ortolancat

With a big, BIG, slow moving storm system heading our way, we had some serious timing issues to ponder. While we could remain in the Chesapeake for a while more, we did want to get “home” to Deep River, CT … sometime in May – especially as Benj is planning to drive down from Vermont to visit us! From the Chesapeake to Deep River, two challenging portions remain:

The 70 miles from the northern Chesapeake, thru the C&D canal & down the mighty Delaware. Oh, the Delaware – our least favorite river, with up to 3 knots of current (with or against, depending on your timing), seemingly always windy with large standing waves (if the current is against the wind) or on the very rare time there are light winds – foggy & millions of swarming flies! It’s the strangest thing – we’ve only experienced a pleasant, sunny day … once!

The 116 miles from Cape May to NYC are open ocean. Heading back north is the most difficult, as the prevailing winds are … northeast. We often have to wait over a week for a good window.

We decided to go for it. The Delaware was reasonably o.k. & we anchored in Cape May to stage for offshore. However, the beginning of the forecasted winds & torrential rains kept being moved up from after 8 PM the following day to 6, 4, 3 PM? O.k. – we’ll suffer & leave at first light (5:30 AM). No let’s play it safe & leave at 4 AM. Well, I woke up at 1:30 with 12 knots of wind (fortunately that was only due to a rain squall passing by). Oh heck, I’m up anyway – let’s just leave now (sorry, still-sleeping Lori). So up anchor at 2 AM with the winds back down to 5 knots – a very calm passage to NYC.

Usually when we head back north, we simply anchor off Atlantic Highlands, NJ & head off thru New York Harbor to Long Island Sound the following day. Days & days of heavy rains & heavy winds wouldn’t make that possible – did I mention temps down to the 40’s? Hide out at a marina? Well NYC is not the place, with rates of $6.00 – $10.00/ft. per night, plus, plus. 4 nights of waiting for weather would run $900 – $1,500! We used all of our cruising lifelines (thanks Dick of Rhumbline Yachts!) & learned of the Great Kills Yacht Club – protected, friendly & a fraction of the cost!

In a few days, we’ll continue past Lady Liberty in NYC, into Long Island Sound & back to Deep River within the next week.

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Looking back to the prior week …

Norfolk, VA is generally considered the “end” (Mile 0) of the AICW (Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway) when heading north. We’ve already traveled north nearly 950 miles from Vero Beach, FL in just under 3 weeks. Heading south or back north, the big question usually is how quickly? With each trip we often say we won’t hurry or won’t be on a schedule, however weather & all of the various complications seem to always rule. On perfect days, do you travel or enjoy where you are? Spring thunderstorms (often with tornado watches/warnings) down in the Carolinas are nothing to take likely. When the radio blares “take immediate shelter in your basement”, Lori always give me a funny look… Fortunately, we avoided even a single thunderstorm this year although we came close in Norfolk with weather warnings of gusts to 60, but it veered past us with light rain & gusts to only 20.

The biggest “tragedy” of this trip was skipping (the famous) Britt’s Donuts in Carolina Beach – we arrived on Tuesday, but they weren’t open until Friday. The travel weather was just too good to wait “just” for donuts. It wasn’t all tears though, as nearby Wake’n Bake Donuts was an adequate substitute, even though the lady in front of me ordered the last of Lori’s favorite donuts (the Carolina Sands & Samoa) 😦