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Marthas Vineyard, Greenport, Block Island, Port Jeff, Matiuk, Stonington, New Lo
We are leaving the Chesapeake for our annual trip north on Thursday after having almost all of out elctronics as well as engine panel and lights taken out by a lighning strike from the water 3 weeks ago moored in Annapolis visiting Sailnet friends (4arch, Captain Rizzo, Wingnwing)
Tenatively in a perfect world I will list some of our iteinerary. We choose to visit and vacation in small blocks rather than do the leap from Cape May to Block Island as we love some of the towns we visit on the Jersey Shore and the western LI Sound. There are 5 weather days built in to this as we dont have to be back in the Chesapeake until September 10. The long range weather looks good for the first week or so so god willing wer should be be staying close to our itinerary to Marhas Vineyard, after then who knows..haha.
We would love to meet any Sailnetters from up there if your shedules permit you to hang out for dinner one of the nights, have drinks if we are in a marina cloise by or raft up.
Also please make suggestions as to restaurants, things to visit etc. We have been to some of these ports in the last 7 years, but I would like to hear your perspective on them. In addition recommend other places to visit on the Sound in case we dont have to use any of our weather days. We would love to see new towns. We have been to Mystic, Newport ( not on the Sound), Old Saybroooke, Westport already.
8/16- Reedy Island Delaware River - Anchor
8/17- Cape May- Utsch Marina
8/18- Barnegat Light- Anchor
8/19- Atlantic Hihghlands-Mooring or Jersey City- Liberty Landing Marina
8/20- Port Jefferson-mooring- Seatauket Yacht Club
8/20- Greenport- City Dock Mitchel Park Marina
8/21- Greenport- City Dock Mitchel Park Marina
8/22- Block Island- Mooring or anchor
8/23- Marthas Vineyard- Oak Bluffs Marina
8/24- Marthas Vineyard- Oak Bluffs Marina
8/25- Cuttyhunk- Mooring or anchor
8/26- Poert Judith- Anchor or mooring
8/27- Stonington- Mooring
8/28- New London- Mooring
8/29- Matiuk- Anchor
8/30- Northport- Mooring -Seymors
Hope to meet up with some of you. Thanks in advance for your comments and suggestions
Dave: Can you provide GPS coordinates for the places you stop at? Starting with Barnegat Bay? I am tracking your trip on my charts and I am not very familiar with the areas.
It would be the next best thing to actually being with you.
Well we are on my old stomping grounds Atlantic City, where I worked for 18 yeas. We were delayed on leaving till 7 by the front coming through with TStorms. As we headed out Cape May inlet we were met with 15 knot winds from due north....right on the nose. Any he of achieving Barnegat Inlet went out the window. Besides its an unforgiving inlet with any northern component of wind as it is flanked by shoals extending 3/4 mile seaward on the north side jetty. These cause ocean swells (today 6 to8 ft) to ride up under oppression from the sudden depth to shallows and break into white water crossing the channel perpendicularly making progress under sailboat power dangerous as the waves are faster than the boats.
So we beat our way north for 8+ hours making 30 miles. Grrrrrrrrr.anyway. We had a good dinner at the Golden Nugget as I called an old friend who is the Exec Chef here for a comp to their northern Italian restaurant. The fresh swordfish we bought in Cape May will have to wait for the grill till tomorrow, so it s marinating in garlic,sake and marin .
Tomorrow is another day with the winds slowly subsiding so the goals are Atlantic Highlans Horseshoe Cove (long shot at 78 miles), Manesquan (44 miles but the anchorages their suck even though the inlet is quite good), and Barnegat (28 miles).
Getting ready to round Sandy Hook and anchor for the evening. We had a great sail up the Jersey coast playing Springstien all day. Too dark to see any nudity t the Hook . Tomorrow is our rocket ride up he East River though Hell Gate. Last time through there we hit13.4 kknotts SOG. Is quite the thrill,
Ike driving on black ice.
You two are making steady progress north. Well done!
It is not so easy to tell from the NDBC buoy data how your winds were, except perhaps that you did not have too much wind and maybe windier early this morning.
Hope you have a great ride up the East River early tomorrow morning.
We are also on a mooring at AH....snuck in after 10 expecting to anchor but saw an empty ball an took it figuring no one would mind. We are pretty bet as we left Atlantic City at 6AM.
Made a nice fresh Ritz cracker crusted swordfish dinner with lemon beurre blancand fresh Jersey tomatoes buffalo mozzarella under way off of Brielle. Ate while auto-Otto steered.
