We slept much better after setting a second anchor in Whiteside Creek (See Previous). The wind was still blowing in the morning, but at least when we looked out the view once again included marsh grass and even a few oyster beds on the bank behind us. Seeing nothing but water and whitecaps surrounding us the evening before had been a bit unnerving. We weren't in a great rush to get underway since the wind was to slacken up during the day making the windward journey a bit less salty.
We watched our neighbor begin taking in his anchors as we ate breakfast. We'd missed seeing where he'd dropped his second hook the night before and were hoping it was well clear of our CQR. He pulled on one line and then the other, but stopped before he'd picked up either. It looked like he was over his primary anchor, and it wasn't releasing even after he let the boat pull on it. He had a bow sprit that didn't look like it had a lot of support, and could possibly break if he applied too much force on it. We were hoping he would get underway because it would be easier for us to retrieve our anchors without having to worry about the wind or the current swinging us toward him. Meantime it appeared he'd gone back into the cabin to think things over for a bit.
About 11 AM we began hauling our anchors in hopes of reaching Georgetown, about 8 hours away. Our neighbor dinghied over as we began working. He thought he had his chain wrapped around something with about 60 feet of chain still out. He planned on waiting for slack water before going down to check things out. That's not something either of us would relish given the strong currents and poor visibility, especially after the strong winds and heavy rains.
We managed to get both anchors up with little difficulty. It does help to know there is some heft behind the anchor roller that lets you literally pop the anchor up with the motion of the boat once you're over it. We had done a good job of burying the CQR.
As we approached the ICW a tug boat motored past, going north. We could see another tug with a barge also headed north about a mile back as we made our way out into the channel. It was a relief to see the banks and marsh grass. If the water had been as high as it had been at dusk, about the only aid to help keep us in the channel would have been the day marks, and they are sparse in places.
Eventually the tug and barge caught up with us and we slowed to allow him to pass us. As he passed we noted that the empty barge only drew 3 feet, but the tug drew between 8 and 9 feet. The wake he left behind was a nightmare, depth readings went from 13 feet (probably the actual depth) to 5 feet or less in the swirls and whirlpools. We were okay as long as we were behind him, but were concerned about any debris his prop might kick up in front of us.
We slowed down to allow the water to resume so semblance of normal, but noticed the tug had also dropped back his speed. As the barge squeezed across the channel it became apparent he had run aground and was backing in hopes of getting free. Just as he was getting things under control, 2 power boats approached from the stern and proceeded to go around both us and the tug. The tug captain told them to keep to port because he wasn't going to move over any. He also indicated there would be more water in the channel about a mile further north. We opted to stay behind him, passing would have been delicate at best given the lack of depth readings, and he'd move faster again once the water depths improved.
Tug and barge with power boat thinking about passing
Skimmpers over the mud flats
It would appear there are several "tight" spots in the ICW between Winyah Bay and Whitesides Creek. The tug grounded again and when he did go forward it was at slow speed. We were barely making 4 knots over the ground and trying to ignore the depth gauge with its variant readings but there wasn't an easy way around the tug either.
As we approached Jeremy Creek we decided to take a side excursion up to McClellanville, SC. The guidebook indicated it was a place where time had pretty much stood still, but once a year there is a festival when they bless the fleet. As we puttered up the creek we saw fishermen decorating the shrimp boats, and realized it must be this weekend. We thought about staying, but there didn't appear to be an anchorage and the one marina was not highly recommended.
Decorating the shrimp boats
Once back out in the ICW things were back to normal with the tug barely in sight. Looking at the chart we decided to head up the North Santee River to find an anchorage for the night and head to Georgetown in the morning. We found a nice spot at a bend in the river that made for a quiet peaceful night.
Fog on the North Sante River in the morning
Swallows in the reeds
We were up early in the morning as the 2 trawlers on the dock across from us were busy getting underway. The wind forecast had improved, dropping the NE winds, so we headed out the bay, skipping the unseen and shallow portions of the ICW, heading for Beaufort, NC, about 30 hours away. If the weather changed we'd have options to head into the Cape Fear River at Southport, or Wrightsville Beach after rounding Frying Pan Shoals off Cape Fear.
The weather held and we reached Beaufort by mid-afteroon on Monday after an uneventful night. Instead of stopping as planned, we pushed on and reached the Neuse River. We spent the night at a quiet spot off the channel with several other boats. We did see a rather amusing sight in the Adams Creek. A couple sitting in the stern of their boat, having an enjoyable evening, while the boat was still in it's hoist at the dock. Talk about what ever floats your boat! It certainly saves fuel and cleanup time.
