One of my longer term goals is to transition to being 100% electric and being powered as much by solar as possible. And in order to make that work I’ll need to sail a lot more and not linger up north as long as I tend to do. Still it’s been great lingering up north this fall.

We left Portland Maine the week following Labor Day, so the first full week in September. A short run to Cliff Island in Casco Bay Maine.

A New England tradition is that you can pick up any mooring you find but that you need to be ready to move if the owner of the mooring shows up. Mid week there is always a bunch of moorings free at Cliff Island. We spent just a couple of days there but it was long enough for us to spend a day at the library and enjoy the island a bit.

Then it was off to Provincetown MA. One of the challenges with Provincetown that we always face is that the holding is amazing, there is excellent holding, and with a pump out boat there is always the temptation to stay for a very long time. And so we lingered again. Luckily this time we had some self control and limited our time in restaurants which can get very expensive in Provincetown.

Then again we lingered in Newport RI, mostly for having mail shipped to us.

Then we lingered again in Atlantic Highlands NJ. This time waiting for a new autopilot wheel assembly and alternator. And other random parts.

I must confess I enjoy the slower part of travel. But the time has come for us to head south. It’s getting cold. The plan is to bounce out into the Atlantic and make our way down to Norfolk VA. It’s about a 48 hour run with good wind and with luck we’ll have good wind and smooth seas.

Unfortunately we’ll have the motor on the whole time we’re heading south, partly that will be to ensure we have enough electricity to run the autopilot and AIS systems, but also for the speed boost. I’m hoping we can average 5 knots so we can leave Atlantic Highlands NJ at 8am and arrive in Hampton VA (across the river from Norfolk) the second morning after.

If I hadn’t lingered north so long I suppose we could take our time, and it also makes me long for a catamaran. I was thinking about how a 45 ft Catamaran could probably make the same 48 hour trip in 24 hours.

But first things first. Finish working on our Catalina 34, save up for an electric conversion (make the decision once we have the cash) and then save up for a dream catamaran (making the decision once I have the cash).