Friday, August 23, 2013

Close Reach

We are getting pretty good at interpreting weather predictions.  We use about a half dozen weather sources as well as current and tide predictors. Our trip from Nantucket, MA to Newport, RI was planned accordingly.  We left Nantucket around 11:30 so that we would not face the current from an incoming tide and suspected  that the first portion of our trip would be motor sailing at best, but hopefully as we rounded Cuttyhunk Island we would be able to sail a close reach.  For the non sailors in the group that means that we would be sailing almost directly into the wind.  This is exactly what happened, our interpretation of the various reports was correct. We had a great sail, arriving in Newport harbor at 6:30.  The chart below shows the second half of our trip, it is from the new app that we downloaded onto my tablet.  We were heeled over a lot more than it looks like the photos below.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Another kind of Freedom

Freedom is a fairly common boat name.  This old  beauty has been anchored or moored near us in Newport, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.  The schooner Shenandoah was anchored at Vineyard Haven harbor and these kids were jumping into the water from the bowsprit, another kind of freedom.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Is it safe yet?

He that will not sail till all dangers are over must never put to sea.

Thomas Fuller