Sunset from the Adams Creek anchorage
Reflections on the Alligator Pungo Canal in the fog
We were up at first light in the morning, hoping to make Coinjock by the evening. It was a foggy morning, which slowed us down a bit at the start, but with the radar and the narrow channel, it was more interesting than hairy. The winds were light all day, but came up enough in the afternoon once we reached the Ablemarle Sound for us to sail.
We arrived at the marina in Coinjock before 6 PM and after topping the fuel tank, decided to give the boat a quick rinse to get some of the salt off. The approach to Beaufort had been a beat to windward when the forecast NE winds did occur and the waves splashed the boat with salt water. After getting the boat washed off, we took a quick shower and went out for dinner. We went to bed early, planning to get an earlier start than last year due to the bridge restrictions in the stretch into Norfolk.
Up before 6 AM, awakened by shrimp boats going past, we got the early start we desired. The trick to this sectiion is to reach the North Landing Bridge by the 10:30 or the 11:30 openings, which gets you into Norfolk without having to wait for the lock and the bridges. In fact, we went through the last restricted bridge with many of the power boats that had sped past us before the North Landing Bridge. The bridge tenders would wait until the slow sailboats caught up with the power boats before opening.
The lineup of boats waiting at Great Bridge and Lock
We anchored off Hospital Point in Norfolk, having completed the last of the opening bridges on the ICW. Leonard watched a Dutch cruise ship make preparations for and departing from a dock just across from us while I worked on updating our log
Cruise ship turning around in front of the anchorage
5/19/05
Approaching Catskill, NY
With a bit of current in our favor, we got an early start out of Norfolk. The winds, while forecast to be easterly, still had a decided northerly component in the morning. This became apparent when we turned NE after a pleasant sail along the piers that stretch on the eastern waterfront north of Norfolk.
Once we reached the northeast turn at the entrance into the Chesapeake we chose to motor sail across the shallows along the western shore rather than to beat our way out, especially since the current was no longer with us. Any thoughts of heading out the entrance and up along the coast were discarded as it would have been hours of motoring into 15 knot head winds and current before reaching the Atlantic. As we got underway we spoke briefly with the folks aboard a Tartan 34 anchored near us. They were planing to make the jump to Cape May leaving either Friday or Saturday.
After bucking the wind and waves for about an hour we were able to fall off the wind enough for a great sail north. Even with a current against us we made good time. It was one of the few cloudy days we've had since starting north, and also the first day that required jackets.
By late afternoon we reached the entrance to the Great Wicomico River, just north of the Rappahonnock. We threaded our way through the crab pots and shoals to the Mill River, a small tributary to the south, with some secluded anchorages. I remembered anchoring here in the fall of 2003, but Leonard didn't believe me until he compared a picture we'd taken with the shoreline. This time we picked a cove on the south side. Over the years we've spent a number of nights on rivers or creeks in the Chesapeake named Mill, somehow this picture had been mislabeled as the Mill Creek at Solomon's.
Peaceful Mill Creek anchorage
The autopilot went on a vacation in the afternoon, refusing to steer any course. After dinner it was dismantled and Leonard found it had sheared another pin. Fortunately we now carry spares, so it was easily replaced and has been returned to working order. We have dealt with this type of repair while out at sea, but it is a bit less of a hassle to do it at anchor.
In the morning, after a very peaceful night, we headed for Solomon's Island where we planned to reprovision. There was enough wind for us to sail or motor sail and inspite of unfavorable currents for much of the day, we arrived by mid afternoon. It was to have gotten a bit warmer again as a warm front pushed back north, but with the sun behind the clouds for much of the day it didn't warm up until we reached the harbor.
We arrived at Back Creek, the main drag, along with a number of Sunday boaters which kept us on our toes. After topping off the fuel tank we were directed to the free town pump out station. I was glad it was in a protected area without too much traffic since the tie up area consisted only of a face dock. We can now add this bit of knowledge to our cruising notebook since it was both convenient and free.
We motored up to the end of Back Creek and managed to anchor among the boats, close to the dinghy dock. We've found that it always looks tighter from the boat than it does once you get in the dinghy and can see how much space there really is between the boats. Seeing that we had plenty of swinging room (provided we didn't have an east wind) we went to the dinghy dock and walked up the hill to the store to begin stocking up on food.
As we were eating dinner, the announcer broke into the Prairie Home Companion radio program to say severe weather was expected with heavy rains and winds up to 60 mph. Leonard did a quick NOAA radar check online and it looked like the worst of the storms would go around us, so after we finished cleaning up, we made another run ashore for a short walk and to pickup the rest of the groceries.
We spent the evening watching lightening in the clouds around us, waiting to see what kind of weather we would get. We were lucky, and only had a bit of wind and rain, and what we did have was over by 10 PM. Later we heard the D.C. area had street flooding due to the heavy rain.
