Baltimore, Annapolis and Hampton

We spent 11 days (Thursday, 9/26/19 to Tuesday, 10/8/19) at a dock in HarborView Marina, Baltimore.  This was the longest we have been at a dock since starting the adventure.  We wanted to be at a dock for a number of reasons, including having shore power for various boat projects and an address so that we could have some boat parts shipped.  It was also beneficial to have the Boaters' Lounge so that I could work on some sewing projects.  Bryan repaired the generator (replaced the impeller and cam, replumbed the cooling water intake), installed dinghy chocks, rebuilt a deck wash-down pump, various smaller projects and cleaned the bilge and floor boards; and I cut out and sewed the side curtains for the bimini.  We had lots of company while we were in Baltimore.  The Thursday that we arrived, Pam and Doug on Bleu Lagoon happened to be in town from Ohio for a Trawler Fest.  We had cocktails on the boat and then walked to the Rusty Scupper for dinner.  On Saturday, we took the boat out for an Inner Harbor tour with Staten and Stephanie, a former co-worker and his wife.  They were in Baltimore for the Browns-Ravens game the next day.  The following week, my cousin Laurie and her husband Ed came in to Baltimore for a stop at the boat and then dinner at Bertha's in Fells Point (EAT BERTHA'S MUSSELLS 😝).  Finally, some Ohio friends that now live near Baltimore met us on Saturday and we walked over to Little Havana (our favorite while in Baltimore) for dinner.  It was fun to see Erin, who we knew from Junior Race Team in Sandusky and meet her husband Andrew.

We headed out for Annapolis on Tuesday, Oct. 8.  It was gray, windy and cold but we had a nice, fast reach with gusts to 30 knots down the Chesapeake.  We anchored in the South Anchorage, across from the Naval Academy. Although it was only a 26 mile sail, we were tired by the time we got settled in so I heated up some leftovers for dinner and we went to bed early.  We had an early morning the next day, as we had to get the dinghy in the water and dock it at Lafayette Waterfront Park up Spa Creek, by 7:15.  From there, a shuttle bus would take us and 3 other couples to Maryland Yacht Club for an Offshore Sailing Seminar presented by the Salty Dog Sailing Association.  The seminar was very fun and interesting and we learned a few new things and added items to our list of stuff to review and/or buy at the boat show.

The next 3 days we spent at the boat show.  Bob and Beth came in on Thursday evening.  We picked them up by dinghy at Truxton Park on Spa Creek and they left their car parked there for the weekend.  Harbormaster Stan, another friend formerly from Ohio who now lived in Annapolis, had recommended the parking spot and it worked out really well.  It was also fun taking the dinghy trips up Spa Creek.  Denny & Ellie on Sans Souci and Paul & Karen on Therapy were also in town for the boat show and we enjoyed spending time with them all.  My cousins David & Mary Lynn came to town on Sunday and we had a nice visit with them.  One of the best things about being a live-aboard cruiser has been reconnecting with family and friends that we haven't seen for a while.

On Monday, 10/14/19, we headed in to shore for our showers, had a quick visit with Russ (Shock and All), and pulled up the anchor.  We had a nice sail down to the Patuxent River where we anchored and enjoyed a beautiful sunset.  It was a very peaceful anchorage and we both slept well for the few short hours before the alarm went off at 2:30 am.  We wanted an early start as the wind was predicted to die around noon and we wanted to get to Hampton in daylight.  After about 90 nm and 12 hours, we were docked at Bluewater Yachting Center in Hampton, VA.  Now, time to make final preparations for the passage to Antigua with the Salty Dawg Rally!

The Pride of Baltimore

My Sailrite sewing machine is awesome!

It was great having use of the Boaters' Lounge at HarborView Marina.

Bryan, Polly & my cousin Laurie

Laurie, Ed & Polly

Grocery shopping with the Lime electric scooters was much quicker.

Notice the wind-up key on the top of this cute boat at HarborView Marina.

Bryan installed the permanent dinghy chocks while we were at the dock in Baltimore.

Joli at anchor in the South Anchorage, Annapolis, across from the Naval Academy

Polly, David and Bryan in Annapolis

Mary Lynne, Polly, David, Bryan

Sunset on the Patuxent River, MD

Sunrise, Chesapeake Bay

I finished four more Bimini panels while in Baltimore.  Only four more to go!

