Transitions

I was recently made aware that it’s been almost exactly a year since my last CatTales post. At the time, we were on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, just back from our final “Driving Miss Rita” road trip and readying our Cheshire for another run south before the cold set in for the season. Little did we know that it would be our last run. As I type, I realize that Cheshire, no longer ours, is ironically back on the Eastern Shore having new adventures with her new people.

Yesterday morning found Mike and I on a trail that offered views of the prairies of Oklahoma with a soundtrack of bugling elk. This morning, on another trail, we had a close encounter with a Texas Longhorn who was less than pleased to find us sharing his trail. A year ago, I’d never set foot in Oklahoma, had no idea that elk bugled and had never been face to face with a Texas Longhorn. We’ve come a long way, pun intended.

During our cruising years aboard Cheshire, we always said that we’d just know when it was time to do something different. Somewhere along the eastern seaboard on that last month-long cruise south, we decided just that… that it was time for a change. Having been from Maine to the FL Keys, much of the FL Gulf coast and to the Bahamas and back, things were going to start getting repetitive. And we were done, really done, with hurricanes. By the time we arrived in St Augustine FL a week or so before Thanksgiving, we’d decided that while we were done cruising, we weren’t necessarily done with the nomadic lifestyle. We’d decided to to try RV-ing.

The months to follow were a dizzying combination of readying our Cheshire to sell by owner, and researching and readying ourselves for our next chapter. By the end of November, we were owners of what would become our tow vehicle, a Nissan NV2500 high roof cargo van, a ginormous creature we affectionately named the White Rabbit. In early February, after copious amounts of research, we made a road trip to North Carolina where we adopted a slightly used travel trailer, a 2018 Lance 1995. We named her Alice, and she faithfully followed the White Rabbit, Mike and I back to north Florida. Down another rabbit hole, our next adventure had begun.

Adopting the White Rabbit

Adopting Alice

Fast forward to early April… I’d managed to scavenge the Florida State Park reservation system and pieced together some days here and there for what we thought would be a 2-week shakedown trip, with proximity to St Augustine/Cheshire in the event that we needed to show her. The day before we departed, we accepted an offer. I managed to piece together a few more weeks around FL to get us through the actual sale date just prior to Memorial Day weekend. It was the end of an awesome run, nearly 8 years of adventures on the water.

Farewell to Cheshire

Chapter next…

In the nearly five months since, we’ve slept in fourteen different states, visited six of our National Parks and countless other national treasures. We’ve gotten a lot more savvy with state park reservations and finding the odd other spots along the way. We’ve spent nights at a blueberry farm, an alpaca farm, an orchard, a railroad yard and several wineries. We’ve explored all manner of odd local/regional history museums, local food traditions, and local beers. We’ve put some miles on our hiking boots. We’ve successfully shifted our small space lifestyle from a floating home to a rolling home. We’ve learned how to tow and back (sort of) a trailer. All in all, I think it’s been a fine transition.

One surprise/challenge has been our intermittent cell service and extremely sporadic access to WiFi. Consequently I’ve not been blogging and have been less active on social media, though still haven’t completely given up on the idea of somehow capturing our new adventures. Still pondering the possibilities and the challenges of blogging it vs planning/living it. For now though, I’ll consider this a final chapter in our CatTales story. Many thanks to all who have followed us; it’s been a blast having you all along.

Dodging Storms

It’s been an eventful month with the dominating theme being the weather. With a maybe/maybe not repaired engine, we finally got out of Onset Bay, MA a day after Hurricane Florence made landfall near Wrightsville Beach NC. We spent three days on the move while following the news of the devastation unfold. Our beloved Oriental NC got whacked hard again with a storm surge even higher than for Hurricane Irene in 2011. The effects were felt well north. We opted for a lay day in Northport Bay on the north shore of Long Island as the remnants of Florence passed through. A day later we moved on, picking up a mooring in Port Washington where we staged for a run through the East River and hooked up with cruising friends Dawn and Paul for a low-key birthday celebration for Captain Mike at a local pizza place.

last light, Northport Bay, LI

Hurricane Florence

Hurricane Florence, wind track

From Port Washington we caught a favorable tide and had a nice but overcast run through the East River/NYC on our way to Atlantic Highlands/Sandy Hook NJ where we spent another couple of days with Dawn and Paul waiting out yet another bit of weather. Finally, on Saturday morning, we opted to haul anchor on the tail end of a small craft advisory and started what would be about a 27 hour offshore run down the Jersey coast. Alas, our cruising friends made a last minute decision that they wouldn’t make the run south afterall, opting to leave their boat north for another winter season. Oh, to have such options. We pressed on.

