by Judy Handley | Sep 28, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 342, Year 9: Sunny Day in Quissett Harbor
Date: Sunday, September 28, 2014
Weather: Clear and Beautiful, High Near 75 degrees F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
It was another sunny, summer-like day here on the Cape. We tend to call these very warm fall days ‘Indian summer’, but when I researched the term I found that Indian summer “. . . must occur between St. Martin’s Day (November 11) and November 20. For over 200 years, The Old Farmer’s Almanac has adhered to the saying, ‘If All Saints’ (November 1) brings out winter, St. Martin’s brings out Indian summer’.” So hopefully there will be unseasonably warm days in November for a true Indian summer. But for now, we are just savoring this lovely weather.
Today the boys fished off the boat and then we took the kayak and the dinghy to the beach to play. They boys buried each other in the sand, hung from tree limbs like monkeys, and just generally enjoyed the warm weather. We had lunch on the beach and then returned to Windbird for Ollie’s nap. Sam, Jonah, and I left Heather and Ollie on Windbird and we went exploring. We walked along the rocks on the eastern shore of the bay and then went back to the western shore to walk out to the Knob. When we got to the Knob, we were the only people there, so Sam and Jonah jumped for joy. We walked along the beach to get back to the dinghy and then headed out to Windbird. When Mark got home from work just after 4 pm, I went to shore to get him and took Heather and boys with me. They were going home for the evening.
Tomorrow Mark goes to Boston for his CT scan. Hope, hope, and hope with me that the scan finds no new cancer issues. We will find out the results on Wednesday and I hope to be able to report very positive news. In the meantime, I will continue sanding and varnishing the Dorade boxes and helping out with the boys in Jed’s absence. He gets home very late on Wednesday night and I know the boys are going to be glad to have both mommy and daddy at home once again.
by Judy Handley | Sep 27, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 341, Year 9: Super Soccer Sailing Saturday
Date: Saturday, September 27, 2014
Weather: Clear and Beautiful, High Near 80 degrees F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
We’re back to summer. Today there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the temperature was nearly 80 degrees. It was a super soccer sailing Saturday. We enjoyed every minute of it starting early with Jonah’s soccer at 9 am. After that Mark and I sanded and varnished the Dorade boxes and then rushed back to see Sam’s soccer at noon. Then it was off to Windbird to go for an afternoon sail with Heather and the three boys. First we motored out of the harbor and just turned in circles. This was to calibrate the auto pilot. Then we sailed with 8-10 knots of wind on the beam. When you have no specific destination, you just go with the wind. And we did. It appears that the new heading sensor is doing its job, but we will have to wait until we are out in heavier weather to really test it out. We ended our day by having breakfast for dinner. While a fixed dinner, Mark and Heather watched Sam, Ollie, and Jonah fish and then go out for a kayak ride. It is so neat to see all three boys out there together. Heather and boys are staying over tonight and everyone is asleep but me. So it’s time for me to join them.
by Judy Handley | Sep 26, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 340, Year 9: Back to Gorgeous Weather
Date: Friday, September 26, 2014
Weather: Mostly Sunny, High in the Upper 60’s
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
It was back to gorgeous weather today—sunshine, blue skies, and a temperature warm enough to be comfortable. The evenings cool off quickly, but I have no complaints since the days are so beautiful. And it is supposed to be warmer tomorrow and Sunday. Looks like a great fall weekend. Today we worked on the boat until time to pick Ollie up at daycare at 1 pm. We took him home for his nap and immediately launched into sanding and varnishing the Dorade boxes. Today was coat number four. I was hoping to get eight coats on, but that is not going to happen. I will sand and varnish tomorrow between soccer games, but I doubt that I will have time on Sunday. I’ll put on coat number six on Monday and that is going to be it for now . . . unless the weather forecast changes. Next week looks rainy and rainy weather and varnishing just don’t mix. Even when you do it inside, the humidity can cause the varnish to look cloudy. So I’ll be satisfied with six coats and just put on extra coats next spring.
While Ollie slept and I finished varnishing, Granddad went to pick Sam and Jonah up from school. Mark and I encouraged Heather to stay at work this afternoon to try and get things done so she can relax this weekend. She accomplished her goal and will now to be able to ‘play’ with the boys. Tomorrow morning we’ll all go to the soccer field at 9 am and again at 12 noon. In between, Mark and I will sand and varnish. After Sam’s noontime game, we will all head out to Quissett to Windbird. It is going to be sunny and warm, but unfortunately there will not be enough wind to sail. But we’re going out anyway as it will give us a chance to try out the new heading sensor that Mark installed recently. If it doesn’t work in calm weather, then at least we’ll know it is not going to work at all. One way or the other, it will be nice to know. Heather and the boys will then have dinner and spend the night on Windbird. It might be their last chance before we head south for the winter. Depending on Mark’s health report next Wednesday and depending on the weather, we could be leaving as soon as next weekend. It’s not looking likely with the current forecast, but it changes daily. We’ll just wait and see.
by Judy Handley | Sep 25, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 339, Year 9: Rainy, Rainy Day
Date: Thursday, September 25, 2014
Weather: Overcast with Rain All Day, High Temp Around 60 degrees F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
I don’t remember when we last had a rainy day, but we sure had one today. The public radio station in Woods Hole (where Heather works) planned an outdoor reception for this evening because they figured the ‘rainless’ days were going to continue a bit longer. But just as sure you plan something like that, it rains. By their account, the last real rain was six weeks ago. Well, Mother Nature made up for that today. It is still raining, but the rain should end by morning. We needed the rain and the reception went on despite the weather, so everything turned out just fine.
