Rula Bula uses MotionX-GPS on the iPhone and is sharing with you the following waypoint:

Name: SV Rula Bula

Date:Sep 16, 2011 8:38 am

Map: View on Map

Location:  Zone:19T  

Easting:283789mE  Northing:4562604mN  Altitude: 0 ft

Yesterday we departed Shelter Island Yacht Club at 06:20 hrs and had a brisk (flying our spinnaker) 6 hour sail from Shelter Island to Big Salt Pond Block Island. At 12:35 hrs we hooked onto a heavy duty mooring just as the sustained winds reached 20 knots…

The sail was also punctuated by dodging a lot of flotsam and jetsam (mostly submerged tree limbs and trunks) swept into Block Island Sound by the rains and tides from Hurricane Irene!! We did make contact with an old waterlogged tree trunk that was lurking just under the surface — but on a dive inspection after mooring in Great Salt Pond — it was confirmed no damage occurred.

The wind continued to build throughout the remainder of the day and into the evening where it reached 33 knots sustained gusting to 37 knots. With the temperatures dropping from76F (24.5C) to 52F (11C) in a matter of 1.5 hours… We can now confirm that wave heights in Great Salt Pond can reach 2ft with strong Northwest winds. 

Arround 02:00 hrs on 09162011 the winds finally started to subside to sustained 18 knots gusting to 22 knots at which time the watch was able to get some shuteye — however not before some nearby boats that had moored on the lighter moorings decided to move the heavy moorings during the height of the storm — not an easy or pleasant task — but thankfully all successfully achieved by the boats involved.

Sun came up into an amazingly clear blue sky this morning — so clear in fact that for the first time the RI mainland is clearly visible from our mooring. 

The harbor master just dropped by to collect our mooring fee — pleasant surprise — mooring prices has have dropped by 50% since we were last here 3 weeks ago :) The Harbor Master did confirm that there had been some damage over night with 2 boats breaking free from their Marina slips and one power boat flipped up onto the beach…

Well for those in the know — this is defiantly a “socks on” morning — without any debate.

Time for Oat Meal!! I think — followed by a nice warm egg and bacon “butty” Yes this is BJL saying this… because it is “bloody” cold here this morning.

The following Log is supplied by Bei Ming (Ben) Liu who flew all the way from Beijing in mid Aug to joined Rula Bula as a deckhand for a 10 (holiday)…!! Well not quite a holiday — right Ben??

‘There will be no government editing for this blog I thought.’ ‘Don’t believe for a minute!’ says Scott. 

I was told by the Captain by 3pm that the blog should be done and posted by tonight. Speaking very little English and always receiving poor grades for writing, this task makes me feel like being in IELTS writing exams again, only with no preparation and notice in advance. Though being desperate to make a fuss about the Captain, I really do need a place to stay for the next three nights before going back to China, so I’d better keep my mouth shut and start writing for now.

If you are laughing at me complaining about writing, just try to rewrite this in Chinese and see how that goes! Good luck with that.

‘So as Rula Bula finally departed New Port at 06:45 hours on 17^th August…’ Before telling you the rest of the sailing story with the motor engine being on for most of the time, how Uncle Bryan and I got to NYC is also an interesting start.

On 15^th August 2011, the captain and I were to take different flights from Miami Beach to NYC (different airport), we both experienced severe delays and by the time I arrived at JFK which was almost three hours behind the scheduled time, opened my cell phone and received text: “I am still in Miami flight cancelled just got back to the apartment. Will not get to NYC today”… So I took a bus, got to Grand Central Station, went for a quick dinner (red meat for sure as the word ‘red meat ’ does not exist in Bryan’s dictionary) caught a cab, got to 33^rd St, got on the PATH train and off to Newport Marina on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. It is always difficult to find the direction in a city that you are not familiar with but New York was more like Mars to me after living in a village in England for three years.