Sailing was challenging, but we persisted until the daylight on Sunday when it looked like we were at risk for a night time arrival in Cape May. Sails down, engine on, we motored the rest of the morning and into the afternoon to an anchorage off the Coast Guard Station in Cape May. We had plenty of company as we waited out… you guessed it, more weather.

Come Wednesday morning, we made a break for it again. An early early morning departure found us motoring through the Cape May Canal, after which we caught a favorable tide for a run up the sometimes ugly Delaware Bay. In fact our tide was so favorable that we carried it all the way north to the C & D Canal where we caught another favorable tide through the canal. We were anchor down in the Bohemia River after a 71.5 nm run, which might in fact be a one day record for us. At this point we’d accomplished our ever shifting goal, to be past the outside runs and at least into the Chesapeake Bay before having to tuck our Cheshire in while we make our 5th annual “Driving Miss Rita” road trip. We took one more lay day to make some final arrangements, booking a marina slip, a rental car, etc. before moving to a marina situated a comfortably safe distance up the Sassafras River on the Eastern Shore.

early morning in Cape May Canal

Ship John Shoal Light NJ

Chapter Next…

After a few days of getting Cheshire tucked in, we were off on our road trip. For five years now, each October, I (sometimes we), travel from wherever we are to collect my Mom from what’s been her home in Indiana to shuttle her and her car to the panhandle of Florida where she winters. This year though would be our final trip as Mom’s sold her place in Indiana. Early Monday evening, we pulled into her driveway just as the auctioneers she hired to clear out her place we cramming the last of her stuff into the back of their truck… except for small truck load they ended up returning for the following day, and the couple of car loads we donated to the local Christian Center of things the auctioneer couldn’t/wouldn’t take. Suffice it to say that despite Mom’s efforts over recent years and in particular these past summer months, it was a big project. I had flashbacks to our own pre-Cheshire purge back in 2011.

Early on Tuesday, October 2nd, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) began monitoring an area of low pressure that had developed over the southwestern Caribbean. Meanwhile, in Anderson, we spent a couple of days wrapping up the details, visiting family in the area, and swapping our rental SUV for a 10′ U-Haul to ferry the last of Mom’s belongings, final packing. Two driving days later, Sunday afternoon, we arrived in Panama City Beach for what we thought was the end of this season’s Driving Miss Rita trip and the beginning of some family time. This was to be the first time in nearly 6 years that my siblings (4 of us) and I were all in the same place at the same time. Mother Nature however, would have a different plan.

truck of purged things

Captain Mike, U-Haul driver extraordinaire

packed and ready

On Friday, October 5 th, while we finished day 2 of our drive, the NHC declared this storm a tropical depression, and soon after, upgraded it to Tropical Storm Michael. We spent the weekend unloading boxes, cleaned up and moved patio furniture out to the balcony, stocked the pantry and fridge in anticipation of our family gathering. My sister and brother-in-law  were already in PCB ahead of Mom; one brother and his 2 kids arrived Sunday afternoon.  I managed to grab a couple of photos before things got crazy… and obviously need to work on my selfie technique.

Rita has arrived

Me, sister and Mom

Calm before the storm

Mike and I began our Monday morning as we do every morning… with coffee and weather checks. The coffee was good; the weather forecast not so much. Michael was now a full blown hurricane and he was coming to visit PCB in a hurry. I shifted into storm-prep mode, started planning for bringing patio furniture back inside, thinking about our water supply, eating without power to cook with, etc., while some of my family suggested I might be over-reacting. A few hours later a mandatory evacuation was issued and most of us were packing.

