Report #5 : September 6 – September 26- NYC to Cape May to Annapolis
Shore leave Bing and
Danny Style.
Manhattan is Up, the
Battery Down. We put on our whitest and
least wrinkled whites, put on the deodorant and cleanest socks. Our very first dinghy trip in we managed to
hole one tube on a nail BUT no problem, 2 out of 3 tubes works and it was all
good, we’d be back for slack tide (not low tide, slack tide happens 4 times a
day, high and low tide 2 times a day each and slack is the weakest point of the
ebb or flood current) to get the engine up and the dinghy up for repairs the
next day. So we went out and walked
around for a few hours, stopped at Garraty’s where the motto is “Drink and Shut
Up” (resounds in just so many ways!) and back to the Basin. We ran into Gill & Diana (Serenada) and
George and Kim (CS’TA Time) both from Hawkestone Yacht Club (our home Club on
Lake Simcoe) and we chatted a bit but slack tide waits for no one and we had a
wounded dinghy to attend to. Gill and
Diana waited to make sure we were floating and could get back to the big boat –
nice of them. That was all we saw of the
2 pairs, both obviously busy readying themselves and their boats for the next
big leg, except for some waves by in the dinghy the next day and they
disappeared a couple of days later, on the path.
The following day we
attended to the dinghy, stranded aboard as the patches need a full 24 hours to
dry before blowing up the tube. The day
was spend relaxing and reading although we waved at Gill & Diana (Serenada
was on a ball right in front of us, well right behind us, no right in front of
us – that tide keeps changing us back and forth, it’s hard to keep up!) Dinghy patched we were back in business the
following day. We walked and walked and
walked that day up to 100th and all the way down to the Battery.
We got
free pizza that day – a Sunday - from Pizza Pizza at Times Square where NFL
Sunday was broadcasting. We must have
missed the Bud trailer, sure could have used some extra cold beer too! However, we bar jumped all the way through
NOHO, SOHO, Tribeca, Greenich Village, past the Bull to the Battery so don’t
worry we kept hydrated! Temps were in
the low 90s (that’s the low 30s but in American) and it was sunny all day long
for the whole week. Edi relented and we subwayed
it back to the 79th St Boat Basin.
One of our jobs for NYC
was to open an account at the TD which has a US division associated so it’s
easy to transfer monies, transferred in US $ from our US bank account at TD
Canada Trust and got ATM cards for the new account. TD North America (as opposed to TD Canada
Trust) refunds the interact fee charged by other bank ANYWHERE (unlimited times
a month) and don’t charge a service charge themselves provided a minimum balance
of $2500 is maintained. Note to self,
sell TD shares – don’t see how they can make a profit doing this!! Oh, and the TD North America account now also
shows up on our online TD Canada Trust profile.
Edi did good researching this all out.
One day we went to the
Metropolitan Museum of Art. That
collection rates with any worldwide (we have been to many in Europe and think
this collection is great.) One museum
combines art and what we consider museum collections (Egyptian, medieval
etc.) often separated into museums and
art galleries. Artifacts first floor
mostly and art works 2nd floor - mostly. The Impressionist Collection ranks first tier
with anything in Paris and the Museum has an extensive collection of van Gogh,
Monet, Manet, Degas (including the sculpture of the Dancer which we had been
keenly anticipating), Toulouse-Latrec, Matisse and the rest of the gang. Entry is $25 suggested – that means go ahead
and pay less if that isn’t in your budget.
It is easily a whole day’s tour and we made the mistake of starting late
in the morning. It was fashion week and
all the open spaces were being set up for banquet dinners for the fashion
industry but we were allowed to stay right until the advertised closing time of
5:30pm (open later on Thursdays and Fridays.)
We missed the Museum of Natural History but will make that a priority
for next time. We went to ground zero
and thought the reflecting pools in the footprints of the two towers with the
names of those lost were a good memorial.
We were last here in 1993 and visited a friend from Vancouver working
for a couple of years in the South Tower and thought of his colleagues. On September the nights of September 10 and
11 there were two spotlights shining straight up. We forewent the Empire State Building having
done that 20 years ago but still were thrilled to see it again and relived some
of that last trip.
We walked and walked
through Central Park, the various districts and again down to the Battery for
the Staten Island Ferry (free!!!) We got
our strategy set for NYC Harbour the following day. Back to 79th Street by subway and
did a final provisioning with fruits, veggies, meats etc. We spent one afternoon topping the diesel
from the jerry cans, and made two trips to the marina with our 5 gal water
jerry cans. Then that was it, our week
was up.
