Made it back to Norwalk today, a full month of sailing, starting with the NE Rendezvous and ending up with a solo run of nine days or so!!!!!!
First, Thanks to Cathy & Bruce!!!!!!!!! They did so much work to prepare for the rendezvous, and Bruce did an incredible job as registrar!!!! I know the amount of work that went into it, and it was considerable!!!! Thanks again!!!!
Second, I think we should reconsider the ratings for the next CD Race, wide slow boats like the MK II should have a more favorable rating ,....heh heh........, this making it up at the captains meeting has to change
And Thanks Jack for your input The race was great, it was wonderful to see the fleet dashing away to Block Island, yes Jack that was me blasting away by you
Next year I think I’ll cut my dingy loose, I may have slipped under the line ahead of Heather Ann and Hanalei...... oh well......there is always next year.......I’ll see if I can get Cabin Boy to polish the bottom for next year’s race!!!!!!!We had a wonderful time cruising Cape Cod, the weather cooperated with us and we had some incredible sails. Spent some time with My cousin Matt at Woods Hole, he had his first season with his boat this summer, and we had a bunch of sails together, Boy there is always some wind up there.
At this point my crew left, and I was on my own, looking forward to a solo cruise home.
Got fogged in at Woods Hole for a few days But finally made it out, had a nice run back to Block Island, with only one mishap. Had set the auto pilot, had a look and all looked clear, went below to grab something to eat, and Bam, hit something....saw a split lobster pot buoy and chuckled, until I felt a tug.......yup staged a line on the pot
... 20 miles out, in over a 100 feet of water and alone mmmmmmmmmm stuck on a pot. No worries, snapped on my harness, knife in mouth and swim ladder down, had a last look for sharks.. and prepared to go in and cut loose.....fortunately just as I went in the line popped free, I assume it was caught on my rudder. Hopped back on board and went below to see it I had any leaks at the rudder post or stuffing box... everything checked out ok and off I went!!!!!! Needless to say from that point on I kept a sharp look out for pots !!!!!All was fine until the second night at Block, I anchored out way at the end of the anchorage, and felt pretty secure. I knew the wind was to pick up, so I had an early dinner ashore, by the time I got back, it was blowin like stink. I let out additional scope, but still did not feel comfortable, so I took my second anchor and deployed that with my dingy, well that was better, although I did not sleep well, had left the radio on and heard that boats were dragging..... Tow Boat was called as well as the Coast Guard, and the Block Island Harbormaster, I could see all the activity, and it did not look pretty. As far as I know, no one was hurt or damaged, but it was an uneasy night. Fortunately I did not drag!!!!!!!! First thing in the am went looking for a mooring ( as the wind was to pick up during the day ) I found an empty mooring, marked it with a life jacket and dinked back to Macht Nichts, pulled up both anchors, no easy task in those winds....Dick, I needed your new windless, anyway got to a mooring and collapsed, not enough sleep and a good workout getting repositioned on the mooring. I slept!!!!!
Had a nice sail to Stonington, thought about going in to Watch Hill again, but opted for a mooring at Dodson’s, Jack, I was going to call you.... but I didn’t want to hear about that rating again heh heh, and Nan had gone home, and didn’t need any clams
.Left Stoington next day with some light fog, sailed along with a Non Such until the for socked in so bad you could barley see the bow of Macht Nichts!!!!! Creepy out there, with all those ferries, and yup,here comes one right at me, I had heard it and was blasting my horn, when he appeared not less that 20 yards off my port bow.........heart in mouth I watched three guys running around on their bridge, they fell off and I swung away, MAN way to close, If my heart was not in my mouth, I would have had a few choice words for them, but alas before I knew it they disappeared into the fog. A few moments later I spotted the Non Such, we pulled up along side each other, they apparently were just as close and we just both shook our heads, and faded away into the fog. I hit every mark on my GPS, and found one motorboat circling my next mark. He yelled over that his radar was broken, and could he follow me
I said ok heh heh but all I had was my GPS, well, it pretty funny to see him following behind doing 5 knots By the end of the day my auto pilot gave out ( a short somewhere, kept popping the switch), but made it to the entrance of the Ct river, went in buoy by buoy, until I spotted the docks at Old Saybrook, immediately got a slip for the night, and tried to gather my wits!!!!!!Next day out, GPS went down, would not aquire satellites, oh well back to the old ways, no auto piglet, no GPS, and fortunately no fog. Made it to Charles Island, where we all had met on our way to the Rendezvous, and then next day back to Norwalk!!!!!! I knew I could navigate and steer my own boat !!!!!!
Hope you all had a great cruise home, whada we going to do next year?
Michael Heintz
s/v Macht Nichts CD 30 MK II
mzenith@aol.com
