Oct 10-11-12:  Outside New Jersey and on to Delaware Bay

     Quite a few snowbirds in Rum Point, and most stayed in on the Saturday the 10th, as the wind was quite strong, and being from the East, not a good time on the Jersey shore.  Many of the cruisers made dinghy trips to Atlantic City, but we had explored further up the cove and landed our dinghy,  Sybil Ludington on the beach/seawall right in town Brigantine.  Kathy checked out the Post Office for mailing and WIFI while I got a couple groceries.  We then met at St Georges Pub for a lite lunch and to make use of the WIFI.  

     At the beach while launching Sybil, I found an oyster on the shore, not sure the season, but what the heck. Back at the boat we made a list of all the cruisers in the harbor, just to keep track.

I knew that after a day at anchor all these Southbounders would be itching to get along, and sure enuf, 0700 the mass exodus began.  A steady stream out the narrow channel between the marshes and out Absecon Inlet to the gentle Easterly swell of the Atlantic.  

Atlantic City Light, tucked in amongst the casinos.

     A lite NW wind was just enuf to keep sails full and dampen the roll as we all motored to the South.  Soon enuf the boats spread out,  some offshore headed beyond Delaware Bay, but many heading for Cape May to follow the ICW up Delaware Bay to the C and D Canal, etc.  We made the turn at Cape May and while the 6 boats in line ahead of us turned for Cape May Harbor proper, we turned North up the ICW to a little anchorage called Sunset Lake in the town of Wildwood Crest where we had the anchorage all to ourselves. 

     Once at anchor, Kathy hoisted me up the mast to correct a chafing issue (on the masthead, not on me). Issue resolved and we were headed ashore to try and catch the Patriots’ football game at 1600.  We crashed the first bar we found, Mulligans.  Knowing that we were not home town crowd, we waited a while before asking the waitress if she might tune one of the 9 TV sets to the Pats game.  She finally got the game on the smallest set, hey, good enuf.  After appetizers we split a burger, then the TV said that the Pats game was blacked out in this area.  Oh well.  We got the check and were ready to head back to the Willie Dawes, when our the second half came up on the big screens.  Tom Brady had things well in hand, so just before dark we snuck out, and headed back to the harbor, just in time to catch a great pink sunset.  But not before catching the weather forecast on someone’s home big screen as we passed their picture window to the street. The forecast for Monday:  Near Perfect.  Good Enuf.

Sunset at Sunset Lake

     Monday morning the plan was to get underway at 0530 as we wanted to catch all of the flood tide up Delaware Bay. Well, rolling out of the Vee-Berth at 0630 will have to do.  Make the coffee and oatmeal and we are off, a couple miles to Cape May, thru Cape May Harbor then Thru the Cape May Canal to the bottom of Delaware Bay.  

Entrance to Cape May Canal

Sea fog on the Cape May Canal

     Nearly calm, “Near Perfect”, we made a line for Henesey Point, about 30 miles up on the Eastern Shore.  Some of our fellow cruisers were ahead of us, several back, once again spreading out as we went along.  Faster boats could reach the Chesapeake  and Delaware Canal by afternoon, the slower boats would be caught in the ebb current.  Guess which we are.  Going up the bay we were amongst crab pots, sort of like home, and many of the crab boats could pass for Maine Lobsterers.  Also saw a couple of 60 foot or so diesel powered oyster dredgers.

Crab pot buoys and one crab pot stake.

Ship John Shoal Light in Delaware Bay  

     Since the weather was so fine we decided to go a bit further up the bay than originally planned and changed course for the anchorage behind, or beside Reedy Island, just a couple miles shy of the Canal.  Of course just before the anchorage we must pass thru a turbulent opening between two stone jetties they called dikes.  My remark to Kathy was, “Sand everywhere, and we Mainers have to pass between these hard places”.

Entrance to the Reedy Island anchorage.

     The anchorage was not all that great, as the wind had come up 15 knots SSW and the 2 knot current was running downstream against the wind.  Never a comfortable combination, but the tide will soon turn and chances are the wind will go down with the sun.  Famous last words, Marnie and Al can tell you about that one.

Tomorrow, Chesapeake Bay!

Oct 7-8-9: New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway; Manasquan Inlet to Atlantic City

     Wednesday we were up and out into the open ocean for the first time since traveling along the coast of Nova Scotia.  Everyone traveling South must cruise at least partially outside the New Jersey coastline.  Those of us with shallower drafts and shorter masts can make use of the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway at the entrance at Manasquan Inlet, 26 miles down the coast from the Verrazano Bridge.  The swells from Hurricane Joaquin were not as bad as we’d heard, but they still were breaking on the beach high enough to attract surfers, but they weren’t keeping the fishermen away.  There were several people casting lines all along the breakwater leading to the Manasquan River.

