Boston Boating Blog

So, Saturday before Mother’s Day. We get up and go pick up Donna’s mom because we have an errand to do before the “ladies” go get their hair done. As we are riding to Middleton Donna’s mom asks, “Donna, may I ask you a question?” to which Donna replies, “Sure mom”. Gloria asks, “Where are we going?” – Donna and I look at each other and laugh out loud. Gloria loved the ride, but was very curious as to where we were going.

We are going to look at the Donna Julie II – a Cobalt 323 with a cuddy cabin. Our new home away from home, the new oasis. Donna and I took a trip to East Coast Flightcraft so I could get permission to upgrade our 282, which we have owned for whole month now… Yup, we are doing it. Here it is – out of the water…

There she is… We can’t wait. We take deliver in two weeks. Drive the Donna Julie to Beverly and take this one from Beverly back to Boston. Wow.

Now the ladies go and get their hair done and then Donna and I decide to take a ridge on the Donna Julie. Conditions are pretty good. I am now using a cool web site called Buoyweather.com. I can select the buoy in Boston Harbor and get the weather conditions. Here is the same details I use to type out (and the legend). Pretty good stuff. I am thinking of signing up for the service for even more detail.

We took a short ride by Spectacle Island and went to the entrance of Hull Harbor and turned around and came home. Donna did some more of here artsy photograpy as you can see…

Taking our picture together is always fun.

We were boarded by the Coast Guard who came on board for a “Safety Inspection” (quite frankly I think they were board and it was getting late and we were coming in so it was last piece of work before the end of a shift). You know what, that is a okay. That is what they are out there for and it was a good experience.

Next we took the boat into our slip and this time, I went very very slow and was very patient and I backed the boat into our slip very well. (I think I am getting the hand of this.

We cleaned up the boat, had a cocktail and headed home. Another GREAT day on the water.

Tonight our house is being shown so Donna and I decided to go for a boat ride tonight. I asked Sebastian (dock master at Constitution Marina) when the fuel docs close, as we need some fuel now. He said basically they all close at 4:30 and it’s now 5:00. We decided to stay on the dock and have some dinner.

I walked up to the hotel and on the ground floor they have a sandwich shop. I got Donna and I a couple of sandwiches, some chips and some beverages. Donna met some new friends – the ducks. She decided to name them David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez (from the Red Sox because the ducks seem to follow each other everywhere).

We hung out on the boat, did a little cleaning, had some dinner and then took a walk around the docks and checked out the other boats. We met some new friends (people this time) on A-Dock. They were just hanging out like we were, having some food and drink and just loved being on the water. Their boat is called the “Bad Puppy II” and they have two very nice looking Boxers.

Donna and I went back to the boat, shut it up and then headed for home.

Tomorrow Captain Mike is coming down to do the 30 hour service and Friday we are heading up to East Coast Flightcraft to look at the 323 – I am very excited about this. I am also looking forward to going for a boat ride soon.

Until next time.

Now, no one every said I was a rational dude. Today I called East Coast Flightcraft to schedule my 20 hour service (with 30 hours on the engines). I decided to speak to Danny, the owner, because he is a great dude and wanted to say “hi” and that I really appreciate all his help and that we really love the boat.

Danny asks how many hours I have on the boat and I tell him “30″ and he starts laughing, he knows we love it. Then he drops the bomb.

See, we bought the 282 – bow rider – as a day cruiser so Donna could get used to being out on the boat. Having the bow rider meant we may be able to bring more people. Well, so far, no one, has ridden in the bow while we have been underway (could be because it is still a bit chilly here in the north east).

Additionally, Donna and I have been talking that, if we had a cuddy cabin, we would sleep on it on the weekends and could even take it to the Vinyard now.

Also, during East Coast Flightcraft’s demo days I drove the 323. This boat had been purchased by a guy who buys a the new latest and greatest Cobalt each year and sells it at the end of the year. At the time I thought that perhaps Donna and I had bought the wrong boat. So, I mentioned to Danny that when this boat is traded back in, to please let me know and Donna and I would take a look at it.