The captain Bryan got a free upgraded to business class the next morning, and guess what he had for breakfast? Oatmeal!  With all crew (Barbara, Scott, Ben and Bryan) on board, we finally set sail (or motored if you wish). We left Newport Marina in Jersey City, headed for the East River, went through Hell’s Gate and into the Long Island Sound. We finally anchored in Oyster Bay (where we had no oysters at all). Uncle Bryan threatened that all new crews needed to swim to shore but I managed to secure a position on the dinghy after all. On the way to President Theodore Roosevelt’s summer house, Barbara walked extremely fast excited to see the President’s summer home and as Scott described ‘a woman on a mission’. As a foreigner I found it unusual to find dead stuffed animal heads on the walls and especially the trash bin which was made from an elephant’s foot and surprised by how small the beds were back then. While learning some American history such as the house was the White House in summer, the other president’s wife Eleanor also lived there when she was a teenager. The fact that Theodore Roosevelt’s first wife and mother died on the same day and in the same apartment in NYC before he became the president of United States was really the darkest moment of his life. He wrote ‘The light has gone out of my life’ on his dairy and marked a big ‘X’ on the top. He went to the west side of the country and nearly went bankrupted as a cowboy but somehow he returned to Oyster Bay, built the house and became the president later on. Everybody has highs and lows but no matter what happens in your life, you should never stop fighting for your dreams. (Or whether there is no wind, a sailboat should never stop sailing…there is always diesel to backup.)

We never had any oyster in town but I did have a nice dinner with a huge portion of lobster, mussels and steamed clams which could feed up to three people. I had to make a huge effort to finish the dish without throwing up (in a restaurant rather than on board!) Scott was amazed by my metabolism rate as I had a banana only 30 minutes after the dinner. 

18^th August 2011, a day cannot be more ordinary for most people but a big day for me. I finally got accepted by Imperial College London which must please a lot of my family members, my parents at least. Barbara started to make some Caribbean style pork loin to celebrate my acceptance which will not be served until two days later. As we departed from Oyster Bay, the wind started pick up but stopped completely a few minutes after we put up the sail. (When the apps the captain used told us the wind should be blowing.) As soon as we anchored near Milford Town, wind started to blow and numbers of sailing boats start racing. The wind did come ‘just a bit late’ as captain says. The dinghy was put into the water after we anchored. I slipped and one of my feet went into the water even before the dinghy got moving. The wave splashed from the side of the dinghy and Uncle Bryan got wet on the back. Scott slowed down the dinghy before anyone else got wet. However the wave in the front did not slow down at the same time which caused Barbara’s butt to get wet. So when we arrived at the shore, three of us were wet and the only one that was not affected is the dinghy driver. Was he being cautious or was he trying to teach us a lesson? Well, that’s the question that you cannot have an answer for. After a thirty-minute-walk with lovely countryside mosquitosaround in the Milford Town, we finally met Barbara’s sister Maureen and brother in law Paul in the town center. Maureen got out of the car and had a chat with us while Paul searched for a parking spot as Maureen said, ‘‘it is impossible to park in this town.’’ (only 1hr parking allowed on the main road.) Then we were off to a Thai restaurant where dishes were larger than expected and the taste was fine given the price we paid. Uncle Bryan with his usual high standards for everything gave a ‘passing grade’ to the Thai restaurant. Good for you! Thai restaurant, I did not really expect you to pass in Bryan’s super super difficult test at all. There was a lot of bird watching talk going on and as I knew nothing about birds I was comfortably enjoying the Thai beer which, strictly speaking was illegal for me to enjoy. Paul obviously was a famous bird watcher and you could probably find his blog on some famous bird watching website like ‘angry bird’. Don’t blame me if I was wrong, that was the only bird-related thing I know. On the way back to RulaBula, we saw lighting and a thunder storm coming ahead and experienced some rocky waves but strangely nobody got wet this time…I guess Scott was being more ‘cautious’. Uncle Bryan said ‘‘How come I got wetter going to shore than coming back?’’. Well, you know what? I was wondering about the same thing. What do you say, Scott? I am sure there will be a reasonable explanation in the next blog.

Ps: it is 22:39 hours 21th August 2011; we finished the tasty pork, which we were supposed to eat two days ago, prepared by Barbara and Scott.

