Had a wonderful night sail from Maine over to Nova Scotia.

Left Rockland with Westerly winds which lightened through the night. A small whale breached in front of the boat as the sun was rising. We came across a huge Basking Shark, several pods of dolphins, a Sunfish, and also a floating whale carcass (bleh) Arrive in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, tied to a mooring ball and checked into Canada (Yay!!!). WE MADE IT TO NOVA SCOTIA!!!

Left Salem at sunrise and motored in the fog till the wind filled in from behind. Saw a small whale breaching with visible injuries as it tried to get away from at least one shark which we saw nearby. Anchored at Jewell Island for the night before continuing to Rockland. Lot of lobster pots to dodge the entire way. Saw a small-nose dolphin, several seals, and a sunfish along the way. Anchored in Rockland just outside the mooring field.

Sailed from Plymouth, MA to Salem, MA. Getting into Salam was chaotic there are so many boats in this area! We also hooked up to a mooring ball for the first time ever!

We went from Stonington, CT to Plymouth, MA headed to Salem tomorrow. It was a great day. We even listened to and finished a book during the trip.

After cleaning the bottom of the boat it was time to head to shore to meet up with family for some much needed ice cream!

This was one of the coldest trips we have done so far and it’s probably going to continue being cold as we keep heading up the east coast to Nova Scotia.

This passage was timed with the currents and some shifting wind. Started out a bit rough but the water smoothed out as the sun was setting. We'd seen lots of crab pots and debris which makes for a nervous night watch. Always great to greet the sunrise and we anchored shortly after.

Departed Ellis Island after waiting for a favorable current to sail along East River to Port Washington. Made really good time and fun to see the city from the water.

After a super calm night on anchor near Deleware City, we left early in the morning towards the mouth of the Delaware Bay. Things got really scary when we had a hard grounding in a jetty which was not marked on the charts. Stopped to assess the damage and even jumped in the water to check under the boat. Luckily Nauti Dream is fine. We continued on our path and had really great conditions the entire day and through the night. Encountered a storm about 15 minutes before reaching the anchorage next to the Statue of Liberty which delayed our arrival as we waited in the channels for the storm to clear up.

After anchoring overnight in Chesapeake City, we refueled before continuing through the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. Thankful there was not a lot of shopping traffic and timed it to motor with the current. Anchored outside Deleware City where we picked up crew for the next passage around to NYC.

Left Still Pond with the wind pushing us North. Was overtaken by a strong storm which was intense for about 30 minutes and then just rained the rest of the passage. Had to dodge a lot of logs and debris coming down the channel. Set anchor in Chesapeake City just as the sun was setting.

The rain stopped just as we picked up the anchor to leave Pasadena. Got a view of the collapsed Baltimore Bridge as we headed up the Chesapeake Bay. Had to motor-sail with not much wind and into a strong opposing current. Crab tape everywhere, so had to stay alert. Managed to cook steak and asparagus for dinner in-route. Anchored at Still Pond Anchorage just before the sun set.

Try to get through the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal by the end of the week, we are breaking up the distance into smaller evening sails. Windy conditions for some great Close Haul sailing have us a nice boost. Foggy conditions made visibility reduced to several miles, but nothing too concerning.

We spent an additional week after our Hatteras crossing to recover and wait for boat parts to be delivered. Departed Hampton in the evening with following wind and waves. The waves died down through the night as we sail farther up the Chesapeake Bay. Saw dolphins and Cow-Nosed Rays. Wind shifted several times and ended up motor sailing much of the passage. Annapolis was very chaotic when we arrived, but were able to set anchor and rest.

Our fiberglass deck was joined to the hull with fiberglass on the inside and 5200 on the outside. This joint extended along the transom, below the waterline. We decided to fiberglass the joint on the outside and also add a small step below the swim platform to aid in getting on and off the boat when the platform is raised. We used closed-cell foam to get the overall shape, then fiberglassed between each of the layers to the transom before the outer shell of fiberglass. We used Total Boat Epoxy, Fairing Compound, Gelcoat, and Antifouling Paint to complete this project. We have now been able to sail with this DIY upgrade for about a month now and am really happy to say this has become one of our favorite and useful DIY projects so far.

Rounding Cape Hatteras was not on our bucket list of places to sail. Getting around Cape Lookout and then to the point of Cape Hatteras went much as we had anticipated. Very challenging conditions, but we made good time. Then came the hurricane-strength winds as the sun went down. We had just started to point Northward. It was the most terrified we have been and did not know if Nauti Dream would hold up through the storm. At one point the bimini started to come apart and Lynn's inflatable life jacket deployed because we were getting soaked by the pelting rain and waves crashing over the deck. We made it through having hand-steered for 30 hours.

