It was tough getting up this morning after the very late evening last night. It was a REALLY lazy morning today. We dinghied into town this afternoon, had showers and I did a load of laundry. It was again a nice day and I didn't want to be stuck in the ladies washroom (where the laundry facilities were with only 1 washer and 1 dryer) so I only did one load.

The waterfront is really being transformed, getting ready for the boat show - tents are being set up and boats are being delivered.

The waterfront of Annapolis being transformed for the boat show.

Had an afternoon coffee, tea and sweet, then took the laundry back to the boat. We got ready to go out for dinner as it was our 5th wedding anniversary (but 25 years since we first met.) We dinghied to a different dock to check it out as we will probably need to use an alternative dock when going to the boat show, rather than raft up three or four wide and try to get to shore. This dock was about a three block walk to downtown which was quite doable.

We had dinner at a French restaurant. The food was good including the bottle of wine (albeit French).

Cafe Normandie for our 5th wedding anniversary dinner.

5th anniversary dinner inside Cafe Normandie.

Back to the boat by 2100 and to bed early as it was a late night last night and we didn't get our siesta this afternoon.

I didn't blog last night as it was after 0100 when we arrived back to the boat. I'll expand on that later.

Lynn came over to our boat in the morning to invite Jorge and me to his boat for dinner and a movie. Sally was planning a Moroccan meal. We gladly accepted.

I packed a lunch for us and we dinghied into town. We enjoyed a picnic lunch, under sunny skies, beside the main dinghy dock which was close to the Naval Academy as it was our plan to tour it. 

Jorge in front of Bancroft Hall, US Naval Academy.

 

There was an exhibit on the War of 1812 so that was our main focus.

Mahan Hall, War of 1812 exhibit.

 

We also visited the naval museum in Preble Hall which included hundreds of models of different sailing vessels throughout the years.

Original helms of USS Hartford (4 sailors needed to man these!)

I had told Sally I would bring dessert so after the Naval Academy we set out to find a bakery in the area. No such luck! We settled on a variety of goodies from Starbucks.

The meal was excellent, wine superb and even the desserts were good! Lynn and Sally had quite the selection of movies and we chose Avatar (Jorge and I have never seen it.)

We rowed back to the boat in darkness with calm waters and climbed into bed after 0100. A great night but I believe a siesta will be in order tomorrow!

Thanks everyone for all the positive comments about our blog. I'm glad people are reading and enjoying it. Now I'm under pressure to keep it up!

Jorge and I were thinking of HYC today - first lift-out :( It's a nice feeling not to have to think about winterizing the boat this year (considering it was close to the end of August before we could put the mast and sails back on it). The sailing season really is too short in Ontario. The weather remains nice here (as you can see in the pictures). People can still wear shorts and t-shirts during the day but a light jacket is needed in the evening.

We had a pretty lazy morning. Funny, we've been traveling for almost 2 months and we are still reorganizing and rearranging things on the boat, something important always seems to be hard to get at, or something else is always in the way. Problem is once we relocate an item, it takes us hours to figure out where that new location is and usually involves tearing the boat apart to find it!

We dinghied into town in the afternoon, wandered the streets, checked out some shops and had an ice cream. We visited the visitor information booth and picked up some tourist pamphlets. Darn, they put away the bikes for the season yesterday at the harbour office so we'll be walking. Actually there is a free shuttle bus that runs through downtown Annapolis so we hopped on it and had a tour.

The dinghy dock downtown Annapolis.

(This dock will be closed tomorrow to set up for the boat shows).



Boats of all sizes here, big and

little.

Annapolis City Marina (one of many marinas in the area).

Sunset off the stern of CS'ta Time in Spa Creek, Annapolis.

 

Returning to CS'ta Time in Spa Creek after an afternoon in Annapolis.

 

The sunset.



 

Another quiet evening in the anchorage. Tomorrow we are planning on visiting the Naval Academy for a tour.

 





We woke up to overcast skies. We had arranged with Lynn and Sally to weigh anchor between 0900 and 0930 to sail to Annapolis. The wind was as predicted - none or very little, less than 5 knots so we had to motor sail. As we got closer to Annapolis the skies began to clear and the sun came out.

I thought the helmsperson was supposed to watch what was going on in front of the boat!

 

 

We arrived in Spa Creek and set anchor around 1430. On our way down the creek, we noticed Kind of Magic (from our home port of HYC) had taken a mooring ball in the same area.

The bridge into Spa Creek, opens on the hour and half hour to allow boats to pass.

