Hi Folks,
The cruise in New England was successful. We all arrived at the Moby Dick Marina in Fairhaven on Friday.
INN-THE-WATER started her cruise in Nantucket on Wednesday morning at about 0745 Hours. I used GPS navigation from buoy to bouy and arrived in Hadley's Harbor at about 1100 Hours for lunch. I then went to Pocassett River and tied up and toured Pocassett town and went to see my Life Insurance Salesman. I then took him for a boat ride and came back and moved the boat to a marina in Manomet. Great Place.
Thursday, I went sailing on a 40 foot Hinckley Sloop with other friends. What a sail. Had a chance to freshen up on my sailing. We met another boat in Hadley's for lunch, and powered back to Pocassett. (No wind).
We took the Skipper of the Hinckley out to supper.
On friday I practiced my skills in navigating in fog with a GPS. I listened on Channel 16 and caught the "Security" broadcast, including a tug and tow coming up Buzzard's Bay. Arrived at Fairhaven about noon, and had lunch. I then went to the marina which was located at the head of the Harbor at route 6 Bridge. Took a nap and was woken up by Rick who arrived with HUNKY DORY on a trailer. Carol was with him. We talked and compared boats.
Dave and Valerie arrived with WIDGET by trailer. We set up the boats and went to supper at a restaurant. We met Dun Smith and his wife at the resturant. Another fellow by the name of Dave showed up.
They all went back to a motel for the night and I slept on board.
On Saturday I was invited to go with Dave a Valerie on the WIDGET and went with the HUNKY DORY to Cuttyhunk Island. It was like going back to the fifties in time, except for the ATV's that are used for transportation along with Golf Cars on the Island.
Running the newer hull was great. It cut the water better than my 1983. The cabin was bigger and it seamed to have more room for storage. The next day I had a chance to compare how the boats ran in choppy weather, because it was choppy on Saturday.
Another supper with the boat owners, and on Sunday I left for Nantucket. The weather was clear so I did not need the GPS in that I had sailed the waters often in the past. The weather was blowing and the waves were choppy. The weather report called for 15 to 25 knot winds on late morning. I started at about six AM and figured that I could be to Nantucket by ten AM. It took me exactly that time to do the trip.
After slogging across Buzzard's Bay, I found Vinyard Sound to be calmer. I was able to make it across the sound to Poge at about 16 knots, though I thought of retiring, first at the USCG Base at Woods Hole, and Oak Bluffs. Something told me to keep going, because I had to get back to work in the Inn. Also, being an adventurer, I wanted to see what the boat could do. I knew the engine was good, the skipper knew what they were doing, that the boat could do it, though not as well as the newer (post 1986 hull) models because of my experience with the WIDGET on the day before.
Boy was it rough. I could not get the boat going much more than 10 knots because it "seemed" to rough. The slower I ran, the tougher it was to steer. The faster I ran, the more the boat pounded and the feeling I had that she would fall off a wave and yaw. The boat with it's flat bottom was not cutting the waves the way the WIDGET did.
When I arrived at the mouth of Nantucket, after experiencing the roughest seas I had ever done, I surfed with the rollers into the mouth of the channel. (All I could think was I should reread he Chapter in Chapmans about "Running an Inlet."
After thought tells me that maybe I should have not made the trip, at least from Martha's Vinyard. But I am glad I made it.
I have come to to conclusions from this trip. I have to get a newer cruiser model, maybe pickup a boat that needs a new engine. I have 5 years on the warranty of my 75HP Yamaha Four Stroke, and get another engine for the INN-THE-WATER. The seas I encounted are more the rule than the exception. Also, even though I have a bigger cockpit, the accombinations of the cruiser model are well worth the change.
I met some great people and had a great time. Maybe I should attend a rondevous in Florida this winter.
Fred Heap
THE MAN FROM NANTUCKET