Log of s/v Bellerophon

The weather for the weekend is looking downright promising, which is saying quite a bit for this spring! Jim is working Saturday morning but we're set to go as soon as he gets out of work. We're off to Conanicut Saturday, perhaps with Sunday brunch at the Bay Voyage Inn. Not too sure yet about Sunday, but then Monday we're headed to the Kickamuit River to enjoy their festivities.

We hope very much to be met by the Commodore in his newly launched tender. We will salute him with all proper fanfare, of course.

This past weekend was a washout. Despite our love of Field Day none of us really wanted to sail in the rain and then sit in the rain all weekend just to sail home in the rain again on Sunday.

We're gearing up for the 4th of July 4-day weekend instead!

A wonderful sail home with a nice southwesterly. We took the west passage under mostly main and mizzen and arrived at EYC at about 430. Our engine and alternator have been behaving very well the whole trip but as we came in the fire alarm in the cabin went off and black acrid smoke came billowing out of the engine compartment! We were close enough to the dock to drift right in. It turned out that we had eaten the alternator belt, and the smoke was actually burning rubber. Ironic that we have that problem 30 seconds from the end of the trip! Anyway, tomorrow we'll replace the belt. Naturally we have a spare on board!

Today was a layover day in Newport. Carol met the boat, along with friends Jack and Ann. We spent the afternoon enjoying the view of Harbor Court (and a few drinks). We had a great birthday dinner for Jim at 22 Bowens and then saw Jack and Ann back on the ferry. It got cloudy and quite chilly as we boarded the launch, and just as we got settled on the boat the heavens opened up with a terriffic downpour. We're hunkered down now, very glad that we replaced a bunch of hatch seals and recaulked the main mast step before the rain started.

It is somewhat difficult to capture the beauty of the sun setting over Fort Adams with the camera equipment we have on board and without a tripod. It is truly gorgeous.

We did colors in the traditional fashion, following Harbor Court and Ida Lewis at a respectful half-second.

I could easily keep sailing for another week or two if it wasnt for that whole work thing.

Jim celebrated his _1st birthday today! Unfortunately we didnt have any birthday candles on board so he had to make do with "best wishes" from the crew and a birthday bottle of wine from Carol.

We set sail from Block at about 830 this morning and rode a westerly most of the way to Newport. Luck would have it that the start of the Newport-Bermuda race was right as we were coming in the east passage. Had I to do it over again I would have sailed to Dutch Harbor and then come in Newport tomorrow. The croud of racing and spectator boats was enormous and it definitely raised my blood pressure significantly trying to worm our way through the boats. Not something I would have chosen to do. Ross headed back home this afternoon on the ferry. Jim and I made a brief venture into town via Oldport to visit a few local establishments and then headed back to the boat to enjoy the gorgeous weather.

We're moored at Ida Lewiws Yacht Club, right off of Harbor Court. A beautiful location. We have a layover day in Newport tomorrow and then it's home to Edgewood on Sunday.

We set sail from Sag Harbor at about 815am under a nice fresh westerly, which unfortunately died off Gardiners Island. Despite our concerns about high winds off Block, we ended up motoring most of the way. We pulled into Block at about 330pm to find the town almost shut down. We made the best of it, though, with a trip to The Oar and then downtown to Ballards. Back to the boat at 7, in time for evening colors. We made the prudent decision to radio the Coast Guard patrol boat and alert them to our sunset gun lest they too mistake us for a weapon of mass destruction.

This morning was a late morning. I woke up at 915 and Ross and Jim were still in bed! Off to town to find some coffee. I found three coffee places and had a cup at each! I never did find a diner, but the Bagel Bouy makes a pretty darned good ham and cheese omelet. We've been watching the weather fairly constantly and it looks like the remnants of Alberta will pass well to the south of Nantucket tomorrow. The forecast for LI Sound and BI Sound both look good for a transit, so we're bound for BI tomorrow. We're planning on leaving as close to 8am as possible. I anticipate a good day's sail to Block, but we should be there by dinner time at the latest.

Sag Harbor is a gorgeous place, something of a cross between Wickford and Newport. The money seems newer than either, but in equally plentiful supply. Sag Harbor Yacht Club has been really great to us. The staff are professional and helpful and even invited us to a BBQ our first night here. One of their racers showed up this afternoon at 4 to ask if any of us would like to crew for him. (No takers, but the thought was appreciated.) I did not see an EYC burgee among their collecion, and if I had one to spare, I certainly would have left one here. As it is, our burgee has been repaired by sail tape. It's about to lose the red. I fear it will look something like Lark's burgee soon.

Sag Harbor Yacht Club turned out to be a great place. It is a yacht club in the sense that it has flag officers, a race committee, and so on... it just seems so together that it didnt seem like the kind of club we're used to. They welcomed us with open arms and invited us to their Tuesday cookout. This particular cookout was mostly staff from the Club and the crews of a couple of private yachts that berth here. One of the captains promised us a tour of his 100 foot boat tomorrow. No doubt we'll take him up on it.

