tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335423282024-02-21T16:39:44.144ZMata'ireaDanika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.comBlogger662125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-16916056327081333082012-07-11T01:29:00.001Z2012-07-11T01:29:26.146ZJune 15, 2012 - Newport to Bermuda Race Start<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_3jVgLG2Uye65ZfaJzlKwhHH4SGaBUPSBxav437A_4XcAmxp6PU7gNDyViw0VkBa3lswWIftWIIrfKTDB6jo-pDep-3RNMBhXhm6d2bBDE-QkPmP9EU9S__H3jNIChC9sZrM/s1600/IMG_0844.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_3jVgLG2Uye65ZfaJzlKwhHH4SGaBUPSBxav437A_4XcAmxp6PU7gNDyViw0VkBa3lswWIftWIIrfKTDB6jo-pDep-3RNMBhXhm6d2bBDE-QkPmP9EU9S__H3jNIChC9sZrM/s400/IMG_0844.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3UcR_SdIuzZpDKZiB5dDYURYW14RX69gwzdH_SbHjYi0xTvP0zsKcCxwGiFvn9kyq19B65OBwVxpO4AaZFBhNHY6L6KjIR8sJRraGCv0H4nx6V5BY_lo56cYM-b5q8uL_loj/s1600/IMG_0819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
As Axel and I were about to head to Chicago for two weeks, one gorgeous Friday in June Sten and I decided to play hooky from work to watch the start of the Newport to Bermuda Race. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZGYvvgVO7cwWdCIMX00z08ABy8GZZnGM9RfRvKuBey916QY_OxUqfD4GB9ZAYaID-GpxcYeRYx8Dzi81rYCWzmOGD1eaDihFX0OhfqSdsFZ2kszQ5iK9__a3hm4P5vUjKHco/s1600/IMG_0838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZGYvvgVO7cwWdCIMX00z08ABy8GZZnGM9RfRvKuBey916QY_OxUqfD4GB9ZAYaID-GpxcYeRYx8Dzi81rYCWzmOGD1eaDihFX0OhfqSdsFZ2kszQ5iK9__a3hm4P5vUjKHco/s400/IMG_0838.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I love the spectacle of the hundreds of boats on the water and the helicopters overhead and the exhilaration of watching some of the fastest boats in the world fly by. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3UcR_SdIuzZpDKZiB5dDYURYW14RX69gwzdH_SbHjYi0xTvP0zsKcCxwGiFvn9kyq19B65OBwVxpO4AaZFBhNHY6L6KjIR8sJRraGCv0H4nx6V5BY_lo56cYM-b5q8uL_loj/s1600/IMG_0819.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3UcR_SdIuzZpDKZiB5dDYURYW14RX69gwzdH_SbHjYi0xTvP0zsKcCxwGiFvn9kyq19B65OBwVxpO4AaZFBhNHY6L6KjIR8sJRraGCv0H4nx6V5BY_lo56cYM-b5q8uL_loj/s400/IMG_0819.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Axel was less impressed. He slept through the whole thing. </div>
</div>Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-87436095013174124842012-07-06T13:31:00.001Z2012-07-06T13:31:55.774ZThis moment<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAc6BooZHykbdAq4kUjSYi8KrEt9456_3obybKdfGEhg2eY0Sr1lmo3gHAzPuCs4m_ScQrwgyH6TlB0t-TZcSANNL-Gi0Z5cgWIelayT0cMgKxgnwBOjEFdg7zzc_0s23n2Ivh/s640/blogger-image-1932948821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAc6BooZHykbdAq4kUjSYi8KrEt9456_3obybKdfGEhg2eY0Sr1lmo3gHAzPuCs4m_ScQrwgyH6TlB0t-TZcSANNL-Gi0Z5cgWIelayT0cMgKxgnwBOjEFdg7zzc_0s23n2Ivh/s640/blogger-image-1932948821.jpg" /></a></div>Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-84247940169935086192012-06-29T17:17:00.001Z2012-06-29T17:17:30.121ZThis moment<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLni9doRZpFISF7HH7DCkWpHdMEBSoGDtuSA8kBMn_6Ow1MF2mARoNdHoHpHgVCMy_Zekvm8FjEYBTOhtHQYKsLrT-ovi_E6Vj5_xK4sFnfLpUcnSmyiArCG2FLdD5UErBp3U/s640/blogger-image--851961314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLni9doRZpFISF7HH7DCkWpHdMEBSoGDtuSA8kBMn_6Ow1MF2mARoNdHoHpHgVCMy_Zekvm8FjEYBTOhtHQYKsLrT-ovi_E6Vj5_xK4sFnfLpUcnSmyiArCG2FLdD5UErBp3U/s640/blogger-image--851961314.jpg" /></a></div>Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-26309476746334854162012-06-16T00:22:00.001Z2012-06-20T16:53:41.405ZThis moment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02i4d-2vmgfg6o5B9psSs58PjccR27y3NSsMtd8hD1-gcjDVmHRIt18EWBLS2-8Y7T0dHjlPEEcODSNu1JyTpiOPVAJKeMaoBgDBirxh3osaN84DekfHcRBKxuM522Kagseal/s640/blogger-image-1152115186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02i4d-2vmgfg6o5B9psSs58PjccR27y3NSsMtd8hD1-gcjDVmHRIt18EWBLS2-8Y7T0dHjlPEEcODSNu1JyTpiOPVAJKeMaoBgDBirxh3osaN84DekfHcRBKxuM522Kagseal/s400/blogger-image-1152115186.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-13098914302011953872012-06-13T16:31:00.000Z2012-06-13T16:32:20.885ZBaby on Board<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDbEMLCamqFJ0T6xQETNin4-_Iz6F4uwJDgL9z_wNw7VFfl_GkRt28yDJb4MHJ5HXpywFiEd1B03_YIeZm9bAIMoaOibfB_LR5TqLbdRyWvSWBGbbjf1GXhIpR2VEeHx2kTV-/s1600/IMG_0754.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDbEMLCamqFJ0T6xQETNin4-_Iz6F4uwJDgL9z_wNw7VFfl_GkRt28yDJb4MHJ5HXpywFiEd1B03_YIeZm9bAIMoaOibfB_LR5TqLbdRyWvSWBGbbjf1GXhIpR2VEeHx2kTV-/s400/IMG_0754.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRv-i0D8jMxl7_hwOelrgZoWtCN1EOMEXZ7I6E6TW0hhNQ0xpUqpjwGlNyZw1AlZGrRALDGsCBSERi-58GIqwhXw9YBx7MKsgJiwnBm-wgV4_Bu2OH14E-0rOQQUlzh3jXMHS/s1600/IMG_0776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
As we stepped onto the Old Port dock on Friday night we were greeted by Larry the launch driver with the quip, "And then there were three." <br />
<br />
We've been working towards this all spring - our first weekend on the boat with the little dude. We launched Mata'irea back in May, but travel and the wet weather have interfered with our boat time. So despite the unseasonable chill on Friday, we headed down to Newport to spend the weekend on the boat.<br />
<br />
It was too chilly on board for Axel to sleep alone in his bunk in the port stateroom, so we all hunkered down in the aft cabin. Between getting whacked in the face with flailing baby arms and the squall that blew thru the harbor in the pre-dawn hours, not a lot of sleep was had. But we were all toasty warm together. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Kl9nyTr-Ux1VUwKEHDzkiheqtJqG1QA338XBD2WAWDAkXDf0VTtMi3ZoAqbQMnApAe_MMRAHId4g3Zg-guoOsEOpR1Lgva-CBWHcDJXZUlw7W_Wp13Rpw0K-iKe7kBnjB046/s400/IMG_0743.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Axel sporting the latest in the Krissy Davis Collection. My friend
Krissy has a son who is 7.5 months older than Axel. Her timely shipments
of super cute, gently used clothing have kept Axel dressed in style. Beckett's winter pj's were somehow the perfect thing for Axel to wear on his first night on board in early June. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After breakfast we dropped the mooring and headed up the bay to Potter Cove on Prudence Island, a protected anchorage, which is approximately a two hour motor or sail north of Newport. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2EDxBVUJC7458KHOU5uI2sOxvtuXPlksOyjn3BCvOW0mYPLpWJJpgZO3ih_kUii56T2h7IAt6BF_bqHQYa43sU3rq3vuKLPGSjRANkGlzghP0sLRNQDcbiIRweVT9j-PGd7M/s1600/IMG_0713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2EDxBVUJC7458KHOU5uI2sOxvtuXPlksOyjn3BCvOW0mYPLpWJJpgZO3ih_kUii56T2h7IAt6BF_bqHQYa43sU3rq3vuKLPGSjRANkGlzghP0sLRNQDcbiIRweVT9j-PGd7M/s400/IMG_0713.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lwtOKRfAvsEf6pHr2qk3OuqVJHqQvFbuJQqrql4f7sTl4OvMvGxX2xk6nLPQaHWoWD99gaanGDemPRLT4aN3B3dUsZ4MDxKclEc2aW1qdJCCTC-CrGeIfzCWa_XF51a6iJNw/s1600/IMG_0714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lwtOKRfAvsEf6pHr2qk3OuqVJHqQvFbuJQqrql4f7sTl4OvMvGxX2xk6nLPQaHWoWD99gaanGDemPRLT4aN3B3dUsZ4MDxKclEc2aW1qdJCCTC-CrGeIfzCWa_XF51a6iJNw/s400/IMG_0714.JPG" width="400" /> </a> </div>
Over the winter we made a few additions to our equipment to make the boat more child friendly. The first thing we debated was where we would put him when we were underway or when we both needed to have our hands free to deal with the boat.<br />
<br />
We initially considered bringing his infant car seat on board with us on the weekends and just strapping it down in the cockpit, as many of our cruising friends suggested. But that thing is wicked heavy and still in use in the car. Maybe later this summer when he moves up to his convertible car seat we will consider bringing it on board for the rest of the season.<br />
<br />
For now we are using his Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair, which used to reside on one of our dining room chairs. It reclines and it fits on both the salon settee and under the cockpit table; so, until he can sit up on his own, it is the perfect place for him to chill out while we make and eat dinner, or raise a sail or drop anchor. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrpPmJ624UOHs0AfWxqEtOR5jKMUsFSR7Ib-OJuQHX7xaN2PIFmqpEXl7lgj-YvotuTObHT3iEcoH-ParB-NOXBw92jKNTK_qJ8mjdQAlwxX0AsW_BDE_fWUvap9rpVnRRVeQ/s1600/IMG_0730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrpPmJ624UOHs0AfWxqEtOR5jKMUsFSR7Ib-OJuQHX7xaN2PIFmqpEXl7lgj-YvotuTObHT3iEcoH-ParB-NOXBw92jKNTK_qJ8mjdQAlwxX0AsW_BDE_fWUvap9rpVnRRVeQ/s400/IMG_0730.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
We also added a small rug at the bottom of the companionway ladder so that he would have a place to play, roll around, and practice his ooching. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4J6mGY-4Kqaq5J9qib2iAjHD7weYIV3arpIs0-iQWiotfnhKpUf2_IKAn6vaC5Dq4tseBdSCv2dYG2PnLsrdKniJueSvjl7Pe6JKrc4SnN77v1Pi7Vb4OIR8ZWLC3HOOlBy8s/s1600/IMG_0738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4J6mGY-4Kqaq5J9qib2iAjHD7weYIV3arpIs0-iQWiotfnhKpUf2_IKAn6vaC5Dq4tseBdSCv2dYG2PnLsrdKniJueSvjl7Pe6JKrc4SnN77v1Pi7Vb4OIR8ZWLC3HOOlBy8s/s400/IMG_0738.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here Axel is sporting his "Sherpa pants" as Sten calls them. With a baby in cloth diapers, finding pants that fit his fluffy bum without constricting his movement is hard. My mom came to the rescue with cosy knit pants. Don't you want a pair?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbC5eQSOhG-dZt9qxOMnU58s1jZWq8OsCwlqj1GXqXw4R2Q_HM47ZI8BHCwn05_9ze_LuxFzzrl2AGnZAPjs-BMQzovnnWtpobzFevsUs2xUwL9WSiLFYoPD3UEX2D5uVnl0hR/s1600/IMG_0759.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