Friday morning we
slipped off the mooring ball lines and we were headed south once more. Boy, the traffic just picked up and up, a
dozen ferries back and forth and around from the Manhattan side to the New
Jersey side of the Hudson, from upper Manhattan to Lower Manhattan, from Hudson
to East River. The Cruise terminal is
just south of the Basin and there was a Carnival ship heading out. Rounding the bottom of Manhattan there is
another terminal with the tour boats for Ellis Island and Liberty Island (the
one with the BIG lady)
and a little further is the Staten Island Ferry dock
(every 20 minutes) and there are helicopters flying everywhere. Oh, let’s not forget about the tug boats with
barges everywhere, the ocean 600’ freighters some at anchor and some you just
THOUGHT were at anchor! We decided to
hug Manhattan by the Battery, wait for the Staten Island ferry to pass and run
by Governor’s Island and slip into the smaller channel between in and
Brooklyn’s dockyards.
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| Brooklyn's Dock Yards |
From there we
hugged Brooklyn and approaching the Verrazano Bridge we sliced through to the
Staten Island side of the outer Harbor (it just looks wrong but we’ll bank that
“u” since we’re in the US…) The three security boats that screamed past us
doing 60 miles an hour thankfully were not interest in us and were long gone by
the time we pointed the camera in their direction.
We made for Great Kills
Harbor but found it was only mooring balls at $45 a night. We passed and moved onto Sandy Hook where we
arrived late in the day. It started blowing like stink late in the day and blew all
night. We were a bit exposed past the
breakwall – last in - but the anchor did its job and we slept as best we
could. We were near friends again, Cloud
9 and Sea Angel in sight and several others that we could see including the
Canadian boats. The next morning the
fleet was readying and leaving for the jump to Cape May, some boats including
Serenada and CS’TA Time having been there a week apparently. We were about the last to leave along with
Cloud 9.
We upped the main with a reef
in and left the genny furled. We motored
out into the wind out past the crab pots carefully winding our path through,
then rounded through Sandy Hook channel seemingly within arms-reach of the men
fishing on shore – we kept looking at our depth reading in disbelieve that we
truly were in 50 feet of water! Most of
the fleet turned tight to shore and stayed about ¼ mile offshore.
We and several others
went out some 6-7 miles offshore and once there I changed over the black water
plumbing and took care of that job. Then
we shook out the reef in the main in about 15-18 knots of steady winds and
started adjusting the boom, main and genny for a perfect beam reach to Cape
May. A beam reach is where the wind is
blowing right at the side of the boat (if the bow is 12 oclock, the stern is 6 O’clock,
a beam reach is right at 3 – or on the other side 9 – O’clock.) A beam reach is the holy grail of sailing,
something we all look for, anticipate, savour and usually it never gets you
where you want to go. Where you want to
go seems to be just about where the wind is coming from. BUT NOT TODAY!! Today was our day and we seized it!!
We sailed a 15 hour beam
reach in winds ranging from 15-20 knots with gusts to 22 knots. We made 6.5 knots to 7.3 knots and topped out
at 7.6 when Edi loudly cleared her throat and we let the boom out a bit more
and put some of the extra wind on our rear quarter (a sailboat can take more
wind further behind from 4-5 O’clock and less wind from 1-2 O’clock.) We were heeled about 10 degrees up to 15
degrees and I know from the ahems not to push it. We appreciated the big night light the powers
that be laid on for us and all of the massive display of stars. The moon set about 2:00 am and then it got
dark. That made it easy to see the other
boats out there that somehow we managed to get in front of despite a whole
ocean out there. However, our closest
miss was over half a NM (that is a kilometer) and two of three talked to us,
one fishing vessel actually adjusted HIS course – we just wanted to know his
heading! – and only one - Jersey Girl - stubbornly refused to answer or even
maintain a consistent heading. No
problem, we just turned 30 degrees away and ran off until he was well past us
and scattering the next sailboat in front of us – Dana. We spoke with Dana and another boat –
Quicksilver – verifying the AIS signatures were indeed on and off and that it
was not our own equipment malfunctioning, just the satellites. That was good knowledge not to rely too much
on big ships always showing up. Also
nice to know we had friendlies watching us just like we were watching
them. Well past sin city (Atlantic City
brightly lit up) the wind whipped up past 25 knots and we turned into the wind
and reefed the genny about half and settled back to our beam reach. Then, just as suddenly as the gust came up,
the wind dropped to 10 knots and down further as the horizon behind us to the
east got a little less dark.
The sunrise was
absolutely spectacular, made all the sweeter after our accomplishment of that
glorious sail. A mile or so from Cape
May we wheeled and dosed all the sails and coiled the lines, readying Kind of
Magic for Cape May. The fishing boats
were flooding out as we turned in and following Ann on Crazy Lady into the
Harbor. We were at the tail end but
several other boats were still coming in, although we put on about 10 more
miles than most and left an hour after most.
