Dentist and interviews

Went to see Dr. Karp in the AM to get impressions for the implant. With any luck I'll have a tooth within the month.

Had an interview phone screen with Miter. I'm not sure what it was about but it was an interesting conversation.

Sent out a few resumes and got caught up on email.

Modified my blog template to take advantage of the actual screen real estate.

Ogunquit

BB and I went up to Ogunquit Maine to have a bit of adventure and lobster. She also thought she'd lost her keys at a coffee shop there and wanted to check (not there). We had a nice drive up after dropping Mike off at a meeting, a pleasant lunch at Barnacle Billies (the last day they were open), and went marina hopping on the way back. All in all a nice day.

House day

BB and I spent the day tending to various house matters. I managed to get the first crop of leaves off the yard. We spent most of the day running errands. Just a normal sort of house day.

On buying a boat

Some words of wisdom.

He who has the money controls the deal----basic business. The Broker/Seller will do their best to convince you otherwise but remember, he doesn’t get a cent until the boat is sold. Rule 1-( will refer to it often) he who has the money has the power. When I use the term Broker I mean the Broker or the Seller.

Here's another, said before but with an important point; the sale should be conditional on the hull and mechanical surveys. Many preprinted contracts say something like, "sale conditional on mechanical and hull survey showing no reasonable defects".. Get that "reasonable" out of the offer/sale. YOU and only you should determine what is a defect.

Be a knowledgeable buyer……When I bought my 1993 3288, I looked at the asking price and told the broker what I was will to pay. I had gone to several broker sites including Yacht World, gathered asking prices of similar boats, got selling prices when I could and spread sheeted everything running averages, means and standard deviations. I knew what the boat was worth on the open market.

Don’t be afraid to low ball especially if the boat has been on the market for awhile. If the broker is insulted, he’ll get over it. This is a who cares statement..I’m not asking the guy to dinner! The come back will give you an idea of what the seller really wants.

Do not show emotions over the boat (I love this and just gotta have it). Brokers are salespeople and they can smell blood on the water. They will advise their client to hold out for more money if they think they can get it. Sometimes playing good guy, bad guy with you wife works too. She likes it, I could care less!

Never get chummy with a broker…you don’t need to cut his head off…just keep it profession. He ain’t your best friend!

Take what the brokers say as a grain of salt! Man, the stuff I’ve heard! I had water dripping on my head through a centre deck cleat and the broker’s statement was, “oh, a little sealant will fix that”……yea right after you replace 5 square feet of deck core. The only person on your side is the Marine Surveyor you hire to go over the boat. Hire a good one, check references, make sure he’s good and oh, B.T.W. the broker’s reference is the worst one!

Remember, even if you approach a broker to buy a boat he still is not in your corner. He makes his money when you hand over yours. Back to Rule 1!

Before handing over a cent, get as much information as you can on the broker’s financial position. If it isn’t good….walk away to another broker.

When you decide to make an offer negotiate the down payment to a minimum amount. Two dollars forms a legal contract to buy, anything else is icing on the cake. The Broker (or seller) will ask for the moon…..offer a piece of cheese (rule 1). Forget about any reverse logic “like this is an expense item”, “I can’t take an offer like that to my client”….if he won’t another broker will. When I bought my boat the broker asked for a 20% down payment in the form of a certified cheque. After some discussion, he got $7000.00 in the form of a cheque and two dollars cash to seal the deal. Hell he had a week to determine if the money was really there. I’d already checked his credit rating, he could check mine as quickly.

The offer should be in the form of a contract … READ IT. Do some basic research on what is legal and not legal in your area of dealing. I have seen many of these contracts with stuff in that doesn’t even meet the legal requirements of the jurisdiction they are written in or exceed the authority of the contract. Cross out the stuff that you don’t like and initial it. Have the broker initial the change as well. Add in anything that is not in the contract (accessories that you want included, conditions like a sea trial) and include what happens if the conditions are not met (full refund and no deal) whatever.

Remember – if it ain’t in writing it doesn’t exist…..no such thing as an agreement with too many conditions.

DEAL BREAKERS

….Survey not perfect (or things found that were not included before the offer)…if they are small you can either negotiate for money, repairs or drop the condition..but it should be legally your option.

…Boat is not owned free and clear (your surveyor can help you find out this information). Sorry, I guess this needed more explanation. If there is a loan on the boat and it is declared at time of sale it isn’t a deal breaker, but you will have to ensure the loan is cleared at time of purchase (and deal with it in the offer language). This could take a few forms. You could cut two checks, one to the owner/broker and one to the owner/ financial institution or assume the loan in your name or have a statement of clear ownership issued by the owner and holder of the lien as a pre-condition of sale. If you find undeclared liens on the boat my advice is to step away! If you find one, there could be more and they could be in a number of forms.

Do not, under any conditions hand over final payment until all conditions of the deal are met and the keys are basically in your hand.

Favourite Broker-isms

Are you really serious? Reply--No I just drove 100 miles and wasted a day to meet you

This offer insults the owner. Reply---is the boat for sale or not?

A larger down payment would show your serious…..Reply…gee I thought that was what the contract offer was for.

This offer is way too low!.....Reply …thank God….I was afraid I was high!

More wisdom

I think the thing to worry about most, especially with a boat, is a mechanics lien. Any shop that does does work can levy one and they are not easy to trace. I used to run a finance company years ago and along with giving the money out I always had to get it back. I can't count the number of repos that we had that appeared to have clear title on a car at the time we assumed them, but after the redemption period (the time the customer has to make good on the defaulted loan before a lien holder can sell it) a mechanics lien had shown up in the system. So not only did we need to recover OUR money, but we had to pay off the mechanics lien to be able to auction the car off.

This is especially important in boats, since I think people may have work done over the winter, things change, they can't afford the boat, let alone the repairs, so they try to sell it, and there is a 2 or 3 thousand dollar repair bill outstanding. if the shop is SMART they will have tossed a lien on the boat to over themselves, and in that time period it may not show up in the doc trail yet

Take Pictures

I think someone else already said this..take pictures....lots of pictures..inside..cabin..bunks....engine room...outside...everywhere. Good to refresh your memory on delivery and for insurance purposes. Make sure everything is included and delivered.

Marine title company

The very best thing you can do to protect your interests is to hire a marine title company to complete the paperwork.

The process is simple. Negotiate your deal. Sign a contract to purchase Take or send the contract to a marine title company, along with the "Earnest Money" check, made out to the title company. The cost of this service is a couple hundred dollars. The peace of mind is priceless.

4788 Info

I've been looking at 4788 info on the Bayliner Owners site and bumped across this useful bit of stuff.

When I was looking for a larger boat I inspected 50 plus boats all over the world. I ended up with a 1995 4788, 310 Hino power. I’ve never regretted it.

Like Smitty says you need to look at the boat with your prospective use in mind.

Beyond getting a good surveyor.

As an old time boater you know access to engines, pumps, tanks etc. on any boat can be challenging. The 47 is normal in that regard. Most of my complaints about my boat are the lack of adequate access panels for maintenance. I think it’s an industry wide disease.

Personally, I like the galley level with the salon so when your cooking your not isolated. The Princess Electric stove, in my opinion sucks. It was designed to keep the pots and pans from sliding off when the boat moves. If its that rough we don’t cook. Biggest problem is you can’t get a large pan directly on a burner. Not counting the Admiral and I hate to cook on electric. This is a very fixable problem and many people change out the elect for gas and better designed cook tops. The galley layout is very work friendly.

Engine access is a bit tight. Better then some I’ve been on and worse then others. One nice addition that some have done is to open up an additional panel in the salon floor between the engines. The stair access isn’t bad if you’re not too big. If you pop down to check oil or open seacocks you need to wear knee pads or put down some carpet or other padding between the engines.

I suggest you crawl down between the engines to see for yourself.

Genset access is also a bit hard. I have the Westerbeke 12.5 KW. To check oil I have to pull the top panel and lay down to reach the short dipstick. This is not unique to this boat model, just one small irritation.

