Contact Infrared by Boat Phone: 410-371-3543 or e-mail infrared@CatonsvilleYachtClub.com
REPORTING DATE LOCATION COMMENTS PICTURES
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Saturday
June 4, 2011		 Chesapeake City, MD Left Canton Cove promptly at 0700 as planned, but Greg was detained by work emergency (he hopes to join up before off shore leg). Light air meant motoring but our timing was perfect giving us a lift the entire way to the C&D Canal entrance. So we did 42 miles in six hours and arrived in the anchorage basin at about 1400 hrs.

Saturday night meant that the few deep water slips at Chesapeake Inn were already spoken for, but while anchoring, the dock master at the new Chesapeake Anchorage Marina hailed us with a spot at his dock. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but when the tide went out, we were sitting in the muddy bottom!

Why fight it? We went for a walk around town, had a few beverages and some dinner and returned to the boat to wait fro the tide to come back in. The plan is to move to another dock with (we hope) enough water so we can get out of here and on he road by 0800 Sunday. That coincides with the onset of eastbound current and would get us to Cape May at low tide so we can get under the two fixed bridges in the Cape May Canal. We shall see if the plan works out. 		First day destination, the C&D Canal.
Sunday
June 5, 2011		 Cape May, NJ There is a peculiar phenomenon going on. The water on planet earth is disappearing!

First were our adventures in Chesapeake City where we were aground at the dock both in the evening and again this morning when we plowed our way out. All the while the locals stood around scratching their heads and mumbling about the unusually low tides lately. Next was here in Cape May where we touched ground while negotiating the usually reliable sea wall access route into Utsch's Marina. Then we found ourselves aground while tying up at our slip. Here they blame the exceedingly low water on beach replenishment projects along the Jersey shore. I think someone pulled the plug and water is draining into hell!

Anyway, we were (barely) able to depart Chesapeake City at 0630 and once in the canal, rode the eastbound current out to the Delaware Bay. We had some very nice sailing for the next few hours speeding past the power plant at 7- 8 kt SOG. Eventually the wind dies and went forward so it was then a motor sail, but still making good time. We reached the Cape May canal at 1630 as planned.

We expect to head out into the ocean for the ~35 hour overnight to Block Island (where we will investigate whether all their water is disappearing, too) 		At the dock in Chesapeake City.
Cloudy and cool but no rain on the Delaware Bay.
Tuesday
June 7, 2011		 Block Island, RI Got out of Cape May at 0800 after waiting for the tide to rise enough to escape the dock and literally plow our way out to the channel.

Calm wind and sea make for motoring, eventually motor sailing as the wind picked up.

The overnight (motor) sail was generally uneventful except for the gang of fishing boats we passed through near midnight, but eventually the crowd thinned out and we had no real close encounters. The trouble with commercial fishing boats is that their running lights are virtually impossible to identify with all the flood lights burning for night operations. Plus they wander back and forth while dragging who-knows-what behind them.

As daylight returned so did a very nice wind and we had a good five hour sail on a broad reach including an hour or so with the spinnaker up. We arrived at Block Island at 1730 making for a 33 hour passage. Payne's Marina continues to be a dump but is a welcome sight after an overnight at sea. 		In the Atlantic, off New Jersey.
Just after dawn on Tuesday. Good sailing.
Just after dawn on Tuesday. Good sailing.
In Salt Pond, Block Island.
Wednesday
June 8, 2011		 Newport, RI Traveled the 20 nm crossing from Block Island to Newport and found such a nice sailing breeze in mid afternoon that we sailed around lower Narragansett Bay for more that an hour just for fun before searching out a dock.

Took a slip at the Newport Yacht Club and walked down to the Newport Yachting Center to socialize with Sean Callahan and the crew of Bingo! which had finished the Annapolis to Newport Race Tuesday evening at 1900 hrs. They were third in class so we had several drinks with the ramaining race crew and the return delivery crew before dinner at the Red Parrot. It was a great time! 		Closing on the headlands of Newport harbor.
Terrific sailing! Newport dead ahead.
Newport Yacht Club.
Thursday
June 9, 2011		 Newport, RI In Newport today, Brian and Sharon went touring while I sought a replacement water pump and hose to fix a persistant sea water leak. The parts are supposed to arrive tomorrow in the late morning so it will be a late departure.

Brian & Sharon are leaving Infrared this afternoon for a hotel stay for a few more days. John Schneider from Accomac County, VA drove in today and will be on board for the next week when Kyle Stump and (maybe) Steve Reid come up for the return trip.