So most of you now know where this is going. As I am speaking to Danny, he tells me that the guy had the boat in the water for a week and decieded to go bigger to the Cobalt 343 right away. This meant that this boat is now available. WOW. Also, Donna and I were chatting this weekend and thought we would definately upgrade next year. Now we have a delima.

We really love the ocean and being out on the water, so much so we want a cuddy.
The bigger boat would be even better for how we use the boat.
East Coast is giving me a great deal not only on the 323 but on traiding in my boat.

Last night Donna and I went down and sat on the boat and thought about the differences and what we would get with the other boat. It would be like a floating condo and we have always wanted property on the water. Now we would be in it. Also, you have probably seen in some of the blog entries that we have been looking a property to move to. The main reason is we have no outdoor space. With the boat, we have it, so it is possible that we don’t need to look for a new place, but who knows.

So, stay tuned – this should be an intesting saga. (Now I am really loosing sleep at night.)

Air Temperature: 56 Degrees

Water Temperature: 45 Degrees
Windspeed: 20 Knots

Seas: 3 – 5 feet @ 3 seconds – choppy

Donna’s Aunt and Uncle are in town from Belgium this month visiting her mom and her Aunt in Andover. Donna and I thought it would be great to bring her aunt and uncle and mom for a boat ride and look at the Boston skyline from the water. Additionally, this trip we took our first shot at heading into the Charles River though the locks and under the train bridge.

Her uncle, Uncle Edy, came to Boston more than 30 years ago to spend a year at MIT. We first went over to Mystic Flue (again) and they were closed (so much for Boston’s Biggest Fuel Dock open 7 to 7). Then we took a trip up the north east side of Boston Harbor and checked out the skyline, the Coast Guard location, the ICA (new art museum), Condo’s where Donna has projects going on and the Boston Design Center where Donna works.

We then took a trip back up the harbor and watched the planes fly over head. (I still think this is so cool.)

Next we headed to the locks to head up the Charles River. We made it though the locks pretty swell. We had one boat a head of us but I think I did a pretty good job keeping the boat in the center of the locks and it was a very fast process and pretty smooth. The next issue was the train bridge. We can’t fit under the bridge so we have to wait for it to go up. I was unfamiliar with the process but the boat before us called the bridge master and he lifted the bridge up for us. Now we are in the Charles River with 100′s of sailboats to avoid.

Once in the Charles we took a ride up the Cambridge side of the river and looked at MIT and the architecture. I think the whole gang had a very nice time. Uncle Edy was reflecting on his time here in Boston and the girls (Donna’s mom and aunt) talked about when they came to the US and were dating. It was very cute.

Docking – Damn – I hate this part. There was a ton of wind so I tried my best again to slide the boat into the slip but the wind caught me and started to push me into the big yacht again. On the front side, Uncle Edy helped me to keep from hitting his boat, and then a couple of very nice kids who have a boat on D-Dock helped us. Donna tossed them a rope and they pulled us in. Man, I still need a ton more practice.

On the dock safe and sound – I am slowly getting the hang of this.

Until next time.

Air Temperature: 72 Degrees
Water Temperature: 45 Degrees
Windspeed: under 5MPH
Seas: Clam – WHAT A DAY

What can I say but “WOW”! It was like a lake in Boston Harbor on Saturday from 12PM to 7PM. It was an amazing day. Saturday was the first day Donna and I took the boat out of the marina by ourselves for the day. It was splendid. I should mention exactly where our slip is. If you look at the picture below (complements of Google Earth) and you look for the red dot almost in the middle of the picture you can see our slip. Slip C31. Now, if you look real close, you can see a HUGE 60′ Yacht next to our slip. Yup, that is the boat I almost hit (twice). The old guy who owns it isn’t real nice but his captain is and he teaches boat handling so I may take him up on a course.

Next Donna and I took a ride up the Mystic River (which is part of Boston Harbor). We went by the Tug boats because Donna loves the Tug boats.

