September 29th- Cape May to Cohansey River, NJ

Today a difficult decision had to be made. Our options were to stay in Cape May for several days and deal with stormy weather and 30 knot winds. We’d probably be anchored without good shore access. Option #2 was to leave today with a north wind gusting over 20 knots. I’ve been told to never go up the Delaware Bay with any kind of heavy north wind. There is a strong current in the bay and to get from Cape May to the C & D canal, a mariner needs to ride the flood tide up the bay. A heavy north wind opposes the tidal flood in the shallow bay and big chaotic waves form.

We took option two.

I’m going to start by saying it is very difficult to sail up Delaware Bay with a heavy north wind. We were both deeply disturbed by the days events.

When leaving Cape May I decided to take the the Cape May canal to avoid having to go around the tip of NJ. There are 2 low bridges. I thought they had 55′ of clearance. I measured my mast from the top to the waterline using a loggers tape last year. I came up with 51′. I read somewhere online that the Bristol 355 has a mast height of 53′. I got to the bridge and it read 52′. The Admiral mentioned something about King tides this time of year. I couldn’t turn around quick enough due to speed and current. We fit under the bridge with only inches to spare.

The Delaware was malevolent. I’ve been in two other instances that were similar but I think this was the worst. Clear for action! Life preserves – tethers – jacklines – foul weather gear. Load the guns!

At times Evergreen jumped over the tall peaks at seven knots, beating into the wind with a portion of her genoa out. Occasionally we’d slam into a wave the wrong way and our speed would jaringly drop to 3 knots. The Admiral manned the chart plotter to point me in the right direction. I was too involved with steering to look. Eventually she had to man the bilge pumps as Evergreen was taking on water through our anchor locker (more investigation needed). The first hour was the worst. We got into a groove. By the end of the ordeal I was exhausted but feel it was an accomplishment. Maybe I should just give Neptune the entire bottle of tequila.

The salt encrusted, wind burnt, mariners anchored in the mouth of the Cohansey river. Eventually they launched the dinghy and an unhappy dog got some land time on a small island.

Sunset on the Delaware bay.

I am reading a book about the 1996/97 Vendee Globe race, “Godforsaken Sea.” The race is the most extreme, single handed, race there is. It’s the Everest of sailing. Basically it’s a circumnavigation of Antarctica in the Southern Ocean. The men and women who sailed that race are a different breed of human.

I know that the NJ coast is a cake walk compared to the Southern Ocean but for us it’s the most stressful part of the trip. On one side is the wide open North Atlantic. The other side is a barren looking coast with a few dangerous inlets to enter for refuge from the sea. Ok, New Jersey isn’t barren by a long shot but it looks that way from a few miles out. Since our journey has only just begun our sailing muscles are out of shape. We’re both sleep deprived. The days are short and we have to make a lot of miles between stops. I’m in a rush before the next batch of bad weather rolls up the coast.

Shore leave in Port Washington was very relaxing. This portion of our adventure is not. The other night I dumped a shot of tequila in the sea. This was to share a drink with Neptune so he might send me some good wind and flat seas. For some reason we seem to be sailing/ motoring upwind regardless of forecasts or what direction we are going.

September 27th- Atlantic Highlands to Barnegat Bay, NJ

Up before first light. Ollie to shore. The night before we worked out a method of hauling our dinghy up on Evergreen’s foredeck with a block and tackle, then tied her down, and proceeded to hoiste anchor. I had much difficulty extracting the anchor. We managed to get the anchor close to the surface. It was hooked on an abandoned chain which was obviously attached to something else. I was able to dislodge our anchor with a long boat hook. ONWARD!

The wind was forecast to be west. It veered south west shortly after rounding Sandy Hook. An East wind or a South wind will tend to create problems for transiting the NJ coast. Eventually the wind increased in velocity. We pounded into the wind and waves all day with Evergreen’s diesel.

The entrance to Barnegat Bay is shallow and can have breaking waves in the rocky inlet. Today it did. I surfed Evergreen over the waves. We almost broached (dangerous forced sideways turn). We almost slammed into the bottom between waves with just inches under the keel. In the end we got in and had a quiet evening. The Captain had some tequila and shared with Neptune.