The bed in the main stateroom is another thing some people don’t like with the 45/47 design. You have to climb up into it. Personally I don’t mind, I sleep better on the boat then anywhere else. I prefer a little inconvenience getting in and out of bed to wasting all that boat space on an aft cabin with a full bed. I like the open space in the salon vs an open bedroom.

The guest stateroom bed is longer and narrower then a standard bed. I have a friend that’s 6’ 5’’. He says it the only bed he’s ever slept in that his feet didn’t hang off the end. Main complaint here is some people knock their legs when turning over.

The bunks are bunks. I’ve slept in them and prefer not to. Great for kids or small people. My 26 year old daughter does fine in the lower one, but she’s 5’2” and 105 pounds.

The sump pump for the aft shower is a bit noisy. Try it.

Handling is great, I operate alone sometimes and it’s no problem to get to side lines or back to the cockpit quickly.

I would suggest you try all the beds, step into the showers, open all the doors, drawers, and panels you see. Look under the mattress at the storage areas. This boat has a lot of storage space. I carry a good 1000 pounds of junk I don’t need. Look for water stains. I think everyone has had water leaks. If it had leaks that weren’t addressed right away you may have dryrot in the corner panels or light valance’s in the salon. My surveyor didn’t catch this on mine, I did.

Buy it you’ll like it.

Back to work

Heard from Walter. They are about ready to do something.

There's an interesting Bayliner page here.

Plan for the day

• Job search
• Deal with paper - I got the bills proper dealt with but also need to deal with the rest of the paper.
• Change land line to Vonage
• Arrange to get cars in for service - Mine has a rattle in the suspension that needs attention. BB's hasn't been serviced for some while.
• Work on the Loop site -
• Call Bob L and setup dinner Sunday 9th
• Check Jerry Silva re opportunities
• Call Walter C. re status - Got email from Walter. They are about ready to do something.
• Call KK re opportunities
• Call Citizens bank to stay in touch and check on opportunities
• Work on the exhaust cover for the kitchen hood
• Work on molding in MBR and screen/motor issue
• Checkout issue with radiant thermostats
• Clean leaves from yard - Did the driveway.

Looking at boats in Boston

BB and I spent most of the day looking at boats.

We visited with Dough Wielhower at Eastern Yacht Sales (781.749.8600) to look at several Mainship models. The 34 was a very nice boat but not really suitable as a live aboard. We looked at another newer 400. This one was rather nicer than the one we saw in Maine but BB didn't feel that it was something she wanted to live on. We also looked at a 45 Express. While the aft cockpit was very nice, the saloon was not acceptable. I'd really wanted to see the 45 Sedan Trawler as it has a layout similar to the Bayliner 4788 but there was not one available. Likewise the 43 aft cabin. I'll get back to ???? to the the 45 Trawler.

After lunch we saw Jack Garvey (781.767.1500, c 781.953.0910) who has a 4788 at the Metropolitan Yacht Club in Braintree (39 Vinedale Rd).

This is a 1999 model with some nice customizations:

• Saloon sole modified to provide central access to the engines. This makes a BIG difference in dealing with the mechanical systems.
• L seat modified to a straight seat and table replaced. The look it gave the saloon was very living room like and comfortable. I'm a bit worried about the lack of a real table.
• Extra small storage lockers on the cockpit. One of them appears to interfere with the saloon door and may be a bad idea but they do provide some additional space.
• Railings around the fly bridge deck aft. Nice for kids but would interfere with a tender.
• Several small additional lockers under the stairs and in a couple of other places.
• Electric heads not vacuflush. He modified the heads to use fresh water. Reportedly these are more reliable.
• Covers for several fixtures (electrical inlets) so they can not leak from pilot house door gutters.
• Electrical service fixture in cockpit.

On the negative side:

• No tender. This is a $10K problem.
• Older electronics but one new Garmin.
• All the systems would have to be tested as they have not been used while he's owned the boat.

We spent considerable time talking with Jack and he provided considerable insight about the boat. In particular he noted that it handles 4' to 6' well although "you'll get tossed around some." He also referred me to the Bayliner owner's group where there is considerable information about the boat. Another very useful Bayliner site is the Blake Davis site. I was also able to measure the air draft (looks like the top of the radar arch is 16'+) and the draft (looks like 46"). All in all the boat was well maintained and at $235 asking it is possible to have a conversation.

In looking at the owner's group I came across some interesting fuel numbers.

• At 6.8 kts, 2.61 KMPG - 8 kts plus or minus is probably the hull speed
• At 10 kts, 1 KMPG
• At 15 kts, 0.68 KMPG
• At 18 kts, 0.55 KMPG
• At 20 kts, 0.55 KMPG

Fuel numbers from Blake Davis Site

RPMs	MPH	GPH	RANGE
1000	7.70	1.67	921
1200	8.70	3.20	543
1400	9.90	4.66	424
1600	11.00	6.57	303
1800	12.40	8.87	279
2000	13.70	13.70	280
2200	16.40	11.65	281
2400	19.20	13.64	281
2600	21.70	15.45	280
2800	24.30	17.73	274
3000	26.80	22.78	235

There was another set for the 4588 ( materially similar)

Clearly the 4788 is a thirsty beast at anything other than idle.

I got some information back from Cara O'Connor on two other 4788s. It wasn't very complete. In any event there is a 1995 asking $200 and a 1999 asking $275. The 95 is a bit tired but generally OK and has a dingy. The 99 just finished the loop and is very nice indeed with updated electronics, charts, etc.

In looking on the web there are a large number of other 4788s for sale with some attractive buys.

It's worth noting that lately that BB has expressed an interest in cruising for several years "following the sun." This argues for a larger more comfortable boat. It's worth a think.

Started a spreadsheet to price and compare boats. I'll also use it to keep track of ones we've liked.

Plan for the day

• Boat day

Just another Wednesday

Plan for the day

• Deal with paper - Paid bills but there is a ton of paper to deal with and other issues.
• Arrange to get cars in for service - Mine has a rattle in the suspension that needs attention. BB's hasn't been serviced for some while.
• Work on the Loop site -Basic layout for St Johns River
• Call Bob L and setup dinner - Spoke briefly. Try to setup dinner Sunday the 9th.
• Check Jerry Silva re opportunities
• Call Walter C. re status - Sent email. Need to followup with phone call.
• Call KK re opportunities
• Call Citizens bank to stay in touch and check on opportunities
• Call Seth to see how he's doing with his girlfriend - Spoke to him last night. He's much calmer but has decided not to deal with his concerns yet.
• Work on the exhaust cover for the kitchen hood
• Work on molding in MBR and screen/motor issue
• Checkout issue with radiant thermostats
• WW fluid in cars
• Clean leaves from yard - Spent a couple of hours working on the W side of the house.
• Plumber - Plumber came and replaced gasket. 2 hrs work + materials.

Rainey Day Task

Plan for the day

• Pay bills - I've put this off and really need to attend to it.
• Arrange to get cars in for service - Mine has a rattle in the suspension that needs attention. BB's hasn't been serviced for some while.
• Work on the Loop site. - Worked on the Champlain section.
• Call Jack Garvey 781.767.1500 or (c) 781.935.0910 to see Bayliner 4788. Arranged to see Thursday at 1300. He's at Metropolitan Yacht Club in Braintree (39 Vinedale Rd). We'll need to call as the club is apparently gated.
• Call Eastern Yacht Sale, Michael Brockman, re Mainship 34 - Sent Email to arrange Thursday AM. Spoke to him. He'll be out of town at the boat show but Dough Wielhouwer can show us both a Mainship 34 and Mainship 40. The firm also has a Mainship 43 on site. Meet at their location 10am this thursday.
• Call Bob L and setup dinner - Spoke briefly. Try to setup dinner Sunday the 9th.
• Check Jerry Silva re opportunities
• Call Walter C. re status
• Call KK re opportunities
• Call Citizens bank to stay in touch and check on opportunities
• Call Seth to see how he's doing with his girlfriend
• Work on the exhaust cover for the kitchen hood
• Work on molding in MBR and screen/motor issue
• Checkout issue with radiant thermostats
• WW fluid in cars
• Clean leaves from yard - I'm trying to avoid doing it 4 times like last year and have hopefully waited so that the majority are down. - Raining today and last night. Try after there are a couple of dry days.

