39⁰31’34” N – 075⁰48’30” W

We are in the C & D Canal, between Delaware Bay and The Chesapeake Bay. It took us 31hrs of strait sailing to get here from Tarrytown, NY. And let me tell you “Somedayers”, it got exciting at times. You saw our day in New York Harbor on yesterday’s log, and it was dark most of the way from there, so I don’t have pictures for you, but I have a couple of stories. First, the trip down the coast of New Jersey all the way past Atlantic City was fairly uneventful, with the exception of a helicopter masquerading as a buoy. I was not on deck at the time so I didn’t see it, but Tony (Gaffman) and Capt. Greg were, and they said it was very confusing and caused a lot of VHF traffic. The real excitement of the night came shortly after we past Cape May and headed into Delaware Bay. A light gale kicked up and was blowing 20 to 25 knots of wind right in our face and shifting to about 35⁰ off the bow intermittently. This kicked up a swell that felt like 15 footers but was probably only 8 to 10 foot waves (everything feels bigger in the dark). With the sea state the way it was Capt. Greg and I agreed that it was best if the rest of the crew stayed below and slept, so they’d be fresh to relieve us this morning. I could taste the sea salt on my lips “Somedayers” and let me just say this… it tasted good! It is nice to be on the wide open ocean for a change. And lastly, Capt. Greg and I got a little scare when we noticed that an ocean liner had snuck up behind us almost close enough to touch. Capt. Greg checked behind us and it was clear, about twenty minutes later I looked back and all I could see was a huge black hulk bearing down on us at about 20kts. After us both screamed for a minute and suffered a quick M.S.P. (Modified Stationary Panic). We disengaged Harvey (we call our auto helm Harvey) and turned hard to port to avoid getting run over. The tanker either didn’t see us, or saw us, and didn’t care, either way it was kind of close. But we made it through the night and are anchored safely in a cove on the canal. Tomorrow we should be in Annapolis. Tune in next time “Somedayers”, until then, Banana Winds standing by on 16…. Clear.

39⁰21’53” N – 074⁰20’38” W

Right now this very moment we are motor sailing past Atlantic City, New Jersey. Today we have sailed from Tarrytown, New York which is just north of the Tappan Zee Bridge through New York Harbor, out around Sandy Hook, New York and down the coast of NJ. The scenes were something else. Everyone got their picture taken in front of the Statue of Liberty, and we got waked by about a bazillion faeries, barges and water taxis. We’re are going to sail through the night and try to get to the C & D Canal by tomorrow, where we’ll rest for a day and then head on to Annapolis. Well that’s what’s happening on our trip “Somedayers”, expect some more updates tomorrow.

41⁰04’31” N – 073⁰52’06” W

Well “Somedayers” we’re not quite to The Big Apple yet. We made it to the Tappan Zee Bridge, and pulled into the Tarrytown Marina for the night. Tomorrow we are planning to leave here at about 0700hrs and sail through New York Harbor and out around Sandy Hook, past Atlantic City and all the way to the C & D Canal. The weather is supposed to be good for that tomorrow and get nasty on Friday. So we have only a short weather window, let’s hope it works out. If it doesn’t look like it will work out, we’ll just grab a mooring ball off of Staten Island and wait it out.

Today was a great day we finally got some good weather and had a pleasant motor down the Hudson. We saw a couple of tall ships and a bunch of tugs and barges. We went right past West Point and Singsing prison. Everybody had a nice day, and “LT” isn’t the only one who falls asleep on watch, someone else did today, I won’t mention any names but his initials are “Tony”! See if you can find him slackin’ on the job (it won’t be hard to do). Until next “Somedayers”, best wishes to you all.

P.S. Hey “Somedayers”, we still have one berth left open for the second half of our trip south from Annapolis to Miami. It’s just $750.00 all inclusive… Think about it… you don’t just have to read about it… YOU COULD BE LIVING IT!!!!!!

