Turn Around Time!

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OK.  In my last post I mentioned that I made it up to Mt. Desert Island and Acadia National Park in Maine.  I had a great few days there, but it is time for me to turn around after 1,800 miles and begin the trip back south.

I don't have as many pictures to share on this post since now that I have turned around I am pushing a bit to make some time and not stopping as much along the way.

Here is a picture of Plymouth Landing Light as I have made good progress and have gone even beyond Plymouth.  Right now I am moored in Onset Harbor, Massachusetts, just on the western side of the Cape Cod Canal.


One of the reasons I have made such good progress since I started back is I have taken on a crew mate.  Kevin McMahan is on board with me and we have struck up a nice rapport on the boat together.

I met Kevin very early on during the trip.  He was crewing for another boat and I had met the couple that he was crewing with and had beers with them and with Kevin.  He and I stayed in touch over the past couple months 'cause I always knew that I might need crew at some point... (since family and friends are not always available as crew)...  I extended the invite and worked out the schedule with Kevin - and just like that - he showed up and met me in Portland to help with the trip south.

Anyway, I'm taking advantage of having Kevin aboard and pushing beyond what I would do on the boat when it's just me.

I'd like you to meet Kevin...



Looks a little bit like Gene Hackman - doesn't he???  After working as a construction engineer/general contractor, he and his wife bought a 270+ acre ranch in Dallas, Texas.  Kevin manages the ranch and also spent a few years teaching high school in Texas.  But what Kevin really is - is an adventurer.  He has been all over the world pursuing all sorts of adventure travel opportunities.  He has been in many places including Egypt, East and South Africa, Asia, and Australia. He has taken a liking to sailing and is now trying to get as much experience sailing as he can.  He's in training to sail in a race on an Nglawa.  An Nglawa is essentially - a carved out tree trunk - carved out like a canoe, with outriggers, and a sail attached to a bamboo mast.  Kevin will compete in the Nglawa cup in January and sail 300 miles along the coast of Tanzania in Africa.  I'm considering joining him as crew!!!

This is an Nglawa


Kevin is extremely competent as a sailor and can handle and support me with all aspects of sailing the boat.  He is also a good cook, and story teller.

As I mentioned - these past few days with Kevin on board I've done a bit more on the boat than I'd do myself.  To that end...  We left Portland a couple days ago and sailed in dense fog - arriving at our destination when the thickest fog rolled in (with visibility less than a 1/4 mile).  We did a sail to Plymouth the other day - a distance of 65 miles.  We left Newburyport, MA at 4am (dark and some  fog) in order to do that long day passage. Today we planned to transit the Cape Cod Canal.  We left Plymouth and had winds of 25+ knots directly on the bow.  We both had on foul weather gear and wind and waves were blowing and breaking on to the boat.  We actually modified today's plan (which was to go to Martha's Vineyard) and instead pulled in here just on the west side of the Cape Cod Canal in Onset Harbor.  We're both glad we did, 'cause as the day has progressed the wind increased even more, and the skies opened up - pouring forth a torrential rainfall (unrelated to Hurricane Florence)...

Kevin will be with me til Saturday.  So, our plan, weather permitting, is to get going again tomorrow to Martha's Vineyard, then on to Block Island, and New London, CT by Friday.  It's quite possible that Kevin will join me again as crew, and friend, sometime down the road on my trip...

Here's a glimpse of one of the more spectacular sunsets I've enjoyed along the way...  Onset, Massachussets...





That's all for now...

Comments

  1. RichSeptember 22, 2018 at 9:30 AM

    That's an amazing sunset and you must hold Kevin in high regard to call him EXTREMELY COMPETENT as a sailor (high praise from Captain Dad!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownSeptember 23, 2018 at 10:12 AM

      And your Dad is so much like his Dad it isn't even funny!

      Delete
  2. UnknownSeptember 23, 2018 at 10:14 AM

    That sunset is truly the most spectacular!

    ReplyDelete
  3. MonicaSeptember 26, 2018 at 3:39 AM

    So glad I am catching up. What a gift to follow you.

    ReplyDelete

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