Back in FLA USA!

Greetings Friends, Family, and Followers - We're back on Master Plan!  I type this as we're passing through Daytona Beach . . .

Let me back up a bit . . .  Paul is still enjoying his job with Chouest Offshore - we're still adjusting to his schedule of being gone for 28 days and home for 14 days, but he is very happy - taking classes, and getting upgrades to his license.  Our eventual goal will be for him to work 28 and be off for 28.  Jen and RLC Events cranked this summer - pretty much back to back events starting in mid-August through late October.  She is tired and ready for a little break . . .  We did spend a fabulous week in Edgartown Harbor on Master Plan this past summer, which was wonderful - but overall a very busy summer that flew by . . .

Our hearts go out to those still adversely impacted by Superstorm Sandy - truly awful.  We were extremely blessed to get by with no issues.  Master Plan was just south of Norfolk, VA (Paul and a friend had brought it down there in early October) and Jen at the apartment in Rhode Island never even lost power.  We are SO lucky - I was just watching the news this morning and 3 weeks later, people still don't have power in Queens and other areas as well . . . crazy.  

Jen left Rhode Island via car on Sunday, November 4th and headed to Baltimore and stayed there for two nights and did some planning for a Fall 2013 event.  She then drove to Norfolk, VA on Election Day and Paul arrived on Wednesday afternoon.  The boat was in great shape and we stocked up on provisions and left early Thursday morning.

On Thursday, we traveled about 90 miles and anchored in the Alligator River in a pretty spot - the stars were out and it was a peaceful and restful evening.

Sunset from Master Plan just after dropping anchor in the Alligator River

On Friday morning, we awoke and departed at sunrise to continue our journey south.  We arrived in Morehead City, NC on Friday afternoon around 3pm, fueled up, and started the next part of our journey.  The weather was looking great, so we decided to head offshore and make a good long run and get to Florida faster.  As we departed Morehead City, we had our first dolphin siting.

First dolphin siting off Master Plan's starboard stern - they love to play in the wake and it just never gets old!

We left at about 4:30 PM on Friday afternoon - it was a great time to be disconnected since the weekend was approaching and I didn't need to be in contact with anyone on the work front.  Soon we were offshore, the sun set, and Master Plan glided through the ocean in the dark with a sky filled with stars.  It was my first overnight moving on Master Plan, so I was a little nervous - a very different feeling being underway and not being able to see anything, but our instruments are top notch and you keep a close eye on the radar and put the auto pilot on and for the most part, it's pretty easy.  Paul and I took turns sleeping and next thing you know, the sun was rising and we continued our journey.  It was pretty wild being in the middle of the ocean, but the seas remained calm, the sun was shining, and it was an easy day - again, we took turns napping, each grabbed a quick shower, and continued the journey. 

As the sun set on Saturday night, the seas picked up just a bit - we only had about 10 hours to go, but as it got dark and the conditions diminished, I must admit I got a little nervous.  We have been in worse seas, but when it's dark, it feels different.  Our original intent was to go onshore at St. Augustine, but we decided to go in the St. Mary's Inlet which is right at the Florida / Georgia border.  By changing our course, the ride got a little smoother and as we got closer to shore, the conditions improved a bit.  We got to the St. Mary's inlet at about 4:30 AM and Paul masterfully guided us in to the InterCoastal Waterway.  We went South just under a mile and tied up to the fuel dock at Fernandina Beach Marina at about 5:30 AM.  We took a little nap and they opened at 6:30 AM.  We fueled up and grabbed a slip and went to bed at about 8:00 AM.  We were both pretty exhausted and of course Paul handled the majority of the captaining so it felt good to be on terra firma.

All that said, it was the best thing we ever did - we jumped out at Mile 202 and got back in at Mile 717 - so we made so much progress in such a short period of time.  If we had stayed on the InterCoastal, it would have taken us at least 5-6 days to go that far - instead it took 36 hours - very worth it.  We also went from jeans and fleeces on Friday afternoon to t-shirts, shorts, and flip flops on Sunday afternoon - nice . . . .

Docked at Fernandina Beach Marina on Sunday - a beautiful day!

Downtown Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island - a very cool place - lots of fun restaurants and shops - isn't civilization wonderful?

Sunset Sunday night at the marina - beautiful!

