Update

It is clear that fans of cupcakeafloat have been pining for the good feelings they get from this blog. The election season is depressing and exhausting. Coronavirus is depressing and exhausting. I could go on, but you don’t need more depression and exhaustion.

So instead, here’s the update: Cupcake is at her mooring in Freeport. She has been bullied by a group of wily osprey. They started their nasty tricks by perching on the lower spreaders and feasting on fish. Osprey are not tidy. They are messy and disgusting. We found fish heads, fish tails, fish spines scales eyes guts gills blood EVERYWHERE. Yuck yuck yuck.

The osprey left this on deck, and left another fish, twice as big, up on the spreader dripping blood. Moss volunteered to go up the mast to retrieve it. Yuck.

We managed to stop the birds from perching on the spreaders by stringing fishing line in a web above the spreaders. Now they don’t eat on the boat any more. But they have taken to perching on the top of the mast.

Last night we ate dinner aboard and found the windex broken and lying on the deck because the osprey knocked it off. I guess it was in the way and made it difficult to poop all over the deck and sail cover. When I picked the windex up to see if it could be salvaged, one of the ends caught on the lifeline and the windex slipped out of my hand and flipped into the water. Now we can add windexes to the list of items that sink.

We are planning to sail away for a little while next week. That means I get to head to Hamilton Marine for a new windex this weekend because I am unable to sail without something to tell me which way the wind is blowing. Thank goodness a part broke on the boat so I have something to putter with. Lately I’ve just been going out to Cupcake every few days to run the water maker.

The boat formerly known as Squander in the spa getting her beauty treatment. The hull in the background is Skimmer and we are slowly restoring her as well.

Simon and I have (slowly) been restoring his Dyer dinghy. It escaped a few years ago, fetched up on an island, got towed to a nearby town landing, and sat neglected all summer, We were reunited with the Dyer in October 2017 and are just now getting around to fixing her up to her former glory.

Moss also has a Dyer. Her boat, Moon Cracker, is super lightweight. I rebuilt her with all cedar so she is easy to put in a truck, drag up a beach, hoist onto deck. She has been our tender this season.

Cute little Moon Cracker.

The other big news about Cupcake is that we’ve listed her for sale. The Craigslist link is here: https://maine.craigslist.org/boa/d/bustins-island-fabulous-pearson-cruiser/7171333615.html if you know anyone who wants a big old girl let them know Cupcake is available.

Our reasons for selling her are pretty predictable: we have a boat outfitted for living aboard but we no longer live aboard. Don’t worry, we have plans, BIG plans, for further live aboard cruising. Just not right now.

Here’s a little bit of spring-commissioning boat porn: look at that paint job!

Ellen and I sanded the entire hull with 80 grit then laid down three coats of paint. Mmmmm.

Foggy morning

Cupcake and crew are still living aboard in Freeport harbor. Having one foot on the water and the other on land (metaphorically speaking) is a bit challenging. It can be tough getting showered and dressed in a suit in time for court in the mornings, but strangely, nobody seems inclined to show me any sympathy.

To be fair, it is pretty excellent living on a boat anywhere.

This morning we woke up to a beautiful calm foggy day.

It is lovely living on the water. The boats, the birds, the fish, the scenery are all magnificent here in Maine. We’ve managed to get off the mooring and sail each weekend. Last weekend, in fact, we were out in gustier winds than we have seen for the past year.

Twenty-five knots of wind is one thing when it’s a steady trade wind, but when the weather is squally inshore winds it can make for a much more challenging sail. We met up with our buddies on Econo Win at lovely Long Cove in Harpswell last weekend. On the way there we only experienced a near broach (well, not that near) and a couple of thunderstorms. Econo Win got hail and lashing rain (they also claim sleet, but come on…)

In the maintenance world, I replaced the leaking Westerbeke coolant overflow tank with a design of my own. It’s cheaper ($8 instead of $30) and it probably won’t crack in a year like the last one. I used a bike water bottle and cage. Pretty pleased with the results, but I have no illusions…it’ll leak eventually.

Although it looks like the bottle holds a sports drink, don’t be fooled. It is coolant for the engine.

Freeport, Maine

Just because we are in our home waters doesn’t mean there’s nothing going on with Cupcake and crew.

We are moored on the Harraseeket River for the access this location gives us to the showers, WiFi, parking, and dinghy dock at Brewer South Freeport Marine. This weekend we went for a sail so we could get off the river, shake the cobwebs off the sails, and anchor at one of the loveliest spots in Casco Bay…the Goslings.

Met up with friends there and generally had a nice time.

But most days we are on the river because I need the marina facilities to get myself presentable for work. Today, for instance, I get to go to the county jail to represent individuals who were arrested over the weekend but couldn’t make bail.

That's enough words for now. How about some pictures of the lovely boats we are surrounded by in Freeport?

Hinckley, of course.

Three Concordia yachts in a row.

Don’t forget: it’s a working harbor.