Plan for the day

• Pay bills - I've put this off and really need to attend to it.
• Arrange to get cars in for service - Mine has a rattle in the suspension that needs attention. BB's hasn't been serviced for some while.
• Work on the exhaust cover for the kitchen hood.
• Call KK re work
• Clean leaves from yard - I'm trying to avoid doing it 4 times like last year and have hopefully waited so that the majority are down.
• Work on the Loop site.
• Call plumber re heating - I noticed some serious corrosion that needs attention.

Dataupia doesn't seem to be going anywhere. I'm going on to other things.

I spent some time on the Loop site and created a new google site to host it as well as reorganizing the pages and reordering the route. All in all, the new version is much nicer.

Called plumber. They will come Wed AM. The joint is leaking slightly so I'll need to keep an eye on it.

Got an email from John C. Huck at Venator Partners (W: 781-263-7300 x 208, C: 978-808-1744, huck@venatorpartners.com concerning a lead QA opportunity. I've called and emailed to followup.

Had a long conversation with Seth. He's having issues with his current girl friend and is upset. It doesn't souond good.

Found the boat - Bayliner 4788

BB and I went down to Fall River to look at a Bayliner 4788. We just plain liked the boat. It is all but perfect. There are a couple of these on the market locally and many on the east coast at pricing anywhere from $200K to $250K. The boat layout is virtually ideal for the loop as are the overall specifications. We are going to focus on this model with a view finding one for the Loop.

Saturday looking at boats

BB and I went down to Wareham to look at a 1988 Albin 43 trawler. While the boat layout was OK it was on the verge of being a project boat. Pitty as otherwise I thought it had some potential

On the way back we stopped and got icecream. All in all a nice day.

Plan

This is a house day:

• Pay bills - I've put this off and really need to attend to it.
• Arrange to get cars in for service - Mine has a rattle in the suspension that needs attention. BB's hasn't been serviced for some while.
• Replace a number of lights that are out.
• Work on the exhaust cover for the kitchen hood.
• Followup on Dataupia
• Call KK re work
• Clean leaves from yard - I'm trying to avoid doing it 4 times like last year and have hopefully waited so that the majority are down.
• Work on the Loop site.

BB and I Found a Boat We Liked

BB and I went to Portsmouth, RI to look at a 43' Sabreline aft cabin trawler today. We also looked at the same boat in a 3 cabin configuration with galley up in Marion, MA. While both boats were nice we really liked the boat in Portsmouth. Here are some pictures.

While the boat is a smaller than the 47 it offers plenty of space for our needs. The aft cabin has plenty of storage for cloths and personel items. The master head is very large with a good shower and plenty of storage for towels and such. Up a couple of steps, the saloon is large with nice accommodations. There is an inside helm. Down a couple of steps is the U shaped galley with great refrigeration, a gass stove with one larger burner, and good storage for food and cooking things. Forward is the guest stateroom. It is plenty large with a good seperate head.

On the negative side there is no bow thruster ($8000 or so), the dingy is not as large as I'd like ($20,000 with a larger lift, but optional), some additional electronics are likely needed ($4000 or so, but optional), there are 2300 hours on the twin Yanmars (could die tomorrow or go for another 2000 hours hard to tell but could pay to have Yanmar check them), the canvas while generally good needs some work and screens ($3000 or so).

On the positive side the boat is turn key with EVERYTHING needed to go cruising including a couple of folding bikes. Additionally the boat presents VERY well and BB responded positively. So we now know that there is a 43' that meets our needs.

Asking is $339,000 but I'd guess the deal could go down for around $300 more or less. It's a thought.

Going forward, I'll try to find a $200,000 version of this kind of boat and see what's available in that price range.

Looping alternatives

I've been thinking that doing the loop more or less meant getting a boat and doing it while living aboard more or less full time for up to a year. It occurs to me, though, that there are alternatives.

One would involve getting a boat and doing the loop in shorter stages of a few months, say 3 or 4 with extended breaks. When the season was bad the boat could be put on the hard until the start of the next appropriate season. This might allow a much smaller and less expensive boat, perhaps even a 40' express, that might be more appropriate for ATL (after the loop). It's a thought and I'll bounce it off of BB.

House things and bills

It's time for a house and bill day. Here's the plan:

• Finish plaque for kitchen
• Pay bills

Spent some time working on the Great Loop site.

Heard from Jerry Silva. He's left Tower and is not at S1. I sent him a resume since I've had some interest in the company and would enjoy working in that area. He mentioned that KK is now running banking. I think I'll give her a call to see what is happening there.

Heard from an agent trying to place Perl folks at MIT Lincoln Labs. It's worth a shake but I've yet to see one of these close.

Another quiet day

Spent the day reading.

Called Art to check on a number of things including Mom's finances. It's time to put some more money in. It turns out that the place she is staying at is 'a la cart' and the actual expenses are higher than we'd expected. Avery is concerned and it's time to get the family together and on the same page.

Spoke briefly with Mom. She isn't feeling well. I'll call back tomorrow to check up on her. It's heartbreaking not to be nearer and I'm thinking about going down for a visit.

I tried to reach Seth and left a message to get together for lunch.

Likewise left a message for HB to see how they are doing.

Quiet day at home

Another quiet day at home. I spent the day working on the loop site. It is in much better order now. I wonder if there is some way to monetize the site and adventure? Tomorrow I should finish the cleanup work and will attend to some things around the house.

Plan for tomorrow:

• Call Art re Mom and money
• Get back to Seth to setup lunch
• Touch base with HB
• Finish plaque for kitchen
• Pay bills

Quiet day at home

BB and I spent the day relaxing and catching up on some house things.

I've continued to look at boats online. One can spend infinite time doing so. That said, I've made considerable progress getting my thoughts in order and organizing what I've found.

Boats - What else

BB and I went to Boston Yacht to look at a 47' Sabre ($360). It's a very nice boat, but given what else is on the market overpriced. The broker, Bruce, was very generous with his time and showed us a variety of boats including a couple of Carvers. They are very contemporary and attractive inside but I have some reservations about their sea keeping ability. Even so the 36' we saw was livable and the 45' very livable. I'll need to do some research on just how good a boat they are.

Bruce sent along a couple of listings for 43' Sabre in Marion and Portsmouth RI. The RI boat is asking $339,000 and is nicely equipped. I've sent him an email to arrange to see the boat Thursday afternoon.

Along the way, Bruce gave some indication of how they value a trade. It seems they look at the number of boats like the trade in the three years around the trade. Overpriced is in the top 1/3. The bottom 1/3 is priced and really for sale. That's a reasonable way to look at pricing them.

Boats - It's not easy

I've continued to think about boats for BB and I. At some level I'm tempted to getting a very small boat (read inexpensive) to get some additional experience.

Of course, if I did there would be the whole power sail. If it's small then why not a Gemini. BB and I would enjoy that but it's probably not a good choice for the loop. Still it's a thought as we could have a good time sailing and generally messing about locally.

Plan B is to get a small power. But then there is the issue of where to go/how to cruise. Fuel is expensive so boating here and there would be expensive. Of course there are MANY small power boats available including express cruisers that would be suitable and shouldn't be costly. For just a bit more I could pick up an older small trawler suitable for weekending and building experience.

Spoke to Dataupia again and it looks positive. We'll see.

Looking at boats in Maine

BB and I went to Portland Maine to look at boats. It was rainy and not a particularly nice day but we went ahead and had a nice time anyway.