Next we decided to take a ride out past the Constitution where we saw a couple of Naval ships in from Canada. It was very interesting, they looked just like American ships, just a different color of “Battleship Grey” but more like “Battleship Green”.

Next we plotted a course to head out of harbor and see what was out beyond the bay. Our trusty GPS helped us plot the course.

When we got out of the harbor, it was amazing. Flat and clam. We decided to just shut the engines off, turn the music on and float around.

When we got board of floating, we decided to plot a course to head north to again, “see what we could see”. Before we knew it, we were all the way up in Beverly where we originally launched the boat.

We then decided to head back to Boston, but this time took the scenic route along the coast line. We checked out the nice houses that were along the water in Lynn and Swampscott. We then motored back around Nahant and back into Boston Harbor where Donna Julie decided to get crafty with the camera and take some artsy shots of the boat reflecting in the clear bay as well as some nice overhead shots of Air Lingus coming into Logan Airport. (The planes look so close, you could actually touch them.)

It was getting late and we had such a great day it was time to head in. First we decided to get some fuel. We went to the Mystic Flue dock the “All new latest and greatest Boston Fuel Dock, open 7 days a week 7am to 7pm”, (at 4:30) and it was closed. (Someone should speak to them about that.) We did some prep work on how we would handle docking when we got to the marina, we got all the bumpers out and all the dock lines ready for a parking job. I practiced in the mouth of the marina a couple of times and decided to head in. With Donna ready I brought the boat in this time, no problem. I was very very fortunate that there was no wind this day. So, another great day on the H20!

Be back tomorrow!

Air Temperature: 75 Degrees
Water Temperature: 51 Degrees
Wind: 20 Knots
Seas: 2 Feet at 2 Seconds – in other words – choppy!

A few years ago my wife introduced me to hooke day. That is when you take a day off in the middle of the work week and play hooke. Sounds good to me.

I got to the dock around 9 am and decided to give the boat a good cleaning. I took out all the carpets and got my new brush with my new hose and washed’er down. I also got out the Windex and cleaned all the windows and took out the metal polish and hit all the stainless. I hit the motors with some WD-40 and the Donna Julie was ready for another voyage.

My friend Tom came down in the am and we went out for a ride in lovely Boston Harbor.

Pulling out wasn’t nearly as bad as parking was and in no time we were in the channel and, yup you guessed it, looking for gas! Ha Ha!

We found a great place to get gas (1/2 a tank). So great because they have huge fenders on the dock so I can just pull up and bump into them and not worry about hurting the boat or anything else. (As you can see, I still need parking practice.) We fueled up and we were ready for a voyage.

Tom and I headed out of the channel and started to take a look at what was going on on the newly renovated Spectacle Island. We were told that it will be open this Saturday, May 5. On this island you can bring a picnic, bring your bikes or just hike around.

Next Tom and I decided to see how easy or hard it would be to get into Quincy Marina. This wasn’t so bad either. At least now I know, while driving in the harbor what is and isn’t safe.

As we drove around we took a lot of pictures of the Boston coastline as you can see. It really is pretty neat looking at the city from the water.

Tom and I took a ride out of the harbor but it was pretty choppy so we decided to head back in. I decided that I should practice parking for a while so I don’t end up smashing up anything today when I head back in for good. After about an hour, I got a little better, but I still need a lot of practice. Tom was helpful in guiding me and also making sure I didn’t smash into anything and ruin my boat or someone else’s.

Tonight is our 3rd meeting of the Third Continental Congress. One of our friends, Brian (A.K.A. Red) showed up at about 4:30 so we went for a cruise around the harbor, checked out Harborlights where they have concerts in the summer and then went by the Boston Design Center – where my wife works (not the greatest picture but if you look closely, she could be waving to us).

We came back to the “pickup” location and dropped Brian off and picked up Mark (A.K.A. Gekko). Another trip around the bay and then back to Constitution Marina. This time, I was able to guide the Donna Julie into it’s slip pretty easily. I think the fact I did a practice a little and there was no wind when it came time to park was very helpful.

