I’m writing to you on July 12th, my 78th birdthday…I’m here in Rock Hall, with Guinness and Lynn, on the boat…it’s good to be alive.

We had a very pleasant visit today with John and Robin, two friends of ours from the Yacht Club. They are experienced sailors and have taken their boat to the Bahamas, so we welcomed the opportunity to get to know them better and to listen to their stories and advice.

Tomorrow we leave the Chesapeake and start our trip north. Well, first we go north, to the top of the Chesapeake, then through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, then south down the Delaware Bay to Cape May. (You have to go south and clear Cape May before you can turn north up the New Jersey coast.)

Storms came through this evening here in Rock Hall, which was great, because the next week looks perfect in terms of aid and sea conditions. Tonight we enjoyed one of the most spectacular sunsets I’ve ever seen.

Early to bed and early to rise…Lynn is already dozing on the couch across from me. I’m sure we’ll be up at 5:00, buzzing with anticipation. Then we’ll have some coffee and a Kind Bar, walk the dog, disconnect the shore power and the docklines, and we’re off!

According to my logs from my earlier trips, the trip to Cape May is 6-1/2 hours, so if we leave at 7:00, we’ll be tied up around 1:30.

Once again, we’re heading for Nantucket! I can’t wait to get started!

Talk to y’all tomorrow!

The Chesapeake Bay is a wonderful home base. Almost 200 miles long, it is the largest estuary on the East Coast of the US. Encompassing roughly 6,000 miles of crenelated coastline, it offers the boater countless rivers, creeks, and gunk holes for weekend destinations.

But in the summer, it is HOT and HUMID! To the extent that it is not really pleasant to go down to the boat. Even with air conditioning!

So my solution is to leave! Last summer Guinness and I took the boat to Maine. A wonderful trip: we left mid-July and returned mid-August. It was still too hot when we returned, however, so this year we’ll leave for 6 weeks. We’re leaving on July 13th – the day after my 78th birthday. I am so grateful that I am still in shape to do this!

This year, we have a double-itinerary. First… our new crew mate, Lynn, told us that she’s never been to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. (see About Lynn on our Home Page) So that’s an imperative. Those islands are iconic. So it’s up to NYC and then head east through Long Island Sound to Nantucket and then Martha’s Vineyard.

Then… as we come back west to NYC, we’ll head all the way up the Hudson River – as far as it is navigable – and then through the New York State Canal System to Lake Champlain. Everyone tells us that it is one of the prettiest cruising grounds they’ve ever seen. Lake Champlain is bordered by NY State and Vermont, so we’ll be as far north as we were when we were in Maine.

I’ll post again as we get closer to departure. Don’t forget to Follow Us on the Contact Us page, so you won’t miss any of our posts!