Seven days and five hours after she rolled into New England Boatworks on a truck, Esmeralde headed out onto Narragansett Bay for the first time. We were joined by my brother Charlie, his wife Maria and son Bret, all seasoned sailors. This trawler business is new for all of us, but we’re adaptable! Best of all, they arrived with a lovely bottle of Veuve Cliquot, which we stashed in the fridge until we were organized and under way. Continue reading ♬…on The Road Bay Again…♬
The boat finally arrived at New England Boatworks on Thursday, June 8 at about 12:30 in the afternoon. Thanks to the quick response by our driver, Alan, and the NEB travel lift crew, she was floating by 1:20. After so many delays getting her here, including a 10-day stint at a truck stop in Maryland waiting for permits, this quick splash was a welcome relief. She was very dirty from all the road filth, but aside from that and a few superficial scrapes from tree branches and other flying debris, she was in great shape. Continue reading Putting Her Back Together
It was The Trip From Hell, but it’s over. She’s home! After a planned 10-day trip across the country morphed slowly and painfully into a 25-day odyssey, Esmeralde finally arrived at New England Boatworks yesterday, June 8 at about 12:30 on a beautiful sunny afternoon. Continue reading She’s Home!
We spent a great final four days in LaConner before hitching up the Airstream, saying goodby to Esmeralde, and heading home. We left the boat in the care of the folks at Tomco, who would go through our punch list, make a few tweaks we requested, and pack her up for her truck ride across the country. Final goodbyes — to the people, the town, and our favorite new hangouts — and off we rolled on a grey, drizzly, quintessential PNW day. Continue reading Homeward Bound
Wow, the end of our shakedown cruise in the PNW was emotional.
We had grown to love LaConner during the three weeks we spent there prior to taking delivery of the boat, while living in our Airstream at the LaConner Marina Campground. So while we did have reason to celebrate our return to the little town, we were very sorry that our excellent cruise on our new boat was drawing to a close. Continue reading Back to LaConner – Cruise Over
As we hauled up our anchor after a pleasant layover at McMiken Island State Park in South Puget Sound, we could smell the end of our Pacific Northwest cruise, and the finale to our shakedown of Esmeralde. In order to deliver the boat back to the factory in time for them to hit our punch list and prepare the boat for her truck-ride across the country, we had to think about getting her back to LaConner. We figured we had two more nights. Continue reading Shakedown – Part 10 – The Last Hurrah
When we woke up in Gig Harbor, the skies appeared to be clearing. As I sipped my coffee in my PJs and slippers in the salon, an apparition appeared as I gazed out towards the harbor entrance: seeming to float above the clouds to the east, in the distance, a hazy but massive rugged snow-covered mountain peak loomed. I learned later that this was Mt. Rainier, and that it is a special sight. Indeed. A good start to the day, a good omen. Continue reading Shakedown – Part 9 – Gig Harbor to McMicken Island
