Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Interrupted Sleep

Shelburne Bay, VT, N44 25 W 73 15
(08/23/05) I somehow keep one ear open for strange sounds when sleeping on a boat. When I went to bed it was calm but soon a mild
wind came up. Last night I heard a thud from the starboard stern quarter. A while later I heard another strange sound. I got up
and looked. The mooring had moved 20 feet. I had to leave immediately to prevent moving it more and risking being blown
aground.

The moorings at that place are just inadequate for a boat the size of Tarwathie. I can't trust them except in nearly still
conditions. Neither can I anchor there except in still conditions, because it's too exposed. Too bad, the exposed position is
precisely what made those spectacular views possible.

Anyhow, I had to get up, get dressed and leave at 0200. I headed for the nearest anchorage sheltered from a west wind. That was
Shelburne Bay, about 6 miles to the south. Moonlike made navigation easier. The lights on buoys in Lake Champlain are not the
best. It turned cold and the waves increased to 4 feet. It took me about 90 minutes to get to the new anchorage and drop the hook.
I lost about 4 hours sleep total.

Today I repaired the wiring broken when the mast was down and I varnished the dinghy. Tomorrow Libby will rejoin me.

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