Sail Andante

Migrating south. Stuff happened.

This year we decided to move Andante south to North Carolina for winter storage. Despite the distance from home, the warmer climate and DIY boatyard offers more opportunity to get off-season jobs done ourselves. In addition, the trip south gives us one last chance for adventure this season, with memories that can hold us until we return to the water next spring. While Dave has logged thousands of miles aboard Andante, this would be my first extended trip with overnight watches and more solo responsibility while underway – exciting and scary! We spent our final night before departure aboard the boat dockside, eating take-out from our local Chinese restaurant. The message in my fortune cookie seemed particularly fitting – “Take the chance while you still have the choice.”

We departed Red Brook Harbor under very cold and cloudy skies, riding a north wind southwest through Buzzards Bay. The forecast predicted that the winds would steadily drop to almost nothing by mid-day, shifting to the northeast and building some overnight. Based on this our plan was to follow the coast along the seaward side of Long Island, heading offshore to cut the corner and dodge traffic inbound to New York Harbor, ultimately arriving in Cape May, New Jersey. But forecasts are not always accurate, and plans must then change!

The day started smoothly, with a gorgeous sail out of Buzzards Bay and views of the new windfarm being constructed offshore of Martha’s Vineyard. The night to follow was very different than expected, with winds shifting southeast and building continuously throughout the night. A large quartering sea made it very difficult to keep the sails full and happy and hence Andante happily rolled from rail to rail. The sole log entry made by Dave between 0130 and 0930 simply says “stuff happened” — it was a bit too rough to write. In the early hours before dawn we made the decision to change our plans and head toward shore. After another full day of slogging through confused seas and heavy winds, we anchored exhausted in Atlantic Highlands, NJ with winds gusting to 40 kts after 33 hours underway. Before heading to bed, I opened the last fortune cookie left from our dinner the night before. The message said “The first attempt is the most difficult.”

All bundled up but the bow is pointed in the right direction

Don’t ask how many layers are under that lifejacket!

Favorite Places: Provincetown

One of our absolute favorite weekends this summer was spent in Provincetown – a bustling artists enclave located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod. Getting there from our mooring in Red Brook Harbor took us through the Cape Cod Canal and then straight across Cape Cod Bay and out of site of land. Emerging from the Canal into the cold waters and thick fog of Cape Cod Bay, we were thankful to have a new radar and updated chart plotter. Our first night on anchor was a bit sporty with strong southwest winds building impressive swells across the open harbor. The winds died down overnight and the remainder of our stay was glorious. In fact, it was so peaceful aboard Andante one would be forgiven for thinking that Provincetown was an equally sleepy village at the end of the road. In fact, the population of P-town swells from 3,000 year-round residents to 60,000 during summer and is known as a popular vacation destination for the LGBTQ+ community. We spent hours walking the neighborhood streets, admiring the meticulously maintained gardens and soaking up the atmosphere of kind acceptance that is so pervasive here. I think it is the contrast between peace and quiet aboard Andante and the vibrant celebration of life that is happening just ashore that makes this place so special.

The first leg of our journey took us through the Cape Cod Canal which is a manmade waterway that connects Buzzards Bay in the south to Cape Cod Bay in the north. Transiting the Canal can be exciting, requiring us to stay vigilant as we share the ‘road’ with big ships while negotiating strong tidal currents and large standing waves and eddies. The passage is visually stunning as we pass under the multiple train and traffic bridges that carry visitors from the mainland to the Cape. We purposely made our way north toward Cape Cod Bay early in the morning when the tide was with us and the recreational boat traffic was light.

Monitoring Channel 13 is a must in the Canal to avoid other (much bigger) traffic, like this tug and tank barge which followed us out to Cape Cod Bay in the fog.

The water on this side of Cape Cod is very cold and the fog can get pretty thick as a result. These waters are host to seals and whales (and their predators). We saw (and smelled) plenty of the former while at anchor and listened to the whale watching boat coming and going throughout our stay. In fact, it was on this trip that Captain Nicholas saw his first dolphins as they played around the boat one afternoon.

Rainbows abound in Provincetown – a visual reminder of the culture of acceptance and inclusion that are hallmarks of this special place

Mandatory shore stop: Fried Clams at John’s Footlong!

We usually take several walks every day to give this gentleman an opportunity to stretch his legs and do his business. Provincetown gave us miles of opportunity to practice our ‘city walking’, treating us with its spectacular gardens and impressing us with its pet-friendly and vibrant downtown

Long Point Beach is just a short dinghy ride across the harbor. The beautiful, remote beach sits at the very tip of Cape Cod and offers a pleasant change from the hustle of downtown Provincetown. We didn’t do much swimming here because where there are seals, there are usually predators too!

Another foggy walk. The Pilgrim Monument barely visible in the background is the tallest granite structure in the US and commemorates the first landfall of Pilgrims. The tower standing at 252 ft tall is usually visible for miles across Cape Cod Bay. Not today!

Summer is finally here!

The long winter has finally given way to sunshine and warmer temperatures. Andante got lots of attention during the off-season and is ready for summer with some exciting new gear and a few cosmetic improvements.

An early season squall brought 50+ kt winds and lots of rain to the mooring field. Fortunately I found and fixed a persistent leak around the mast just days before.

Captain Nicholas is enjoying the view from the bow locker on our new dinghy. The boat and motor are both a bit bigger to allow us to get through the wind and waves faster. And dryer.

Andante had a busy winter. She got a new furler for her staysail, new davits for dinghy, five new stays, a new chartplotter in the cockpit and a new radar on the mast. And I sewed her a new dodger – my biggest canvas project yet. Here she is relaxing in Hadley Harbor near Woods Hole earlier this spring.

Winter is coming

The sailing season in New England is always painfully short. Hauling Andante this fall was particularly painful after spending much of last winter in Bahamian sunshine. But there is work to be done both on the boat and off.

One of the several jobs that has been neglected for months is updating this blog with information about our travels this summer. In subsequent posts I’ll share some info and photos from our many pleasant weekends afloat.

On the hard for the winter. In this photo from mid-November the cover framework has been installed and is ready for canvas. Her lumpy bottom still needs lots of work but the water-based antifouling paint applied a year ago in Beaufort held up well.

Andante and Dinghy in warmer days. One addition this summer was a second solar panel that we strapped to the top of the boom while anchored. A little less shaded than the one on the dodger. Not a long-term solution but definitely useful.

A Good Start to the Season

Having completed most of the long-deferred house jobs it was nice to get back out on Andante and enjoy some time on the water with family. The weather on Cape Cod is still a bit cool (especially compared to The Bahamas) but there have been some nice sunny days and the popular anchorages are still uncrowded.

Last weekend we set off for a nice overnight in Hadley Harbor, just south of Woods Hole and nestled between several of the privately-owned Elizabeth Islands (Naushon, Nonamesset, and Uncatena). This is a favorite anchorage of many throughout New England and we are fortunate to have it in our backyard. We had an easy motorsail down in light winds and spent a very pleasant afternoon reading and sunning punctuated by a visit from our friends on Space Puppy. We enjoyed a yummy supper that involved a great deal of kale and a quiet night. To avoid disturbing the neighbors I rowed Captain Nicholas to shore just after sunrise. The wind picked up a bit later in the morning and made for a very pleasant sail home.

We’re hoping to sail as many weekends as possible this summer and expect to be visiting many of our favorite spots including Cuttyhunk and Martha’s Vineyard. As time permits we hope to make some some longer trips to Nantucket, Newport and beyond.