And of course we had to get Axel his own life jacket - if only to keep the Coast Guard happy. We went with the Revere infant vest from Defender because it has a strap between the legs to keep it on and a handle on top to help us pluck him out of the water. As an added bonus, he looks absolutely ridiculous in it. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbC5eQSOhG-dZt9qxOMnU58s1jZWq8OsCwlqj1GXqXw4R2Q_HM47ZI8BHCwn05_9ze_LuxFzzrl2AGnZAPjs-BMQzovnnWtpobzFevsUs2xUwL9WSiLFYoPD3UEX2D5uVnl0hR/s1600/IMG_0759.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbC5eQSOhG-dZt9qxOMnU58s1jZWq8OsCwlqj1GXqXw4R2Q_HM47ZI8BHCwn05_9ze_LuxFzzrl2AGnZAPjs-BMQzovnnWtpobzFevsUs2xUwL9WSiLFYoPD3UEX2D5uVnl0hR/s400/IMG_0759.JPG" width="300" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Starting at about 8 weeks old I began making Axel wear sunglasses every time we went outside. This kid is going to grow up on the water and in the sun and protecting his eyes is a priority. He doesn't fight us too hard when we put them on, but now that he has figured out how to take them off I'm wondering how long it will be before his first pair goes overboard.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJR77cFlu0rb-1Bgm-JFGY5qdso9wZLmMzVSR1WDQLU3F4m3wlIlN7y5dnZDhVNkmKku_FTQwUDHeGzUt_a4H1WWwHGUd-lqdqcKyoG0J-KtumY1y4hMj_ROUZMe9Z8I67enaM/s1600/IMG_0753.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJR77cFlu0rb-1Bgm-JFGY5qdso9wZLmMzVSR1WDQLU3F4m3wlIlN7y5dnZDhVNkmKku_FTQwUDHeGzUt_a4H1WWwHGUd-lqdqcKyoG0J-KtumY1y4hMj_ROUZMe9Z8I67enaM/s400/IMG_0753.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
We've also been keeping a hat on Axel whenever he goes out in the stroller or if he is in the Ergo or sling. He is so used to having something on his head now that he doesn't even fight it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIe346MKUSuwRGfw3iMhXrMD-k17Ci_K7DwF9sX9oloUfleWfGsYkQPiMPEOyDuQnUXGW1zIrDZbYD2JSTQ9cf_D_kVSehz1mnL_BzKRpeuEa7hb9FGFFoz4_FbUHshqrSA3W/s1600/IMG_0765.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIe346MKUSuwRGfw3iMhXrMD-k17Ci_K7DwF9sX9oloUfleWfGsYkQPiMPEOyDuQnUXGW1zIrDZbYD2JSTQ9cf_D_kVSehz1mnL_BzKRpeuEa7hb9FGFFoz4_FbUHshqrSA3W/s400/IMG_0765.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmqhEy4jk-KqwA0vGEFOOE1hAKWD5_iVE4bIftsbTC3wGZpl2bCXxm5LrN_GsxgIKrCzYQiTbK_rEtj_9pKmaZkslvKSn_55SIBFzqVCUwT3ua71xHEPwyzthOvgIovivXInH/s1600/IMG_0766.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmqhEy4jk-KqwA0vGEFOOE1hAKWD5_iVE4bIftsbTC3wGZpl2bCXxm5LrN_GsxgIKrCzYQiTbK_rEtj_9pKmaZkslvKSn_55SIBFzqVCUwT3ua71xHEPwyzthOvgIovivXInH/s400/IMG_0766.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7SedRW5a-pNeFW9fv_H2Xg7woizVm2v_HGHjDwNLD3UNoKreIAvfpVLmnlvJsITgldsADSZkz1Qxd9P_68a4LEJq9b083PBf_UkRoFetb1xSOcbxa5VHF5NI3R6Z-qJgw2rW/s1600/IMG_0770.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7SedRW5a-pNeFW9fv_H2Xg7woizVm2v_HGHjDwNLD3UNoKreIAvfpVLmnlvJsITgldsADSZkz1Qxd9P_68a4LEJq9b083PBf_UkRoFetb1xSOcbxa5VHF5NI3R6Z-qJgw2rW/s400/IMG_0770.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
And then there is the sunscreen. It turns his already pale skin a shade that a vampire would admire and it makes his hair really greasy, but it is a necessity. Sten's sister gave us a tube of Badger for Axel. It has nothing nasty in it and works really well.<br />
<br />
Our winter preparations for having a baby on board paid off. We all had
a very relaxing weekend up at Potter Cove. Axel truly enjoyed his
first ride in the launch and the motor up the bay. He was fascinated
with the dinghy engine and with watching Sten raise the jib. He loved playing Row, Row, Row Your Boat in the dinghy. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRv-i0D8jMxl7_hwOelrgZoWtCN1EOMEXZ7I6E6TW0hhNQ0xpUqpjwGlNyZw1AlZGrRALDGsCBSERi-58GIqwhXw9YBx7MKsgJiwnBm-wgV4_Bu2OH14E-0rOQQUlzh3jXMHS/s1600/IMG_0776.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRv-i0D8jMxl7_hwOelrgZoWtCN1EOMEXZ7I6E6TW0hhNQ0xpUqpjwGlNyZw1AlZGrRALDGsCBSERi-58GIqwhXw9YBx7MKsgJiwnBm-wgV4_Bu2OH14E-0rOQQUlzh3jXMHS/s400/IMG_0776.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And somewhere along the way he discovered his toes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5G5m8RKy34GCifs_CVXQ97HqMnX2ZbYKxM065-QlwMZ36g6cjH8dDfoTZOXsMf8rsrEMnnI11eTIGtA6CnE-YTiDxJt13_hZX_j84YRud9eN3M1T4JlnPtCoNFgZNsoTqxX2n/s1600/IMG_0785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5G5m8RKy34GCifs_CVXQ97HqMnX2ZbYKxM065-QlwMZ36g6cjH8dDfoTZOXsMf8rsrEMnnI11eTIGtA6CnE-YTiDxJt13_hZX_j84YRud9eN3M1T4JlnPtCoNFgZNsoTqxX2n/s400/IMG_0785.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And when it was all over, he slept like a baby the whole way back to Newport on Sunday. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I loved spending a quiet weekend together, just the three of us. We've been so busy for the past few months with boat prep, work, and travel that it was such a treat to be alone, just the three of us, to celebrate Axel's 5 month birthday on board. I love that Mata'irea gives us the opportunity to get away from all of life's other distractions and just be. Together.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWxDHtkMcD5QyD8LNvaKikYBHWrIusAnO6t151hnVb3Au7p0kAjEjiwubxddoXAHeL1Jpo1v75cyPdd11J1qA7Tq8hgWfpVsUUQ9DXUfWxvMIWk1pXmwkUaV6yD6BhXzDV9mn/s1600/IMG_0739.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWxDHtkMcD5QyD8LNvaKikYBHWrIusAnO6t151hnVb3Au7p0kAjEjiwubxddoXAHeL1Jpo1v75cyPdd11J1qA7Tq8hgWfpVsUUQ9DXUfWxvMIWk1pXmwkUaV6yD6BhXzDV9mn/s400/IMG_0739.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
</div>Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-1600410983322368852012-06-10T00:10:00.001Z2012-06-13T12:57:45.926ZThis moment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRFFrU4hwhCRDhuSkaP7p0GPuFvTAxvTZtZc0ehSvNKLHFXkT_R9PIJgy5osfecsDMlUcX2MCjycp2tYwxaEaFGJJ0QZ5A-5yY8VCxqDkxjV3cH6uNR30Mqek5USYRVlbW41b/s640/blogger-image--611599759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRFFrU4hwhCRDhuSkaP7p0GPuFvTAxvTZtZc0ehSvNKLHFXkT_R9PIJgy5osfecsDMlUcX2MCjycp2tYwxaEaFGJJ0QZ5A-5yY8VCxqDkxjV3cH6uNR30Mqek5USYRVlbW41b/s640/blogger-image--611599759.jpg" /><i> </i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>A weekly ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from
the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to
pause, savor and remember. Inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/" target="_blank">SouleMama</a>.</i></div>
</div>Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-90504403386681688732012-05-28T14:35:00.004Z2012-05-28T14:36:26.497Zthis moment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEUxKNdoyXLioBwQrK0QVR_4rPSamzp5Dj-S54afa3H6zDZ-DFV8bkCJaCSkp0zzcWBoQ7i0P-JUV-QaClFnqShTtyu4U8aFyd97k90W7KQblEDsolKLkdfbn5ydssD7m0JA1/s1600/IMG_0648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEUxKNdoyXLioBwQrK0QVR_4rPSamzp5Dj-S54afa3H6zDZ-DFV8bkCJaCSkp0zzcWBoQ7i0P-JUV-QaClFnqShTtyu4U8aFyd97k90W7KQblEDsolKLkdfbn5ydssD7m0JA1/s400/IMG_0648.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<i>A weekly ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from
the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to
pause, savor and remember. Inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/" target="_blank">SouleMama</a>.</i></div>Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-9174418613901510322012-05-21T11:58:00.001Z2012-05-21T11:58:06.242Zthis moment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKKHM0rKydfghGvGhoBV5ZvumWFklFgs2T82_Z8Fc_OYdob1XSl18BI-2Q-STECGIlrKOt06SUZvVHx2-M-sb6p2bFrSx3uAuzrOThYMjZd7goL6hZmTKAK4wsw4n82haaHaG/s1600/IMG_0562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKKHM0rKydfghGvGhoBV5ZvumWFklFgs2T82_Z8Fc_OYdob1XSl18BI-2Q-STECGIlrKOt06SUZvVHx2-M-sb6p2bFrSx3uAuzrOThYMjZd7goL6hZmTKAK4wsw4n82haaHaG/s400/IMG_0562.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<i>A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from
the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to
pause, savor and remember. Inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/" target="_blank">SouleMama</a>.</i></div>Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-63231813376044258552012-05-09T11:53:00.001Z2012-05-09T11:54:46.210ZSpring ProvisioningAxel vetoed (loudly and to the consternation of many a Target shopper) the ride in the ring sling that I had planned for his first provisioning run. Luckily for me, he found the top of the shopping cart more acceptable.<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaLK16ZCAWo8xi5a7KblpQ8o8LsjLM5qJQyc6J118i_5VFjL11l5OL4O-hMfQZFuabuxA7qlIMLRodqB2P7fw6M-cQtlHKJQe2RRizXjZEl91g5nIztKqcbcNrbYGHFIkNt_x/s640/blogger-image--896871838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaLK16ZCAWo8xi5a7KblpQ8o8LsjLM5qJQyc6J118i_5VFjL11l5OL4O-hMfQZFuabuxA7qlIMLRodqB2P7fw6M-cQtlHKJQe2RRizXjZEl91g5nIztKqcbcNrbYGHFIkNt_x/s640/blogger-image--896871838.jpg" /></a></div>Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-71762331613610333422012-05-04T14:07:00.001Z2012-05-04T14:08:46.376Zthis moment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaP94cDTU4XG9eq0dJxqlHpo8Wx5NW9qxUQlGe-j8yc9lVC9L5CNshMFS7vZqa-mCIvNwb5zhTEDvnN8K3CAAlgrJMdAbZB2FDDcjTki3ItUsJoBPZ2LqDQulLcLNkMS_vAnqj/s1600/IMG_0516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaP94cDTU4XG9eq0dJxqlHpo8Wx5NW9qxUQlGe-j8yc9lVC9L5CNshMFS7vZqa-mCIvNwb5zhTEDvnN8K3CAAlgrJMdAbZB2FDDcjTki3ItUsJoBPZ2LqDQulLcLNkMS_vAnqj/s400/IMG_0516.JPG" width="296" /></a></div>
<i>A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from
the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to
