Cape Dory Cruising

[Russell]

Hi all,

Been awhile since I posted on the board, been out cruising. Thought some might find of interest my trip to date.

Left annapolis 2nd of August. Up the Chesapeake Bay then down the Deleware to Cape May. Stayed in Cape May overnight to do some repairs, my engine wiring caught fire on the way down the deleware, found it due to a faulting regulator, so new regulator installed.

Left Cape May bound for Newport RI. Not a very pleasent trip, lightning storms the first night, a lot of strikes within a 1/4 mile from the boat. Once storms passed I was motoring into 20 knots on the nose and a very steep chop, not comfortable at all. Finnally after that wind and seas died to nothing, so more motoring. But sunrise the second day at sea found me 6 miles from block island where a pod of dolphins greeted me. I decided to make landfall at block instead of newport, stayed for 4 days.

From block I left and spent 4 days in Jamestown, then I sailed to Watch Hill and spent a night, and now find myself in Mystic.

So far I am loving this New England sailing, much less heat and much more wind then the chesapeake. People are very friendly, and my god, what beautiful boats up here! The ratio of plastic bleach bottle boats to pretty boats is far better up here then on the Chesapeake.

The Cape Dory 36 is holding up well, and I am finding it to be exactly what I hoped it to be, an ideal cruising boat reguardless of conditions.

[Joe CD MS 300]

I started sailing on the Chesapeake in 1983 with the now defunk Nautilis Boat Club out of Annapolis. It was sort of like a time share for boats with a fleet of primarily Cape Dorys from 30's to 36's. After 2 years with the boat club I would charter 2-3 time a year on the Chesapeake from a variety of charter companies. My wife and kids all loved it. Tons of little creeks and coves to anchor and swim and you could always hit Annapolis, Baltimore, St Michaels, Oxford, etc. when you needed a little civilization. Our youngest went on his first charter at about 6 months old. Just strapped his car seat down in the cockpit.

However, after a ferry trip in 1990 from Portland, ME to Yarmouth Nova Scotia and one look at the Maine Coast we were all hooked on Maine and have been chartering up there 1, 2 or 3 times a season with the family, other couples and friends and still love it just as much. Most of our sailing has been between Rockland / Penobscot Bay and Bar Harbor / Frenchman Bay. I can only say it is spectacular. There has to be a thousand islands in this area and that is not an exaggeration. It has to be one of the best cruising areas in the world.

I finally bought my own boat early this summer a CD 30' Motorsailer and keep it moored in the Boothbay Harbor area. This area is a little new to us so we have a lot to explore.

I've chartered twice in the Newport / Block I area and it is a great area to sail but (at least in my opinion) it gets even better in Maine.

[Bob G.]

Last year we vacationed there in the fall. Great food and great people. Try the Tugboat Inn for Dinner.

[Joe CD MS 300]

There is no shortage of good restaurants in the area.

[GeorgeV]

I love to hear it when sailors come up to visit my world... I am an active cruiser on the Long Island/Block/Fishers Island Sounds and would love to meet up with people traveling into my world...

If you find yourself in or around Westbrook, CT give me a call and lets meet.

George