Thursday, March 14, 2013

Do We Know Where We’re Going?


As we continue to formulate our plans for sailing south, we have begun to compile a list of places we hope to visit.  Our plan is, basically, to leave the Narragansett and head south/west.  While our route will change as we progress, we have some preliminary ideas:

Late August: move onboard full time in Bristol Harbor, RI.  We will want a few weeks to settle in and adjust to having Atalanta as our only home and to test out new equipment. All remaining possessions will be tucked away on the boat or safely in storage.

September (Mid): head into Long Island Sound and spend time near New Rochelle visiting family for a week or so.

September (late): leave Long Island Sound entering the East River.  Passing Manhattan’s east side, we will round the Battery, passing the Statue of Liberty.  Once clear of the Verrazano Bridge, we will sail south to Cape May, NJ.  Leaving Cape May via the canal, we enter Delaware Bay, the C & D Canal, and Chesapeake Bay.

October: explore the Chesapeake, both on the Annapolis side and the Delmarva Peninsula.  We hope good winds warm temperatures for this part of the voyage.

October (late): enter the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) at Hampton Roads, VA.  We will spend a number of days heading south, making time only during the daylight hours until we reach Morehead City, NC. By leaving the ICW and going into the Atlantic, we will avoid rounding Cape Hatteras.  Once on the outside, we will sail south to Charleston, SC.
November:  is our time for Charleston. This will provide us with a chance to visit family in Mount Pleasant. City Marina is a great location for accessing all that is Charleston so it will be our home for the better part of a month.  We do not want to be south of Charleston before the end of the November since hurricane season continues until November 15th. We may even find ourselves lingering into the early part of December.  Time will tell.

December:  will find us launching off for the blue waters and sunny skies of the Caribbean. Palm trees and no snow! Our point of departure will most likely be Charleston but our next destination is undetermined. We want to visit Puerto Rico and a friend of Richard’s who lives there.  Then it’s on to the BVI’s. 

Be sure to comment and suggest places that we should visit (or that you would like to come to visit us).  

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Continuing to Make Progress

Finally, March has arrived. The light at the end of the tunnel is visible.  With a visit to Bristol Marine last week, the progress toward readying Atalanta is evident.  The Fisher Panda Gen-set is installed and running.  This was a major project requiring a new footing for the unit, redesigning the electrical system, redoing the fuel connections, and designing an exhaust system that would work.  In addition, the Spectra 300 Watermaker is installed and ready for action.  This will be a major addition to Atalanta once she is in the warm clear waters of the Caribbean next winter.  We are in the process of installing a new fresh water toilet in the aft head which will make it all more pleasant.  The progress on the sole (floor) of the boat has been good with 5 large pieces currently being refinished in the basement.  Next we are changing out interior dome lights with LED to conserve on electrical draw and adding a second compressor to enhance our refrigeration.  Lots of projects and thanks to the help of Bristol Marine, they seem to be falling in place.

Some have asked about the name Atalanta.  I have listed a few URL's that provide a great overview of the Myth and character of Atalanta. Hope you enjoy them.

  1. www.theoi.com/Heroine/Atalanta.html
  2. www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Heroes/Atalanta.html
  3. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atalanta
Finally, one giant step toward leaving for our Caribbean adventure occured last week.  Kay announced her retirement from the Waitsfield School.  After more than 25 years of service to the Waitsfield community, Kay announced her plan to retire.  I know she will be missed by her colleagues and students as she has become such a part of their lives, given them so much of her talent and love, and dedicated herself in a way that exemplifies what a teacher can be.  Hats off to Kay for a job well done!

Stay tuned for more as we get closer and closer to launching Atalanta in April.  Below are photos from our recent car trip to Charleston, SC (where we plan to land in November and December 2013).