pause, savor and remember. Inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/" target="_blank">SouleMama</a>.</i></div>Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-83831472180160941582012-04-26T21:02:00.000Z2012-04-26T21:02:56.409ZNaptime<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTMa-klUgLufwVCXdwiwzC82NNSAaxcDZVK9_V-dYeYNz2w2NaUH25gX-3ntpRDpbsO9v3il8oWaoWoSanfAaDrZqtNEdwOxfNSl2ISzSzoKrFsHnEBBlAwFS3pZXVvfyYobz/s1600/IMG_0473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTMa-klUgLufwVCXdwiwzC82NNSAaxcDZVK9_V-dYeYNz2w2NaUH25gX-3ntpRDpbsO9v3il8oWaoWoSanfAaDrZqtNEdwOxfNSl2ISzSzoKrFsHnEBBlAwFS3pZXVvfyYobz/s320/IMG_0473.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
We are getting ready for <i>Mata'irea's</i> spring launch. Which means that while the little one sleeps, I sew. I don't consider myself crafty, so I'm sticking to simple projects, and calling on those with more skills than I possess for help for the more complicated ones. Following a pattern drawn up by my crafty sister I made fleece covers to protect our new fenders and some for our old ones (which should help hide the fact that they don't so much hold air any more).<br />
<br />
I also made a breathable, netted leecloth to turn the lower bunk in the port stateroom into a crib for Axel. Once installed, I'll post some pictures of it. On deck for this weekend are some throw pillows for the cockpit and a cover for big bertha (our largest and most useful fender).<br />
<br />
Sten's weekends have been taken up with more complex projects, like replacing plastic thruhulls with bronze, fitting battery boxes around our batteries, and rewiring a bilge pump - all of which should make our insurance company very happy.<br />
<br />
Having Sten gone all weekend every weekend to work on the boat has been hard for me. By the end of the work week I look forward to having more help with the baby on the weekends. I've missed being able to hand the kid off to him on the weekends to do things like shower and drink a hot cup of coffee without worrying about being needed. But the end is in sight. We are both looking forward to finishing up the projects, launching the boat and enjoying the little dude's first summer on the water. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-49259504685050466052012-04-20T12:09:00.000Z2012-04-26T21:03:52.081Zthis moment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgfPU5XqkuDjNRcgg6g71RFEPzHasUfWVuLAMYuRXCdyxzcXJc6Mej4Bj9aqYNNNcVDFsL4EurF5Ij5FHrpsTwvw8uWO53II_q8MFIgYpt16ED5XK5s25mT1RnEh3cKL8xK_Z/s1600/IMG_0457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgfPU5XqkuDjNRcgg6g71RFEPzHasUfWVuLAMYuRXCdyxzcXJc6Mej4Bj9aqYNNNcVDFsL4EurF5Ij5FHrpsTwvw8uWO53II_q8MFIgYpt16ED5XK5s25mT1RnEh3cKL8xK_Z/s320/IMG_0457.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<i>A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from
the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to
pause, savor and remember. Inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/" target="_blank">SouleMama</a>.</i></div>Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-61738607367169977682012-03-30T21:04:00.015Z2012-04-12T22:13:43.957Z18 months on . . .<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihsqqN9IzswEYzs-CjjdtjNt53yctbdGJxX2U1XJYOlajn_fJojbfiT3KB2bbMc9F3IxnBNGe1MHidS1DNzgfZRhwutV01c8YnqIifEv9qt1lOWfjteOHVLIl_JhMgRgh-ks8N/s1600/IMG_5967.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihsqqN9IzswEYzs-CjjdtjNt53yctbdGJxX2U1XJYOlajn_fJojbfiT3KB2bbMc9F3IxnBNGe1MHidS1DNzgfZRhwutV01c8YnqIifEv9qt1lOWfjteOHVLIl_JhMgRgh-ks8N/s400/IMG_5967.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730635549314014434" border="0" /></a>Our lives have changed so much in the past year and a half. In the fall of 2010 we found jobs, hauled Mata'irea for the winter, moved to suburbs, and bought a car and giant television (because, well, it was winter, in New England, in the suburbs). We survived our first winter ashore (and the less said about that the better). Come spring we relaunched the boat and did a bit of summer cruising.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LPEFazzIqeiwULFAvMoHN9WMWHCBwU9rIx39u9ffyl8p0uNh-VeZgVR-EdgVhWAg5LfA5ljs3sx2JbKdDJklj64cgjHHkWape_LjvvBHKgnOR8CYPWXW_yoWxpO3nkIkYPzL/s1600/IMG_5901.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LPEFazzIqeiwULFAvMoHN9WMWHCBwU9rIx39u9ffyl8p0uNh-VeZgVR-EdgVhWAg5LfA5ljs3sx2JbKdDJklj64cgjHHkWape_LjvvBHKgnOR8CYPWXW_yoWxpO3nkIkYPzL/s400/IMG_5901.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730625723092016946" border="0" /></a><br /></div>We visited anchorages in Narragansett Bay, and took vacation weeks to cruise out to Block Island and the Elisabeth Islands. In between, Mata'irea rode out her second tropical storm on her mooring in Newport Harbor. Finally, we hauled Mata'irea for the winter again, and made a winter cover for her. And we had a baby.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66UJj6sgidiH8t6vcpJDv04l6-WOfxC1dhT73P4O2NPzMOAKdSmXA9lUO9L9j9dCTJZCsew6zPKdAvSUEsTRUDhrzjoBmpH1xyhFZ5DQkkNEhVToWYxSFqJsAk6NrY7XOQL9j/s1600/IMG_5911.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66UJj6sgidiH8t6vcpJDv04l6-WOfxC1dhT73P4O2NPzMOAKdSmXA9lUO9L9j9dCTJZCsew6zPKdAvSUEsTRUDhrzjoBmpH1xyhFZ5DQkkNEhVToWYxSFqJsAk6NrY7XOQL9j/s400/IMG_5911.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730633428524587810" border="0" /></a>Should I have led with the baby?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMUORRZw7UGDR58nanIi6W9KfZY-zqwW3pfq0oXcMGnN7FpItbsPVZOip6tPODYDEaNHDHuqOsj5G4ofb5TKCbzDnduLInH1YXm6erdl4jf79apnY0BDCWG0Sj-gMHEUjKr60/s1600/IMG_5931.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMUORRZw7UGDR58nanIi6W9KfZY-zqwW3pfq0oXcMGnN7FpItbsPVZOip6tPODYDEaNHDHuqOsj5G4ofb5TKCbzDnduLInH1YXm6erdl4jf79apnY0BDCWG0Sj-gMHEUjKr60/s400/IMG_5931.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730633955681239362" border="0" /></a>Probably.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoh8-ydvglj1VylE8kUuCs9NEIjn4w2DdZTF9UUYdTNrtg-v5uwy8FN7AEU_BPw5omPtsVpQYLYUT8egvnLk_P2X-ObDqTRwNXkwhmiNqqqYSsyNIzBZA4ZUk4R7OwntkvoowK/s1600/IMG_4643.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoh8-ydvglj1VylE8kUuCs9NEIjn4w2DdZTF9UUYdTNrtg-v5uwy8FN7AEU_BPw5omPtsVpQYLYUT8egvnLk_P2X-ObDqTRwNXkwhmiNqqqYSsyNIzBZA4ZUk4R7OwntkvoowK/s400/IMG_4643.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725803404964524626" border="0" /></a><br />He is insanely cute.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8f18AGE_kfjuLzgGXMBNET-BBKV2bBDjAPYbSGbef736u7o7ZwOqqXkpl1VW5pJsSyE_-jLHwoOrxv4ZdrUb38tiR0YQxdaSlIAPB-rkf0oia9G8QG83K-gqx3_OTT8wqPva/s1600/IMG_6173.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8f18AGE_kfjuLzgGXMBNET-BBKV2bBDjAPYbSGbef736u7o7ZwOqqXkpl1VW5pJsSyE_-jLHwoOrxv4ZdrUb38tiR0YQxdaSlIAPB-rkf0oia9G8QG83K-gqx3_OTT8wqPva/s400/IMG_6173.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725801411496055058" border="0" /></a><br />Axel is three months old now. And I find myself forgetting the early days already. I bought a handmade baby book off of Etsy, expecting to document all of his firsts. But I'm not crafty. And my handwriting is atrocious. I'm afraid to mess up the beautiful pages. I'm much more comfortable with a keyboard with its backspace and delete buttons. And during the past year and a half I've missed recording our lives in this space.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDOflnpMeNPR_GxF-tZeBFI-NgdCmxpShiHnvh2wNMlpVK8YzdjmTIPlghcJUARD2YmkmQwUHlUhTLOjjo4ilTx3VSIFxRlduw6cVcHim9J0m0TVw8AZ875C5usgO0MMz8_Yb/s1600/IMG_0277.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDOflnpMeNPR_GxF-tZeBFI-NgdCmxpShiHnvh2wNMlpVK8YzdjmTIPlghcJUARD2YmkmQwUHlUhTLOjjo4ilTx3VSIFxRlduw6cVcHim9J0m0TVw8AZ875C5usgO0MMz8_Yb/s400/IMG_0277.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725807014353554418" border="0" /></a><br />Before all these sweet moments, and some of the not so sweet ones,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GxqQAxV03_ndbstF6eEE94BpuxVG-KTmLezfXxKs0jakUeW7wWqiG11Im4nY1Lk-HZEPgwAtKuy3a2aAmPnHgDZNONYldovnyh2nThex35RDi3URcObqLEhEIW8SMsUazqep/s1600/IMG_6255.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GxqQAxV03_ndbstF6eEE94BpuxVG-KTmLezfXxKs0jakUeW7wWqiG11Im4nY1Lk-HZEPgwAtKuy3a2aAmPnHgDZNONYldovnyh2nThex35RDi3URcObqLEhEIW8SMsUazqep/s400/IMG_6255.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725806120290853058" border="0" /></a><br /></div>get lost in the fog of sleepless nights and diaper changes, I'm going to start capturing them here.<br /><br />And just like that, a cruising blog becomes a baby blog. But I promise, there will still be plenty of talk of bilges and boat bits. And what would a sailing blog be without pictures of gorgeous sunsets at anchor?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EA9kqARE7v6xojAiTkzOH6Y8IoEbSE_iHFlvvs304Pl4gh-ZrCeeKtdrZGSlBfU3Hhexxp4anB38_amm9zR2sZK6EKJIk47BLqJTZqhqbEAekIVRpGIC5OpGOeqUhXEqS251/s1600/IMG_5939.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EA9kqARE7v6xojAiTkzOH6Y8IoEbSE_iHFlvvs304Pl4gh-ZrCeeKtdrZGSlBfU3Hhexxp4anB38_amm9zR2sZK6EKJIk47BLqJTZqhqbEAekIVRpGIC5OpGOeqUhXEqS251/s400/IMG_5939.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730635266450532450" border="0" /></a>Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-66961647313020187762010-09-23T17:40:00.011Z2010-09-24T17:40:17.889ZAugust 31, 2010 - End of Summer Cruise, Take Two<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFDdBQCrzgT7FiG-O3mTrVfquDz0D8ptKsfG4KdmjTazKF6CfvKFUvA0L-UiKHbvB3SQ2A0X2cVcpq5bKZvqodrtx5ZSHtOUGegSFSNfBDa2bDW7k9ESxIRJZR_cvDo23ci16/s1600/IMG_3373.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFDdBQCrzgT7FiG-O3mTrVfquDz0D8ptKsfG4KdmjTazKF6CfvKFUvA0L-UiKHbvB3SQ2A0X2cVcpq5bKZvqodrtx5ZSHtOUGegSFSNfBDa2bDW7k9ESxIRJZR_cvDo23ci16/s400/IMG_3373.