With a good weather forecast, we departed Cape May early on June 18, a beautifully cool day with light north winds. We rolled out some jib and had a great ride up to Atlantic City. "Sammy" the tillerpilot really did his share that day. We opted for Gardiners Historic Basin, so that we could easily get our friend Colby ashore and go for a walk. Up and away early the next morning, headed for Manasquan. This is a very busy inlet, lots of fishing boats, and recreational boats, especially on a weekend. We arrived at 3:00 on Saturday afternoon: not a good plan. Our plan was to anchor at "dog beach" as we have done before. On this beautiful, hot, sunny Saturday afternoon, the boats were like ants moving all around the inlet. In the past, we have "hunted around" a bit with the depth finder to find a good spot to drop the hook. This time, we went to the spot we thought we had anchored before, put the hook down and made sure it was set. Whew! Colby was in a hurry to get ashore, so Dick put the dingy in the water and took him to "dog beach." Well, by the time they returned, we were aground, and only 2 hours after high tide! With all of the activity, we had not done our usual careful job of anchoring. Oh, boy, this is going to be interesting! We decided that we would just wait for high tide, and we should be able to get off by ourselves. High tide would be 2:30 AM. OK, cook dinner quickly before it becomes too difficult, sit on the rail for a while and wave at all of the people who pass by on their boats. A few asked if we needed food or water! By low tide, we were at a heel of 35 degrees...very uncomfortable. We rested for a while, and waited for the tide to come back in. About 2:00 AM, we were upright again and we started working to get ourselves off. Dick tried to winch us out with the windlass, and Karen was at the helm, assisted with the engine. We moved an inch or two, tried again, another inch or two, but we finally decided we weren't going to be able to get off under our own power. The hide tide at 2:30 AM was not quite as high as the high tide in the afternoon, by a few inches. So we called BOAT US, and asked for a tow. Within minutes, we were floating free once again! This was the same BOAT US operator who had assisted us back in October in the same inlet! Very professional and helpful. So we re anchored in deeper water, to regroup and rest a bit. By 5:00 AM the fishing boats were underway, and in this narrow channel were were rocking and rolling. We were underway soon after.
The plan had been to return to the anchorage behind the Statue of Liberty, which we have enjoyed before. However, we had received a call from Brian and Deb, whom we had met at Utsch's, saying that the whole area around the Statue was closed off because of the Red Bull Air Races. So on to Plan B: some other folks had told us that Great Kill Harbor on Staten Island is an excellent anchorage. A little out of the way, but we decided to check it out. Only 35 (nautical) miles from Manasquan, but we needed a short day after our sleepless night in Manasquan. This was a very good stop; excellent holding, a good dinghy dock, and a nice place to walk. We certainly slept well that night!
As we were leaving the channel at 7:30 the next morning, a fishing boat passed us: it was Norman, whom we had met a couple of times while he was visiting our friend Rick Kelley on Lake Champlain. Norman lives in New Jersey, and we had told him we would call when we were on the Jersey coast. On the phone the night before, he had told us he would be fishing in Great Kills Harbor the next morning! The timing was perfect!
It was a long slog to Haverstraw that day, 51 nautical miles, with the tide against us most of the day. Our lowest speed of the day was 2.8 knots, but by the time we reached Haverstraw we were up to 6.0 knots. About a half mile from Haverstraw Marina, at 5:00PM, we ran out of fuel!! ARGH!!!! So Dick quickly added diesel to the tank, and we motored to the fuel dock, where we topped off. The fuel dock was very busy, and it was 7:30 by the time we got to our slip, exhausted. Did we mention that it was 90 degrees and humid?
We slept in the next morning, and it was almost 9:30 by the time we were underway. Tide was against us again this day, but our lowest speed was 4.2 knots, better than the day before. Some rain on and off, hot and humid, then thunderstorms forecast for the evening. We picked up a mooring at Hyde Park, and once again our enclosure was an asset, as we had dinner in the cockpit during a downpour! This would be a good spot to return to, as it is walking distance to the Roosevelt Historic Site and the Vanderbilt Mansion.