Tomorrow will be Chinese Dinner Night and I will be on duty. If the blog stopped updating from tomorrow night, don’t freak out and just remember: it has nothing to do with my food. Although it will be my first time to cook a dinner (ever), I personally have full belief in myself and my cooking skill is JUST fine! So repeat, no matter what happens, it will definitely have no relationship with the Chinese food I cooked. You have my word! Best of luck for those lucky and brave enough in the world, who are willing to eat by their own choice, my cooking! Good night guys, see you tomorrow and hopefully, the day after tomorrow.

Summary: By Bei Min(Ben)Liu

The Good, The Bad and The ugly.

‘You can write anything you like: the good, the bad and the ugly; or the good and the bad; or just the bad; or the bad and the ugly.’ says the Captain.

First I shall apologize for the belated submission. However belated submission is at least better than no submission.

I would love to use this opportunity to thank Uncle Bryan, Scott and Barbara for giving me this great trip. Sailing with RB and you guys is definitely the highlight of my summer vacation. Though we all wish there was more wind to help RB to sail. And INDEED the hurricane Irene came as far as 90mph right after my departure. Sorry mate, I know you have travelled as fast as you can, yet still a bit late for my sailing trip, try to catch me the next time! (Or not.)

Speaking of The good, I think we all agree that oatmeal is absolutely GOOD: it’s healthy, fruity, and it provides enough energy and most importantly it’s repetitive as Uncle Bryan mentioned to me: ‘People don’t like changes.’ (Well, that is the case right? Scott and Barbara, I’m sure you guys would agree with me.) Although the oatmeal is brilliant in many ways, The Bad is…well…we do not have any other choices. That is not entirely precise. We did have a cooked breakfast on which day? Oh yes, the day I left. Uncle Bryan was celebrating my departure and I guess they may invite everyone on the dock for a drink afterwards. (Hurricane Irene was invited also from what I heard from BBC.)

During this sailing trip, we did some exploring in various towns which have different architecture styles, different food and different people with different temper. The cycling experience in Block Island is rather special because here we witness a situation which might be described as once a lifetime: Uncle Bryan is falling behind. It all began with Uncle Bryan introducing me the brilliant British invention: A bike. (That’s right, a bike which named ‘A bike’) What is special about the bike is it can be folded into a small piece that is smaller than your leg a portable size fits in RB perfectly. The rest of us were either too big to fit the bike or not skilful enough to handle it, we had to rent the normal bike instead. On the way to the top of the hill, those who rode on normal bikes changed the gear to become easier to climb up the road. Uncle Bryan on the other hand could not change the gear as there’s only one gear for ‘A bike’. ‘You don’t normal see Bryan falling behind, but we did today.’ says Barbara. The brilliant British thing may not be that brilliant on the hill after all.

During the trip I’ve also learned to clean the boat, clean the “Head” (bathroom in boat talk) (which Julie did not when she left) and cook a meal for everyone. Between the transition phase of high school and university I leaned to take more responsibility. Uncle Bryan tried to give me a hard time and push me closer to my potential during the sail and that indeed made me clear where my weakness was and where I could improve. The sailing trip has finished, my university life is yet to begin. More adventure is still waiting for me and I shall go for it. Ciao!

Tips for those will board later: Do NOT order anything like Canterbury clam Bake if you were asked to finish by yourself.

NOTE: NEW ADDITION TO THE RULA BULA BLOG…

SV Rula Bula is now using MotionX-GPS to supply updates on her location — and to this end is sharing with you the following waypoint:

Name:SV Rula Bula —

Location:  Latitude:41.085890º N Longitude:72.349220º W Altitude:0 ft

Current Location Date:Sep 11, 2011

View on Map

Maps Application 

Well we can almost see the Verrazano!!             As can be seen Sailing IS hard work… 

We’re Back!

After a couple of weeks break from the blog — during which:

1. Janet, Julie, nephew John and his girlfriend Brianna and I sailed RB from Atlantic Highlands NJ to Manhattan on 07292011. With Julie on board we naturally had cloudy, hazy, dull more or less windless weather for the 17 mile trip. We did have just enough wind however to fly the spinnaker as we approached and passed under the Verrazano Bridge — the southern gateway to NYC. By which time all the excitement had reduced four of the five crew to deep (snoring) sleep!!