We looked at a Mainship 40. It's a nice enough boat and there is one on the market for $239K that the owner's were setting up for the loop. Apparently the guy died before they could get started. It gives more than a little pause. At any event I liked the boat well enough and it is big enough to do the trip. Afterward it would make a nice occasional cruiser. All that said, it doesn't strike me as a real live aboard. The cabin is a bit small with marginal storage. The bunk is not really large enough. The galley and galley storage is OK but the saloon doesn't have a really good livability feel. On balance, one would be living on a boat not touring in your home.

We also looked at at 390. It's an earlier version of the 400. There are MANY available at all sorts of prices. It might be a good first boat to play with. It's a thought.

We also looked at a Mainship 43. It was over priced at $389K but not cluttered like the one we saw in Boston. Also there was a double recliner opposite the couch. All in all I rather liked it. BB didn't respond well though although I'm not entirely sure why.

The dealer had a Sabre 47 available as well. It was VERY nice and clearly a very comfortable live aboard. It was also $500K! When it comes right down to it it's more than we can really afford. Even so, it's nice to dream.

I spoke to Walter late in the day and the Citizens thing is going to be delayed at least a month. I'll chase the Datupia thing.

We heard from Bruce at Boston yachts and arranged to see a boat they have this weekend at 1330 Saturday.

Looking at boats

Spent the day looking at boats. It's rather harder to sort through than I'd imagined. In part because they are expensive and in part because I'm not really clear on what I want.

It took me a bit to realize the last. If all we really want to do is do the loop and then some seasonal cruising then a relatively small boat is altogether adequate. If, on the other hand, we want to do some extended live aboard then a rather larger boat is wanted. The trick is what do I want to do?

In part the issue is made more complex by a lack of experience. Both BB and I like the idea but as a purely practical matter do not have enough real experience to know what we would really like. Perhaps the answer then is to get a small inexpensive boat and use it to gain experience so we know what we'd like.

Heard from the agent re Datupia that they wanted to call. Not sure what is going on but it's worth a follow up.

Prospecting and boats

I put a call into John re the Citizens gig. No word back. Hopefully something will happen there as it's a good gig and I'd enjoy the work.

I got a listing for a 47' Sabre trawler from Bruce at Boston Yachts. It looks interesting and I'll try to arrange to see it Saturday or Sunday.

I heard from Peter Ouellette (yacht broker at DiMillo's Yacht Sales, 1 Long WSarf, Portland, ME 207.318.0626) and arranged for BB and I to meet with him this Thursday to look at some trawlers. It's a bit more than a 2 hour drive so well need to leave about 9AM to get there by 11:30. He has a number of boats so I think the drive will be useful.

43' Mainship 430 Trawler

We were able to arrange to look at a 43' Mainship Trawler ($225,000). The boat was in fair shape and interesting. BB did not respond well to it. It may have been the time of day (late with flat light so the boat was a bit dull). It may have been the decoration (dated). Whatever, it didn't quite fit.

From a functional POV, it was generally OK. There were a couple of things about this particular boat that were issues. There was a very nice, read expensive, hardtop that was over 19' tall! There might be some issues with one of the engines. Storage was a bit tight. Otherwise a possible choice.

It is interesting but after looking at this I'm thinking a 45' aft cabin or a 40' sedan might be good choices.

Mike

BB and I went out and ran errands in the mourning. She spent the afternoon picking up Mike's things and bringing them to Sudbury. He smelt and hadn't been taking good care of himself. Not encouraging. I spent the day looking at boats and doing house errands.

Trip to Falmouth to look at boats

BB and I spent the day in Falmouth looking at boats and having lunch.

The Saber 38 was nice, but after looking more closely simply to small. The dealer, Tom from Boston Yachts, had a 42 as well. We did a brief trial on it and I must admit I really liked it a lot. The boat is also available as a sedan that could be almost ideal.

While we were there Tom showed us a 48' raised pilot Offshore trawler. It was really nice ($525000). BB and I both liked it. Unfortunately there is the issue of price, draft 5' + and height >19'. But by way of a live aboard it was perfect. Much to my surprise, BB volunteered that she liked the idea! That's a big break.

While we were there we went out to lunch at a nice restaurant overlooking the marinas and boats. Service was poor but the view and day were spectacular.

Mike asked to move

The day

• BB called mid day and it seems Mike was asked to leave where he's living now. It isn't clear why and allegedly he can go to another house in the same group. We'll see. This is the 3rd or 4th weekend in a row where there has been some issue with him. It's wearing. A bit later BB called again and for reasons that are not clear Mike took some of his stuff and took the T toward Sudbury where someone (who know which of his doubtful friends) will pick him up. BB tried to get him to stay where he was so she could pick up him and his stuff but apparently Mike was on his way already. This has a bad feel to it and BB is very upset and worried.
• Did a bit of reading and looked at boats online

Just another day

The day

• BB's off today but tied up with errands as we will be out and about this weekend.
• Heard from Saber 38 guy. He can't make it this weekend but referred me to a colleague that can do a demo. I've set it up for Saturday 1PM in Falmouth. BB and I will make a day of it.
• Bills
• Ping Walter to see what deal is at Citizens. I'm concerned that there is no closure. While I'd like to do the work if it doesn't close I'll go on to something else.
• Look into going to Collins Foundation event this weekend - http://www.collingsfoundation.org/cf_fallopenhouse2008.htm It looks semi interesting but it's not clear what aircraft will actually be on display.

Haircut and interview

The day

• Haircut
• Interview with Dataupia - Interview went reasonably well. The company is doing some interesting work and it would be fun to be involved. It's not clear that I'm a good match for their immediate needs but longer term there is likely some possibility.

Errands

The day

• Cardiologist - Met with Dr. David Martin re arrhythmia. I had a significant bout about a week ago. He suggested that it might be just an event, prescribed a beta blocker to use when I have an event, ran an EKG, and took blood pressure. My blood pressure remains marginally high. He also suggested that I stop drinking.
• Saw Dr. Karp (dentist) - I've had some jaw and ear pain. He thinks its muscles not teeth.
• Bought a new Nuvi. Tried to get the previous one fixed. They want more than the new one cost. Nuvi is fired and I'll continue to use the old one.
• Dropped off plates for pickup and canceled insurance.
• Got edits back from Walter and resolved. Hopefully final sent.

Mike's headach and the day

Mike called last night at 3AM with a headache. I'm really worried about him but there is little we can do. We'll see how the day goes.

I've got a tooth that is in trouble and will try to see the dentist sometime in the next couple of days. I've also had a recent arithimea event that I'll see a new cardio guy about tomorrow.

Plan for the day

• Karp about tooth - Booked appointment for 10/7
• Bit of work on Praxis site - Revised template
• Phone interview with Dataupia - Went well and setup followup for 10/8 on-site
• Final edit for FTB - Got feedback from Cindy Brown and Sheldon Leonard and integrated into document. Sent final to Walter Cunningham for distribution.
• Phone notes - Spent another 40 minutes and two calls dealing with Verizon over their message.
• License plates (I gave the truck to Seth) and need to cancel insurance and turn in the license plates
• Bills -
• Setup trip to Falmouth next week to sea trial Saber -

Boat Show

BB and I went to the boat show (Mike stayed over Saturday night). I'd hoped to look at express cruisers and trawlers. There were a number of interesting express cruisers but not a single trawler. I liked the Saber 38. It has a great cockpit, good decks, good sight lines, and adequate accommodations. Not bad looking either but BB was less enthused. Even so I may go down to Falmouth to sea trial it next weekend.

Curiously,BB liked some of the Sea Rays! I'd expected the other way around.

After looking at several I liked some of the 36 to 38 ft boats. They didn't have the storage of the Saber but were still entirely workable and ultimately had a similar layout. There are a number of similar boats and, of course, there are MANY used Sea Rays on the market. Perhaps one thing to consider is buying one and try weekending/week long trips to get BB used to the idea.

