Monday, May 18, 2009

The winds and waves were so high yesterday, that we stayed at anchor all day. There was a small craft advisory in effect until 2 pm today, but because there was no rain in the forecast and the winds were expected to decrease by the time we arrived at Sandy Hook on the southern edge of New York Harbor, we decided to set out. The ride was rough but not nearly as bad as we experienced on Friday. About halfway to Sandy Hook the New York City skyline came into view. As the day wore on and we brought ourselves closer to New York, we were able to see a spectacular vista of the harbor and the skyscrapers. While rounding Sandy Hook we could see that the name of the point described the geography to a tee. From there it was downwind to Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, and to a beautiful area and marina. It was a perfect spot to leave the boat for a few days while we travelled to New London, Connecticut, for Casey’s graduation. Casey is Kevin's uncle and will be graduating from the United States Coast Guard Academy on Wednesday.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Today we travelled 25 miles from Barnagat Light to Manasquan Inlet, New Jersey.

Friday, May 15, 2009

The winds blew at 30 knots all night long. We awoke at 5 am to find the water as smooth as glass and pulled up anchor at 6:00 am to head out. Five minutes after leaving our quiet anchorage, we were in 4 to 6 foot seas. By 6:45 am, Maureen was seasick! It helped her to lie down for most of the trip. We followed the coast line about four miles out in the ocean where it wasn’t quite as rough. Coming into Barnagat Inlet was difficult due to fog, high seas and a narrow passage. By shortly after noon we were inside the cove and things calmed down considerably. Barnagat Lighthouse is as beautiful as the pictures portray. The town, Barnagat Light, NJ, is a quaint little fishing village where we decided to spend the night. From our anchorage we had a terrific view of the lighthouse.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

We pulled the anchor up at 7:30 am and motored out of port. It was a beautiful morning – somewhat cooler and breezier than yesterday. We used our motor most of the 41 miles to Atlantic City, but did take about 30 minutes to sail with the headsail right in front of the Atlantic City casinos. The winds were just a bit too light for the direction we wanted to go, however, we very much enjoyed having the motor off for awhile. At 4:15 pm we anchored in a small, quiet pool near Rum Point just north of the town basin where we could see the lights of most of the casinos. Flat Ninja had already gone to bed, but Gale and Maureen took a few photos of the casinos all lit up for the night.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Preparations for taking off in the sailboat have been continuing for the last few days. Finally, the day has arrived for Blue Heron and everyone aboard to depart and it is an absolutely perfect morning! The temperature was in the mid-50’s with clear skies and a slight haze over the water. At 6:39 am we threw off the dock lines and motored away from Delaware City. At 9:45 am we passed our first lighthouse, the Ship John Shoal Lighthouse, and slowed down to take a few pictures from the boat. The day turned out to be quite lovely with temperatures around 70 degrees and light breezes. We travelled 50 miles and entered the Cape May Canal at 3 pm escorted by a single dolphin.

Friday, May 8, 2009

The sky is clear, the sun is shining and Blue Heron is in the water! We held our breath as she was lowered into the canal, but everything went smoothly as we fueled her up and found her place on the dock! Another very exciting day!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

While in Delaware City getting the boat ready to launch, we've been eating dinner most every night at Crabby Dick's, a local hotspot. Tonight I had my picture taken with the crab lady in the dining room. Her name is Anita.