As we entered NY Harbor proper the impressive wake from water taxis going in all directions revived the crew sufficiently for all to see a hazy but as always impressive NY skyline from the Hudson River.

After passing close by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island on our port side we arrived at Newport Marina, located in a fast rejuvenating Jersey City shoreline, where we docked RB in her slip with an unobstructed view of lower Manhattan just across the river.

In the slip right next door was Andrea Stella and his boat Lo Spirito Di Stella who we last saw in Beaufort NC (see Log 07102011.23:15 for previous info regarding Andrea). They had arrived the week before as they skipped the Chesapeake and came straight to NYC on the Atlantic side and had been enjoying all aspects of Manhattan each day. It was good to meet up with them again and hear how much they were enjoying NYC.

The folks at the Newport Marina are extremely friendly and helpful, so I strongly recommend this Marina if your plans are to stay awhile and take in the joys of Manhattan. I will caution however this Marina rocks and rolls in the early morning and late afternoon as the wash from the huge number of river taxis in those hours make it “washing machine like” in your slip. Nights are just fine however so sleeping comfortably is not an issue.

2. Julie depart for Northern Ireland on 08012011 with a great coffee colored suntan and with a smile of satisfaction that she successfully harassed me for most of the past five weeks…

3. Scott and Barbara took for Boston in early August for a family wedding followed a further family wedding in NYC — with a plan to return to RB on 08152011 to continue the trip through Long Island Sound, Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and back to Shelter Island before going back to Miami for the later part of September.

4. I departed to Miami Beach on Aug 8th to catch on some projects and meet up with Paul Liu and his son Ben Liu (from Beijing) and then return to RB on Aug 15^thalong with Ben who will take over the deckhand duties (mostly sleeping) previously held by Julie… Well Ben’s Delta Airlines flight did leave Miami on the 15th but my American Airlines flight was finally cancelled after waiting on the runway for over six hours… So Ben had to make his way to RB by himself. More on this in Scott’s and Ben’s following blog posts.

Almost there — but not yet!

Now we are settled in at Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club Marina we are going to close the blog until we decide on the appropriate day to make the final short 2.5 hour leg through the Verrazano Narrows, under the Verrazano Bridge and on to Manhattan. Presently the visibility is so poor due to record breaking “3 H” — Hazy, Hot & Humid weather (temps over 106F and humidity over 90%) we could actually run into Manhattan before seeing it!! 

So more news and lots of photos will come once we get a break in the weather and visability — and sail into NYC Harbor. Hooray!! — says Julie!

Signing off for now — the crew of SV Rula Bula — Julie, Barbara, Scott and Bryan

PS: The extreme weather and a fire at a sewage plant in NYC causing millions of gallons of untreated sewage to be dumped into the waters surrounding us caused a plague of biting flies the like we have ever seen — the death toll on RB alone was in excess of 500… Thankfully they have now disappeared as the sewage works is back in action — however we are now bracing for frogs, locusts, etc., etc., to arrive — welcome to “Gotham City” aka — NYC!!  

Chesapeake city was departed at 08:00 hours. Barbara felt this was quite a sluggish start as she had been awake from 05:30 hours and was keen to get going, knowing that we had a 67 nautical mile trip to Cape May.

No need to keep you guessing, the winds were non-existent so the drone of the engine was to be our companion for the day.

The D&C Canal was a straight forward run with Rula Bula’s nose pointing in an easterly direction.  After 12 nautical miles and having picked up the current we shot out of the canal hitting 9.2 knots as we turned south east into the Delaware River. We had high hopes that we would encounter more favorable winds but this was not to be. With the wind still coming out of the south we struggled on into the Delaware Bay with 18 knot winds on our nose and the current running against us at 2 knots, we only managed to clock up 3.9knots. Slow progress was being made.

