by Judy Handley | Aug 13, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 279, Year 7: The Dilemma of Weather and Currents
Date: Monday, August 13, 2012
Weather: Partly Sunny
Location: Eel Pond, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
The weather can drive you crazy when you are not a sailor, but when you are
a sailor, it can drive you totally insane. We’re trying to plan a sailing
trip the latter part of this week with our friends Alan and Helaine
Kanegsberg from New Hampshire. They and we don’t care where we go as long
as we can sail, but that is not as easy as it might appear. The currents
rule in this particular little corner of the earth, so even when winds and
weather are favorable, often the current is against you and you can’t easily
get to where you want to go. And then there is the fact that the weather is
constantly changing. A couple of days ago the forecast was for less than
five knots of wind on Thursday and Friday. Now the forecast is for a little
more wind, but from a different direction. Tonight, Sunday looks like the
sailing day if you were coming back to Woods Hole from Nantucket BUT the
current wouldn’t be with you until after 2 pm. We talked to Alan and
Helaine tonight and tentatively set Wednesday as their arrival date. But if
the weather forecast stays the same, Wednesday and Thursday could be rainy.
I know Alan and Helaine are reading this log, so I’ll just add that in my
thinking, we wait until Tuesday morning, check the weather, and make the
decision about WHEN we will sail at that point. Then when Alan and Helaine
arrive here, we’ll make the WHERE decision.. This all reminds me of the
days and days of planning meetings when we were trying to find the ‘just
right’ time to leave Tonga for New Zealand. They sold a t-shirt in Tonga
with a picture of a porthole and around it was written ‘Weather Window.’
Sailors are always looking for those perfect weather windows when sailing is
good. We’ll just have to hope that we get one later this week.
Mark made a little road trip to the other side of Buzzard’s Bay this morning
to take our Balmar alternator in for a little repair. The positive post
broke off and needed to be drilled out and replaced. He took it to a little
shop in Mattapoisett and the service was excellent. He got back and had it
reinstalled by early afternoon. On Monday morning, Heather takes the boys
to school and is then on the air by 9:30 am. Jed stays home with Oliver and
then brings him to Woods Hole for an 11 am feeding. He hands Oliver over to
Heather and he goes to work. Then I take Oliver for the next hour or so
until it is time to go pick up the boys. This morning that plan went
pear-shaped. Jed was driving Heather’s sixteen year-old Honda to Woods Hole
and about half-way here, the car just stopped. When Jed looked at the gas
gauge, it was on empty, but he had just filled the tank a couple of days ago
and hadn’t driven the car since. He was able to push the car off the road
and call the tow truck, but they wouldn’t tow it until the fire department
came and deemed the car safe as there was an obvious fuel leak. Oliver lost
it during all of this and Jed had to call Heather to come get him. She then
had to come back to Woods Hole to finish a few things at work while I took
care of Oliver. Jed stayed until the car was towed home and he headed to
work when we got home with the van. What a morning! The car will have to
be dealt with later as Heather and Jed are headed to Maine tomorrow. So
that was our excitement for this Monday.
by Judy Handley | Aug 12, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 278, Year 7: More Frustrations with Weather Forecasts
Date: Sunday, August 12, 2012
Weather: Mix of Rain, Clouds, and Sunshine
Location: Eel Pond, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Our morning started with pouring rain. Jed and I were the first adults up
with Oliver. We checked the weather forecast and it was bleak. It looked
like it would be a totally overcast day with lots of rain. What happened in
reality is that the rain ended early and we had long periods of mostly sunny
weather mixed with periods of overcast skies throughout the day. We made
our decision to not go sailing based on the morning forecast, but by
afternoon it was obvious that we should have just gone for it. We didn’t,
but we still had a good time. And the rain ended in time for the Falmouth
Road Race to get underway with just a 20 minute delay. This was the 40th
year of this race and I was amazed this year as last that 12,000 people can
descend on a little village early on a Sunday morning, run their race, and
by early afternoon, the village looks just like it did before they came.
Mark and I stayed onboard with Oliver while Heather, Jed, Sam, and Jonah
went ashore to enjoy the race. After the last runners had left Woods Hole,
they went to the aquarium. We all had lunch on Windbird and then Jed took
the big boys to the park to run and play while Mark and I did our daily
walk. After naps, everyone but Oliver and I piled into the dinghy and went
out into Great Harbor to a little island with a beach. Sam had really
wanted to go snorkeling, but it was late in the day and cooler than he had
hoped, so he got in the water, but it was Heather who ended up doing the
snorkeling. She was amazed at the life she saw in the shallows. There was
a juvenile flounder, green crabs, and a number of fish she couldn’t
immediately identify. It’s not a coral reef, but it sure sounds interesting
to me. I’m going to try and get out there while the kids are in Maine to
see what I can see, and when they return, we’ll give it another go earlier
on a sunny day.