Ross and Jim dragged me out to check out the night life in Sag Harbor, such as it is. I made it for one drink and then headed back to the boat to check in with Tony. "You'll love what I've done with the house!" He decorates rather well (goes with the territory) so I'm looking forward to the changes.

IN the mean time, Alberta looks like it's headed well south of Nantucket and shouldnt pose much of a problem for us. We're debating whether to just hang out here for a couple of days and let it go past, or whether we should make for Block. I'll let the crew decide.

We pulled into Sag Harbor this morning at about 1130. We called the Harbormaster looking for a transient mooring but apparently those arent ready until the 15th, so we pulled into a slip at Sag Harbor Yacht Club. We're not quite sure if it's a yacht club in the sense that we normally think of it, but it sure is one heck of a nice marina. We took a stroll ashore and checked out the town. Sort of like a mini version of Newport, but pricier, if you can believe it. I seem to have misplaced the USB cable for the camera, but hopefully I'll find it soon and be able to upload some stuff.

Ross was able to file an unemployment claim online using the onboard computer and internet access! (Photo to follow when our bandwidth improves.) Now if that isnt a good use of technology, I dont know what is!

To make matters even better, in the morning before departing for Sag Harbor we tried to raise the harbormaster by radio and by telephone so we could pay for the mooring. No luck on either, so with some small measure of guilt we sailed away without paying for our night's stay. Even if it's not a freebie, I strongly recommend this gorgeous anchorage.

Ross joined us on schedule via the 10:16 train from Providence and we left for the 12:40 bridge. A strong westerly made the dock departure a little tricky, and we couldnt find anyone from the museum to help us. However, the adept use of some spring lines and some good ol' fashion team work got us off with no trouble at all. Our first stop was at Mystic Shipyard to use their pumpout but alas it wasnt working correctly. Another suberb un-docking and a trip over to Mystic River Marina and their pumpout. This time the suction worked fine but something was blocking the outflow. Apparently something untold had been deposited in our holding tank. Time for a sign! Anyway, the staff there was kind enough to help us get un-stuck, and another excellent undocking with a very unfavorable wind saw us motoring down the mystic river. We set sail just outside Ram Island and made it all the way across the Race doing 5 kts sideways and 2 kts fwd. The wind finally died outside Gardiner Bay so we motored the last 2 hours or so. We pulled into three mile harbor at about 730 and picked up a town mooring. Now we're in for the night.

The seaport is quiet again, and so is the boat. What a great place at night! Too bad we're both too tired to enjoy it. We discovered a leak in the starboard locker. It turned out to be a very poorly installed scupper. Fortunately we were able to remove the offending fitting and make a minor adjustment using a small saw. The whole thing is back together and sealed tightly. That still leaves a leak behind the starboard salon bookshelf, but that too we're pursuing vigilantly.

Katie is returning to the seaport tomorrow to give us a ride into old mystic and the grocery store. Ross arrives on the 11:05 train and has directions to the Holmes Street entrance to the seaport. WHen he gets on board and we get all the goodies packed away from our trip we'll head out, hopefully making the 1140 bridge opening.

This morning the stiff north-westerly breeze continues. Cabin temp is about 70 but that's because Jim has the toaster going. Had my first shower since Thursday. Very pleasant. The Museum is almost empty at 830 except for a few mariners and the occasional staff member getting ready for the day's onslaught of visitors. With the sun still casting long shadows it almost has the feel of an October morning.


Jim's busy making breakfast, trying out our new "pre-cooked bacon." It sure smells like the real thing. The wind's a bit strong for cooking outdoors, so we're down below. The whole boat smells like fresh breakfast!

I've been really disappointed with our sprint evdo card. The connections are tenuous at best and we end up spending a lot of time waiting for a reconnection. We're doing the best we can under rough conditions, though.

Here's Wells, grille fork in th "en garde" position.

A little cleaning, a new arrangement for the ensign (off the topping lift), and a general clean-up leaves us ready for the cocktail reception at 2 bells in the first dog watch. Now comes the search for clean clothes so we dont disgrace ourselves. Hmmm, just when did I shower last? I'm pretty sure it was Thursday evening, so I should be good until Sunday at least.

"Uh, Jim, better make sure the EPIRB isnt on!"

No, we haven't committed a serious faux-pas. The Coast Guard is here for a search and rescue demonstration, which has to be cancelled because of -- the weather! OK, that fills me with confidence.

The weather broke at about 6 bells in the forenoon watch, just as the weatherman predicted. There's still a stiff breeze from the northwest, but the sun is coming and going and the temperature is getting a bit better. We spent the morning reading and doing a bit of cleaning while being serenaded by a lone banjo player.

We had a great time last night with an excellent view of the festivities. Wells and Jim made it to the pub sing, where Wells treated the audience to a nice rendition of "Alabama." It was way past Brad's bed time, though, so he went straight to bed.

Looks like another nor'easter coming through this morning. We're not so lucky with the rain this time... it's been coming down steadily since late last night. However, the festival doesn't start 'til 8 bells, and the forecast calls for the weather to improve by then. Judging by the image on radar, that might be a bit optomistic.

