Final day for the season

[Cape Codder]

Well, I took the day off with my wife, and we went over to Vineyard Haven for lunch. After returning, we pulled our 28TE ashore before the storm, (Hurricane Noel)
She's now on blocks and stands in the yard.
Much to my surprise, there was a cruise ship anchored off of Oak Bluffs, with lots of folks going ashore. Several were having their lunch at the Black Dog too. I have no idea where that cruise ship is heading, but they better get moving!! Hurricane force gusts due in 15-18 hours.

Our first year with the 2003 TE was just fantastic, Everything went very well. Just a great set-up!!
I hope to be ready to roll sometime in early May 2008, and join you folks at a rendesvous.

[RicM]

Bob:

Good on you, do you haul the boat yourself? We are riding it out here in Wickford at the dock with a few extra lines. I have an '03 also, and also our first season with the Albin & absolutely love it! We did 220 hours starting in May, including a stop in Oak Bluffs in Sept. Great place and we plan on being there for Tivloi next September.

[Cape Codder]

Ric,
I don't haul myself. I use William Newton & Son, of Falmouth, MA.
Bill Newton is a long time Falmouth Firefighter, and has been doing boat hauling for many years. He has top notch equipment, and is extremely thorough, careful, never rushed.
I havn't visited your beautiful Wickford for a long time. I actually had an office on Brown street for about 6 years in the 80's. I just love the area.
Great for boating.
When you head of Marths's Vineyard next year, give me a shout.

[Mariner]

Winter boating season is just getting started out here. Spent most of the weekend setting and hauling crab pots and trolling for salmon. Didn't catch any salmon and only a few crab, but they were large in size and there wasn't a single female, so the early indications are good. Going back out to haul and re-set after work today.

[jcollins]

Today is it. The end of the boating season for me. The beginning of the grumpy season. (Ho, Ho, Ho,)
Sharon, the dogs, and I took the final run to get fuel, then to Holly Neck Marina for the winter. The Bay was perfect for the run over to Middle River. Less than a foot, almost no wind. Air temp was high 40s-50 but we were comfortable in my canvas pilot house. Fuel was the highest of the season today at 3.36 per gal.
This is my first year at Holly Neck. It is not fancy at all. http://marinas.com/view/marina/72 But, it's has a great bunch of boaters we met over the years and we are comfortable there. Good service if I need it. I already winterized the potable water. Oil change this week. Then I will winterize the engine after they pull the boat. Over the winter I'm getting some new electronics installed, new bimini, and new combing pads. After we got tied up I looked across and there's a all white 32+2 with no name on it. I'll leave a AOG card on his boat this week. Blue stripe on the bridge and a green boot stripe.

End of season totals for Afterglow:

389 gallons of fuel, 84 hrs. (low this year) avg. gph 4.63
The low hours surprised us but we took shorter trips and spent alot of time on the hook.

[RicM]

Final Day sounds so...final. Today, Sunday was my last fishing trip. Didn't have a bump. I think I'll put her to bed on Wednesday. Totals for the season....
230 hours (!)
3.17 Gal/Hour
about 730 Gallons for the season.

Wickford is a great place durig the season, but it's also a great place in the winter. We have one of the last wild west boatyards, Wickford Shipyard. It's an extremely "interesting" place with a number of independent contractors, a machine shop, a canvas guy, and a high percentage of obsessive compulsives restoring and in some cases living on wooden boats. My boat buddy Dave has his 1965 37' Egg Harbor at the shipyard and in the water all winter. I'm on the hard in the parking lot. That means there is a "tree house" with heat on, the football game on, and cold beer and snacks every Sunday until Super Bowl at Daves dock. After that we hunker down until March 1 and then start "projects". Getting stuff ready for an early launch, I always shoot for April 15th, it kinda takes the sting out of Tax Day, but it never really happens until May 1. Then bingo! we start all over again and the stripers show up around the 3d 4th week of May. From that point on, don't bother me man, it's fishing season!

[jcollins]

Ric,
230 hours! I gotta get out more.

[RicM]

John:

I was always like this with a new toy! Seriously, we live 1/2 mile from the dock, which means we use it more than even the engine hours would indicate. Karen's business is in the village about 1/2 mile the other way and she has to drive right by the boat to get home. See http://www.wickfordvillage.org/index.html It's not unusual for us to go out after work for an hour or two, or even just meet at the dock for cocktails with friends. It also helps to have a spouse that loves to fish. Because we are both self employed, if the stripers are running, we'll just take a day off mid week and go. There are 5 marinas right in town, so we have other friends to go visit by boat, and there are a number of restaurants within 1 hour that have docks. My clients know not to bother calling on Fridays as I take them off from June - October, and of course we had the delivery from Stamford CT in the spring, (117 NM) and a trip to Martha's Vinyard and Cape Cod ( a whole week aboard!) in September. This boat cost more than my house did 10 years ago, I was determined to get the most out of it! LOL

[henry robertson]

we have slowed down here too its droped to the mid to low 70's. and dark at 6pm we won't haul out as we cruise till mid dec as it drops to the cold 50's then. but by mid march its back to cruising time. last year we even hit 29 degrees for a few hours one night--every one rushed to get milk and bread in case they were frozen in.
think south friends--i left madison wisc 45 years ago and five weeks of this hard winter i can stand---no more two dog nights
c o m e on d o w n
henry

[RicM]

I have been trying to talk the other half into a 35 Command bridge instead of a condo somewhere in the Southland. Moving down the coast as the weather and the fish follow seems like the ideal solution, and you always have a waterfront view.