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520168012098542530" border="0" /></a>When the weather finally cleared up on Thursday, we headed back out to Block Island. Picking right back up where we left off, before we were so rudely interrupted by the Northeaster, Sten resumed fishing for Stripers and we headed back to the beach for some quality body surfing. Now this is what the end of August in New England is supposed to be like!<br /><br />Our days out at Block were filled with friends and family. Sten's cousin Scott and his wife Chris arrived within a few hours of us on their vessel, Valhalla. Scott a consummate clam digger. We were more than happy to slurp up his harvest raw, but when Suzy arrived on Saturday, she put her own touch on the proceedings and turned Scott's bounty into some seriously tasty clams casino (recipe below).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEm6b3dg0WdihUEU60GJ5e1ThJItkoln-bjTmLwv1dkLQtvhKFM9FEZ2OmNYFWT2Jop5p3TDAZiP0E2rP68FUTKra8Q6JcVcOOnuFhEOWqWxCi_vFTxDF9khS1db6oRHc4k9d/s1600/IMG_3333.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEm6b3dg0WdihUEU60GJ5e1ThJItkoln-bjTmLwv1dkLQtvhKFM9FEZ2OmNYFWT2Jop5p3TDAZiP0E2rP68FUTKra8Q6JcVcOOnuFhEOWqWxCi_vFTxDF9khS1db6oRHc4k9d/s400/IMG_3333.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520167661712228754" border="0" /></a>When we arrived we got in touch with our buddy Bill, who invited us out to a bonfire on the beach in front of his place on Friday night. As we roasted marshmallows over the embers we watched a giant orange harvest moon rise out of the ocean. At the end of the evening Bill offered us his car (rather than driving us back to the Salt Pond).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KvUbyT3T3V-b4-G1OWsa4L7EbCcE4a3ziJ3LufNi7hDznMTtQtE0Rszgj3rzXeQ0Od21xCevf8GbsvtDkQo9U9PMBjZ_ZfhS5VpXAZBUMVlNLrqHESY2BMeH9tDZntsJNyU0/s1600/IMG_3376.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KvUbyT3T3V-b4-G1OWsa4L7EbCcE4a3ziJ3LufNi7hDznMTtQtE0Rszgj3rzXeQ0Od21xCevf8GbsvtDkQo9U9PMBjZ_ZfhS5VpXAZBUMVlNLrqHESY2BMeH9tDZntsJNyU0/s400/IMG_3376.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520168248749916898" border="0" /></a>The next morning we took advantage of having a set of wheels and set off on a driving tour of the island. Our first stop was Mohegan Bluffs. We couldn't believe how much the shape and composition of this beach has changed since we were last here. 13 years ago we spent a week laying on the sand here, soaking up the sun. Now there is barely any flat sand left at high tide.<br /><br />From the Bluffs we continued on around the south side of the island. With hurricane swell in the forecast Sten was keen to check out potential surf breaks. That's how we found ourselves at the bottom of a steep, slippery and muddy path down to the shore, in the company of 8 other guys all looking at a few ripples in the water. But all of them, Sten included, had an excited gleam in their eyes as they scanned the coast just imagining the peaks that would be breaking once the surf picked up.<br /><br />Shortly after noon we headed back to Old Harbor to pick up Susan. And then it was off to the beach to hang out with Scott and Chris and enjoy the rest of a gorgeous day. Sunday brought more of the same, but our enjoyment was tinged by the knowledge that a hurricane by the name of Earl was forming that had the potential to make its way to New England by the end of the week. And so we all began monitoring the weather and talking about it. And talking about it. And talking about it. If there is one thing that sailors love to analyze and discuss, it is serious weather.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvSx_oopjkgGCVqiz8DBchkRos1OhonzV7VlR7j-1bIi7pMu0pk6VtRvvpoY6ntddtC0qsSHTYhfjGKJJqiubTtG0OqAgI-sPm1kEoZqe4Udqr7or7Yyb8jCOjObOOV8e1A2o/s1600/IMG_3392.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvSx_oopjkgGCVqiz8DBchkRos1OhonzV7VlR7j-1bIi7pMu0pk6VtRvvpoY6ntddtC0qsSHTYhfjGKJJqiubTtG0OqAgI-sPm1kEoZqe4Udqr7or7Yyb8jCOjObOOV8e1A2o/s400/IMG_3392.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520169510154935442" border="0" /></a>On Sunday afternoon Sten took a break from the weather analysis and went fishing. He came back with an absolutely huge Striped Bass. At first he was a little hesitant to tell us how he caught it, but eventually we got the story out of him.<br /><br />It seems that he was working the waters off the southwest coast, having absolutely no luck catching anything. He had started to head back to the harbor when he saw a disturbance on the surface. He sped over and found a big old Striper choking on a scup.<br /><br />Now, I've been asking Sten to bring home a Striper for weeks. He keeps throwing them back, claiming that they are too magnificent to keep. And so what does he do when he comes across one choking to death? He tries to save her life.<br /><br />First he grabs a pair of pliers and pulls the scup out of the Striper's throat. Then he starts moving the Striper through the water to try to resuscitate her. Only when he's convinced that she is too weak and too far gone to save does he actually decide to bring her home for dinner. She was big enough to feed us, Valhalla and our neighbors, Jake and Marni on Avalanche.<br /><br />No trip out to Block Island would be complete without sampling one of their famous mudslides. And yet somehow this was my third visit of the summer and I hadn't had one yet. It was a situation that needed to be rectified <span style="font-style: italic;">post haste</span>. So on Sunday night we made our way down to Mahogany Shoals to take in the Reprobates 10th annual farewell tour (good practice for their 11th farewell show next year).<br /><br />On our way back to the dock in front of the Oar, with bellies full of creamy, chocolaty, boozy, frosty goodness, we came across a very stoned surveyor who was using his equipment to check out the moon, which was hanging very low in the sky. The relative lack of light pollution out at Block makes it a wonderful place to stargaze. Peering through his scope we got to see features of the surface of the moon that we'd only read about before.<br /><br />We had wanted to spend the whole week out at Block and then push on out to Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket. But with Earl heading towards us with the possibility of making landfall at the end of the week we had to decide whether to hunker down in Block or return to Newport. The forecast on Monday was more dire than those over the weekend. On Tuesday afternoon Suzy decided to return to Newport via the ferry to get her house ready. Sten and I decided to wait another day before determining whether it was necessary to head back to our mooring in Newport Harbor.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgNzgNIPXbKfPSLhfMfl0XlngpDmr04mo3Q65mfHE-FJcJOE2mr7k5puLU_Oe20AqK-1306GpspdusFbKCK9PpKyxeozIDBTWKaBm0yVUPMBVJy91tvkyULggXPFEAKAn3rHW/s1600/IMG_3344.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgNzgNIPXbKfPSLhfMfl0XlngpDmr04mo3Q65mfHE-FJcJOE2mr7k5puLU_Oe20AqK-1306GpspdusFbKCK9PpKyxeozIDBTWKaBm0yVUPMBVJy91tvkyULggXPFEAKAn3rHW/s400/IMG_3344.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520196707245416162" border="0" /></a>One of the traditional family outings on Block is to play bingo at the fire house on Tuesday nights. The hall is filled with children still sandy from the beach and their parents looking relieved to have something for them to do after dark. And since we are worldly and sophisticated thirty somethings without children, that's exactly where we spent Tuesday night.<br /><br />Sten and I picked out some cards from the pile, bought a dauber and a roll of giant sweet tarts (because really, can one play bingo without being on a sugar high?) and a bottle of soda. I apparently chose terrible cards. I didn't come close to winning a single game. But Sten, well, Sten should have played the lottery on Tuesday.<br /><br />The first time he called out bingo it was just on the heels of a little boy at the table next to us. They both had 5 in a row, so they pulled cards for the tie breaker, which Sten won. They both got prizes, but he got the big one (two free bike rentals) The next time he called out bingo it was a tie with a little girl. Luckily she won the horseshoe set and he took home the gift certificate to the pub.<br /><br />By the last game of the night the four boys at the table next to us were giving Sten dirty looks. When I looked at his cards and saw that he was one draw from another bingo I leaned over and whispered "if you win another game those boys are going to be waiting for us outside with their wiffle ball bats." So Sten surreptitiously slid his card over to me. Within two draws I was shouting bingo and walking up to the front of the hall to claim my gift certificate to the airport diner.<br /><br />On Wednesday morning we woke to discover that the models were showing Earl tracking closer towards us. And so we decided to head back to Newport and prepare for the worst.Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-92016674367147061772010-08-23T15:49:00.003Z2010-08-23T20:05:39.512ZAugust 22, 2010 - End of Summer Cruise, Take One<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMl2-9RRmrAmcU_-Wr2XyEqCMVmjygrC-PiTbLx6zZ45k8mGKWMPKf8vFUpUVeBIBlhlFVP8jLEy9vSrdp2eRvU3mkP0NhOc4OZp_T6XUgSPSDIOytKfCJk05TiAWpYY_GoKUO/s1600/IMG_2918.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMl2-9RRmrAmcU_-Wr2XyEqCMVmjygrC-PiTbLx6zZ45k8mGKWMPKf8vFUpUVeBIBlhlFVP8jLEy9vSrdp2eRvU3mkP0NhOc4OZp_T6XUgSPSDIOytKfCJk05TiAWpYY_GoKUO/s400/IMG_2918.