Flying the Spinnaker

Everyone knows the story of Goldilocks, right? First the porridge was too cold, second the porridge was too hot, the third time it was just right! Well, we’ve tried sailing with the spinnaker three times. First there was not enough wind, then there was too much wind, then the wind was just right.

Our spinnaker is symmetrical and we use our whisker pole with it. A whisker pole is a pole that is attached on one end to the mast and the other is attached to the line that controls one corner (or clew) of the spinnaker. Once Dad and I set up the whisker pole, we hoist the spinnaker in its sleave to the top of the mast. Then we hoist the sleeve up off the spinnaker. The spinnaker fills out in the wind (if there is any) and off we go. All of us as happy as Goldilocks … well at least before the bears came back.

– Catherine

A more pleasant downwind run than our transit of Delaware Bay.

Fall on the Chesapeake

The Chesapeake has given us lots of different weather. For example, at Solomons Island it was cold, wet, rainy and disgusting. It had been like this for 5 days and all we did was try to stay dry. Everything seemed to be wet because of the drips that came through the hatches and from condensation. Instead of being stuck out in the water on our anchor, we docked at a marina. We were able to visit with the Kilgours (s/v Bojangles), explore at the Calvert Marine Museum, and run a little heater that we bought.

A day later (in Mill Creek) the sun came out and there was not a cloud in the sky. So we put everything up to dry out. Instead of being crowded inside, we went kayaking and searched for Bojangles. When Dad and Xavier came back with no luck, Xavier and I went out in the dinghy and found them. We then moved our boat and rafted-up with Bojangles. We shared a little cove with calm waters and lots of trees. There were fish jumping and even bald eagles. This was fantastic.

-- Jeremiah

Fall on Mill Creek

Sunrise on Mill Creek

Dinghy Name Poll

 Okay folks!

The suggestions to the right have been submitted for your consideration. ------->
(Thank you Matthew for encouraging participation!)

The poll will be open until October 25th.
Please be sure to participate.

Thanks,
Peter

Visiting with Family

One of the great parts about this trip is the chance to catch up with friends and family. In New York we were able to stay with Bill, Sharon, Will, Stella, Cecelia, and Georgia. It was nice to be able to see their soccer and football games, engage them in heated Wii competitions, and learn about their different after school activities. Their insights into fun city activities and their hospitality made our stay an amazing one.

Pittsburgh didn’t quite make our itinerary, but the Smith family came to us and visited us on the Chesapeake. Catherine put together the following report.

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We were at a dock at Kent Island, MD, just north of the Kent Narrows Bridge, and the Smiths, our twin cousins Luke and Elise and our aunt and uncle Katie and Stewart, were coming to visit us. The whole family had spent the morning not only doing school work but cleaning and organizing the boat. We all wanted Ohana to look her best when the Smiths arrived. Katie and the twins were seeing Ohana for the first time, and we wanted her to look good.

The Smiths arrived around noon. After everyone said hello and ate lunch we boarded Ohana and set off. Once we were far enough out into the Prospect Bay we raised the main sail and the staysail. We sailed for quite a while before we turned around, dropped the main sail and sailed with just the staysail to where we were going to anchor. Once we were hooked Dad took two dinghy trip to get everyone to land. The Smiths then checked into their hotel and got their room.

The Smiths came down and all the kids went swimming in the pool. Elsie and Luke wore their life jackets so they could swim in the deep end. The parents then went out to dinner while we kids watched a movie and ate pizza.

The first night, Jeremiah and I slept at the hotel while the twins slept on the boat. Katie and Stuart also slept at the hotel and Mom and Dad were on the boat.

Everyone gathered on land the next day. We first visited a conservation area where we hiked and saw owls that the park was helping heal. Then we stopped at a playground where we hung out for a while. That night we all ate dinner on the boat, shrimp scampi for some and chicken for others. Elsie, Josie and Xavier joined Katie and Stuart on land for the night.

Everyone was on the boat for the last day, Mom took some people out for a row and Katie and Stuart went of a kayak ride together. I just chilled and read my book.
Eventually it was time for the Smiths to return home. We said our good-byes and we were all sad to see them leave, but we had loads of fun when we were with them.

-- Catherine

Dinghy Naming Contest

Matthew has raised the issue that we need a name for our dinghy.

He has suggested:
"Son of Fast Zoomer"
"02"
"Ohana Jr." (aka "OJ")

We would love to hear other suggestions from all of you. We will collect them and then put together an online poll to see which wins the "Readers Choice" award. (Xavier will be able to use the polling responses for some of his graphing/data analysis assignments.)


Please submit your ideas by Saturday, Oct. 17th.


Put those thinking caps on!

--Peter

Kent Island, MD - Dinghy ride

Liam had requested a video of the dinghy. During the Smith's visit with us this weekend, Josie gave Luke a ride around the creek we were anchored in. Here is the clip.

NYC to Chesapeake

For those tracking our progress, here is your next installment of connect-the-dots:

Departed NYC in the afternoon and motored past the Statue of Liberty and under the Verrazano Bridge. Pointed out where Grammy and Gip grew up. Pulled into Gravesend Bay for the night.

