Where is Waldo now? Well, here we are!! We are all safe and sound in Worton Creek, MD. As you can see, it is raining and we are just getting suited up for our twice daily trip to shore to walk Gracie. I am sure she would like to go more often but the weather is just horrible – blowing about 20 kts constantly and was raining very heavily when we took the pic yesterday at 5pm. We came here looking for a safe place to ride out Hurricane Joaquin and the protection from wind and waves is excellent. Holding has also (so far!) been great. We are in about 7-9 feet of water (with a tide of about 2 feet!) so with our anchor chain out to 110' we have about a 12:1 scope – really needed for serious stuff like this!! It looks like all day today and into Sunday will be our highest winds of about 25kts (with some gusts of up to 35kts). We are in this little harbor and have been going in to shore to Green Point Landing for Gracie. We have met some really nice people here all making sure we have all that we need. Our plans are to stay here until Monday and then head to the Magothy River – where Alan's parents live nearby for some much needed time on land and re-provisioning.

            Our boat (last), along with Stella Maris (second) and Compass Rose (first) in Worton Creek riding out the storm.

We had planned to leave Sandy Hook on Monday (Sept 28^th) but because of the bad weather we saw coming and a very narrow window of opportunity, in a somewhat quick decision after our morning captain's meeting we decided to leave Sunday (and were underway at 11am!) We crashed through some pretty big (maybe 8-10'), steep waves as we turned the corner from Sandy Hook to begin going down south along the NJ coast. We had about 12-15 kt winds but the seas and the rollers for the ocean (which had had a strong NE wind for the last three day) were quite large hitting us from our aft quarter making this a somewhat difficult and unpleasant ride! How cool too! As we entered the Atlantic we were joined by our friends David and Sue Torgersen from SYC on their boat Sans Cles also heading down to the Bahamas. So the three of us were buddy boats on the Atlantic for the night. We communicated on our radios every so often to see how everyone was doing. Sue and David gave lots of encouragement as they had done this before and it was all new to us!!

            Sandy Hook when we got there and then as the NE winds started to bluster up.

Our plans were to go into Barnegat (about ½ way down) and then finish up to Cape May the following day. However, there were such strong incoming breakers at Barnegat that the Coast Guard there recommended that only under life threatening conditions we attempt to enter into the harbor! We decided that we were in for an overnight on the Atlantic!! Not what we had planned but what we had to do!! As it got dark, the seas calmed a bit and our wind was directly from behind which made sailing difficult so we motored only (we had been motor-sailing). Fortunately we were able to let our autohelm take over (I had done all the steering for the last 7hrs straight!) and we proceeded through the night. It was an interesting night on the Atlantic – we had a front row seat for the full lunar eclipse!! So our nice full moon lit night became very, very dark as we lost the moon!

We made really good time actually and had to slow down our approach to Cape May so we could come in to the harbor with some daylight – about 6:30 am on Monday the 28th The current was running strongly in through the breakwater which made the entry a bit like surfing on a board! We got in to the anchorage in front of the Coast Guard station, anchored, took Gracie a shore to do her business in over 24 hrs!, and bedded down for some sleep. What a day & night!

     The evening view at anchor in Cape May, NJ

We spent Monday in Cape May recovering from the previous day's adventure – had ice cream and went in to town – a few miles away. We were planning to leave Cape May early on Tuesday close to low tide because the bridge clearance on the Cape May Canal was 55' and we stand 54' (not counting the VHF radio antenna!). Alan needed more water under his boat so we planned to leave about mid tide to accommodate both boats. We arrived at the 1^st bridge exactly as planned but I could not see even the 54' mark on the bridge board at the bottom of the bridge so we immediately turned around. There was not enough clearance that we could determine for sure for a passage under. We had to go back around through the Atlantic entrance to Cape May and way around the shoals to enter into the Delaware River. This now made us about 12 nm behind the Botulas! It was perfect weather with a nice light downwind motor-sail but with the current we averaged about 7-8kts. Unfortunately, because we were now late we lost the current near the end of the run up the Delaware and had to find a place for the night. The Botulas got through the C&D Canal and were planning to stay at Chesapeake City but because it was so full they had to continue on late to another anchorage. They ended up at Sassafras River and we went to Delaware City Marina.

    The 1st bridge in Cape May that we could not (however, we should have been able!) to go under in the background.

