The harbor isn't that big and it has a good variety of boats that have chosen to be here as well. Late yesterday a large motor yacht arrived, took a tour around the harbor and left realizing that there wasn't enough room for them. I wouldn't say that the harbor is at capacity but it's plenty full and as boats arrived there was some jockeying for position to be sure that everyone had proper swinging room for wind shifts.
All day yesterday owners were preparing their boats, as we were with Pandora, by removing gear that might come loose in the winds expected to peak at over 55kts. We removed both head sails to reduce windage and the risk that they might come loose and tear themselves apart in the wind. That was a fun task as folding up a 600 square foot genoa on the forward deck was quite a handful for me and Brenda as the foredeck is only a fraction of the length needed to do a proper job. We also set out a second anchor, an anchor that I purchased for just this purpose when we got Pandora. Happily, this is the first time that I have had to use it.
Our main anchor is a 65lb Bruce with 200' of stainless chain which is plenty big and heavy, and that combined with the Fortress storm anchor made of high strength aluminum and designed for use on boats up to 65' verses our 43', should hold well. The Bruce is set to the south and the Fortress to the east, where the strongest winds are expected. The initial winds are expected to be from the east with the direction shifting to the south as Irene passes to inland. It's Sunday morning and the wind is beginning to build and is probably blowing a modest 18 kts.
One of the problems with this storm is that she is very slow moving so that means that the winds will be with us for a lot longer than would normally be the case from a storm of this type. Irene is also a very large hurricane with big winds covering a 100 mile range.
We hope that we are well prepared and hope to have no problems. We will certainly know more on that score by this time on Monday. Actually, we are a lot more concerned about our home in New Jersey as that's where the really big winds and rain are now. We have always had a problem with water in the basement and if our two sump pumps fail due to a loss of power, that's going to leave a big mess. Brenda should be home by Wednesday or Thursday to survey the damage. Let's hope for the best.
On Friday morning, when we were still in Perry Creek, I was up quite early and took this shot of the sunrise in the fog. It was very ethereal.
. A few hours later, a much different view.
Leaving Perry Creek we headed over to Pulpit Harbor and passed the rock at the head of the harbor that it's named after, an outcropping that has been used as an osprey nest for hundreds of years. This photo was taken last summer as there wasn't anyone camping out on the nest at the moment that we entered the harbor.
Pulpit has quite a large number of local craft that are moored here including some wonderful classics like this sailing dory.
It's also a popular stopping place for the passenger schooners on their way back to Rockland or Camden after a week out. For me, Heritage is perhaps the best looking of the schooners. The evening sky was just amazing. Hard to believe that in two short days we'd be in the midst of Irene.
Heritage weighed anchor first thing on Saturday to end the week long cruise. A beautiful site in the early morning.
Most of the schooners don't have inboard engines and rely on a push boat to get them around in light airs or confined spaces. These little boats have big engines and tie to the stern of the big boat. Once underway, they are pulled up in the davits on the stern to reduce drag. Getting one of these big boats moving is a carefully choreographed effort with everyone knowing their parts.
A few moments later the push boat driver scrambled up the rope ladder and back on board the schooner. The women doing this was very agile and scampered up and over the transom in a flash.
And there she goes, past Pulpit Harbor's namesake rock pile and back to home port in Rockland. No doubt, she is currently on her storm anchors too behind the breakwater waiting for the storm to arrive like the rest of us.
Last night we got together with our new friends Scott and Paula a retired trooper and lawyer (I wonder how they met?), who recently moved aboard their boat to head south for the winter, for a sundowner but only after a trip into "town" to pick up a few items. The town is actually just a general store, and a good one at that. Scott and Paula's little Jack Russel, "Jack" was very excited about going ashore. Actually Jack gets very excited over just about everything. Jack has the run of the boat and dink and scampers all over the place with only an occasional dunking in the water.
It's starting to get windy now and the rain is coming and going, sometimes hard. More fun on the way for sure.
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