Our canvas dodger with isinglass has already been restitched several times and the isinglass replaced, but continued to fall apart. So we started building out a hard dodger using closed-cell foam and fiberglass. Although it is not quite done, we are looking forward to completing it in the next several weeks. We will use tinted plexiglass and the center pane is designed as a hatch we will be able to allow the air to flow into the cockpit area. Can't wait to get this one finished.

Had to dive on the anchor to free it from being tangled in some wreckage before getting underway. Departed Charleston with winds from the Northeast. Battled the current and winds till the late evening. The sea state calmed during our night sailing and the wind died off completely the next morning. Caught 7 Bonita and 1 Mahi along the way.

This is our shakedown sail after being hauled out for 11 months. Sail started off calm and blissful with dolphins in our wake. A massive storm blew in and we got drenched. It cleared up just in time for us to enter the channel and set the anchor. Overall, a great first passage to our next adventure.

It’s the little things that make all the difference. We had a freezer inset into our counter that no longer worked and we decided not to repair it. We already bought another freezer that we store under our salon table. After our three month trip to the Bahamas last summer we decided we really wanted to add a washing machine. So, we bought a very small portable washing machine and made the decision to rip out the broken freezer and replaced it with our new washing machine. It all seemed fairly straightforward. Yet it turned out to be anything but straightforward. Tearing out the old freezer was a battle on its own. After that, we had to modify our little washer to fit in the space. Modifying it included cutting off the base, cutting off most of the side casing, moving the water inlet, rewiring it, reconfiguring the sump pump, and making a mounting base for it out of starboard. After all that extensive prep work, we installed it in its new home by running all the new wiring and plumbing needed. After running all the necessary test to make sure everything was working correctly. We closed up the space. I am happy to report that it has been working great and makes being a live-aboard a little more relaxing.

It's been to long with Nauti Dream out of the water and all the boat work. We really needed to get back on the water. So we met up with Captain Jack and his wife for a beautiful day sail on the St. John's River. No wind to start out, but picked up later in the day.

Stayed at Harbor Island for 3 weeks. While there are convenience stores and fuel available, we needed to restock on provisions. So we sailed overnight to Nassau. Very peaceful downwind sail at 7 knots. Since we don't have a spinnaker or whisker pole, we have found it better to sail on a broad reach rather than running straight downwind. We always reef the sails as the sun goes down. It may be slower, but don't have to worry about getting overpowered during the night.

Left West Palm Beach for overnight sail to Miami. Had to stay close to shore to avoid Gulf Stream. Could not get engine started at sunset, so sailed through the night with no autopilot. Generator was also not working. We hove-to around 2am to get some rest. Continued around 4am. Able to start the motor after the sun came up and motor sailed the rest of the way. Entered Biscayne Bay through Stiltsville. Fixed the generator while in Miami.

After leaving Port Canaveral, it was slow motoring directly into the wind. Stayed close to shore to avoid the turbulent Gulf Stream in these conditions. Arrived to the Ponce Inlet as the sun set and grounded on the shallow sandy bottom. Able to get free and navigate through the channels to our final anchorage of this month-long journey from Puerto Rico.

Left Freeport at sunrise with an original intent to sail to Fort Myers. With the Southerly wind and Gulf Stream pushing us at 9 knots with very smooth conditions, we opted to sail through the night to Cape Canaveral. We had to slow our pace to arrive in Cape Canaveral in daylight and after the draw bridges and lock were opened.

Left Goat Cay before sunrise to finish the sail before a predicted evening storm. Storm began just before we entered the harbor in Freeport. Stayed in the bay for a week while a major storm passed by. No anchoring in the channel, but we did find a marina with available space.

Left Palm Cay Marina after my sister, Mel, headed back to Oregon. Now just myself and girlfriend, Lynn for the rest of the journey. No wind with water like glass and can't tell where the water ends and sky begins. Motored to Clifton Bay in preparation for our next big passage.

We had to motor straight into the wind and waves. This was not a comfortable ride and we arrived after dark. Several of the channel markers where not lit or marked. Almost hit several. We stay at Palm Cay Marina which has really nice amenities, close to stores and restaurants. My sister, Mel, who has been part of the crew since Puerto Rico has to fly back home since she has to get back to her home in Oregon.