Home

Today we had a long, uneventful motorsail from Ipswich Bay home. Awoke at 5, had the anchor up and were underway by 5:30. Had the anchor down 76 miles and 12.5 hours later.

It is good to be home. Maine is beautiful, our local waters are familiar and spectacular…rugged, wooded islands ringed with granite shores. Fortunately the lobster season is not in full swing so we dint have to dodge too many floats today.

When the anchor was set, Moss blew the conch horn to announce our arrival. The tenants cheered from shore. We launched Mr. Flowerpot and drove to our beach. Met up with Simon and visited with some neighbors. It is good to be home. Now everyone is back aboard and sleeping.

Annisquam

Ok, so last night was a pretty cold one aboard the good old boat. And although the day began raw and damp and gray, this morning we spotted the Gloucester Harbor Launch and realized we could get to shore without launching the dinghy (which has been strapped on deck since Pocasset) and getting splashed and wet.

Gloucester is a pretty neat place with a rich maritime history. We knew we would be able to find warm clothing for tomorrow’s passage. After all, Gloucester has been sending men to sea for centuries. Pretty quickly after getting ashore we found Nelson’s, a store whose facade reads “Keeping Gloucester’s Fleet Warm & Dry Since 1874.” Perfect.

Ellen and I got long underwear and warm gloves, I got a wool hat and a thick Carhartt sweatshirt, Moss got new boots and socks. We are ready for business.

After getting ready for tomorrow’s long run to Freeport (76 miles of open ocean) we found an Italian bakery/sandwich shop where we had a great lunch. It was fun watching all the locals come in for their sandwiches. I even spotted a guy wearing a “Goodwin Marine Services - Hull, MA” sweatshirt. He had already left the shop when I realized a former student of mine from when I taught high school in Hull, MA was a Goodwin who was definitely a waterman.

We clomped around town in our sea boots, checked out the shops on Main Street, paid our respects at the monument to Gloucester sailors and fishermen lost at sea (more than 5,200 since the 1600s…some years more than 150 men were lost), and ended the afternoon with coffee/hot chocolate and WiFi in a The Lone Gull coffee shop.

Back aboard, we decided to run up the Annisquam River to Ipswich Bay to save ourselves about seven miles tomorrow when we make the long run home to Maine. tonight we are anchored near the Annisquam Yacht Club. Saw a lovely Herreshoff yawl sail in just after we got ourselves hooked. The boats in New England are without a doubt the most lovely we have seen on the trip.

Trapped in Gloucester

This morning we left Scituate early so we could get across Boston Harbor before the afternoon rain set in. Now we are securely anchored in the inner harbor at Gloucester. We are less than 90 miles from home, but we are trapped.

The weather is abysmal. There is a cold driving rain and raw wind this afternoon. Doesn’t look like it will let up until morning. Currently temperature is 46 with a wind chill of 44. Wind. Chill.

Tomorrow the wind will be out of the north so we are not going anywhere. Thursday we get a south wind but it’s not a warm one. The projected high is 56 degrees. And on the open water it’ll be colder than that. But we intend to get up early and tough it out for the long long ride to Freeport.

In the meantime, we have sailed from the heatwave in the south into this weather nightmare. I can see my breath, Cupcake has no cabin heater.

Scituate, Massachusetts

This morning we woke up to a beautiful day in Pocasset and set about hoisting anchor to head through the Cape Cod Canal. Somehow we managed to run over a nearby mooring ball and wrap its pick-up line around our prop shaft. Fortunately the tangle didn’t involve mooring chain…we just caught the thin line connecting the mooring line to the float on the end. Even more fortunately, Christophe from Talisa saw our predicament and came over in his dinghy to help. With his assistance we pulled the line and mooring ball out from under a humiliated Cupcake and went on our way without further mishap or the need for me to jump in the water to sort things out.

Once out of Pocasset, we realized we were about an hour early to catch the tide through the Canal, so we anchored in a sheltered spot to enjoy the warm morning, watch the boats on the water, and wait on the tide. At 11:30am we headed into the canal and eventually zipped along at 7 to 8 knots riding the current into Cape Cod Bay.

The wind on the Canal was howling and we were worried the Bay would be unpleasant. However, as we exited the east end of the Canal, winds in Cape Cod Bay were nonexistent. We don’t know where the stiff east breeze had been coming from earlier. But with no wind, we were reduced to motoring the remainder of the way to Scituate. About 20 miles out we hit a fog bank so the afternoon ended with radar getting us safely to harbor where we are now hanging from a mooring.

Matthew, after a very pleasant few days aboard, was collected by his wife and son. The three regular crew members took hot showers - our first showers of any sort since Atlantic City. We all agreed that the showers at the Harbormaster’s Office (which were included in the pricy $50 mooring fee) were among the best of the entire trip.

After a hot meal in town we are all ready for bed. Tomorrow we hope to scoot north to Gloucester before some nasty rainy weather makes its way through the area.

Where is Pocasset?

