It’s Monday morning and we are headed up the Delaware River under power.  There is a light wind from the north and the seas are very calm.   Our destination for today is Chesapeake City at the far end of the ‘Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, a very nice little anchorage at the very top of Chesapeake Bay.

Yesterday we made a 30km run, mostly under power, from Atlantic City to Cape May.  I am afraid that there isn’t much to say except that the seas were calm and it was uneventful.  Leaving AC in full daylight gave us a good look at just how built up the place is.   As much of the surrounding coastline has relatively little development so this place sticks out like a sore thumb.  

It was interesting to visit Cape May as I had not been there for nearly 30 years.  The last time I was there was when I was bringing my second boat, a Cape Cod catboat, Sappho, back from Lewis DL, just across the Delaware River, back to New Jersey.  Wow, that was a long time ago.  While I have been past Cape May a number of times since, I have always been on a delivery and didn’t stop for the night.

The anchorage is off of the Coast Guard station and there is plenty of room to drop a hook.  Interestingly, of the nearly a dozen boats that were anchored, about half were from Canada.  Cape May is a good spot to wait for a favorable tide and wind to head up the Delaware River to the C&D canal.

We took the dink into town, nearly two miles away, and had a drink at a local seafood joint on the harbor.   The view was very nice, with pleasure and fishing boats in abundance.  

After that we motored further up the harbor and spied a row of boat houses, one of which, built in the 20s, was owned by the sister of a weaver Brenda knows.  We had been told to look her up when we were in town so we did.  

Sdina and her husband Fergie,  were indeed having cocktails out on the deck of the boathouse and when Brenda shouted, “are you Sdina?”, she was and were instantly to join them.    It seems that Sdina is nearly 90 and looks like she is at least 15-20 years younger.  How do she do it?   She was drinking red wine.   Hmm… We enjoyed a beer with them as the sun set over the harbor.  It was a very nice visit. Sdina is Swedish and the boathouse had been decorated as one would expect given her heritage.  She said that IKEA has done very well by them.

We headed back to Pandora and enjoyed a terrific dinner of fajitas, a nice way to end the day.  We turned in early as we had to leave really early today to head up the river.

This morning we set the alarm for 04:45 as the tide was to turn in our favor in the Delaware River at 05:30 and it’s a good 50km up to the canal.  There are a number of ways to head up the Delaware from Cape May, one that takes you very close to shore around Cape May point through some unmarked shoals, some of which are only 2-4′ deep and another, longer route, that involves heading out to sea about 6km prior to turning to the north to head up the river.

In spite of the fact that some of my friends, and it seems, a number of the other boats that left around the same time I did, take the shorter, more tricky way, Brenda and I decided to play it safe and headed out the long way.   Even that way involves going over some really shallow places, some less than 10′ deep, the shoals seemed easier to avoid.

While my charts are only a few years old, I did find that some pareticularly shallow areas had migrated somewhat and I found myself going over some scary spots that were less than 15′ deep where the chart showed nearly 30′.   That has been my experience each time I have made this run.  Besides, it was dark for about an hour after we left port and seeing the water swirl in the really shallow places would have been impossible in the dark.  I have a real aversion to running aground, especially miles from land where there should be plenty of water.

We were well out to sea when the sun came up.  I am always moved by seeing the sunrise over the water.  It makes you feel really insignificant. 

The amount of water that is moving up and down the river with each turn of the tide is amazing.  Here we are, going about 7kts through the water and yet our over the bottom speed is over 8.5kts and further up stream, greater than 9.5kts.  As the river is over 15km wide at the mouth, that’s a lot of water moving along with us.

With this amount of water running up and down the river twice each day,  the bottom contours change constantly and shoaling continues all the way up the river so dredging is a constant effort.  When they pump the sand out of the channel, they deposit it on either side and that means that there is even greater shoaling on either side of the channel.  Pleasure boats (meaning small, like us) head up the channel just outside of the channel to avoid the ships like this one but not so far out as to risk the shoals.  There’s plenty of shipping to avoid and at over 600′ long, it is a very good idea to stay out of the way of guys like this.  

I shudder at the thought of coming face to face with this bow wave in the middle of the night. This one is interesting as it’s actually a large barge with a wedge shaped cut in the stern where a tug can fit inside to push it along.  When they are secured inside that cut, the tug and barge behave as one ship.  A particularly dramatic feature along the way is the Salem nuclear power plant.   It is hard to believe just how big this thing is.  That’s a lot of concrete.  Let’s hope that the steam coming out of the cooling tower is just water vapor.   However, not much of a carbon footprint.   

