NOAA Nothing

SHIP'S LOG:

Well ABISHAG is up[ in Portland ready to be hauled this week. I was part of the TYC Cruise to Essex and it looked like it was going to be very good, weather-wise. NOAA forecast that Saturday would be winds about 10knots our of the Northeasst making the trip a broad reach all the way to Saybrook.

     Well, they got the wind speed right but it shifted around making it a dead downwind. So rather than slog downwind, Fred and I tacked across the Sound and then back to Saybrook, and it was a broad reach, and a good sail. We got to Essex about 2:30 making it a 3 1/2 hours trip. When we got to Essex it started to rain. An occasional  and scattered showers were forecast late in the day, but these began early and didn't stop until last night(Sunday).

      The run up the river was cold, wet and a real slog. The wind was 30mph the whole was, with some higher gusts. There really is no way to stay dry on such a trip, no matter how great your foul-weather gear. The rain and the cold always finds a way in. It was a 3 hour trip and Fred and I had to hand off the helm about every thirty minutes. But the trip got done.

     The rain and the wind prevented us from taking the sails off the boat so that will be delayed for a couple of days but probably be the end of the week, ABISHAG will be high and dry. The summer is over!