Jorge and I dinghied into Annapolis, about a 5 minute ride. On the way in, we met a fellow boater from Windsor and got the general direction on where to go for showers and laundry. We tied up at the dinghy dock, followed the directions given to us and found them with ease. $1 for a shower with Starbucks right across the road. Jorge thought he died and went to heaven! Instead of the coffee (we'll save that for tomorrow) we had a beer and appetizers at a local restaurant patio then off to the liquor store to check it out.

We arrived back at the boat for dinner. It was hard to believe we were only 5 minutes from the docks and marinas of downtown Annapolis and it was so quiet! The creek was like a millpond with gorgeous homes along the creek and million dollar boats in the marinas.

Okay, I am completely gullible. I TOTALLY believed the story of Gilbert catching the 12 crabs! Jorge was a bit skeptical but I think in the end he believed it as well. Turns out a crabbing boat pulled into the area Gilbert and Diana were in and they got the crabs from the fishermen! Gil also told us he caught a catfish. Hmmmm, to believe or not to believe. Who cares, they can fool me anytime they like provided they continue to share the "catch"!

Jorge put on his mechanic's hat today and checked the fluid levels in the engine and put on a new anode when he discovered a wire that had shorted and needed to be repaired sooooo in order to resolve that problem he had to tear the boat apart to get to the tools he needed. A 2 minute job turned into a 2 hour one by the time he got out everything he needed, cleaned up and then put the boat back together. Needless to say, the waterline on the port side didn't get done today.

Gil and Diana left our anchorage early in the afternoon. They plan on bay hopping down the eastern shore of the Chesapeake towards the Potomac River and finally into Washington DC. Tomorrow we are going to cross to the western shore and head to Annapolis. We decided to try and get an anchorage before the power boat show which is the weekend prior to the sailboat show. Hopefully we can beat the rush.

We dinghied into town. Jorge went for gasoline and I had it in my head I wanted to make crab cakes so I headed to the grocery store. It was a nice day for a walk, low 20s and sunny.

We arrived back at the boat just before 1700. Lynn and Sally were coming over for drinks and bringing a pizza, which was 100 times better than the frozen one I cooked earlier in the week. I made the crab cakes and everyone agreed they turned out fine (not sure how truthful they were). We had a good visit and in the end Lynn and Sally decided to sail to Annapolis as well tomorrow so we will be leaving Rock Hall around 0900. Winds are supposed to be very light, 5 knots, so it might be a motor to Annapolis!

Phew, we woke up this morning and we were healthy! We had joked with Gil and Diana last night about eating the crabs, wondering if we were eating the right kind of crab and if everything we were eating was indeed edible. Turned out we were all fine so I guess Gil knew what he was doing.

It is surprising just how dirty the boat gets! Today I cleaned the cockpit floor under the teak grates but it wasn't as yucky as Jorge's job. He got to tackle the waterline. Armed with Fantastik, Spray Nine, two different kinds of brushes, a kitchen scrubby and a shammy he finished the starboard side. Tomorrow is the port side. It was quite the feat, doing it from the dinghy. At least the water was calm!

After lunch Lynn from the boat next to us picked us up in his dinghy and took us to shore. We walked to town, about a 20 minute walk. Jorge and Lynn walked to West Marine while I checked out the grocery store. And this one was a real grocery store! I was so excited. They had a good selection of almost everything. I met Gil on the way out. Funny in all the little towns we have been in, we have always met someone we knew (other boaters). Sometimes I would go for weeks without meeting someone I knew in the stores in Barrie. However there is usually only one grocery store, one liquor store and one hardware store in the towns we have been in, so all the boaters hit those stores.

After groceries I wandered down the main street of Rock Hall, a cute little town. Unfortunately a lot of the stores were closed even though it was midday and mid week - tourist season is definitely over. Jorge and Lynn met me in the street and we found a cafe with tables and chairs outside. We sat outside and had a drink and sweet and chatted. The weather was again gorgeous, warm and sunny. Sally had decided to stay on their boat and catch up with blogging, telephone calls, etc.

Outside cafe. We felt right at home with the pirate!

 

Check out the blue heron on the dock.

 

We filled up with water and pumped out at Georgetown Yacht Basin before we left this morning. We had wanted to top up with diesel and gas but their pumps were empty and the fuel tank was a day late in coming so we left anyhow, knowing we had enough fuel. The current was going to be more favourable by noon for traveling but we were underway by 1130. Gorgeous day but a bit on the cool side. Light jackets were required but we did not have the full enclosure up either.

A trimaran at Georgetown Yacht Basin.

If you look really hard, you will see the boat that burst into flames (the whole top part of the boat is missing).