Radar image showing fishing boats and Racon bouy (- - . -)
On Sunday morning we continued our way up the Chesapeake with
occasional
showers. The Bay was dotted with clumps of fishing boats - there
must
be spots where the fishing is better. We made good time and kept
going
past several good anchorages, until we decided to check out the Still
Pond Creek area. Since little wind was in the overnight forecast
we
opted to anchor in the area off Churn Creek rather than wend our way
through the doglegs into Still Pond proper. It was a nice spot
with
plenty of swinging room and no one else to worry about.
Sunset at the Still Pond anchorage
In the morning we sailed up to the C & D Canal and caught the current to take us east. Leonard had originally planned on stopping behind Reedy Island, just a short bit south of the canal on the Delaware Bay. But since it was too early to stop we put the sails back up and headed south to see how far we could get. There aren't a lot of great places to stop on the Delaware. Most creeks have too little water to allow access, and those that do have strong currents with tidal changes. We made good time motor sailing and reached the entrance to the Cape May canal at sunset.
A dredge was working on the area behind the ferries where we ran aground in 2003, and after negotiating our way past him we headed for Cape May harbor. The tide was out so we easily cleared the bridges and even had a bit of current helping us along, but it was dark as we made our way toward the Coast Guard station to look for a place to spend the night. There were a couple of boats already at anchor and we had passed another sailboat in the afternoon who would also be looking for a spot.
After several tries we were satisfied with our position. We had a mooring just behind us we wanted to keep clear of, and if the wind didn't blow from the south we shouldn't drift out onto the channel. Leonard thought about putting a line on the mooring to keep us out of the channel, but since we didn't know who might claim it, we didn't. The good thing about our choice was the no wake marker just off the Coast Guard station. The passing boats didn't hit the throttle until they were past it which kept the wakes down for us. The boat coming behind us finally puttered over to the shoal in the center of the harbor and anchored there.
The harbor has little useable area where you can drop a hook. The center is a large shoal that doesn't have enough water over it for us to anchor, and the rest of the harbor is occuppied by marinas or is too shoal to anchor more than a handful of boats. The holding is also not the best when you do find a spot. The recommended anchorage is beyond a bridge that requires opening and about a mile up the New Jersey portion of the ICW. Since we've never been there, that didn't seem like a good thing to try after dark either. It had been a long day, we'd gone about 85 miles. If we hadn't found a spot, Leonard threatened to head out the entrance and go north. He might have anyway, but the north wind we'd used all day would have been on our nose.
The weather forecasts we'd been hearing sounded like Vermont. Wait a bit and the winds will change. The only good part was the wind wouldn't be too strong wherever it chose to blow from. In the morning, we topped off the fuel tank and headed out to sea to check out the conditions for ourselves. As we were heading toward the entrance a shrimp boat in front of us lowered his gear, so we kept behind him since he literally filled the channel.
Departing Cape May
Given the NE wind forecast for the morning, it wasn't all that bad once
we cleared the breakwater, so we set sail and headed north. We
had the
option of stopping at Atlantic City if we didn't like the conditions,
or
heading for New York harbor with a dawn arrival. It was an easier
run
than most we've had off the New Jersey coast. We weren't plagued
with
strong winds, rain, fog or a lot of traffic. We spent most of the
day
sailing as the wind clocked slowly to the east. Around dusk the
wind
went light so we turned on the engine. Throughout the night the
wind
continued to clock through the south into the west so we were able to
sail again when it was strong enough to move us, or motor sail when it
went
light. We also had company, a sailboat ahead of us and another a
bit
further offshore and behind us.
Sunrise over ships at anchor off New York City
By 6 in the morning we were approaching Sandy Hook, and entering the
channel into New York. The only problem of the trip was a drop in
the
knotmeter reading just south of the Verrazano Bridge. Leonard
thought
he heard a light clunk, but I was below making breakfast and didn't
hear
it. He tried reversing the prop in case we'd caught something,
but we
saw nothing, only felt a bit of a vibration. We debated what to
do,
checking it out in the big ship channel wasn't much of an option, so we
continued and eventually the speed came back up to normal for the RPMs
with a very small vibration at certain RPMs. Looks like it will
wait
until we are home to be checked out further,
We couldn't change the tide which began to ebb off Sandy Hook, so the current opposed us for the rest of the day. We went under the Verrazano Bridge about 8:45 and began threading our way through the big ship traffic. A hefty 2 knot current really slows things down. It certainly gave us time to observe the city as it passed slowly by. It took us until 1:30 to clear the George Washington Bridge, and by the time we reached the Tappensee Bridge around 4:15 the current finally started to give us a boost.