September 28th- Barnegat Bay to Cape May, NJ

Up before first light. Ollie to shore. Barnegat has a really nice beach. Hoist dinghy on deck. We get to the inlet again where there are, thankfully, no breaking waves this morning. There is a heavy tidal current going against us. I push our diesel up to 3000rpms to get through it. The engine RPMs start to drop. The engine then almost rattles to a complete shutdown. Rocks and shallow water are everywhere. Shortly, before I had an anureism, the RPMs shot back up to 3000 and we drove through the current. My theory is, during yesterday’s violent entrance to the inlet, we sucked some air into a fuel line. Some engines would just shut down completely. Yanmar makes a good engine.

We actually had some great sailing in the morning. Evergreen soared with her full genoa out and a reefed main. The west wind helped us along for the first part of the day. Unfortunately the predicted northwest wind never came out in the latter half of the day and the wind changed to west southwest. The diesel ran well for the remainder of the day as did the autopilot. We traversed 62 nm and made it in to Cape May before dark.

Barnegat Light just after sunrise.

September 26th- Port Washington, NY to Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Over night we had another heavy squall. One of the windows leaked so I have another project to keep me busy. We had good protection in the Cove.

Today we headed down the East River through New York City. As usual it was an exciting ride down the swift current. Evergreen topped 9 knots through Hell Gate. Another reason for spending an extra day or two in Port Washington was we were waiting for the UN to wrap up their big meeting. When in session the Coast Guard shuts down parts of the river, making transit difficult. The only security zone was around the aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elisabeth.

Much of the day had a gusty wind blowing between the sky scrapers. We get a little stressed out about the passage through NY and down the New Jersey coast but the day went well.

1st bridge. Throgs Neck

Rikers Island prison ship. Looked empty. Last trip we saw people walking around.

United Nations

HMS Queen Elisabeth

Last Bridge. Verrazzano

Goodbye NY

We anchored in Atlantic Highlands at the end of the day. Tonight we are preparing for the trip down the NJ coast. We hope to make it half way, to Barnegat Bay. The inlet is tricky but we’ve done it twice. We practiced hauling the dinghy up on the fore deck of Evergreen. Tomorrow we’ll haul her up on deck after I take Oliver on his AM commando raid. We plan on doing all this around sunrise. Should be exciting. I do not like towing the dinghy when we are off shore. So far it has worked out but problems can arise and it slows you down.

September 25th- Port Washington NY

Due to the effects of Hurricane Fiona we’ve been experiencing quick shifts in the weather. After the rain came winds gusting to 30+ knots. We spent a night and part of a day bouncing around in the middle of the harbor on a transient mooring. It must have been my lucky day because the owner of the Port Washington Water Taxi (Matt) suggested we switch to another mooring he had in, “The Cove”. Flat water in the lee of the land. What a nice spot!

On Saturday (the 24th) we spent much of the day picking up necessities. We’ve been starting our days with coffee at the Mediterranean Marketplace. Then it was on to the park for some frisbee. Next stop, the farmers market. Later in the day we hit Stop and Shop, West Marine, and the hardware store. In the middle of all that, Oliver and I were sitting on a dock waiting for Lynne. A large wedding party showed up to take pre-wedding photos. Ollie was the center of attention for 3 or 4 little Hispanic girls in purple gowns. Lots of hugs and kisses were given and received. A day later he still smells like perfume. He loved the attention and was (thankfully) completely exhausted afterward. In the evening a tired captain and admiral settled down for a fantastic fresh meal consisting of scallops, buratta and red pepper ravioli with vodka sauce, along with olive ciabatta bread (Madeira wine for dessert). Thank you Pt Washington farmers market.

Happy shoppers.

Today’s big accomplishment was the repair of the door to the head (bathroom). While I was unable to acquire the right sized set screw, a drill and a cotter pin did the job.

We’ve been preparing for the NJ coast and the trip up Delaware Bay. It looks like we have a weather window next week. We are watching the tropical depressions and model predictions. We feel that the Chesapeake Bay is a reasonably safe place to wait out stormy weather. Looks like we’ll be heading out tomorrow.