We did well and have all the more confidence in Magic and our ability to
tend to her and she to us.
20 hours, 135 NM – offshore, Atlantic
Ocean NMs those ones. Yippee-ki-yay indeed.
We have been in Cape May
now for 3 days.
We met up with old
friends and have met new ones. Brian and his
friend Chris on Afleca – a 37’ Beneteau – were anchored in front of us and we
talked but they had to push on to Annapolis the next day. We’d meet up again later. Cape May is beautiful with a small very
protected harbour.
The US Coast Guard
has a training installation and all the cruisers – almost all sail with just
one or two trawlers – are at anchor in front of the Coast Guard station. The recruits are at it all day long and even
well into the evening and there are drills, runs, chanting, etc then they
disappear off to class rooms, dorms, etc.
The Coast Guard has 2 huge ships, two medium ships and a host of smaller
ships and boats here. We hear them on
the VHF doing interdictions and boarding freighters etc but they don’t seem
interested in us at all.
We had drinks with Cloud
9 (Rose and Dave), Sea Angel (Ann and Bryan) and Crazy Lady (Ann, really nice
and not crazy at all.) We passed Ann
just as she was coming into Waterford and we were leaving. Nice to catch up,
you separate, come together, and trip into one another later. Easy friendships being made by everyone along
the way and, we suspect, lasting friendships being forged. We have met with Pierre and Natalie on Lance
L’eau (42’ Fontaine Pajot catamaran) from Montreal. Wonderful couple who gave us a tour of their
boat and are on their way to Grenada. We
saw them in Hop-O-Nose with their friends on Nauticus who we have also talked
to. They are buddy-boating and Nauticus
is going part of the way with them. We
rounded out the Quebecois entourage in the harbour meeting Francois and Michel
on Grand-Pas a Beneteau also enroute to Grenada (they and Pierre and Natalie
intend to haul out there for next hurricane season.) We look forward to time with this wonderful
group and I must mention that they are tolerating my attempts to dust off my
French. Pierre especially has realized
that his English is vastly superior to my French but he has been very kind in
not being offended by some of what has come out of my mouth!
Yesterday we found
another dinghy dock and quietly disposed of our garbage and pulled out our
collapsible cart and laundry and did the wash at a Laundromat having libations
at the C View tavern during the spin cycle (Cape May’s oldest tavern for the
history buffs – and we are history buffs and the libations were strictly a
necessary price of entry!) Leaving we passed Jon and Marguerite on Quicksilver,
a 36’ Ericson. Marguerite was the voice
in the dark behind us a bit on the overnight passage and they were as pleased
as we to meet and trade notes. They are
enroute South from Fairhaven, near Oswego and have their son aboard. On the way back to Kind of Magic we met Ladd
& Denise, an experienced couple on Blue, a serious liveaboard cruiser. Ladd has invited us aboard anytime and has
offered to educate us on the Delaware stretch and the strategies for dealing
with the tide. His first tip – there’s a
full moon coming. I don’t think he means
to look out for werewolves. I had better
include tide table research with my studies.
We took a dinghy ride
around the north side of the harbor and stopped at the Harbor View Marina for
happy hour. Gail introduced us to the
half-price appetizers (we call it a cruiser’s big dinner out.) Draft beers $2, $4 plates of fried clam
strips, $4 steamers (15-20 clams in garlic and tomatoes) and much more. But, curiously, Happy Hour 3-6pm is only on
Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Apparently
Tuesday and Wednesday are not-so-happy days around here? Then we dinghied out and around to where the
BIG fishing boats are – these look like the boats in “Perfect Storm” and they
have the massive nets and flood lights.
Jersey Girl was one of them and we think we definitely made the right
decision to run away from her a few nights ago.
Pierre waved at us one
afternoon and invited us over and he and his wife Natalie gave us a tour of
their 42’ Fontaine Pajot catamaran Lance L’eau.
Their wonderful vessel is matched by the owners. Pierre and Natalie are wonderful. Pierre’s reluctance to use his English gave
way after my fumbling attempts to use my French – I think he realized I just
wouldn’t give up butchering his language! We laughed at each other’s attempts and
results and promised to have parties when the Leafs and the Habs go at it. I think I may have to wear the rouge, blanc
et bleu unless the Leafs put together a team this year!
Pierre came over one day and asked if we would like to do a dinghy trip with them up the channel to “Wildwoods.” We had no idea what that was but were in like Flint. We put our dinghy in position and followed Natalie and Pierre. With them were Manon and Alain, also from the Montreal area. Manon and Alain are the owners of “Nautilus” – a 33’ Hunter - and they are really great.
