Mid-Week - Second Week at Cottage - Angola, NY

Wed. August 1st 2012 -- Now, mid-week of the second week at the cottage.  We had a wonderful crowd here over the first week, and the middle weekend.   On Wednesday of the first week, Ruth, Matt, Charles, and Billie showed up at the cottage.   That same day Gar, and Sandy Davidson drove in from Bethlehem PA, and the place began to "humm" with activities.  
Ruth had one of her best friends from High school come that first week (Gretchen Kampf).  Gretchen brought her children (pic below).  
As the crowd at the cottage grew Matt pitched in with the cooking chores (breakfasts, lunches, dinners), which was a Godsend.   He even volunteered to use the charcoal grille for one huge meal;  talk about nerve!!
I (dean) elect to use the propane grille that Ed Speidel lent us for the two weeks... (just lazy I guess).
All the kids from the Speidel clan (i.e Eddie, Katlyn, and Danny), and Charlie, and Billie (Matt's kids) seemed to get along and have a great time in the pool, and playing games in the cottage.   

Some of the pictures were posted before, and now some add'l pics are streaming in from family, and guests.  NICE!     Here's some with brief captions.

Ruth, Matt, Gretchen and families.

Ruth, Billie, Charlie, and Matt enjoying the pool.

Gar and Sandy Davidson - relaxing on the back porch.

Beverly and Rob's 30 foot travel trailer at the cottage.

Susan, Ruth, and Billie enjoying the pool.

Dean and Ruth cooling off in pool.

Dean and Gar providing entertainment while Spaghetti Dinner is being prepared.

Sunday's Guest line-up (actually several are missing).
Rob;Bev;Gar; Susan; Matt;Billie;Dean;Charlie; Lauren;Sandy;Kelvin;Ruth

Ruth, and Billie keeping the Styrofoam ball supported in mid air.

I did take my guitar into Buffalo to have a certified Gibson Technician take a look at the inlay-type binding that's coming off the face edge of the instrument.   He did take a look; and gave me a price to fix it that 'stunned' me... (probably more than the instrument is worth on the market). 
SO...............the end result of that is that I'll patch it up myself with 'stuff' on the AB, and keep enjoying the great sound of the Gibson, as it is.... :)

Billie, and Gary S. (floating ball - science experiment)

Susan and Debbie Kampff

Herd members at Mickey Rat's (traditional Fish Fry night)
Gar; Bill; Dean; Susan; Sandy

Sunday Evening music makers (The Herd).

Matt cooking dinner on the charcoal
grille -  Delicious.

One of Susan's best friends from East Aurora came out too... Debbie Kampf.  It was great catching up on the stories from EA. 

Gary S. came to the cottage as usual, with a science project, and kept all the kids (and some adults, busy...at keeping a ball suspended in mid-air with flow from a lung powered nozzle (aka straw).  (See photos above).

At the end of the first week, Gar, and Susan took a bike ride toward Sunset Bay, for exercise.  

more later.

It's now the beginning of the second week at the cottage (house) in Angola, NY (southern shore of Lake Erie).
It's been busy here... with friends and family coming and going.  
The music took a backseat to the opening of the Olympics last Friday night.  But, we made up for that on Sunday evening when the guitars came out, and music flooded the back porch.  NICE!!!

The Olympics didn't keep every one awake.
Ruth, and Billie zonked early.

The Instrument end of the porch; Singers everywhere else!  NICE!

Ruth, Matt, Billie, and Charlie came mid-week, and stayed until late on Sunday, making one of those "hard to stay awake" trips, back to Glenville.   It was wonderful to have them here.
It's one of those Summer traditions that mean so much.

the Kids (Danny, Charlie, Billie, and Eddie)
playing games in dining room on rainy day.

Two cruising couples came for the mid-weekend party.   Vickie, and Mike McKinnon (s/v Double Exposure) came down from Ontario.  Their boat is sitting on land in St. Kitts (Caribean), waiting for them to return in the Fall.   The second cruising couple to come is Beverly, and Rob Davidge (p/v R&B Haven).  They came down from a town east of Ottawa, bringing their 30 foot camping trailer. 

During the first week, the Besants (Margaret, and Marty) came to visit, at the cottage.  Ed Speidel (co-cottage renter), also shown in photo, above, was major cook, and host during his stay at the cottage. 
More later.

