Boston Boating Blog

Okay, so it has been a while since I updated this crazy thing. It is one of those things, you start and you have the greatest intentions, but then you get busy, and well, you know…

So this summer we have done a TON of boating. We have spent over 200 hours on the water, 150 on the Donna Julie II alone and this week we are headed out on vacation. I am not sure what we are going to do during the week but for Labor Day weekend, we are headed to the Vinyard. I am excited about this.

This summer we have seen some pretty cool stuff. We were out in the harbor when the turned the Constitution around. We saw the 4th of July fireworks from the dock. We have also made some good friends at the marina.

We have seen some pretty amazing boats in the harbor as well. This is a photo of the “Turmoil” owned by the Founder of Lands End. This is a beautiful boat used for exploring. After one of our new marina friends did some research we found that this boat had circumnavigated the North pole starting in the Pacific Ocean. The only boat to do this since the early 1900′s. Additionally this boat carried a Hinkley Picnic boat as it’s run about. (Very Nice)

Also, as you can see, my dad made a couple of trips down and this time he did some “skippering” of the boat. It has been nice to have him down for a visit. He takes the train, I pick him up, we do some boating, catch a burger and then he catches the evening train home.

A few weeks ago this summer, I went to Knoxville, TN to see the launch of the new Cobalt 47. This is one BEAUTIFUL yacht. It has a ton of cool features such as the Zuse drive system, a “skyhook” connected to the GPS system and an in-board modular control system by E-Plex. And for just $950K this boat could be yours. No, I didn’t go to buy one, but I do hope at some point during this winter I can help the guys at East Coast Flightcraft sell one and perhaps make some commission $$$.

Also, it is getting close to the time when I can start my captain’s license classes. Who knows, maybe if I sell a company or two more, I can retire and drive the Ferry back and forth to P-town…

Aside from just more of the same – heading out of the harbor on some new adventure, it has been status quo. I promise to keep up the blog – especially during this vacation and as we venture off to Martha’s Vinyard this coming weekend.

Keeping it between the buoy’s this is Captain Steve signing off.

Okay, okay, I have no excuses – I have been severely slacking in my blogging duties. So here is the news.

Donna and I spent a few evenings on the “old” Donna Julie a few weeks ago and then a week ago Thursday, my dad came back down to Boston and we took the old Donna Julie to Beverly and upgraded to the new Cobalt 323 – the Donna Julie II. We had a GREAT day for the ride to and fro. We filled up the gas tanks when we got back – OUCH!

That Friday my family and Donna’s family went to Maine to pay our respects to my grandma who passed earlier this year. I think Nana would have loved this new boat. It is very comfortable for her to ride on.

On Saturday we took the boat for a real ride. It was a beautiful day and we went to Beverly to Cocktail Cove – a little place where a bunch of people hang out in their boats. We then headed even further north to Rockport where we got married and checked out our honeymoon house again. We brought my sister for a ride. It was a BEAUTIFUL day.

On Sunday we took a bunch of Donna’s family out. Her Uncle Manny came, and her cousins Monica, Ryan and Ana all came out for a ride. It was rainy in the afternoon but cleared up just as we got out to the #2 Buoy. We had another great day.

The following weekend my mom came down on Friday and a good friend of mine and work colleague and I all went for a nice ride around Boston harbor. The next day Donna decided to do a yard sale so she missed a nice ride on the boat that my mom and I took again just out to the #2 buoy and hung out.

On Sunday it was rainy and we went to my ?great cousin’s? graduation party. It was a lot of fun. My cousin Eric informed me that I had dropped the ball on my blogging. Eric is also going in to the hospital to have some back surgery. I want to say here that I wish you all the best Eric and the minute you can hit the water – I am taking you for a day on the sea – anywhere you want to go. Get well soon cousin. And I will keep up the blogging.

Anywho – no sneaky trips down to the boat this week, I have been on the road all week. Four cities in 4 days. Looking forward to some nice boating this weekend. I will get pictures for the next one.

Happy reading everyone.
We will chat soon!

Great conditions as you can see.

Air Temperature: 78 Degrees
Water Temperature: 51 Degrees – wish I had my suit.

Donna and I took the day off and did some power lounging on our power boat. We had a great day – again!

We took a ride up to Gloucester and saw some more of the sites in the harbor. We also say some big fishing trawlers heading out to drag the ocean.

We also saw various other sites while in Gloucester – a nice old wooden boat being restored, the lobsterman coming in with a flock of sea gulls and a good samaritan towing someone in.

As we headed back to Boston Donna drove. She is really getting the hang of this whole captain thing and I am really getting used to relaxing.

We took some time and floated out in the open ocean and saw the sites. The Environmental Police came out and said “hi”. Two trips two boardings. We have some safe waters here in Boston.

I figured out how to use the GPS to tell me which course to follow. I knew I would figure it out.

During our ride, we confirmed the new arrival of the Donna Julie II. We are very excited for that.

We pulled into our slip at around 6:30, and again, we did a good job parking. Now that I am used to it, I am going to throw everything off with a bigger boat. Oh well. Practice, practice, practice.

Another great day on the water.

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.