Maine to NYC

Things were already getting too chilly for comfort up in Maine. We started this trip imagining that warm, clear blue water was right around the corner so the familiar cold green-brown waters of the North Atlantic were not exactly what we were looking for. Once the hurricanes had passed and company had left, we weighed anchor and flew down to Portsmouth where we knew we'd be able to find a spot to spend a night. The following day we headed out planning to make Boston's barrier islands, but a strong west wind pushed us along at 10 knots the entire trip, and we decided to make Scituate to take what might have been the tightest mooring we've ever seen. Along the way to the Cape Cod Canal, we had a whale decide to follow us for a while and check out the boat.

This trip was far from a pleasure cruise. Since we had accomplished the goal of making Maine, we were on a mission to get south to warmer pastures ASAP. But, we had to address the nagging issue of our masts back in Rhode Island where we had attempted the initial fix over the winter. We stopped into Warren, RI for about a week and docked the boat so we could have another go at resolving the problem once and for all. I fabricated some fiberglass plates to apply more clamping force to hold everything in place, and we took our after-work beers at Jack's Bar. We also took the time to install some additional solar panels which should help cut down on running the diesel for power.

The other place we had wanted to check off our list was Block Island. So, once the repairs were done we had a brutal ride out through Newport to the Great Salt Pond on the western shore of Block. We were really happy to put Buzzard's Bay behind us, not a moment there was at all pleasant and I have no clue why anyone would choose to sail there on a regular basis. But we made Block island and had the obligatory mudslide at the Oar in spite of it being about 60 degrees.

It was a huge relief to make it from Block Island to Long Island Sound. We were racing a potential hurricane (Sam) which was offshore but threatened to swing in over our heads. Fortunately he gave us a push towards home and we rode the rare easterly all the way from Block to Northport harbor where we finally found ourselves back in New York. On the way we spotted a strange sight off the port bow. Can you figure out what you're seeing in that last image?

Till next time.

-Shiloh crew