Mike stayed over Saturday night without incident. I remain concerned about getting pulled back in but also about his future. He doesn't really seem to care and thus there isn't much that can be done to direct him.

Looking at housed in Mattaposit and Mike

Mike was in Sudbury again this weekend. I'm concerned about getting pulled back into the whole mess but Mike's good at manipulation, particularly Barbara and he managed this. Also BB is still trying to help at some level. For my part, I'd like to see him progress but don't think that continuing to come back to Sudbury is helpful. Indeed, I'm inclined to the view that it supports keeping him stuck in failing behaviors. BB and I have talked about this and although I think she understands it intellectually, it's not possible yet for her to get to the point where she can act.

We went down to Mattaposit to look at several houses. One we rather liked but it was not especially well located. The encouraging thing is that there are houses there that are suitable. Of course we'll need to sell this one and given the market it's tough to know what to expect.

Praxis web site

I spent the day doing some work on the Praxis web site for Walter. I've got a basic site together and have about as much content as possible given what I have to work with. I've sent stuff along to Walter so we'll see what he thinks and go from there.

I've arranged for BB and I to see some houses in Mattaposit tomorrow. We've been talking about moving to somewhere (Marion, Mattaposit, Borne, etc.) along Buzzards bay and looking at houses is one way of getting a better feel for the area.

Just Another Day

BB normally takes Thursday off. The original notion was to give us another day to do things around the house, run errands, etc. Of course things have a way of expanding to fill whatever time is available and Thursdays are no exception. So she'll be running other errands all day and I'll take some time to deal with mail and work on some Praxis things.

I continue to get feedback from FTB. Nothing yet from Sheldon Leonard or Cindy Brown the two critical reviews but I hope they'll be along shortly. Meanwhile other feedback continues to dribble in. Nothing really big so the document looks like it's good to go.

I thought today I'd see what I can do for a web site for Praxis. Walter sent some background stuff along. It's not much but I'll do what I can with it and hopefully move that forward.

I think I'll also take a few minutes to work on the Great Loop plan and, of course, there is the job issue to chase.

Prospecting

One of the things about being a consultant is that you are almost always prospecting. Thus I spent the day making calls and looking for my next gig.

I'd expected to start at Citizens Bank next week but Walter Cunningham (Praxis-Advisors) isn't sure when that will happen. I'd really hoped that would happen because the pay is attractive and the gig is in Providence, RI so I don't have to ride airplanes or necessarily stay there every night. Since it's gotten a bit iffy, I've begun to entertain other opportunities.

I spent some time this morning with GD. They have been providing talent to Lincoln Labs for about 20 years and are currently looking for some help. I'd chatted with them a couple of years ago and nothing ever came of it, but we'll see. Unfortunately, there lead time is a couple of months so I doubt that anything will come of it this time either. Still, you never know.

I also got a couple of other phone calls this mourning about contract gigs. They seemed interesting so I'll pursue them a bit.

Sailing weekend.

This weekend was spent sailing, Saturday with Bob and Bernadette Landry, Sunday with Marc and Miriam Laden. It was a grand time and a great fall weekend with clear skies and nice winds.

Here's Bob and Bernadette. It's a rather poor photo but you get the idea.

From 080920 Sailing Bob and Burnedette

Here are some photo's from Saturday with Marc and Miriam.

Good to be home

Well, I've been home for two weeks but am off to Dallas for a week Sunday. It's been good to be home as it's easy to work and get things done without the hassle of travel. Sunday should be interesting as there is a hurricane going in at Houston sometime tonight. It's suppose to hook east so Dallas should be on the edge of the issue and I'm hopeful that I'll get in OK Sunday. We'll see.

The house is now 8 years old and things are starting to need maintenance. The current list is one of the dish washers (we've a two drawer unit), the electric oven (the controller is dead and it's a known design flaw for this model, pity I didn't know it when we bought it), and now one of the ceiling fans will not go on. A bit of investigation suggest that it's the control electronics. I've ordered a replacement but, in the way of all such things, the replacement is incompatible with the old controllers. So I've ordered a new controller as well. Simple enough but, there's always a but you know. The fan needing service is one of 5 that uses the same remote controller! So the plan is to take one of the old controllers from one of the fifth fan and use it to replace the dead one then install the new controller in the fifth fan where the new control will be less of an issue. Twice the work, but a better solution I think.

Dallas BBQ - Yum

Mostly traveling on business is just work, hotels, airports, and going from place to place. But occasionally something better happens. So last night I went to dinner at a BBQ place.   I'd no real expectations but just went where the concierge suggested and, wonder of wonder, YUM!, some of the best dry ribs I'd ever had. So good in fact that I overate a bit. Even so a fun experience and an unexpected treat, bar included. And icing on the cake, under $20 2 bears included!

Some 50 or so years ago I lived in Irving Texas. At the time it was a VERY small suburb of Dallas. Of course, over the last 50 years more than a little has changed and Irving is now a large town outside of Dallas hosting both DFW airport and Texas Stadium. Business took me to Dallas and I thought it would be interesting to see what became of our old houses. So armed with my trusty Nuvi 350 GPS off I went to visit old haunts.

This is the first house we lived in. Three small bedrooms for a family of 6. But it was our home and I have fond memories of it. Of course, 50 years ago there were no trees and the look was much drier. But time and water will tell and here it is now. The field and creek across the street are now an apartment complex and park complete with lake where the creek had been. Where there had been woods and fields there are now houses and all that comes with growth. Still, while really rather different it remains in many ways the same.

We moved from Larry Drive to Vance and this much larger house with 4 bedrooms. While I was taking this photo the owner noticed me through the kitchen window. I walked up to the front door and was surprised to meet the now much older people that had bought the house from us. They've lived there some 48 years. Imagine. We chatted a bit and they kindly invited me in to see the house. They've taken good care of it and it was much as I remembered it. If you want to see the video, click here.

Anniversy photos

	The lovely BB. Aren't I the lucky one.
	And myself.  How did I get so old?
	Still smiling and in love.
	And, of course, the lovely BB with some of the boats in the background.

Anniversy time and family events

Well it's my 5th anniversary being married to Barbara. It's been an interesting and occasionally challenging 5 years, 10 if you count the time we spent living together. We are still very happy together notwithstanding two recalcitrant children who opposed the marriage, a severe auto accident and 7 broken vertebra in my neck and back, burning the house down, and a brief separation when one of her sons became violent we're still together and in love. When you put it all down in one place, it's really rather remarkable.

On the rest of my family front:

• Seth can't afford to get his car transmission fixed.
• HB and Allen found that they have bed bugs (that's apparently what is causing issues with Max) and are in the process of getting rid of them. It's a major undertaking and she's under considerable stress.
• Mom fell and broke her wrist. She's really slipping and her memory is very poor to the point that she doesn't remember to call the desk to get help. We are all rather worried about her.
• Sister Avery is out the the hospital. She had some extensive surgery to repair several hernias. She seems to be doing well but will be out of things for a few weeks.

Reconnecting

I've recently been reconnecting with colleagues using LinkedIn. It's been interesting and so far I've found over a dozen. Curious how the net can being us back together. One was Dennis Beherman who sent along this interesting blog link (http://www.behrmannprojekt.com/blog/).

It's curious how people come and go in my life. I've been something of a vagabond, living and working here and there but never really feeling like I had roots anywhere. I suspect it's a reflection of my childhood spent moving from one place to another. Curious! In fact I'm always a bit surprised and in ways a bit envious of those who have roots in a place.

Last week - Looking for job and doing a bit of sailing.

Last week was spent looking for work and doing a bit of sailing.

On the work front, I've decided to work another year or perhaps two while BB and I get the house ready for sale and decide where we want to live what we want to do etc. I suspect it will take her a bit of time to come to grips with the issue of retirement as her life has been largely completely defined by work and children. So a bit of transition and sort of easing into the whole retirement thing seems like a good plan.