Early Tuesday morning, most of my family evacuated to Montgomery AL. One brother opted to stay behind.  My youngest brother and his crew of 4 were to be flying into PCB; plan B was skip their Atlanta to PCB leg, rent a car and meet us in Montgomery. We spent the next 4 days, one day at a time with a hotel change somewhere in there, obsessively watching the Weather Channel, scouring social media for updates and generally trying to amuse ourselves in suburban Montgomery. Mid-day Wednesday, Hurricane Michael raged ashore at Mexico Beach, about 25 miles east of where my Mom and sister stay, as the third most intense Atlantic hurricane to ever make landfall in the US. It was horrific and the damage extensive. PCB has been a special place for my family since we started vacationing there when my siblings and I were very small. My parents bought their first rental property on the beach while I was in high school and my parents, now my mother, have wintered there since Dad’s retirement in 1995… ironically the year that Hurricane Opal made a visit and wreaked some havoc in the area.  My family’s condos came through this storm with only minimal damage; many others were not so fortunate.

Mike and I did check out some of the local tourist sights while we were in Montgomery, found some interesting eats, a hiking trail… details to follow in a later post. Long story a bit shorter, when the storm passed and we got some indication that power would be restored to Mom’s area within a day or two, Mike and I grabbed a return rental and started our way back to Maryland. Mom was in good hands with family and the FL Panhandle didn’t need any more people than necessary trying to reenter. We would have loved to have returned to PCB and volunteered with the recovery efforts, but having our Cheshire so far north, we were not in a position to delay any longer. We arrived home on Sunday night after two weeks away; about a day and a half later, the remnants of Michael made landfall in Portugal.

Fast-forward a few days, our Cheshire is now put back together. She’s had a bubble bath and a bottom-cleaning. We’ve topped off provisions, propane, and water. We’ve dug into our deeper storage to retrieve our warmer clothes. We even did some repair work on our weather-worn cockpit enclosure in hopes of better keeping out some of the cold we’re sure to encounter in the weeks to come.  Tomorrow we cast off the dock lines with a goal to get south as quickly as we can, weather permitting. Even before we get off the dock though, we’re already having to allow for some upcoming weather days/small craft advisories. Mother Nature Always Wins. We can’t complain though when we remember so many who have lost so much in these recent storms. Maybe we’ll get some good fall color out of the deal though.

 

You Can Check Out Any Time You Want…

So, we did check out, and in fact actually left.  We departed Plymouth MA as scheduled, and hit our carefully planned for tides and currents passage through the Cape Cod Canal exactly right.  When we popped out the other end, it was early afternoon, but nonetheless, we opted to wait over a night in Onset Bay rather than fight the now reversed current down Buzzards Bay all afternoon.  We’d been here before on our way north, so rather than head ashore again, we opted to just chill, a relaxing Friday evening.

The following morning, we hauled the anchor up, ready to head out to take advantage of another favorable current… except the Red Queen was once again voicing her displeasure.  Not as awful as before (the flex coupler issue was resolved), but still, there was a shudder.  After a few short minutes of consultation, we decided it best not to proceed.  We dropped the anchor again, and dialed up the nearby marina, ironically another Brewer location.  Of course it’s a Saturday, but we at least got on the radar for their service department. Monday and Tuesday we had weather, like rain on your head in the cockpit/no engine work weather.  Wednesday we had John, the Brewer Onset mechanic, on board in the morning, when of course the engine is now NOT shuddering, but he did find a small diesel leak.  More parts ordered but at least not from England this time, and more waiting.  In the meantime we made a provisioning run one day, spent a couple of hours at the local public library another, and did some laundry.   Friday afternoon our parts arrived and John was back aboard to replace the some O-rings in the injector pump.  Leak resolved, engine sounded OK.

This morning we left Onset Bay shortly after first light and actually managed to escape the state of Massachusetts.  Nothing personal, it’s a lovely state; we just didn’t plan for such an extended visit.  Pedaling about Onset we saw so many fire hydrants with those red/white striped poles off the top, you know, the ones that mark them when they’re buried with snow.  Yeah, those ones.  They make us nervous.  Our Cheshire is not a heavy weather boat, nor are her crew heavy weather sailors.  We definitly don’t relish the idea of wintering aboard in New England.  So we press on.