I liked this lifting barge.   It says that it’s home ported in NY but it’s hard to imagine this boat making it’s way down the coast.  Perhaps they lift it on another bigger lifting boat.  For inquiring minds to ponder. 

On the big ships they usually sport this sort of orange life boat on the stern.  The idea is to be able to easily, and quickly, get the boat in the water.  Imagine being “launched” by this lifeboat as the ship is being pounded by waves?  The seats in these lifeboats have tubular metal harnesses like an amusement park ride that come down over your shoulders.  That’s a thrill ride experience that I’d be happy to avoid. There are a number of interesting lighthouses along the river.  I didn’t get too close but you get the idea. I like bridges and this new style is cropping up all over.  This one on the C&D requires a lot less maintenance as there is nothing to paint I think.

This older style one has a nice sweep to the approach. Well, we finally made it into the anchorage at Chesepeake City and I am just finishing up this post.  When we were in the middle of the river the data coverage on the cell phone wasn’t good enough to I wasn’t able to upload the photos and finish it up.

We are anchored and plan to go ashore and explore.  Actually, Brenda has her sights set on a weaving/knitting store in town that is particularly inviting.

Stay tuned for more action and suspense as we plan to stay here for the next two days.  Heavy winds coming on Tuesday that we want to avoid.

Ta, Ta. for now.

It’s 07:00 on Sunday morning and the sun has just come up here in Atlantic City.   Who would expect that there would be a very nice anchorage in what is perhaps the tackiest place in the US, but there is.

Having said that, the lights on the casinos last evening were quite a sight and Brenda and I enjoyed an “adult beverage” in the cockpit while watching the lights blink and glare all around us.  I have passed AC at night while making passage but have never been in here myself.

The sunrise this morning was spectacular and as the sun rose in the east the buildings all around us were bathed in a warm glow promising another terrific day aboard Pandora.  The NW breezes are still with us and are expected to last the day which we need to finish our run to Cape May.

Getting photos like these is one of the advantages of awaking early.  Happily, early for me is now 06:00 instead of 04:00 that I was plagued with for the last few weeks before we left on our voyage.   Even the casinos look warm in the early light.  It’s hard to believe how many massive buildings are crammed into such a small space. Much of the area around us is a general anchorage that can easily hold a dozen boats or perhaps more.   Believe it or not, this entire complex is a single hotel, Harrahs.  I guess that millions have to be lost there to keep such a massive facility in business.   As they say, “the house always wins in the end”.

You never forget that the ocean is nearby as nestled in the midst of all of this glitter is the sobering presence of the Coast Guard station.   Personally, it’s the sight of this that pleases me most. Yesterday was indeed a wonderful run.  Covering 80 miles in a single day under sail isn’t something that I do every day and to make an 11.5 hour run with the engine on for less than two hours was a treat.   I am certain that yesterday was one of the longest runs uninterrupted by motoring that I have ever had and certainly the longest for Brenda.  As fun as it was, I was tired when we reached AC at dusk last evening.  I was apprehensive about making the approach during dusk as I didn’t really know what to expect even though the charts seemed clear enough.   The buildings along the beach in AC are imposing to be sure. The shoals all along the southern coast of NJ go way out and as we approached AC I had to stay well off to avoid being in water less than 20′ deep.   As I took this photo we were about to take down the sails and motor up the channel.  As the sands shift constantly only the outer most approach buoys are even on the chart.

Happily, the winds held up all day and did so from a great direction so for nearly the entire trip from Sandy Hook to the entrance to AC we had the wind behind the beam, making for a brisk ride.   Pandora really excels in these conditions making better than 8kts with 15 apparent just aft of the beam.  The fastest speed for us yesterday was better than 9kts but most of the time we sailed in the high 7s and low 8ts.    There were a few hours where the winds were nearly behind us which cost us some speed so our overall speed for the day was 6.6 including the nasty hour that we slogged from Atlantic Highlands to the tip of Sandy Hook.

All and all, a very satisfactory performance for the day and I even caught a brief glimpse of a pod of dolphins twice, my first for the trip.