It rained hard overnight and after draining the dinghy, walking to town to the bakery which turned out to be closed (but provided a great dog walk for Gracie!) and showers we left Delaware City at 11:30am with the current to go through the C&D Canal. We went all the way to Worton Creek where the Botulas were waiting for us! The channel was marked with some very strange day mark placement which assisted us in going aground (softly) which we were able to use our sail and engine to get off.

      Our dockside accommodations at Delaware City Marina

Finally we were in to safe anchorage where we are now! There ended up being just three of us in here for the storms – a boat from NH (Compass Rose), Stella Maris (the Botulas) and us.

It's been a long, long week!

Our Map updated:

      

And now a few thoughts from Joan....

October 3, Day 15, but who's counting! This trip is starting to look a lot like Bill Murray's movie Groundhog Day. Everyday you wake up and there is wind! This trip has been a test of patience and trust, you really need to trust that the weather will change. We have had a few wonderful days, of course, my favorite was going around NYC. It is so beautiful and the weather wasn't windy! We did have to deal a little with the pope's visit, which was interesting when going by the UN building and there were the coast guard boats. Don't bother waving, they don't wave back. I also feel like I am in a nautical weather course at some community college. I wake up and immediately go on weather apps and look at anything about the wind. We were dealing with wind long before Jouquin, and then we had thoughts about that as extra credit!!!! All in all we are doing OK. Really enjoy having our “buddy boat” with Alan and Janet. We tend to go back and forth between boats to help past the days when we have been hunkered down in a anchorage. I really appreciate all the messages of concern expressed by family and friends....So here's to bluer skies, calmer winds, and more Sleep!!! XOXO

Saturday Sept 26 - We are sitting on the hook down in the south east end of Sandy Hook (Atlantic Highlands) behind the breakwater waiting for high winds that have been plaguing the coast to abate. We have been here since we arrived last Wednesday! It looks like it will not be until Monday morning before we can make our way down the NJ coast - hopefully making it to Atlantic City that day.  This is the winds expected for 5pm this evening!!

We left Port Washington, NY last Wednesday morning (Sept 23^rd) early to catch the current running in our direction through the East River. It could not have been a more perfect day or a more perfect timing for the run. Our SOG (speed over ground) averaged about 7kts but we saw, at times, 10kts where the current was running particularly strong - such as at Hell Gate! We entered the East River along with a tug/barge (Mr. T) that we were able to pass just after we passed the Throgs Neck bridge.

           Port Washington on Tuesday evening.

   

Mr T pulled to the north and we powered up to pass so we didn't have to follow the whole East River.

As we then passed the UN building we were “surrounded” by nine Coast Guard boats, two NYPD boats, and one Navy boat all armed with guns! The Pope and President Obama were expected at any time so the East River was being protected and then eventually closed down for their arrival – expected at separate times over the course of the next 5 days. This is why we chose to get through the East River, while the getting was good! 

  Protection on the East River!

      The new One World Trade Center!

                        Busy NYC 

New York Harbor was beautiful and busy as usual. We arrived in Sandy Hook at about 1 pm and got Gracie to shore in Atlantic Highlands for our first excursion to town. We walked the beautiful little town with the Botulas and discovered the amenities the town has to offer. It was sunny and hot.

   

       Atlantic Highlands anchorage  (Sandy Hook, NJ)

       Our map:

 

Monday Sept 21 - We are in Oyster Bay, NY.  Arrived here yesterday and are spending an extra day here because of weather (it is blowing like crazy!) and we will most likely have to wait somewhere because of the upcoming weather down the New Jersey coast.  It looks like it is going to blow about 20 knots or more from the north constantly for the next week perhaps.  A north wind is good but not that much and when it blows constantly, that hard, for that long, you have to contend with big following seas - not our idea of fun!!  So we are waiting to see how things shape up.  We also have to contend with, at the current time, a very, very early morning transit on the East River.  We would have to be moving in the dark for that transit at the moment from here.  Lots of factors to take into consideration!!!
     Staying put at the north end of West Harbor in Oyster Bay

Yesterday, we sailed from New Haven, CT to Oyster Bay, NY in a fairly stiff, but manageable, north wind that gave us almost a beam reach down the Long Island Sound to here.  We sailed the whole way doing about 6.5 - 7.5 knots for most of the trip.  (For those of you not familiar with sailing, that is a pretty good clip!) .
             North end of West Harbor, Oyster Bay, NY
               

Our first day's journey - Saturday - from Groton, CT to Morris Cove in New Haven, CT was pretty wonderful.  We finally got under way at about 10am after departing from our slip (having to remove all our lines from the pilings) and fueling up at the dock.  We spent the first 45 minutes or so in some very dense fog just off the shore in the New London area - so we had to get the radar going and pay attention to all the commercial traffic in the area.  It was pretty wild!!  But the fog burned off not far off shore and we spend the day motoring with no wind but sunny and hot conditions.
       New Haven, CT - Morris Cove

  

      Everything in the V-berth had to come out for the final organization and loading!!