On to Riverview Marine Services the next day, arriving at noon. Another 90+ degree day, and very humid. UGHH! And an unpleasant surprise: our mast crutches, which we use to hold the mast on the boat while we motor up through the Champlain Canal and back to Lake Champlain, were gone. When one has the mast stepped on the trip south, one stores the mast crutches at the marina, with no guarantees. It is an honor system. Well, someone obviously needed our mast supports, and took them. Fortunately, there was a boat at Riverview when we arrived that had just come from Chicago, through the Erie Canal. Sue and Leo are headed south with their Westsail 32, and do not intend to return. So they offered us their mast crutches! Thank you!! Only minor modifications were needed to make them work for us. We enjoyed some time chatting with Sue and Leo as we all took some breaks in the shade while trying to work on our boats. They were rigging to head south; we were de-rigging to head north on the canal. Thursday morning we finished de-rigging, the mast was down and we were underway by noon. We really appreciate the skill of the staff at Riverview.
Thunderstorms were threatening for the afternoon, and we listened to the weather radio to track the progress of the storms. Once when the skies were really dark and the wind picked up, we picked up a mooring at Castleton for a few minutes. When the conditions quieted down, we were underway again. Later as we entered the Port of Albany, it started to rain, so we hugged the bulkhead, and kept moving. Through the Troy Lock at 6:45; just as we exited the lock, our friend Larry called to see where we were. Larry lives in Waterford; when we arrived at the free docks at Waterford, Larry greeted us and helped us with our lines! Great to see a familiar face! We walked to a nearby pizzeria, and brought pizza and wings back for dinner in the cockpit. Thanks Larry!
This morning, our son Emil picked us up, and drove us to Queensbury so that Colby could see his vet! Colby had developed a skin condition which we wanted checked out. Back to Waterford, lunch with Emil, and he was on his way. We are happy to be here in Waterford, and will probably stay an extra day. Three days from here to Van Slooten Harbour Marina!!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Hurray, Hurray, we're at Cape May!!
Sorry for the lapse in blogging!! The 3 of us are fine, and we are here at Cape May in a downpour, waiting for the three day weather window we need to get up the New Jersey coast.
To backtrack at bit: the trip from Norfolk to Deltaville was a long one. It took us 11.5 hours to make the trip (56 nautical miles). We had the tide and current against us for a while, and that really makes a difference in a slow boat like ours. Doziers Regatta Point Marina was very nice; Dave and Linda arrived ahead of us and were there to take our lines when we arrived! We stayed two nights here, and enjoyed the pool, a wine and cheese party and dinner with Dave and Linda.
On to Solomons; another long day, but we made better time on this section: 58.8 miles in 11 hours. The tide was with us, and that helped a lot. Nothing happening at the Navy firing range this trip! It was a good day, we rolled out some jib and motorsailed most of the day. At Solomons we anchored; it is an excellent anchorage, with the dingy dock at the Holiday Inn close by, so it is easy to get Colby ashore. Also a great grocery store and West Marine within walking distance. We stayed 2 nights here as well; the problem with 11 + hour travel days is that we need a rest day in between! It became very hot and humid while we were here; we sure do look forward to some cool Adirondack weather! All fall we kept looking for warm weather; now we are looking for relief from the extreme heat and humidity!
From Solomons we crossed over to the eastern shore, entered the Choptank River, and went in "the back door" to St. Michael's. Our friends Carol and Rick Clarke live just a few minutes away, and Carol met us at the dinghy dock and took us back to their house for showers!! Wow, what a treat after being anchored out for 2 nights in this weather!! After, we went out for pizza and then back to the boat. Colby opted to stay with "Auntie Carol" for the night, in the cool, air-conditioned house! Dick needed to go home for a few days; we had planned to find a marina, where Karen and Colby would stay on the boat, and Dick would rent a car to make the trip home and back. Carol came up with a wonderful alternate plan; we could anchor the boat in front of their friends' house in a nearby quiet creek, Dick would fly from Baltimore to Albany, and Karen and Colby would stay with the Clarkes in that cool, air-conditioned house! Thank you Carol! This was a great plan, especially since the temperatures and humidity were at record breaking levels for early June in the Chesapeake. Our good friend Toby picked Dick up at Albany airport in our Toyota. Colby and Karen truly enjoyed the time off the boat with our good friends Carol and Rick. Karen got to sail with Carol on Caspar, a 19' Cape Dory! This was a different and fun time. And Colby finally got to go swimming a couple of times; first time since leaving Lake Champlain in September! Very happy dog! Carol has come to our rescue several times; it is wonderful to have good friends, especially ones who are strategically located on the Chesapeake!
