After returning from a wonderful dinner at the Lobster House in Cape May, we checked the weather. Well, no luck, Mother Nature was having too much fun whipping things awry. Things to do on a rainy day?? Hmmmmmm I believe we've already played this game. On Thursday June, 4th Dick and I made a list of the things we'd like to do for the day. The weather outside was just miserable, so we really didn't want to walk into town as much as we love Cape May. There were plenty of things to keep us busy. Checked the oil, fixed the salt water wash down pump (again), fixed the water heater, wrote the blog and read together. As we were typing emails, we received one from our friends Craig and Kathy on Sangaris who were in Saracusa Italy on their boat. They had told us to keep a look out for friends of theirs who were also stuck in Cape May. Well, lo and behold as we were responding to this email there was a knock on our door. Yes you guessed it, Ty from Liberty, Craig's friend, was at our door. It seems there were several fronts coming through and if we were all staying another day, we were invited over for sun downers on Liberty. So, yes Friday we were there another day and it became a day of cleaning and organization. The winds were gale force on the ocean, there was no thinking of leaving. We had poked our heads out and walked around the marina in between downpours. That night we enjoyed a great pizza dinner with Ty, Suzanne, Annette, Anthony and of course Rudy and Gretchen (puppies). Ty and Suzanne travel on a beautiful 46 foot Morgan sailboat called Liberty. Thank you Ty and Suzanne, and of course thanks Craig for the heads up.
Saturday morning was grey and somewhat windy but we were able to make the decision to travel the inside route. It was supposed to improve as the day progressed. The trip inside was not a favorite of Dick's because our mileage increased from approximately 42 miles to 62 miles, tricky shallow spots and bridges to contend with and their schedules for opening.
So, by 6:30 am we were off the dock and we had company on our travels. Leo and Mary from Sea Song asked to accompany us,they too had wanted to be under way but didn't want to travel through the ocean. Who could blame them with 2-4 ft seas according to NOAA.
The scenery changed all along the coast. It's nesting time and all along the grassy islands were literally hundreds of terns vieing for their spot to build a nest. Then there were the fishing boats angling right in the middle of channel and they looked at us like we were the strange duck in the water. When you come upon Atlantic City, the canal goes from looking like Little Italy to play land with the huge glass like casinos. Later that evening we found a great spot to drop a hook. It had been a long day of travelling, so we had a quiet dinner aboard the Summer Wind and snuggled down for the night. According to NOAA, it was going to be an early start the next morning, the ocean still hadn't really settled down.
Early the next morning, Sea Song had radioed over that they would like to travel with us. We should have realized our first few moments of the day was a heads up as to exactly how the rest of the day was going to be.'Frustrating'. When we were pulling up the anchor, the wash down decided it wasn't really fixed after all and gave out. So, out comes the line and the bucket and of course this anchor was MUDDY!!! Well that out of the way, we started to travel and we were happy the sun was shining. Little were we to realize our joy for the sun was shared by hundreds of boaters in Barnegat Bay. It was a game of chicken that neither Dick nor I bargained for, cigarette boats and little fishing boats speeding all around and causing chaos and confusion and weaving through the dozens of sailboats out trying to have a good sail. We couldn't believe the masses of boats on the water! At the Manasquan Inlet we turned into the little canal that leads to the Glimmer Glass Bridge. How many bridges have you had open where the bridge tender happily comes out on deck and welcomes you? He was there as usual.We were exhausted but we were happy to reach our little anchorage the. It was a tiny anchorage with room enough for just a few boats. Glad that only one other sailboat and Sea Song occupied the area. After checking all the connections on the salt water wash down, would you believe that it was the nozzle that was broken!! Thank goodness for having spare parts.
Monday June 8th we rose shortly after 6 am, pulled up the anchor and had the Glimmer Glass bridge open.Mother Nature didn't cause too much of a stir on our final leg of this journey. The seas still had swells about 2 feet but they were manageable. It was a little chilly and there was a little fog on the ocean but nothing to give us concern. Upon reaching the Verazano Bridge, there was a sense of we're getting close to home. Lady Liberty didn't easily reveal herself to us because there were several ships anchored in the inner harbor and the sky was still somewhat misty. The New York city skyline was impressive and humbling as always. The skyscrapers revealed a story of architecture all by themselves. Our last leg up the East River wasn't timed as we'd normally like, the current wasn't running in our favor. Our cruising speed went from 8 knots down to 4 knots and there were times we had seen our speed drop to 2.9. But with determination to get the Summer Wind home, Dick steered her carefully through the eddies. We said our good byes to Leo and Mary on Sea Song at the entrance of Long Island Sound, as they were heading for home in Rhode Island. Dick steered toward City Island, the Summer Wind would be in her slip tonight.
It had been a wonderful journey!!
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