minute jobs this morning, a final stow and off to Canada, with a very light forecast.

Hair Cuts

Each day when we go into Newport we walk past a barber, and each day E says you need to get a haircut!  Each day I find and excuse.


However, one of my secretaries, having seen a photo of me on the blog, thought I was a “black guy with an afro”  really did drive home the fact that a haircut was required.  Matthew was also beginning to look like a shaggy dog, so we both had a haircut, mine is back to “normal” despite being a bit blond and grey and Matthew’s is here.  Quite smart now!


Last night we had “the best boat dinner ever” according to E, Mexican chicken with all the trimmings, salsa, sour cream and guacamole, with tortillas and spicy chicken fillets.  :)
 
Oh, and a movie too!  (but not a Mexican one)

US Customs and Immigration

We have to leave the US on the 31^st as our visa waivers expire.  The waiver is valid for 90 days, but that is from the first entry into the US, not the actual time spent in the US, so although we have only been her for around 6 weeks total, we have to go.

I had 3 extra crew planning to join us for the passage from here to Plymouth, Cornelius, a friend from the BCYC, Richard, a friend of Sarah’s from the gliding club and Lidia, a Spanish girl looking to be an au pair, and a sailor to boot.  Lidia to fly into NYC on the 24^th, and C and R on the 29^th.  Great, all sorted.

In anticipation of the US Immigration being concerned that they might not have a return ticket, I gave all of them a letter from me, quoting the boats official number, country of registration and the US Cruising Licence number.  All information about the boat is on the US Customs and Border Protection database, so if any US official wanted to verify the letters they could do so.

However Lidia got to Madrid airport with her letter, a valid ESTA and a ticket, but a US Immigration official decided that none of it was valid or genuine and refused her access to the flight.  Despite then providing him with a direct contact number for CBP here he didn’t want to know and wouldn’t change his mind.  A few days of stress ensued, could Lidia get here? No.  Could I sail with just the three of us? No.  Could I get us out of the US? Would I have to fly back to the UK and then get another ESTA to return?  Could we get to Canada instead?  Could Lidia get to Canada?  Could I get charts for Canada in time?  I didn’t sleep well.

Finally an email from Lidia, she has a flight to Canada, so we need to get to Halifax.  Only 430 miles and a good forecast is in the offing, maybe this will work, as long as R and C don’t have similar problems...

10 Days To Go

Ten days before we left Lisbon for our first Atlantic crossing were frantic. So much needed doing and there seemed so little time to sort it all out.  By comparison, 10 days before we need to leave the USA, the list is short, the days warm and sunny, and NYYC at Newport is a lovely relaxed place to prepare.  As I sit and type I can see classic schooners and 12 metres sailing past, where else could I do this?!  The suspension bridge arcs across the far side of the bay and the mast and pennant of the NYYC stands proud at the foot of the club dock.

We have settled into a daily routine, of breakfast then schoolwork in the mornings, with the afternoons spent at the club, or going into town shopping.

Sunday on the terrace, E met a couple with a parrot on their shoulder!  Pirates ahoy!

The children have made themselves at home in the club gardens, creating a den in a small thicket which seems to be even more popular than playing binweevils online in the doghouse. E has been working on the boat doing cleaning for me to earn pocket money and M is keen to find a job that he can do to earn money too.

I have a list of small spares items ordered and being brought out by crew.  The new main is on the way and we should get in on Thursday or Friday.  Then we need gas, fuel and food to be ready for the off.  Our first new crew member arrives on Friday night, and we shall meet her in NY, and come back to the boat on Saturday.

 

 

Staying in Newport

Best laid plans go astray.

We had been told that the new main would be here in Newport on May 15th, giving us enough time to sail back to NYC by the 24 to collect our new au pair, Lidia.  However a call to the sail maker yesterday revealed that it will not be in Newport until early next week, leaving us no time to get the sail sorted and get back to NYC.

Fortunately Newport is rather a nice place to be in the meantime.  Shops and laundry mat are not too far, the NYYC clubhouse is close enough that I can send this from the mooring, and the anchorage is well protected. 

People are friendly, there are playgrounds a short walk away and there are lost of pretty boats.  We are settling into a daily routine of breakfast then school work, followed by lunch. The afternoon is mostly spent ashore either at the club, playgrounds or doing more mundane things, such as the shopping.