Where we end up tomorrow will depend on departure time and wind. 		Thunder & lightning but we are at the dock.

Friday
June 10, 2011		 Block Island, RI The sea water pump and hose arrived shortly after noon and the installation went smoothly, so we checked out of the Newport YC with a forecast of east winds 5-10kt. Naturally, our hoped for destination, Cutty Hunk, is due east so we sailed 20 nm south to Block Island. This time landing at Old Harbor on the east side of the island rather than Salt Pond which is entered from the west.

Old Harbor is the ferry destination and hub of the island. It's busy and, certainly in season starting on the July 4 weekend, very crowded but I had never docked here so we went there. Unfortunately, we will probably be stuck here until Monday when this system takes its east wind, clouds and rain out of here.

Can't go east, so we go south!
Saturday
June 11, 2011		 Block Island, RI It was cloudy and dreary this morning, but, more significantly, a brisk 10-18 kt wind from the east, our intended heading. With an even worse day forecast for tomorrow, we decided to stay in Old Harbor and wait it out (Monday is supposed to be improving with a north wind which would be good for us). This was probably a good call since by 1400 hrs it was raining and, by 1600, it was raining heavily and the east wind perked up to 15-25 kt. It would have been an unpleasant day at sea!

Another problem in getting to Martha's Vineyard is the current in Vineyard Sound. It's just bad luck that it will be against us during prime time (1000 - 1700 hrs) so it's likely to be a long 50 nm trek best done on Monday in more pleasant weather and wind.

Brand new wharf, plenty of room.
Sunday
June 12, 2011		 Block Island, RI It was a really good call to stay over in Block Island. The wind and rain continued overnight and into this morning. We had already made the decision to stay until Monday based on the forecast (the inaccurate forecast of the present gale notwithstanding).

We had moved Infrared into the corner spot for shelter, but the wind began backing northerly so we were bounced a bit against the dock overnight.

Block Island is still awakening for the tourist season so businesses are open but the crowds are not huge. With this passing storm, it has been chilly with highs only in the 60's and overnight lows in the 50's, the water temperature is 55-65. The early season tourists are unhappy but it's the best time to be here, in my opinion.

After the rain ended in midday, we rented a couple of bicycles and explored some of the island, including a visit to Block Island's South East Light and a stop at the beach house for a shower. 		Hiding from the gale on Block Island.
Tied down by rain and high winds.
South East Light on Block Island.
Monday
June 13, 2011		 Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard, MA With the storm gone, we set out this morning for the 50 nm passage from Block Island, up the Vineyard Sound to Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard. We left at 0830 and found dead calm conditions so it was motoring at first. As the breeze came up, it was motor sailing, but upon entering Vineyard Sound we found a nice SE 6-12 kt breeze making for an excellent beam reach.

It continues to be cool here with highs only in the 60's (about 10-15 degrees below normal) and the unsettled weather continues to keep clouds around.

A little more that half of the 20 nm way up the sound, the wind shifted forward requiring tacking the rest of the way around East Chop into Oak Bluffs harbor. The sound is quite wide so tacking was not unpleasant and, with the current eventually shiftng in our favor, it was some of the best sailing ever.

Arriving at 1815, we took a mooring in Oak Bluffs harbor and inflated the dingy and went to town. Oak Bluffs has the liveliest night life on the Vineyard, there are many bars and (not too fancy) restaurants, as well as the expected compliment of gift and tee shirt shops. We found a spot with six 50" TV's all tuned to the Boston Bruins Stanley Cup playoff hockey game (naturally, a huge fan interest here in New England).

The plan is to stay here tomorrow, tour around, and head back down the sound on Wednesday to Cutty Hunk. 		Leaving Block Island, heading for Martha's Vineyard.
Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard.
Tuesday
June 14, 2011		 Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard, MA Overnight another front arrived producing rain, but, more significantly, generating another near gale in its passing. It was blowing 15-28 kt at dawn and that continued through mid-afternoon. With temperatures down in the 50's, the locals were lamenting the late arrival of the "season".

Fortunately for us, we weren't going anywhere anyway. However, it was quite an adventure getting the dingy to shore with the wind howling across the harbor. But we made it. I went to Vineyard Haven in search of a shackle to repair the main sheet system (don't worry, Harry, it's back in shape) while John went to a laundromat. Later we traveled by bus (they are the best here in Martha's Vineyard) to Edgartown and walked around touring the waterfront where I had stayed ten years ago.

