Wind: SW 10-15 knots
Seas: 1-2'
Skies: Clear
Temperature: Cool
Pressure: 30.26 and fallingWe left our
anchorage at the Weepeckets before dawn, hauling
back our hook under power and setting sail in the
gathering light. The wind was a favorable land
breeze from the North, and under the power of her
four lowers and JT we shut down the main engine
and ERNESTINA "schooned" West, leaving
the Elizabeth Islands and the Buzzards Bay Tower
in our wake in a few short hours.
Being New England waters, the Northerly breeze
died down by mid-day, shifting around to the
South just North of Block Island. We ghosted
through our lunch hour before striking our jib
topsail and firing up the main engine. Conditions
were calm with good visibility for a Man
Overboard Drill during the early afternoon. The
crew and our member participants were able to
excercise our emergency procedures and the
practice went smoothly and efficiently. We can
only hope in any real emergency we are granted
such accomodating weather.
Our goal that evening was the
"Race," the narrow entrance to Eastern
Long Island Sound where tidal currents can reach
greater than 4 knots. Navigators approach it with
caution, especially at night, as it is a major
route for commercial traffic to and from New York
to points East. True to form, as we approached
the Race at slack tide far after nightfall we
found both tugboat and recreational traffic, soon
followed by the rapidly moving Orient Point
Ferries out of New London.
We continued Westward through the night
without incident, motorsailing under our four
lowers in the light SW breeze. Our only break
from motoring since early afternoon had been a
half hour when we hove to for dinner, again
enjoyed on deck and provided by our excellent
cook, Laurie Weitzen.
Captain: Sophie Morse
Program Coordinator: Inette Rex
|