However, staying here, leaves us with the small issue of getting Lidia and then Cornelius and Richard next week.  A hire car for the week and a couple of trips to NYC might be in order.  It’s a 6 hour round trip...

Photos to follow when I can get them off my phone...

New York Yacht Club

Hello, everyone.

At New York yacht club there were...

 

Sofas, armchairs and a fancy desk with a big mirror infront and a bowl of sweets on the desk... IN THE TOILETS!!! And there were about 20, 000 different soapes as well and a glass bottle of mouthwash with a glass sphere on top for a lid. The bench for the sinks were marble and there are is a basket of thick paper towles to dry your hands on. The lounge has three sofas and eight armchairs in it and the walls are covered with models of boats and shelves full of hardback books.

Elizabeth's blog

Hello, everyone. We are alongside a museum and we are leaving tomorrow morning at eight o' clock.  The weather has been nice and sunny and warm.  I dont really know what to say, but I am sadly not missing anyone for some reason.  Matthew is missing Tiernan, though. We are at McDonalds and James is eating apple pie. I would have said "dad" but then you wouldn't know what I mean.  I haven't been getting sea sick lately, but I think that is just because it has been calm.

New York to Mystic Seaport

After a week in New York, it was time to move on and brave the wild tides of Hell's Gate on the East River.  Critical timing for the tides to ensure they were not running so fast as to make us out of control, or against us meaning we would get nowhere.  A study of Eldridge, suggested a 0700 departure, but we also needed to get a pump out from the marina before we left.  The earliest we could do this was at 0730.  Half an hour late on the tide?  Not too much problem.

 

At 0730 there was no sign of the pump out boat.   At 0740 I gave them a call, "Just a few minutes".  At 0755, I abandoned the idea and ran the security cards back to office, saying we had to go.  0800 we were off, with the pump out guy waving saving he was just about to come to us!  Too late now, time and tide wait for no man etc.

 

We passed round the southern tip of Manhattan Is and then started up the East river.  By Brooklyn Bridge we were doing 7 knots over the ground, by the time we got to the channel divide around the island between Manhattan and Brooklyn we were doing 8, Approaching Hell's Gate we got to 9.5, and briefly touched 10. Lots of fast spinning eddies were more than April could cope with so it was hand steering all the way.  Apart from the odd glance on deck at the Manhattan skyline whizzing by, E and M stayed below in the warm.

 

Finally out into Long Island sound with a moderate SE wind to push us along, we got sail up (2 reefs and genny) and headed for Huntington.  At 1030 approaching Huntington Bay, I realised that out speed wasn't dropping with the expect tide change.  A quick look at Eldridge, showed a reverse eddy on off the bay, and if we went on for a couple of hours, we would pick up the main ebb down Long Island sound.  I decided to dropout a reef as the wind eased, but missed that one of the reef points was still tied in.   With a now familiar ripping sound the main split at the 2 reef line.  Too long to hand stitch, and the fabric obviously too old and week, we pushed on with 3 reefs in. 

 

New Haven is about 70 miles from New York, and we slipped in to Morris Cove at  the entrance around 1930 and dropped the hook a couple of hundred yards from the only other boat in sight.  A very peaceful spot.  In the morning we moved to the main anchorage in New Haven, but found it empty, and we went ashore to visit the city proper.  New Haven is the home to Yale University, but the town was not inspiring.  A surprising number of homeless in the park, and the marina attendant said he wouldn't recommend walking through the local neighbourhood!

 

Next stop Essex... Connecticut that is.

 

What a change from New Haven, a beautiful unspoilt river (except for the railway bridge we had to wait for) and rather like stretches of the Orwell, Stour or Blackwater in the original Essex.  We were made very welcome by the Essex Yacht Club, who apologised for not being able fly a British ensign for us!  We obliged by giving them our unused red courtesy ensign.  Essex is a tiny little town with a few upmarket shops and a friendly population.  Beautiful houses along the river, and an air of calm sophistication and wealth.

 

A short 25 mile hop along the coast in a fine SE, took as into Mystic Seaport, and it famous Seaport Museum, where we berthed.  It feels odd to be moored in a museum, completely empty at night, and busy with visitors during the day.  Another nice spot and a good chance for the children to do a project on the exhibits and activities of a working port from the last century.  Coopers, milliners,  hoop shops and working sailing ships for starters.

 

Rhode Island next stop!