Entrance to Manasquan River - the breakwater is made up of interlocking manufactured stones that look like giant jacks.

     The waters here are shallow, and the channels and canals are narrow, and there are many bridges that need to be hailed to open for us, but it was great fun to slowly motor along and wave to the people sitting on their porches or fishing from their backyards.  We’re enjoying some warm and sunny weather - it’s been in the seventies and we’ve gone back to short-sleeve shirts, shorts, and lots of sunscreen.  This portion of the ICW is quiet; most boats traveling South do the entire New Jersey run from the outside, and the locals probably aren’t getting out on weekdays as much in the fall as they do in the summer.  We encountered only a couple of other sailboats drifting along, and mostly small-boat fisherman.  

Brielle RR Bridge, the first bridge before Pleasant Point Canal.

Rt 35 Bridge

     Wednesday night we anchored up the Metedeconk River, and Dan took the dinghy ashore to walk to West Marine for a couple of supplies while I stayed behind and did my own chores.  Like much of the NJ-ICW, our anchorage was bordered on one side by marsh and the other with wall to wall houses and condos. We watched a white heron and several ducks looking for their dinners in front of tall sedges, and then turned around and saw a densely built-up, brightly lit waterfront studded with private piers.  It’s quite the view, depending on which way you face.  

A great blue heron challenges a white heron with a fly-by.

Swans, marsh, and houses.  You can't see their docks, but they all have them.

Thursday we followed the meandering channel under more bridges and into Barnegat Bay.  We have a guidebook that reads like one of those old Disney travelogues, and it gives a great history of this area in particular, mentioning that the Dutch established colonies here before the Mayflower set people onto Plymouth rock, that rebels harassed the British here during the Revolutionary War, and that this area is the birth place of the coasting schooner.   

     We called it a day as we moved from Barnegat Bay into Little Egg Harbor, and dropped the hook off Mordecai Island in the Liberty Thorofare.  We were treated to a beautiful sunset, and Dan was amused to see a dredging barge getting ready for a night’s work.  (No, he doesn’t miss that.)

Sunset in Liberty Thorofare

Friday dawned overcast and very windy.  Our anemometer read 20 knots of wind, with gusts up to 25.  The water was a bit choppy as we followed the markers 20 miles to Atlantic City.  Everything we’ve read about the ICW cautions that we follow the buoys, and not adhere strictly to the magenta line on the charts.  We found this to be true today - following that magenta line would have put us aground for sure.  No doubt Joaquin shifted the sandy bottom around.  It was impressive that someone had already moved the buoys accordingly.  A strong front is moving through today, and we found a snug anchorage in a small basin across from the Absecon Inlet where we have a nice view of flocks of birds in the small marsh nearby and the brightly lit towers of the casinos in Atlantic City.

Oct 5-6:  To Norwalk, then Staten Island

     Monday we got up early to set out, having our sights set on Port Jefferson or Huntington, NY (both on Long Island) but the currents in Long Island sound kept us on the Connecticut side so we ended up in Norwalk instead.  It was sunnier and not as rough as last spring when we made this journey, but there was still a swell running and a fairly strong wind from the North.  It was good to be on our way again, despite the chill.  We had a fairly uneventful cruise, but lost time as we ended up against the current and tide, and we were happy to make it to Norwalk by sunset.  We were surprised to see so many boats still in the water here, but then again, lower New England has a longer sailing season than Maine does.  

Dawn in Wilson Cove, Norwalk CT.

     Tuesday we were away at dawn, which sounds early, but this time of year dawn is around 7 am.   It was a sunny, clear day, and the swells and winds of yesterday were much less today.  We had an almost immediate view of the NYC horizon, and watched in amazement as the smog layer thickened as the commuters descended into the city.  

     Our initial plan was to head for Manhasset Bay, just before Hell Gate and the East River, and time our entry into New York Harbor for Wednesday, but we found we were doing so well that we could ride the current through Hell Gate into the East River today, so that was what we did.  

     Again the weather was clearer, warmer, and the seas were calmer than they were last spring, but the place is still a bit of a zoo.  Still, it’s kind of a thrill to come around Manhattan by water, seeing the buildings we’ve seen mostly on television, and to imagine just how many people live and work in this area.  Last time I completely missed both the UN building and the new Freedom tower where the twin towers were (I plead fog and being completely overwhelmed by the spring experience) so I am including those pictures in this blog.  