We motored all day as what little wind there was, was on the nose. Didn't I say that the last time we were traveling? Diana and Gilbert phoned us. They were on their way to Swan Creek as well so we arranged to meet them for a crab fest. Gilbert had caught 12 blue crabs! There were two other couples we knew who were also going to be in Swan Creek so we had a quick visit with one and just a phone conversation with the other before dinghying to Gilbert and Diana's boat where we had a wonderful meal of fresh crab.

Diana looking the crabs. (My contribution - the pot and some Old Bay Seasoning.)

The first tray of cooked crabs.

Gilbert couldn't wait!

A small but mighty feast.



The crabs were yummy but a lot of work for a little bit of meat! (I'm glad the mess was on their boat.)

Well this morning's temperature was showing signs of fall, only 16C inside the boat however the skies remained blue with lots of sunshine. We actually turned the furnace on this morning for the first time this fall.

There was some excitement this morning in the area. Apparently in a marina just around the bend, a 43' power boat burst into flames. Luckily no one was hurt but the boat was a write-off and the owners had to swim to shore. Not sure if it was a local or a traveler but what a way to ruin your day! Every boater's worst nightmare - fire on board. Our marina dockmaster estimated the worth of the boat at $200,000.00. (He was the first to arrive on the scene.)

We had a lazy morning doing nothing really. After lunch we called for the water taxi to pick us up and we signed out bikes again. Fortunately the staff at the marine store advised us of another propane fill up station in the closest town of Galena. They called the store for us and yes there was a person available to fill up the tank. We rode the 1.5 miles to Galena. Jorge continued on to the gas station and I went grocery shopping. Let me clarify something. The town consists of crossroads with a traffic signal, not much more. The groceries were very limited and quite pricey.

We biked to the Sassafras Marine store which was just past our marina. I picked up a recipe and some spices for crab cakes (yes at a marine store and not a grocery store.) If Jorge isn't successful in his crabbing, I guess I'll just have to buy some crab meat.

We got some info from a local sailor regarding anchoring/mooring at the Annapolis boat show. Sounds like it is a very busy place but we assumed that!

Tomorrow we leave Georgetown Yacht Basin for Swan Creek about 30 miles south. The current is against us until late morning but we may leave earlier regardless.

No pics today, which is a good thing because the internet is sooooo pokey tonight!

After last night's rain, everything was clean and dry this morning. The temp was a respectable 20C inside the boat at 0900. We called the water taxi shuttle to take us to shore. Jorge had offered our generator to try to the couple we had happy hour with last night as he was interested in purchasing one. There was also a fellow in the marina on a sailboat with a sewing machine and we had him stitch a couple of seams on the enclosure as the thread had deteriorated.

We checked out the marine store and then signed out two bikes to use. We first biked into the closest town, Galena, about 1.5 miles away. There we bought lunch and beer at a small market. It was a very small town and we decided to bike to the town in the other direction from the marina as it was bigger and we figured would have a larger grocery store. We were wrong! There was no grocery store, just a Dollar General which did offer frozen foods, cereals, canned goods, etc. but no fresh fruit or produce. And it was 3 miles in the opposite direction, once we got back to the marina. We did however find a hardware store that will refill our propane tank. (The second one has now run out.) So we did a total of about 10 miles by bike today, one speed - heavy, uphill, wind against us, both ways! Not really but it seemed that way. (Okay Karen, I could never bike as much as you do.) Tomorrow I might let Jorge bike the 6 miles to and from the hardware store for the propane while I do the 3 miles to and from the market get the fresh produce.

Biking back from lunch.

Overlooking the entrance to Georgetown Yacht Basin.

 

We got back to the boat just before 1800. Lynn and Sally (the happy hour couple from last night) pulled up to CS'ta Time in their kayak just as we arrived. We welcomed them aboard for . . . you guessed it . . . tonight's happy hour! They are leaving this anchorage tomorrow and we agreed to meet up with them in a couple of nights down the bay.

Dinner was bad frozen pizza from the Dollar General (by the name what more would you expect) but the beer was decent.

No alarm this morning but Jorge was up at 0820 to a foggy morning (the outside environment not his brain!). He checked the weather and it was going to deteriorate today, small craft warning in effect. Funny, I just made a comment to our daughter about how blessed we have been with the weather. The winds were supposed to pick up and we were in for rain, possibly even TS. We talked to Gil and Diana via phone. Jorge and I had intentions to leave the anchorage earlier rather than later and head for the Sassafras River. We wanted to reach Georgetown before the bad weather set in. Gilbert and Diana had different plans so, for really the first time since beginning our trip, we headed out at different times and to different places.