Tuesday Bob Landry and I went out sailing out of Boston Harbor Sailing Club. The day seemed rather doubtful with heavy overcast and developing thunder storms in Sudbury. It was so bad I tried to call Bob to see if he wanted to cancel. Fortunately, I was unable to reach him. While it was a bit soft in Boston when I arrived, it soon cleared, as it often does, and we had a really wonderful sail. I really must remember to do the sunscreen thing as I managed to get a slight burn.

Sunday, BB and I went down to Portsmouth, RI and sailing with Bob Zap, his wife Patti, and their three girls on the Moore Gooder. Bob moved the boat there to get a slip. While the forecast wasn't particularly good, the day was wonderful and we sailed about Mount Hope Bay anchoring behind an island for lunch. All in all good fun.



It's only about 1.5 hrs away so worth a think concerning where to keep a boat. On the drive back we ran into very heavy rain and hail just as we got to Sudbury but fortunately no damage to the car.

Monica's Visit

An old school friend of BB's came up for a visit. Monica lives in NY and came up by train; really much more convenient and comfortable than flying. We picked her up and had a lovely visit playing tourist and hosts. Friday we went up to Ogunquit Maine for lobster.

On the way back we made the obligatory ice cream stop at Kimbels, yum!

Sunday we went to the MFA and Harvard Museums. All in all we had a nice visit.

Seth at Nashoba

BB and I met with Seth and his girl friend at Nashoba for a wine and food event. A good time was had by all.

Zac and Jess Wedding

I was cleaning off my desk and found this great photo of Marc, Me, and Barbara at Zac and Jess's wedding.

0706 Zac and Jess Wedding

Maxwell's 4th brithday

BB and I went out to visit Heather and Allen for Max's 4th birthday. The day was lovely and we had a great time. Herewith some photos. Some are actually video. Just click on the link to see them.

We drove back on RT 9 just out of curiosity. It was interesting and only 30 or 40 minutes longer. Good day.

Great Loop - Boat Stuff

So there'll be a need for boat stuff.

• Boat
• Inside and outside helm
• Diesel/gas
• Twin or some sort of reasonable auxilary
• Redundant navigation systems
• 500+ mile range

• Laptop PC
• Able to take image cards
• DVD writer
• WiFi
• Software
• Skype (for phone service where wifi is available)

Great Loop

I've been reading a number of the Looper blogs and notices the various places (marinas, anchorages, restaurants, etc.) that they mention as good. Since it's likely that I'll only go that way once I thought I'd start a list of such places in this blog for future reference. Marinas

• Dog River Marina, Mobile Bay ship channel, wifi, West Marine, courtesy car
• Demopolis, Alabama, courtesy car, Wally World
• Fort Walton Beach, Fl, free dock
• Sarasota, FL, Marina Jack
• Marathon, FL, Boot Key Harbor
• Key West, FL, City Marina

Anchorages

• Ingrams Bayou, Alabama, seems to be ok but nothing special
• Ezell's Fish Camp, Alabama,
• Three Rivers Lake, Alabama,
• Cape Haze, FL
• Fort Myers Beach, FL
• Indian Key, FL
• Shark RIver, FL

Restaurants

• Dick Russell's, Mobile Bay Ship channel, BBQ
• Ezell's Fish Camp, Alabama,
• Staff's Restaurant, Fort Walton Beach
• Panama City, FL, Bayou Joe’s, home of the Trashburger
• Key West, FL
• Mallory Square – many entertainers, including jugglers, musicians, and our favorite, The Cat Man
• Shore Cinema for Thursday night movies
• All you can eat grouper fingers at Harvey’s Run-a-ground
• All you can eat crab legs at the Half Shell Raw Bar
• Walked up and down Duval Street to see the shops and people watch – we did spot Elvis several times
• Ate at New York Pizza – giant calzones, and all you can eat breakfast for $1.99
• Ate all you can eat seafood at Capt. Mario’s
• Great Cuban restaurants – Sandy’s and El Siboney
• Yummy Cobb salad at Fogarty’s
• Ate breakfast at our favorite restaurant in Key West, Blue Heaven
• Supper at Kelly’s – owned by Kelly McGillis, and the old Pan Am Airlines building
• Breakfast at Two Friends (great omlets)
• lunch at Chango Loco (crazy monkey, great Mexican place)
• Fat Tuesday’s for the obligatory frozen drinks
• And finally, a trip to KW would not be complete without going to Margaritaville and getting a Cheeseburger in Paradise!!!!!!

Sites

• xxx

Cities

• Demapolis, Al
• Fort Walton Beach, FL
• Panama City, FL
• Apalachicola, FL
• Carabelle, FL, depart to cross Gulf
• Tarpon Springs, FL, Sponge Capital of the World
• Sarasota, FL, Ringling circus site
• Marathon, FL

The Great Loop

Something I've always wanted to do is the Great Loop. It seems like a grand adventure. My recent trip on Moore Gooder has given me the bug again and I've begun to make somewhat more serious plans. It's simple really:

1. Sell the house (the house is MUCH to large for Barbara and I) and move to something smaller and paid for.
2. Find and buy a boat.
3. Learn how to operate it properly.
4. Go.

So let see if I can make it happen.

Sunday at Fruitlands

Ms Bell and I took some time Sunday to go to Fruitlands Museum, http://www.fruitlands.org/. The view from the top of their drive is really stunning. Unfortunately, I left my camera at home. I took some pictures with my phone but have not been able to get them loaded onto the computer. Don't you just LOVE technology. Sigh.

Next weekend is Maxwell's birthday. So that is something to look forward to.

Addenda 7/10/208

Well, after a bit of fuss and bother I uploaded the picture via email. I think it's $0.25 per but at least I've got the picture. I still need to work out the data cable thing. At any event, here's the picture. It is BB standing in front of an unusual sculpture made of an inverted tree shaped to look like a man. Those are the tree's roots at the top.

From July 2008 Fru...

Just a quiet day

Not much happened yesterday.

• Did some work on a technology experiment I'm playing with. Mostly it involved learning about Apache things.
• Talked to Mom. She's doing well but is, sadly, increasingly forgetful.
• Smoked a marinated fish and some ribs for dinner.

After the previous weeks adventures it was actually rather pleasant. Dave seems to be doing well with his foot after the surgery. Still playing the silver spoon. Hopefully, he'll return to school soon.

Sunday at Nashoba Winnery

Yesterday was suppose to be rainy with thunderstorms. But after spending a leisurely mourning reading the paper and relaxing, it turned bright and sunny. Much to nice a day to go to the planned movie. So Barbara and I decided to go to a lecture/tasting at Nashoba Winery. It's one of our favorite places. The lecture was a real treat with six wines to taste and a bit of food. All rather pleasant. Of course the sky did turn dark and we had the promised thunderstorms. But the small group ran from the pavilion to the winery for a tour lead by Rich, the owner. Tasting wines, as opposed to drinking them, is interesting. With some expert guidance there were many interesting qualities at hand. There will be another couple of these in the series at Nashoba and I think Barbara and I will go to them as well.

Mother's Day

My mom lives in Charlotte, NC. I speak to her most days and am able to get down to see her a couple of times a year. The rest of the time I depend on my brothers and sisters to keep me posted. This past mother's day my sister Ellen sent these photos along. What a treat!
 

Moore Gooder Trip, June 2008

Album

June 2008 Moore Gooder

Slide show if your browser supports it.

Vessel

Moore Gooder
  2006 Gemini 105MC
  White w/blue Features
 

The players

Bob Zaptocky (owner/captain)
  His father
  Richard Bell
 

Some background

I’ve been interested in Gemini catamarans for some while with a view to possibly using one for the Great Loop and later sailing about doing some coastal and Carbine cruising. I posted a note on the very active Gemini group with a view to seeing one and possibly going for a bit of a sail to learn a bit more about them when Bob sent me a note asking if I’d be interested in helping him move a Gemini that he recently purchased from Ocean City NJ to Cape Cod Bay. After meeting each other I agreed to crew for the trip.
 

