The Reversal

It was a very difficult decision.

Trefoil is now on the hard in Kingston, NY, where she will spend the winter. We are at home.

When we arrived at Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City, We started checking the weather for the next few days, which would be the trip out into the Atlantic Ocean, down the New Jersey coast. We needed 3 good days to do this trip, first into Manasquan, then Atlantic City and then Cape May. We have been up and down this coast 4 times on previous trips and we knew what the trip entailed. The weather showed one good day early in the week, then higher winds and seas (winds 20 -25 knots, some days gusting to 30 knots, seas 2 -4 feet, and 3-5 feet. Even one day with seas 7 - 10 feet!) The boat could handle it easily, but the people and the dog might not like these conditions too well! We know from past experience that these are 3 very long days in a 5 knot boat. The full week forecast wasn't looking good, and then we couldn't be certain it would improve at the end of the week. We had lost 6 good travel days early on due to the factors already described, and that was affecting us now.

We were at Liberty Landing Marina, a very nice but also very expensive marina. To stay there a week would have cost over $1000. Other options we considered were:

1. 79th Street Marina, 6 miles back up the river, where moorings are $30 a night. But the area is also exposed to passing water taxis and tugs, and can be very "rolly."
2. We considered moving over to Sandy Hook, in the Atlantic Highlands anchorage area. We haven't been there, but have heard stories of boats dragging anchor there. Even though we have a very adequate anchor, you don't always know what your neighbor might have down and how much scope he/she is using. In a blow this could be a problem.
3. Great Kills Harbor. We have been there before and found good holding but we also knew that this particular area (Staten Island) was especially hard hit during Hurricane Sandy, and we were unsure what we might find there.

The first year we headed south, we were in Jersey City on November 1. We continued on to the Chesapeake and then hauled the boat the week before Thanksgiving for the winter as it was getting very cold (it was snowing the day we drove home!). The second time we headed south, we were in Norfolk, Virginia by November 1. Big difference. That year we continued on the Florida. This time, we might have been in Cape May by November 1, if the weather improved. Sounding kind of like the first trip! Also, in other years, we have gotten part way down the coast and then been held up in Atlantic City for 5 days, waiting for weather to improve. We definitely did NOT want to do this again.

As we discussed our options, we also considered the fact that while we have taken some very nice extended trips on this boat, we have not actually sailed her a lot. When traveling, we often end up motoring or motor sailing, as we always want to get from point A to Point B, and the wind doesn't always cooperate. Trefoil is a beautiful boat and a great sailing boat. The thought of spending a whole summer just sailing on Lake Champlain (no list of spring projects!) has a lot of appeal.

Ultimately, the decision was to head back north. So after a mini-vacation at Liberty Landing (the 3 of us did make one trip into Manhattan by water taxi, so that we could go to Whole Foods for provisions!), it took us 2 days to get to Kingston. The tide was with us on the return trip. We had been to Roundout Yacht Basin several years ago, and knew that it is a very protected area for winter storage. We made a trip home to get a vehicle (thank you, Susan!), and began the process of unloading the boat. Lots of food, clothing, 60 pounds of dog food, 10 pounds of chews to take home! We also drove to Utsch's Marina in Cape May, to pick up some items we had arranged to have sent there, anticipating that we would be there for a short stay. We chatted with Wayne, who has worked there for years, and told him we hadn't seen 3 good days in the forecast for the trip from New York Harbor to Cape May. "Three good days, I'd like to see three good hours!" said Wayne. He told us that boats that did make the trip down the coast were coming in asking for the weekly rate and even the monthly rate, they were so "beat up" by the trip down the coast!

Trefoil was hauled on October 31. We look forward to the trip back to Lake Champlain in the spring and some great sailing next summer!