Lionel and Elsie go sailing: September 2019

In which we cruise back from New England to the Chesapeake, with a little side trip to look at RVs

At the start of September, we were at anchor just outside the harbour at Nantucket. On the morning of the first, we took the dinghy in and had a walk along the shore, past the lighthouse and our anchorage to the root of the breakwater and back through town to the supermarket for a good shop then caught the bus back. By this time, the currents were working in our favour, so we picked up and sailed the 25 miles to Vineyard Haven on Martha’s Vineyard, anchoring to the North East of the port. It was a little rolly so, in the morning, we moved a little closer and took the dinghy into town. This proved a little disappointing with no nice walking close. We considered taking a bus around the Island but decided that we probably wouldn’t see much we hadn’t a couple of years before so, on return, we picked up again and caught the afternoon currents west along the Elizabeth islands to anchor for the night at Cuttyhunk.

The plan was to go ashore the following morning but, on waking there was a sailing breeze so we continued on towards Rhode Island. Rather than go into our usual stop, Newport, we intended to spend a few days moving round the many anchorages in the surrounding rivers. The first of these was Third Beach on the Sakonnet. A nice little bay with the western side full of moorings but plenty of room to anchor to the East. I suspect that in holiday season this would be full of jet-skis etc but we were past Labor Day and all was quiet.

Hurricane Dorian was still in the Bahamas but due to head up the coast in a few days so the plan was to head up to Bristol, well inland, and sit it out. Two things happened to change the plan. First, the forecasts of Dorian’s track steadied and agreed that it would pass well offshore this part of the coast. The second was I got to internet browsing and discovered that the biggest RV show in America was taking place the next week in Pennsylvania. We have always said that, when we get too old to sail, we will continue the adventure on land but we really don’t know what sort of vehicle would suit us best so, after sundowner rums, we decided that this was a learning opportunity too good to pass up. We wanted to ensure that we had a safe haven, should Dorian change his mind on routing, but Newport or New London would provide that. So, when the wind rose on Wednesday morning we picked up and, lazily, cruised under genoa alone along the coast and up the Narragansett to Newport. Quickly ashore, to get the best clam chowder in New England at the Red Parrot then a brief walk along the northern part of the mansions, a bit of shopping and back to Ruby. That evening a saucepan handle, which had been a bit wobbly, fell off so Thursday was another shopping day. We walked the couple of miles to T J Maxx, found exactly what we were looking for, then spent another hour browsing other shops but really just bought a few giveaways for the Winter. On Friday, the wind looked good for a gentle sail to New London so we had an early start and headed out, to discover that it was not so gentle. Ten became twenty, became thirty knots, from right behind. We were making 8 knots, sometimes ten, with a three reefed main (with a good preventer) and a small, tight jib to damp the rolling. The plan of routing through Watch Hill Passage was abandoned because of the swell and we took the longer, but safer route round Fishers Island. The rain caught up with us as we entered the Thames River but stopped in time for us to pick up a mooring and tidy up. This was the night that Dorian was due to pass but forecasts were for no more than 20 knots. Nonetheless, we had a good tug on the mooring to make sure it was firmly attached to the bottom! The forecast was correct and, once the trains had stopped, we had a peaceful night.

With Dorian passed, we could sail on with confidence. We left Port London at 07:05 on Saturday and, with 2 reefs in the main, headed west. For the first few hours, the wind was the beam, F4, and we made good speed. By midday, it had dropped to F3 and we shook out the second, then the first reef, hugging the north shore both to get a smoother ride and because it was forecast to back later in the day. At 1500, there was no sign of this happening so we headed straight for our destination, Port Jefferson, where we knew we could find an easy, safe anchorage. With 8 miles to go, the wind did back and increase a little so we ended up close hauled with one reef back in. We anchored at 1700. We were hailed by one of our companions from the summer rallies, Fiscal Stray, but they chose to take a mooring.