Maybe we’re paranoid at this point, but we still have a nagging feeling that the Red Queen is not completely satisfied.  The flex coupler and engine mounts were a definite problem; fixed.  The diesel leak was definitely a problem; fixed.  Sometimes she purrs; occasionally not.  Something is just different.  Intermittent problems are challenging.  Stressful.

Whatever we’re dealing with however, is not anywhere near as stressful as preparing for, enduring and recuperating from the devastation of Hurricane Florence as many are doing.  It’s been heartbreaking to read the news out of eastern North Carolina, and now from South Carolina.  Our beloved Oriental got whacked hard again, with water levels exceeding even those of Hurricane Irene in 2011.  We are truly fortunate to have been well away from Florence, but hurricane season is not over, and we have some miles to cover.

As always, thanks for coming along.

Welcome to the Hotel Massachusetts

OK, stupid title for a blog post (though a spin on a great tune), but it accurately describes our time in this state.  Our plan was to pause briefly in Gloucester to wait out a day of weather, then keep on moving.  We should know better than to think that our plans matter.

In a text exchange the night before we left Gloucester, a friend asked where we were headed the following day;  I replied “Plymouth-ish”.  The route into Plymouth Harbor is long and well off our track.  Our goal was to spend a night at anchor closer to the Cape Cod Canal so as to be able to time our transit through the canal.  In short, we had no intention of actually stopping in Plymouth.  If we manage to get off the dock tomorrow as is our current plan (there’s that word again!), we will have been here 15 days.  15. Days.

We were maybe 5 miles off of Scituate, MA, motoring in very light winds that were mostly directly behind us.  Shortly after 1pm, Mike called me to the cockpit.  We’d developed a horrible shudder.  Thinking we’d caught something on the drive leg or a rudder (think lobster buoy), we went through our usual routine of clearing them. Except that that didn’t resolve the shudder.  Some quick diagnostics let us know that we were fine in neutral, but with any kind of rpms, the shudder was back… pointing to a likely drive leg or transmission issue.  We shut the engine down and put the sails up in hopes of maintaining some steerage and kept creeping south, albeit slowly (remember the very light winds and mostly behind us). Eventually we called TowBoat US (think AAA for boats).  Shortly after 3:30pm, we were under tow by Captain Matt who could not have been more helpful.  We were on the dock  at Brewster Plymouth Marine by about 5:15pm that evening, Thursday.

While we were bobbing around under sail, we caught sight of the Lightship Nantucket, headed somewhere I haven’t been able to determine.  She’s now a museum ship, generally docked in Boston Harbor, one of only a couple of lightships able to move under her own power, so it was kind of a big deal to see her underway.  Find a bit more of her story here.  Our route in under tow would also take us past a couple more lighthouses.  Matt, our TowBoat US guy, would be less likely than Captain Mike to detour for closer photos, but nevertheless, I took photos.

With Cheshire safety tied up to the dock, and marina staff gone for the day, we headed to town to decompress.  On a tip from friends, we stopped into Dirty Water Distillery, followed by dinner at KKatie’s Burger Bar.

Plymouth-bound, under tow

Lightship Nantucket underway

Plymouth (Gurnet) Light MA

Duxbury Pier Light MA

The good news was that the following morning we had our new bff/mechanic Colin on board and the problem diagnosed.  Turns out Mike was pretty close.  The Red Queen (our diesel engine) herself was fine, however our flex coupler, the complicated bit that connects the transmission and drive leg, had failed. Mind you, before today, I wasn’t even aware that we had a flex coupler;  diesel mechanics is definitely not my strong suit.  The bad news was that despite this quick diagnosis, we still had to order parts from Sillette in England, who, given the 5 hr time difference, by noon Friday our time were already closed for their 3-day summer bank holiday… translate we couldn’t even order parts until the following Tuesday, at 3am to be precise.