With crew discussions rumbling, the debate was now rising as to whether or not we should make a stop at our original destination of Cape May. Favoring not tackling the unfamiliar channel at night in high winds and 4ft seas, Cape May was abandoned.  New waypoints were entered into the GPS…North Jersey here we come!

19:00 hours and we turned northeast into the Atlantic, which we had left 9 days before when we entered Cape Charles. Rula Bula’s sails were hoisted although with the winds reaching 22 knots the spinnaker was yet to be unfurled. The winds blew and at last we were able to silence the engine. After hours of constant motoring the quiet was never a more welcome sound. Rula Bula was happy with her sails up and surfing 4 ft swells we were making an average speed of 7.5 to 8 knots. “She’s a sailing vessel,” shouted Scott “that’s what she likes to do best!”

23:00 hours the grand sailing was short lived! No major thunderstorms or torrential rains just dying winds and rolling seas. With no winds, the sails thrashed about “complaining” very very loudly. Dips and troughs of 5 ft with 9 second intervals met Rula Bula hard on her starboard beam, giving the worst rolling motion to date. I lost what was in my stomach, to the aft head, and having spent several hours literally clinging spread eagled to my bunk, I crawled up on deck. 02:00 hours as an attempt to stabilize the situation Scott and Bryan doused all the sails and having moved the spinnaker, unfurled it on the portside.  With the motion and noise this for me, and I think I can safely say for the rest of the crew, proved to be the most unpleasant night of our trip. NB all crew are currently on deck, so much for organized watches!

02:30 exhausted after a 7 hour watch, and a clunk on the head Bryan final succumbed to the call of sleep. Although not particularly well rested (read as “not rested at all”) Barbara took up her watch and after a little gentle encouragement (read how you will!) Scott agreed that the spinnaker should be furled and the motor engaged once again! With the crashing and banging no more Scott now also managed to grab some long overdue sleep. A cold chill had descended upon us throughout the course of the night and all on deck were glad that they had packed those long pants and socks!

Scott retook the helm at 05:30 and as the sun came up the winds swung around and the spinnaker was unfurled once again. It had been a long night but with a pod of dolphin off the portside, the seas less turbulent and the engine off the crew slowly reappeared. It was definitely a bacon buttie day!!

We continued north under sail for the next 8 hours as the golden sands of the North Jersey shoreline appeared. The distant strand of gold edged nearer and nearer our portside, as we prepared to round Sandy Hook. Contact was made with Barbara’s sister to let her know our current position, “oh you’re at Sandy Hook, I’ll send Patrick to meet you now.” Her enthusiasm was dampened slightly as Barbara assured her that while we were near, we were still a good two hours away. 

The New York skyline was obscured by the haze of the afternoon with only the two support towers of the Verrazano Bridge being recognizable. The sails were furled as we rounded Sandy hook into the sheltered waters of the bay. Rula Bula was made ready as we motored towards are mooring ball in the sheltered waters of the Atlantic Highlands Marina. We had barely plucked the mooring ball out of the water when our welcoming committee, thank you Tommy (Barbara’s other brother-in-law), appeared at our starboard side via the marina’s launch service.

We had just completed 179 nautical miles and it felt great to have reached our destination! We boarded the launch and headed to meet more of Barbara’s family. Swimming pool, cool drinks and a fabulous BBQ (at least half a cow hit the grill!) awaited us all with fine hospitality extended from, what in Ireland we would call, “The Whole Clan!”

Today Julie eagerly agrees to write the “wee” Log — “because “sure” the bloging is almost over!!” Says She!

So here it comes…

Farewell to St. Micheals 

Pulling the main hatch back at 06:15 hours revealed a completely airless morning. The water so smooth it acted as a perfect mirror to the sky giving the sensation of 360 degree sky and interspersed Cumulonimbus. 

After mandatory Oatmeal, we checked out the boat’s engine fluids and decided to add a small amount of oil as the dipstick showed we should. We then raised the dinghy into its secure nest in the arch and upped anchor at 07:20 hours and made our way over to the nearby jetty to wait for the sewage pump-out station to open at 08:00 hours. On arrival at the jetty we were pleased to see that the marina crew were already on duty so, we immediately set to pumping out our 50 gallon holding tank — all completed we cast off from the jetty and were in the channel, out of St. Micheals by 08:15 hours.