NYC fire boat testing its pumps with Empire State and
Chrysler buildings in the background
By that time I'd had enough. Leonard thought about pushing on
since we
now had the current in our favor (he napped while I took us up river),
but there aren't a lot of anchorages in the Hudson and it would be dark
by the time we'd get to one we like. A number of the marinas on
the
Hudson consider themselves to be "destinations", offer country club
facilities and charge accordingly, but since we'd arrive too late to
make use of the amenities that didn't seem like much of an option
either. I finally threatened no dinner if we went past 7, and
that was
the deciding factor. We were both glad to stop and decided a predawn
start in the morning would give us a current boost too.
5/19/05
So this morning we were underway shortly after 5, and made good use of the current boost until we reached Poughkeepsie where it began to run the other way. We planned on reaching Catskill to prepare for stepping the mast. I talked to the owner who promised to move some boats around to leave us a spot on the fuel dock. We need to rinse the salt off the decks before we begin mast stepping preparations. Hopefully the mast cradle we left in October will still be there - we marked it better this time - and we will be ready to have the mast pulled sometime tomorrow. The weather forecast was good, light winds and no rain through the weekend.
Schooner Clearwater at Poughkeepsie
Of course we would reach Catskill quicker if I paid better attention to
where I was going. While spelling Leonard at the helm after lunch
I
managed to run us aground just past the Mid-Hudson Light Shoal.
My only
excuse is I was dodging fishing boats. The season must have just
opened
as there are scores of little boats all over the place. Since I
am
short I either have to look through the dodger isenglass which distorts
things, or I stand on the seats and look over the dodger, but then I
can't see the depth gauge. Since the bottom is sand, we managed
to
motor
off with the only damage being the possible loss of some bottom paint
(or the removal of barnacles) and a small dent in my ego.
Another delay - We just relaced the alternator belt as it was coming apart. ETA at Catskill is now 7 PM.
5/26/05 Home again
Leonard tacked on the bit about the alternator belt but neglected the details. We both have sensed a vibration on the boat since the approach to the Verazanno Bridge and have become sensitive to any change in the boat. So when we heard a new rattling vibration sound we both jumped to check it out. It sounded to me like a pot rattling on the stove, but that wasn't the problem. Leonard called out to throttle back, looked into the engine compartment and then called to shut down. He saw that a 3 inch chunk had torn off the inside of the alternator belt.
We had a few options, none of them ideal. We did have a spare belt which he found, but wasn't sure it really was the right belt for the job. We decided to motor at a slower RPM (naturally at this time the current was against us again) and see if we could locate a spot to drop the hook. The Hudson along here is either deep and part of the big ship channel, or very shallow. We were a mile or two north of Roundout Creek by Kingston, but still had about 5 miles to reach Saugerties. The chart showed the shoal in the middle of the river had enough water to possibly anchor at the north end, a good mile north of us or a more likely spot about 3 miles upstream on the western bank.
We kept an eye on the exhaust and an ear out for the alternator alarm because if the belt broke, we'd lose the cooling water pump and have shut the engine down. Leonard figured if that happened we'd unfurl the jib and head back downstream since the wind was on our nose and the river not really wide enough to make continuing north an option.
We opted for the closer spot and as we approached the buoy marking the edge of the shoal, we edged east and waited for the depth readings to come up. When they finally did, we dropped the hook and shut down to change the belt. It was the right belt and was replaced forthwith. I'd called the marina at Catskill earlier in the day to let them know we would be arriving late in the afternoon and would want the mast stepped the next day. The delay, along with the current, meant our arrival would be past 7 now, so I called again and was told to take any spot on the docks that might be open which we did when we got there about 7:15 PM.
We wanted to wash the salt off the decks before taking the sails down and to see how much, if any, of the mast cradle would have to be rebuilt. Ideally if you clearly mark the cradle with the boat name and return date, it doesn't get used by someone else. However last year we "lost" a fairly major section, and it takes time to find unmarked scraps and rebuild them into something that works. This year we were lucky and after a bit of digging, we found everything. By the time we got these chores done, it was dark.
We spent the next morning prepping the boat to have the mast stepped. The sails have to be dropped and bagged, the boom removed, the bimini and solar panel removed, all lines removed, electronics disconnected and the stays loosened. It takes about half a day, which meant the crew was out to lunch by the time we were ready, so it was early afternoon before it was stepped. It was a great day for it; sunny, but not hot, and very little wind. The actual stepping takes less than half an hour, but then everything has to be secured on deck for the rest of the trip.
After we finished working, we took a walk through town and went out to dinner. We saw street banners touting Catskill's shad festival the next day, so we continued our walk after dinner to check out the festival preparations. Not much was happening in regard to the festival, but a couple of sail boats tied on the dock there were getting ready to have their masts stepped, and a smaller sail boat was in the process of putting their mast up.
