Happy Halloween! But difficult day. New lesson learned and hopefully remembered as it was told to us often enough in our months of prep - when the weather is good, GO. We dallied too long, the wind shifted causing VERY disturbed seas outside the Scituate harbor. We barely got out of the harbor before things, including the cat, went skidding. We bucked it for only several minutes before David said, wisely, "we're going back." Oh yeah! Checked out a too expensive marina. Talked by phone to a couple of friends in the area and secured a mooring in the inner harbor. Yes! Bought some additional groceries, made soup, lashed down everything that could be lashed, bundled the prayer flags and are sitting peacefully. Expect to wait out the nor'easter until probably Monday or Tuesday. Good books and naps await.

Oh, to add to the difficult day I've learned that neither my MacBook nor my version of Safari is "supported." Does that make me old?

Whoooo, whipped whelps! 10 hours of motoring makes for a long day. We put the sails up once but the wind was so much close to our nose that there was no gain in speed and we tipped. The cat hated us for that tipping. But, we made good time to the mouth of the Annisquam River/canal, picked up a mooring while we had lunch on board and a 5 minute nap waiting for the tide to be in our favor. Then through the canal. There were beautiful homes on the river banks and a little house on a raft complete w/t.v. antenna and propane grill on the deck sitting at the edge of the channel! I wanted to take photos but staying in the channel was toooooo stressful to allow photos, especially since I couldn't see in the blazing sunlight. There was also a giant frog painted on a rock at the river's edge...in blue. Too funny. We were lucky enough to follow a lobster boat through the canal and through the TWO bridges that had to open for us!

The winds were calm enough that we decided to cross the MA Bay today even though we'd arrive in Scituate later than our personal guidelines.  As we came into the harbor we passed a boat from Swan's Island, ME. They're on their way south, too, and traveling at about the same rate. They'll go through Cape Cod canal tomorrow while we'll stop in Ducksbury to visit friends. Easy passage today, though long, and we're post dinner on the boat and soon ready to turn in for a good nights sleep.

A sweet patriotic moment this morning in Portsmouth - as we were ready to slip the mooring we heard the Star Spangled Banner playing from the Portsmouth Navel Yard. We went out on deck and saluted. What else do you do when in the presence of a Navy yard?

Remember to vote!

 Annisquam Yacht Club

First bridge that ever opened for Grace

I forgot to post, yesterday, the photo of our domestic bliss, being on a friend's mooring in Portsmouth (Kittery really) so here it is.

Today we're on an all day journey across MA Bay heading to Scituate (sp?). More later when we stop motoring (!). We did put a sail up today but it gained us no speed and made us tilt. Kitty HATES tilting. She may hate us at this point.

The spinach/onion/cheese scramble would not have passed my 4H Club "pretty and inviting" test but it was delicious.

And the answer to yesterday's question - not a bit closer to the Cape Cod canal! We were fogged in most all day long. There were 3, count them 3!, sunshine sightings and a small patch of blue sky that quickly faded. A pleasant day though, puttering on the boat, "messing around" as Mr. Rat says in "Wind and the Willows". David drained scum from the fuel in the engine. I organized and consolidated stuff. David went ashore and shopping with our friend, Ben Fowler, whose mooring we are on in the river at Portsmouth. I read and sewed up a cushion end on the aft deck. A totally domestic day on the boat. Warm, just foggy.

We watched the "Ghost", what looks to be a Navy experimental boat, take a test run. It is a menacing looking vehicle just in time for Halloween. We watched from afar, mind you.

Feeling pretty grateful for the safety provided by friends, for the privilege of not having to rush our trip to get somewhere, for having enough money to not stress about taking this cruise, for my ancestors and living friends and family who've helped make this journey possible, and for the love that surrounds me.

Prayer flags flying from our rigging.

Slowly making our way south. An easy day of motoring (the wind was on our nose). Most all systems working. Kitty sleeping in the salon rather than burying her head in the blankets of the aft cabin. Up the river at Portsmouth to refuel and find the mooring our friends Ben and Sarah gave us for the night. Figured out how to lower the inflatable dingy into the water from the boat bow. Got the outboard motor attached and...we're off again to meet above friends for dinner in Kittery. Now back on  Grace for a quick catch-up of tomorrow plans, pet the cat and crawl into bed.

Question for tomorrow: How close will we get to the Cape Cod canal???

Traveling again. Aaah. Leaving...always leaving....always arriving. Standing on the aft deck, waving goodbye to Ken, one of our angels at Camp Ellis, crying. For heavens sake, crying to leave a man we've known for 2 days! Last evening he had to abort his own plans to leave for Key West this next week. So, sad for that postponed dream as we embark on ours. He's starting a non-profit, Turnbuckle, to engage teenagers (troubled teens) in sailing and the marine industries. He needs jack stands to borrow for this winter so he can haul his boat. Please, anyone with jack stands to lend, help him out. ksquard@gmail.com

Angels of another kind kept us in port yesterday. David had noticed a leak in the steering system hydraulics, started to tighten a nut, and it came off in his hand. So he spent the day repairing and upgrading with help from Dick Tryon and his grand daughter, Lilly. Photos below. All is well now. I, in true triple Capricorn nature, organized.

We're discussing Portsmouth or Cape Ann as our goals today. Wind on our nose....a very familiar place for us...so we've goosed the motor power a bit. Our "bus heater" is working well. Amelia is way more relaxed today than the first day out. Ears still alert and eyes wide though...as documented below.

 Dave & Amelia Head Down working on Steering

Lilly helped welcome us to Camp Ellis

Sunrise on Saco River

Beautiful. Sunny. WINDY! Disappointed to not be traveling AND grateful to David for being cautious and all about safety. We're staying at the town landing in Camp Ellis today and will get off early tomorrow morning. An opportunity to complete (ha!) stowing our gear, food, toys and do some additional maintenance. And, give kitty a day to recover from her first day at sea. An odd experience last night of sleeping w/our heads about 10 degrees below out feet due to the eddies around the dock and the push of the river current. Reminded me of hanging out on the inversion table that Don Grieco brought to the Bates Dance Festival one year. There must be some physical benefit to having our feet above our hearts.