Finally, on our way south again!

Oct 17, Sunday morning @ 9:30 Harmony finally got out to sea. Terry Parker went with Lew. Terry's wife Claude and I saw them off at the dock. They will go straight through to Norfolk, rent a car and come back to Keyport. Lew & I will drive back down with whatever still needs to go on board. Then our winter starts.

On our way

Yes folks we are on our way. Left the mooring at 9:30 . 10 knots from the west. Round Sandy Hook in another half hour then south for Norfolk.

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Man plans, God laughs

The PLAN was to leave thursday night or friday morning. It is now saturday and gusting over 40 knots.

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Alexa

Oldest granddaughter at the helm this past summer

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testing out the phone

This is only a test

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almost ready

Yes we are almost ready. However, the weather is not cooperating. The forecasts are calling for 14 foot waves on the nose to get over the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel on Friday.

Senior Wedding

It ain't easy. Click on the title

Route

Comment:
this is only a test of this function of ny phone. wont leave for at least two weeks.

Hello,
Check out the Route made with the Navionics UsaEast
Click on the attached .kmz file to see it in Google Earth!

Enjoy Navionics, anytime anywhere.
The Navionics Mobile Team

Sent from my Android phone.

Nautical Phone Apps

I have been fooling around with apps for my new smartphone and found some really useful ones. So, in no particular order here are the ones I keep. If you know of others, please let me know.

WIFI Analyser: Free. Like "connect to" on my laptop, it lists the available sites and whether they are password protected or not. Hopefully, with this, I can find some unprotected networks in the Bahamas where the phones don't work. Runs on its own.

Navionics: About $15. A full charting program showing the boat within NOAA charts. I have the East Coast version which includes all the ICW and offshore charts including the Bahamas. A hand held chart plotter. Runs on it's own with the phone GPS.

Marine Weather by Bluefin: Free. Displays all the offshore NOAA weather, East Coast, Gulf, Bahamas and Caribbean. Needs cell phone tower access.

Windfinder: Free. Gives you wind direction and speed, Wave height and Temperature for every 3 hours for 5 days. You can set up your "favorites" for rapid access with some offshore references. Needs cell phone connection.

Saildroid: Free. Gives you speed, compass direction, log/distance and Lat/Long in large enough type so it can be read without my reading glasses. Runs on it's own using the phone GPS.

Avaiation Weather from NOAA: Free. Shows regional weather with indications of fronts. Needs cell phone connection.

Atides: Free. Typical tide predictor using NOAA info but with lots of stations. Needs to connect to cell tower.

Radar Now: Free. Uses your GPS to locate you and give you the current radar for your area. I believe you can also get radar from wherever. Needs to be able to connect to a cell tower.

Skype mobile: Free. Unfortunately, it connects via your phone rather than the internet directly. Should be cheaper for long distance and maybe uses pictures. Haven't really tested it out yet. Requires connection to cell phone tower.

Anchor Alert: About $15. Just like the title, it is an anchor alarm which can also send a text message to another phone so you can get an alarm if you are dragging or if the boat is stolen giving your Lat/Lon as well. I contacted the designer and he listened and put in large print control so I can push a button at night and see the direction and distance to the anchor without my glasses. Runs on its own using the phone GPS.

Meet the Artist

The real Art Show info...

If you missed this show at the Oceanic Library in May, here is a second chance to see it.  

(Suggested directions at the bottom.)

Matisse believed that art should be a respite from the exhausting aspects of life, so do I.  For the past three winters Lew and I have lived in the Bahamas on our catamaran.  The artistic result has been a series of works inspired by places along the US Intra-Coastal Waterway (ICW) and the islands from the Abacos through the Exumas.  View the show at your leisure or join me on August 29 for a Gallery Talk.                                                                          

 

Bahamas Moments – "the Reprise"

Paintings, Drawings and Photographs

By Florence Bramley Hill

August 1 – September 12, 2010

 

Unitarian Universalist Meetinghouse

1475 West Front Street

Lincroft, NJ 07738

732-747-0707

 

Gallery Talk & Refreshments

Sunday, August 29, 2 - 4 PM

Meeting House public hours;

Aug 1 – Aug 13…Tues, Wed & Fri: 10 AM - 1 PM

Aug 16 – Sept 10… Mon – Fri: 10AM – 2 PM

        Other times by appointment – call Florence  (732) 546-7463

New Art Show - Details

cataract surgery

The link below no longer works. Oh well. I am now recovering from this year's eye operation. This time it went really well and I can see 20/25 out of my right eye after getting rid of the cataract. No lifting over 35 lbs (e.g., picking up the mooring) for another couple of weeks. So I have been working on the cockpit table. Took it down to the bare wood and it now has 4 coats of varnish. How much is enough?