Deer along the river bank north of Catskill
Saturday morning we departed bright and early along with a 43 foot boat
that had its mast stepped after ours. After fighting the current
most
of the morning, we finally got a boost as we approached Albany.
We
passed through the Troy Lock and as we approached Lock 1 on the
Champlain Canal, another sailboat waiting to lock through. It was
smaller, and consequently would go slower than our normal cruising
speed. The first 4 locks are close enough together that we knew
we'd
have to wait if we went ahead, so we throttled back and still waited.
That was the final factor in the decision to stop early and spend the
night on the Mechanicsville town dock before the 3rd lock. The
other
boat continued on leaving us whole dock.
Once we had the boat squared away on the dock, we walked through town up to the top of the river bank and down through a park. It is interesting to walk through these old river towns. Folks are usually friendly and the older homes are interesting architecturally.
Sunday morning we awoke to drizzle and light rain. Not the greatest weather for doing the remaining locks, but at least it wasn't windy, and what wind we had was from ahead. It easier to get positioned in the locks with these wind conditions. Cross winds or winds from astern can make stopping at the right place a real challenge, so I we'll take showers and light winds anytime. We managed the remaining 9 locks with few delays and no problems, the bottom of the mast, which sticks out past the bow about 12 feet, never touched a lock wall.
Getting north - early spring folliage
Having gone past the Whitehall town dock where we've spent the night on
previous trips meant looking for a spot to anchor out north of Lock
12.
The bottom of the lake looks more like a river and is either channel
or shoals (often it looks like you should be able to anchor in spots,
but the depths aren't charted). It is about 10 miles before the
lake
broadens and there are places to anchor.
Going another 10 miles would mean another long day, so I optimistically pointed out a place called "Maple Bend" south of the narrows of Dresden and asked Leonard if he'd consider stopping there. The chart showed a small loop with about 9 feet of water. With the lake level higher than charted that should be enough, but finding the entrance was a bit tricky. Our first attempt was apparently a bit south, although we didn't touch the bottom, we stirred up some of the muck. I would have continued on, but Leonard likes a challenge, and eventually found 14 feet much closer to the little island (completely awash) than we thought. We dropped the hook and to be safe, tossed the lunch hook off the stern to keep us from swinging during the night.
Maple Bend anchorage - the channel is on the
other side of the trees
It was a nice anchorage and it would have been great if we could have poked around in the dinghy to check out the depths. There was a nice dock a bit beyond us and it might be possible to navigate the whole loop. However it was already approaching 8 PM and the dinghy was rolled up on deck so instead we had a beer before dinner and watched the birds.
Approach Dresden Narrows on a grey, cloudy morning
The plan was to arrive at LCYC Monday evening provided the wind and waves stayed down. There were showers in the morning and again in the afternoon. It was lumpy enough on the lake that Leonard briefly considered stopping in Converse Bay, but headed back out into the lake when the wind died back some. The boat has a much sharper roll with the mast on deck and the quartering waves. There's enough food for several days, but I suspect the old horse has his head turned toward the barn.
The forecast for the foreseeable future calls for rain and showers with more wind some days than others, but not a word about sun. Ah, Vermont.
Final notes -
Getting close to home - the clouds are touching the hill tops
We arrived at LCYC around 5 in the evening. Before we got to
Shelburne Point the visibility deteriorated down to about 1/8 mile in
fog. Which was enough to have Leonard round the R"2" instead of taking
the short cut inside when not only couldn't he see Juniper Island, but
Rock Dunder also slipped fromm view. The two islands are used
a a range for the deeper channel past the shoal areas.
We were welcomed to LCYC by a steward who took a line. That was a pleasant surprise since we didn't expect them to be on duty weekdays until after Memorial Day.
While we were pulling things together to go home, Pierre, the club diver, stopped by to welcome us home too. He'd been out working on the mooring field and had seen us round the point. When we told him we wanted the prop checked due to the vibration we've had since entering New York Harbor he grabbed his mask and handed Leonard a bag with a camera that lets you see under water. We'd picked up a piece of plastic that had wrapped around the shaft. Although the prop shredded most of it up, what had wrapped was enough to cause the vibration. He also gave the hull a quick scan so Leonard could see it on the screen. He told us it was a welcome home gift and if there was still a problem with the prop he'd pop it off and save us a haulout. It was a great gift and seems to have solved our problem.
A phone call to Melaina and Mike not only got us a ride home, but also a dinner out. Another treat, since the last thing I wanted to do was fix a meal after a long day.
