Well, after months and months of planning, we’re finally underway on the first leg of our epic Downeast Loop on a new Cutwater 28. Right now we’re in Kingston NY, some 80 nm from where we started at Liberty Landing Marina across the Hudson from downtown Manhattan this morning.
Our goal – George Sass Sr is my colleague on this voyage – is Quebec City, about 400 nm and a 20 or so locks away. Then the boat will be put on a trailer and driven 228 miles to Hampden Maine where it will be launched at Hamlin’s Marina, a Cutwater dealer, and then cruised down the Maine and New England coast another 360 mm or so back to New York.
The whole trip, with the separate leg to Quebec and then another leg down the Atlantic coast, is possible because the Cutwater 28, with an 8′ 6″ beam, is fully trailerable. If fact, this trip started yesterday morning when Mark Schulstad, who runs Pocket Yacht outside Annapolis and is the Cutwater and Ranger Tug dealer there, trailered the boat up to Liberty Landing Marina. He sea trailed the boat for us and then drove home, while Sass and I slept on board and headed up the Hudson this morning. We ran at about 18 plus knots burning about 10 gph on a gorgeous summer day. Looking forward to completing the Hudson River leg and getting into the Champlain locks tomorrow. But at least were finally underway. A good feeling.