After Dick returned we spent another day anchored near St. Michaels, waiting for a front to pass through. There were several boats in the same anchorage, which was well protected.
From St. Michaels we passed through Knapps Narrows, and then on to Annapolis. We were finally able to sail! It was a beautiful day, with the breeze really picking up as we arrived at Annapolis. It truly is the sailing capital of the East Coast; sailboats all over, and lots of skill evident in the handling of those boats. In Annapolis harbor, moorings are available for $30 per night. A small price to pay to watch the circus! Boats of all sizes coming and going, sailboats, powerboats, tour boats, kayaks, dinghies; it is constant motion, and one can watch it all from the comfort of one's own cockpit! And then of course, when you venture ashore, there are people all over, watching the boats, strolling along the boardwalk, enjoying the beautiful weather. We enjoyed the sights so much we stayed 2 nights.
Then on to Tolchester. This is where we had ended our trip south in the fall of 2008 when we arrived a week before Thanksgiving and the temperatures were in the 20's. The folks at Tolchester Marina took very good care of us when we decided to store the boat here for the winter. It was nice to return in warm weather! Actually, it was another hot and humid day; after visiting with friends here, we enjoyed a swim in the pool and a drink at the pool bar! Colby enjoyed another swim on the beach!
Next day we traveled to Chesapeake City; we were very happy to get a spot at the free town dock! Chesapeake City is another pretty town, with lots of friendly folks. We enjoyed a great crab dinner at the Tap Room. We studied the tide and current charts in preparation for the trip down the Delaware Bay. This is a long trip (62 nautical miles), and the current is significant in the Delaware River and Delaware Bay. Timing is critical to making a successful trip in one day. We left the dock at 5:20 Am, had the ebb tide with us, then current against us for 3 hours, then the current with us. We made the rip from Chesapeake City to Utsch's Marina in 12 hours. We were very pleased to have had such a successful day.
This is our fourth stay at Utsch's Marina; we really enjoy our time here. The staff are friendly and helpful, the protection is excellent, the facilities are very good, and the village of Cape May is a fun place to visit, with a good grocery store and a hardware store. It was beautifully cool here yesterday; what a welcome relief form the temps and humidity we have experienced lately. We arrived here Monday night; we anticipate leaving either Thursday or Friday, depending on how quickly the seas settle down after today's storm. We are using the time here to provision, do laundry, clean the boat, change the engine oil, and catch up the blog! The New Jersey coast for us is a 3 day trip: Cape May to Atlantic City, Atlantic City to Manasquan, and Manasquan to New York City. Then we will be back on the Hudson River! Trefoil can almost see the barn door!
To backtrack at bit: the trip from Norfolk to Deltaville was a long one. It took us 11.5 hours to make the trip (56 nautical miles). We had the tide and current against us for a while, and that really makes a difference in a slow boat like ours. Doziers Regatta Point Marina was very nice; Dave and Linda arrived ahead of us and were there to take our lines when we arrived! We stayed two nights here, and enjoyed the pool, a wine and cheese party and dinner with Dave and Linda.
On to Solomons; another long day, but we made better time on this section: 58.8 miles in 11 hours. The tide was with us, and that helped a lot. Nothing happening at the Navy firing range this trip! It was a good day, we rolled out some jib and motorsailed most of the day. At Solomons we anchored; it is an excellent anchorage, with the dingy dock at the Holiday Inn close by, so it is easy to get Colby ashore. Also a great grocery store and West Marine within walking distance. We stayed 2 nights here as well; the problem with 11 + hour travel days is that we need a rest day in between! It became very hot and humid while we were here; we sure do look forward to some cool Adirondack weather! All fall we kept looking for warm weather; now we are looking for relief from the extreme heat and humidity!