As my dad always says, ” Any day of boating that ends with both feet on dry land is a good day.”

We did it!

1. Dad came down from Maine to go on a boat ride and help with this voyage
2. I needed to have the boat moved by the next weekend and the long term weather forecast didn’t look so good
3. I just love being on the boat!

That said, it seemed like the right thing to do.

Dad came down on the train and got to Boston at about 9am. Donna brought us from Boston to Beverly, where the boat is docked. We played on the dock for an hour or so with the GPS so we would feel comfortable that it would get us to Boston and then we headed out into the fog with a tank of gas.

I have to say, the GPS worked like a champion. We couldn’t see from one buoy to the next but the GPS got us to each marker I put in the GPS. Our biggest issue was once we got to Boston, it was still foggy. I figured once we hit the “city” we would be fine and could see our way. Well, that wasn’t the case and we hung out by Logan Airport for 30 minutes trying to find the right buoy to take us inland. We finally found it and all was okay – until it was time to dock. Here we go with the parking again.

There isn’t much room in this marina and I have a tight slip at the end of a long row of expensive boats and on top of that, I still don’t have this whole parking thing nailed down.

I found my spot and figured I could just drive it in. Well, that worked, but the boat is too long so it is too difficult to get off when the boat is parked nose first so I decided to turn it around. Well, here in lies the problem. I have a 60′ Yacht parked next to me. As I try to turn the boat around, the wind catches me and pushes me toward this large boat. With 4 others helping me, I managed to just miss this boat and finally get my boat into my slip, but I have to say, this is going to cause me a great deal of stress. I am going to call Captain Mike on Monday for some parking lessons.

The good news is we got the boat to its home and all is well. Dad, Donna and I went out for a nice dinner at the Village Smokehouse in Brookline and got Dad back to the train for his trip and me to bed. All this fresh air is killing me.

No boating tomorrow, it is supposed to rain and I am going to look at new homes w/ Donna.

Air Tempature: 65 Degrees
Water Tempature: 45 Degrees
Wind: 10/12 Knots
Seas: 1 to 2 Feet at 10 Seconds – Nice smooth seas
Visability: 10 miles

We got back to the dock, and this time, parking was a breeze. Getting better. The whole crew helped prep the boat to stay put for the week and then we were off to dinner. Next week we will be taking the boat to its home in Boston at Constitution Marina.

At the end of the day, Herb and Jimmy agreed to be my “Security Department” and come check on the boat while I was traveling this week which I really appreciated.

Next we went to dinner and had a perfect meal to the perfect weekend. Looking forward to next weekend.

Air Tempature: 75 Degrees
Water Tempature: 45 Degrees
Wind: 10Knots
Seas: 1 to 2 Feet at 10 Seconds – Nice smooth seas
Visability: 10 miles

We launched in Denver’s and parked the boat in Beverly for a week. In the afternoon we took the boat out of the harbor. Captain Mike showed us where ‘Cocktail Cove’ was and then brought us out to Gloucester Harbor. We learned all we could about the boat and its features so we would feel comfortable once Mike left. He did a great job, even showing us how the “pain in the ass” bimini top goes up. (This will be super helpful when Donna’s mom comes on the boat in the middle of the summer.)

Ah, the Boston Boat Show. This year it moved to the new convention center and man was it GREAT. The boat show is where dreams are made.

Last year I couldn’t get my wife to go, this year we went 4 times and it is where all of our summer plans came together.

On the last day of the show, after all the educating, and meeting a great bunch of guys from East Coast Flightcraft, we decided to buy a Cobalt 282.

Let the sleepless nights begin. I couldn’t wait to get it in the water. We had a plan to go early, but as we had decided to put it in the ocean, we needed to paint the bottom of the boat to keep the algae off it. Now, in order to do this, the temperature needs to be above 50 degrees. Once we made this decision it didn’t get above 50 degrees for a over three weeks. I have to say, the guys at East Coast Flightcraft were AWESOME. They rigged some heat in their garage and got it done and on April 21, we had the maiden voyage.