 |
Bertram 31 Block Island Cruise
- CAPY's Adventure -
PHOTOS:
Paul Gozewski
August 16, 2000
First, a little background, On 6-1 1-00, an ambitious sail vessel tries to cheat the 8 current in a 32', full keel, sloop, in our marina. The current doesn't take to kindly to cheaters and so, pins the sail vessel to the bows of three Power vessels in their respective slips. A friendly and well intentioned power vessel(a Cruisers inc.) offers to pull said sail vessel from her predicament and deposit her into her slip. To make along story short, the sail vessel winds up lightly damaging five vessels, including CAPY. I got a phone call, "Paul, some sail boat just crashed into CAPY and it isn't pretty." The owner was extremely embarrassed and was well insured. I schedule repairs at Hunter Scott's Custom Boat works in Pocasset MA, to coincide with the rendezvous I had been planning for August 12.
August 7, 2000 8:31 am
Took on 60 gallons fuel. Forecast is for overcast skies, scattered showers and thunderstorms, SE wind 10 to 15 kts turning S-SW in the afternoon 20 to 25 kts. Seas 3 to 6 but may be higher in unprotected waters. Visibility occasionally under three miles in showers. High temperature 75 F, low temperature 60 F, sea temperature 64 F. Trip starts out uneventfully, until we round the tip of Cape Ann (Gloucester), seas building 8-10 feet, we hear a mayday from a sinking Fishing vessel, make radio contact and will divert our course if asked. Sinking vessel responds that other vessels closer and not to divert, C.G. en route also. Visibility lowers to under a mile in fog, seas even with the top of the flybridge, no green water touches bow deck however due to a long wave period.
Inside the cape cod canal we are put at ease, our journey almost at an end, one short but particularly nasty leg left across the head of Buzzards Bay to Barlow's landing, Pocasset MA. Seas build to a frightening height, green water floods the bow for approximately one nautical mile, then a course change around Wings neck allows for following seas. We make Barlow's landing right on schedule at 1:00 p.m.
Total elapsed time 4 hrs. 29 mm. Total distance covered 87 nautical miles. Ride was somewhat uncomfortable in mass bay and again in buzzards bay. Full complement of giant tuna gear on board in case of sightings, there are none. CAPY is hauled about 1 mile to the shop.
August 11, 2000 2:30 p.m.
Took on 75 gallons fuel, on land in dry dock, delivered by truck courtesy of Hunter Scott. Forecast is for clear skies, E-NE winds 15-20 Kts turning NE in the afternoon. Clouds forming and moving SW, possible thunderstorm by evening. Seas 1-3 feet in buzzards bay and 2-4 in Narragansett bay mouth and block island sound. After some confusion as to when we would be launched we are underway to block island. The trip was quite pleasant, carol remarks, "I would think these seas are rough if we didn't have that experience in buzzards bay on Monday." We make 22 kts and arrive at the Block Island point green navaid, to find a vessel hailing us on channel 71. We respond, and learn it is the Kar- FRE(carefree) about a 2 miles ahead, just entering the jetty.
The ride into the great salt pond is magnificent, vessels of every shape and style imaginable are moored there, from the smallest of inflatable dinghy to the largest of megayachts sail and power. The water is beautifully clear and clean with a temperature of 75 F, and the sun is shining brightly through a humid sky.
We met briefly at the temporary dock, as the skipper of the KAR-FRE was returning with our slip assignments. My first impression of the KAR-FRE was overwhelming, I have never seen a more mint, STOCK, Bertram 31 in my life, the gel coat shines as if just pulled from the mold and every fitting is in fantastic shape. We shoe horn into our slips, the dock master Cliff Payne (a really nice guy) guides us in with verbal commands. I know some must feel they don't need help docking, I am one of those, but if you saw where I backed my 31 into, you wouldn't believe it would fit, I didn't believe it would, but made it in easily. KAR- FRE was next and his job was more difficult the mine, as the maneuver space was reduced by CAPY.
We had the greatest evening first washing our own, then inspecting each others vessels. After a "chum slick" martini, we went to a restaurant called Eli's for a spectacular meal, Sushi appetizers, Filet topped with lobster béarnaise, Cajun pork chops and garlic mashed potatoes, exotic pastas, it is THE place to eat. We returned to our vessels another martini or two and Fred and I sang Sinatra from the back deck, what a duet, mus'ta sounded like someone strangling a cat. About eleven Carol and I passed out, exhausted.
August 12, 2000
I awoke at 7:00 am, showered had some coffee and started back to the vessels, and saw ALCHEMY bobbing alone at a vacant dock. I ran and told carol "Another one made it!" and ran over to look her over. Boy, Dug is doing it right my friends, he has the most beautiful teak deck, and when you lift the hatches It is like looking into a new boat, white gelcoated bilge's everywhere, with no wood visible. I am envious! The exterior gel coat is pretty nice and had a decent shine on it. He is on his way to owning a showpiece. I looked at my watch (8:00 am Dug!) and peeked through the cabin door. I could see movement in the V-berth, so I knocked and out Dug came, smiling greenly. (see Dug's account)I met his cousin Brad and agreed to meet on our vessel after everyone cleaned/woke up. After we met we went to the Narragansett Inn for a buffet breakfast. If you like to eat this the place to go! After an hour of feeding and chatting we had to go into town to meet our friend Holly, who lives in NJ, coming over on the ferry. The seas looked very rough with E-SE wind of 20-25 Kts , lots of steep rolling breakers with foam and spray as far as the eye could see.