Small world - we ran into good friends - Aime & Marty - we actually docked right behind them at Fernandina Marina - they live at the same marina we do in Stuart and are wonderful friends.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner with them on Sunday night right at the marina - lovely!

We went to bed early on Sunday and caught up on some rest - we left early Monday and continued the journey south.  We spent last night in the Palm Coast marina and ran into other friends of ours from the Stuart marina - had a nice dinner with them.  As I type this - now we are past Daytona and our goal is to anchor at Cocoa Beach tonight and be back in Stuart tomorrow.  Then, we'll have some nice downtime in Stuart before Paul has to return to work on Monday afternoon.  All good.

Paul and I also want to acknowledge the recent passing of our friend and neighbor of 8 years in Marlborough - Tom Fitzgerald.  He was 78 and lost a long battle to mouth and throat cancer.  He was such a wonderful man - he had a huge heart, a great sense of humor, and a love of life - lots of wisdom and a very positive person.  It was so wonderful having the sidewalk conversations with him and he always had a treat for our dog Jessie - a kind and wonderful man.  After we moved, we stayed in touch and he always read this blog.  His last email to us was to make sure we kept the Master Plan going . . . Tom - as you read this from heaven, be assured that we are!  We miss you and are better people because of you . . .

I'll be in touch again soon - thanks for your support and love - love, Jen & Paul

Today's quote:

Dreams are necessary to life...

~ Anais Nin

Back in Rhody!

Greetings everyone!  Sorry to take so long to blog again!  Paul and I returned to Rhode Island late Friday - let me catch you up since the last post.

We cruised to Cape May, NJ on Memorial Day Monday - we left the Sassafras River early that morning - headed north up to the top of Chesapeake Bay - across the C&D (Chesapeake & Delaware) Canal - then down the Delaware Bay to Cape May.  It was a beautiful day and the conditions were great.  It tends to be a little "snotty" in the Delaware Bay - especially as you approach Cape May - but it was beautiful.  We docked in Cape May for two nights and enjoyed the area and gave the Captain a rest.  The photographer took a rest too because I realized I never took one photo!  Cape May is the very southern tip of NJ and it's a beautiful little place.  We walked around, did some grocery shopping, enjoyed some great meals, did laundry, and relaxed and enjoyed the area. 

Early Wednesday morning, we left Cape May and headed up the NJ Coast.  This is typically the part of our trip that can be a little dicey ...  You really need good weather to go up the coast because if it turns bad, there are very few places to hide.  There was a little swell and the weather wasn't great as it rained most of the day.  Later in the afternoon, though, it cleared up and the seas cooperated so overall, a good trek - about 110 miles, so a long day.  We arrived in Sandy Hook, NJ just before sunset and found a great place to drop the anchor and enjoy a beautiful sunset.

Right after we dropped the anchor, I snapped this photo of what turned out to be an incredible sunset.

We anchored right off the Sandy Hook Coast Guard station - there were fish flapping everywhere and some fisherman nearby on the shore.

Sun just about to set . . .

On Thursday morning, we woke up to a beautiful stellar day!  I had some work to do and we had to wait for the tides anyway - so we hung out on the anchor until about 1pm, then started heading towards NYC.  The last time I went through NYC on Master Plan was early November of 2010 and it took my breath away then - and this time did not disappoint either.  It really is a surreal experience to cruise through this remarkable city. 

Leaving the anchorage in Sandy Hook - looking North, you see the Verrazano Narrows Bridge which connects Staten Island to Brooklyn with the Manhattan skyline to the right.

The skyline in all its splendor with the new Freedom Tower in progress.

Lady Liberty and the Staten Island Ferry - amazing!

There she is again - it was such a beautiful day - you can see loads of people around the base enjoying this great attraction.

We went just south of Governor's Island which just opened recently to the public; this great and historic area is in the forefront with the majestic skyline behind.

Heading up the East River with the several cool bridges ahead - first of course is the Brooklyn Bridge.

The Brooklyn Bridge with a few cool skyscraper icons behind.

Lots of helicopter activity around the city.

After going under the Brooklyn Bridge with a look back at the Freedom Tower.

The Roosevelt Bridge - Roosevelt Island runs along the East River - it's about 2 miles long - running from 46th to 85th streets.  It is very narrow and there is a cable car that runs between Manhattan and the island which you can see right in the middle of this photo.

Passing under the bridge with another view of the river's edge and cable car.