Some scenes from Port Washington.

Evergreen moored in Port Washington.

A very tired pirate after a busy day.

September 19th- North Cove/ Old Saybrook, CT to Mattituck, NY

We really enjoyed Old Saybrook on “shore leave”. The town has just about everything you need within walking distance. We only needed AAA batteries and a little water. Later on in the day we had sun downers with some sailing friends that we met on our last Southern Odyssey. They suggested Mattituck as a nice anchorage. We headed over to Mattituck on Long Island.

Mattituck looks challenging to enter when looking at a chart. It appears to be a little dug out hole up a creek. The creek is actually well marked and the “hole” is a good sized basin. Beautiful scenery. One passing shower to wash some of the salt off the decks.

Some scenes from Mattituck.

The Creek-

Happy about the easily accessible dinghy dock.

Evergreen anchored in Mattituck Basin.

September 20th- Mattituck to Northport Bay, NY

Plan A was Port Jefferson but we were feeling inspired to continue on. The north shore of Long Island is dotted with many anchorages. We decided on the area around Huntington Bay to end the day. A little further up the Bay is Northport Bay. This anchorage boasts good protection and a really nice beach. Ollie got a good workout on his commando raids (he needed it).

Happy pirate cooling off after some intense ball action.

This little island is called Sand City Island.

Evergreen anchored in Northport Bay.

September 21st- Northport Bay to Port Washington, NY

With approaching weather coming we decided that Port Washington would be a good place to spend a few days. I had high hopes of sailing up Long Island Sound but it wasn’t to be. We had light, flukey, winds mostly on the nose. Today I observed my first sunrise in a long time. We caught the morning flood up the bay and sailed/ drifted along at 2 knots for a while. Eventually, we fired up the diesel engine.

You can just barely see NYC off in the distance.

Due to all of this engine work we have used up much of our diesel fuel. We decided to fuel up in Port Washington so as to be prepared for the NJ coast and Delaware Bay. The significance of this is we’ve NEVER docked Evergreen. Ok, we have piloted her onto a truck for haulout. That takes some skill. Our docking went well as did the fuel up. Lynne and I were very organized and proud of our accomplishment. While Evergreen is larger than Catalpa, she maneuvers well and stops. We then grabbed a mooring for the night.

September 22nd- Port Washington, NY

Today we’re hanging around Evergreen waiting for the rain to cease. Lynne managed to get Ollie to shore (between squalls) on the Port Washington Water Taxi. I managed to donate our grill lighter and canvas bucket to Neptune. I was very attached to the canvas bucket but sometimes the sea takes things. We’ll stay here a while. We need a few items in town. One of Lynne’s favorite farmer’s markets is on Saturday so we’ll be here at least until then. Looking forward to fresh bread, ravioli, and produce.

Rainy day.

September 17th and 18th- North Cove/ Old Saybrook, CT

We left Block Island early. Using our yellow Eldridge Tide and Pilot book, we picked up a favorable current through the Race into Long Island Sound. The day was the usual mixture of sailing and motoring.

Coast Guard Cutter at The Race

The autopilot functioned properly when needed. Our problematic remote is working again and seems to have been caused by dead AAA batteries. We inadvertently loaded Evergreen with a bunch of half dead batteries. Nothing else broke today.

Saybrook Breakwater Light

Somewhere around 2:00 We spotted the entrance to the Connecticut River. We motored up the river and moored in North Cove, Old Saybrook.

North Cove Yacht Club

Sunday the 18th- Today we’re spending an extra day in harbor. There is a gusty wind blowing out of the Southwest with a small craft advisory in effect. Unfortunately, that is the direction we need to travel to get to our next stop. Evergreen sails well up wind. I had a plan. We probably have over an extra 1000lbs of food, gear, water, and diesel onboard. I’m still figuring out Evergreen’s quirks. The crew might mutiny. The plan changed.