Trip home

Click on the Title above or cut and paste this: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0e5HbLxKBFOOxYALWOqIF5AhPfZttryzl

Unfortunately it is in reverse order so you have to click on the ">" button (bottom left) to see the previous day. We got home yesterday, about 2 in the afternoon. Long hot shower, 2 naps and a full night's sleep and it is time to begin the long project of cleaning and fixing the boat. Anyone wanna sandpaper a table, clean out a head, rewire an autohelm? Volunteers welcome.

Thanks again to Penny and Bob who fed us and put us up on their dock in the well protected and beautiful Little Wicomico River.

Vero to Norfolk

For a view of our trip from Vero to Norfolk, click on the first link below. George joined me in St. Augustine and we have just arrived in Norfolk...beyond mile zero. Tomorrow is Little Creek and Florrie will drive down with Gordon to crew and be taking George back. I may have to cook for myself...yeeeccchhhh!

vero to norfolk

Share your Adventures with SpotAdventures

Weather Window

It is beginning to look like a window (Quickly knock on wood!!!) from Sunday afternoon until Friday when the winds go north, north of Cape Hatteras. Click on the title to go to the NOAA forcast.

"I See You"

"I See You" is Florrie's photo of a Bahamas Conch (pronounced "conk")
preparing its get away.

It won second place in the Middletown Community Photography Exhibit in
the Still Life category. I'm not sure why in that category except
that People and Animals included dogs and cats. Live conch is not
familiar in New Jersey. Perhaps, for the moment is was "Life" and
was "Still". No matter... it is delightful that one of her favorite
moments in last winter's trip is also enjoyed by others, with special
recognition.

Saint Augustine

Meanwhile, back at the boat, I went from anchoring just north of Daytona Beach to St. Augustine yesteday. All the fuss about the shoaling at Mantasas (or something like that) inlet was bull. If you just stay in the middle of the channel you have 9 feet all the way. Me, I listened and hugged the red side and almost went aground. Well it was dead low tide.
I am now at a funky little marina around the back of St. A. Oysters are $0.49@ and booze is always at the happy hour price for boaters. But I gotta go get my laundry out of the drier now.

RE: Show update

That’s a great photo. I am forward to Library so I can print it out…………….Hope to see you soon. Theresa

Show Times

It's Show Time!

Sunday was a beautiful day for the Reception.  This is the first time I've shown my work in a library.  I like the venue.  While a gallery or the Cultural Center may sound more prestigious, I love the idea that for a month the general public will be able to see some of my favorite works.   It reminds me of my years working for zoos.  Families were my audience then, too.

I will send more pictures of the works as soon as they are sized for the internet.

For those of you who couldn't make it to the reception perhaps you will be able to visit this month.  Here's a reminder of the times the library is open.

"Bahamas Moments"
Paintings, Drawings, 

Giclée Prints & Photographs
by Florence B. Hill

  May 1 - 29, 2010

Oceanic Library
Avenue of Two Rivers 

    & Ridge Road
Rumson, NJ 07760

(732) 842-2692

Library hours;
Mon & Thurs: 1 - 7 PM
Tue, Wed & Fri: 10 AM - 5 PM

Saturdays: 10 AM - 4PM

Show update

Titusville

It is almost 6 AM and I have already eaten breakfast. Yesterday I left Vero at 7 AM with a south wind and motor. I travelled most of the day at over 6 knots with 3/4 jib and arrived in Titusville at 5:30...a distance of 70 statute miles. A quick dinner and in bed by 8. Luckily, the autohelm worked all day so I could go and grab a soda.
Now I will do it all again. Sandwich is made. Snacks are out, Fridge is running. Predawn is here.