Left - Harness Creek. Right - On land for the summer
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Home
As we celebrate the close of our journey, we look forward to spending the summer at home and camp. On this last leg from Jensen Beach to Plattsburgh the GPS logged 1840 statute miles. Since starting out in the fall we have logged a total of 4900 miles.
When we first began the trip I was concerned about our 25 year old boat with its little 14hp diesel engine being up to the task. I have to say that both the boat and her crew performed admirably and we look forward to our next adventure this fall.
We have had the boat hauled and it will spend July/Aug on land as we prepare the the next trip. I have a list of work to complete before we head south again in Sept and I have been searching the net for charts and guides to assist us in planning the trip to the Bahamas.
When we first began the trip I was concerned about our 25 year old boat with its little 14hp diesel engine being up to the task. I have to say that both the boat and her crew performed admirably and we look forward to our next adventure this fall.
We have had the boat hauled and it will spend July/Aug on land as we prepare the the next trip. I have a list of work to complete before we head south again in Sept and I have been searching the net for charts and guides to assist us in planning the trip to the Bahamas.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Homeward Bound- Up the Hudson
Sunday June 14th- Anxious to be home we motored thru NY Harbor enjoying the sights. Being a Sunday the ferry and tug traffic was much lighter and the passage less stressful than on our southern journey. We were boarded by the Coast Guard off Manhattan for a safety check and thankfully all was in order. Chris had the wheel during this encounter as I was in the head. I'm still giving her a ribbing over the fact that the only time we were boarded in our 17 years of sailing was while she was in command.
Monday- found us anchored in one of our old haunts at the head of the Rondout Creek in Kingston. Flooding thruout the area had us fighting a swift current much of the day and as we sat at anchor much debris and tree limbs passed us by.
Tues-Tied up for the night at the town dock at Coxsackie (an area we called home for 6 years) where we enjoyed biking around for the afternoon. Along the way we passed the replica of Henry Hudsons ship the Halfmoon.
Wed - a short run to the Castleton Yacht Club where we used their hand crane to unstep our mast in preparation for the low bridges in the Champlain Canal. Kate came down from Albany to help and join us for dinner. All went smoothly and we spent a quiet night on their guest mooring.
Thurs. -Heavy rain much of the day. Motor to Waterford(where the Erie Canal and Hudson River split) and tied up for the night at their free town docks. At least 15 large boats (mostly power) were at the docks waiting for good weather to transit the Erie Canal to the Great Lakes. Many of these boaters were "loopers" (great lakes to Ohio River to Mississippi to Gulf then up east coast) that we had been seeing thru much of our journey.
Fri- On up the Hudson thru the first 7 locks. The current was very swift , in places over 3 mph from all the flooding in the area. The dredging project to clean up the PCB's at Ft Edward is in full swing with numerous barges, cranes, tugs and workboats making passage a challenge. We tied up for the night at the free dock above lock seven and walked around town. The basin at the town park and town docks there are closed during this project but would make a nice stop once the project is done.
Sat - On to Lake Champlain the balance of the locks went smoothly and we anchored in the lee of Fort Ti for a quiet evening.
Sun- motor to Point Bay (south of Essex) Fuel problems again so I pumped tank dry and filled with fresh fuel. Seems OK now but time will tell.
Mon- brought strong north winds and we pounded into steep chop all the way to Plattsburgh. Andros was home!
Monday- found us anchored in one of our old haunts at the head of the Rondout Creek in Kingston. Flooding thruout the area had us fighting a swift current much of the day and as we sat at anchor much debris and tree limbs passed us by.
Tues-Tied up for the night at the town dock at Coxsackie (an area we called home for 6 years) where we enjoyed biking around for the afternoon. Along the way we passed the replica of Henry Hudsons ship the Halfmoon.
Wed - a short run to the Castleton Yacht Club where we used their hand crane to unstep our mast in preparation for the low bridges in the Champlain Canal. Kate came down from Albany to help and join us for dinner. All went smoothly and we spent a quiet night on their guest mooring.
Thurs. -Heavy rain much of the day. Motor to Waterford(where the Erie Canal and Hudson River split) and tied up for the night at their free town docks. At least 15 large boats (mostly power) were at the docks waiting for good weather to transit the Erie Canal to the Great Lakes. Many of these boaters were "loopers" (great lakes to Ohio River to Mississippi to Gulf then up east coast) that we had been seeing thru much of our journey.