North Cove is a protected Federal “harbor of refuge”, with easy shore access. Eggs and bacon for Sunday breakfast. We’ll spend the day relaxing and getting caught up on sleep (maybe a little boat maintenance).

Evergreen moored in North Cove

September 16- Block Island, RI

We left Padanaram Harbor mid day on the 15th and headed out to Cuttyhunk Island. It’s only a short trip but we needed to break from land. Additionally, we were both exhausted from preparing for our voyage. Before leaving we used Evergreen’s windlass to crank up our mooring chain. I swapped our mooring ball for a cedar fence post (winter stick). The mooring ball went home to be cleaned and the fence post will ride out the winter.

Cuttyhunk was just a quick one night stopover. We grabbed a mooring for the night and left early the next day. We are still sorting things out and rearranging our gear.

Cuttyhunk to Block Island was mostly an upwind sail. Eventually we had the diesel engine pushing us into New Harbor.

Evergreen sailing Rhode Island Sound

We had a few more autopilot problems but all seems to be working properly again. The door to the head (bathroom) decided it was no longer going to function (after 43 years). It’s now on the maintenance list. Both sailing days I’ve been adjusting the rigging. This is still a new boat for us so there is a bit of a learning curve.

Lynne is sporting several bandaids from a kitchen accident but at the end of the day, we had a grilled steak with corn and potatoes. I provided Ollie with some exercise on the beach. Block Island provided us with a nice sunset.

Tomorrow’s destination will most likely be The Connecticut River to North Cove in Old Saybrook.

September 13th- Dartmouth, MA

A ballpark figure for our departure date is September 15th. We had a perfect weather window last week but I just couldn’t make it happen for various reasons. It’s looking more like the 15th or 16th now. We were supposed to have moved onto Evergreen but the severe drought we’ve been having has ended and it has been raining buckets for the last couple of days. Frustration is starting to set in. The Captain is getting a little batty.

Evergreen is mostly loaded up and is ready to go. The fresh and frozen food will go on the boat with us.

Evergreen’s salon a week ago. A disorganized mess.

There have been a bunch of last minute boat projects to complete. Our autopilot was acting diabolical. Some detective work, wiring, and the addition of a remote on the helm, seems to have tamed the situation. We also figured out our thermal coffee mugs have magnets in the lids. Autopilots and compasses both are affected by magnets. We both drink coffee or tea while sailing. We acquired new mugs.

Lynne has sewn new windows on the dodger. She has also purchased a titanic amount of groceries. Groceries are available along the way but we think it’s better to stock up on the staples so we’re not lugging around canned food and cases of beer/wine.

It wasn’t all work. We did get out on a bunch of fun sails last summer.

When the weather clears we’ll get out on Evergreen and get the show on the road!

July 16th- Cuttyhunk Island, MA

After about a year and a half of labor Evergreen’s refit has wrapped up. There is still a long list of future projects (she’s a 43 year old boat) but the major systems have all been updated or replaced. More importantly, the boat is seaworthy and sailing.

EVERGREEN- winter deck work under cover

In other news, CATALPA has made her way north and has a new berth on the waters of Lake Champlain. The boat shed looks a little empty with just a few dinghies and a lawnmower in it. We hope the new owners enjoy her as much as we did.

CATALPA’S road trip.

The sail over to Cuttyhunk was great. The wind was about 12 knots with blue skies. I’m really happy with the way EVERGREEN sails. After adjusting sails and center board we rarely had to touch the wheel. The boat gets in a groove and self steers, upwind.

This is the beginning of a summer shake down cruise for us. We’ll be back and forth between our home port and our favorite anchorages to test the boat. So far no issues have come up. We are enjoying our new Engel refrigerator. We still have to lug water out to EVERGREEN but no ice. The new solar panels seem to easily keep up with our increased electrical demands. I changed some of the rigging, mimicking Catalpa’s running rigging. The changes make it easier for me to find the right string to pull. There are more storage lockers. We’re still working on organizing them.

