Back Home On The Hook!

SHIP'S LOG:

Friday saw me getting ABISHAG back out to her mooring from her week stay at the dock. Thursday night a gale moved through the area and for a couple of hours Thursday night, it was really honking. Winds were around 30knts and the gusts hit 45- 50knts. This drove home one of the not good things about living on the dock, the movement of the boat in wind, heavy wind. Normally, on the mooring, she would swing and point into the wind and ride easier. At the dock, she couldn't quite do it, and would snap her lines, bounce against the pilings, moan and groan. While the wind blew, it was not a pleasant stay and I didn't get to sleep much before 1am. Truth be told, sleeping on the boat at the dock was not as comfortable as sleep on the boat at the mooring.

I got a lesson in boat handling as I was leaving the dock from Greg Roth. He single-hands a lot and had good, practical advice. Unfortunately, it was a lot to absorb in one sitting but even with the mistakes getting away from the dock, I could see the wisdom of it. It will take some practice but it isn't rocket science either.

I have made arrangements to go south and stay north for the winter. Which way I will go is yet to be decided though I will have to make the call in a week to 10 days. By that time the two hurricanes, Igor and Julia, will be far otut of the picture and the way south will be open. My cousin Bob and a friend of his, who race sailboats a lot, will be going with me and I hope to pick up another warm body for the trip. It will be a short trip: down Long ISland Sound, out through Hell's Gate and New York Harbor, down the Jersey coast, down to Newport News, VA. in one shot. Bob estimates 48 hours which ain't bad. The crew will go ashore at Newport News for the trip home(by land) and I'll begin the trip south down the Intra-Coastal Waterway (ICW). Mile #1 of the ICW is in Newport News and from there it will be day trips all the way to where "the water no longer freezes in the bilge!"

If for some reason God decides that I should stay north, ABISHAG will haul out in Old Saybrook at Between-The-Bridges Marina and I will stay aboard until it gets too cold and then find another place to crash until spring. Basically I am set to go either way. Now I just have to decided which way to go, or rather try to get a real sense of what God wants and go with it.

I called several old friends last night (HI, CLIFF!), some of whom i hadn't talked to in quite a while. It was great to hear old voices again, but it would be better to visit face-to-face again. I will have to do it soon.

Yesterday, an "articulated" oil barge ( an oil barge with a slot at the back into which fits the tug that moves it) came into the river. Right in front of the club, she dropped anchor. The tug disengaged itself, came around to the side, rigged a tow line, spun the barge around and hauled it back out of the river. I am not sure what that was all about, except maybe he came into the wrong river and didn't think he could maneuver the barge from the normal position and just did what he did to get out safe and sound. In spinning the barge he came exceedingly and uncomfortably close to the boats mooring farthest out in the river. But no damage was done.

There is an honest to goodness cruise ship in New London. It appears to be anchored off Fort Trumbull and the Coast Guard Station. It appears to be the same ship that has docked here the last few years, letting people off to enjoy down town New London, or go to Mystic Seaport and Aquarium, or loose their money at the casinos. It looks totally out of place, too big to fit so to speak. The top deck looks as high as the road bed of the Gold Star Memorial Bridges that spans the Thames and that is TALL!