Unwinding in the Islands
We have mostly recovered from our sleep deprivation on the long haul down to the islands and have been enjoying the chance to swim again in the clear blue water. After getting the boat back up to snuff and taking…
Windward Slog 2015
We had a long haul this year to make the Virgin Islands sailing 1598 miles this year compared to 1499 last year. This meant just over 12 1/2 days compared to just under 12 on last years run, but our average…
We’re Off!
We have cast off our lines and are on our way out of the mouth of the Cheasapeake Bay bound for the Virgin Islands!
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
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
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
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’
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
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…
Teak, Teak and more Teak
By far the biggest maintenance project that we have undertaken this year is related to the large amount of exterior teak that we have on board. Teak has some great properties for long term durability in the marine environment and…