Hiding from Hurricanes

Thursday, August 31, 2017

The winds have finally laid down, or so we think, and we cast off, saying farewell to Block Island.

Block Island Coast Guard Station

We are heading across Block Island Sound to the north shore of Long Island Sound, a 45-mile day.  This area is exposed to the North Atlantic and the recent winds have left less than ideal conditions in the Sound.  En route we encounter some very rough seas, taking spray over the flybridge.  We are forced to run the boat from the pilothouse, a nice option to have.  With our stabilizers working hard, we finally arrive at Old Lyme CT, a few miles up the Connecticut River.

Saybrook Breakwater Light, Old Lyme CT

We tie up overnight at Old Lyme Dock, a small marina and fuel dock.  We learn an interesting story about the owner, an eclectic millionaire who owns the adjacent house and acreage with a lovely view of the river.  Seems he saw some plastic (fiberglass?) Clydesdale horses at a beer distributorship that he liked and wanted to buy.  The distributor wouldn't sell, so he bought the distributorship and the horses are now in his yard here.  While we were docked, the owner arrived by helicopter, which is barely visible parked on his lawn above the marina.

Old Lyme Dock

Friday, September 1, 2017

Well, it is finally September!  This has been our year without summer.  New England had a long, cold, wet spring, followed by an unseasonably cool summer.  We have seen a few days in the low 80s and far too many days in the 50s and 60s.  We are tired of being bundled up in fleece jackets whenever we cruise!  Of course, it's always cooler on the water and the water is COLD up here!  Hard to believe 90+ degree Texas weather would sound appealing!

This morning we get an early start, heading 50 miles southwest to the New York side of Long Island Sound.  We are hoping for calmer seas today but hug the coast as far as possible before cutting south across the Sound.  We do have a smoother ride today, but still not ideal trawler conditions.

Connecticut River exit to Long Island Sound

We arrive in the picturesque resort town of Port Jefferson. This is a popular weekend getaway for locals with lots of trendy shops and restaurants.

Port Jefferson Harbor NY

 Lots of gorgeous homes line the waterfront.

Port Jefferson NY home

We tie up to our mooring ball just in time to witness a wedding in the nearby park.

Port Jefferson NY

While tied to our mooring ball, we watch a group of local kids sailing around the harbor.  They get very close to our boat several times, seeming to test how close they can get without hitting us.  We ask them to move away, to no avail.  Where are their coaches???  Finally we hear a loud thump and, sure enough, one of the boats must have crashed into our boat, leaving a long scratch in the green paint on the bow.  After several phone calls and emails with the school staff, it appears they will not take responsibility for our repair costs.  Bummer!

Stony Brook School Regatta

We have a wonderful dinner at this restaurant in town.  After walking around town, which was very crowded on this holiday weekend, we decide it is way too touristy for our taste.

Ruvo, Port Jefferson NY

Saturday, September 2, 2017

We are moving only 28 miles today to the nearby town of Oyster Bay.  We have chosen this stop for it's proximity to Sagamore Hill, the home of Theodore Roosevelt.  We tie up to a mooring ball with views of more spectacular homes.

Oyster Bay NY mooring field

Based on the real estate surrounding this very large harbor, we expected a very upscale town.  What we found was a sad older town with lots of boarded up businesses and few restaurants.  Not sure where the locals go, but it sure isn't to "old town"!

Oyster Bay NY

We Uber to see Sagamore Hill, a National Historic Site.  The extensive grounds had ample room for growing vegetables and housing relatives and staff.  The home, built in 1887, is an amazing showplace for all the treasures given to Roosevelt during his terms in office and for his many hunting trophies.  The home served as Roosevelt's summer White House during his presidency and was his permanent home until his death in 1919.  Unfortunately, photos were not allowed inside.  Situated high on a hill, the home once had views of Oyster Bay Harbor, but trees have long since obscured the vista.

Sagamore Hill, Oyster Bay NY

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Today we will cruise 60 miles up the west end of Long Island Sound, past Manhatten, to our next stop on Staten Island.  The weather forecast is for intermittent rain and, for once, the forecasters were correct. Ominous clouds on the horizon protend the rain, soon to follow.