The tides/currents were whipping through - the tides run very fast through the East River, so it's really important that you time the passage through this area WITH the tide - you can see how fast the water is moving around these buoys - amazing.

Master Plan's wake along with the tide.

Leaving Roosevelt Island area - the northern tip is marked by this cool lighthouse/statue.

Heading East toward Long Island Sound

Leaving Manhattan behind us; you can see the plane that just took off from LaGuardia.

After getting through NYC, we then made our short trek to Port Washington, NY - a beautiful community on Long Island very close to the city.  It is a beautiful harbor and they are very welcoming to boaters, offering free moorings and a charming downtown area filled with fun shops and cool restaurants.

Stepping Stones Lighthouse - we passed this right before we headed into Port Washington Harbor.

The First Mate on the water taxi leaving the town dock of Port Washington and heading back out to Master Plan after dinner.

Such a pretty spot!

The water taxi after dropping us off.

We enjoyed Port Washington so much and our original intent was to stay an extra day and go into NYC via train (there is a LIRR station within walking distance to the town dock), but we saw that bad weather was heading our way and didn't want to get stuck.  So early Friday morning (6am), we headed East on Long Island Sound making our way to Rhode Island and back to our dock in East Greenwich.  It was a pretty rough day and we headed into a pretty hefty sea most of the trip.  Unfortunately, it got much worse before it got better.  Once we reached Block Island Sound and then Rhode Island Sound, the seas were rough (6-8 feet) and - quite bluntly - we got our asses kicked as we went around Point Judith.  But - we made it safely past Beaver Tail Park (south of Jamestown) and once the island blocked the wind and tide, the seas calmed right down and our last hour was a smooth ride back to East Greenwich.  What a relief to be out of those seas. We finally arrived to our dock at 8pm on Friday night - 14 hours later - and we were both quite happy to be on terra firma.  Paul handled the boat with tremendous skill and great calm and thanks to him, we made it back safely with no harm done!  All good - for many reasons, I thank my lucky stars for my sweet captain!

We spent the weekend in Rhode Island - back home - and relaxed and ran errands, etc.  It has been so wonderful to have Paul here!  He flies back to New Orleans tomorrow for his next "hitch" and returns to RI on the 4th of July. 

We are so grateful to be able to enjoy these experiences with each other and share them with our friends and family - so blessed.  Thanks for your support and for following along!  Lots of love, Jen & Paul

Today's Quote:
"Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit."- Brooks Atkinson

On the Chesapeake . . .

Good evening from the Sassafras River just off the north end of the Chesapeake Bay.  It is a lovely evening and we are once again at anchor enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery.  We left Deltaville, VA yesterday morning and started trekking north. 

We met some very nice friends in December at our marina in Stuart and they have a house with a dock outside of Baltimore and invited us to stay with them - so we did!  We covered a lot of miles yesterday - about 120 - and arrived to their dock around 7:30 PM.  They cooked dinner and it was a relaxing and fun evening. 

After a delicious brunch with them today, we departed and did a short trip to the Sassafras River - it is a beautiful evening and the sun is about to set.  Sigh - it's just so great to be back on the water.  Enjoy the photos:

Chesapeake Bay Bridge - this is just north of Annapolis.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge after going through.

At our friend's dock - they have a beautiful boat on the right - MP on the left.

Another angle of the dock from their lovely yard.

From the dock looking up at their house and yard - a very special and beautiful spot!

Their Golden Retriever Luca - such a sweet and wonderful dog!

Bye guys - until next time!

Our plan is to head to Cape May, NJ tomorrow - so we'll keep you posted!  Love, Jen & Paul

Today's Quote:
"The better part of one's life consists of his friendships." - Abraham Lincoln

On the Boat again!

Greetings Friends, Family, and Followers!  Oh how nice it feels to be blogging again! I type this from Chesapeake Bay on a beautiful Saturday of Memorial Day weekend aboard Master Plan!

It has been a wild spring for us . . .  let me start from the beginning.

First – RLC Events has had a great year so far – lots of programs and very crazy busy traveling in March, April, and May.  I feel truly blessed to be so busy and most of the additional business is coming from existing clients – how lucky I am.  So – I’ve been sprinting since early March.