Today we have a short 30 mile run to Cape May where we will wait until the north winds shift to the south to make our run up the Delaware.   We expect to meet up with our friends on Blue Highway again as they made the run there yesterday from Atlantic Highlands, choosing to wait till later in the day and make the entire run to Cape May in a single overnight run.

Just for fun, if you want a slightly different take on the day from Brenda, check out her post from yesterday, September 15th.  Hmm….  Glad that she is such a good sport and that the warm blue waters of the Bahamas beckon.

Well, my coffee is getting cold so I’ll sign off now.  Besides, they just sounded reveille from the Coast Guard station so that’s a sure sign that the day has begun and what a great day it is.

It’s 10:30 on Saturday morning and we are about 5 miles from shore and less than 10 miles from Manasquan inlet headed to Atlantic City or Cape May.   I am sitting in the cockpit with the laptop typing away plein air this post.   Brenda’s taking a nap down below and the auto pilot is cranking away as move along down the coast. The winds are as forecast, blowing from the North West at 15-20kts.  The boat is handling beautifully and blasting along on a broad reach at between 7 and 8 knots.  In gusts she really goes, beating 8 kts.  I wish that I had cleaned the bottom again as I expect that we would be doing even better.   There’s very little traffic with just one other sailboat nearby.

We left Atlantic Highlands at 08:00 this morning motoring into a very snotty 20kt NW wind to get up to the tip of Sandy Hook where we could put up the sails and bear off into the ocean.  Brenda was none too happy with the conditions which were not pleasant as heavy spray was coming over the bow as we motored directly into the wind.  The fact that we were one of the first boats to leave didn’t make her feel particularly confident in our plans.

However, after settling onto our course south for our 75-100 mile run, I was able to put out the genoa and full main which really got us going.  To sail on such a great point of sail for hours and hours at between 7 & 8kts isn’t something that happens every day.    The good news is that while the wind is blowing nearly 20 kts in gusts, we never see apparent wind much above the mid teens as we are going along with the wind, a very pleasant way to go.

The forecast calls for another day of these conditions and then it is supposed to shift to the south and blow fairly hard for a few days.   The weather router specifically noted that Tuesday is going to be nasty so recommended that we find a safe place to anchor while that blows through.

Our plan is to head to Atlantic City or Cape May, spend the night and then head up the Delaware Bay when the wind shifts to the south.

After that, into the Delaware and Chesapeake Canal and on to Chesapeake City to ride out the nasty winds on Tuesday.     As no post is complete without a few photos, here you go

Nice shot of the ensign.  Makes me proud to be an American.  

What a perfect day to be making passage.  We are indeed off to a great start for our voyage.    These shots don’t begin to do justice to the beautiful view.   

Before I get too full of myself about how fast Pandora is I should show this shot of a 100′ yacht that just ran past us at nearly 30kts.  Makes you wonder about his carbon footprint.  I for one feel pretty good that my autopilot, laptop, phones and all the other electronic stuff aboard are being charged by my solar panels that are cranking away and delivering power to spare.  

Finally, thanks also for your nice e-mail notes.  Please leave comments on the blog too.

While I have done overnights dozen’s of times over the years, Brenda hasn’t yet done an overnight of any consequence, and certainly not on the ocean.   The weather router, or should I say “weather hand holder” Chris Parker has been in touch for the last few days giving us updates as to what day will be the best to head down the coast. As of now, we sit behind the breakwater at Atlantic Highlands, after moving from inside of Sandy Hook to find a more sheltered anchorage early this morning.   We should have realized that the fast ferries from NYC that run till 23:30 hours kick up quite a swell that kept things interesting until late last night.

The weather forecast suggests that a weak cold front will come through tonight and will shift the winds from the south to the west/northwest at 10-15kts with higher gusts for all of Saturday and into Sunday.   This will allow ample time for us to get to Cape May (100 miles) and prepare for a run up the Delaware River, an additional 55 miles up from Cape May. They key will be for us to be in a safe place as of Tuesday as the winds are supposed to blow near gale force at that time so we certainly don’t want to be in unprotected waters when that happens.

The forecasted winds seem to suggest a departure shortly after dawn so that we can catch the ebb tide and favorable winds at Sandy Hook.  Id all goes well we will likely end up at Atlantic City or Cape May prior to when we are supposed to be there, ie: in the dark,  but I’d rather slow down than to have to motor sail to catch up. That’s about all that I know for now so stay tuned for more.  I expect that we will be underway shortly after first light.  Early bird captures the worm.