Edgartown Harbor was severely affected by a hurricane in 2005 (or thereabouts) which blew a gap in the sand spit forming the southern boundary of the harbor. The result is a dramatic current running with the tide up and down through the harbor. When I heard of this, I was reluctant to try for the town dock there and that was one of motivations for going to Oak Bluffs instead. Visiting Edgartown this time, however, I think it is back at the top of my list of favorite sailing destinations.

By late afternoon, the winds had settled down (but not disappeared) so it looks like our 20 nm passage to Cutty Hunk tomorrow should go off just fine. 		We're in port when the weather turns ugly, again!
The dingy made it to shore!
Around Edgartown.
Edgartown light.
Winds finally died down.
Wednesday
June 15, 2011		 Cutty Hunk, MA The southwesterly current down Vineyard Sound was to set up near midday so we didn't need an early start to get to Cutty Hunk. We dropped the mooring around 1100 hrs, raised the mainsail in the harbor and proceeded past the breakwater. Out there, the wind was building, as predicted from the north, so we found truly exquisite sailing conditions (after dodging a few of the ferry boats).

On a beam to a broad reach, we were moving through the water at 7.7 kts (which I conclude is Infrared's hullspeed since the second wake was at the stern). But with the lift from the current, we were rocketing down Vineyard Sound at 8.5-9 kts. Remember, the water temperature here is only 58-65 degrees so it's quite cool on the water. I think it's perfect, but some of the crew think it's cold. Either way, the sailing couldn't be better.

Cutty Hunk is the outermost of the Elizabeth Islands, at the southwest end of Vineyard Sound and, since it's only ~20nm from Oak Bluffs, we were getting there in a hurry. To avoid going past the Sow and Pigs shoal and doubling back to the harbor, we decided to try passing through Quick's Hole. This ia a fairly narrow channel between Nashawena and Pasque Islands. With the wind blowing and the current running, it was hard to know what to expect, but we went anyway. The biggest problem we had was the appearance of a fishing trawler, with its dolphins extended, arriving at the narrowest part as we did. We killed speed to let him by since he sure wasn't going to defer to us even though we were under sail.

Buzzards Bay greeted us with a real tidal rip and wave action when leaving Quick's Hole but it soon settled down enough to get the sails down and enter the compact Cutty Hunk harbor. We pulled up a mooring, inflated the dingy and went to town. Ctty Hunk has 13 winter residents and a couple hundred summer residents, so the town isn't much, but the physical location is spectacular. 		Out of Oak Bluffs, down Vineyard Sound.
Into Quick's Hole.
Out of Quick's Hole.
A view from the top of Cutty Hunk.
Another view from the top of Cutty Hunk.
Thursday
June 16, 2011		 Newport, RI The forecast for today's trip from Cutty Hunk to Newport suggested that it was to be a bit of a slog with 5-15 kt winds on the nose and 2-4 ft seas. But it turned out to be a great sail! The SW wind was just far enough off the nose that we could close reach virtually the entire way from Vineyard Sound to Brenton Shoal which sits at the entrance to Narragansett Bay. Another of the sailing days I came here for.

Tonight we are staying at Naval Station Newport a little north of Newport center. Schneider is a retired Air Force pilot so he arranged for space at their dock.

Unfortunately my camera died today so no new pictures, but they have a Walmart just off the base so the pictures will return tomorrow!

We ate at the Officers Club on the Naval Base since it was conveniently located next to the marina. Good food, and pretty cheap! 		No new pictures. Camera fried!
Friday
June 17, 2011		 Newport, RI Schneider has to leave today, so I couldn't freeload off the Navy any longer, so, with impending foul weather, we moved Infrared to the Newport Yacht Club fairly early this morning. It was already raining, but by 1030 hrs, it was coming down steadily and looks like it will continue through this afternoon. So, again, Infrared is safely in port when the nasty weather comes by.

Kyle Stump and Don Bradley are to arrive tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon for the eventual return to Baltimore, so I will be hanging out here through Sunday. 		Got a new camera so the pictures are back! The camera works!
Nasty weather in Newport.
Saturday
June 18, 2011		 Newport, RI More rain overnight, but plenty of sunshine today. While waiting fro Kyle and Don to arrive, I hiked to the top of the hill where the supermarket is to provision for the final week of the trip.

The top of the hill is the location of Bellevue Avenue and it's the part of town with the fantastic early twentieth century mansions. It is also the home of the International Tennis Hall of Fame housed in a fine old "casino" (not the gambling type, but the arena, gallery type). I was told that it's the only place remaining in the US with real grass courts open to the public for play.