We'd called the shipyard to let them know we were headed home when we were on the Hudson and were told they'd try to fit us into their schedule (this has to be one of their busist in the spring). We spent a day cleaning the stainless steel parts on the mast and the bimini. That's one of the chores much easier done before it's stepped. The next morning we got a call to bring the boat down, and the mast was stepped. We got the electronics hooked up again and the sails on inspite of some sprinkles and wind. There is still work to be done, lots of stainless to be cleaned along with getting everything back in ship shape. All we need is some sunshine and warmer temperatures.
Lynnea Rosner
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With a bit of current in our favor, we got an early start out of Norfolk. The winds, while forecast to be easterly, still had a decided northerly component in the morning. This became apparent when we turned NE after a pleasant sail along the piers that stretch on the eastern waterfront north of Norfolk.
Once we reached the northeast turn at the entrance into the Chesapeake we chose to motor sail across the shallows along the western shore rather than to beat our way out, especially since the current was no longer with us. Any thoughts of heading out the entrance and up along the coast were discarded as it would have been hours of motoring into 15 knot head winds and current before reaching the Atlantic. As we got underway we spoke briefly with the folks aboard a Tartan 34 anchored near us. They were planing to make the jump to Cape May leaving either Friday or Saturday.
After bucking the wind and waves for about an hour we were able to fall off the wind enough for a great sail north. Even with a current against us we made good time. It was one of the few cloudy days we've had since starting north, and also the first day that required jackets.
By late afternoon we reached the entrance to the Great Wicomico River, just north of the Rappahonnock. We threaded our way through the crab pots and shoals to the Mill River, a small tributary to the south, with some secluded anchorages. I remembered anchoring here in the fall of 2003, but Leonard didn't believe me until he compared a picture we'd taken with the shoreline. This time we picked a cove on the south side. Over the years we've spent a number of nights on rivers or creeks in the Chesapeake named Mill, somehow this picture had been mislabeled as the Mill Creek at Solomon's.
Peaceful Mill Creek anchorage
The autopilot went on a vacation in the afternoon, refusing to steer any course. After dinner it was dismantled and Leonard found it had sheared another pin. Fortunately we now carry spares, so it was easily replaced and has been returned to working order. We have dealt with this type of repair while out at sea, but it is a bit less of a hassle to do it at anchor.
In the morning, after a very peaceful night, we headed for Solomon's Island where we planned to reprovision. There was enough wind for us to sail or motor sail and inspite of unfavorable currents for much of the day, we arrived by mid afternoon. It was to have gotten a bit warmer again as a warm front pushed back north, but with the sun behind the clouds for much of the day it didn't warm up until we reached the harbor.
We arrived at Back Creek, the main drag, along with a number of Sunday boaters which kept us on our toes. After topping off the fuel tank we were directed to the free town pump out station. I was glad it was in a protected area without too much traffic since the tie up area consisted only of a face dock. We can now add this bit of knowledge to our cruising notebook since it was both convenient and free.
We motored up to the end of Back Creek and managed to anchor among the boats, close to the dinghy dock. We've found that it always looks tighter from the boat than it does once you get in the dinghy and can see how much space there really is between the boats. Seeing that we had plenty of swinging room (provided we didn't have an east wind) we went to the dinghy dock and walked up the hill to the store to begin stocking up on food.
As we were eating dinner, the announcer broke into the Prairie Home Companion radio program to say severe weather was expected with heavy rains and winds up to 60 mph. Leonard did a quick NOAA radar check online and it looked like the worst of the storms would go around us, so after we finished cleaning up, we made another run ashore for a short walk and to pickup the rest of the groceries.
We spent the evening watching lightening in the clouds around us, waiting to see what kind of weather we would get. We were lucky, and only had a bit of wind and rain, and what we did have was over by 10 PM. Later we heard the D.C. area had street flooding due to the heavy rain.
Radar image showing fishing boats and Racon bouy (- - . -)
Sunset at the Still Pond anchorage
In the morning we sailed up to the C & D Canal and caught the current to take us east. Leonard had originally planned on stopping behind Reedy Island, just a short bit south of the canal on the Delaware Bay. But since it was too early to stop we put the sails back up and headed south to see how far we could get. There aren't a lot of great places to stop on the Delaware. Most creeks have too little water to allow access, and those that do have strong currents with tidal changes. We made good time motor sailing and reached the entrance to the Cape May canal at sunset.
A dredge was working on the area behind the ferries where we ran aground in 2003, and after negotiating our way past him we headed for Cape May harbor. The tide was out so we easily cleared the bridges and even had a bit of current helping us along, but it was dark as we made our way toward the Coast Guard station to look for a place to spend the night. There were a couple of boats already at anchor and we had passed another sailboat in the afternoon who would also be looking for a spot.
