The gist of it is I was working on the Far Reach and the dock-master wandered into the boatyard looking for a “captain” who could help the owner of the yacht get her to Boston as his captain quit. I said I was too busy working on my boat but sure I would chat with him to see if I could link him up with someone that could help. But as soon as he found out I had a Merchant Mariner 100 Ton license with a Sailing Endorsement there was no way out. Next thing I know I was asking my buddy Steve if he he wanted to go sailing....
Ironically, I just started a small business called Far Reach Voyages LLC a few months ago. But I had not done anything with it because of the coronavirus. Though I thought I might accept a few deliveries I plan to focus on helping people learn how to prep their boats and gain some offshore boat handling skills so they can get to the islands safely without spending a fortune on equipment and gear they don’t need. Sort of a less is more approach. This turned out to be an interesting way to kick it off.
Anyway, it was a pretty easy trip. I essentially served as a passage making coach and Sailing Master. We went outside and sailed around Cape Hatteras to Norfolk. Then up the Chesapeake to the C&D Canal. Down the Delaware Bay then outside to Atlantic City to pick up the owner’s wife. Then continued on outside to NYC. Up the East River to Long Island Sound via Hell Gate. One night we anchored in Oyster Bay near Teddy Roosevelt’s Saganaw Hill home. Very cool. Then on up to Noank and Buzzards Bay, through the canal, and across Cape Cod Bay, and on to Boston. About 875 nautical miles in 13 days with only one overnight transit—the 221 nm from Beaufort to Norfolk. We made good time. Only had a couple minor hiccups which we solved quickly and without fanfare. We anchored out and stayed in marinas. Big comfortable boat. Turns out she is pretty fast. We routinely sailed at 10+ knots with a long stretch at 11-12 kts reaching in 25 kts true to slip past an oncoming squall line in the Delaware Bay.
I learned some new things and saw a lot of beautiful country. It was great two spend two weeks with my best friend of over 40 years (and the welder of all the bronze on the FR). Everyone got along great. The owner was very happy which made me happy too. But it’s time to get back to the FR which by the way feels like a dinghy after sailing on a 58’ 66,000 lb monster of a sailboat.
So now I need to find room on the FR for a bow thruster, generator, freezer, air conditioner, and a big screen TV.