     Last time, we went up the Hudson to start the Down East Circle Tour.  This time we headed down to the Narrows, to go under the Verrazano Bridge.  The current remained with us until the bridge, and we began to look for a place to anchor.

     In Camden, while we made use of the Schooner Lewis R French dock, we met a couple of cruisers who recommended Skipper Bob publications to us.  I bought both the book on Anchorages and the one on Marinas for the Intracoastal Waterway, pleased to note that these publications are inexpensive, thorough, and they cover the entire coastal route from Waterford, NY (the start of the Erie Canal) to the Florida Keys.  There are many guides to the ICW but most begin at Norfolk, VA, many of them only cover the ICW in portions, and their prices are usually around $50 each.  Skipper Bob Publications was a GREAT recommendation!  

     There were three anchorages listed between the Verrazano Bridge and Sandy Hook, NJ, and we chose to stay in the third one - Great Kills Harbor on Staten Island.  

     It’s a pretty little cove with several marinas, fairly well protected, with dinghy access to one of the Gateway National Parks.  Dan and I went for a long walk in the late afternoon, enjoying the warm weather and the sun.  

Oct 1 - 4 : Hamburg Cove

     We spent six nights all together in Hamburg Cove, waiting out the howling Northeast winds that dropped several inches of rain up in Maine.  It rained on and off much of the time here, but much of it was a cold drizzle, just enough to keep up indoors cuddled up to the heater.  We did what boaters normally do on rainy layover days: we mended things, found new homes for things, played games, read books silently and aloud (currently our read-aloud is “The Boy, Me, and the Cat” by Henry Plummer) and Dan changed a fuel filter and the oil.  I made an apple pie and roasted a chicken, but otherwise my culinary achievements aren’t worth noting.  

Dan teaches Tommie how to change the oil.

      We watched a lot of birds.  This cove has fish jumping all the time.  We never did find out what they were, but they were so plentiful the birds didn’t have to fight for them or scavenge the dead ones.  There were swans, white herons and blue herons, egrets, and immature bald eagles as well as the normal cormorants and seagulls.  

      Thursday night we dined and showered at the home of our friends Jon and Ann in Old Lyme, and they urged us to explore of the Connecticut River if we got the chance, specifically mentioning the Selden Creek.  Saturday we went in to Essex to fuel up, and the manager at the Brewer marina there kindly let us use their laundry facilities.  It still mighty windy in the big river, so we just went back to our snug cove.  We got out for a little exploring on Sunday, along with many power boaters, all of us celebrating the end of the storm and the direction change that took Hurricane Joaquin well out to sea instead of toward the East Coast.  

      We found Selden Creek, a beautiful little waterway that runs between a marsh and the rocky mainland.  We could hear several kinds of birds in the marsh, but had no sightings.  It was unpopulated and quiet (until the two jetskiers roared through) and there were several smaller creeks leading into the marsh that begged exploring in a smaller boat.  If we’d had a canoe or a kayak, we may have spent some time in there.  

Selden Creek

      After that we went a few miles up the big river to see what we could see.  Connecticut must have some good zoning laws, as there was a lot of unspoiled land along the river and it must be spectacular when the foliage is peaking.  We passed by Gillette Castle, a monstrous bit of architecture which was built by the stage actor William Gillette in 1919.  The jagged stones around the windows look like teeth.

Gillette Castle

      As the sun was beginning to descend, we headed back to Hamburg Cove to watch the colors.  Red sky at night!  We would be leaving in the morning.

Our last evening in Hamburg Cove

Oct - Mola Mola supplement

     I forgot to include a mention of the mola mola we saw when transiting Massachusetts Bay from Gloucester to Plymouth.  I had just taken the helm when I caught sight of a fin.  I saw it move a couple times and I saw the footprint of something to our port.  I said to Dan "There's something right there!!"  He glanced over the side and called out "I think it's a mola mola!"
     Mola molas are giant sunfish.  They are fat-bodied, with a large fin, like a sail, and often will lay just under the surface in one spot flipping that big fin from side to side.  If you don't see them, it's easy to run into them because they do just sit there.

     This guy had a large gash on his topside; he obviously had an encounter with a boat.

Sept 24-Oct 1  To Connecticut and Waiting...

     We left Camden Harbor on Thursday, Sept 24th around 2:30 pm.  Once again, Al and Marnie Pease were there to see us off, and to contribute a farewell picture.  