Throgs Neck Bridge NY

Once under the Throgs Neck Bridge, we are in the East River.  A steady drizzle begins as we pass Rikers Island just past La Guardia Airport.

Rikers Island, New York NY

View of Hell Gate Bridge and Triborough Bridge.  Manhatten skyline is mostly obscured by clouds.

Manhatten in the rain

We arrive at the notorious Hell Gate, a curve in the East River that focuses the current, causing lots of turbulence.  We are supposed to have 1/2 knot favorable current at this time of day, but it appears much stronger, pushing the boat around and creating some anxious moments for the captain!  Fortunately there is little boat traffic on this dreary Sunday morning.

Hell Gate current, East River

The Brooklyn Bridge leads to lower Manhatten, which should be clearly visible to our right in this photo.

Brooklyn Bridge

We are soon in New York Harbor, passing Lady Liberty in the rain.

Statue of Liberty in rain

After passing under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, we curve right toward Staten Island and our next stop in Great Kills Harbor.

Monday, September 4 - Sunday, September 10, 2017

We are staying at a dock at the Great Kills Yacht Club, a small and very friendly yacht club in a protected cove on the east side of Staten Island.  We are anxiously watching Hurricane Irma as it strengthens and move slowly across the Caribbean and threatens Florida and the rest of the East Coast.  We decide to wait here to see if Irma will move our direction.  If so, we have the option to run up the Hudson River to a much more sheltered spot.

Great Kills Harbor, Staten Island NY

The Great Kills Park curves around the north side of our cove, fronting on Lower Bay and exposed to the Atlantic Ocean and the main ship channel into New York.  The skyline in the distance is Brooklyn.  The park has some very nice hike and bike trails, which we can reach easily from our marina.

Great Kills Park beach

We settle in for an indefinite period, waiting for Irma to make her move.  Our next segment is the offshore run down the New Jersey coast which will take 2 days with stops in Atlantic City, then Cape May.  We need relatively calm seas for the 2-day run and Irma is already pushing large swells and rough seas our way.  We are content to stay in this sheltered spot and take care of boat projects.

We are in a residential area but can walk to numerous restaurants near our waterfront location.  We appear to be in an Italian neighborhood and find a wonderful grocery / deli / meat market with lots of Italian specialties.  Yum!

One day Carolyn opts to commute to Manhatten to visit the Natural Science Museum.  After a very long 1 1/2 hour commute via crowded bus and subway, she decides this is a one-time effort!  (Robert was smarter and chose not to go!)  Walking from the subway to the museum, this neighborhood fire station caught her eye.

New York Fire Station

The American Museum of Natural History is very large and completely overwhelming!  The Roosevelt family has been represented on the board of the museum since it's founding and the museum has an exhibit space devoted to Theodore Roosevelt and his extensive support for conservation of our natural environment.  The information dovetailed nicely with our visit to Sagamore Hill last week.

This imposing display is the centerpiece of the African animals exhibit.

American Museum of Natural History

And, of course, the dinosaurs are a must-see, actually very impressive and well-done!

American Museum of Natural History

Irma has finally moved inland and the seas are starting to calm off the Jersey Shore.  Looks like we have our weather window to move south.

Great Kills Yacht Club at sunset

Monday, September 11, 2017

An infamous day to begin our move south!  Too bad we couldn't visit the 911 Memorial in New York today, but the crowds would likely be awful.

While stopped in Great Kills, Robert replaced a leaking valve on our water heater.  As we prepare for a very early start to a long day, we discover we have air in the water line to the water heater and the water pump won't shut off.  So, an hour later with the air finally purged from the system, a very pissed captain is finally ready to leave.

We find low, long-period ocean swells offshore, which we float over without even rolling - a very pleasant ride indeed!  After a 12.5 hour, 100 mile cruise, we arrive in Atlantic City.  We stay again at Farley State Marina, a city facility managed by the Golden Nugget Casino.  Had dinner at an Asian restaurant in the casino - horribly smoky and mediocre food.  At least I didn't have to cook after such a long day.

Farley State Marina, Atlantic City NJ

This view is looking toward the Atlantic Ocean side of town.  The high-rise buildings front on the beach.