My wife had th helm for 4 hours today. I was impressed.
Lots of blinking lights coming around the Sandy Hook at 9:30 Pm. Radar lit up with blips and ships moving everywhere. I have a headache. Having a glass of Pinot noir and heading to sleep. 6AM wke up call.
Ass
We were on standby to meet up with you in Barnegat, but it looks like the weather didn't cooperate. We'll catch you one of these days as you're passing through Jersey.
Have fun on the rest of your trip! Fair winds, etc.
That's Atlantic Highlands. Hump of raised land right before Sandy Hook. You have to go around the hook to get to it. Has a nice breakwater and moorings. High speed ferry for lower Manhattan, yacht club transient moorings, and a place to anchor. There is also Horse Gcove to anchor in aroung the Hook, but you have to watch out for fish traps. Not a real safe place to go in after dark..
This AM we left at 6 AM and looked or Tempest to wake him up. Thought we saw him moored by the breakwater.
Dave, grin, I was up at 5 am...I was on the West End of the field, right at the breakwater. There was a terrific little breeze this morning but everyone was snoring away below..so I let em sleep..
I came back up a little later with my coffee, Thought, I might have seen you sailing out along the hook heading north. Gorgeous day today, but the winds died early. The best sailing was in those pre-dawn hours. Did get a swim in though.
We stopped in Keyport on the way home for dinner at the Blue Rock Cafe...
We are now on the LI Sound having come up the East River on a fairly beneign day. The Staten Island Ferry Terminal was abuzz and the seaplanes landing beside us by 40thtreet was neat. The UNlookedcleanedup from the last time we came this way. We hit speeds of 12.4 though Hell Gate and pretty much averages 9-10 SOG up the East River. Helm was squirrelly when it got over 10. We are off of Hempstead Bay making for Port Jefferson and the Seatsuket Yacht Club mooring. PJ is a neat eclectic town. Great stop over for staging the run to Greenport.
FWIW its Hempstead Harbour, not Hempstead Bay. If I knew you were going past I would have waved. Consider a stop there some time. My club has guest moorings, launch service, free ice for members and guests, and its only about a mile walk to downtown Glen Cove with some great restaurants.
Love to see the report, Chef. Have to say, it sounds exhausting. I've considered a Fall trip to the Chessy, as we have friends down your way. However, if we didn't go outside (down and back), it may be too much without a few weeks to do it. I know you've done both. Had a friend make Annapolis to Newport in 48 hrs flat this summer. Perfect conditions the whole way outside.
You are right. Even a couple of weeks isn't enough. Figure 36 hours from Block to Cape May, one day up the Delaware to the Sassarass River (12 hours), then 9 to Annapolis. We usually have 3+ weeks that's why we try and break it up and stop at places on the Sound we like like Port Jeffereson and Greenport this year on the way out this year on the way back Stonngton, Matiuk, New London, and Nortport. It can be a trek to get her to the Sound otherwise. This year our end goal is the Vineyard, but we will reevaluate once we hit Greenport.
The Vineyard is worth a visit, if you've never been. But it a very long trip around it. Unfortuantely, my fav is Edgartown which is the furthest. Getting around the chop and down into Edgartown harbor is time consuming. If you are short on time and the weather is good, consider outside Menemsha and take a cab into Edgartown. Long way from anchored boat, however. Vineyard Haven is the next stop, then Edgartown.
That would have been us sailing north about 6. When we came down the fairway at 5:45 we scattered all the birds. It was your boat I saw. She's looking good. Classic Sabre . When I bought Haleakula it was between her and a Sabre 36. Both fit our needs and were performance cruisers with great speed and handling. The C&C surveyed better so that's where I went. I love the Sabres. Sabreman has a beautiful 38. Perfect boat.
Glad you ad a good swim. Our t rip north was. Great sail up to the Verrazano, motor sailed up the East with breakneck peeds over 9&19. With over 12 from the UN through Hallets to Rikers. Least the inmates were not catcalling my wife it the windows this time. One out on the Sound...dead flat. At 4 the wiind picked up put of the East t 10. Ed (Xort) was a lready anchored in the cove next to Port Jeff but we never SA him or he us. We will meet up later in Northport on our way back home next week late someday.