Fri- On up the Hudson thru the first 7 locks. The current was very swift , in places over 3 mph from all the flooding in the area. The dredging project to clean up the PCB's at Ft Edward is in full swing with numerous barges, cranes, tugs and workboats making passage a challenge. We tied up for the night at the free dock above lock seven and walked around town. The basin at the town park and town docks there are closed during this project but would make a nice stop once the project is done.
Sat - On to Lake Champlain the balance of the locks went smoothly and we anchored in the lee of Fort Ti for a quiet evening.
Sun- motor to Point Bay (south of Essex) Fuel problems again so I pumped tank dry and filled with fresh fuel. Seems OK now but time will tell.
Mon- brought strong north winds and we pounded into steep chop all the way to Plattsburgh. Andros was home!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Jersey Coast
Thurs, June 11- Pea soup fog kept us in the Cape May Harbor until noon when it seemed to clear. Headed out along with Rising Tide motorsailing up the coast and as we should have expected the fog returned. Thankfully the visibility improved as we reached the Atlantic City inlet and we were able to easily find our way into the protected anchorage north of downtown.
Fri-Fair winds but showery, got an early start as we bid farewell to Rising Tide (they were waiting for weather to head offshore for Block Island then on to Mass). Arrived at 3 pm at Barnegat Light anchorage where I spent an unpleasant late afternoon working to correct problems associated with dirty fuel. (clogged filters and water separator).
Sat- Winds were out of the north but predicted to veer east so we pushed on to complete this stretch of the coast while the weather cooperated. The Jersey coast is the only part of our journey where we had to sail off the coast in unprotected waters and I was anxious to get this behind us. From Cape May to Sandy Hook the gps logged 144 miles but we were able to break it up in 3 stretches. Jerseys inlets are notorious for steep waves and swift currents if the weather is bad so many boats make the trip in one overnite journey. Since we had no set schedule we would have waited out bad weather if necessary. Sat evening found us dining on 3 bluefish caught during the day, anchored behind Sandy Hook in sight of the Verrazano Bridge with the NY skyline in the far distance.
Fri-Fair winds but showery, got an early start as we bid farewell to Rising Tide (they were waiting for weather to head offshore for Block Island then on to Mass). Arrived at 3 pm at Barnegat Light anchorage where I spent an unpleasant late afternoon working to correct problems associated with dirty fuel. (clogged filters and water separator).
Sat- Winds were out of the north but predicted to veer east so we pushed on to complete this stretch of the coast while the weather cooperated. The Jersey coast is the only part of our journey where we had to sail off the coast in unprotected waters and I was anxious to get this behind us. From Cape May to Sandy Hook the gps logged 144 miles but we were able to break it up in 3 stretches. Jerseys inlets are notorious for steep waves and swift currents if the weather is bad so many boats make the trip in one overnite journey. Since we had no set schedule we would have waited out bad weather if necessary. Sat evening found us dining on 3 bluefish caught during the day, anchored behind Sandy Hook in sight of the Verrazano Bridge with the NY skyline in the far distance.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Chesapeake and Delaware Bays
June 2&3, Tues,Wed- The past 2 days have been sunny and warm with very little wind. Spent Tues night in a pretty harbor at Deltaville, and Wed. we pushed on to Solomons Island with it's protected anchorages.
Thurs thru Sat-Weather has turned cloudy and cooler, anchored in Harness Creek just south of Annapolis just as heavy rain set in. This area is the 200 acre Quiet Waters County park that the river winds thru. Six miles of paved bike trails, a short bike to Annapolis and shopping, and deer feeding along the shore all combined to make this high on our list of spots to return to. Heavy rain all day Fri kept us on board but Sat dawned sunny and warm. After a stop at the nearby Yanmar dealer for a replacement raw water pump for our engine (original had started leaking and I was afraid of it failing), We biked into Annapolis where we spent the day sightseeing.
June 7&8, Sunday- Sunny and warm with light winds as we motor/sailed to Chesapeake City. The tiny harbor was busy with weekend boat traffic but quieted down as evening approached.
Monday-A late start to time our transit thru the C&D canal and Delaware Bay with the tide worked out and we had a great run to the Cohansey River in NJ where our good friends Bob and Mae picked us up for dinner at their home then left us with a car to use. We spent Tuesday catching up on laundry and shopping followed by dinner out.
Wed- An early departure to catch the tide found us in Cape May by noon. Spent the afternoon biking about this quaint city. The trip to the point and lighthouse proved a little more than our out of shape bodies were ready for but we had a great day. Our friends Ken and Heidie aboard Rising tide arrived in the afternoon and we had Cocktails together as we caught up on our adventures since we were last together in Fl.