Mark and I worked on the boat this morning. He changed the oil and I sorted through books and papers, getting rid of things we don’t need. We then went to our storage unit and spent an hour sorting through things and getting rid of more things. By this time it was 1 o’clock, so we headed to Heather’s to fix some lunch. I canned chicken broth that I made yesterday and did a laundry. Some of the things we ‘uncovered’ in storage were our two comforters and duvet covers. I washed the duvet covers and decided on which comforter to start using. The nights are getting chilly, so it is definitely time to add another layer. But hopefully we will only need one comforter as we head south, so the other one will be taken back to storage. Heather came home with Ollie in time to have lunch with us today and then she had to return to work for the reception in the rain. Mark and I had the three boys and we survived after-school indoor play with a friend from the neighborhood, homework, dinner, and bath before Heather returned. Three boys are quite a handful so we are just so glad we are here to help out while Jed is in Japan.
by Judy Handley | Sep 24, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 338, Year 9: Home with Ollie—Varnishing, Making Granola, Skyping with Justin
Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Weather: Partly Cloudy, High Temp in the Upper 60’s F, Low 50’s Overnight
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
Ollie is still struggling with a cold, so we kept him home today in the hopes that some extra rest might help with his recovery. Mark and I were both with him, so one of us could watch him while the other one worked. He started his day by completing an alphabet floor puzzle. When he completed the puzzle, he started singing the ABC song and I was able to catch it on video. Just too cute.
Mark and I made a batch of granola and put another coat of varnish on our Dorade boxes. Something happened to the boxes and they are much darker than they should be. If we had more time, we would have stripped the first coat of varnish off, sanded again, and started over. But cooler weather is here and my window for varnishing is shrinking by the day. So we will just live with darker Dorade boxes and pretend that they are walnut instead of teak.
After Ollie and I picked Sam and Jonah up from school we came home and had a Skype video call with Justin. Jo was out with Ziggy and Coco, so we arranged for another call once they got home. But in the meantime, Justin was able to take us on a tour of the house they are renting in Aguada on the western shore of Puerto Rico. The house is spacious and the location looks fantastic. The large lot is totally fenced and has what looks like a jungle between it and the ocean. Mark and I really enjoyed seeing it and then later in the evening when Jo got home with the kids we had another Skype video call and got to watch Ziggy and Coco in action. Ziggy was working on a Star Wars Lego project and Coco was anxious to show us her new baby bunnies, her favorite doll, and some of her Lego projects. Sam, Jonah, and Ollie enjoyed seeing Ziggy and Coco and all of us adored Coco’s little bunnies.
Justin was leaving tonight for another trip to Culebra to pick up more of their belongings. After this trip, he will have one more to pick up their bikes and the bike trailer. The move has been long and hard, but they now have a great place to live and are starting to settle in.
Tomorrow is going to be a rainy day and we might spend a great deal of the day in storage. We have a lot of things to sort through before we leave for the winter, so tomorrow looks like the day to do it.
by Judy Handley | Sep 23, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 337, Year 9: The ‘Bitey Stuff’
Date: Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Weather: Clear, High Temp in the mid-60’s F, Cool Overnight
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
How can anyone not love the language of a two year-old? Ollie constantly comes up with phrases for things we are talking about and his descriptions are much better than ours. It was an early release day at school, so Mark and I picked up Sam and Jonah and headed to Woods Hole. We picked up Ollie and walked across the street to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s (WHOI) Exhibit Center. Ollie knew we were going to see the WHOI underwater vehicle that was attacked by Great White Sharks and he knew that they tried to bite it. So he insisted on taking his favorite stuffed animal with him, his doggy, and when Heather took him over to see the vehicle, he told doggy, “Now we go see the bitey stuff.” Well said. And when we left the center, each boy had a little bag of goodies that we bought. Ollie proudly displayed his bag and said, “My bag of stuff new to me.” I love it. I missed the photo of the day when all three boys scampered up a hill on the way to the car. Sam and Jonah quickly made it to the top of the hill and the sight of their blonde heads bobbing against the clear blue sky was quite the picture. I wasn’t quick enough with the camera, but I was able to get Ollie struggling to get up the hill, wading through fallen leaves. The hill was so steep that he finally had to come back down and walk up the steps. I didn’t even attempt that hill!
Early this morning we got a call from our friend Lynne Kirwin. We sailed across the Indian Ocean with Ed and Lynne. Lynne’s 94 year-old mother died recently. We have talked to Ed, but not to Lynne, so it was wonderful to just hear her voice. Since returning from 17 years of sailing around the world, she has spent most of the past three years with her mom and I’m sure that gift of time gave her mother great joy. Ed and Lynne are now headed back to their boat, Constance, in Fort Lauderdale. They plan to head to the Bahamas, or maybe even Puerto Rico, this winter, so hopefully we will get to see them.
When we got back to the boat this evening, Mark spent an hour or so on the phone with Lee Kaufman. Lee and Lynda are our friends in South Carolina that might sail south with us this winter. Lee is new to single side-band radio and Mark was helping him learn how to send and receive email via radio. Then at 8 pm, we participated in a weather webinar on the computer. I am constantly amazed at how much I don’t know and tonight was a perfect example. We learned a lot about weather prediction as we traveled around the world, but we have so much more to learn. Sailing across the Pacific Ocean is a piece of cake compared to the Atlantic. So now we need to focus on the Atlantic and learn as much as we can.