After a rocky night we rose early and sailed down to Sandy Hook/Atlantic Highlands. The wind had been out of the south for a few days, so there was a slew of boat anchored inside the breakwater waiting for better winds. Among them “Bojangles IV” one of the boats that is doing the Carib 1500 and which has kids aboard. The supersoaker the Piersons gave us proved quite helpful in the kayak/dinghy water fight that ensued. (Eliza’s addition: When Peter went to meet the folks on the other boat, a fierce gusty front quickly hit us. Our anchor slipped and with Josie on the anchor, Catherine on the phone with Peter and Eliza at the helm, we were able to raise the anchor and keep the boat into the wind and miss hitting other boats in the process. Easier than our adventure of the same sort in Portland.)

Departed Sandy Hook after “boat school” for the run down the New Jersey coast. (With winds out of the west blowing 15 to 20 knots, it proved to be a much faster ride than when we brought the boat north to Boston.) We ended up pulling into Cape May around 11 the next day. Bojangles IV arrived a few hours after us. They got a slip at the dock and invited us over for drinks and then the group, four adults and seven children, went out for a relaxing dinner. Two tables: kids and adults!

After the overnight run, a day ashore was in order. So we headed to the Cape May public library which included a nice walk through the town with all of its historic Victorian homes. The Bojangles IV crew joined us for this adventure which ended with an afternoon trip to the beach. Warm water, blue skies, slight breeze and lots and lots of shells to collect. (Hunna and her mother and aunts used to vacation here in the forties. Cousin Mimi shared that the older generation called themselves themselves “Fanny Dippers”.)

With the winds shifting to the southeast, we stirred the crew early the next morning and began what turned out to be a grueling trip up Delaware Bay. Shallow water, scattered shoals, huge commercial ships, following swells that kept throwing the stern around and pushing us close to gybing … ugh! We finally made it to the eastern entrance of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal and threw the anchor down behind the northern breakwater. Both parents had very stiff upper backs which some of our lovely children offered to massage before bed. What gems!

The next day dawned calm and bright with the tides in our favor for a run through the canal. By noon we were officially in the Chesapeake. Ready for real showers and the luxury of hopping off the boat (rather than dinghying ashore) we headed for the Sassafras Marina in Georgetown, MD.

Tony and Carol, who keep their boat in the slip next to where we were docked, generously loaned us their car so that we could drive into Galena for mass and provisioning. The people at the marina were mostly motor boaters and all very willing to chat and offer advice about where to go in the bay. Peter and Eliza had a date night, dinner and the Steelers game, while Josie babysat the kids on Bohangles IV and Jeremiah went along for a sleepover. Catherine and Xavier entertained themselves with the computer for the evening. All having some space from each other.

We pushed off from the dock this afternoon to explore the eastern shore, making our way to Worton Creek. Next, we will probably head to Rock Hall, and eventually Kent Island. There we will meet up the with Katie, Stuart and kids. Looking forward to showing them our home for the year! We need to be in Hampton, VA by October 28th to begin the prep work for the Carib 1500, but before that we will make a stop at Shirley and Hunter’s (Tom’s aunt and uncle) and possibly, but not likely Cousin Mimi’s camp. I think that we may have to save that visit for the ride back up the bay in the spring.

We just finished a family game of Gin Rummy and everyone is snuggled into bed reading. The geese are very active with their calling and hooting. Such relaxing night time sounds!

– Peter (and a bit of Eliza)

New York City

Here are some poetic reflections on our time in NYC:

The statue of liberty had a crown,
and a beautiful gown.
Central Park had sun.
The water park was fun.
The T-rex was king of the room,
even though he’s met his doom.
Chewbacca was fearless,
The shark was cheerless.
The octopus was cute,
The figures are mute.
The empire was tall,
The peace cranes were small.
The crowded subway was bad,
Ground zero was sad.

--Xavier










New York, crowded with traffic, stuffed with people wandering about,
Cousins sometimes nice but sometimes you want to wish them away
Drodica and Sith with four arms that can tuck in then pop out,
Chewbacca, life size, made of Lego's, fights to keep clones at bay.

Water park, toddlers screaming and lots to do,
World Trade Center, where lots were lost and very sad.
Ferry to Ellis stuffed to the top and as loud as a zoo
Subways filled like a storm cloud and smelled very bad.

Statue of liberty, made of copper and gold,
Dinosaurs filled two rooms some short and some long.
The blue whale, made of blubber to keep out cold,
The Empire shop, full of cool things and some that had King Kong.

The Empire State Building was very very tall,
In New York we had a ball.

-- Jeremiah















She’s tall and she’s silent and perfectly still,
Lady Liberty is her name,
It’s full and and it’s crazy and home to crystal,
Times Square holds a ball of great fame.

From the top of the Empire State Building you see,
The city laid out before you,
In a horse-drawn carriage you will be,
Excited about what you could do.

Natural history catches anyone’s attention,
With all those dinosaur bones,
Also a humongous blue whale, did I mention?
And Easter Island heads of stone.

New York is busy and full and fun,
And New York interests everyone.

-- Catherine











The first thing we saw as we entered the city
On our way down the river on Ohana our boat
Was the Statue of Liberty looking so pretty
Slowly by the green lady we did float.

Ellis Island was a stopping place
For many who came to get to a country so free.
To the top of the Empire State we did race
For views as far as the eye can see.

To the Natural History Museum we did go
There we saw many cool things
We saw an Easter Island statue, a big whale, and a dino
We saw a big T-Rex and a small one with wings.

I cannot say what part of this stop was the best
The entire thing was a super fun fest.

– Josephine