The Winds were not so favourable on Sunday, being light and from the west, but we elected to sail the 30 miles to Port Washington, so had a day of tacking. As it was a beautiful day and possibly the last chance in the season for the locals, the water was crowded but we made some lucky guesses with the wind shifts so made reasonable progress, although it did take over 9 hours to reach our usual anchorage, just outside the main mooring field. Monday was spent doing laundry and shopping, with one interlude. The Bay Constable noticed that there was no registration on the dinghy (compulsory in the States, but not required in the UK). He not only ticketed me for that but also for not having a ‘sound producing device’, though this is covered by a whistle fitted to a lifejacket and, amazingly, for not having a fire extinguisher. Elsie’s research showed that this was also not required.

On Tuesday, we moved onto a mooring ball and went ashore to drive down to Pennsylvania to visit the world’s biggest RV show. Elsie writes about this:

bit too small

After our adventures up North we had made better than predicted progress South. We didn’t really want to get to the Chesapeake too early as we had already done a lot of exploring there two years ago and we have become rather blasé about NYC. So, reaching Port Washington Lionel announces “Let’s go on an adventure? Well, if you know me you won’t be surprised at my answer. “Yes” then, “where and what for?”

We have talked on occasion about what will we do when we get too old and unfit for sailing or when we have had enough of living on a 40 foot sail boat and both of us have come up with some bizarre ideas.

· * Pet/house sit round the world

· * Buy a motor boat

· * Buy a retirement home in South of England

· * Buy a barge and travel the canals of Europe

· * Go back to Scotland and live out our days tormenting the grandchildren

· * Live in a caravan at Lasham and fly gliders

· * Do some land travel in a RV or Trailer

The biggest RV show in the world was about to take place in Hershey, yes, the place where the chocolate comes from. Lionel decided this would be a good place to go and have a look at RVs, trailers and all things camping. I thought it would be good fun just to have fun so we made plans. An Airbnb was booked for four nights, a compact car was hired for 5 days and tickets for three days were reserved for the show, it runs for five days but I thought that would be overkill. I wasn’t even sure about three days but they were booked. If we got bored, we could always take a look at Gettysburg which was only a half hour drive away.

Port Washington is an ideal place to leave a boat for a short period. It has very good mooring balls which are easy to rent at $25 per day and if you are on a ball the water taxi is free. They used to give two nights free but alas no more. There is a rail station a mile into town that will take you into the city and cars for hire in the next town. The hire car company will pick you up so no need for expensive Ubers or taxis.

So, on Tuesday 10^th September we find ourselves sitting on the town dock waiting to be picked up by our hired compact car. A very nice sleek Ford Fusion drew up and we were whisked away to a company somewhere near, I haven’t got a clue where we went. The conversation was the usual one, where are you going, for how long, where do you come from, are you on holiday, did you sail over the Atlantic, was there any storms, how long did it take you etc. As Lionel signed the agreements the salesmen were more interested in our sailing than trying to get more money from us which was very refreshing but they did forget to tell us an essential so Lionel had to run back and ask them how we dealt with toll roads. After that was cleared up, we were on our way.

Negotiating New York City at any time of day is daunting but we managed to get over the George Washington Bridge that spans the Hudson River and on to New Jersey Turnpike, yes the one Simon and Garfunkel sang about. I am a nightmare in a car when I am not driving, asking questions all the time and making remarks about the scenery etc. If anyone tries that when I’m at the wheel they are not so politely told to shut up so I don’t know how Lionel puts up with it but he does. We made one pit stop on the way and arrived in good time at Middletown, Harrisburg where we were staying for four nights. The first thing we had to do was to find a supermarket, easily done, and we decided to walk and stretch our legs. This was definitely Hicksville, a working-class neighbourhood with lots of large houses converted into apartments. They do like their religion though, with a large church every couple of blocks mixed in with the run-down seedy pubs. The supermarket sold alcohol as well, bonus, so we were soon back in our temporary home munching away and swilling the food down with copious amounts of beer and wine (I’ll let you work out who was drinking what). As it was an early start the next morning it was early to bed.