Atlantic City NJ

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Today is a longish day at 60 miles to Cape May.  We hope the weather holds, but the forecast if for winds to increase in the afternoon, so we shall see.  As we pass the Atlantic City jetties, we see big waves breaking on nearby shoals.  Uh oh, we didn't see these when we arrived yesterday!  For the first few hours we encounter much higher swells than yesterday, but still not too uncomfortable a ride as they are very long period (broad).  Thankfully the seas calm as we move south and our ride to Cape May is a pleasant one.

Absecon Inlet to Atlantic City NJ

As we enter the Cape May jetties, we see lots of turbulent water.  The outgoing tide is strong and makes for an anxious few minutes as we get shoved around by swirling currents. 

Cape May Inlet

Once inside, we cruise to our slip at Canyon Club Resort Marina, another repeat stop from the spring.

Canyon Club Resort Marina, Cape May NJ

We spend two nights here, partly to rest from our long 2-day offshore run and partly to see this historic beach town.  The marina's shuttle drops us off in the heart of the tourist district.  Lots of shops here, as well as bars and restaurants.  Way too many people!  This is supposed to be an after-season weekday!  What's the deal?

Washington Commons, Cape May NJ

Cape May claims to be the oldest seaside resort in the country.  Well, who knows if that is true, but it's proximity to New York make it very likely.

Historic home, Cape May NJ

The entire town is a National Historic Landmark.  Many impressive historic homes line the streets and have been repurposed as B&B's and restaurants.

Historic home, Cape May NJ

This Atlantic Ocean beach runs along the main drag.  It was almost deserted on this warm, September afternoon.

Cape May beach

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Rain keeps us on board part of the day, working on projects and cleaning.  We are also watching the weather and are anxious to move inland as more tropical storms form south of us.  Finally the rain clears and we have a lovely sunset.

Sunset from Canyon Club Resort Marina

Thursday, September 14, 2017

We have another 100 miles ahead of us before our next extended stop in Philadelphia.   We will take 2 days to travel this route in order to take advantage of favorable currents in Delaware Bay and River.  The river is tidal at least as far as Philadelphia, which has a 7-foot tide.  A lovely sunrise sets the mood for the day.

Sunrise over Cape May Harbor

We get a late start to wait for a rising tide in our somewhat shallow marina.  As we exit the Cape May Canal, we follow this ferry heading to Lewes, Delaware, across Delaware Bay.

West inlet, Cape May Canal

Light winds make for a leisurely cruise up the Delaware River.  This is a major shipping channel, serving ports in Philadelphia, Baltimore and other destinations in the northern Chesapeake.

Container ship, Delaware River

We stop for the night in Delaware City, DE after a 65 mile day.  This is our only stop in the state of Delaware.  This tiny town boasts a popular city-run marina on an earlier canal connecting the Delaware River to the Chesapeake.  Now replaced by the C&D Canal, this route is no longer navigable except by very small boats.  A narrow channel with swift currents and a shallow entrance require us to time our arrival and departure for slack high tide.

Delaware City Marina

A lovely waterfront promenade leads to "Old Town".  This sad little town seems to be struggling to stay relevant, but it is a very popular stop for cruising boats.

Delaware City DE

Friday, September 15, 2017

We leave early to catch slack current at our marina and a favorable current to continue up the Delaware.  An outgoing tide, combined with the natural river flow, can produce up to 4 knots of current; hence our need to catch the incoming tide.  Once in the river, we see this dredge working.  The Salem Nuclear Power Plant is in the background.

Delaware River

We soon pass historic Fort Delaware, a Civil War fortress built to protect the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia, upriver.  A small ferry runs here from Delaware City for tours, but we didn't have time to go.

Fort Delaware, Pea Patch Island

Today's 42-mile cruise takes us past some very industrial areas with numerous commercial ships sharing the channel.  Here is our first good look at Philly with the airport in the foreground.

Philadelphia beyond their International Airport

We will soon be tied up at the city marina in downtown Philadelphia.  Our location is right in the heart of the historic district where we can walk to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell!  We plan a week-long stay to see the sights and also hope this is a good hideout from any storms that may head up the East Coast.

Philadelphia from the Delaware River