Our map:

Sept 16th.   Arrived yesterday evening after having driven down in the rental car with the Botula's.  We dropped them off in Barrington, RI - helped them do their final provisioning and then arrived at SYC late - ~ 10pm!   Unloading, provisioning, and using the car to get the last things we need.  Will be a busy day!  Note: how appropriate - a Dodge Journey to begin our Bahamas journey. 

September 11th, 2015.  Where were you on 9/11/2001?  I was working at IBM and I vividly remember that day.  It is now 14yrs later and we are making our final preparations for our long awaited / anticipated trip down south on the ICW to Florida and beyond.  Right now we are in Maine for a wedding for Joan's cousin's daughter.  We came back from Groton (SYC) last Saturday after having hauled the boat (and unstepping the mast) for work.  Some of the important stuff we did while on the hard all week:

1.  Finished stripping off the last of the old varnish - that was peeling - on the cap rail trim.  We have finished converting our boat to Semco.  No more peeling varnish or stripping for us - ever!
2.  Painted bottom paint on all the leading edges, waterline and places where it had chipped off.
3.  Cleaned and waxed the hull where needed.
4.  Installed new transducers for depth and speed on hull. We now have all new instruments for the boat. So now we have, at the helm, a whole new array of instruments that should all talk to each other and to the A75 chart plotter!!!

5.  Had repaired and installed the port side life line stanchion that was bad.

6.  Cleaned dinghy and put 303 on it as well as having installed our new numbers on it.

7.  Had replaced the aft holding tank macerator thru-hull and valve which was leaking!   Now we have a brand new Apollo ball valve!!!

8.  Tried my hand for the first time at a bunch of gel coat repair - matched pretty well but I had some nasty gouges in a few places and some old gel coat repair (from before we bought the boat) that needed fixing.

9. Re-caulked some of under the cap rail where it had lost a bunch of the teak tone caulking.

(We must have gone to Defender on a daily basis!)

So, after this weekend in Maine, we return to Vermont to collect the last of the stuff we need, close up the house, and head down to the boat to depart.  Alan and Janet Botula are going along with us in their Cabo Rico 38, so we will rent a car to leave Vermont together next week and drop them off after having helped with their final provisioning in Barrington, RI.   Then, we continue down to Groton, CT (Shennecossett Yacht Club) where we will do our final provisioning and wait for the Botula's to catch up with us (probably Friday) to make our departure.  We expect to start our trip on Saturday, Sept. 19th - which, by the way, is International Talk Like A Pirate Day!!

    Where's our mast?!!!

Here it is!!! Along side of our boat while we were on the hard doing all the work on in Aug 31 to Sept 4th.

Still testing how this blog site works.  But here is another picture of Sweet Liberty

And this is some of the fun that Gracie is looking forward to on our trip...

It is now Aug. 15, 2015 and we are at home in Vermont doing more work on getting ready for our trip.  We have had a number of things we ordered (zincs, sneakers, boat door latches) delivered here and are working on some projects (sewing) that need to be done. My new passport and passport card arrived in the mail ok also. We also have more "stuff" that needs to come down to the boat - clothes, charts, tools, etc. and we are waiting for a few more ordered items to arrive before we go back.  The plan will be to go back next week and the Conroys may come down at the end of the week to go with us to Block Island for the weekend.

After our last fun run to Block next weekend, some of the real work that needs to get done on the boat will begin to happen.  The boat will be hauled on Aug 27th to inspect and replace zincs as well as to install new instruments for the boat.  We have a new Raymarine depth meter, speed and temp meter and a new wind instrument to install.  Installing the wind instrument is going to require that we pull the mast which is always a project that is not on our fun list - the sails have to come off, the boom removed, mast wires disconnected and prepared to come up through the compression post.  Lots of work!  Oh well!!

Gracie is keeping a sharp eye on all the prep work!