When everyone went on the dinghy ride out into Great Harbor to snorkel, I
stayed behind with Oliver. It was time to fix dinner, so I was trying to
juggle entertaining Oliver with cooking. It was Happy Hour and I was having
an Amstel Light. Ollie was fixated on the bottle each time I took a drink,
so I decided to see what would happen if I gave him his own clean and empty
bottle. Bingo. He loved it. He held it and sucked on the bottle neck as
if drinking out of it. It gave me just the time I needed to get dinner
underway. When his parents returned, I shared our little secret with them.
They laughed and said that Sam had the same fascination with beer bottles
when he was a baby. It might not be the safest baby toy in the world, but
it sure keeps their attention.
by Judy Handley | Aug 11, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 277, Year 7: Weather Forecast Changed Our Plans
Date: Saturday, August 11, 2012
Weather: Rain Overnight and All Morning, Clear in the Afternoon
Location: Eel Pond, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
It rained all night last night and was still pouring this morning, so
Heather and Jed called this morning and suggested we cancel our sailing trip
to Tarpaulin Cove. Both the forecast and the radar showed nothing but rain
for all of today and tomorrow. But as it happens so often, the forecast
just wasn’t right. The sun came out just after noon and we had a party
cloudy and delightfully windy afternoon. Heather, Jed, and kids did come
out for dinner. They brought their things just in case they decided to
spend the night and that was wise as they are all here now and sound asleep.
Heather now has a full blown cold, as well as Oliver, and she and Jed were
both so tired. So we made some Ovaltine for Sam and Jonah and let them
watch a video about the Galapagos Islands and we put Heather and Oliver and
Jed to bed. I’m the only one still awake, and I think I will turn in early
as well. We didn’t even talk about what we will do tomorrow, but if the
weather is beautiful, we might go sailing. If it is not, we will probably
go ashore and watch the start of the Falmouth Road Race.
Heather and Jed have had to make last minute changes in their summer plans.
Jed’s parents have a summer home in Boothbay, Maine, and Heather, Jed, and
kids spend a week or so there with them each year. This year they were
going up the week before Labor Day. But Jed’s father has to go home to
Washington, DC, to have unexpected surgery on the 20th and will not be back
in Maine until mid-September. Sam will be in kindergarten by then and
Heather and Jed don’t want to take him out of school for a full week, so
they are heading north on Tuesday of this week. Thankfully Jed’s schedule
is flexible right now and Heather will use a recorded interview for her show
while she is gone. I’ve said it many times, but flexibility is the name of
the game.
by Judy Handley | Aug 10, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 276, Year 7: Stormy Weather
Date: Friday, August 10, 2012
Weather: Threatening Skies Early, Stormy Late Day
Location: Eel Pond, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Today was dominated by threatening skies that finally fulfilled their
destiny with late day rain, wind, and even a tornado watch. Although
tornadoes are not common in this part of the world, they do happen
periodically. Thankfully today’s threat dissipated and we got some clearing
at sunset-long enough for us to drive home from Heather’s and get out to
Windbird without getting wet. We had a bit of excitement when we got to
Windbird. When we got onboard, I had the dinghy rope. I thought I was
handing it to Mark but a miscommunication resulted in an escaped dinghy. It
went floating merrily across the pond. Thankfully we have the kayak. We
launched it and Mark went to rescue the escaped dinghy. If we didn’t have
the kayak, one of us would have been swimming. As soon as we got the dinghy
and kayak secured for the night, the rains came again. I was glad we were
home and able to escape the storm.
Weather permitting, we are hoping to go sailing tomorrow with Heather, Jed,
and kids. We plan to go to Tarpaulin Cover again, stay out overnight, and
return to Woods Hole Sunday afternoon. But if it is pouring rain in the
morning, we will probably cancel. The forecast shows a 50 percent chance of
rain, but many days this summer have had that forecast and the days have
ended up to be beautiful. So we’ll just have to wait and see. This is the
weekend of the Falmouth Road Race and 12,000 hopeful runners will descend
upon Woods Hole on Sunday morning. We were here for the race last year and
it was fun to watch, but I’d much rather be out sailing. When we were at
Tarpaulin Cove last weekend, Jed mentioned that there could be nice
snorkeling at one end of the Cove. We’re not going to see coral reefs and
colorful fish, but I am still anxious to jump in and see what is there. We
bought a mask and snorkel for Jonah today (Sam already has one) and a set of
fins they can share. So with the new shorty wet suits that Heather
purchased for them this week, we’re hoping adults and kids can get in on the
action.
We picked Sam and Jonah up from school at 1 pm and took them home for naps.
