New Day - New York

Friday, June 23

Arrived late last night, leave early today! Not the best way to travel, but we are going to New York harbor! And it is Friday! Does the harbor get as crazy as other people on Friday? We are not taking chances. Get up before sunrise and get in the harbor before all the ferries and commercial boats make us a nervous wreck traveling.

The sky was hazy this early, but sunrise was showing the beginnings of a great day. 

And then we spot the lady....

Up close--what a sight!

Our fellow boaters on The Journey and Time Out took pictures.

And we tried selfies.....

The sun was out, ferries and water taxis were starting to speed across the harbor. We think the big boats were anchored, but we started up the Hudson River.

The Hudson River is very wide and the farther away from the city, the more beautiful the scenery.

Sitting on the Dock at Cape May

Sat-Mon, June 17 to 19
Cape May, NJ

Somebody had a great day fishing

The weather window to get out of Cape May was slow to arrive. So slow that Jean of Time Out wrote new words to a classic song--"Sittin' on the dock at Cape May". Several boats waited 5 days so they could travel up the coast out in the ocean to Atlantic City. So we went sight seeing.

Cape May Lighthouse

WWII Bunker on the Beach

On Tuesday we decided to travel the New Jersey ICW. It is shallow, but traveling at mid-tide rising it should be deep enough (well almost). We found the shallow spots in 2 different places, but it is soft mud. Wait about 10 minutes and back off and try to stay in the channel. We need a forward looking depth finder!!!

Drawbridge on the NJ ICW

This is shallow!!

Atlantic City Casinos

Several other boats - Time Out, The Journey, and Captains Choice - ran out in the ocean the next day and anchored in Atlantic City. We passed them on our way north! Wednesday afternoon we could see the dark clouds but they appeared to be passing south. Then the clouds moved closer and closer. We pulled out of the channel at Surf City and quickly let down the anchor. We sat in the boat and watched the winds and rain. Sometime through that storm we lost a large fender, but no damage.

Here comes the storm!

Sunset after the storm

We stayed anchored for the night, very little rain or wind. Up early the next morning to take advantage of the rising tide and get to the northern end of the NJICW at Manasquan. 

Sunrise over New Jersey

Traveling was easy until we got to Point Pleasant Canal. Wow, what a fast current through this 60' wide canal! Everyone including a tow boat towing a vessel was going fast! We were bouncing all over! 

Point Pleasant Canal (a true washing machine!!)

The New Jersey ICW ends at Manasquan, so we had no choice but to travel in the ocean. Just another mile and we were out in the Atlantic Ocean. It was a beautiful day for a ride in the ocean. Nice easy swales to glide over. 

Avon-By-The-Sea Beach NJ

We made it to Great Kills Marina in lower New York City bay by 5 pm.

Favorable Tides

Tuesday-Saturday, June 13-17

We has a great visit at home, but it felt good to be back on the boat! Lots of sunshine and no rain. Tuesday afternoon the mechanic found and fixed the leaky fitting on the upper drive station. 

Sunset at Holiday Point Marina MD

We left Holiday Point Marina in Maryland at 6 am Wenesday to take advantage of a push from the rising tide up the Chesapeake Bay. The bay was lumpy, but mainly from the wind.

Gravel barge on the Chesapeake Bay

Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse

Sailboat on the Bay

Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Sandy Point Shoal Lighthouse

We finally get to the upper bay and it narrows down like a river and the water smoothed out. Easy travel through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal to the Delaware City Marina. 

Turkey Point Lighthouse

Bethel Bridge Signal Light

Bridges over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal

We made it in time to hear owner Tim's advice on transiting down the Delaware Bay. Looks good for a Thursday trip. In Tim's briefing he told everyone to check their boat gears before untying lines. The C&D Canal has a swift current. We were up at 4:15 am and ready to go at 5 am. BUT we have no gears!!! We are his second boat this year with gear problems. He says historically he has 3 boats a year to have gear problems. He has a mechanic that gets us fixed within 2 hours after he arrived at 7, but the significant pull of the outgoing tide from Delaware Bay has passed. We will try again tomorrow.

Delaware City Marina

This is the 3rd time we have been at the same marina as Mark and Karen on Captain's Choice. We went out to dinner with them both nights and had a great time.

Mark Karen Terri Kelly

Friday was a decent cruise down the Delaware Bay. Some bumps and lumps, but the tide was in our favor! 

Miah Maull Lighthouse

We caught up to Time Out and The Journey in Canyon Club Marina at Cape May. The great part was Jim and Cindy on The Journey cooked dinner for all of us, lucious shrimp and scallops!!!

On Saturday, Captains Choice arrived for burgers and docktails! Eating and sharing travel stories!

Terri Kelly Jean Dan Jim Cindy Mark Karen

Just Like Home

May 22 to June 13

We found a decent place near Annapolis, Maryland to leave the boat for a couple weeks so that we could go home. I had to laugh when I saw the name of the marina - Holiday Point Marina - the same name as our home marina on the Ohio River. 

We ended up staying home for 3 weeks and had a great visit with family and friends.

Family Brent, Nikki, Carlin, Terri, Keith Ann, 

Mom, Kelly, Lori, Teagan, Eric

Grandson Carlin's First Birthday

 Father's Day and Kim's Birthday

Hillbilly Hotdogs with Helen and Wayne

Blackberry Margaritas with Maureen

Kelly, Kim, Katie

Mom, Terri, Keith Ann

In Deep Ship safe in the cow pen!

This is the Captain Speaking

Tues-Sun, May 16-21

As we were departing Washington DC on a beautiful morning, the municipal marine police showed us his blue lights. He was very nice and inquired if the boat had a safety inspection recently. I showed him the inspection sticker and produced a copy of the inspection report. He was satisfied and off he went. Many thanks to the New Bern Power Squadron for the inspection during the Spring Rendezvous!

On down the river, I saw a large bird flying about 10' above the water. It got closer and I could see that it was an eagle! He swooped down to reach into the water with his talons and flew off with about a 2 pound fish. We didn't get a good picture because it happened so fast, so here are pictures of Mt. Vernon and Fort Washington.

Mt. Vernon, home of George Washington

Fort Washington

Next, the Navy calls on the radio and gives me a course of buoys to follow that avoids the live test firing from the Naval Surface Warfare at Dahlgren. Two days later, we heard a radio call to a sailboat to alter course to avoid the target boat area off the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Lots of planes circling overhead.

Point No Point Lighthouse

We pulled into Solomons Island, Maryland for a few days before heading up to the Annapolis area to park the boat. We will be visiting home for several weeks. 

Calvert Marina, Solomons MD

Washington DC

May 11 to 15, Thursday - Monday

We arrived at the Gangplank Marina in the rain and fading light on Thursday.  The resident marina manager helped us into a slip and we finally relaxed.

It rained again the next day so we just relaxed on the boat all morning. That evening we were brave and rode the metro to meet with my cousin Mary Beth at Union Station. We had a hard time making our minds up on which type of food to eat--there were many choices!

Mary Beth in Union Station

Saturday was rainy and cold so we relaxed on the boat and did laundry at the marina.

Sunday was Mother's Day and the weather was beautiful! I cooked dinner and visited.

A day of site seeing on Monday.

After site seeing we got on the metro to meet Mary Beth in Chinatown for dinner. Excellent!!