Original Naval Academy.
Tennis Hall of Fame.

Sunshine at the NYC.
The 12-m yachts live across the slipway.
The Stone Mill in Newport.
Sunday
June 19, 2011		 Newport, RI It's early Sunday and Kyle and Don are onboard. The plan is to sail out to Block Island today and head out into the ocean on Monday morning for the ~36 hour run to Cape May. This will put us a day ahead of schedule, but we want to beat the developing southwesterly winds that look like they will arrive on Wednesday. Often these on-the-nose winds can persist for days and days and would mean an unpleasant slog down the Jersey coast.

Internet connectivity will likely be sketchy until we get to Cape May, Tuesday evening. 		Newport Yacht Club folks were good hosts.
Wednesday
June 22, 2011		 Cape May, NJ As we planned, we sailed out to Block Island, about 20 nm from Newport, Sunday afternoon and picked up a mooring ball in Salt Pond. It's Block Island Race Week so dock side was unavailable with all the racing boats in town. The mooring was just fine since the launch service is now running. We went to get to town for a walk about and food and beverages at the Mohegan Cafe and then back to the boat for an early night.

Careful readers will note that this is Infrared's third stop at Block Island on this trip. The reason for two of the stops is that Block Island is precisely on the rumbline from Cape May to Newport so it's convenient to stop on the way out and the way back. Even though it's only 20 nm from Newport, it's still a good stop.

We dropped the mooring and motored out of Salt Pond at 0530 hours, Monday morming, for the 200 nm passage to Cape May. The water was totally flat for the next six hours and it was too windless to do anything but motor-sail through the night. We had left early to beat the impending build up of the southwesterlies which would put the wind on our nose. Well, we didn't make. By Tuesday morning, we were slogging into an 8-12 kt wind on-the-nose. For a while, it wasn't too bad and we were still making decent time. However, early in the afternoon, the wind increased enough to give us bigger waves and a constant spray of sea water over the bow as we crashed through those waves.

We pulled up to the dock at Utsch's Marina at 1730 hrs on Tuesday making it almost exactly a 36 hour passage. Not bad a time condidering all the head winds, ocean spray, and foul current.

Since we had left Block Island early trying to beat the onset of the southwesterlies (which we failed to do), we were ahead of schedule so decided to lay over a day in Cape May. Don has acces to a summer home owned by his neice, so we slept in real beds and were close to the beach and amenities of Cape May.

Kyle navigating.
This hurts (the sailing, that is).
Typical Cape May sight.
Back to Block Island. This time, into Salt Pond.

Good motoring conditions anyway.

Don and Kyle headed for Cape May.

Kyle and Don the next morning.


It got really unpleasant
as the day wore on.
Thursday
June 23, 2011		 Delaware City, DE Recall that Infrared needs low tide to get under the bridges in the Cape May Canal but that low tide can put us aground while leaving the marina. Thus, we waited until low tide had just passed and the water had begun to rise before leaving at 0845. We pushed a bit of sand around plowing out to the channel and then went under the bridges with the VHF antenna scraping the girders, so the timing worked just fine.

Typically, Delaware Bay is not a great place to sail, but after the wind picked up late in the morning we were able to sail most of the way up the bay. But just to keep it's reputation in tact however, the Delaware Bay provided a host of flies to annoy us as we sailed. Fly swatters were issued to all crew and we sailed on.

The plan to stay in Chesapeake City was dealt a fatal blow when, upon calling ahead to arrange dockage, we were told that the Canal Days celebration was in full swing and the facilities were jammed. So instead, we made for Delaware City at the eastern end of the old canal. We found an acceptable water front bar with all we needed for dinner and beverages. 		Good sailing up the Delaware Bay.

Marking one of the many shoals.
Friday
June 24, 2011		 Baltimore, MD It was an early start to catch the westbound current in the C&D Canal (up to 2 kts) and ride it as far as we could down the Elk River and the upper Chesapeake. Needless to say, the wind was on-the-nose once we exited the canal. But once we passed Poole's Island, it shifted enough to provide some good sailing up a good bit of the Patapsco.

With a forecast of threatening thunderstorms and associated high winds, we were pleased to tie up in Infrared's home at the Canton Cove Marina around 1430 hrs. The trip was over. Infrared had traveled close to 900 nm in three weeks and found some excellent saltwater sailing! 		First day destination, the C&D Canal.

Visits since May 27, 2011