We spent the afternoon and stayed for a delicious dinner of local scallops
for dinner. Unfortunately Oliver has a summer cold. It is making him a
little fussier than usual, but he still has plenty of smiles. Our two new
grandbabies keep us constantly entertained-Oliver in person and Coco via
photos on Facebook. I can’t believe she is 11 days old. Jo took her for a
walk in the garden today and she and Ziggy seem to be bonding beautifully.
Grandchildren bring a joy into your life that is beyond words. Watching
them grow is so very special.
Amid all of the cloudiness today, we enjoyed a bit of sunshine in the afternoon. When you look out one of the large picture windows in Heather and Jed’s living room, you see the bee garden. We planted lots of sunflowers there and now two pair of goldfinches spend their afternoons munching on the sunflower seeds. The bright yellow of the sunflowers and the beautiful yellow and black birds really do bring sunshine when none is shining in the sky.
by Judy Handley | Aug 9, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 275, Year 7: Food, Decks, and Patriotism
Date: Thursday, August 9, 2012
Weather: Mostly Sunny and Hot
Location: Eel Pond, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Today was a hot one, but I must correct something I stated in last night’s
log. I thought Mark had told me that July was the hottest on record for
Massachusetts, but what he had really said was that it was the hottest month
on record collectively for the entire country. I’m not sure if it was the
hottest on record for Massachusetts, but it was hot, and August is proving
to be more of the same. Today the heat index was in the 90’s here, so we
are enjoying a tropical Northeast August.
Thursday is the day for the Farmer’s Market during the summer, so I went to
Heather’s so we could go to the market together. She handles all three boys
by herself just fine, but I know it is always a help to have another person,
so we all went together. Jonah LOVES berries and he ate an entire pint of
beautiful red raspberries. He puts them on the ends of his fingers and then
eats one at a time. Heather and I polished off a pint of blackberries, and
Sam watched as fruit is not his thing these days. I wish he knew what he
was missing! Heather and I bought fresh produce and then we took the food
to the van and headed across the street to the playground for a lunch under
the shade trees and a little fun on the playground equipment. We went home
in time for naps and I spent the afternoon washing veggies and getting some
additional food from the garden processed to be frozen. And then on my way
back to Windbird, I stopped at the grocery store to buy even more food. So
basically, I spent my day dealing with food.
Mark stayed on the boat today and he dealt with the deck. There are a few
places where Heather and I did the caulking this spring that have tiny
pinhole leaks where the caulk did not completely adhere to the edges of the
seam. So Mark set about recaulking those areas. There is more to do, but
he got a great start.
And now to the patriotic issue. I heard a great report on NPR this evening.
A British reporter was talking about how the British have become overnight
patriots during the Olympics. Being very British, they were skeptical about
the games and were sure things would go pear-shaped. But they are now
relaxing and seeing that things are going quite well. And they are enjoying
that. So they are singing their national anthem and flying flags proudly.
Heather caught Jonah on video this afternoon singing our national anthem.
Both boys have enjoyed the Olympic games and have obviously paid close
attention to the award ceremonies. Attached is Jonah’s rendition of the
Star-Spangled Banner. So precious.
by Judy Handley | Aug 8, 2012 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 274, Year 7: Slippery Summer
Date: Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Weather: Mostly Sunny with Temps in the 80’s
Location: Eel Pond, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
This summer has seemed to just slip away. I know it is not over yet, but
you can tell by the frenzy of ‘company’ picnics in Woods Hole, that summer
students are leaving and everyone is getting ready for fall. From our
mooring in Eel Pond, we can watch the picnics at MBL (Marine Biological Lab)
and WHOI (Woods Hole Oceanographic) onshore, and when we walk through the
village, you can just feel that summer is winding down. When Mark’s chemo
treatments ended two weeks ago, we just started our summer. But even though
we got a slow start, we’ll do our best to enjoy every day of the rest. The
reports are out that July in Massachusetts was the hottest ever on record.
And I can believe that. It has been hot, but since Mark and I love hot, we
have no complaints. And it continues to be hot in August. It will be
interesting to see how the rest of the summer and fall plays out
weather-wise.
Heather had to work this morning, so Oliver came to spend the morning on
Windbird. What a sweet baby this one is. He is now ‘talking’-making all
sorts of sounds–and smiling the whole time. He is a joy and makes everyone
around him happy with his jolly attitude. Heather joined us on the boat for
lunch, and then Mark and I went home with Heather when it was time to pick
up Sam and Jonah. Heather needed to continue to work at home, so Mark and I
hung out in the backyard with Oliver while the big boys slept and Heather
worked. I managed to get Mark’s hair cut while Oliver slept in the swing,
and then we all went to swim class with Sam. We went to Jonah’s swim class
a couple of weeks ago and Sam really wanted us to come see him today. He’s
doing great, still needing some support, but really starting to swim. It’s
much more exciting to watch than the Olympics!