We spent a few days on the dock in a temporarily vacant slip during which Cheshire got some much needed spa time, having not been dockside with access to a hose since our last project stop in North Caroline a couple of months back.  I cleaned/waxed all of the nonskid, always a multi-day project, and the ground tackle (anchor, chain, etc.) got some love.  We did some playing as well though.  Saturday afternoon’s Plymouth Waterfront Festival was not as awesome as advertised, unless of course you’re interested in aluminum siding, tub inserts or really really bad arts & crap.  The afternoon was salvaged though when we found that a local-but-too-far-to-bike-to craft brewery,  Mayflower Brewing, had a pop-up beer garden at one of the local museums.  Come Monday when the slip holder was due back, the marina staff hip towed us out to the mooring field.  End of projects that require a hose and copious fresh water.

flex coupler

TLC for the ground tackle

I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that Mike set an alarm for 3am Tuesday so he could be on the phone with Silette when they reopened after the holiday.  Parts were ordered.  Then it got hot.  Wicked hot.  We were thankful for breezes in the mooring field, but still found multiple reasons to be ashore for next few days. We did errands early, then hid out in the public library and restaurants until the evening time when it finally cooled a bit.  Dillon’s Local for beers/snack, then buck-a-shuck oysters at Surfside Smokehouse on site at marina were both quite good.  Wednesday we figured out the public bus system and caught a bus to a local mall which was perfectly awful.  I’ve never been a big mall person, but this one was bad.  The nearby Target however, our really goal, did not disappoint.  Ice cream from Peaceful Meadows back in Plymouth was a nice treat as well.

By mid-day Thursday we’d gotten notification that our parts had arrived.  We were thrilled to have them so quickly, only to be deflated again when the yard staff informed us that there was “no way” they’d get to us before the Labor Day/holiday weekend, and suggested we touch base the following Tuesday.  We consoled ourselves with a visit to Second Wind Brewing Co which was quite good, followed by a great meal at Thirty-Nine Court.

Our holiday weekend involved some windy weather, and a few more errands and smaller scale boat projects (including Mike’s replacing our inverter that also started misbehaving shortly before our arrival here).  We caught a concert at the Spire Performing Arts Center followed by beers at British Beer Co, had our best breakfast in Plymouth at Will & Co. and did a bit of touristing by bike.

Plymouth is actively engaged in a bit of sprucing up in anticipation of its 400th anniversary upcoming in 2020.  Consequently some parks, sites, etc. are fenced off while improvements are underway.  We of course saw Plymouth Rock, which was hard to photograph despite multiple visits… weird shadows, and is a bit over-rated imho.  There’s also some question as to whether this rock marks the real location of the Pilgrim’s landing.  Check out this link for the real story behind Plymouth Rock.

Forefathers Monument, Plymouth MA

A bit off the beaten tourist path but more impressive was the Forefathers Monument commemorating the Mayflower Pilgrims.  Completed in 1888/89, it stands at 81′ and is built of solid granite.  Years ago it apparently was much more prominent a feature overlooking Plymouth.  Today it’s surrounded by trees on mostly private property, so much so that despite its size, you don’t see it until you’re nearly on top of it.  For a bit more info and photos of this monument, check out this blog post. Note Mike in the photo for size reference.

Also worth a visit and unfortunately even more off the beaten path is Plymouth’s 9/11 Memorial.  It was started by a local businessman, a personally funded memorial in front of his produce store.  It’s grown to be a much bigger deal, now managed by the city,  featuring a piece of steel from the WTC, and several granite pillars bearing the names of every person who lost their life in the tragedy, reportedly the first 9/11 memorial to do so.  Other granite pieces feature powerful quotes by FDR and DQ, the latter of whom I’m fairly certain was the memorial’s originator, and another by R Giuliani (not pictured).  The light and polished granite made for interesting photographs.

If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships — the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace.  – FDR

steel beam from World Trade Center, 9/11 Memorial, Plymouth MA

9/11 Memorial, Plymouth MA

every name, 9/11 Memorial, Plymouth MA

FDR quote, 9/11 Memorial, Plymouth MA

DQ quote, 9/11 Memorial, Plymouth MA

Back downtown, tucked into an area called Brewster Gardens is a sculpture I found most captivating, the simply named Immigrant Monument, by artist Barney Zeitz.  I’ve read both that it was a tribute to the original Pilgrims, and alternately, as the inscription on the sculpture appears to indicate, to later immigrants to Plymouth.  Either way, it’s a beautiful piece, commissioned before and installed about a month after 9/11.  Take a look at the link above for a local news piece including some bits about the sculptor who travels from Martha’s Vineyard every couple of years to maintain/polish the piece. 