Tomorrow 48 miles to Greenport for a two day in a slip stopover. Then Block. Need to tart some laundry. When the laundry bag has more clothes thn both of our duffle it's time. Also need some fresh produce and bagels. Only have 1 watermelon left of the 3 we started with. Amazing how the feeh air makes you et fruit nd drink liquids.
We are in Greenport in the easiest most mundane Plum Gut crossing ever for us. 8 knots through after sailing the first 4houts with great wind to motorsailing. Town is great for a wo day layover. My wife is very happy and the Mitchel Marina is very nice. Will be nice to sleep late, and get some more fresh produce.
We have altered our plans for two reasons. One we want to only sail a few (4 hours each day before we put in ) and two, want to be close enough to be able to dash south or up the Conneticut River if the hurricane should turn up the coast
So tomorrow we are headed over to Montauk for two days. About a four or or so sail. Then to Stonington, Essex, Matiuk, and then back down the Sound to either Mt Siani. Will be in Northport on Tuesday to meet up with Brad ( Benne505) , Craig2, Ed and his wife (Xort). Then heading through the "gate" down the NJ coast.
Isaac is headed west...toward the keys last I looked. We will be enjoying a stationary high pressure system for the next 5 days....evening temps have been great for sleeping..You're getting some of the best weather of the summer.....enjoy!
Will wave on your trip home..
Yeah, it appears to be going across the Fla Strait, Keys and on the west side of Fla or panhandle. If the current high moves a little east it should come up the backside and reemerge in the Atlantic but doubtful. Next 48 hours will tell. I was really watching and referring to the system behind Issac. If it goes NW it could curve up the coast. We should be in Atlantic Highlands Wednesday but if need be I could move that forward 1.5 days to beat down the Jersey coast and round Cape May before it comes far enough north.
Taking our vacation in August we re always aware of the greater chances for the tropical stoms than doing it in July or June. Tradeoff is less tourists and crowding.
You are right about the weather. It has been gorgeous and perfect and we have even had some wind almost every day. Lucked out.
Interesting weather happening further south? Yes.
You are smart to be paying attention, as you should.
I'll recommend picking up a 'club' marked mooring ball in Lloyd Harbor (east inside Huntington Bay) as a remote backup plan, if things get nasty.
Inside Oyster Bay harbor is also well protected and would not be a bad place to weather a blow at anchor. Normal tidal range is about 8' as you know.
Both of the above places are better protected then Hempstead Harbor.
Other run and hide options:
- up the CT River
- up the Hudson River
Had a quick 5 hour sail past the Ruins and around Gardiners Island to Montauk. Beautiful
Ocean breeze. We are on the bulkhead in the middle of a huge fishing fleet at the Montauk Marine Basin. Took the luxury of staying here fairly in expensively for this area at 2.50/ft. Need to do some laundry and of course dinner tonight for us is lobster. We are staying another day and may get to meet Brad (Bene505) if not tonight or tomorrow night , definitely next Tuesdy in Northport.
So far after a week at sea we have settled into a good routine.
Had a quick 5 hour sail past the Ruins and around Gardiners Island to Montauk. Beautiful
Ocean breeze. We are on the bulkhead in the middle of a huge fishing fleet at the Montauk Marine Basin. Took the luxury of staying here fairly in expensively for this area at 2.50/ft. Need to do some laundry and of course dinner tonight for us is lobster. We are staying another day and may get to meet Brad (Bene505) if not tonight or tomorrow night , definitely next Tuesdy in Northport.
So far after a week at sea we have settled into a good routine.
A quick 5 hr sail........ You have been slugging at sea for a bit.
Enjoy Montauk. We stayed in 3 mile harbor for a night, early in the summer. Good anchorage, but I'm not a huge Hamptons fan. It would be a good place to hunker down, if you had to.
You are right, I'm watching tropic storm 10 closely as well. So far, so good. Certainly won't ruin the weekend, but watch carefully for your return trip. At the least, I would think it will make going outside uncomfortable.
"10" has now been named...they're calling her Joyce. They have her tracking NNW and expected to be around Bermuda on Tuesday A.M. Where she'll hopefully Track toward the NE. Hoping it's a non-event for us. You should certainly have time to get to NJ by Wednesday if that's your tentative plan. If for some reason Joyce decides to stir up trouble, there seems to be numerous empty slips in my Marina..it's the best hidey hole in the area. I stayed in for Irene last year. We were three sailboats in a row..just about everyone else in the place hauled out. It's a couple of hours east of the Highlands.
Lobster Prices have been down this year...you should fill up while you can!..
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