As we settled into a 70 plus nautical mile trip to Chesapeake City we realized we were in for a long day of motor sailing. Any clouds that were apparent in the early morning had dissolved into a thick haze to represent a “H” in a triple “H” July day in the mid-Atlantic.

After passing under the massive Bay Bridge (with a mere 120 plus feet of clearance to spare!) the upper part of the Chesapeake Bay became less and less trafficked by large ships once we were north of Baltimore. Then as east and west shorelines closed in on us we could see many small inlets and beaches dotted with summer homes and cabins. With the water here looking less polluted we decided to strike up the water maker and top up all our tanks with fresh crisp reverse osmosis water. The Bay water now being more fresh than salt, we were able to produce one gallon per minute versus 0.5 gallons when we are in the Atlantic. Within 1.5 hours we have filled our fresh water tanks to the brim giving us a total of 300 gallons of drinking water and 40 gallons of head water.

As the sun starts to slowly set over the west banks of the bay we make a slow turn to the east and enter the Chesapeake & Delaware (D & C) canal which connects the head of the Chesapeake to the Delaware River and Bay. The canal is meticulously maintained today by the US Army Core of Engineers with most of the land adjacent to both banks now a nature reserve. This allowed us to see a great deal of bird life from hawks to waders and even a few turkey vultures. 

Approximately 8 miles into the C & D canal, close to Chesapeake City, there is a boat basin —- most likely a work boat staging area used during the dredging of the canal.  We entered the basin at approximately 20:00 hours and dropped anchor. Mission completed, 70 plus nautical miles achieved but unfortunately all done with engine power as RB’s sails stayed in their sun protective cocoons all day!  

During our time in the canal, the galley swung into full preparation mode and as soon as the anchor was set the BBQ was fired up and a parade of chicken and vegetable Shish-kabobs flew forth from the galley to land on the BBQ. As we sat down to the kabobs and fresh corn on the cob we were serenaded from the Italian restaurants on the banks of the boat basin with songs from “Old Blue Eyes” — even the searing hot humid air from earlier in the day seem to “chill-out” somewhat to the music as the day drew to a close…

At anchor in St. Michaels.

No sooner did we receive a blog comment this afternoon — from Anne & Alfie Glass in Northern Ireland (the home of all the world’s superior golfers) stating that they have been watching the US East Coast sailing weather and willing good winds for RB – when a large late afternoon thunderstorm came right over us dumping copious amounts of rain and lighting with wind in the 30 knot range…! Anne/Alfie no more wishing for wind for RB – you’re toooo good at it 

As Auntie Janet pointed out to by dear Uncle Bryan on the phone last night, when he was commenting  yet again on my ability to laze away the days ” well remember she is on holiday!” Thanks for your support Janet, you know I always appreciate it. xo

So with that thought in mind and with my orders to follow, today’s blog is taking a slightly different format… short and concise leaving plenty of time for pj’s and relaxation!

• 07:00 Up….. yawn, stretch
• Dressed…. yes everyone!
• Oatmeal….. yummy
• Crew outing to Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum…. very impressive
• Captain Blogger goes for a jog…. crazy 
• We found a landromat… “yippee” shouts Scott
• Lunch…. yummy yummy yummy
• Grocery shopping for the lads…. very exciting
• Laundry folding for the girls… you know us, wild and crazy
• Wee dander up Talbot Street (St.Michaels main street)
• Rain threatening… feels just like home, if you were in a sauna
• Return to RB
• Whole crew except Captain Blogger adopted the horizontal position to survive the HHH day… ahhhh
• Storm breaks overhead…. buckets of water, flash, boom!

The rest of the day is a prediction but will probably go something like this

• dinner…. left over fish stew, Barbara can’t wait …. “when was it made?”
• An episode of Spooks aka MI5
• Captain Blogger and crew retire for the night…. Bon Nuit

NB depending on weather situation wee may break out and head back on shore…. for an ice cream!