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508692946295911794" border="0" /></a>Similarly snotty conditions one day last month in Newport Harbor<br /><br /></div>So, that didn't go according to plan. When we left Newport for Block Island on Saturday morning we expected to have two days of nice weather out at Block before some badness came through on Monday. Instead, we had one niceish afternoon. And then the rains came. <br /><br />On Sunday morning we woke up to find that it was cold and gray and drizzly, instead of the forecast warm and sunny day we were expecting. While watching a parade of boats heading out the Coast Guard Cut in the Great Salt Pond, we realized that perhaps they knew something we didn't. After listening to small craft warnings and predictions of days of dreariness ahead I downloaded some fresh grib files. The gribs showed that a low pressure system was going to park over southern New England for several days, generating high winds and plenty of rain. <br /><br />Over breakfast we decided that sitting at anchor in the rain and protecting our home from dragging boats didn't seem like much fun at all. So back to our secure mooring in Newport Harbor we came. It was a rough, wet, and wretched trip back, but at least it was short. And now I'm ensconced in a cozy kitchen, drinking a hot cup of tea. Ah, the joys of coastal cruising.Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-14309296740270296842010-08-20T20:48:00.004Z2010-08-20T21:56:01.369ZAugust 20, 2010 - Middletown, RI<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpOT7fhys_AXrCQnPeU7mwafhb8WfwbR07d4aKPUmg5nOmWznT5lGy7wkX69kJMtljNkUVBMg7UKUDPZej595_Tt0Sxhhn4bUOrQN3ROrBDbfhpXFfeVvA4-JFrVRc0VIlx1W/s1600/IMG_3097.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpOT7fhys_AXrCQnPeU7mwafhb8WfwbR07d4aKPUmg5nOmWznT5lGy7wkX69kJMtljNkUVBMg7UKUDPZej595_Tt0Sxhhn4bUOrQN3ROrBDbfhpXFfeVvA4-JFrVRc0VIlx1W/s400/IMG_3097.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507597150418145858" border="0" /></a>How on earth did it get to be the middle of August? Can we really have been home for two months already? It feels like we just tied up to the dock at Goat Island last night.<br /><br />Between working on my sister's house, hosting friends on board Mata'irea in Newport, and visiting with family and friends in New England, D.C. and Philly, we've managed to studiously avoid making any plans for the rest of our lives, or even for this fall or winter. We started to feel a little stressed about that, but then we realized that it was August. Summer is almost over.<br /><br />The last two weeks of August is no time for making plans. It is the time for drinking iced coffee, eating lobster rolls and ripe tomatoes still warm from the garden, swimming in the ocean, and fishing for dinner. And so we are off for another little cruise of the islands. We will figure out the rest of our lives when the leaves start to turn.Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-61378989511578009052010-08-16T19:02:00.015Z2010-08-16T20:46:44.124ZJuly 30, 2010 - Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUC3DIMmtzl73cyE-Wj3yH_HiQ3OcuXcFAdIqIHmohs_dt64qrloEBM8_QO1PIjL1GFJkOYWbG_zzWvVQ8MNpP1vPCEgfLMe661Gy1DeagEeunmZZGt8h55OTvOtfK68dq9-PO/s1600/IMG_5395.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUC3DIMmtzl73cyE-Wj3yH_HiQ3OcuXcFAdIqIHmohs_dt64qrloEBM8_QO1PIjL1GFJkOYWbG_zzWvVQ8MNpP1vPCEgfLMe661Gy1DeagEeunmZZGt8h55OTvOtfK68dq9-PO/s400/IMG_5395.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506087562801330642" border="0" /></a>On Tuesday, while enjoying our picnic lunch at Mackerel Cove, we decided that since the weather was so nice and since we just happened to have a sailboat, we should do a quick trip out to the islands. So on Wednesday afternoon we stocked up at the farmers' market on Memorial and filled out our grocery list at Stop & Shop on Bellevue. Then we met up with Suzy, who was loaded down with a cooler full of goodies from her kitchen. And then the three of us caught the launch out to Mata'irea.<br /><br />Out in the harbor it was immediately apparent that the southerly had gotten stronger while we were ashore and that it was shifting to the west. We decided that it was too late to beat out to Block Island, and that motoring into 15 to 20 knot southwesterlies would be a miserable way to spend the evening. And so we decided to take a left.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpYFHtxECzCUQbDBOwZ2kvVS9W-sPyIMNwNajt8b67JsTcnx5oFlfodK53I5uLgMuMOVmHJzF2B-K8rncACfjB79fiSfSMkpE3TRSMcJin_6HMLj8ttNeUTDaC25vOy9NXmGC/s1600/IMG_5380.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpYFHtxECzCUQbDBOwZ2kvVS9W-sPyIMNwNajt8b67JsTcnx5oFlfodK53I5uLgMuMOVmHJzF2B-K8rncACfjB79fiSfSMkpE3TRSMcJin_6HMLj8ttNeUTDaC25vOy9NXmGC/s400/IMG_5380.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506087556356868882" border="0" /></a>One of the joys of sailing out of Newport is that there is a wonderful cruising ground at our doorstep. With Block 20 miles to the southwest and the Elizabeth Islands, including Cuttyhunk, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, to the southeast, there is a viable option for any wind direction. And so last night we came out of the Narrows and headed east to Cuttyhunk.<br /><br />After about three hours of sailing east, we came to the edge of the known world, at least as far as our chart plotter was concerned. We haven't yet bought the electronic charts for the area north and east of Block Island. We've done some sailing these past few years without electronic charts, but it has always been in deep water, far from land.<br /><br />Navigating in shallow water with paper charts makes me nervous. I haven't done much of it. Without the plotter showing me where we are relative to the dangers, I have to do a lot more guesswork and that makes me anxious.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6s2GgWr4HJ256MPzn-ttnlwD8SYACHVHA5evbqj9BCM3ospulhfswSj8lvbChMOKsyEAviNcwSN5xVT-LwSCUL3dHfQO6FI4rT2coTlGJN3WZTnQ38FW_Gbue_YkoTyTLAxWp/s1600/IMG_5387.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6s2GgWr4HJ256MPzn-ttnlwD8SYACHVHA5evbqj9BCM3ospulhfswSj8lvbChMOKsyEAviNcwSN5xVT-LwSCUL3dHfQO6FI4rT2coTlGJN3WZTnQ38FW_Gbue_YkoTyTLAxWp/s400/IMG_5387.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506086931034590706" border="0" /></a>The wind was honking and we were flying as we approached the buoys marking the shallows around Cuttyhunk. We didn't leave ourselves a lot of room to furl in the jib and douse the main. The jib sheets flogged against the lifelines as we furled in the sail. I dodged lobster pots as we turned up into the wind (and towards the shoals) to drop the main. By the time we had picked a spot to anchor outside Cuttyhunk Harbor, I was a little strung out. It was getting dark and we were in unfamiliar waters. And at that most inopportune of moments, the anchor windlass failed.<br /><br />The last time we went sailing, the engine acted up. Since then the generator has been balky. And we have been having continuing problems with the watermaker. And so those systems have been getting all of Sten's attention. Well, the windlass must have been feeling left out because it decided to stop working as I was easing the anchor out onto the bow roller. The repairs Sten made in the Caribbean were enough to get us home, but the connection was tenuous, and last night it gave out.<br /><br />There were plenty of open moorings in the mooring field, and Suzy immediately volunteered to pay for a mooring for the night. But we figured we'd give it at least one try barring the windlass open and freefalling the anchor before giving up and taking a mooring. Sten dug the bar out of a lazarette and we got the anchor set and the snubber on.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qbvpK9iVhtQsCVGugeotox-DO_hCbukGrM-yIl20V9FeAuCvjiuNwOENKnWeTroKPlV9qNj-5Oqy7gVyVgo3Sc1ZVEhTfxd0qUwfE2TDUU8gi0lk88-n0oszw9iVDS_ce39m/s1600/IMG_2989.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qbvpK9iVhtQsCVGugeotox-DO_hCbukGrM-yIl20V9FeAuCvjiuNwOENKnWeTroKPlV9qNj-5Oqy7gVyVgo3Sc1ZVEhTfxd0qUwfE2TDUU8gi0lk88-n0oszw9iVDS_ce39m/s400/IMG_2989.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506087908550468210" border="0" /></a>It was too late to attempt much for dinner so I heated up some French onion soup while Sten made tomato sandwiches. For dessert Suzy provided some tasty chocolate cake. And then we were all to bed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFldTeKo9WPgLychCNb3uCnKxcncKu03fmnavblWyHiIWbB_Etu1inpqa4ujPl8JQDfwY9HPVC6fQhqBetBZ-ENOHJDDDayiLBfFTQp8DMPvWmmNPNPFKLlJp3IKTb5PiTW0dj/s1600/IMG_5389.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFldTeKo9WPgLychCNb3uCnKxcncKu03fmnavblWyHiIWbB_Etu1inpqa4ujPl8JQDfwY9HPVC6fQhqBetBZ-ENOHJDDDayiLBfFTQp8DMPvWmmNPNPFKLlJp3IKTb5PiTW0dj/s400/IMG_5389.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506090810844503698" border="0" /></a>That night, with the wind blowing hard over the narrow strip of land protecting the outer harbor it was pretty jostley in the anchor field. I awoke several times to the clanging of the bell on the red nun. At one point during the night I looked out and saw that the boat that had been next to us when we went to bed had dragged into deeper water.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgfpH4L4BSyQQkxQ-0bMJFfjyktKRni3lgeg9ubKvxRuk_2LfAZhUADW7iW9vyfk5WkQ5y8Ml4XzI8OPUnIvx9vpUpZxH_aS2ojgzAPBW_iPcUz8OSrxCOeSQMl9A7e2IdK0p/s1600/IMG_5383.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgfpH4L4BSyQQkxQ-0bMJFfjyktKRni3lgeg9ubKvxRuk_2LfAZhUADW7iW9vyfk5WkQ5y8Ml4XzI8OPUnIvx9vpUpZxH_aS2ojgzAPBW_iPcUz8OSrxCOeSQMl9A7e2IdK0p/s400/IMG_5383.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506089915126099570" border="0" /></a>Thursday dawned cold and drizzly. After several cups of hot coffee Sten and I took the dinghy into the inner harbor to see if there was any room for us. There were lots of free moorings so we brought Mata'irea in and tied her up to one in the middle of the mooring field. That night we would be very glad that we had not moored on the edge of the field.