The “Biggest RV Show in the World” was held at the Hershey and Giant Stadium, an ice hockey stadium. As we approached this grandeur park, we realised they were not joking. Lionel had bought three-day tickets, the show was open from 10 till 8 at night and we had joked about maybe spending Friday at Gettysburg to learn some more American history. I don’t think so! If we were going to do justice to this place it would take at least three days. The website had indicated that it would be a far quicker process if tickets were bought in advance so we confidently strolled up to the very long queue expecting to find a quick and easy way for advance ticket holders to skip the long and winding column. Alas, no. We stood with the rest of the advance ticket holders watching the guys who had not been so organised stroll right through security and up to the cash desks. Hmm. At last we got in and were handed a program, map and bag for all the goodies. Where to start? This was just not a chance to look at the latest RVs from all the manufacturers but there were also seminars held inside the building on various topics. We had earmarked a few we thought would be interesting, the first one being “So you think you want to buy a RV?” It was very entertaining and the gentleman who took it obviously knew his stuff. He explained the different types – Fifth Wheel, A class, B class, C class and B+ class. He also went into some detail about what to expect when travelling in a RV and what it would be like to live in one fulltime. No surprises there, it sounded very like life on a 40-foot boat without having to worry too much about the weather. As we came out, I think we felt quite smug, we could relate to almost everything he said.

seminar

After lunch we decided to dedicate the rest of the day looking at A class RVs. Those are the bus ones that usually are towing a small car to run about in when you park your gas guzzler. There are two types, gas pullers and diesel pushers so named because the gas (petrol in UK speak) engine is in the front and the diesel engine is in the back. Yes, I have been listening. The gas propelled were significantly cheaper but did not have as much storage underneath the living quarters and they were not as reliable so our first decision was made. If we went down this road it would be a diesel pusher. Lionel had more experience than me so he decides to look at the Fleetwoods first. Beautiful, wonderful, everything you would need in a compact 39-foot bus.

full size shower

Full galley, sorry kitchen. Beautiful sleek head, sorry bathroom and televisions everywhere – even one outside so you wouldn’t miss the game as you took in the last rays of sun. I actually asked a sales man how many TVs there were in a 40-foot model -5!!!! We have one TV on Ruby which won’t work over this side of the Atlantic and to tell you the truth I don’t miss it. I’d rather listen to the radio. Lionel made the mistake of asking about outside kitchens. “We don’t do them” answered the salesman with a look that would have withered a field of corn at 100 paces. These things were huge and you would be effectively driving a 40 seater bus on the wrong side of the road. Do you understand my concerns? All of them had what was called slide outs – parts of the vehicle which basically slid out when it was parked to give approximately 50% more room inside. For these to work for us we felt the toilet, the bed and the kitchen must be easily accessible with the slide outs in so we could top for a short break without having to go to the trouble of putting them out. Some of the beds folded up as the slide outs came in which I didn’t like as I thought it might damage the mattress and there was no storage under the bed. Things were falling into place, what we wanted and what we didn’t want. After looking around a few more manufacturers we realised we both had expensive taste and picked the Tiffin models as our favourite. The Americans seem to like very dark wood which was not to our taste but the salesman said there were different combinations of wood, leather and flooring so when it came to buy you picked whatever combinations you wanted.

sitting room

On the way round we spotted a B+ class which we both though might be a possibility. These are like Luton vans with a bed usually above the cab. It was surprising the space inside, although yet again I felt there was still not enough storage. We both liked the Wraith models which had storage instead of a bed above the cab, full size cooker, fridge freezer, queen size bed and large shower. Lionel thought it might not be as comfortable to drive as the bus models so we organised a test drive for Friday morning. In between wandering around looking at different buses we took in two more seminars which were not so interesting – films about travelling in Alaska and the Rockies. It was mainly a marketing gimmick for people to buy the full-length DVDs although the scenery was spectacular and it did a lot reinforce the idea of land travel in USA and Canada. By this time my head was swimming and I wanted to go home. Off we went via the supermarket again and spent a pleasant evening pouring over the brochures and deciding what we would do the next day. Another early night was called for as the next day was going to be full on.

Thursday was dedicated to looking at fifth wheels. They are towed by a truck but more an articulated mechanism than a tow bar and ball. The seminars today were insurance and matching a truck with the fifth wheel which was very informative but we definitely need more information and help. The insurance was a waste of time, it was geared up for Americans and we did not sit through it. Lionel was very cheeky and joined the queue to buy tickets on the day so we got through the gate much quicker this time.

