And it's time to talk dates and locations!

[rcwhite]

Anybody have thoughts about the Chesapeake Bay, say in the Deale-Annapolis-Kent Island region?

Just sayin'

Sure. It would be called the Chesapeake Rendezvous! And we happen to have one of those. Bit of a trip for us Northeastern folks.

The Northeast Rendezvous is a bit of a trip for some of us Northeastern folks:) Not that we mind the run, just haven't seemed to be able to get more than a few days mid season. Have done the trip in a day a few times but it can be a bit long.

[DougSea]

The Northeast Rendezvous is a bit of a trip for some of us Northeastern folks:) Not that we mind the run, just haven't seemed to be able to get more than a few days mid season. Have done the trip in a day a few times but it can be a bit long.

I do hear you and I'd certainly consider keeping it close to the CC Canal to cut down on distance for you guys down east! It all depends on feedback from the group. We have a lot of CT and Long Island Members who've been regulars so trying to find the best balance can be challenging. Do you think you'd be able to make the trip? Have you voted for a date(s)? Let me know your thoughts. I'd love to drag Pitou and Legacy from the Boston area along this year as well.

[RobS]

And on the flip side you get guys down in the metro NY area like "Old School". When we had it in Boston in '08 the turn out was light, but I must admit it was a blast and some great lasting friendships were made there. It poses the question for the future: Should there by a LI/CT rendezvous and a New England rendezvous ?

[Jack]

Good point, Rob. We might need two separate locations if we are so spread out. I prefer Long Island Sound, east end of Long Island, CT River, Mystic, Stonington harbor.

[Pitou]

The Northeast Rendezvous is a bit of a trip for some of us Northeastern folks:) Not that we mind the run, just haven't seemed to be able to get more than a few days mid season. Have done the trip in a day a few times but it can be a bit long.

It is a run and putting the time together can be difficult. We traveled 180 miles to attend the first gathering in Essex, CT a few years back and had a blast. 2 days travel down, stopped at Mystic Seaport night 2 and spent 2 nights before heading to Essex, 2 nights at the rendezvous, 2 at Block, 1 at Cuttyhunk and scooted home a day early on the 9th to beat some nasty weather that was approaching. We needed to make a trip of the journey. At that time it was still called the New England Rendezvous before being morphed into the "Northeast" in 2011.

Maybe it's time to organize a Downeast Event?? Chris .. I nominate you to head the first event! I do love the mid-coast & it's only 82 miles from the Annisquam bell in Gloucester to just off Southport & Boothbay.

I do hear you and I'd certainly consider keeping it close to the CC Canal to cut down on distance for you guys down east! It all depends on feedback from the group. We have a lot of CT and Long Island Members who've been regulars so trying to find the best balance can be challenging. Do you think you'd be able to make the trip? Have you voted for a date(s)? Let me know your thoughts. I'd love to drag Pitou and Legacy from the Boston area along this year as well.

It's just too far of a trip up L I Sound for us to make it. It truly takes a minimum 10 day to 2 week commitment by boat. I've been threatening Rob to come by car! There are plenty of crew that I would love to see again. I envy the great crew in the sound who are all committed to making this event continue.

And on the flip side you get guys down in the metro NY area like "Old School".

You're right Rob, as it moves further north / east it becomes difficult for those in the metro area and the western end of the sound.

When we had it in Boston in '08 the turn out was light, but I must admit it was a blast and some great lasting friendships were made there.

It sure was a blast and glad to have met you and to still be in touch.

It poses the question for the future: Should there by a LI/CT rendezvous and a New England rendezvous ?

That's hitting the nail on the head! ... and I've nominated Chris to organize the first New England / Downeast event!

[DesertAlbin736]

Holy Moly, Old School, I grew up in the town of Barnegat directly across the bay from "Old Barney"! My mother and stepdad moved us away in '67 to Upstate NY after my parent's divorce and then I moved to Arizona in '77 and never looked back.

This is the year of the Big Road Trip with our Albin 25 "La Dolce Vita", which as mentioned in other posts on AOG will depart Phoenix a few days before Memorial Day, heading for Rhode Island with a five or six day cruise on the Erie Canal on the way. After Rhode Island the boat goes back on the trailer and we drive South and head for Barnegat Bay. One of my two half brothers lives in Manahawkin, and I haven't seen him in five years, since he's busy raising kids and doesn't get to travel much.

Speaking of Barnegat Inlet, back in 2002 I trailered my Montgomery 15 pocket cruiser sailboat (which I sold in '05) back East and stopped in Barnegat to visit my late birth father. Then a school chum and I sailed the M15 across the bay from Barnegat public dock over to the inlet, and ran the the inlet against a sea breeze and incoming flood tide out past the breakwater into the Atlantic, motoring with a 3.5 HP Nissan outboard. Got pictures to prove it too. That same trip I cruised the Patuxent River and crossed the Chesapeake with the Monty owners group rendezvous, sailng from Solomons over to the Little Choptank River, then afterward headed back home to Arizona and on out to Monterey, California and competed in a fun race with the Potter Yachters' West Wight Potter club. Barnegat Bay, Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay and the Pacific off Monterey with the same boat in the same year.