To the enduring memory of those immigrant settlers of Plymouth who as latter day pilgrims from many cultures and countries over the course of three centuries helped build upon these shores a robust and hospitable community.  At great personal sacrifice, they established new homes in a new world and by their hard work, enriched and transformed this town of their adoption. Precious to a grateful posterity is the remembrance of their lives and labors.  – inscription on Immigrant Monument, Plymouth MA

Immigrant Monument, Plymouth MA

Obviously there’s a lot more history to Plymouth that I won’t even begin to try and cover here, but the above were some of our highlights.

Tuesday morning, we were out on the mooring ball, enjoying a leisurely morning after a busy weekend,  finishing our coffee, when at 8:30am there came a knock on the hull.  We popped out to find a couple of the marina staff out to collect us for yet another tow into the dock.  Colin was ready to start our repair.  Later that day we encountered another delay when he found that the engine mounts were also trashed, which required another day of waiting for parts.  Wednesday morning we again got towed in a game of musical boats, this time to the fuel dock.  While Colin spent 2+ days on the engine, we finished some last minute chores… laundry, a hardware store run and some final provisioning, including a celebratory dinner out to a nicer-than-our-usual place called the Tasty… yummy Asian-inspired offerings.

new flex coupler

Finally, today we moved off the fuel dock, under our own power for the first time in more than two weeks… all the way to the marina’s face dock where we spent this evening  waiting out a nasty blow which thankfully brought some cooler temps.  Tomorrow we’ll be on the move again, keeping a close weather-eye on the storms brewing in the Atlantic.      And that’s as much of a plan as we have for now.  Stay tuned.

 

Lobsters of Plymouth

We’ve seen these public art displays before in our travels… fiberglass creatures of some variety, sponsored by local businesses, painted by local artists, sometimes/sometimes not involving fundraising for local charities.  The turtles of Vero Beach and the pelicans of Pensacola come to mind from recent years.  Not to be confused with the lobsters of Maine, Plymouth had its own thing going on with these crustaceans.  We’d noticed a couple of them, then inquired at the Visitors Information Center where we were offered a Lobster Crawl map.  Turns out that Plymouth is the second biggest harvester of lobster in the state of Massachusetts behind Gloucester, hence their choice of creature.

The Plymouth Lobster Crawl boasts 29 5′ tall fiberglass lobsters (the blanks were produced in Nebraska, go figure), all sponsored by local businesses and painted by local artists.  When we realized that our brief stop in town would not be so brief, I joked to Mike that I’d just kill a day finding them all.  As it turned out, I didn’t dedicate a day and I only saw about 2/3 of them, but given my love for public art, it was a fun distraction.  Some of the names and themes are quite clever.

I present to you, (some of) the Lobsters of Plymouth.

MAX, sponsored by RE/MAX, artist Samantha Shields

Clawdia, artist Andy Driscoll

Sea Horses, artist Tamara Tagg

Oceanus, sponsored by a local dentist, artist Marissa Scola

Lobsta of Love, artists Heidi May & Wendy Reifeiss

Penny, sponsored by Cape Auto Body & Service, artist Jen Connolly

Personal Injury LAW-bster, sponsored by a law firm, artist Cheryl Greenwood

Welcome, artist Frances McLaughlin

SID – Supporting Independence & Dignity, sponsored by Old Colony Elder Services, artist Samantha Shields

RocKing Lobster, artists Maria Gratta-Pagnani & Monica O’Brien

Brewster, artist Andrew P Linde

Claws Monet, artist Jeannette Lyons Carney

Claws Monet’s paint brushes, artist Jeannette Lyons Carney

Clawdia-Woman in Gold, artist Marion Carlson

Lynx The Lucky Lobster, sponsored by Cat Clinic of Plymouth, artist Jill Voelker

Rocky, sponsored by Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway Co., artist Kate Vannata

Sir-Loin the Lobster, sponsored by a local meat market, artist Diana Naples,

Lu-Sea the Lobster, artist Jennifer McCarthy

Childhood Memories, artist Terry Kole