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWCZWhbUGuri5xkX5t1EessaqfVZvPSWguDftCYabhbhM5_umwlvVNvOQojpLpkQMioCeWKFUo0vZbsxlzM28FkY1mPMabaCsbrpDvH60AjVEk9H9UJa_rD4j3PUWPf4pLoRR/s1600/IMG_3002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWCZWhbUGuri5xkX5t1EessaqfVZvPSWguDftCYabhbhM5_umwlvVNvOQojpLpkQMioCeWKFUo0vZbsxlzM28FkY1mPMabaCsbrpDvH60AjVEk9H9UJa_rD4j3PUWPf4pLoRR/s400/IMG_3002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506109269922627858" border="0" /></a>The inclement weather resulted in a pretty lazy day. Other than a walk ashore and an evening fishing trip for Sten, we all spent most of the day onboard. Which was just fine. The light peeking out from under the low clouds had the most unbelievably beautiful pinkish golden tone. I'd like to live my life bathed in that light.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzeVeHeayQYgH-LK-Cr9igt-yDCF3TvobcgOYHVa0ywCQlXg4HD28QIcQ-denzh5JrPE-7iFJJchulpCHWNlblJmeNTiLC9S_48T3ktrLvLsCA-hEc5vsVpZ_x8AmPB3WoJDn/s1600/IMG_3038.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzeVeHeayQYgH-LK-Cr9igt-yDCF3TvobcgOYHVa0ywCQlXg4HD28QIcQ-denzh5JrPE-7iFJJchulpCHWNlblJmeNTiLC9S_48T3ktrLvLsCA-hEc5vsVpZ_x8AmPB3WoJDn/s400/IMG_3038.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506109863677173218" border="0" /></a>Shortly before midnight the front passed through, causing the wind to switch around. As the wind clocked and built, two sailboats that had been rafted up, anchored on the edge of the mooring field, tripped their anchors. The sailboats dragged down into the first row of moored boats, picking up an anchored powerboat along the way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMkl4Ung1-Bi_ZXxm4CJebgFAG4IflrcrOp5BqzLtjDQn6rnQEnG9vzYfCl6KqQstSbfSUfEmtBZY7zfMipIL39bzUef6T7_viXOWYs9CivxngysEj3ywcvuSsD40Qie4cNe4/s1600/IMG_3054.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMkl4Ung1-Bi_ZXxm4CJebgFAG4IflrcrOp5BqzLtjDQn6rnQEnG9vzYfCl6KqQstSbfSUfEmtBZY7zfMipIL39bzUef6T7_viXOWYs9CivxngysEj3ywcvuSsD40Qie4cNe4/s400/IMG_3054.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506108653417476466" border="0" /></a>The tangle of boats and anchors drifted down onto the edge of the mooring field where they fetched up against a small powerboat. There was a lot of bumping and yelling but eventually they all got untangled and reanchored. The lesson of the week - this is one harbor where it pays to take a mooring.Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-60230682591880424422010-08-10T16:54:00.004Z2010-08-10T17:42:33.600ZJuly 28, 2010 - Newport Bar CrawlWe've been trying to get together with our friends Paul and Sonya off of <a href="http://www.lifeafloat.blogspot.com/">s/v Event Horizon</a> ever since we got home. They live on their boat just up the coast in Wickford, RI. So you wouldn't think it would be that hard. But somehow it has taken 5 weeks to make it happen. And after last night, I just might need 5 weeks to recover before we do it again. <br /><br />We started the night at <a href="http://www.41north.com/">41 North</a>, a new bar/resto/hotel on the waterfront that began its life as a private club last year, but which is now open to the public. The white bar and loungy furniture makes it feel like something out of St. Barts or Miami. And the prices of the beverages only reinforces that impression. If you are looking to find all the folks who need to be seen at the most expensive bar in town, this is the place to go. If you are looking for a nice place to have a drink and watch the sunset, this would also do, but at $15 a cocktail and $9 a beer, there are much less expensive places to do it.<br /><br />After one round at 41 North we made for <a href="http://www.perrosalado.com/">Perro Salado</a>, one of Paul and Sonya's favorite spots. We quickly saw why. The restaurant is set in an old house with a series of small, cozy dining rooms that open onto a colorful patio. With great margaritas, decent Mexican food, and very reasonable prices, Perro is a place we'll definitely come back to. <br /><br />As we were wrapping up dinner, Paul and Sonya quizzed us about where we had been in town to figure out where to go next. When they found out that we'd never been to the <a href="http://www.hotelviking.com/viking_diningSummer.aspx">Top of Newport</a>, the roofdeck bar at the Viking Hotel, the decision was made. <br /><br />The bar is open and airy, as a roofdeck would be, with lovely views. Sonya convinced me to try their Cucumber Cooler - a cocktail made with Blueberry Vodka, Cucumber Juice and Lime Juice, served in a tall glass, and garnished with a skewer of blueberries. It is a surprisingly tangy combination that goes down quickly . . . too quickly for a $13 drink. But it is so delicious that I'm planning to buy a bushel of cucumbers and a pint of blueberries at the farmers' market this afternoon to try to make my own. I'm also pretty sure that it is a hangover cure. After the variety and volume of beverages consumed last night I should be feeling a lot worse than I do this morning. <br /><br />Our night ended with a stop at Paul's local, the <a href="http://www.thefastnetpub.com/">Fastnet Pub</a>, where they pour a great Guinness, in Paul's very well researched opinion. The Fastnet struck us as a friendly local joint and all too soon it was time for us to leave so that we could make it back to Oldport to catch the last launch of the night.Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-87023937099066371342010-08-09T21:20:00.002Z2010-08-09T21:23:33.798ZJuly 27, 2010 - Mackerel Cove, Jamestown, RI<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hgTysYExj9E6psp6NBbwKEgiM7myBg5zauDVfr8_xeXJriKPyFVQOmhUQTE2Ea92gN2NkNqNd4umpCMpfUxGPK4cxnRGvkNjlkH5p5iqAAoSuZy44HTzCz0rzD2ms8IsA60i/s1600/IMG_2974.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hgTysYExj9E6psp6NBbwKEgiM7myBg5zauDVfr8_xeXJriKPyFVQOmhUQTE2Ea92gN2NkNqNd4umpCMpfUxGPK4cxnRGvkNjlkH5p5iqAAoSuZy44HTzCz0rzD2ms8IsA60i/s400/IMG_2974.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503523650705951906" border="0" /></a>We've spent most of the last two weeks working on houses. Between renovation work on my sister's place in Somerville, trimming trees and cleaning gutters at Suzy's, and cleaning out the garage at Sten's grandmother's house, we've been a bit grubby lately. It was clearly time for a swim.<br /><br />With the wind out of the northwest, Mackerel Cove in Jamestown is our first choice for idyllic places to escape to. A dramatic rocky shoreline, dotted with little pebble swimming beaches, and topped with some beautiful homes in the New England vernacular, the cove is like a slice of Maine in Rhode Island. Only, the water is warmer. Not much warmer, but a little.<br /><br />When the wind switches around to the south, as it does most afternoons here, the cove can get a little bouncy. But until it switches around, the water is calm, making the cove a beautiful spot for a picnic lunch and a swim . . .a very short, very refreshing swim.Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-54121635429573873302010-08-07T12:52:00.006Z2010-08-07T14:54:49.289ZJuly 18, 2010 - Newport Weekend<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIn2ITP5LxAhsEZmu9GWBF3XQ0xnWjwTmcydLHUQlYOBpDBmcW3EzinCpqi5A9hZ4ix15Vz9XEJm6uWwYTg-82e2VuYvDXXo9wOQciMrt3GYohvkJL2ZyfLwSq8Dr7XWLLpzQ0/s1600/IMG_2911.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 340px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIn2ITP5LxAhsEZmu9GWBF3XQ0xnWjwTmcydLHUQlYOBpDBmcW3EzinCpqi5A9hZ4ix15Vz9XEJm6uWwYTg-82e2VuYvDXXo9wOQciMrt3GYohvkJL2ZyfLwSq8Dr7XWLLpzQ0/s400/IMG_2911.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502657422671050434" border="0" /></a>Between all the time we've been spending up in Somerville, working on my sister's place, and our persistent frugality we haven't been exploiting our proximity to the restaurants and bars in Newport nearly as much as we expected to when we first arrived back home from our trip. We walk by them all the time, but the prices and cover charges keep us from going in. Also, the two times we flew home for the Holidays, from New Zealand and Singapore, we both packed on a lot of weight (the last time we put on 25lbs between the two of us), so we've been trying to be careful about what we put in in our mouths. But this weekend our friends Matt and Monica came up from Philly to stay onboard Mata'irea with us. And so we had the perfect excuse to revisit some old haunts and check out some new places that we'd been hearing a lot about.<br /><br />Our weekend of gluttony started with an early movie at the Jane Pickens and dinner at Norey's with Sten's mom and sister while Matt and Monica battled the traffic on 95. The food at Norey's was fine, and the beer list was truly impressive (if completely overwhelming). The waitress realized that Sten was stumped and offered him samples of a few brews to help him make up his mind.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNv1doRKQKgRbFWS65rfsELyx66V-yifLzqDXwCXqnZKoJ4rDb7wUFP5TOBETkrifr0vtvPHf2ruN6BzhgXMqLDOF94A6cCtMr1Ts5WJ6hK9u40uTY3Ogz4Ek74VxBNLhlOfK/s1600/IMG_2898.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNv1doRKQKgRbFWS65rfsELyx66V-yifLzqDXwCXqnZKoJ4rDb7wUFP5TOBETkrifr0vtvPHf2ruN6BzhgXMqLDOF94A6cCtMr1Ts5WJ6hK9u40uTY3Ogz4Ek74VxBNLhlOfK/s400/IMG_2898.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502658747084497858" border="0" /></a>It was quite late when Matt and Monica pulled in and they were worn out from the work week, so once we had their car tucked into one of the extremely rare and super secret free parking spaces in Newport, we retired to the boat. Once on board they presented us with a gift of a mixed pack of craft beers from their favorite small breweries. It was quickly apparent that there is a lot that we could learn about beer from these two. Sten pulled a few local brews out of the fridge and we chatted late into the night, getting caught up on each other's lives.