An early visitor warms our hearts and delivers the life-saving bag of limes.

"We have a problem" cried Jim while cooking dinner. My mind naturally went to the location of the nearest fire extinguisher, but fortunately the problem was far simpler. The new hot water heater apparently found a weak link in the pressurized water system, and a fitting gave way below the kitchen sink. Jim was quick -- in a moment he had the water pressure system shut down and the source of the problem identified. A couple hose clamps later, everything is back to normal...

Or is it? Who knew that the chicken we had defrosted yesterday afternoon was "chicken bits" designated for the wok instead of the grill... "Belay the grille!" A last minute change in dinner plans, and a trial run for the new onboard wok, and everything is back on track.

Jim was up early cleaning the deck, but unfortunately our deck brush suffered an unfortunate accident. We searched high and low for a marine store or a hardware store in downtown Mystic but alas -- the nearest one is farther than we're willing to walk. I guess a clean deck will just have to wait until our next port of call.

Realizing that Wells and Marguerite are bringing wine, we decided we'd best clear some room in the wine locker. So far we've made room for at least one bottle and we're working on our second.

Calibrated the fuel gauge. It now reads fairly accurate, though it is perhaps 1/8th of a tank conservative. That will work in our favor some day.

Alternator seems to be much improved and the charging system is working great. An hour and a half of motoring brought the working battery bank up to full charge. Hot water heater also seems to be working well.

Apparently Carol was right -- it is possible to sleep right through a sea shanty performance! The crew called it an early night (after a few drinks, of course). We did manage to discover that cranberry juice does not winter well, and we forgot limes. The prevention of scurvy being a primary concern, we called our resuppliers (the Piles) and asked them to help ensure the health of the crew by bringing a bag.

We arrived in Mystic at just about 3pm, after a wonderful sail and about an hour of motoring. According to the nav system, the total trip mileage was 56nm in 11 hours. That almost doubles the previous single-day record of 32 miles. We are pretty exhausted at the end of the trip, but at least we know we can make a passage of that length with room to spare

If you're looking for us at the festival, we're directly behind the main performance area. Kind of hard to miss if you look up. And now I do believe it's 'tini time!

Winds wsw 10 kts seas 1ft. 3 miles south of jamestown bridge, course 199m speed 6kts. left eyc 340am. no rain yet.

Everything looks good for a 3am departure, at least everything looks good from the comfort of the den. Tony was horrified to discover I was wearing sweatpants. I wasnt sure he was going to let me out of the house, even at 3am. "I'm searching all of your clothes while you're gone and I'm throwing away all your sweatpants."

Discretion did indeed turn out to be the right course of action. The weather today is truly crappy, and the forecast for Block Island Sound calls for gale force winds. We'll monitor the forecast through the day and make a decision this afternoon on leaving early Thursday.

Given the weather, we've decided to make an early morning Thursday start. Right now we're targeting 2-3am, weather depending. That puts us after the storm, but still with a strong northerly to blow us down the bay. We'll be heading for Conimicut Light, then Warwick Neck and the west passage. We should be at the Jamestown Bridge around daybreak and through the temporary passage as the sun comes up (well, except there will be no sun). Then we'll shoot for Point Judith, Westerly and the Mystic River. We've confirmed with our maritime consultant Captain Scott that the Mystic River Bascule Bridge does indeed open on demand past 7:40pm, so if we're running late we won't be stuck stemming the tide 'til Friday morning.

Well, the weather forecast continues to change (imagine that!). Now the storm appears to be passing through the area Wednesday. I don't mind sailing through the rain, but sitting on an anchor while the wind blows through at 30 kts doesn't really do a lot for a good night's sleep. After a brief email exchange with the crew, we've decided to put off the departure 'til early Thursday. Hopefully we can get a very early start and make it all the way to Mystic by Thursday evening.

The weather is calling for a nor'easter Wednesday night into Thursday morning, with 3-5ft waves in Block Island Sound and NE winds gusting to 30kts. The blue blanket is on board, but this weather might mean an extra day layover at Dutch Harbor. Of course, it's New England, and the weather forecast changes hourly. We'll just have to keep an eye on the forecast and be flexible about our plans.

We'll leave Wednesday the 7th at about noon, bound for Dutch Harbor, Jamestown. We'll leave Dutch early on the 8th and hopefully make it all the way to Mystic by Thursday afternoon. We'll be at the Sea Music Festival through Monday morning, when Ross joins the crew. From there it's off to Three Mile Harbor in the Hamptons. After that we'll probably spend some time cruising Gardiner's Bay and then head to Block Island, Cuttyhunk and Hadley Harbor.

The weekend was a washout so we spent it outfitting for the upcoming trip. 36 bottles of wine, 3 bottles of vodka, a bottle each of rum and gin, tonic water and cranberry juice all found a home, as did enough dry goods for 12 days at sea. The rest of it is being frozen in little vacuum bags and will be put on board Tuesday evening.