The Trip

Wednesday, June 18

We met at Bob’s house around 3:30 to load his car and drive to NJ. Bob’s wife and daughter came along. We overnighted at a Marriott Residence Inn in Somer’s Point NJ. The drive down took 6 or 7 hours with some rain along the way. We arrived around 11PM and turned in tired but excited about the trip.
 

Thursday, June 19

Commander’s Landing to Seaview Harbor Marina (240 straight line nautical miles to go)

The plan for the day was to load the boat and move it to Seaview Harbor Marina where we would meet Rob Cozen (Marine Surveyor) who had a few final checks to perform.

We were up and out after a good breakfast courtesy of Marriott at 8:30 AM or so and off to load the boat for the trip.

The More Gooder was in the water at Commander’s Landing Marina (176 Thompson Ln., Egg Harbor Twp, NJ 08234). The marina is an interesting yard, there are no regular slips or transient services, up a small creek off of Great Egg Harbor Bay near Ocean City, NJ.

We met the boat’s previous owner who accompanied us to Seaview to help familiarize everyone with the boat. After loading and moving one car to Seaview Harbor we departed down river late mourning. After motoring through three bridges (2 draw) we went for a brief sail a couple of miles offshore and then to Seaview Harbor being mindful to dodge the dredging operation in the channel.

I’d briefly seen a Gemini the previous weekend but this was the first time I’d been sailing on a Gemini. The boat motored and sailed well and I was enthusiastic for the pending trip. The only issue was the steering under power. For some reason (it later turned out to be over tight steering lines that I adjusted and retied) it was binding causing the wheel to be difficult to turn.

Seaview Harbor is a VERY nice marina. After fueling (made over interesting by the tight steering lines which made the boat difficult to get into the fueling slip) we got an end slip and tied up. After sorting things out, Rob Cozen came over and finished the survey. I adjusted the steering lines with Bob’s permission and we went to dinner at a nice nearby restaurant.

Everyone slept on board with a planned early, 4:30 AM, departure to make the 60+ miles planned for the following day.

The Gemini berths are very nice for a 34' boat. The master cabin is enormous while each of the two stern cabins easily accommodates an adult (all 6' of me) and their gear. It is also possible to convert the salon into a berth. All in all, very nice.
 

Friday June 20

Seaview Harbor Marina to Brielle Marina (236 straight line nautical miles to go)

The plan for the day was to move Moore Gooder to Brielle, pick up Bob’s dad, and overnight. This was a long leg of 65 or so Nautical Miles! So it was up VERY early at 4:30. Patti and Jacki were to drive to Brielle picking up Bob’s parents along the way.

We got out of the marina about 5:30 or so and moved offshore about 3 miles where the trailing winds and swell gave both a better ride and somewhat better boat speed. We’d planned on about 5 to 5.5 knots over the ground. While there was some wind, it would not support the plan and we ended up motoring through much of the mourning with the boat doing a steady 5.5 to 6 knots with a following swell. Late mourning the winds picked up and we raised the main to get a bit of boat speed. The winds held and we were able to do a steady 6 to 7 knots arriving at Brielle mid afternoon, much ahead of the plan. Several rain storms came by but with a bit of care it is possible to stay reasonably dry underneath the cockpit cover.

The waters off of Brielle were VERY choppy and there was a bit of bother getting the sail down. The Gem slaps a good deal all the time but in rough water it slaps a lot. Fortunately, the boat is not bothered by this and handles very well. After getting the sails down we motored into the harbor.

The entry requires that we transit a railroad draw bridge. It is normally up but just as we arrived, a train was passing and we watched the bridge close. We circled among fair traffic down stream of the bridge dealing with an outgoing current. While we were new to the boat, it handled well and after waiting for the downstream traffic we took our turn under the bridge and turned right into the marina. Getting docked was a bit of adventure as everyone was new to the process. But we succeeded without event.

The docks are not floating and there is a 4+ ft tide. After a bit of discussion we rigged spring lines and fenders properly and after showing the boat to Bob’s parents went to dinner at a restaurant just outside the marina.

Brielle Marina is a more or less C- place. The marina shore facilities are a bit limited and the shower not to anyone’s liking. The Gem’s shower is good as boat shower’s go, so there was no real hardship.

Bob’s family departed to return to Massachusetts and the crew overnighted on the boat with a planned early departure for NY, NY.
 

Saturday June 21

Brielle to NY (190 straight line nautical miles to go)

The plan for the day was to go to Newport Marina and overnight. This was the shortest planned leg, only 42 nautical miles or so. We stayed out a few miles to benefit from the better swell push and motored the entire distance at roughly 6 knots or so.

We were off reasonably early in the mourning there being nothing to keep us in Brielle. Yesterday’s winds abandoned us, so we motored off shore 2 to 3 miles with a helpful following swell to New York.

New York harbor from a boat is a great treat with many photo opps! The entertainment started with the moorage south of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge where there were a couple of ships moored. Then under the bridge and through the narrows. Then another ship anchorage with a dozen or so big ladies. Up past Liberty Island and The Statue. Then Ellis Island and into the mouth of the Hudson a couple of miles into Newport marina on the NJ side. We arrived late afternoon.

Newport Marina gets an A- with good showers and basic facilities. The docks are floating and very well protected. The staff was very helpful. There are many chain restaurants near by and good access to the subway into NY within easy walking distance.

We ate on board. The Gem’s galley is good with plenty of space for storage and cooking. The propane stove and electric/propane refrigerator both performed well. The microwave (AC only) is small and wouldn’t accept a family size frozen dinner. After an early dinner from the oven and a bit of wine we turned in with a planed early departure to catch the current in the east river.

Kudos to Patti’s provisioning as the food on board was good during the entire trip.
 

Sunday June 22

NY to Captain’s Cove Seaport (170 straight line nautical miles to go)

The plan for the day was to get as far up LI sound as possible with a view to getting within range of the Cape Cod Canal for Wednesday (still 170 straight line nautical miles away). This was one of our better days with a run of about 55 miles.

The trip through the East River and NY city is quite wonderful with many many photo opps. We departed early mourning to catch the current flowing eastward through Hell Gate. Leaving Newport Marina we tried to fuel at Liberty Marina. Unfortunately, there fuel dock was blocked by an excursion boat of some sort. Since we had more than enough fuel on board (the Gem burns about ¾ gal per hour and we could have reached our final destination with fuel on board) we proceeded.

On the way out of Liberty Marina we were passed by a large passenger vessel. It was an interesting sight and provided considerable photo opportunities. After that diversion it was down around the Battery being careful to stay out of the way of the various ferries. There were some more photo opportunities with Ellis and Liberty islands then off into the East River passing the ferry terminals, several square rigged ships (South Street Seaport and the Peking) and then the bridges.

First under the Brooklyn Bridge. Immediately followed by the Manhattan Bridge. Followed by the Williamsburg. Then a brief brake from bridges with the UN. Then the Queensboro Bridge. And of course the Rosvelt Island Tram. Past Roosevelt Island. Then through Hell Gate under the Triborough Bridge and railway bridge.

Our timing at the Battery was good so Hell Gate was a non event, though, we did get a nice push from the current. We’d picked a barge east bound that we followed through this section of the east river. Though we were slightly faster we were not fast enough to get past safely.

After Hell Gate came the last of the bridges, the Bronx Whitestone and Throgs Neck.

From there its out into lower LI sound and past city island. All in all, the trip east on the river is a real treat.

The rest of the day was devoted to moving east, finally on a more direct course toward our ultimate destination. The winds freshened and we put up the sails and off we went maintaining an easy 5 to 7 knots under sail alone.