Thurs thru Sat-Weather has turned cloudy and cooler, anchored in Harness Creek just south of Annapolis just as heavy rain set in. This area is the 200 acre Quiet Waters County park that the river winds thru. Six miles of paved bike trails, a short bike to Annapolis and shopping, and deer feeding along the shore all combined to make this high on our list of spots to return to. Heavy rain all day Fri kept us on board but Sat dawned sunny and warm. After a stop at the nearby Yanmar dealer for a replacement raw water pump for our engine (original had started leaking and I was afraid of it failing), We biked into Annapolis where we spent the day sightseeing.
June 7&8, Sunday- Sunny and warm with light winds as we motor/sailed to Chesapeake City. The tiny harbor was busy with weekend boat traffic but quieted down as evening approached.
Monday-A late start to time our transit thru the C&D canal and Delaware Bay with the tide worked out and we had a great run to the Cohansey River in NJ where our good friends Bob and Mae picked us up for dinner at their home then left us with a car to use. We spent Tuesday catching up on laundry and shopping followed by dinner out.
Wed- An early departure to catch the tide found us in Cape May by noon. Spent the afternoon biking about this quaint city. The trip to the point and lighthouse proved a little more than our out of shape bodies were ready for but we had a great day. Our friends Ken and Heidie aboard Rising tide arrived in the afternoon and we had Cocktails together as we caught up on our adventures since we were last together in Fl.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Beaufort, NC to Norfolk
Tues, 5-26- After spending the morning ashore in Beaufort shopping and visiting the Maritime museum we headed for Oriental where we had mail waiting. Especially needed was our chartbook for the Chesapeake/Delaware which we had forgotten in Jensen Beach. Thankfully our friends Donna and Gene (s/v Sandpiper) were still in Stuart and were able to ship it to us.
Wed,Thurs- Following a breakfast ashore we spent the day motoring into showers and headwinds for 2 days. This section of the ICW cuts thru various sounds and rivers allowing us to avoid the treacherous waters off Cape Hatteras and the outer banks. Our plan had called for a side trip to Ocracoke Island on the outer banks but strong headwinds and rain on Pamlico Sound convinced us to scrap this idea. Quiet anchorages on Dowrey Creek and The Alligator River served as overnite havens from the weather.
Fri,Sat-Greeted with a sunny and warm day with favorable winds we had a great sail across Abalmarle Sound to the town docks at Elizabeth City. Free docks, a cocktail party for the arriving boaters each night and shopping/laundry close by made this one of our favorite stops. After a visit to the fantastic Maritime Museum of the Abalmarle Sat morning found us stocking up at the farmers market and local seafood outlet while Chris did a couple of loads of laundry. We then headed north for the free docks at the NC visitors center and a tour thru their newly completed natural history museum.
Sun, Mon- After transiting the peaceful Dismal Swamp, the busy Norfolk Harbor/Hampton Roads area were quite a contrast. We bypassed the busy anchorage at Norfolk in favor of the much quieter Hampton River/Deep Creek at Hampton. Monday was spent biking about sightseeing.
Wed,Thurs- Following a breakfast ashore we spent the day motoring into showers and headwinds for 2 days. This section of the ICW cuts thru various sounds and rivers allowing us to avoid the treacherous waters off Cape Hatteras and the outer banks. Our plan had called for a side trip to Ocracoke Island on the outer banks but strong headwinds and rain on Pamlico Sound convinced us to scrap this idea. Quiet anchorages on Dowrey Creek and The Alligator River served as overnite havens from the weather.
Fri,Sat-Greeted with a sunny and warm day with favorable winds we had a great sail across Abalmarle Sound to the town docks at Elizabeth City. Free docks, a cocktail party for the arriving boaters each night and shopping/laundry close by made this one of our favorite stops. After a visit to the fantastic Maritime Museum of the Abalmarle Sat morning found us stocking up at the farmers market and local seafood outlet while Chris did a couple of loads of laundry. We then headed north for the free docks at the NC visitors center and a tour thru their newly completed natural history museum.
Sun, Mon- After transiting the peaceful Dismal Swamp, the busy Norfolk Harbor/Hampton Roads area were quite a contrast. We bypassed the busy anchorage at Norfolk in favor of the much quieter Hampton River/Deep Creek at Hampton. Monday was spent biking about sightseeing.
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