After several tries we were satisfied with our position. We had a mooring just behind us we wanted to keep clear of, and if the wind didn't blow from the south we shouldn't drift out onto the channel. Leonard thought about putting a line on the mooring to keep us out of the channel, but since we didn't know who might claim it, we didn't. The good thing about our choice was the no wake marker just off the Coast Guard station. The passing boats didn't hit the throttle until they were past it which kept the wakes down for us. The boat coming behind us finally puttered over to the shoal in the center of the harbor and anchored there.
The harbor has little useable area where you can drop a hook. The center is a large shoal that doesn't have enough water over it for us to anchor, and the rest of the harbor is occuppied by marinas or is too shoal to anchor more than a handful of boats. The holding is also not the best when you do find a spot. The recommended anchorage is beyond a bridge that requires opening and about a mile up the New Jersey portion of the ICW. Since we've never been there, that didn't seem like a good thing to try after dark either. It had been a long day, we'd gone about 85 miles. If we hadn't found a spot, Leonard threatened to head out the entrance and go north. He might have anyway, but the north wind we'd used all day would have been on our nose.
The weather forecasts we'd been hearing sounded like Vermont. Wait a bit and the winds will change. The only good part was the wind wouldn't be too strong wherever it chose to blow from. In the morning, we topped off the fuel tank and headed out to sea to check out the conditions for ourselves. As we were heading toward the entrance a shrimp boat in front of us lowered his gear, so we kept behind him since he literally filled the channel.
Departing Cape May
Sunrise over ships at anchor off New York City
We couldn't change the tide which began to ebb off Sandy Hook, so the current opposed us for the rest of the day. We went under the Verrazano Bridge about 8:45 and began threading our way through the big ship traffic. A hefty 2 knot current really slows things down. It certainly gave us time to observe the city as it passed slowly by. It took us until 1:30 to clear the George Washington Bridge, and by the time we reached the Tappensee Bridge around 4:15 the current finally started to give us a boost.
NYC fire boat testing its pumps with Empire State and
Chrysler buildings in the background
5/19/05
So this morning we were underway shortly after 5, and made good use of the current boost until we reached Poughkeepsie where it began to run the other way. We planned on reaching Catskill to prepare for stepping the mast. I talked to the owner who promised to move some boats around to leave us a spot on the fuel dock. We need to rinse the salt off the decks before we begin mast stepping preparations. Hopefully the mast cradle we left in October will still be there - we marked it better this time - and we will be ready to have the mast pulled sometime tomorrow. The weather forecast was good, light winds and no rain through the weekend.
Schooner Clearwater at Poughkeepsie
Another delay - We just relaced the alternator belt as it was coming apart. ETA at Catskill is now 7 PM.
5/26/05 Home again
Leonard tacked on the bit about the alternator belt but neglected the details. We both have sensed a vibration on the boat since the approach to the Verazanno Bridge and have become sensitive to any change in the boat. So when we heard a new rattling vibration sound we both jumped to check it out. It sounded to me like a pot rattling on the stove, but that wasn't the problem. Leonard called out to throttle back, looked into the engine compartment and then called to shut down. He saw that a 3 inch chunk had torn off the inside of the alternator belt.
We had a few options, none of them ideal. We did have a spare belt which he found, but wasn't sure it really was the right belt for the job. We decided to motor at a slower RPM (naturally at this time the current was against us again) and see if we could locate a spot to drop the hook. The Hudson along here is either deep and part of the big ship channel, or very shallow. We were a mile or two north of Roundout Creek by Kingston, but still had about 5 miles to reach Saugerties. The chart showed the shoal in the middle of the river had enough water to possibly anchor at the north end, a good mile north of us or a more likely spot about 3 miles upstream on the western bank.
We kept an eye on the exhaust and an ear out for the alternator alarm because if the belt broke, we'd lose the cooling water pump and have shut the engine down. Leonard figured if that happened we'd unfurl the jib and head back downstream since the wind was on our nose and the river not really wide enough to make continuing north an option.
We opted for the closer spot and as we approached the buoy marking the edge of the shoal, we edged east and waited for the depth readings to come up. When they finally did, we dropped the hook and shut down to change the belt. It was the right belt and was replaced forthwith. I'd called the marina at Catskill earlier in the day to let them know we would be arriving late in the afternoon and would want the mast stepped the next day. The delay, along with the current, meant our arrival would be past 7 now, so I called again and was told to take any spot on the docks that might be open which we did when we got there about 7:15 PM.
We wanted to wash the salt off the decks before taking the sails down and to see how much, if any, of the mast cradle would have to be rebuilt. Ideally if you clearly mark the cradle with the boat name and return date, it doesn't get used by someone else. However last year we "lost" a fairly major section, and it takes time to find unmarked scraps and rebuild them into something that works. This year we were lucky and after a bit of digging, we found everything. By the time we got these chores done, it was dark.
