Cape Cod Adventure
John spooner (ocean@verinet.com)
Mon, 20 Sep 1999 21:24:20 -0600
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I guess I'll finally get around to telling about my trip to the Cape!
I left Ft Collins CO on Aug 16th with no-name yet P-19 hull # 1091 in
tow behind the toyota tacoma. I arrived back in my hometown 2100 miles
later (been gone 20 years) of Falmouth Mass 3 days later, went and
visited my brother, ate drank and be merry! Next day we put the boat in
the water down in woods hole, in fact I even got a mooring through some
connections. The next day my other brother arrived from western Mass and
we headed out and man it was windy about 20 knts rough and rainy but I
did get to try the potter out in some long awaited BIG waves, actually
it was a mixture of chop with 5' swells, I knew she'd handle it but had
no idea she'd handle em that well! Must be the skill of de skipper!!
The boat had a predictable rhythm...I brought a gps, flares, compass,
charts, depthfinder, Vhf, and I wore my safety harness, and have
autopilot which came in handy.
Well it was pretty cold and wet so we headed back in after about an
hour or so and put the boat away. Next day was nasty also so went to a
family gathering. But the next day 80 sunny and calm, soooo I headed for
Marthas Vinyard, about 5 miles across. Upon arriving a couple hours
later I landed on a nice secluded beach, dropped anchor in about 5 feet
of water and enjoyed a nice swim. Long story short I made 4 trips across
to the vineyard and back while I was there. We never did make Nantucket
due to hurricane Dennis hanging around N.C.
I also sailed with and saw many beautiful tall ships, got a mooring in
Oak Bluffs one of the nights and anchored among the mega yachts! Had
some brisk exhilarating days and some calm days.
All told I was gone 17 days, 6 of them spent driving and yes you can
trailer long distances no sweat, at least with the baja trailer! I went
a little nutty listening to that anchor light wire inside the mast while
trying to sleep, I was going to shoot some foam in there before I left
but forgot so I bought some earplugs and that did the trick. Well
potterers that's a synopsis of my trip, except for getting fogged in one
night or another night in rough weather while the sevylor dingy surfed
into the back of the boat and popped on the boarding ladder! My next
adventure hopefully will be the S. Cal to Catalina area. Any advice,
i.e. where to leave the pickup for a few days without a hassle,
anchorage's, tips etc. would be appreciated.
Well the boats back on its mooring at boyd lake in Loveland CO so I
think we have another good month of fair weather sailing here.
BTW if you ever get a chance to sail the Cape and islands it's beautiful
there, in fact when I'm dead and gone from this life my ashes are going
to be thrown off the cliff at Nobska lighthouse."no bull"
Cheers...John Spooner Ft Collins, CO