Fayaway is waiting patiently for a weather window. NOAA has officially ended monitoring Fiona’s remnants, as she swirls up north after whacking folks in Nova Scotia. Yep, some of us dodged that 100 mph bullet. Now in the south we’re watching for havoc wreaked by Tropical Storm Ian about to smash most of Florida.

Life was something to be devoured because at any moment it might be snatched away. You just couldn’t trust life. You had to seize it by the throat. You had to pursue your dreams relentlessly, recklessly. It was too much of a gamble to waste time.

John Kretchmer, Flirting With Mermaids: The Unpredictable Life Of A Delivery Skipper.

In the meantime, between nature’s wild weather sandwich, we see a likely window for us to head south from Newburyport. As harsh as it sounds, we’ll likely drop our mooring on Wednesday 0300 to arrive at the Cape Cod Canal when its flow goes in our direction. Assuming the forecast holds, we could be heading up the Delaware River by Saturday morning, away from the open ocean.

Stay tuned, and we’ll update our position on the tracker daily when we are on the move. Our plan is to visit the Annapolis Boat Show, with a possible stop near Baltimore. Then continue south to wait for another window to occur after November 1st, when hurricane season officially ends, and we then head offshore for warmer water.

Insurance companies are also making sure we wait until November. Our already difficult-to-obtain marine offshore insurance policy insists upon waiting for November 1, to mitigate risks associated with weather. This part is completely understandable, as countless losses have occurred due to hurricane damage, even if the majority is in port. Our problems with insurance are more about perceived risks rather than facts. If you want to hear me rant about insurance underwriters’ ineptitude associated with lithium batteries, just ask. 

For those wanting to put off the backyard chores or further procrastinate at work, you can also track us at Marinetraffic.com. This one is updated more frequently but a bit more complicated to navigate.

About opening Kretchmer quote: John tells of his father’s untimely death, taken by cancer. While I don’t advocate recklessness, it seems the urgency grows as we age, and more loved ones drop suddenly. Why wait to pursue your dreams and passions? Why is any job more important than the limited lifetime we have to spend? Don’t be a martyr for The Man!

Hug your kids!