Hi Everybody,
Yesterday we had one of those ultra thunder and lightning storms with torrents of water lashing the deck. Of course we were not as ready for it as we had thought so both got soaked rushing on deck at the worst time. It was warm, summery rain though, so only a laugh followed by a warm up under the covers and retired person's privilege of a nice nap.
Today has been an early autumn spectacular with brilliant sun, deep blue New England sky, and a pleasant breeze on the water. We went over to help Piero sort out an old marine engine he got which looks like it will provide entertainment and a good excuse to sit around and drink beer for years to come while decisions are made about what boat Piero will build around it. But then Piero said it was time to go fishing, so who can argue with that?
Nev was busy with jobs on our boat when Piero brought his fishing dory around to PEACE IV later in the tide cycle, so only I climbed in and then gradually got accustomed to EDDY'S motion and familiar with the fishing rod, holder, and other things Piero had set out. I am used to dry fly fishing in the mountains or dragging a line behind the boat and winding it up onto an old piece of plywood as we did on both trade wind Atlantic passages. I am used to catching fish for supper that way but I am not familiar with fancy rods. So this was my lesson to go with the exact same rod Piero gave us when he came sailing with us in the spring and I must admit the rod was fun, made me feel important, and must have looked good to the fish as well because....
OH MAN DID WE CATCH THEM BLUES!!! We caught 8 blue fish in about an hour and it was just a fast game of put out the lure, wind in the fish, get out the hook, put the blue in the cooler, and repeat the process until the tide was falling and Piero had to get EDDY back before his end of the cove went dry. It was quite amazing to go where the birdies were feasting on minnows and catch the blues that were chasing them. It was almost like nature was putting out a sign that said "catch blues over here!". Now Nev will have to make rod holders so I can fish when we are sailing because now I can read the birdie signs. The fish got hooked on our lure today, but now I am hooked on fishing. Too bad that I also hooked Piero's finger by accident...
Summer is gradually changing into autumn though. The evenings are less buggy on deck, quilts are back in use, fleeces are again handy after dark and I am looking at the charts for our trip south during October. At the consignment shop, I found two more used chart kits for the Bahamas so now we can go further.
The catamaran's outboards are now fine and we have fixed the radar, and generally have most of the summer work projects complete. The wheel steering autohelm is still a problem but we may just go ahead and put on a brand new one since it is all under warranty. That will certainly make the boat a whole lot easier to sail. It is basic for single handing or sailing with minimal crew. Having it will allow me to help Nev more with the sail handling.
It has been great going through the boat building plans my son and his sweetie just bought. They are building a Wharram Designs Tiki 30 which is just a smaller version of our boat. The plans are clear, easy to understand, and she will be quite a nice boat and I think it will be fun to see the process as it develops. Last winter we got reports from my daughter who kept us informed about her pregnancy (Alivia was born in March) but this winter we will hear about keels, bulkheads, and all that kind of activity. All the best to Clayton and Sarah!
As the evenings draw in, I notice an old habit of my body which likes to hibernate in the long winter nights. I am sleepy earlier and earlier so maybe this is a good time (yawn) to go over to the other hull (stretch) and go to sleep.
Good night!
Love, Ann and Nev
Peace Four
© Anne and Neville Clement, 2004