Most of last winter’s work was “quality of life” projects. Much varnish and paint was added. While I eliminated some bright work from the deck, I added some to the cockpit. For a while I was debating changing Evergreen’s name to Rain Forest due to the amount of water pouring into the cabin during rain squalls. 99% of the leaks have been plugged and the cabin is dry as is the bilge (hopefully I don’t regret that statement). Lynne has made extensive repairs to the dodger and has sewn a large awning along with other material notions for the ship.

Midshipman Oliver is also enjoying the extra space afforded by a larger vessel. He’s done his best to spread hair and sand from stem to stern.

Lynne and Ollie at the Cuttyhunk dinghy dock.

Cuttyhunk Island is in full summer mode and seems to be bursting with activity. The island is going through some transformations. The roads have all been ripped up and the municipal water pipes replaced. Apparently there was asbestos in the old pipes. The island is very dusty due to no pavement and many golf carts. We’ll head back to Padanaram Harbor soon. The internet is spotty out here so this post will be uploaded later. We’ll be back out on the bay before the end of the week.

EVERGREEN anchored in Cuttyhunk Harbor.

July 17th- Somewhere on Buzzards Bay

The ship’s clock has stopped! A change of batteries does nothing! It’s going to the clock repair shop next week. Something had to malfunction. It’s a shakedown cruise.

December 28th- Dartmouth, MA

Catalpa sailed late into the 2020 season and we had her hauled out at Bayline Boatyard in New Bedford. It was almost two years since she had been on boat stands.

Catalpa navigating the streets of New Bedford to her shed.

Her bottom paint was in rough shape with many thick patches peeling off. There was also a few blisters in the fiberglass. We decided to have the bottom of the boat sand blasted so her hull could dry out over the winter.

You may have noticed that the title of the blog has changed along with the header picture. I happened to be chatting with the truck driver that delivered Catalpa to our house. The conversation turned to the trip. I mentioned that Lynne and I had been discussing getting a larger vessel as Catalpa was a little cramped when loaded up with a ton of gear. We looked at a few boats along the way but didn’t find the right boat. Long story short- He knew a guy…. and he has this boat…..

Two weeks later we had two boats. Evergreen is a 1979 Bristol 35.5. I guess I like to buy local boats. Iris was built in Dartmouth, MA. Catalpa in Taunton,MA. Evergreen in Bristol, RI. Another coincidence- I worked in a boat yard that was owned by Ted Hood whose office designed the Bristol 35.5.

So, why did we buy a boat that is even older than the the one we have (Catalpa was launched in 1986). Evergreen has a new 30hp Yanmar diesel Engine with only 150hrs on it. The fuel tank was also replaced. Her sails and rigging looked serviceable. The price was right.

On the down side she’s a 42 year old boat. Iris (our catboat) was older than me so I knew there was work to be done. Lots and lots of work.

Electrical problems.

Plumbing issues…

The list filled a page. Then more lists were made. Basically we spent the next year working on Evergreen and Catalpa.

Launch dates came and went. It looked like we might launch in July but then we ran into big problems with the center board which had me cutting the whole system out and building a new one. The centerboard is a lowering keel that helps the boat sail to weather. When retracted into the hull the boat can get into shoal areas that a deeper keel would restrict.

In the end I saved the board but changed how it was raised. Eventually we launched Evergreen by the end of August.

We spent a month on a shakedown cruise in our local waters. Most of that time we toured Martha’s Vineyard. Evergreen sails well and is a comfortable boat. We continue to chisel away at the work list.

Evergreen anchored in Cuttyhunk Harbor

In the fall I got caught up with the work I needed to complete on Catalpa. Her hull was patched and faired. Followed by many coats of an epoxy paint to barrier coat the bottom. She’s again ready for adventure. Unfortunately, we only have enough energy for one old boat so she’s going up for sale soon. SOLD

Evergreen is currently on the hard at Bayline Boatyard. She’s under cover and much of her gear is in my shop and office. Recently my mother sent us a nice refrigerator which is also currently in my office waiting for a home in Evergreen. Lynne is sewing yards of canvas to help shade from the southern sun. The original plan was to head south this winter but we had too many loose ends to figure out. We will be back! The new plan is to head south for next winter.

Happy New Year  from Brian, Lynne, and Ollie