Leaving Camden Harbor

     We made good time to Tenant’s Harbor for the night, where we met up with long time friends who recently moved back from St. Croix.  They joined us to share a bottle of wine, lots of memories, and their experiences in the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Owls Head Light

     Blessed with sunny weather and calm seas, we had a good run all the way to Portland on Friday.  The dock under the South Portland bridge was full and we ended up anchoring off the Coast Guard dock and took the dinghy in to visit son Bill and take him out to dinner.  He showed us his new apartment - after two years living aboard his mastless Saber in Southport Marine, Billy is ecstatic to be living in a “real place” ashore while he finishes his studies at school.  It’s warm, it’s got a working kitchen and there won’t be any waiting in line for the shower or laundry!

     About this time, we started hearing news of possible weather issues.  Joaquin was not yet named, but the media was hyping his potential, and there was a cold front coming, with big seas and lots of wind, so we started considering each destination with the idea that we might have to be there for more than one night.

     Saturday night was spent tucked in the quiet shelter of the Annisquam River, and on Sunday we watched the blood moon eclipse from the anchorage outside of Plymouth Harbor.  Plymouth Harbor was not the most hospitable of places; they wanted $35 for a guest mooring inside their breakwater, and their designated anchorage is just outside the entrance channel, where no one, not even the marine police or the harbormaster observed any kind of speed limit. The harbor masters spent a lot of time joyriding around, pretending their expensive zodiac launch was a giant jetski.  No doubt the $35 guest fees are needed to support their fuel consumption.  Despite our rolling with every wake, we enjoyed the unobstructed view of the moon that night, but we were very happy to leave when the first fishing vessels took to the seas on Sunday morning.

Annisquam sunset

Full moon off Plymouth Harbor

     Sunday saw us through the canal and into Buzzard’s Bay.  Last spring we saw little of the area because it was thick of fog, but this time we had a fine view and a following sea.  We pressed for Cuttyhunk but were lured over to Martha’s Vineyard instead, albeit the very Western end, where we anchored in Menemsha Bight and dinghied into the pond to get a view of Pease’s Point.  Dan’s ancestors came to Salem, MA in the 1600s, and helped establish the population on the Vineyard before returning inland and moving up to Maine.  

     By Monday Joaquin had begun showing his potential.  Between that and the cold front, we knew we had to get serious about a place to hang out for awhile, so Monday we were up before dawn to get to our final destination: Hamburg Cove, six miles up the Connecticut River.  

Sunrise off Martha's Vineyard 

Rocinante

       This is a pretty and very quiet little place, a perfect hurricane with lots of different birds to watch.  Long time friend and former crew member Ben Ericksen-Carey  and his wife Teresa Carey came in for one night on Rocinante, but opted to head further West as they have a busy agenda to try to keep.  Our friends Jon and Ann from Volunteer, whom we met in Nova Scotia, live only ten minutes from here and have offered to host us for supper and showers.  We may be here for several days while Joaquin makes up his mind as where to go once he’s done bashing the Bahamas, but we’ve plenty of food and fuel and can keep ourselves busy.   We’re in no rush - this is what retirement is all about!

September 1-24  Camden, Maine

   We're getting set to head out today, after several weeks of maintenance and mooching.  We've had some great catch-up time with our boys, Dan's folks and family, and as many friends as we could get together with.
     Dan has put in a LOT of time on projects;  he swapped out our 26' mast for a 30' mast, bought and hard-wired a refrigerator, figured out a second seat in our pilot house (previously only the helmsman could sit down), and got our barn in Camden winterized.  We also sanded and painted our fatty knees to use as our new dinghy.
    The mast went up with little fanfare, but not everything went perfectly.  It took four trips up in the bosun's chair to figure out why the nav lights weren't working, and to fix the problem.  That just gave us a little more time with Joe and Bill, who spent an afternoon troubleshooting with Dan.

     The refrigerator was sort of a last minute decision.  We have a nice Yeti cooler that works pretty well and doubles as a foot-rest or stool in the cockpit, but we found that chasing ice all during the Down East Circle Route got old.  They don't make ice like they used to!!  It's either cubes with holes or blocks with holes, and it melts pretty fast.  Since we're going somewhere consistently warmer than where we've been so far, and because there isn't ice as readily available in the Bahamas, we decided to go with a small cooler-sized refrigerator.  We'll let you know how well it works.  The Yeti is still aboard, should we need it.  

     It's been nice to be back in our home town, but we are ready to leave.  Looking forward to connecting with many of the boat friends we have made, seeing what the Intracoastal Waterway is all about it, and warmer climes.  Stay in touch!  We will try to keep the blog updated in a timely way as we head South.

Camden Harbor