We motored down the Chesapeake after unsuccessfully trying to sail. The wind was basically on the nose (why does that happen so often?). When we did sail, the wind direction took us off our course and into the crab pots again, so we motored to the entrance of the Sassafras River. There we were able to sail the 11.5 miles to Georgetown with gusts between 16 and 18 kts. Yesterday I said we were going to do a short day only 10 miles. Well I was partially right, 10 miles to the Sassafras River but 11.5 miles up the river to Georgetown. Slight misjudgment!

Boat race.

We arrived in Georgetown around 1400 and took a mooring ball. $1 per foot per night, but buy two nights and the third was free. Sounded like a good deal to us so we took it. Water taxi shuttle picked us up at our boat and took us to the dock where we had nice hot showers in very clean washrooms. Laundry on site, bikes to use to go to town (1.5 miles), a pool and kayaks and pedal boats to use.

Georgetown Yacht Basin.

We met up with a very nice couple from Rhode Island who we met in Atlantic Highlands and had happy hour(s) on their boat. While there, the rain started and boy did it rain! We borrowed their rain gear for the taxi shuttle ride back to CS'ta Time to spare us getting another shower. Luckily this time we had the foresight to close all the hatches and portholes before we left so the inside of the boat remained nice and dry.

Our next door neighbour in the mooring field, looks like some kind of bug but was really a big cat!



From what we have seen so far, here in the Chesapeake there are many, many anchorages and it is extremely pretty. I think we are going to really enjoy this bay!

This is an awsome shot of CS'ta Time rounding Cape May into the Delaware Bay just before sunrise with the moon just about to set in the west.

The alarm went off at a much more respectable hour this morning, 0730 but it was still hard to get out of bed.

We weighed anchor at 0900 with the current against us a bit as we motored out of the Cohansey River anchorage. Once we got into the Delaware Bay though the current was with us at 2.5+ kts all morning. Jorge and I had decided to make a beeline to the shipping channel, hoping to avoid the crab pots. One marker was partially submerged by the current and was only seen when it was abeam next to us. Jorge looked over the stern to see the marker but didn't! Then the speed of the boat slowed. Oh sh-t, we hooked it! Jorge immediately slowed the motor, put it in neutral and changed direction. At that point, luckily the marker popped us just behind us. Boy were we glad to get away from those pots. The ships were looking better and better to deal with.

There was virtually no wind so we couldn't even motor sail. It was another gorgeous day weather-wise for traveling but not for sailing. Oh well, guess we can't have it all. Skies were blue and temp was in the low 20s by midday.

We entered the C & D (Chesapeake and Delaware) Canal at 1140. The current was pushing us an average of 7.5 kts. It sure was handy to have the current with you. It was also with us as we traversed the canal and we averaged about the same speed through the entire canal. Originally we were going to stop at Chesapeake City but the going was so good we decided to finish doing the canal and we headed for the Bohemia River just inside Chesapeake Bay. We arrived there around 1430 and set anchor after scouting out the bay. It was very shallow and we had concerns about low tide leaving us aground. However after doing our research discovered the tide was only going to drop another 0.5 feet so we were good.

Jorge called to see about getting a crabbing/fishing licence for Maryland. Oh by the way, the guys were not successful in getting anything the other day. The limit is a bushel of crab per day but you can only keep the males. Should be interesting watching him try to identify the sex (if he catches any!)

We spent a relaxing afternoon and evening. Tomorrow we plan on doing a very short day, only traveling 10 miles to the Sassafras River to meet up with some cruisers we met at a previous anchorage. They have invited us for wine and cheese. How can we refuse!

A passing ship going through the C & D Canal.

Ringgggg. 0500 sure came early. We had decided last night to take advantage of the current and leave with it. That meant, setting the alarm and weighing anchor at 0600. It was a gorgeous morning, very quiet and calm when we left Cape May. There were a number of boats planning on leaving today, some doing the whole trip up the Delaware Bay but some (like us) only going as far as the Cohansey River, about a 38 mile trip. Jorge and I had to leave Cape May the way we came in. There is a canal that goes through the cape but it has two fixed bridges at 55'. If you will recall from an earlier blog, we did go under a 56' fixed bridge in Kingston (on the Hudson) but there would have been mutiny on the boat if the captain wanted to try going under these, even at low tide! He was in total agreement with the crew so we went around the cape. It added about an hour to the trip but it made the crew happy and also kept the marriage intact!

The trip up the Delaware Bay was very relaxing weather-wise. The crab pots however were another story. We had decided to, more or less, hug the coast rather than do the shipping lines so we did encounter quite a few pots. All in all, we maneuvered through the mine fields and arrived at our destination without incident. We motor sailed the whole way with just the genoa out as the winds were less than 5 kts, on a very, very close haul and we did not want to enter the river with the current against us. Average speed was 6 to 6.5 kts. Waves were almost nonexistent.

