Voyage 2007-2008: Chapter 1

18 Aug 2007, Adventure in Atlantic Highlands, 40 25.060 N/ 074 01.180 W

Time to leave NYC and begin our trip back to the Chesapeake. First stop is Atlantic Highlands where we will ready ourselves for the trip down the Jersey Coast. We say farewell to Ellis Island and the other magnificent things of NYC. We left at 0700 to maximize the effectiveness of the ebb current. It did not go slack until we reached the Verrazano bridge. Another three hours and we were anchored just behind the breakwater.

Not much room as most of the space is taken up by the mooring field. Yet Moony and Jule III find room. Jule III lets out 80 feet of chain in 12 feet of water. Maybe a bit much but they are calling for some weather in the evening. When we swing on our anchor, that breakwater seems awfully close. GPS anchor watch is set just in case.

As we head for town town, there is not a cloud in the sky. When we left the grocery store, dark clouds were coming our way. We 'ran' back to the dinghies and raced back to the boats. As our little 3 hp motor tried to 'race' us there, it started to rain. As we climbed back on board and secured the dinghy engine, it started to blow. Some wind, some lightning, and then it was gone. A check of the weather radar indicated nothing serious. So back in the dinghy we go and head for Moony for drinks. Big mistake. Within a half an hour, our dinghy has flipped, it is blowing 40-50 kts, raining like hell, and we can't see Jule III! When the rain let up, there she was, exactly where we left her! Now we had to row the dinghy back to Jule, replace the fuel, and confirm that the engine still worked. It did. We went to bed but not to sleep. The wind was 30-35kts all night. Today, it is still gusting to 30 kts. We probably will not leave today. But we will see.

19 Aug 2007, Offshore to Cape May, 38 57.032 N/ 074 52.989 W

The wind moderated more than expected and the weather window was only good for 24 hours so we decided to weigh anchor at 1700 ET and head for Cape May. Actually, the wind moderated to a light breeze and the seas settled down quickly, so we had a pleasant motor sail (jib and jigger) down the Jersey coast during the night and early morning. However, several hours from Cape May, the wind veered to the SE at 10-15 with nasty seas building. As we approached the inlet, we furled the jib and sheeted in the mizzen. We entered the channel with a zillion other boats and had a nice ride until we made a 180 to dowse the mizzen, then another 180 to head for the anchorage. We found a nice home near Green "5" east of the USCG station.

We say goodnight to SV Moony at 1400 and sleep for several hours followed by a quick Happy Hour on Jule III. The next day does not promise good weather to traverse the Delaware Bay. So we stay another day and ride on Moony's dinghy to head for our dinghy dock (we can't say where as they asked us not to mention it). We visited the WaWa and the ice cream shop. Nothing too adventurous for us!