5th wheel

The fifth wheels are huge, they start at 35 foot and get bigger, and bigger, and bigger, with lots of slide outs and a huge wardrobe in the bedroom that can be plumbed for a washing machine and dryer if required. We identified something around 37 foot would suit us and plunged in. I had done some research on the internet and had identified the five best for full time living. We were not impressed with four of them but the Pinnacles looked good and had almost everything we needed. Wandering around looking for the next make we wanted to look at we stumbled upon a make I hadn’t heard of, Vanleigh. They were situated right beside the Tiffin and we thought they might be connected so we went to have a look. The first one we headed to was beautiful but the price was eyewatering. The sales lady directed us to the Pinecrest models, which were a little more in our price range. Absolutely beautiful, although the finish wasn’t as sleek and I didn’t like some of the décor. But we found “the one” in the Vilano models, perfect length, perfect layout and loads of storage – my dream fifth wheel.

island sink and work space

An American sized fridge/freezer, a full-sized cooker with oven and a combi microwave. A huge shower, the bed faced the correct way (across the van) and there was enough cupboard space in the bedroom for all our clothes, even the ones we had vacuum packed underneath the bed on Ruby. The slide outs worked too, the bed, toilet and kitchen were useable when everything was slid in. They usually contain the dining area and make the living space about a third larger. As the bed is orientated across the van it means when the slide is out the bed can be walked around on three sides. This one had space for a washer and dryer but that was not one of our priorities as we have lived without one for over four years. It is amazing how you can adapt to not having such luxuries as a car, a TV and things like a fully equipped kitchen. We were mighty impressed with these models and they were almost in the correct price range. One of our worries about buying brand new is the resell value. Although this company is run by the next two generations of Tiffin manufacturers, it is a completely different company and they have only been making RVs for two years. It is looking good at the moment, the 2018 models are still holding their prices but who knows what will happen in the future? We still have at least a couple of years before we have to make a decision which is probably in our favour.

full size cooker and fridge/freezer

On Friday we were in and round to the Wraith stand by nine thirty. The salesman and his sidekick took us to the demonstration arena to have a test drive in what is an elongated Luton van. The demonstration arena was a large car park which the organisers had left empty, a bit of a disappointment. I had first go and managed to get the speed up to about 25mph without hitting anything. It was surprisingly easy to drive, the mirrors made sure the driver could see all the way round and there was a camera for reversing. I did hit the exhaust pipe on the kerb but so did Lionel. It was a stupid design that had the end pipe coming out at the off side just about kerb height. Li had a drive on the road and said it was quite comfortable but there was a lot of noise, just like being in a van. Apart from the exhaust, the were a few things rattling around inside which they said were all lose because of missing screws, not a good example of their workmanship. We thanked them then went and looked at some of the novelty trailers (we would call them caravans) and the tiny houses which were basically house that could be legally taken on the road on the back of a trailer then plonked down on a chosen sight, more long term and not for us as we wanted to see all the country not just that bit.

Iconic airstream

Lionel had arranged a viewing of a used RV nearby. It was a Fleetwood Pace Arrow, an upmarket model but not one of my favourites. He only went to see it to get a drive in it and so he could compare the smaller Luton van model with the big buses. We wandered round the show for another hour and had a look at some of the stalls inside the arena. We found an interesting one that would help with registration of vehicles and mail delivery etc, kept the details of that one. Finally, we took another look at our favourite Vilano models for the last time. Luxury living here we come! After lunch we left for our viewing of the second hand bus. It was very disappointing. It was 12 years old but they were still asking a considerable amount of money for it. The people who owned it obviously had a dog as it stank and the passengers chair had been chewed and there were dog hairs everywhere. It was interesting to see how the slides opened and shut. I declined a chance to drive it but Lionel had a considerably long drive and said afterwards it was comfortable and he felt it was a far better vehicle to drive than the smaller one. We thanked the salesman and headed back to our Airbnb for our last night.