We anchored just inside the Cohansey River around the first bend at 1230. We were surrounded by marsh filled with all the wildlife that comes with marshy areas. The silence was golden with gentle ripples lapping at the side of the boat, blue sky, warm sunshine and very little boat traffic. A short siesta was taken by both of us before Diana and Gilbert arrived for happy hour. Ah the simplier but finer things in life.

Diana and Gilbert arrived around 1600. We had appetizers and too much wine! We got silly and laughed way too much. Tomorrow's plan is to leave at 0900 with the tide and current, get to the C & D Canal, travel to Chesapeake City and anchor there. Hopefully we should arrive around 1500 just in time to anchor and get ready for another happy hour! OMG the liver and diet are being blown big time.

Tonight the wind is picking up a bit, to about 10 kts but still a very comfortable night. I am going to try to download some videos of the sunset and moon. Wish me luck.

 

 

The Americans can put a man on the moon, but consistent internet - NOT! After getting an error message for the past 1-1/2 days we tried again after returning to the boat this afternoon and what do you know? It connected us the first try. I'll make this short and sweet, just in case it poops out on us again.

The original (and tentative plan) was to leave Cape May at dawn tomorrow and do the whole Delaware Bay (some 55 miles). The thought is now to leave at a more respectable time, say 0800, and do only 34 miles stopping at the Cohansey River. Winds and weather are supposed to be favourable for the next couple of days so we thought we might break up the trip and enjoy ourselves.

Laundry was done today by Diana and me. The guys went shopping for fishing ideas and right now they are trying their hand at crabbing. Hmmmm, wonder what I should take out of the freezer for dinner? I'm not convinced they will be successful!

(The internet connection failed as I was downloading the pictures, they are huge again!)

Some kind of dead "treasure" Jorge found. This is the underneath side.

My hand beside the crab showing its size.

After lunch at The Lobster Restaurant. Shrimp boats in the background.

A little cruise boat next to a fishing boat (and it really was a tiny boat!)

Cape May anchorage at 1700.

hi everyone. our phone is not talking to our computer to get the internet! this is frpm the phone. typing blind as i am not able to see the screen only the keyboard. leaving cape may tomorrow forr delaware bay. hopefully we will get the internet/phone working again

Just into the open Altantic (1200 noon) after rounding Sandy Hook starting down the NJ coast.

Sailing down the NJ coast

Atlantic City.

Rob and Serena you will be green with envy after reading this blog, after your not so good sail along the same stretch.

Sailors will appreciate this. Landlubbers well . . . bear with me.

Departure time on Saturday was delayed by 1/2 hour as the winds overnight were quite strong and the general feeling of some cruisers was to let the waters calm more. I am not sure it worked but it did give me time to finish cooking supper for the upcoming sail.

We left anchor at 1100. Sandy Hook Bay was still windy and the waters choppy. We motored to and entered Sandy Hook Channel heading towards the Atlantic. Once in the channel we hoisted sails. Jorge had put in two reefs while we were in NYC and had left them in. With the wind speed such as it was, and the engine off, we were going nowhere. Jorge took both reefs out and we opened the genoa fully. The wind filled the sails and we were off. We did motor sail to catch up to Gilbert and Diana as we had lost time while taking the reefs out. Once we had a respectable distance between Serenada and ourselves we cut the engine and sailed. It was wonderful! The winds were coming over our starboard side directly abeam, the best point of sail. After a few hours the winds did pick up as predicted to 10 to 15 kts with gusts to 20. I was at the helm when we got the first major gust and panicked. It is true, the weakest link is not the boat but the crew! Our genoa is a 150 so Jorge furled it in to about 130 and the sailing became comfortable again. The waves were less than 1 meter, about 9 seconds apart and swells very gentle. The winds averaged 16 to 19 kts and CS'ta Time averaged 7 to 7.5 kts. At one point we hit 8.2 kts in 18 kt winds. We sailed about 2 nm off the coast for the first 6 or so hours.

We sailed this way until 1800 hours. The forecast was for the winds to remain the same until midnight and then diminish. We decided to put a reef in the main and furl in the genoa a bit more just to err on the side of safety (in case the winds increased like they had the night before). We figured it was easier to let the sails out than to reef them in should we need to.

Supper was easy, reheating chunky chipotle pork chili and olive bread. No wine. We decided to keep our heads clear!

Sunset was spectacular and the evening sail was great with the winds continuing coming abeam and averaging 16 to 18 kts. The moon was 3/4 full and we followed the silver path of the moonlight down the Jersey coast. It was like the red carpet treatment for us! By this time we were approximately 3 nm off the coast.