AB moved to new home (slip) for summer 2012

Autumn Borne has finally been moved to her new home (slip) at Hop-O-Nose Marina. 
(photo).

AB at end slip - HON

In our old location we literally rolled the fenders along the dock, and the boat next to us, as we came in... so leaving for a pleasure sail/cruise was pretty much, 'out of the question'.
Now...we're on an end slip, and can use the boat whenever we please...
There's no boat to our port side... so we can load and unload the dinghy...

Catskill Creek

We did purchase some dinghy sealant (internal to tubes), and will have to roll the dinghy down the dock (end of end, upside down, etc.) when we return to the AB, after vacation.

We're packing for WNY, and the cottage along the southern shore of Lake Erie.   We're looking forward to catching up with friends of ours from WNY; playing some music, and just "vegging"...

Mid-week at HON:

Another project finished...

The starboard side teak plank, that secures the scuba tanks, and jerry cans of fuel, etc. has now been sanded and varnished (Cetol really). 

The plantation teak plank had been left to weather (gray) for 5 years...

but in it's location right above the now finished cap rail...started to bother me.... SO.......

Out came the sander, brushes, and Cetol. :)

scuba tank securing plank - refinished

I was very pleased with the result... didn't know how the plantation teak would look when sanded... it's a hybrid teak with a higher growth rate, than old growth teak...

Jerry-can end of teak plank - Scuba racks at far end.

We purchased new plastic cups yesterday to cover the air valves on the scuba tanks (They keep the salt water off the valves, and also keep the sail sheets from catching the valves, and opening them (thus freeing 3000 PSIG of compressed air, and scaring the hell out of you))

starboard side finished and scuba tanks, etc. re-stored.

[the old plastic cups were hardened to "brittle", from continuous UV exposure]

Yesterday, Susan and I used part of the afternoon to take a British sailor, named Penny, over to the Catskill Marina pool and laundry facility. We all really enjoyed the pool, while the laundry was finishing. NICE afternoon.

Last evening... we just walked the docks with our glasses of wine, and assisted some fellow boaters, with installing,and storing anchor rodes; or just communing.

Nice evening.

Independence Day and July 3d

Belaying Pin Rail - Starboard

Today (July 3d) was a heavy labor day...(as long as we can't move to our "more permanent location (slip))... I hauled all of the primary anchor chain out of the chain locker, and stretched it out to 25 foot lengths... wire brushed some areas...and then Primed those 25 foot areas for color coding later... maybe Thursday or Friday...

The other project (twin belaying pin rails - port and starboard) is also complete, now.

Belaying Pin Rail - Port

I wanted to make the belaying pins (oak, and poplar dowels) so if this didn't work...we wouldn't be out so much money. 
Not bad looking (if I do say so myself) :) and a nice place to keep lines, besides on the life lines, or stern pulpit, which is crowded already, with outboard motors, grilles, bicycles, etc.

Tuesday night (July 3d) we saw Phil, from the sailing vessel 'Acadia', come into the Creek....
He came to the AB to share a bottle of wine with us...

After enjoying the wine with Phil, on our "porch" (aft deck), we drove him up-town to the Italian restaurant, Pomodoro's, for dinner....

NICE evening... (I mentioned Phil before... Afghanistan Veteran - multiple tours- now looking forward to the cruising life).  

Today is party day at Ruth's new home, near Schenectady.   Should be fun.  Enjoy the holiday. Be Safe!!! 

Lucas in South African PICU

One thing that wasn't posted was our visit with Margaret, and Marty Besant, on their way back home from South Africa.  They came to the AB directly from JFK airport.  

It was wonderful catching up on their journey, and the status of their daughter, and her new baby (in South Africa).

Hop-O-Nose - Summer "home" for AB

We're back at our summer "home" at Hop-O-Nose Marina in Catskill, NY, just off the Hudson River.  The marina owner is still moving boats around, and we're not in our "semi-permanent slip yet, but it's still comfortable, and secure.  

AB at HON

We even flew the spinaker part way up the Hudson to get to HON before dark.  Scott Irwin was the only one at the marina to assist in docking...   so we all (Susan, Scott, and me) went to dinner that evening. 

