July 16, 2006
We departed our anchorage at Cape May, NJ, at 0635 this morning in light fog. Encountered 1/4 mile (perhaps less) visibility as we transited the inlet, then into relatively clear skies once we got outside into the ocean. Now we’re about 20 miles north in bright sunlight and 1 foot swells.
Caroline and Charlie remember this as a rough place; couldn’t be nicer, today!
We anticipate getting as far as Manasquan Inlet, perhaps to Sandy Hook, by the end of the day. If we make Manasquan tonight, we’ll go into New York harbor tomorrow and anchor just south of the statue of liberty, then run up the East River with the tidal current on Tuesday morning and into Long Island Sound. If we get as far as Sandy Hook tonight, we’ll try to make it through the East River on Monday.
July 18, 2006
We departed our anchorage in Manhasset Bay this morning about 0730, and
by noon had decided that we’d try for Montauk on the east end of Long
Island. Despite six hours of adverse current, which changed to favorable
about the time we entered the Race at the eastern end of LI Sound, we
made it through the breakwater at 2010 and anchored at 2030. We did
boost the engine RPMs to 1800 to get an extra knot of speed out of
Sanderling, but even with that we were moving at a mere 5.3 knots at times!
Anyway, after a slightly more than 100 statute mile day and 13 hours
underway, we had soup for dinner. We just finished taking down part of
the bimini and securing a few things on deck in anticipation of a severe
rain/wind storm heading this way. We could use the rain to give
Sanderling a good washing; we’d just as soon not have the predicted
40-60 mph wind!
Tomorrow we’re going to find an anchorage on Buzzard’s Bay, then on
Thursday proceed to the Osterville/Hyannis MA area. Talked with Frank
Thatcher today, and he’s checking with some friends for dock space and
someone to get our little Honda outboard working!
The VHF radio is full of calls from boats in distress tonight! Haven’t
heard that until now on our trip. Must be due to the storms on LI Sound.
The Coast Guard has also been broadcasting special marine warnings re
the storms – something we don’t normally hear in Florida from the Coast
Guard.
We’ll be safe here in this “lake” at Montauk. We really backed down on
the anchor tonight in anticipation of the storm, so we’ll hold well.
Even if we drag anchor, we have nothing but eight feet of water all
around us! The closest anchored boat is about a mile away.
July 20, 2006
We departed Cuttyhunk (I’ve been convinced that that is the correct spelling now) in a 10 MPH wind from the NE this morning about 0730, heading for New Bedford (home of the famous Whaling Museum). Buzzards Bay was relatively calm, with waves no more than one foot.
Are now tied stern to in a very small, out-of-the-way (cheap) marina where we’ll stay for the next couple of days while we travel by car to Cape Cod (and coincidently, wait out the tropical storm).
When we get underway again we’ll get to the south side of Cape Cod and Martha’s Vinyard, then proceed into Cape Cod Bay for exploring the area between Cape Cod and Cape Anne.
As luck would have it, the marina has a mechanic who is going to work on our outboard while we’re here.