Chasepeake Bay to Annapolis

 October 10

Yeah, we left at 7 o'clock in the morning and watched the sunrise over the bridge and the canal.  The trip was uneventful to Annapolis.  I was following the auto-generated track, but then I realized that Chesapeake Bay was a great selling area, so I didn't need to follow it.  I could just see right down the middle of the Chesapeake Bay.  During the sailing, my neck and upper shoulder were aching.

There's still a lot to be done since I was the only crew member. 

I arrived at Annapolis Yacht Club at 3 o’clock and attended the boat show.

Delaware Bay and C-D canal

Cape May to Chesapeake City

Wednesday Oct 9

A night of rock 'n' roll at Cape May West.  I didn't sleep very much, as there was lots of squeaking in the boat - especially the port bulkhead.

I try to get off early in the morning and leave at sunrise for 65 65-mile  run to Chesapeake City and then from there to Annapolis boat show, if you got some sailing in, but it was in the face, 15 to 23 knots, very hard on the motor, and went to the C&D Canal. 

I ended up at Chesapeake City, trying to find a public dock, and found myself in a tight Anchorage with no wind.  Everyone was paddling to the town on their own.  I was exhausted, so I'm going to go back, make supper, and then head to bed.  I'll get up early to head to Annapolis tomorrow.

Jersey Shores

October 6

I got into Barnaget about 1730.  It was a rough entrance with a large rock breakwater that had to be maintained at high speed to cut through the waves.

Then I motored very slowly to the anchoring field, which was about 10 feet deep.  Anchored and tried to fly the drone, but she hit the gunwales and chipped some propellers, which I replaced three. 

The next morning on Sunday, Oct 6

Tried to get from Barnegat to Cape May 

NOT. 

I ended up in Atlantic City.

I got up early and had breakfast, consisting of Malissa tea, my first tea of the trip.

I decided to put up the bimini after my experience on yesterday's passage.  It was much better with a Bimini.  I initially didn't think I would need the bimini until I got further south.

I headed to Light House Marina to get 9 gallons of fuel.  Flew my drone there. 

When I left, it was already 10AM.  The chartplotter estimated the arrival time of 19:30 for Cape May.  So I decided to go to Atlantic City.  

Atlantic City looked like an easy anchorage.   But there was a lot of current.  The current and the winds were opposing.  BELLUM swung funny. 

Took the dinghy out and took a walk through the city.  Walked about 9 km 

Wrote to DF…  She was not too talkative. 

I returned to the boat and had supper of last night's pork tenderloin with Scrapple that I just purchased.  And peppers and potatoes.  

Went to bed at 10:30. 

Rough night in Atlantic City.

Monday Oct 7

Either BELLUM or another ship dragged its anchor and got wrapped up at 00h50 this morning.  

The other boat had no motor. 

We sorted it out, I anchored in the dark, and I can see that I am dragging.  

In the morning, I got up early with concerns about the depth and noisy halyards.  Had a coffee and visited our neighbours 

I was warned about the south winds near shore, but I decided to try anyway since the winds were going to decline and veer to the east.

It was rough, and I determined I would not make it to Cape May before sunset, so I returned to Atlantic City. 

I went to the Atlantic City Free Library to charge my laptop, back up my photos, and update my iDevices. 

Supper at  the Back Bay Ale House with Mark 

We returned to his boat, where all his batteries were dead, and he was trying to charge them with solar panels.  Her engine eventually started.

Wed Oct 9

Cape May to Chesapeake City 

Throttle lock

Single handed on the Hudson to Manhatten

Friday October 4

I got up early, around seven, and will have to prepare the boat for our first departure.  Single-handedly got the store away.  All the other things required to start sailing.  I tried to call several marinas, but none of them had fuel or handled sailboats or responded.  I tried motoring into Terry Marc Marina, but there was nobody there.  Nobody answered the phone.  Nobody answered the radio, so I left and headed to Haverstraw Bay Marina. I arrived just before noon, fueled up, and got a pump out.  All before the lineman's lunch.

I started heading south to the Statue of Liberty, 36 miles away.

I wore my life jacket the whole time.

I got up very early the next morning and departed the Manhattan skyline, sailing the first segment in a broad reach. 

Eventually, the engine and motor sailed until the winds died. 

Anchored behind the Statue of Liberty using a recovery line with a float on the anchor, as Mark suggested.

I was able to fly the drone.

It was a rolly night at anchor.

x