We spent the day with them at Wildwoods which is a New Jersey seaside town. It is apparently well known in Quebec but I confess to never having heard of it. It is spectacular. There is a pristine Atlantic beach maybe at least 5 miles long and 1000’ wide. There are roller coasters, carnival rides, shooting galleries, gift shops, restaurants etc. all along a long raised board walk. Think an oversized Coney Island with a fantastic clean Atlantic beach.
That night we spoke with
Anne on Crazy Lady and again with the Quebec cousins and discussed the weather
window. We decided to leave early in the
morning and brought up the dingy. By 8
am we were through the Cape May canal, under the two bridges and into the Delaware
Bay.
We rode north on a flood tide and 7
hours later made the Cohansey River after 33.4 NM. We passed CSTA Time and Seranda and anchored
on a bend with beautiful grassy banks surrounding us on a huge, deep meandering
river. The weather was great, the moon
bright and the birds beautiful. The next
morning was early and by 7 am we were on up the Delaware riding a flood tide
all the way up to the C & D Canal.
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| Bay Traffic we passed AFTER to that green buoy to get over to the C & D Canal |
We got there half an hour early for the flood tide up the C & D to
Chesapeake City and so wheeled slowly and Edi got us lunch.
We rode that flood tide right into the
Chesapeake and put up sails to the Sassafras River finding a secluded anchorage
at the Woodland Creek just in sight of Georgetown’s marinas. We settled in, dropped the dinghy and went
for a ride stopping at a marina for happy hour and meeting Brian from
Mar-A-Lago for the first time.
The next day we decided
to run for Annapolis and made it into Back Creek – in Eastport established 1665
and it is NOT Annapolis don’t you know – and dropped the hook and then the
dinghy. We made quick for Davis’ Pub
right off the dinghy dock and ate crab sandwiches and downed draft beers. Life is soooo hard.
Back Creek is small and
the channel very small, the boats at anchor many, and the holding not great. OK excuses made, we dragged and checking our
pride, we have taken a mooring ball up one creek in Spa Creek. $450 for a month of sound sleeping. And hot showers – we get to use the
facilities too. Pump outs from the
Harbourmaster’s “honey wagon” at $5 – really they come to your boat and take
all your S**T for $5. They make it just
so darned hard to obey the rules! Public
dinghy docks at EVERY street that touches the water. This is becoming another black hole from
which we will need Scotty to get every last bit from the engines to
escape. Oh, that’s not even getting into
Pusser’s bar at the Ramada (ran into Brian from Afleca again there!!), the
Naval Academy, the European town feel and look of this place and the sheer
beauty of the streets, homes, waterlife and… the BOAT SHOW coming from October
10-14. This place is GREAT!!! We will investigate this anomaly further.
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| Under bridge into Spa Creek |
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| Safely on the mooring ball, no anchor watches!! |
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| Pusser's Bar overlooking the action |
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| Main dinghy dock downtown, state capital building spire in background |
Signing off, Pusser’s
Painkillers in hand
Sept 26, 2013 – 891.6
NM /
1783.2 KM
B&E out
We left Annapolis Oct 23 or
so and navigated the Chesapeake Bay stopping in Solomons Island, Deltaville and 2
remote Creeks and made it into the Naval Hospital Anchorage in Nolfolk past all
the warships, aircraft carriers etc., only staying one night. 
Thru Beaufort Inlet and Bogue Inlet to Mile Hammock Bay anchorage - part
of the US Army's Camp Lejeune. Saw lots
of army airplanes, heard lots of booms, very entertaining. Saw black bears swimming across the ICW going
into the anchorage, we were as surprised as they were. Again decided really didn't need to go for a
swim. Spent 2 nights there and got some
reading done. 
Onto Wrightsville SC
anchorage which was great. Tried the
shortcut - one book said 6 feet - maybe at high tide! Got off, got stuck,got off, went the long
way around and found a great anchorage.
Dinghied to dock, went to local bar on beachfront strip (saw lots of
surfers but water was COLD) for cheap beers and they were doing oyster steamers
behind building in parking lot at a great price - free! 
Met and talked to Billy the owner, his
friends and some of the locals @ "Lagerhead." Really great evening, bar looked real rough
with no boaters so it just goes to show, go local. 
We left with the tide and made the run past Carolina
Beach into and down the Cape Fear River. It was fast, and not bad at all. Made such great time we pushed and going past
at low tide at Shallotte Inlet bounced again and got stuck for a bit. Heard lots of calls for TowBoatUS!! Careful where you drop your way points!
