Newfoundland Is A Large Island

Once the charts and guides are assembled, the enjoyable task of planning a summer cruise begins. In my case it didn't take long to realize that Newfoundland is one large and far away place, and that maintaining the relaxed pace I favor would require very specific choices. I'd originally assumed that St. John's was an obvious stop on the itinerary where my wife could visit and enjoy the sights and people. After studying the charts I realized that St. John's didn't make sense for a small boat coming from, and returning to, New Jersey in a single season. I then started looking more closely at the South Shore and once again fell back in love with the Maritimes. The present plan will, I hope, develop into something approaching the following outline. (Photo by Ty and Suzanne on Liberty)

We will "scoot" from NJ up to Boston for a short stay, visiting friends and affording my wife an opportunity to drive up and enjoy Boston and the surroundings. Next it's over to Nova Scotia, clearing probably at Shelburne. Thence quickly along the Southeast Coast to perhaps Louisbourg, where we take departure for the French Islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. From there it's over to Newfoundland proper, clearing in at Fortune Harbor. Then we hope to work west along this coast to Port aux Basques, and finally back offshore to Sydney NS and home via the Lakes.

This is a seemingly workable plan for a single-handed yacht with a circumscribed time window. The plan's upside is that the South Coast is one of the most scenic and enchanting parts of the Province; the downside is that my wife will be unable to visit because many places along the South Shore can only be reached by sea. Sailing is a compromise, but probably still worth the trouble.

Biker Dude Dinghy Motor

Not many people know this, but Harley Davidson is intending to make a big "splash" in the outboard motor business. They're keeping a low profile so far, but it won't be long before the news gets out and all Hell's Angels break loose. Dig the photo at left if you still have doubts. I am fortunate enough to have an "in" at the factory and have recently gotten my hands on one of the first single cylinder 3.5 HP prototypes. These little babies are really impressive, and there is at least one story going around that the two cylinder 5 HP model has already put at least one 28 foot displacement sailboat up on plane.

That's about all the news I can give right now. The phone's ringing and I think it's Harley's legal department again. Wonder what that's about.

Safety Equipment - Jacklines

We have been using a system of jacklines and harnesses for many years, but a few years ago I ran across an idea that seemed to offer solutions to some of the minor annoyances of such a setup. Typically one connects one end of the tether to the harness and the other to some sort of webbing or cordage jackline running along the deck fore to aft. This usually means that the end connected to the jackline is secured with a metal snap. In order to be effective these snaps are usually quite heavy, and when moving up and back on the boat they drag on deck, making quite a racket and beating up the deck and anything else they smack into. The idea I found that addresses this problem is to permanently secure a tether to each jackline using a loop in the tether itself (click on photo at right for details).

On Kerry Deare the jacklines run up each side of the deck essentially for the length of the boat (photo at left). The permanent tethers are fitted to each jackline and once mounted remain on deck. When not in use I simply secure each tether in a convenient location aft. Besides being quite strong and quiet, the are also instantly available and can be secured very quickly to either a separate harness or a harness-equipped lifevest . They are long enough to be easily reached from below when entering the cockpit. There is also the option of using the standard tether for one's harness to temporarily secure a second tether in unusual circumstances.

2010 Cruise Plans

Two years ago we sailed to Bermuda for an extended visit. Prior to that, our last cruise was to Nova Scotia in 2002. The Maritimes have always held a strong appeal ever since our first visit in 1989. We visited again in 1997, 1999, and 2000. It seems we couldn't get enough, and that's perhaps why another visit is on the agenda. This time we hope to extend our range beyond Nova Scotia and try for Newfoundland. Take a look (photo by Beth and Evans).

It happens that a cruise from New Jersey USA to Newfoundland is actually quite longer than one to Bermuda. It's largely coastal and to the uninitiated that might seem less onerous than an offshore voyage. But the experienced voyager would not agree. It's usually land that causes difficulties, not water. The trials of an extended coastal voyage must not be underestimated.

Planning in earnest began in September 2009 with the purchase of guide books and charts. This is no small expense. Canadian charts average about $18 US, and I suppose we have 65 or 70 of these. In addition there are several versions of electronic charts that display on laptop computers. Then there are official publications and guide books. The list is long, and it's easy to drop between one and two thousand dollars US in a short period of time.

Once the requisite publications are available, the actual planning begins. More to follow.

Let the 2010 Warm Season Begin

Kerry Deare was re-launched 02 Apr 2010, a sunny and calm Friday. She now floats in the still cold waters of Toms River NJ at the small boatyard described earlier. Aside from the usual checking out new parts, checking out old parts, testing new wiring, testing old wiring, loading gear, listening and looking for leaks, and trying to remember the details of rigging items, there isn't much to report. She looks just fine and is getting used to the comforts of being afloat where she belongs. Cosmetically and operationally the boat is in excellent condition once again.

This year we bent on a new mainsail, replacing the old sail built 21 years ago by the same sailmaker, Skip Moorhouse. Skip knows me and my requirements very well by now. Since this "Piney" is just as ornery as I, we get along well. So far the new sail looks good and most of the old running rigging fits perfectly. I've yet to complete a few minor fixes and sail on it, but I cannot see any problems coming up. We still have one or two "must fix" issues, including replacing a cracked tricolor base at the masthead, but it appears that we are on schedule. The 8-page "To Do" list gets more check marks each day.

Frenetic boatyard activity continues apace. The yard is really busy with many wooden boat projects, large and small. I take this as a favorable economic indicator for what people are doing with disposable income. Meanwhile it's nice to sit and gloat at all the work the "other guys" have ahead. Of course once that activity gets underway it usually means that one's own boat will shortly be saddled with a major deal-breaking issue that has to be fixed immediately, usually in the rain. Fingers crossed.

2009 Season

The hustle and bustle of sailing to Bermuda resulted in something less than freewheeling enthusiasm as the warm part of 2009 approached. Consequently I "made do" and settled for local activities and a brief visit to Southern New England. This time my wife Sonia signed on for the duration and sailed overnight offshore for the first time in many years. She'd been wishing for a visit to Nantucket, and that meant 2 nights offshore from NJ. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate and we settled for Block Island and Narraganset Bay. "Settled" is not the best word to describe the trip, since it was quite lovely and restful despite the weather gods.

We visited the usual suspects with a side stop to see the USS Massachusetts. Then home down Long Island Sound stopping at City Island on the way. I hadn't seen City Island for over 25 years, and my take is that James Joyce knew what he was talking about.

The season ended right on time as it usually does, and it was at that point that ideas for the 2010 season began to take shape. That's really the subject of this series. More to follow.

Getting Up To Date Bermuda Style

The cruise to Bermuda went off largely without incident. The sail down from NJ took about 6 days, and my wife Sonia visited by plane for a quiet and restful vacation. We celebrated our 10th anniversary with special dinners, a few "tell tale" adventures, and even a few presents. The only negative was that we were not able to catch up with all the folks we'd met during our 1994 Bermuda cruise. Some had moved, some had passed away, etc. We made up for this with new friends in Somerset and elsewhere.

After Sonia flew back to the US I diddled a bit, and as July approached and my taste for $50 hamburgers diminished, I cast off for NJ one more time. Had to pump all the way back, as there was an annoying leak at the through-hull for the speedo transducer. Also the Volvo diesel was a bit cantankerous since, despite what seemed like a thorough prep of the fuel system, unwelcome crud from the fuel tank found its way into the fuel lines clogging quite a few Racor elements. This of course is the price of having the boat in storage for years. However we made it back on time and easily enough. We finished out 2008 on the Barnegat, glad to be at rest once again.