Second – and most important – Paul started a brand new job in mid-March.   He is an AB (Able Bodied Seaman) for a large offshore supply vessel company called Edison Chouest (www.chouest.com) based in Port Fouchon, Louisiana and they support the oil and gas industry. Essentially, he works on a large ship that provides supplies to offshore oil rigs (about 75-80 miles offshore).  After giving it some thought, Paul’s love for and interest in the sea helped him to make this significant career change.  He started on March 12^th and we are still adjusting to his work schedule.  He works 28 days straight and then has 14 days off.  As he puts more time in, his schedule will change to 28 days of work and then 28 days off.  His goal is to continue to take classes and eventually get an upgraded license to First Mate and eventually Captain.  He is a licensed captain now, but with more time spent on large ships, he will be able to continuously upgrade his license.  He is very much enjoying it and here are some photos to show you his typical (or untypical) “day in the office.”

An Anchor boat - this boat sets the anchors for the drilling rigs.

The bridge on the boat - Akira - that Paul works on

Another angle of the Bridge

Deck Cargo taken from the Bridge

Cargo operations next to the rig

View of the rig from the bridge - keep in mind this is 80 miles offshore.

Getting a "lift" to and from the rig - Paul has taken this ride a few times.

One of the main engines - there are two mains in total - for perspective that ladder is 8 feet tall.

Crew change at the rig via helicopter (for the crew that works on the rig - not on the ship Paul works on)

Another shot of the big rig.

The Akira at dock - the small van in the foreground is what brings crew to and from the boat every two weeks - the main office is about 1 hour from the dock.

Side view of the Akira

The Akira's cargo deck at Port Fouchon - an area teeming with industry!

A different, newer rig at dusk.

For Paul’s first 14-day break, he and a friend brought Master Plan from Stuart to Chesapeake, VA (about 1,000 miles) in 7 days.  Nice and relaxing, huh?  Due to my workload, I moved back to our Rhode Island apartment on April 6th . . .  I was busy working, so couldn’t make the trek.  Fortunately, I was able to see Paul briefly in Philadelphia after he got the boat to VA.  I wasn’t sure if I would see him during his first break and I was so happy when it worked out.  It was a brief visit, but a visit nonetheless!

So - four plus weeks later - here we are together again on Master Plan over Memorial Day weekend on the Chesapeake Bay – how fabulous!  We met up at Norfolk airport on Thursday afternoon and headed to the marina where Master Plan stayed for the last month.  We left yesterday late morning and made it to Deltaville, VA where we anchored for the evening – lovely!  See photos below.  We are working our way together back to Rhode Island – our goal is to get there next weekend – June 2 or 3^rd – I will keep taking photos and blogging as we go!

Before we left Stuart, we had a great blue heron land on the piling in front of our boat and enjoy a fish for breakfast - it was quite a site to see!  

Down the hatch!  :-)

These photos are of Master Plan at the Atlantic Yacht Basin in Chesapeake, VA - very close to Norfolk and about 20 miles south of the actual Chesapeake Bay.  We had a slip in a shed for 5 weeks.

Master Plan in her slip in the shed.

View off the stern (at the shed slip) - very pretty . . .

Backing out of the slip yesterday morning . . .

"Feeding the bitch" before our departure . . . .

While we were fueling up, the crew at the boatyard carefully took this beautiful Duffy boat from being "on the hard" to the slings to move it into the water.  An amazing site to see - I could not resist capturing it on film.

The crew carefully place the slings around the hull ensuring everything is just right.

 

Carefully placing the slings to ensure no damage to the boat . . .

Time to take the stands away and put the boat's full weight on the slings.

Now remove the blocks . . .

Time to move her!

This is the gentleman in charge of the operation - he was amazing - very calm and under complete control!

And off it goes to the water . . .  As Paul says, it's much less nerve wracking when it's NOT your boat!

Leaving the marina - our immediate first step was going through the "Great Bridge" - we had to wait for the barge to come through first carrying huge pipes.

An Osprey hangs out at its nest on a Channel Marker.

Norfolk - this tug and barge were getting ready to depart.

Sunset at Deltaville last night - sigh - lovely . . .

Lean right please - I still haven't figured out how to straighten a vertical shot!  Paul at the bow right after we dropped our anchor.

Thanks, as always, for your fabulous support and love – enjoy the holiday weekend and don’t forget to honor our veterans for their service to our country!  Love, Jen & Paul

Today’s Quote:

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

~ Leo Buscaglia