After we met holly we wanted to get back to the great salt pond, in case anyone else showed up. The afternoon was really nice and sunny, if breezy, as Richard Miller and Beatrice, showed up in MISCHIEF. What a Boat! Stock as the day it was delivered to Richard in 1976, and CLEAN!!! Stock that is, until you open the engine hatches. If you didn't see the coolant discharge/exhaust burbling, you'd never know they were running. I love my boat, and I know I've posted some negative things about Yanmars on the board, but my life's goal is to get a pair of 315's or 350's into CAPY as soon as I possibly can!!!!!!!! The cruise speed approaches 30 Kts!! They are so quiet and clean burning!!! After seeing them in person, They are THE choice for a re-power. Unfortunately, Richard only stayed for one hour as the winds were freshening to 30 Kts and the forecast was headed to hell. He took his Bertram freebies, powered up and headed off into a darkening sky.
Unknown to all a 5th Bertram 31, PREDATOR, from point Judith was tying up at Champlin's as MISCHIEF departed. We would not meet up with the owner till Monday.
Well the sky got dark for a little while, but it brightened an hour or so later, I napped for an hour or so with the VHF on. Carol , Karen and Holly met some interesting people who came by to view our vessels. More hot showers for the active in our group ,then cocktails on the boat. Off to the Oar bar and Mudslides, dinner at the Oar was considered, but I wanted more "refined" fare. At the suggestion of a cab driver, we went to the Atlantic hotel for an expensive dinner. What a rowdy bunch we became, merriment was the order of night and it was needed, as the food was not up to snuff, very poor. Another cab ride home and back to the boats. Fred became "Elvis" , "Frank" and finally "Tony Maniro" of Saturday Night Fever. I tried to stay up, but again exhaustion set in and it was lights out at 11:30 p.m.
August 13, 2000
We awoke to a bad forecast for our scheduled departure day. Any vessel heading west to long island or Connecticut would have a better time of it. Carol and decided to wait it out as our ride would be torture. Dug wanted to go as soon as possible before it got any worse, NE wind 30 kts, increasing in the afternoon, rain and thunder storms. Holly would go with them as a B31 ride would be an hour, the ferry would be two and half. They departed at 9:00 am as the weather worsened. Fred and Karen decided to stay with us, so off we went to town for cooked to order breakfast. Because it was a rainy day, we went to a movie and did some shopping. Around 1:30 we got a message from holly, they made land fall at 12:30, must have been rough. Dinner at the Oar Bar, simple but excellent. The wind was howling all through the night and I was awoken every hour and half, due to the motion of the boat. It felt as if we were under way in a two foot chop, all night. Our neighbors, Paul and Rebecca Fuerstein on a 32' CAL sail boat with an anemometer, clocked the wind at 42 Kts.
August 14, 2000
By far the worst weather day, we were stranded. Fred and I contemplated leaving the boats and coming back for them the following weekend. The forecast was for NE winds to 35 kts shifting to N 10-15 by dark, becoming light and variable by morning. Of course this is what they predicted everyday, or so it seemed. We decided to make a run for it Tuesday morning, but I personally, could not spend another night on the boat. We booked rooms at the Narragansett Inn. We puttered about, doing maintenance on the boats, laundry and the like. It was this point we met Capt. Mike of the PREDATOR. A nice boat with a full tower he wants to get rid of. He had his wife had another couple with them for around the island thy were staying at the Champlin's hotel. The weather had us stranded also precluded any notion of offshore fishing, However, 4:00 p.m. the wind just stopped!!! It was extremely welcome and we started to party! Capt. Mike and his party came over and we talked Bertram 31 for a couple hours. Next a late dinner, then early to bed in a nice, non-moving berth.
August 15, 2000 8:30 am
After checking out of the Inn, A light bagel breakfast, saying a tearful good bye to our dockmates and fueling up, we were on our way home. Forecast is for N
winds 10-15 kts becoming light and variable by noon. Seas 3 -6 feet, mostly swells, Visibility occasionally below 1 mile in light rain, fog and locally heavy downpours. Across the mouth of Narragansett bay I had to slow to 17 kts as it was downright tortures seas, green water on the bow and all. Things improved through buzzards bay and the canal. We were deluged several times by heavy but brief downpours. Mass bay was great as it was all huge swells with a one foot light chop on top. We made it to our home slip in the Merrimack River at 3:30 p.m.
I want to thank Capt. Patrick McCrary for founding Bertram3l .com, without it, the rendezvous would have happened. I also would like to thank Bertram Yachts for their donation of jersey's, caps, mugs and lip balm. These freebies made everyone feel special. I have more hats for next year as I could not give out but twenty.
I had an absolutely fantastic time on this trip. In lesser boats, with individuals of lesser character it could have been down right dangerous. On the ride home I thought, "I'll never do this again", but after I was home I thought," damn, I wish I was still out there", it was an adventure pure and simple. Isn't that what we do this for? Adventure. My only complaint was no fishing was possible and the giant tuna are no where to be found. You know, even though we never met these people before, Carol and I feel we have made lifelong friends, and can't wait till the next get together. To all of those who are contemplating a rendezvous, DO IT, the experience was worth what ever inconvenience you could possibly suffer.
|| "Fortuna/Ishgair" || Links || Images ||
|| Guest Log || Bulletin Boards || Articles ||
|| Listings || Screen Saver || Mailing Address ||