Traffic New York style

The drive back to Ruby was uneventful but the roads were far busier it being a Saturday. We thankfully eventually got back to Ruby early afternoon. It was a good fun break but I still cannot even contemplate selling her and giving up sailing. I know there will come a time that we have to because of ill health or just becoming too elderly. Lionel did point out he will be 80 in 16 years and he didn’t want to leave our land exploring too late and I did understand living on a boat at that age would be problematic. The conclusion. I think we both want to travel more and see different things. This continent is huge and has it all, cities, deserts, forests, mountains and vast open spaces so its probably a good place to start. The RV seems a good way to land travel and it would be easy to move with the sun. I am definitely leaning towards the fifth wheel route as I preferred the layout and space although I’m not sure about driving a 7 litre truck around as our primary vehicle. There are lots of pros and cons but it is a definite maybe, now on to our next high sea adventure…

even underfloor storage for grandchildren

PS We will be taking names for holidays in our RV in two years, probably.

Going solo

We returned on Saturday to find Ruby safe and motored back to the anchorage. Sunday was a lazy day with just a trip to the fuel dock for diesel, petrol and water. Monday, we did a little more provisioning, starting to lay in our winter stores and also a little maintenance. Feeling bored with Port Washington, on Tuesday we took a little sail across Long Island Sound to City Island, which sticks out from Pelham, in the Bronx. There is a nice anchorage, between two mooring fields and, according to Active Captain, a dock at the end of each street for dinghies. The docks are there but all appear to be private so, instead, we tied up at the Harlem Yacht Club (with European prejudices, this seems like an unlikely entity) which we were allowed to do as it was out of season. From here, it was an easy walk to Pelham Bay Park, which is billed as being bigger than Central park. It may be, but much of it is overgrown and, although it has a nice beach, this fronts onto Long Island Sound which isn’t exactly pristine. Labor Day being past, everything was closed so there was the usual out-of-season seaside dinginess. On first arrival, we were disturbed by the sound of gunfire: single, volley and automatic, but a little research showed that Rodman Neck, to the south of the park, is the home of NYPD’s firing range.

Pelham Bay Park

We still had the East River to negotiate and, as favourable afternoon currents would make us arrive in the centre of New York too late in the day, we had to wait a few days until morning ones would not necessitate a dark-O’Clock start. As we hadn’t had a decent sail in a while, we set off east, into an easterly wind, on Wednesday and spent six hours beating up the 21 miles to Northport logging 39 miles in the process. On Thursday, dinghy to the Town Dock, a walk and a little shopping. On our way, we bumped into the same school crossing attendant we had met two years before. She cracked the same gag about us looking a bit old for high school students (no-one else would be walking, with back pack) and directed us to the same supermarket. We even stopped at the same ice-cream shop on the way back. By Friday, the wind had shifted to the west, so we had the joy of beating back the 17 miles to Port Washington logging just 28 miles this time.

Police boat on the East River

It was time for laundry to be done. We realised that, although we had owned the new dinghy / motor combination for over six months, Elsie had never driven it so she had a little wander round the anchorage on Saturday before finally plucking up the courage to go ashore by herself while I did a few things on board. Ashore, together, in the afternoon for shopping then motored 5 miles closer to the East River entrance, anchoring in Little Neck Bay. Up at dawn to motor, with the current at times over 4 knots in our favour, through the centre of New York City. We pulled over to starboard passing Roosevelt Island to allow a tug and barge to overtake and then encountered a police launch, with attached machine gun, who required us to cross to the other side while passing the United Nations building. Prompt obedience! Round the bottom of Manhattan, then against the current up the Hudson. A shout from Elsie. Water coming from the engine. A quick check showed that it was coming from the fresh water cooling and would soon reach a critical condition. Very fortunately, there was a light southerly wind and, unfurling the genoa, we were able to just stem the tide and ‘hover’ opposite pier 40. I’m sure this puzzled a few other river users as we remained essentially stationary for over an hour. I phoned TowboatUS for assistance but they hadn’t appeared by the time the engine had cooled sufficiently for me to do a temporary repair and top up the water. Slightly worryingly the 79^th St marina reported that they had no free moorings but, as I needed spares to do a permanent repair, we continued with the expectation of anchoring north of their mooring field. On arrival, we found a choice of four vacant moorings and took the one closest to the marina. We spent the afternoon walking through Central Park and back down the river side.