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQgEvRtLpXxYM3YTNYm1e9kKw4dyYkR7a0s8ZzVq62TkB5uCDcDqilAdVs1YDJDV5XfZ6gF_lQsRmXl5BBzo6r1jHmjZmfPAe7Xcr6Dt_jMQITDGVyyv3cgDcemvHkCYcTEPY/s1600/IMG_2910.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQgEvRtLpXxYM3YTNYm1e9kKw4dyYkR7a0s8ZzVq62TkB5uCDcDqilAdVs1YDJDV5XfZ6gF_lQsRmXl5BBzo6r1jHmjZmfPAe7Xcr6Dt_jMQITDGVyyv3cgDcemvHkCYcTEPY/s400/IMG_2910.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502657685787420882" border="0" /></a>During the early hours of the morning I woke to the sound of the fog horn. I lay in bed, alternatively hoping that it hadn't woken anyone else up, and then wishing that it would. I was so excited to have company that I didn't want to waste a minute of it sleeping. When I couldn't stand the anticipation anymore I got up, made a pot of coffee, and cut up a small loaf of my sister's zucchini bread. Matt perked up as the smell of Kona wafted through the cabin and came up to join me in the cockpit. We talked some more as we watched the harbor come to life.<br /><br />Once Sten and Monica were up and caffeinated we headed ashore for breakfast at Gary's Handy Lunch, a local institution. It is one of the cheapest places in town to fill one's stomach. It also happens to be very good. It isn't fancy, but I've never had a bad meal there, which is a lot more than I can say for many of the swankier places in town.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmEz3BsgQF40fpJYGJME2c_9ZaZRQ435AlJc3_oIh9DBd5XXMolb6Q_MRCPA93u3BPk2lQW7OTN42xiKOwIz9uceCvYwj2RQrf7yAB1e7eERZPTU_c-2pXLML3Y_yb7AE1WwJ/s1600/IMG_2900.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmEz3BsgQF40fpJYGJME2c_9ZaZRQ435AlJc3_oIh9DBd5XXMolb6Q_MRCPA93u3BPk2lQW7OTN42xiKOwIz9uceCvYwj2RQrf7yAB1e7eERZPTU_c-2pXLML3Y_yb7AE1WwJ/s400/IMG_2900.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502658751937877586" border="0" /></a>After breakfast, Matt and Monica took off for points north and a baby shower. Sten and I took the opportunity to check out the new wine store across the street from the Viking Hotel that we've been hearing a lot about. I was totally tickled to find a bottle of Sir Lambert's, a South African Sauvignon Blanc that we last enjoyed with a meal of clawless lobster in the tiny crayfish port (which also happens to the home of a decent point break) of Eland's Bay, SA.<br /><br />Next up was a stop at a little barbershop to get Sten's shaggy mane shaped up. For $7 he not only got trimmed, but got lots of info about which bars serve free food with their happy hours. How great is that? We'll be checking out those tips and reporting back on them later.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSChxIf3c6Z5AcYbS2UBz7P3Rdo9r1lqaVXwnmEIoaNoTX4qlTMnFnt_xWGgVFDI_9CCBgeVfIvR6T-7LAF2ghuCVfmzCSieqo3ARdRJ7t6YWB7WHaqwyiLc7IUtrEB7tZ_Iod/s1600/IMG_2903.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSChxIf3c6Z5AcYbS2UBz7P3Rdo9r1lqaVXwnmEIoaNoTX4qlTMnFnt_xWGgVFDI_9CCBgeVfIvR6T-7LAF2ghuCVfmzCSieqo3ARdRJ7t6YWB7WHaqwyiLc7IUtrEB7tZ_Iod/s400/IMG_2903.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502658183870582658" border="0" /></a>As the day heated up and the sidewalks became more crowded with all the tourists in town for the Black Ships Festival we ducked into the cool and quiet Newport library to put our new library cards to work (I shudder to think how much I used to spend on paperbacks and big glossy gardening and home renovation books). While Sten perused the periodicals I checked out a few guidebooks about local highlights.<br /><br />In the past, when we would spend weekends in Newport, I relied upon Sten's family's local knowledge, not bothering to try to learn about the place on my own. I promised myself as we sailed towards home that I would explore the States the way I do foreign places. And so I have been reading Nathaniel Philbrick's Mayflower, to learn more about the history of New England, and checking out guidebooks, local newspapers, and regional magazines. But mostly I've been talking to people.<br /><br />I used to assume that having lived somewhere for a while or having visited it a few times, I knew it all. Now I assume that I don't know a thing. So now, as I did while we were traveling, I stop and talk to shop assistants, launch drivers, waiters . . . really anyone I can get to slow down and chat . . . to find out what they know. Just this weekend we've been on a quest to find places for Matt and Monica to park their car in Newport without feeding a meter. Although we knew a few places, and in the past we would have relied on those, I began asking people what they knew. Now free parking spaces aren't something that one divulges without hesitation. But in trading on our secret spots we learned of several more. Just by talking to people.<br /><br />Matt and Monica were late coming back down from Massachusetts, so we met them out at Pour Judgment, a bar on Broadway that we'd been hearing a lot about. While we waited for them to arrive we ordered up a beer and a glass of wine, a burger and a plate of littlenecks, and watched the Tour on the flat screen over our heads. Pour Judgment's $5.95 burger might just be the best deal in town. No, actually the best deal in town is probably their $7.95 burger and beer combo. And behind the bar they have a seriously eclectic selection of the hard stuff, making this a spot that we'll have to get back to soon.<br /><br />Matt and Monica joined us for one more round at Pour Judgment before we moved on down the road to Salvation Cafe, one of our alltime favorite places in Newport. With industry night specials, a pagoda and a tiki bar, Salvation is, well, salvation. But I've got to say that their current cocktail offerings leave me cold. The bar is not showing the creativity that it used to. I'm hoping that when the menu changes this fall they will come up with something more interesting than a mohito made with coconut rum.<br /><br />We closed out Salvation and walked back down to the harbor in time to catch the last launch back out to the boat. After one last round of drinks in the cockpit with some tasty snacks and we were all off to bed.<br /><br />In the morning Sten whipped up some eggs and sausages. Then we dropped the mooring line to do a little sailing. It was a beautiful day and the bay was crowded, with powerboats throwing nasty wakes. We short tacked out of the bay against the current, out towards the Castle Hill Light. Matt and Monica were both having a great time. Then we turned downwind, demonstrating effectively how much it sucks to go downwind in light breeze in a sloppy seastate. Within moments everyone was feeling punky. So we turned on the engine, furled up the sail, and made for the harbor.<br /><br />Before Matt and Monica hit the road we did a driving tour of the Gilded Age mansions along Ocean Drive and Bellevue Ave. We parked at the end of Ruggles to peer in through the hedges at the Breakers. While standing on Cliff Walk Monica and I made plans to spend a day sometime soon doing mansion tours.Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-77917721373206482752010-08-03T12:49:00.001Z2010-08-03T12:49:37.818ZJuly 11, 2010 - Block Island, Rhode IslandOne of our favorite places in the world is Block Island, a small island about twenty miles from Newport. So when our friends Bucky and Mary invited us to join them for their yacht club's annual cruise out to Block, we cleared our calendar (which admittedly, wasn't very hard).<p>On Friday morning Sten fired up Mata'irea's main engine and ran it for a few minutes while we tidied up and got ready to set sail from Newport Harbor. We dropped the mooring lines and began to motor out of the mooring field. As we came alongside the boat in front of us, the engine hiccuped. And then it died. This has never happened to us before. And of course it would happen in a very crowded mooring field rather than in a big empty anchorage.<p>Our worst case scenario in this situation was drifting down into another boat and causing it damage (we carry boat insurance but with a very high deductible to keep our annual fee down). Sten called out for me to ready the anchor. I wasn't sure the breaker was on, and didn't want to get up to the bow to find that the windlass didn't have any power. So I climbed down the companionway ladder to make sure it was on. By the time I got back on deck Sten had recalled that we had another means to propel ourselves (other than the main engine) and we rolled out the jib and sailed out of the mooring field in a 3 knot breeze.<p>I steered us out into the Bay while Sten worked on the engine down below. As we rounded Fort Adams I called out that it was looking a bit smoky up ahead. By the time Sten found the problem and restarted the engine we had reached the Narrows and had been enveloped in a fog bank. The next three hours were anything but relaxing as we used the radar to dodge lobster pots and stay out of the way of other sailboats, sport fishing boats, ferries and a ship.<p>As we approached Block Island the fog began to clear. Inside the salt pond we found plenty of space to drop the hook. We anchored, lunched, and then Sten took off to fish for Striped Bass. While he was off fishing, Bucky and Mary popped by and invited me to join them on another club member's boat. I had a fun afternoon meeting lots of new people.