Down the Jersey Shore to Delaware Bay and through the C&D Canal, 9/24/19 - 9/26/19

After coming through New York City with our son A.J. and his friend Mike, we stayed a couple days in Sandy Hook Bay, anchored off Atlantic Highlands.  Atlantic Highlands was a nice town with a grocery store and Ace Hardware within walking distance.  There were a large number of boats anchored near us for a stop-over on their fall trip south, including Lynn & Russell on Blue Highway.  We had met them through mutual friends Burt and Prue while we were in Northeast Harbor in Mount Desert Island, Maine.  We had a happy hour with them and the consensus was that Tuesday morning, 9/24/19 was the date to head out.

9/24/19 Our anchor was up by 7:00 and we were on our way on a nice, sunny morning with 10 knots of breeze out of the west.  As we rounded the point, we saw lots of fisherman fishing off the beach on both the bay and the ocean side.  The New Jersey coast was very pretty with beautiful beaches and homes along much of the coast.  We had a great reach, zooming along with full main and jib.  By early afternoon we were approaching Atlantic City and the wind continued to build although it was a little fluky.  There were also good-sized swells; maybe from the storm further out on the ocean.

We reached the mouth of the Delaware Bay at nightfall and the wind was on the nose and fluky.  We decided that Breakwater Harbor, at the south side of the mouth of Delaware Bay, would be a good overnight anchorage.  We had a slow, painful sail into the bay as the wind and current were both against us.  It seemed especially slow after the blast down the coast doing 10 knots almost the whole way.  We anchored at about midnight, trying to avoid the ferry route that was not clearly marked on the chart.  The next morning, as we were having breakfast, the ferry passed by VERY CLOSE to our transom so we decided to anchor a short distance away.  We got the anchor up, moved about a mile away, took our morning cockpit showers and cleaned up the boat.  We planned on heading up the Delaware Bay at around noon so that the current would be with us all the way through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.

We had a motor boat ride up the bay all afternoon as the wind was very light.  We saw the first pelican of the trip and we were with many other sailboats that we had seen at Sandy Hook.  We headed into the C&D Canal after passing by Salem & Hope Creek Nuclear Power Station, just at sunset.  Shortly after passing under the first bridge in the canal, a RORO (Roll On, Roll Off) ship came around the corner, headed right for us and coming right down the middle of the canal.  The RORO's are large ships and they seem HUGE as you pass close by, especially when it is starting to get dark out.

We anchored just off the channel in Ford Landing on the Bohemia River, in the dark, after about 65 nm and 9 hours.  The next morning, we saw what a beautiful spot we had anchored in.  We were on our way early to get to Baltimore, where we would stay at HarborView Marina for 10 days.  The northern Chesapeake was beautiful and we wished we had more time to stay.

New York City in the distance as we left Sandy Hook

Atlantic City

Sunset as we approached the C&D Canal

Northern Chesapeake Bay - very picturesque 

Salem - Hope Creek at the top of Delaware Bay

Sunrise at Ford Landing, Bohemia River

New York City!

In spite of our engine problems, our son and his friend Mike were able to meet up with us on Long Island to make the trip through New York City.  A.J. flew in to Newark airport on Friday, 9/20/19, where Mike picked him up.  Mike and his wife Emily had moved to New Jersey after getting married in June.  A.J. and Mike met us in Port Jefferson on Saturday morning and we headed out with our newly repaired engine.  We made it to Port Washington in Manhasset Bay, Long Island by 6-ish and anchored just outside of the mooring field.  We took the dinghy in to shore for dinner and had an early bedtime.
The next morning, Sunday, 9/22/19, we got an early start so that the current through Hell Gate would be with us.  Our route would take us from the west end of Long Island Sound, into the East River, along Manhattan to the Hudson River and out to Sandy Hook, New Jersey.  The trip was very easy, with a light breeze and nice sunshine, but somewhat hazy/smoggy.  It was so exciting to go under the famous bridges, including the Brooklyn Bridge, and sail past the Statue of Liberty and the Staten Island Ferry.  It was also fun having A.J. and Mike with us.  We were anchored in Sandy Hook Bay by noon and Emily met us there to take the boys back home.  What a great day!

AJ and Bryan leaving Port Jefferson

Hell Gate Bridge

Approaching the first bridge on the East River

LaGuardia Airport

Pretty good view of the Chrysler Building beyond the other buildings along the waterfront

Ellis Island

West Bank Lighthouse, Raritan Bay