Also, we have been getting a lot of folks asking about the return trip in the spring so we’re going to start taking deposits on Oct. 1^st. We will be leaving Miami sometime near the end of April or the very beginning of May (depending on the weather) and arriving in Port Clinton, Ohio no later than June 16^th, 2010. The trip is $1800 for the whole trip or $900 for either half (Miami to Annapolis or Annapolis to Port Clinton). Deposits are $900 for the big trip and $450 for the short one. It’s first come first serve when it comes to who gets what berth, so don’t dilly dally “Somedayers”.

42⁰03’01” N – 073⁰55’41” W

Did you miss us “Somedayers”? Did you think we were gone? Well, rest assured “Somedayers” we’re still here and we’re doing great! Yesterday was a killer day, in both progress and exhaustion. We got the Banana Winds tuned, rigged and washed. Plus went to town and did a ton of laundry. So please forgive our absence for yesterday, I’ll be happy to provide a note from my mother if you require one (Mom get a note ready for me ok, thanks). Yesterday also marked the last day Stevie was with us, he left early to head back to Boston and go back to work (poor sap). We also had some interesting challenges yesterday arising from some sequencing issues when we stepped the masts. We had some lines running down though the shrouds but on the wrong side of the spreaders, so we had to toss a line up and over the spreaders and “messenger” the topping lift, the running back stays, and the mizzen flag halyard through. “LT” won the preverbal “kewpie doll” by being the one with the golden arm. He was the only one of us who managed to measure up to the challenge, and on only his fourth try too, way to go “LT”!!! We got a bunch of pics of the work so be sure to check them out.  

We are back on our way, and motoring down the Hudson River at 8.5kts. We are hopeful to make New York Harbor before stopping tonight. We would like to anchor off of Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty, should make for some nice pictures so stay tuned and keep us in your thoughts. Till later, “Somedayers”, we bid you fair winds and calm seas.

42⁰12’50” N – 073⁰51’59” W

We’re almost sailors again. We got the masts up, we still have to tune ‘em and rig ‘em.  We even got recruited to help another sailboat pull their mast down. It is a 64 foot steel Golfstar. The mast was 75’ high and the crane was about an inch to short so all us big guys jumped on and went to the bow to set her and inch lower in the water. Nobody thought that would work, but we showed them, we’s got tonnage baby! We had a long day today and are all very tired. I’m putting a bunch of photos on for today and then I’m going to bed.

42⁰12’50” N – 073⁰51’59” W

Catskill Creek… We made it “Somedayers”!!!! We are out of the Erie Canal, and in the Hudson River. Tomorrow we start work putting the mast back up, and I can’t wait. It’s been to long since we were a sailboat. I can feel the Banana Winds crying for her rigging, and tomorrow we will make her whole again. This morning we had an exciting adventure trying to find our way out of the canal in a very dense fog. I have sailed in Puget Sound and in the Gulf of Maine, and “Somedayers”, I have never seen fog like we had this morning. Visibility was down to about half a boat length. I spent the whole morning out on the bow sprit as a look out and calling out channel markers, three hours of the coldest I’ve been in a long time. I added a lot of pics of the fog, it was stressful, but beautiful as the fog broke and showed little pieces of the canal.

Once we were in the Hudson we saw a lot of neat stuff, some really old boats and even “LT” sleeping on watch, (look close “Somedayers” see if you can find him) and even a light house. Once we got into Catskill Creek we started to work making the old girl look good again, there’s even a pic of that. I’ll let you know how the mast step goes tomorrow. ‘Till then “Somedayers”, fair winds and calm seas.

43⁰02’19” N – 074⁰50’54” W

Well “Somedayers” tomorrow we leave the Erie Canal behind us. We would have finished today, but for Lock #8. The lock tender decided to leave the lock at 1500hrs instead of 1700hrs and we were there for 45 minutes while we waited for another lock tender to show up. So tonight we’re tied up above lock #7, and will pass though it first thing, headed to “The Steps”. Locks #6,5,4,3,2,1 are known as the steps because they are one right after the next and descend about 180 feet in less than a mile and a half. Other than that we are nothing really exciting to report. We’re all having a good time and getting along great. Tony brought a bunch of fresh beef and sausage, so tonight we had grilled T-bones and baked potatoes, with corn and asparagus. Here are some pictures from today.