We spent the next morning prepping the boat to have the mast stepped. The sails have to be dropped and bagged, the boom removed, the bimini and solar panel removed, all lines removed, electronics disconnected and the stays loosened. It takes about half a day, which meant the crew was out to lunch by the time we were ready, so it was early afternoon before it was stepped. It was a great day for it; sunny, but not hot, and very little wind. The actual stepping takes less than half an hour, but then everything has to be secured on deck for the rest of the trip.
After we finished working, we took a walk through town and went out to dinner. We saw street banners touting Catskill's shad festival the next day, so we continued our walk after dinner to check out the festival preparations. Not much was happening in regard to the festival, but a couple of sail boats tied on the dock there were getting ready to have their masts stepped, and a smaller sail boat was in the process of putting their mast up.
Deer along the river bank north of Catskill
Once we had the boat squared away on the dock, we walked through town up to the top of the river bank and down through a park. It is interesting to walk through these old river towns. Folks are usually friendly and the older homes are interesting architecturally.
Sunday morning we awoke to drizzle and light rain. Not the greatest weather for doing the remaining locks, but at least it wasn't windy, and what wind we had was from ahead. It easier to get positioned in the locks with these wind conditions. Cross winds or winds from astern can make stopping at the right place a real challenge, so I we'll take showers and light winds anytime. We managed the remaining 9 locks with few delays and no problems, the bottom of the mast, which sticks out past the bow about 12 feet, never touched a lock wall.
Getting north - early spring folliage
Going another 10 miles would mean another long day, so I optimistically pointed out a place called "Maple Bend" south of the narrows of Dresden and asked Leonard if he'd consider stopping there. The chart showed a small loop with about 9 feet of water. With the lake level higher than charted that should be enough, but finding the entrance was a bit tricky. Our first attempt was apparently a bit south, although we didn't touch the bottom, we stirred up some of the muck. I would have continued on, but Leonard likes a challenge, and eventually found 14 feet much closer to the little island (completely awash) than we thought. We dropped the hook and to be safe, tossed the lunch hook off the stern to keep us from swinging during the night.
Maple Bend anchorage - the channel is on the
other side of the trees
It was a nice anchorage and it would have been great if we could have poked around in the dinghy to check out the depths. There was a nice dock a bit beyond us and it might be possible to navigate the whole loop. However it was already approaching 8 PM and the dinghy was rolled up on deck so instead we had a beer before dinner and watched the birds.
Approach Dresden Narrows on a grey, cloudy morning
The plan was to arrive at LCYC Monday evening provided the wind and waves stayed down. There were showers in the morning and again in the afternoon. It was lumpy enough on the lake that Leonard briefly considered stopping in Converse Bay, but headed back out into the lake when the wind died back some. The boat has a much sharper roll with the mast on deck and the quartering waves. There's enough food for several days, but I suspect the old horse has his head turned toward the barn.
The forecast for the foreseeable future calls for rain and showers with more wind some days than others, but not a word about sun. Ah, Vermont.
Final notes -
Getting close to home - the clouds are touching the hill tops
We were welcomed to LCYC by a steward who took a line. That was a pleasant surprise since we didn't expect them to be on duty weekdays until after Memorial Day.
While we were pulling things together to go home, Pierre, the club diver, stopped by to welcome us home too. He'd been out working on the mooring field and had seen us round the point. When we told him we wanted the prop checked due to the vibration we've had since entering New York Harbor he grabbed his mask and handed Leonard a bag with a camera that lets you see under water. We'd picked up a piece of plastic that had wrapped around the shaft. Although the prop shredded most of it up, what had wrapped was enough to cause the vibration. He also gave the hull a quick scan so Leonard could see it on the screen. He told us it was a welcome home gift and if there was still a problem with the prop he'd pop it off and save us a haulout. It was a great gift and seems to have solved our problem.
A phone call to Melaina and Mike not only got us a ride home, but also a dinner out. Another treat, since the last thing I wanted to do was fix a meal after a long day.
We'd called the shipyard to let them know we were headed home when we were on the Hudson and were told they'd try to fit us into their schedule (this has to be one of their busist in the spring). We spent a day cleaning the stainless steel parts on the mast and the bimini. That's one of the chores much easier done before it's stepped. The next morning we got a call to bring the boat down, and the mast was stepped. We got the electronics hooked up again and the sails on inspite of some sprinkles and wind. There is still work to be done, lots of stainless to be cleaned along with getting everything back in ship shape. All we need is some sunshine and warmer temperatures.
Lynnea Rosner
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