Also, we ran into some of our sailing buddies, here in Atlantic Highlands, Lynn and Russel of Blue Highway a great sailing couple from Naples Fl who we met in Maine a few summers ago.  They have made this run many times and I expect to be keeping in touch with them along the way.

We will continue to post our location as we move down the coast but before I break, I have to post some photos that our son Christopher took of us yesterday when we were making our way through NYC yesterday.   What a treat to have a shutter bug in the family. Nothing like a shot as we came through Hell’s Gate.  As Brenda spied Christopher for the first time she teared up.  I have to say that I was a bit teary as well.   What a thrill.As we headed down the East River.  So, are you tired of so many photos of Pandora?  Tough.  It’s my blog and I can put as many on of her as I want.   Here’s one where Pandora is more of a bit player, a panorama as we head down the East River.   This one is surely a keeper and I will have to blow it up for display at home when we return.  What a view. 

More to come as we make our way down the coast on Saturday.  Wish us luck and fair winds.

 

Today Brenda and I headed through New York aboard Pandora and had a wonderful trip.  The last time Brenda and I made this trip together was 30 years ago on our 20′ Catboat.  That time it didn’t go well at all.  Had our son Rob been born at that time he would have called such a journey a “career limiting move” for my sailing with Brenda.  Imagine a 20’ boat with a 5hp diesel inboard heading through Hell’s Gate with the tide and spitting out into the Sandy Hook Bay with the full ebb tide and a strong SW wind kicking up a massive chop. Well, at least massive to a 20’ underpowered catboat.   Well, thank goodness it went well today as it took 30 years after the last trip for me to convince Brenda to give it a go again.   Happily, the circumstances were  very different today and even Brenda declared that she had a terrific time.   It wasn’t all about being aboard Pandora that made it a great trip for Brenda.  As this time our son Christopher (He wasn’t even born when she last did this trip) who lives on the upper west side in Manhattan, rode his bike over to the East River to greet us as we exited Hell’s Gate at the upper end of Roosevelt Island.   It was such a thrill to see him standing there on the bike path that Brenda and I both were quite choked up.  However, Brenda was able to hold herself together long enough to take dozens of photos of Chris taking pictures of her taking pictures of Chris…  Well y0u get the general idea.

I have gone through NY by boat many times over the years but to do it again, and under such wonderful circumstances, with Brenda was indeed a treat for me.  After “meeting up” with Christopher,uptown,  the plan was to race him down to the bottom tip of Manhattan and Battery Park.  So what happened you ask?   Wh won this big race?  Well,  Pandora wins by a mere ten minutes.  Glad that we had the tide with us.  I can’t believe that Christopher did it at all, and much less that fast.   We only waited at the Battery for about 10 minutes and then, there he was.  I expect that our wild waving and his shouting to us must have been quite a sight for the many tourists that were trying to figure out what the display was all about.

The race is on…

Here’s a few more of the 135 photos that Brenda and I took on the short and fast run down the East River.  Where do I begin?

The new Freedom Tower and my dad’s favorite bridge.  The Brooklyn Bridge, I guess that makes it my favorite too.  I still recall this same sight right after the twin towers came down.  I was running my last boat down to it’s winter home in Morgan Creek NJ and passed just a week or so after that tragedy.  Ths dark smoke and stench was terrible.

Brenda with the NYC skyline behind her.   What fun.

Can’t have to many pictures of our son Chris.  He would ride along, stop take pictures and ride some more.    It was so much fun to see him peddling along next to us.  So near and yet so far.

Always looking for a better shot, Christopher jumped the fence at the Battery.  I wonder what the tourists on shore next to him were thinking of our screaming and waving back and forth.  “those crazies are my parents, they have abandoned me for the high seas.  I won’t see them for months…  Isn’t this great!!!”  

Loads of traffic in the harbor.  I wonder who chose the color for the Staten Island Ferry?  I like it.  Not the sort of bold statement you would expect from a public bureaucrat .

How about the Statue of Liberty to salute our passing?Love this one.  What sweet lines.  Not!!!

The skyline fades into the distance.  It will be a long time till we pass through here again. 

So, what next?  Our weather router, Chris Parker, just told me that he recommends that we take a lay day here at Sandy Hook and ride a cold front with good NW winds down the coast on Saturday.    A great day of sailing?  Sounds good to me.