The Delaware and Chesapeake Bays

We left Cape May motor sailing with one reef in the main to sail around Cape May. This part was slow and thus it took two hours to get around the Cape and onto a course northwest up Delaware Bay which we could sail. At this point we turned off the motor and sped along at over 7 knots (pretty good sailboat speed) with the wind gusting to 27 knots. As the first pictures shows it was a very dark and grey day with no sun shine. The waves were 4-6 feet and choppy, so we were getting whacked on the starboard (right) side of the boat, with spray flying off the bow and, occasionally, over our heads. All of this caused Sally to be sea sick, but again Lynn loved the fresh breeze and the feel of the boat galloping over the waves. By the time we got up the Delaware Bay and River to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, about 8 hours later, it was a relief to be out of the wind and waves. We motored the next 7 miles and stopped for the night at the very quiet and peaceful Summit North Marina (also shown in the pictures).

The next day, Monday, October 4th, another cool, rainy day we motored through the Canal to Chesapeake City where we stayed for one rainy and windy night. As we were leaving the next morning we saw the people we'd met in Cape May, Ivan and Josette, just pulling into the dock. We waved and went on. I'm sure we'll meet again somewhere down the cruisers' road. That day, a much colder, grey day (see picture of Sally in gloves and unseen, long underwear), we sailed out of the C and D canal and down the first part of Chesapeake Bay, going 26 miles to a lovely, quiet anchorage at Worton Creek. We had a very nice explore by kayak the next day, a nice sunny one, finding little, hidden arms of the upper Creek, including one in which the water was coated with pollen. Lots of blue herons and Sally spotted a turtle sunning itself on a log. As we tried to approach for a picture, the turtle, moving surprisingly quickly, dropped into the water.

Thursday, October 7th we raised anchor and sailed under beautiful, blue skies further southwest to Annapolis. This was a fun (for both of us), relaxing sail with the wind staying in the 15 to 18 knot range until piping up to 25 in the last couple of miles. We double reefed the main, so when the wind became steadily over 20 knots and spending a lot of time at 25, the boat was balanced and comfortable. We saved several miles by cutting across what the chart called "Navy Anchorage". At this point we began to see these small Navy ships zipping around the anchorage area, looking like maybe chasing intruders out? (They weren't actually). So this picture shows us feeling like the Navy-cops are after us until it became obvious that they were just running around, probably training cadets. We motored up the Severn River, past the Annapolis Boat Show (a zillion boats anchored and moored in that area), past the Naval Academy, up to Weems Creek, a small, quiet anchorage described by the cruising guide as "the cruisers' secret". A way of being in the area on a boat without the crowds in the harbor around Annapolis.

We spent several days here, went to the boat show Friday and had some friends of Brooke's, Mike and Erin and their two children, Logan and Noel, come for a sail and some barbecued steaks. All of their photos came out good, a photogenic family, but we had to keep it down to only a couple.

The next day, Sunday, October 10th we left Weems Creek and motored and sailed further south down the Chesapeake to a harbor called Solomon's Island. This is apparently a very popular boating refuge for city dwellers from Baltimore and DC, a medium sized place densely packed with marinas and boats of all types. We found both a nice, quiet anchorage at the back of the bay and a store with the essentials of the cruising life, fresh fish and beer. I know that might sound odd coming from a former alcohol and drug therapist, but I have to keep a hand in, you know, just to keep a familiarity for the territory.

Again, that recurrent phrase, we left early the next morning, which was Columbus Day. While trying to honor Columbus by sailing much as he did, this day we had wind too close to the direction we were heading in, so had to use the motor, which his Columbusness didn't have. This was a long day and we were going as fast as we could up the Rhappahonnek River to get into Irvington Harbor before dark. This got us the beautiful sunset photo just before we went under the bridge and into the harbor. Anchor down about 1 minute before absolute, can't see a thing dark. Very nice, quiet, well-protected spot for an exhausted people's dinner and fall asleep.

This time, the next day, we didn't leave. Instead we motored over to Carter's dock, about 1/2 mile away and got a slip for two nights so we could address our dirty laundry problem. It was here that we met other real cruisers, Wayne and Mary, who had a huge, 52 foot sailboat that looked like a very nice Manhattan apartment inside. The galley was bigger that most apartment kitchens. Also, as you can see in the picture, Lynn got some of his favorite food here, oysters, from the oyster company right next to the marina. Best big grin of the trip!

As usual, we left the next day, October 13, to sail in a good northeasterly breeze the remaining 50 miles to Norfolk, the end of our Chesapeake journey and the beginning of our thousand-plus miles of intracoastal travel. The sailing this day was the best of the trip, running downwind and making 8 to 9 knots, wowie! speed for this sailboat. In the gusts and surfing down a wave, we hit 11.3 knots, the absolute speed record for Southern Belle. Plus, Sally wasn't scared or seasick, so we both had a very good time of it. The last couple of photos show the Navy ships and the huge ship-loading cranes in Norfolk Harbor. By 4:45 we arrived and tied up to Scott's Creek Marina, where we will leave the boat for a week and a half to attend a wedding. Then we'll be back and the adventure will continue.