The next year, 2003, I returned to Monterey to compete again in the "Cruiser Challenger" race. As I did in 2002, I won 3rd place for the second time racing against Potter 15's and a couple other Montgomery 15s. That same year I also sailed the Monty with our Phoenix based Lake Pleasant Sailing club group from Marina Del Rey in Los Angeles out to Catalina Island, a 30 mile crossing.

This time we plan to trailer on down to the Chesapeake, probably launching in Solomons, after a few days on Barnegat Bay.

[DesertAlbin736]

Pitou wrote:

You're right Rob, as it moves further north / east it becomes difficult for those in the metro area and the western end of the sound.

How about trailering 2,500 miles from the Southwest to cruise New England and the Mid Atlantic as we plan to do this summer? Last year we drove almost 1,700 miles one way from Phoenix to cruise the San Juans and meet up with the PNW rendezvous in Roche Harbor and continued on up into the Gulf Islands of BC.

That's why IMO 25 feet is the perfect size for a pocket trawler. Small enough to trailer with a 3/4 ton pickup, and with 8 ft beam don't need wide load permits, but big enough for two people to make extended cruises with standing head room in the cabin. Only thing we lack is an on board shower.

[rcwhite]

I do hear you and I'd certainly consider keeping it close to the CC Canal to cut down on distance for you guys down east! It all depends on feedback from the group. We have a lot of CT and Long Island Members who've been regulars so trying to find the best balance can be challenging. Do you think you'd be able to make the trip? Have you voted for a date(s)? Let me know your thoughts. I'd love to drag Pitou and Legacy from the Boston area along this year as well.

We will make the trip at some point. Hard to say if this will be the year though. Have been to BI many times but only a couple of short visits to LI. Once sailing south out of Montauk mid winter, and an overnight inside of Fire Island on the way up the coast last year. We would like to plan for a couple of weeks and spend some time in the area and at 200+ nm it is nice to keep things flexible:)

Maybe it's time to organize a Downeast Event?? Chris .. I nominate you to head the first event! I do love the mid-coast & it's only 82 miles from the Annisquam bell in Gloucester to just off Southport & Boothbay.

Well now..We tend to be anchor dwellers and not practiced at such things but if there is interest....

[Old School]

If anybody wants to meet up in Cape May at South Jersey Marina I've had some good experience there.

We can get a "Micro Rally" together.

Frank

[DesertAlbin736]

Old School,

We plan to be in Barnegat with our boat toward the end of June, but Cape May is not part of our plans right now. The plan after Barnegat is to head down to Seaford, DE and launch on the Nanticoke River, since we know some yacht club people there. We could go down to Cape May and take the ferry over to Lewes, but that doesn't really save any time, and the fare for truck, boat, driver, and one passenger is $80. At best the shorter distance only saves about $20 in diesel fuel for the truck plus turnpike and bridge tolls. Might be fun though. I haven't ridden the Cape May ferry since the mid '90s*. I'd have to check my "air draft" with the boat on the trailer. The ferry limits overhead clearance to 13 ft 6 inches. I think we're around 10 feet with the pilothouse, but I'll have to measure it. I suppose we could go by boat across the Delaware Bay and through the C&D Canal, but we want to have our vehicle available, and we'll be continuing on South after cruising the Chesapeake.

* A little background: I grew up in Barnegat until age 15. My parents divorced in '62 and my mom remarried a year later. They lived another couple years in Manahawkin, then moved us up to the Albany-Schenectady area in NY where I finished the last couple years of high school. My birth father stayed in Barnegat, remarried and had two boys by his second wife. Dad worked for the Parkway for 20-some years and retired as supervisor of the Barnegat toll plaza. One of my half brothers lives in Manahawkin, the other down in Ft. Pierce, FL. In '83 my mother and stepfather retired and moved to Delaware (cheap housing, no sales tax, low cost of living). Meanwhile I had moved to Arizona in '77, but made trips back to Delaware to visit at least every other year. Sometimes I'd spend time with my mother and stepfather, and then they'd take me up to Lewes and drop me off to take the ferry as a foot passenger, and Dad would pick me up in Cape May. Both sets of parents have since passed away.

[paulamaxim]

We just recently purchased our 1999 Albin 28 TE. We also have her moored in Stonington.

So I could definitely help on this end trying to get mooring. I can also provide into on an Inn, hotel and B & B that is walking distance from the town pier. Several great restaurants in town also! Art galleries and shops also. Small but very typically downeast town. Lobster fishing is the primary business there.

It's a beautiful place. Tons of islands and interesting wildlife!

I suggest near the end of August.

[paulamaxim]

I think two places would work. Stonington and near the CC canal. We skippered our Albin from Port Washington, Long Island, NY to Stonington May 2 & 3. 20 hours in 1-3' seas. An occasional 5' to make it interesting. The boat handled very well!

[paulamaxim]

Is there interest for Stonington, Maine for a Albin get together this summer?

[jleonard]

Is there a final location and date?

[DougSea]

Is there a final location and date?

The date will be August 7-9th. We're calling around for locations.

BI is on the list, as is Essex Island.