Way off in the distance we saw lights on what we thought was the ocean. It turned out to be Atlantic City! We thought we were hours away. We were. The distance over the water is so deceiving. It took us about 4 hours to reach it. By this time it was midnight. As predicted the winds did start to diminish to about 10 to 12 kts. We started the engine shortly afterwards as our speed had dropped to 4 kts. Compared to the afternoon and early evening sail, it seemed like we had stalled. At about 0130 the winds picked up a tad and we cut the engine, opened the genoa more and sailed for another few hours when the winds diminished again. At this point we were about 4 nm off the coast. We started the engine again about 0330 and motor sailed the rest of the way with light winds of about 5 kts and still 90 degrees over our starboard side.

Captain Jorge on the graveyard shift (0330). Blinded by the flash afterwards.

 

It was on the cooler side during the evening and night sail. We had long johns and jackets on. In the wee hours of the morning we added throws to our shoulders (thanks Mary Ann your gift kept me nice and warm). By 0430 I was fading. I had a bit of a nap curled up in the cockpit. It was Jorge's turn at 0500 but being the captain, he continued to give me instructions until I finally told him to be quiet and get some rest because I was doing fine! He was so tired he couldn't argue. My turn to nap again came at 0630 when Jorge woke up. I totally missed the sunrise!

We arrived in Cape May at 0800. The channel going into the harbour was sooooo busy. We later found out there was a fishing derby going on that day. I guess everyone was heading to their favourite fishing spot early. We anchored just inside the harbour, straightened out the boat a bit, had breakfast and then went to bed from 0930 to 1200.

After lunch we lowered the dinghy and went into town. The area we walked was very quaint.

Back at the boat, we enjoyed cheese and crackers and a bottle of good wine. Dinner was again easy. Leftovers! Good thing because I was not worth very much at that point. We were in bed by 2100 and asleep by 2101.

Arrived Cape May at 0800 this morning - unscathed! 21-hour FANTASTIC sail. One tack. Excellent weather window. Celebrating with a good bottle of wine. More tomorrow. Sleep now.

Well today was a work day. Jorge checked the oil levels in the engine, fine tuned the furler, charged the batteries with the generator (I vacuumed while the generator was on) and got the steaming light going again.

After lunch we pulled anchor and went to the marina for fuel, water and a pump-out, then back to anchor. We dinghied into town for provisions (I swear it was like we were going into space - the amount of stuff I bought!) We filled up one propane bottle, 5 lbs. for $11.00 + tax.. Ouch! There was a farmer's market in one of the squares with relatively inexpensive produce and candy coated pecans that were to die for, we bought 1/2 lb. of those.

Diana and Gilbert came over late in the afternoon for happy hour. We discussed the jump to Cape May tomorrow. It is a 99% go at this time. The winds tonight however are howling - 19 to 25 knot gusts. So much for a restful sleep with those winds! Jorge says the anchor and chain are earning their money tonight. The motor is off the dinghy and secured, we'll raise and secure the dinghy tomorrow morning.

I believe departure time is somewhere around 1030. Chances are slim that I will be able to get any internet doing this passage as we will be some 3 to 5 nm out from shore so will touch base when we get into Cape May.

Today was a lazy day on the boat. We set up our solar shower as the yacht club wanted $35 for a mooring ball and then showers were free. The marina had air conditioning in their washrooms but no showers. The weather forecast was for thunder storms in the afternoon so . . . Jorge was on the computer watching the storm approach via radar and I was in the cockpit visually watching it approach. With bathing suits on, soap in one hand and shampoo in the other, we sat on deck waiting for the storm to hit. We were ready! We suds'ed up and had a great shower. We were mostly rinsed by the storm as well but we used our solar shower in the cockpit to make sure, besides the warm water was nice.

We had arranged with Gilbert and Diana to meet them at the dinghy dock around 4:30. They were skyping with their daughter and then we were going out for supper. It was Gilbert's birthday today. I won't say how old he is except that he has two years on Jorge! We had picked out a restaurant yesterday while we were in town to eat at, The Memphis Pig Out, advertising best ribs in NJ. Thursdays were also one night where they offered free cinema tickets with dinner. The meal was good with the exception of turnip greens, not sure if anyone would order those again. We walked across the street after dinner and caught the early movie, The Butler. A movie worth seeing in our opinion, very moving.

Diana and Gilbert outside The Memphis Pig Out restaurant (Gilbert's birthday).

Atlantic Highlands Cinema - The Butler.