Unfortunately, we were unable to raise the drive leg. Subsequent investigation revealed that the latch was not releasing properly so the leg could not be pumped up. This is one of the things about the Gem that’s a bit problematic. The drive leg is somewhat like an outboard. There is a release lever that is supposed to release the reverse lock. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t. Apparently it is a known issue particularly underway. The instructions say raise the leg then put up sails. I’m not at all sure if/how this might be done while keeping the boat into the wind so it all seems a bit dodgy. The net of this was that we drug the drive leg all day which doubtless cut our speed.

Toward the latter part of the day, conditions were getting a bit dodgy and we put in at Brewster Cove just west of Bridgeport, CT.

This marina gets a B. It was clean, the staff helpful though not especially knowledgeable. The shower was not to my liking but otherwise the facilities were good. Since we were in early, we went on shore and had a drink at The Captains. It’s a young oriented bar but OK early in the evening. Later we had dinner on the boat and turned in reasonably early.
 

Monday June 23

Captain’s Cove Seaport to Old Saybrook (127 straight line nautical miles to go)

We left reasonably early with a view to getting as far east as possible with Fishers Island our destination. Bob had been there previously and was enthusiastic to return.

Unfortunately, yesterday’s good winds failed and with air and water temperature nearly the same there was considerable fog that forced us in early at Old Saybrook, CT. We still managed 45 plus miles.

This marina has my vote for the best of the trip by far. Shore facilities included outdoor and indoor pools, sauna, whirl pool, and great showers. Clearly an A+. Given our schedule though we could not particularly take advantage of them.

On a negative note, the initial slip they directed us to was clearly not 14 ft wide. We ended up on a T dock. Clearly the Gem’s width, though narrow by Catamaran standards, is still issue enough.

A bit of investigation of the engine release revealed that for some reason the reverse lock pawl is not releasing. It can be pressed down with a boat hook so that’s what we did.

We ate onboard again. With the Gem this is not an issue at all as both the galley and cabin are very spacious. We chatted and read for a bit then to bed for another early start as we had not made as much easting as we’d hoped.
 

Tuesday June 24

Old Saybrook to Block Island (88 straight line nautical miles to go)

This was another short, though eventful, day with only 40 miles or so. Out intent was to try to get to Cuttyhunk, Ma which would place us within a easy day of the canal. For fallbacks we had Newport, always a treat with outstanding shore side restaurants, or Point Judity (I’ve friends near there and there is a fish restaurant I’m particularly fond of ).

Fog was an issue again. After a reasonable start we put into Niantic and road the hook for a couple of hours waiting for the fog to clear. We took the opportunity to pump up the dingy as it was sagging a bit (not sure why).

Fog along the coast was minimal to nonexistent so we went off again and as the day cleared drifted south a bit to pick up somewhat better seas and search for wind that wasn’t there. There was a bit of chop which gave the boat a less happy motion. As we motored on, a line of thunderstorms developed along the coast of RI and there were a number of weather alerts. After discussing things a bit we elected to divert to Block Island as the storms were tracking along the coast. The new harbor at block island is very nice, though not as well protected as I’d imagined as there is considerable fetch for the wind. Still we were able to refuel and get onto a T dock in reasonable order despite very difficult winds driving us off.

One negative with the Gem, like most catamarans, is windage. There is more boat above the water and as a consequence it gets blown around more than many others. Still the steerable drive leg helps, a big plus to offset the reverse locking pawl issues, and the boat can be easily maneuvered. It does help is there is a dock hand that knows how to string a spring so the boat can be driven on. Fortunately we had one and got on with only a bit of fuss.

We ended up at the Block Island marina all the way at the south end of the new harbor. This marina gets a solid B+ in my book with good enough facilities and is within a longish walk to the old town.

As we were in early, we walked into the old town did a bit of sight seeing and had a beer on the porch of one of the old hotels. All in all rather pleasant. After walking back we ate at the Oar restaurant at the marina and turned in reasonably early.

Our decision to come in early to Block Island was a VERY good one as the coastal thunderstorms caused considerable issue along the coast. Later a line moved just north of Block and over near Cuttyhunk, our original destination, and absolutely hammered somewhere. Meanwhile we sat dry and comfortable having dinner at the Oar.

Block is a more or less 60 miles straight shot to the canal. After talking it over, we decided to leave very early and see if we could make it as the weather was predicted to be very favorable. So we planned a very early, 4:30 am wakeup, departure. As a fallback, we had the offer of a mooring at the canal entrance.

There was a bit of bother overnight with something on the boat making an unusual noise. I got up a couple of times to see what it was but couldn’t find anything amiss. It might have been the dingy slapping, perhaps a block, or perhaps one of the boards.
 

Wednesday June 25

Block Island to Town of Sandwich Marina (60 straight line nautical miles to go)

We were up and our early getting underway around 5:15 or so bound for home. We needed to be at the canal entrance by 1:30 PM or so to make the tide/current through the canal. From block, that’s a LONG way on a sailboat and things would have to go very well to make it. As it turned out they did and we made 65 or so miles to get to the entrance in time.

Out of Block we had good winds, an easting current, and easting swell all of which gave us a ground speed over 7 knots toward our destination. I’d have liked to have left 45 minutes earlier than we did but we stayed just in range while motor sailing all day long. As we got into Buzzards Bay we picked up a solid current and succeeded in making the canal within our window despite failing winds.

Transiting the canal was interesting with three bridges and a very enthusiastic welcoming party that watched us as we passed at a couple of overlooks along the way. We caught up to a barge that entered the canal earlier than us and passed without incident.

The Sandwich Marina is nice enough but small by some standards. By the time we got there the winds were blowing at 15 to 20 knots and docking the boat was a bit tricky as the winds were blowing first off the dock then on. It takes some practice to maneuver big cats in the wind but we managed to pick up fuel and then move to a T.

The welcoming committee arrived and there was general pandemonium as the kids climbed aboard and explored dad’s new boat. The grandmothers came aboard as well and after cleaning and organizing things we closed up the boat and departed for Bob’s house.
 

Overall Impressions of the Gemini

This is a nice boat with a reasonable set of compromises for a bay/weekend/week long coastal cruiser. The boat has a nice sized cockpit and reasonable accommodations for up to 4 or so. The galley gets good marks as does the head/shower and main cabin dining area.

There are things to criticize about the Gem. While the steerable drive leg has some positive characteristics it has some negatives as well not the least of which is the reverse lock release mechanism. This particular boat had a few issues and things I’d change but these were mostly along the lines of comfort/convenience things like a reasonable place to hang the garbage bag in the galley (trivial to solve), cup holders in the cockpit (I managed to spill coffee several times when my cup tipped, also trivial), a larger microwave (the built in one wouldn’t accept a family meal and there is good space for one on top of the refrigerator cabinet where properly installed it would provide a good inside shelf for the steering station), etc. The boat really needs a generator as there are a couple of AC only things on board. Again it’s easy enough to install one as there is an extremely large locker forward in the port hull. While fit and finish are OK, hatch sealing is not and we had some wet in the lockers that shouldn’t have been there. Again, it’s easy enough to fix. There is a screacher option that this boat didn’t have. In the light airs we encountered it would have been nice to have it. That said, the main and jib are nice enough despite my inability to get them properly adjusted (it’s more likely to have been me than the sails). The boat doesn’t have radar and should have at least a reflector.

The Gem pounds. While the pounding doesn’t seem to hurt the boat it is a bit disconcerting. On sail and motor the boat handles very well and could be single handed with minimal bother.
 

Overall impressions of the trip

Just plain FUN! What more can you say. I’d have liked a bit more wind and sailing but we had a couple of good days of wind. The trip through NY, the East River, LI Sound, and Buzzards bay is OUTSTANDIN and it was a real treat on the Gem. The crew gets good marks as well with good vibes all around. I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.

Restarting yet again

Blogging just takes time and, of course, committment to doing it. I had another busy 10 hour work day. I'd like to cut back but must admit the technical work is interesting and aside from being over tired I'm having fun with work again for the first time in a long time. BB and I are going to the NewPort boat show this weekend. It will be nice to get away for a couple of days and enjoy some time with each other. So life goes on.