US East Coast

Preparing for Another Passage South

Preparing for Another Passage South

We have been busy over the past week preparing for our rapidly approaching departure for the Virgin Islands.  We hauled Altera last week for new antifouling paint and to inspect the saildrive and rudder.  Since then we have been steadily…

A Brief tour of the Chesapeake Bay

A Brief tour of the Chesapeake Bay

  Following the boat show, we sought a more protected anchorage to get some rest and moved up river to Weems Creek, which it turns out was nearly a repeat of our experience last February in Christmas Cove.  We met…

The Real Altera V2.0:  A Multihull

The Real Altera V2.0: A Multihull

7  1/2 years ago, Chrissy and I bought a Hobie Cat Getaway and the book “Catamaran Sailing from Start to Finish“.  2 years later we craved a more technical boat, with more strings to pull.  So we bought a used racing…

Altera V2.0

Altera V2.0

We had a quick non-stop 260 mile trip from NYC to Annapolis, via the Delaware Bay and the C&D Canal, and we dropped our anchor in Annapolis the evening before the In-Water Sailboat show.  We have wanted to see the show for…

We’re Loving the ‘Big Apple’

We’re Loving the ‘Big Apple’

Last year we cruised straight down the Hudson River passing Manhattan as we were on a tight schedule to join the Salty Dawgs and finish preparations for the offshore jump to the British Virgin Islands.  This year, we had a bit…

Altera on the Move

Altera on the Move

We’ve made great progress in the past week knocking off more than 600 miles in our journey to warmer weather.  We departed Arichat last Tuesday evening, a year and a day after we departed our home port of Penetanguishene.  We…

We Made it to Cape Breton

We Made it to Cape Breton

We left Martha’s Vineyard last Monday and had strong SW winds to carry us across the 220 mile stretch between New England and Nova Scotia and then along the southern coast to Halifax.  

A Cold and Damp Leg to Martha’s Vineyard

A Cold and Damp Leg to Martha’s Vineyard

We left Atlantic City mid-day in a gentle southwest wind.  The forecast called for the wind to shift NNW in the evening so we headed north of the rhumb line in the afternoon planning to close reach as the wind shifted as this…

Leg 2 – Beaufort to Atlantic City

Leg 2 – Beaufort to Atlantic City

We departed Beaufort, NC with light winds which saw as motor or motor sailing half of our 60 or so hour trip to Atlantic City.  This is one of the downfalls of being on a schedule, but on the bright…