Here’s a quick update for you all. Cupcake and crew are in Pocasset, Massachusetts. That’s a little town just south of the west end of the Cape Cod Canal.

We picked up our pal Matthew in Block Island after a spirited overnight from Atlantic City, NJ last week. Once again this boat showed us she is a tough and speedy old girl. We’ve been able to sail the majority of the offshore passages, this last one had us scooting along at more than 6.5 knots for the entire night.

When we got to Block Island we were rudely reminded that late May is not summertime in New England. Not remotely. But, given the realities of the climate and season, we’ve had some fine weather and splendid sailing. The run from Block Island to Cuttyhunk, MA was an excellent spinnaker run. The only downside was that since we sailed the whole way, we didn’t run the engine enough to make warm water. Without warm water, nobody is much interested in showering.

Matthew keeps threatening to go swimming, but with temps in the low 50s, he’s getting very little buy-in. Today we had a fine run with wind and tide down Buzzards Bay. By this afternoon when the wind was up we we seeing 8 knots on a broad reach. Here at anchor in Pocasset Harbor the water is a balmy 59. Some locals were swimming, but they just came through a New England winter, were young, and were drunk. We are none of those things.

This evening we are having a pot-luck dinner with Talisa, a kid-boat catamaran Moss met in Georgetown who we caught up with in Block Island.

I’ve still lost my ability to post pictures, so check out the Instagram. (Oh wait, Ellen says we are low on internet, so pictures might need to wait until tomorrow when we are in Scituate enjoying free WiFi.)

Atlantic City

With the continued demise of the laptop and my inability to figure out how to post pictures from my iPad, words will have to suffice. If you want pictures, check out the instagram thingie.

Sunday morning Ellen and I woke up at the perfectly civilized hour of 5am so we could be on our way out of our anchorage at Hampton, Virginia before sunrise. From the heart of the Norfolk/Hampton area to open water one must first cross the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and then cross the brunnel (that’s an Ellen-term for “bridge-tunnel”) to get to open ocean twenty miles away.

Within three miles of crossing the brunnel we hit a fog bank the likes of which we haven’t seen in more than a year. Fired up the radar and set sail for Cape May, NJ. It soon became clear that we were making fabulous time…sailing a beam reach at 7+ knots all day long…so we altered course a bit to make landfall at Atlantic City, NJ.

We were able to keep up that rapid pace until well after dark when the wind became a little lighter and clocked to come from directly behind the boat. So the second half of the trip became a motorsail. There is a lot of energy in ocean waves, fortunately for us the waves were the proverbial following seas so we got a significant boost for the entire trip.

Crossing the mouth of the Delaware Bay after midnight was a little nerve wracking because we were initially concerned about nasty seas where the ocean swell met the river current (ended up being a non-event…the seas were mild the entire trip) and because we were crossing two major shipping channels. Again, thanks to the radar, we were able to monitor the course of the few big commercial vessels out on the water last night. The closest any came to us was about three miles.

We also monitored the temperature of the ocean water. Watched it steadily drop from the low 70s to the downright frigid 56 here in Atlantic City. For the first time since early in 2017, Cupcake’s floorboards are cold underfoot. I suppose we need to get accustomed to the cold, we heard that the sea temperature at Block Island is 51. No more swimming.

Other than spotting dolphins at the very beginning and very end of the passage, we had a blissfully uneventful ride. Now we are resting up after the tiring night watches. Tomorrow we will check out the AC boardwalk and rest up for our last big offshore jump on Wednesday when we set out for Block Island.

Dismal swamp

After months of faithful service, our laptop has given up. Yesterday I was about to post another thoughtful, entertaining, insightful bit of writing when the computer quit. Today we are at the Dismal Swamp Visitor Center where I thought the free WiFi might help with recovering the system, but alas. No dice.

So I’m hoping we can get the data and pictures off the computer when we are back in Maine. In the meantime, I’ll be posting from my iPad.

Briefly (because I’m still in mourning over the loss of my computer as well as my latest masterpiece), we had a great time in Oriental where we enjoyed a fun evening with Ken and Sharon from Charis. Met a wonderful sailor on a fascinating sailboat Prinses Mia. Check out the article about this neat boat and captain: https://towndock.net/shippingnews/prinses-mia.

We have been slowly making our way northward, enjoying the little anchorages and towns on the ICW in North Carolina. Last night we were in Elizabeth City at the same dock we tied to on our way south last fall. Ellen asked us, if we were suddenly transported back to September 2018 in Elizabeth City, what would we do differently over the course of the year in the Bahamas. We were all happy to realize that there is almost nothing we would change…we are pretty pleased with how the adventure has gone so far. (Well, we would have tried harder to avoid hurricane Florence, but even that event turned out fine for us.)

Ellen and Moss will likely have better photos on their instagram thing. Check out cupcakeafloat over there, the girls are greedy for more followers.

Heres an interesting thing I noticed yesterday: when I shave nowadays, I don’t worry that if I cut myself the blood will attract sharks when I go swimming later on…there’s no swimming likely for a while.