<p>When we arrived at Block I shot off emails to Bill and Merrill, the two brave guys who joined Mata'irea's crew for our first offshore passage, which turned into a very exciting trip when we ran into a storm north of Bermuda. During that trip, before things went awry, I spent a memorable nightwatch listening to Bill and Merrill's tales of their idyllic life out on Block Island. My emails to them Friday afternoon resulted in a dinner invite and an offer of a mooring ball. It is kind of great to show up someplace and be so well looked after.<p>Bill drives the Oldport Launch here in the Great Salt Pond. On Saturday morning, a few hours after Sten got up to go fishing, I awoke to the sound of a voice outside singing our names. Bill came back around a few minutes later and joined me for a cup of coffee and a long chat while he waited for his next call for a pickup. While the rain drizzled down we caught up on three and a half years of good living. Sten eventually made it back to the boat for a late breakfast and then he was off again to fish some more, this time with a full compliment of snorkeling gear.<p>That evening Bill picked us up and brought us over to his place for dinner with some of his friends and neighbors from the island. The dinner guests included another Rhode Island couple who had just completed a circumnavigation with their children. It was very interesting to compare notes about how the whole reentry process is going for each of us.<p>After dinner we made our way to Captain Nick's, where we listened to the band and watched a parade of bachelorette parties weave their way through the crowd with a whole range of embarrassing accessories. On the way home Sten announced that he could see us spending the fall out here, which sounded pretty good to me.<p>On Sunday morning Sten finally came back from a fishing trip with fish. After days of catching and releasing keeper sizer Stripers, he brought home . . . scup. I clearly need to be more specific when asking him to bring home fish for dinner.<p>Once he had cleaned the small and bony fish, we headed to the beach with Bucky and Mary. The rollers were really coming in and we had a wonderful time body surfing. The water was beautiful and neither of us wanted to come back to the boat. But we were starting to get pink and it was time to get out of the sun.<p>In three days we barely scratched the surface of this wonderful island. We'll definitely be back before the leaves turn.<p>----------<br>radio email processed by SailMail<br>for information see: <a href="http://www.sailmail.com">http://www.sailmail.com</a>Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-8441899021520264502010-07-16T13:36:00.002Z2010-07-16T13:47:02.511ZJuly 8, 2010 - Newport, RIOne of the nicest things about living on a boat in Newport Harbor is all the great stuff within walking distance. Just up the hill from us are not one but two old school movie theaters. Between the <a href="http://www.janepickens.com/">Jane Pickens</a> and the <a href="http://www.operahousenewport.org/">Opera House</a> we are spoiled for choice. In a few weeks the second film in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy is opening at the Pickens. Since we hadn't yet seen the first film (it opened around the same time we were devouring the third book in South Africa) we were stoked to hear that the Opera House would be reshowing it. So this evening we caught the launch ashore, strolled through the sweltering town and slipped into the Opera House for a few hours of air conditioned entertainment.Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-62871446462224706702010-07-16T13:15:00.001Z2010-07-16T13:36:24.793ZJuly 6, 2010 - Newport, RIToday we got to play at being cruising station hosts for some cruising buddies of ours. David and Candy on Endeavor, whom we met in St. Helena, dropped in for a short visit enroute from South Carolina to Maine. We were happy to be able to offer up hot showers and the use of the laundry facilities at Suzy's house. And then we did a whirlwind tour of Newport stopping at one spot that certainly doesn't make the must-do list for most tourists, but which should be on every cruiser's itinerary. You never know what you might find in the consignment shop at <a href="http://www.newportnautical.com/servlet/StoreFront">Newport Nautical</a>. And the prices in the retail shop upstairs are much better than those at the West Marine down the road.Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-49355271980801122272010-07-16T13:04:00.003Z2010-07-16T13:14:28.548ZJuly 5, 2010 - Newport Harbor<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqg2hdzEzOkad8X0LX3P-bKu50J36hr7ygQFiS81Tp6CKRbXKp1HDA7O_oVsnWfOZNfeSEOpkL0LvepBd2d_UjReU6JiAq4xPRuePBEwfj36rHcu-ge8aLEjjIHqXfZw1OrWRm/s1600/IMG_5265.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqg2hdzEzOkad8X0LX3P-bKu50J36hr7ygQFiS81Tp6CKRbXKp1HDA7O_oVsnWfOZNfeSEOpkL0LvepBd2d_UjReU6JiAq4xPRuePBEwfj36rHcu-ge8aLEjjIHqXfZw1OrWRm/s400/IMG_5265.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494490045754393218" border="0" /></a>Summer seems to have finally arrived in New England. Last night for the first time we didn't need the extra blankets that we have had covering our bed since we sailed back into Newport. All morning the wind has been out of the north, blowing the heat off the land and across the harbor. By early afternoon Sten started talking about going for a swim. I wasn't so keen to take a dip in the harbor (even though everyone is supposed to be using their holding tanks) so we dropped our mooring lines and motored out from behind Goat Island with the intention of heading over to Mackerel Cove for a dip.<br /><br />Wouldn't you know it but as soon as we stuck our bow out into the bay the southerly filled in, which would have made the cove a bit bouncy. But the wind coming in off the ocean was more than enough to cool us down so opted for a harbor tour of Jamestown and Newport instead of a swim. Sten was feeling pretty bad about the fact that we were the only sailboat in the bay without her sails up, but after all the miles we logged in the past few months (at least 7,000 since leaving Cape Town) I was completely content to motor around the bay with a naked stick.<br /><br />Our parking permit at Fort Adams was only good for one night so we had to renew it or move the car. We decided to spend the night at Suzy's instead of paying for an additional night of parking. Once back at her house, where it was a lot warmer than it had been on the water, Sten lasted about half an hour before declaring that he had to go to the beach. His sister and I joined him and we all braved the cold, somewhat weedy water at Third Beach. A quick dip in the frigid water of the Sakonnet River was all it took to cool us down.Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33542328.post-79633216246794392622010-07-16T12:48:00.004Z2010-07-16T13:04:11.211ZJuly 4, 2010 - Newport Harbor<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-whtThajZWM7fdzoU3HQizg8Dfm1Z5KmB6C0xwkcLEpGTIQ_EQDd7tqNoGvSu-5HMWfqMnBfB_5_LK7slaIH4vIjhFTD6zGQQW61sjCBrzja6pE5TA_a9a6RJS5bBpD01hL7/s1600/IMG_5336.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 379px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-whtThajZWM7fdzoU3HQizg8Dfm1Z5KmB6C0xwkcLEpGTIQ_EQDd7tqNoGvSu-5HMWfqMnBfB_5_LK7slaIH4vIjhFTD6zGQQW61sjCBrzja6pE5TA_a9a6RJS5bBpD01hL7/s400/IMG_5336.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494487719930407842" border="0" /></a>There is absolutely no better place to watch fireworks than from a boat. The way the water reflects the explosions is just magical. We didn't want to let our first summer back in Newport slip by without celebrating the Fourth onboard Mata'irea. So tossing Alena kisses and promises that we'd be back in a week to finish painting and to do something about that hole in her exterior wall we hauled out of Boston this afternoon and made tracks for Newport. We arrived at Suzy's in time to offload some gear from the car, grab some quick showers, pet the cat, and pick some fish up from Anthony's to grill for our supper.<br /><br />Parking in Newport during the summer can be a problem, particularly parking overnight. The meters in town run until 9pm and start again at 9am. So unless we wanted to wait until 6pm to park, we needed to find another place to leave the car. We know of a few lots where it is possible to park for free overnight and on weekends, but they are an awfully long walk from the water when loaded down with gear. Fort Adams is an pretty convenient alternative, especially with the Oldport Marine Launch doing hourly runs between the dock there and the main harbor. For $6 with out-of-state tags or $3 with in-state tags, you can buy an overnight parking permit at the visitor's center. Monthly or seasonal passes are also available.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh312Lc55RKUVnexCYc8kftrH2Y6artM797Kq-E3tdeYJsUdvG4JmH6lW2U-_pKLqivQDx5-o7hNZw9tjJ2dhdgOcQ6_wDKlsEEJs37mvLErkoZ2DzcbEj7GWX3ETWwArkbvvrP/s1600/IMG_5304.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh312Lc55RKUVnexCYc8kftrH2Y6artM797Kq-E3tdeYJsUdvG4JmH6lW2U-_pKLqivQDx5-o7hNZw9tjJ2dhdgOcQ6_wDKlsEEJs37mvLErkoZ2DzcbEj7GWX3ETWwArkbvvrP/s400/IMG_5304.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494486698486641618" border="0" /></a>Just as it was getting dark, Bill and Laurie came across from Jamestown on their Whaler, bearing champagne and strawberries. We finished up dinner and waited for the Newport fireworks to start. Down the coast we could see other towns' celebrations sparkling away across the sky. For entertainment closer to home we had the chicks renting the houseboat on the mooring next to us flashing every group of guys that motored by. Finally the Newport fireworks got going, and they were well worth the wait.Danika and Stenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04439857532968628597noreply@blogger.com0