We were lucky as it rained while we were inside having dinner and then while watching the movie. The dinghy ride back to the boats was dry.

Tomorrow will be a "get ready day" as Saturday and Sunday are looking good for the trip down the NJ coast. We will be busy getting fuel, water, groceries, doing the pump out - including getting the warm clothes out. Rob and Serena from Vita (the couple from Trenton/Belleville) did the trip about a week ago and they almost froze, so we are going to be prepared. There are three other boats for sure leaving Saturday and possibly two others besides ourselves so the general consensus is its a good weather window.

(P.S. Sue, we anchored between the S of L and Ellis Island, next to the Liberty State Park.)

What a wonderful night we had last night. The wind picked up slightly, coming through the v-berth hatch cooling things off, the waves gently rocked us to sleep, no helicopters flying overhead and no noise of the city! Heaven.

Today was hot, so hot, and humid. We did not do too much this morning on the boat other than try to keep cool. After lunch Jorge and I headed into the marina with the dinghy to get some fuel. Last night when we tried to get fuel for CS'ta Time, it was all I could do to reach up and touch the dock. Today it was an easy reach. Quite high tides. Most, if not all of the marina/yacht club has been rebuilt. Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc here last year, putting some 100 boats onto shore and it took a crane almost six weeks to untangle the mess of boats!

We walked the main drag of Atlantic Highlands today. As Jorge's sister, Silvia would say, we are like iguanas always heading out in the heat of the day! We visited a hardware store, a marine store and of course two wine/beer stores. Diana and Gilbert met us as we were heading back towards the marina. We checked out a few more stores on the way back and then had happy hour in the bar/restaurant overlooking the marina with them.

Atlantic Highland Yacht Club/Marina.

Ships anchored at jetty outside Atlantic Highlands.

Happy hour overlooking the marina.

Back to the boat around 1945. With the boat closed up for the afternoon it was like a sauna, temp reading 30.7C. We quickly opened all the hatches and like last night the wind started picking up, cooling the temperature and making the evening quite enjoyable. I believe tonight will be a repeat of last night.

The morning started overcast but by noon most of the cloud covering had burned away. The anchorage between Ellis Island and Liberty Island was not as calm as we wanted. And the city of New York noise was still with us. I spent the morning vegging out in the cockpit and Jorge went between reading a book and browsing the internet.

We pulled anchor at 1345 a bit before the outgoing current. The wind was again out of the south, on our nose, so no sailing. By an hour out of the anchorage the current had changed and was in our favour. Again we dodged ferries but this time only a couple to the Statue of Liberty and the ones to Staten Island. There were a few large ships that passed us, creating quite a wake but we handled them pretty well. The trip to Sandy Hook was basically uneventful, just as the weather had predicted, 5 to 10 knots and continuing from the south. As we got closer to Atlantic Highlands Marina the winds did pick up and we were able to open the genoa for a bit but we were so close to the marina it almost wasn't worth it. We pulled up to the diesel dock for fuel but the attendant had left early so I guess we will fuel up later in the week. The same with water and pump out.

We returned to the entrance to the marina and anchored just inside the breakwall. Oh my, I almost forgot what the gentle slapping of the water against the hull sounded like after being in New York City for 8 nights. This is going to be heaven! No rocking and rolling or bouncing (I hope.)

While scouting out showers, we met a French man from France who kindly offered us the shower on his boat as the marina does not have facilities. We took him up on his offer. He has a 50' French built boat (can't remember the make) that he has been outfitting for the past 4 years in the hopes of sailing the world. When he gets it finished it is going to be gorgeous! It's not too shabby now.

We dinghied back to CS'ta Time, had a later supper and are ready for a quiet night.

Video of the trip to Sandy Hook.

Here is a video of CS'ta Time behind the Statue of Liberty.

The Empire State Building from CS'ta Time on the Hudson River.

Manhattan skyline from CS'ta Time on the Hudson River.

Tourist trap going by the Statue of Liberty.

The Statue of Liberty and ferry as CS'ta Time was approaching the anchorage.

 

From our dinghy, CS'ta Time anchored behind the Statue of Liberty.



(These are yesterday's pictures.)

Good-bye NYC. We had our last showers, last last-minute shopping and last coffee shop visit today in the Big Apple. At 1330 we left our mooring ball and headed towards an anchorage just behind the Statue of Liberty.

After playing Russian roulette with the ferries, water taxis, police boats, barges, ships, tourist boats and pleasure boats we arrived at our destination two hours later. The 10 knot winds and 2 knot current were both against us for the first hour and then we had a change in current to help us.