AB flying spinaker  - Northbound on Hudson

We've also been trying to replace our Honda Element (flooded in last fall's Hurricane/ TS Irene).  

We've now done that (photos below), with a Honda Pilot.  

 2005 Honda PIlot -  new land dinghy

Buying the car was simple; Insurance companies were the biggest pain.  But that's another story.

C&D Canal traffic - Typical of
Delaware Bay, and NYC Harbor traffic

space shuttle Enterprise - welcoming us to NYC

We did have a great 'rounding of NJ this year... Overnight passage (one day, and one whole night)...from the top of Delaware Bay (Delaware) to Haverstraw Bay (half-way up the Hudson River) in one shot.  

We did buck the currents in NYC Harbor... that was poor planning on my part, but coming in from the ocean, after a night passage... you just want to get into the harbor... BUT, in retrospect, we should have just anchored at Gravesend Bay, and waited for the tide to change.   The passage under the Verazzano Narrows bridge did seem to take forever.

:)

It seems like a long time since I've posted a log entry... We have now worked our way up the Chesapeake Bay... stopping at Deltaville to see Carla, and Rick Rister (s/v Euphoria - cape dory 40).   We also stopped at the Solomon Islands for the night... and weathered quite the storm - (10 tornados touched down that night in inland counties)... It was fairly exciting... even though we have great confidence in our anchor, and that particular bottom.

The max wind we saw was a little over 30 knots... which is still up there... but no where near what they saw inland.

Dean, Susan, Deb, and Lili at B-Day dinner - Mexican.

So...our next stop, after an all day upwind 'slog' was Annapolis MD.  We came here to celebrate Deb Taber's Birthday... and visit with friends Morina, and Owen Ware (Gulfstar 44).  We met Owen and Morina 5 years ago at Charleston, SC, and have been communicating, and visiting with them every chance we get... while going up and down the coast. 

Susan and Deb - B-day celebration - Annapolis MD

We've been doing small boat projects, and enjoying the area.

Autumn Borne in Weems Creek - Annapolis, MD
(photo taken by s/v Ilene)

The night before last, we were picked up by Owen and Morina Ware, at the Port Annapolis Marina (where we looked over, and took pictures of a boat "on the hard" for a friend). 

We had a great time on their Gulfstar 44 ketch... and a phenomenal dinner. Our conversations took us well into the wee hours...(that would be after midnight....as you must know by now...'crusiers midnight' is about 9 PM)....So after midnight is like staying up all night.

Morina, and Owen Ware on their Gulfstar ketch;
(Almost ready for Cruising)

We just got back this morning (WED. 6/6/2012) from a night's stay at Deb and Scott Taber's house, in Cape St. Claire.
Wonderful time. great conversations...  and we were introduced to a new British drama series (Downton Abbey).

I washed and waxed the hull before being picked up for dinner, and the nights stay at Debs, yesterday... the hull was looking pretty scruffy, from the tannin filled ICW, and the "Diesel butt" from exhausts (gen, and main engine).

Some of the waterline was getting a green tingh to it...from growth...yuck.. That's all gone now...and she looks pretty spiffy...If I do say so myself... :)

One other project that was accomplished while sitting here at anchor, is the use of the mid-mast antenna for the TV system on AB. I connected it to the TV antenna amplifiers, not really thinking it would work... It's not rated as "digital" etc.

But...wow... works like a whole lot better (high)  

So even in this anchorage between two cliff, the TV reception isn't bad.... COOL!!!!

(The original mid-mast antenna was connected to a printed circuit card amplifier, but it was 'toasted' before we bought the boat... So...I bypassed that amplifier, and went straight to coax connecting the two TVs.) Anyway, it works... :)

Roger and Ilene (s/v I lene - Saga 43) at Charleston SC

Roger and Ilene from the s/v I Lene, have been writing, and expect to be in Weems Creek in the next couple of days..    They make some mean "mango pancakes"!!!

It would be nice to see them again... they came into Beaufort, NC from an ocean hop as we were going up into Cedar Creek (north of Beaufort)... and they've not caught up yet, with visiting friends along the way, and weather. But maybe we'll see them this week before we take off for the northern part of the Chesapeake, and the C&D Canal....Delaware Bay, etc.

Roger and Ilene on their Saga 43 at Charleston, SC (Roger and Ilene live in Greenwich Village, NY, NY)