The New Jersey Coast

After talking to other sailors (Shannon and Kristine) on the dock at Sandy Hook, we decided we could day hop the New Jersey Coast, making three stops - Barnagat Inlet, Atlantic City and finally Cape May. Since Sally does not like overnight sails this was an exciting discovery! So on September 23 we left Sandy Hook and sailed to Barnagat Inlet which was 56 miles. We had to motor most of the way as the winds were not as forecast, much to Lynn's frustration. However, it was a beautiful, sunny day so Sally really enjoyed being in the sun. We arrived safely at 7:00 and did not go aground thanks to Lynn's seamanship. We had been warned the depths in some places were extremely shallow and shifting and that is why many sailboats do not venture there.

However, Barnagat Inlet was a lovely place to anchor and we had our first outings in the kayak, as well as finding a good fish market, but on Sept 25 we decided to try and leave. However, several " minor " disasters occurred. First as Sally tried to raise the anchor, it came up too fast and came off the bow roller and smashed the bow running light. The true sailor, Lynn, came to the rescue and, while Sally took the wheel, he went to the bow and, while trying to put the anchor back on the bow roller leaned on the life lines. But the anchor had hit a pin that secured the top, portside life line and it gave way and almost put Lynn in the water, but his exercise routine of pull ups saved him and he was able to pull himself back on the boat. Sally and Lynn have, as a result of this incident changed jobs regarding anchoring. Now Sally drives the boat and Lynn goes forward to drop or raise the anchor. We then tried again to leave but the winds were not favorable so we returned to our anchorage. The next day we were able to leave. It was a cloudy day with good, northeasterly winds. We put 2 reefs in and sailed with the mainsail only. Sally was seasick so this was not a pleasant sail for her but Lynn loved the adventure!! Again we arrived safely in Atlantic City where we stayed for 2 days due to a weather forecast of "heavy thunderstorms and very windy". We then then motor-sailed to Cape May. At the dock in Cape May we were lucky to meet our neighbors Josette and Yvan from Canada. They invited us over for drinks and then, after we had wowed them with our unique blend of Southern charm and New York pizazz, they asked us to stay for dinner. We had a delicious home-cooked meal and enjoyed great company. As we were there on the Cape May dock together for several days we also had a chance to invite them for dinner the night before we both left. We served cajun catfish we had gotten from the Lobster House (it was a southern meal but not home cooked). We continued to share our sailing and other stories until we had to hit the sack, as we were setting out early the next morning to sail up Delaware Bay. If Sally was worried she would not meet people on this cruise, boy was she wrong! And so ends our journey down the New Jersey Coast.

October 10, 2010

Southern Belle with Lynn and Sally and their friends, Ann and Steve Kurz, left Greenport on the morning of September 18, 2010, aiming to spend the winter in the Bahamas. In order to do this we have to sail west through New York City and south down the entire East Coast of the United States. Our plan is to cruise down the intracoastal canal as much as possible, as Sally is a bit wary about sailing out in the open sea. So the first part of our voyage had us motor/sailing around Orient Point to Branford, CT, where we visited with a sailing friend before going on the next day to City Island. The next day, Sept. 20th, was a sunny, blue sky day with a northerly breeze, so we put up just the main, with one reef, and motored and sailed through Hell's Gate and down the East River.

There was almost trouble when we were diverted from the usual route, the western channel, around Roosevelt Island to the eastern channel, which we were not familiar with. New York City Harbor Police told us the western channel was closed and to take the eastern one with no further explanation. We wondered if there was a terrorist problem, but it turned out, thank goodness, that it was a meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations and the diversion was for security purposes. Reportedly, that day it was New York spending millions to protect Mohammar Ghadafi, who was speaking. Anyway, going down the east channel of Roosevelt Island, we approached a railroad bridge, which Steve had heard a story about from a boat delivery captain on the docks at City Island the night before. In this story a yacht had hit that railroad bridge with its mast, causing serious problems. As we approached the bridge, moving at 9 knots motoring with the current (quite fast for a sailboat), Steve asked what the vertical clearance was. It turned out to be 40 feet if the bridge wasn't raised, which it wasn't. And, a catamarran,named Algernon (boy, do we owe that guy a drink!) sailing right behind us began to honk its foghorn, warning us of the imminent danger. So we turned around and began to motor against the current, essentially holding our position just upstream from the bridge. Within a few minutes, the Harbor Police boat came downstream, flashing its blue light and the bridge began to go up. We passed safely underneath and continued a great day, but phew! Close call. It was one of the early events that shook our confidence in terms of being able to handle the demands of this sailing trip.

The rest of that day, we went through New York City, out the harbor under the Verranzano Bridge to Sandy Hook, where we stayed a couple of days. Friends Ann and Steve left and another friend, Stephen Lee, came aboard to help us do the 120 mile length of the New Jersey coast. Bad weather and contrary winds blocked our first effort to go and Stephen had to go back home. So Lynn and Sally enjoyed living on anchor behind the breakwater at Sandy Hook, waiting for a weather window to start down the coast.