I think the general consensus is we are glad to be leaving 79th Street Marina. While it was only a short dinghy ride from the mooring balls to the marina and so convenient to the subway, Central Park and downtown Manhattan, it was a busy, bouncy mooring, totally exposed to all Hudson River traffic. When the wind was stronger then the current (and it was every night), the mooring ball would be right along side the boat, constantly hitting it just about where my head was in the v-berth. Many times I thought I would wake up in the morning to find an imprint of the mooring ball in the fiberglass! The marina served its purpose though, where else could you spend a week in NYC for $180.00.

We took a gazillion pictures this afternoon of the anchorage and the boats by dinghy (and its taking me forever to download the pictures - tomorrow!), had supper and then enjoyed the night lights of Manhattan from the cockpit. Totally awesome! The waters are a little calmer here and with no mooring ball to hit us tonight, hopefully we will get a full night's sleep. As I was finishing this entry, there was an incredible display of firewords over Ellis Island in front of Manhattan. Jorge figures NYC got his birth date wrong!

I'm not sure where the morning went but it went! Early afternoon we dinghied into the marina. Jorge went one way for gasoline and I went the other for groceries. We have to be off the mooring ball tomorrow so provisioning up. I think we might make the big jump to an anchorage behind the Statue of Liberty, some 1 hour sailing down the Hudson!

We had invited an Australian couple to the boat for drinks and appetizers at 1730. They have been cruising for 12 years, including staying 2 years in India and 2 years in Turkey. They are winding down their cruising career and heading back to Australia now, hoping to arrive sometime next spring. Some very interesting stories and of course a few words of sound advice.

Although we didn't do much today, the week of touring NYC had caught up to us. No pics today folks.

IMPORTANT:

I must apologize to everyone who has posted a reply to our blog. From our end, there were very few comments listed. Lo and behold, Jorge was on his US phone this morning and the comments have been going to our gmail account, a gazillion of them! Of course we were not checking that account. I have gone into the blog settings and changed them to allow "everyone" to comment not just "registered users" (I don't know who those people are). Hopefully the comments will be posted right on the blog for us and everyone to read from now on. In the meantime, I will try to catch up on the replies via the gmail account.

This morning consisted of boat chores again. Jorge was busy educating himself on the more sophisticated features of the electronics and I had neglected house (boat) keeping duties so I tackled some of them. As well, we were starting to plan for our departure from NYC to Sandy Hook and the Jersey coast in the next couple of days, looking at anchorages, wind, current, weather, etc.

After lunch we met Diana and Gilbert at the marina. We took the subway to Times Square and walked to Grand Central Terminal. It is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Very impressive with some 117 tracks for trains!

Outside Grand Central Terminal.

100th birthday of Grand Central Terminal.

 

We then took the subway to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Unfortunately there was a game just ending so we were not able to tour it. Not only that, it was top of the 9th with the Yankees losing so people were beginning to leave the stadium and the subway was going to be a zoo very shortly so we decided to turn right around and go back to Manhattan. We were a little cocky thinking we knew the subway system having done the #1 train on the red line many times. Well, we certainly got twisted around in the station outside Yankee Stadium and ended up getting on an express train that stopped some 50 streets past where we wanted to get off! By this time we were downtown Manhattan and just hopped on the #1 train on the red line which we knew well to get to where we wanted to go. A lesson in humility.

Yankee Stadium.

Yankee Stadium (again).

After buying some take out we sat in Central Park and had a picnic supper. We then walked to the Metropolitan Museum and toured it for 2 hours. We probably could have spent 2 weeks in there and still not seen everything.

Metropolitan Museum (The Met).

 

Again it was a lovely day, warm with blue skies and a cool evening. This time we were prepared with jackets.







This morning and early afternoon were dedicated to boat chores, one of which was putting in reefing lines. It was another nice day, although the waters were a bit rough this morning.

We left for Central Park mid afternoon. Diana and Gilbert had left before us. While we were in contact via the phone, the park was so huge we never did find them. Jorge and I also walked a long stretch of 5th Avenue. Boy the money along that street was unbelievable. The street is also known as Museum Mile for obvious reasons, many museums are located there.

We did meet up with Gilbert and Diana as we were returning to the marina (from different directions) at the same time. While walking to the dinghy dock, who showed up? None other than Blair and Edith. (P.S. for those of you not in the know, Blair and Edith also hail frrom HYC.) It appears they arrived this afternoon. We had a short chat about our experiences and then headed to our boats.

The evening temperature certainly has a September feel to it, still warm during the day though. The waters have calmed, as a matter of fact more calm than all week, a pleasant change!

Taxi's everywhere.

Local boat traffic.

CS'ta Time at 79th Marina, New Jersey in the background.