The first shots are of lock #17 it is a 40.5 foot decent and the lower end lock door is called a “Guillotine” lock. It’s really cool to see, but it douses the boat and crew with water as we went through, that’s why Stevie and I are all foul weathered up. The close up of Capt. Greg is a self portrait and if you look close you can see his hand holding the camera in the reflection of his glasses. And the little yellow house on the shore is his dream house and the big brick one is LT’s.

P.S. To all family members of the crew, if you need to get a hold of any of us and can’t get through to them personally, please feel free to call me at 937-572-8473 or the Captain at 419-466-3699. We have our phones with us all the time.

43⁰14’27 N – 076⁰08’18” W

Tony has arrived “Somedayers”, and he’s sleepy! Tony arrived this morning at 0600 after having driven all night. We got under way shortly thereafter, filled up with diesel and started across Lake Oneida. We made it across in just less than three hours, and I took the boat into a lock. You heard me right “Somedayers”, Capt. Greg handed over the reins and let me drive in. I did AWSOME!!!!!! I think I’m a prodigy. Any way, we had a great day, got a little rained on, but made really good time. We covered over 70 sea miles today. We stopped for the night in a town called Little Falls, and had a great dinner that Perry came up with. He cut up some chicken and put that in the slow cooker with some cream of mushroom soup and a bunch of veggies, it was a big hit. Earlier today he rocked out on air guitar to one of his favorite songs. I’m posting some pics of him rockin’ his socks off. The pics of that big blue and yellow thing is a dredger that was blocking our way and we had to wait for them to clear the canal for us, I just thought it was cook lookin’ so I added it to the Log pics. It is amazing how well the state of New York takes care of the canal and its waterways. Good job New York!!!

Be sure to tune in tomorrow “Somedayers”, and see what crazy shenanigans the crew of the Banana Winds gets into as they near the end of the Erie Canal!

43⁰14’27” N – 076⁰08’18” W

Well it was a quiet day today “Somedayers”. We tied up last night right at Lock 28, so we got through it this morning at 0700, and were on our way. At the next lock, our gear linkage screwed up and we had no reverse, so I threw open the engine compartment and shifted the transmission by hand until we got through the lock.  I got it working again a bit past the lock, but I fear I have more to do before I’m done with it. The first picture today is of me trying to make it right. And, you’ll be happy to know not only did we run back into our nemesis who likes to throw big wakes at us, but now I know their name, the boat is a Saber 52, and we did get an apology from them, right before they waked us again.  Tonight we are tied up at the west end of Lake Oneida, so we went to a bar and had 50 wings again, and brought 50 back for tomorrow (Cap. Made me include the wing count), you’ll see Capt. Greg and me goin’ at ‘em like a couple of wood chippers. Not too much else to tell you about, and we didn’t take to many pics today so I’ll make it short. Until next time “Somedayers”, we bid you fair winds and calm seas.

43⁰03’47” N – 077⁰01’16” W

We almost got to make snow angles today!!!! Well, maybe not but it sure felt like it most of the day. We woke up this morning to a frigid cold front that showed us our breath in the air, and let me tell you “Somedayers” it’s a good thing we’re headed south, ‘cause we almost didn’t survive it. We were bitchin’ about the cold all day. But we had some beautiful sights today, probably due to a certain extent to the chilly weather, so I guess even a frozen canal has its gifts. We’re really enjoying ourselves and are meeting a lot of new friends. We even passed a very hoity toity yacht club today call the “Grand Erie Yacht Club”; I included a pic of their club house. I’m also putting lots of pics of our chilly morning and our lovely scenery.

If you remember I told you about the total ass that nearly waked the masts off the deck a couple of days ago? Well we caught up to them today in the canal and they nearly killed us again when they decided to stop directly in front of us, I love stupid boaters, they make things so exciting.

Attention “Somedayers”, we still have a spot open from Annapolis to Miami, $750.00 all inclusive. You don’t have to be a “Somedayer”, you could be like us “Todayers”, think about it. Let us know.

P.S. Capt. Greg made me include a picture he took of me at the ass crack of dawn this morning, I hate mornings.