From Solomons we crossed over to the eastern shore, entered the Choptank River, and went in "the back door" to St. Michael's. Our friends Carol and Rick Clarke live just a few minutes away, and Carol met us at the dinghy dock and took us back to their house for showers!! Wow, what a treat after being anchored out for 2 nights in this weather!! After, we went out for pizza and then back to the boat. Colby opted to stay with "Auntie Carol" for the night, in the cool, air-conditioned house! Dick needed to go home for a few days; we had planned to find a marina, where Karen and Colby would stay on the boat, and Dick would rent a car to make the trip home and back. Carol came up with a wonderful alternate plan; we could anchor the boat in front of their friends' house in a nearby quiet creek, Dick would fly from Baltimore to Albany, and Karen and Colby would stay with the Clarkes in that cool, air-conditioned house! Thank you Carol! This was a great plan, especially since the temperatures and humidity were at record breaking levels for early June in the Chesapeake. Our good friend Toby picked Dick up at Albany airport in our Toyota. Colby and Karen truly enjoyed the time off the boat with our good friends Carol and Rick. Karen got to sail with Carol on Caspar, a 19' Cape Dory! This was a different and fun time. And Colby finally got to go swimming a couple of times; first time since leaving Lake Champlain in September! Very happy dog! Carol has come to our rescue several times; it is wonderful to have good friends, especially ones who are strategically located on the Chesapeake!
After Dick returned we spent another day anchored near St. Michaels, waiting for a front to pass through. There were several boats in the same anchorage, which was well protected.
From St. Michaels we passed through Knapps Narrows, and then on to Annapolis. We were finally able to sail! It was a beautiful day, with the breeze really picking up as we arrived at Annapolis. It truly is the sailing capital of the East Coast; sailboats all over, and lots of skill evident in the handling of those boats. In Annapolis harbor, moorings are available for $30 per night. A small price to pay to watch the circus! Boats of all sizes coming and going, sailboats, powerboats, tour boats, kayaks, dinghies; it is constant motion, and one can watch it all from the comfort of one's own cockpit! And then of course, when you venture ashore, there are people all over, watching the boats, strolling along the boardwalk, enjoying the beautiful weather. We enjoyed the sights so much we stayed 2 nights.
Then on to Tolchester. This is where we had ended our trip south in the fall of 2008 when we arrived a week before Thanksgiving and the temperatures were in the 20's. The folks at Tolchester Marina took very good care of us when we decided to store the boat here for the winter. It was nice to return in warm weather! Actually, it was another hot and humid day; after visiting with friends here, we enjoyed a swim in the pool and a drink at the pool bar! Colby enjoyed another swim on the beach!
Next day we traveled to Chesapeake City; we were very happy to get a spot at the free town dock! Chesapeake City is another pretty town, with lots of friendly folks. We enjoyed a great crab dinner at the Tap Room. We studied the tide and current charts in preparation for the trip down the Delaware Bay. This is a long trip (62 nautical miles), and the current is significant in the Delaware River and Delaware Bay. Timing is critical to making a successful trip in one day. We left the dock at 5:20 Am, had the ebb tide with us, then current against us for 3 hours, then the current with us. We made the rip from Chesapeake City to Utsch's Marina in 12 hours. We were very pleased to have had such a successful day.
This is our fourth stay at Utsch's Marina; we really enjoy our time here. The staff are friendly and helpful, the protection is excellent, the facilities are very good, and the village of Cape May is a fun place to visit, with a good grocery store and a hardware store. It was beautifully cool here yesterday; what a welcome relief form the temps and humidity we have experienced lately. We arrived here Monday night; we anticipate leaving either Thursday or Friday, depending on how quickly the seas settle down after today's storm. We are using the time here to provision, do laundry, clean the boat, change the engine oil, and catch up the blog! The New Jersey coast for us is a 3 day trip: Cape May to Atlantic City, Atlantic City to Manasquan, and Manasquan to New York City. Then we will be back on the Hudson River! Trefoil can almost see the barn door!
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