Monday July 18, 2022

The short version: it rained all day.

We played 2-handed Pinochle, read our books, and walked the dog between showers.

Here’s a photo of a wonderful plaque we came across on the walk along the river:

That says it all, doesn’t it? I don’t think I could find a better expression of MY attitude!

Saybrook Point is a charming hotel and marina in a very pretty spot at the mouth of the Connecticut River – I think it may be the longest river in New England, with its source near the Canadian border. They care a lot about history here, and the adjacent parks are filled with stories about the first fortifications, the early railroad, the ferry to Lyme, etc. Charming.

We had a yummy dinner in the restaurant, and then early to bed.

Tomorrow we are off to Newport!

Sunday, July 17, 2022

Today we traveled almost the entire coast of Connecticut – from Norwalk to Saybrook Point. As my faithful blog followers already know, this is one of my favorite marinas:

• First-rate restaurant
• Outdoor dining on flower-filled patios
• Yummy beverages
• Friendly well-trained staff
• A park in which to walk the dog
• A cute town to visit by bike

It was hot on the Sound this morning, so rather than anchor in Ziegler’s Cove tonight, we chose to get here a day early, and spend two nights in air-conditioned comfort.

Our visit with Emily was great fun. She and Chad and their three kids live in a seashore neighborhood that is retro in its openness and connectedness. Their house, which is undergoing extensive upgrades, overlooks the beach and the park. Dozens (literally dozens) of kids play under the bemused gaze of their parents, who are sitting on the rooftop deck entertaining guests. Friends walk by a call hello. Children eat at one-another’s homes. It’s a real neighborhood!

Here’s a shot we took of the house. It’s a little fuzzy because we snapped it from the boat. But you can see the new rooftop deck (with railing yet to be installed). Very exciting to eat and drink there!

The trip today was idyllic: smooth seas and blue skies. We put the boat on autopilot and read our books the whole way here. Nevertheless, it was good to see the Saybrook Point lighthouse loom into view.

Tomorrow we get to sleep late, then grab some bikes to explore the quaint town of Old Saybrook. It’s an 8-mile loop, so I hope Guinness can keep up!

TTFN

This post is 12 hours late because of Internet problems.

No matter how many times I sail into NY Harbor, I am always impressed by the sheer scale of it. Entering from the Atlantic Ocean, as we did, you pass beneath the iconic Verrazano Narrows Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the US: over 2-1/2 miles across, with supporting towers that reach 700′ into the air.

The harbor itself was busy, as ever, with tankers and freighter, barges and ferries, and even small recreational fishing boats.

Once inside the harbor, the Statue of Liberty greets you,

and then, once across the huge harbor, you are face-to-face with Manhattan. WOW! 

A right turn, and we headed up the East River with 3.5 knots of tidal current pushing us along. Stunning views of the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Smooth seas all the way. Safe and dry in Norwalk, CT by 1:30…a 6-1/2 trip.

Tonight we have supper with my niece Emily and her family. It is such a pleasure to stay in touch this way…

TTFN

River Breeze is the name of our family home on the Metedeconk River. The Metedeconk flows east and empties into the Barnegat Bay at its northern end – Bay Head.

My father bought the house from a relative when I was quite young – maybe 8 years old, and my family spent every summer there. My brother Tom now owns the house – he bought the rest of us out – and he and Mary Jo invite my sister Jane and me down every summer to celebrate a bunch of birthdays.

The Metedeconk is about a mile wide, and the breeze typically blows from the south. Since our house faces south, there is always a breeze. And if you’re a sailor, you can sail all the way up the river and back again on a beam reach. Sweet.

We arrived at River Breeze this year about 2:30 on Thursday…6-1/2 hours after leaving Cape May. We had a very pleasant run up the Jersey coast. The seas were fairly calm, with low slow swells from the southeast. Once we adjusted our speed to the swells, we had a very smooth ride at a very fast cruising speed.

About halfway through the trip, the marine radio broadcast a warning that violent unexpected (popup) thunderstorms were crossing our path. We checked our radar app, and it showed that the storms were right on top of our position! Fortunately, it seems that we outran the storms, because we got only a few scattered showers.

Despite the smooth trip, I was knackered by the time we arrived at Metedeconk. I had a quiet evening of cocktails and dinner on the beach with Lynn, Guinness, Tom and Mary Jo, my sister Jane, and her daughter Amanda.

Every evening, a pair of swans visits River Breeze, with 4 cygnets. We were sitting up on the bulkhead, about 3 feet above the river, and the swans were at the base of the bulkhead. Guinness jumped into the river to get a closer look, and the male swan made quite a defensive display: spreading his wings, rising to his full height, and hissing and snapping.

I was in bed by 10, and I am told I slept like a log.

Today we refueled the boat, did some wash, and ran some errands. Tonight there will be another amazing meal from Mary Jo, and then we are off tomorrow for Connecticut.

It will be our third day of 6-1/2 hour travel time. I’m glad we had one day off today to rest.

TTFN

Rod

Our trip could not have gotten off to a better start…calm seas, sunny skies, and we had a boost from the falling tide.

The trip up the Chesapeake was lovely. The trip through the C&D Canal was fun. And the trip down Delaware Bay was BORING (as usual). The final leg is the 2-mile-long Cape May Canal, which connects Delaware Bay to Cape May Harbor. We pulled into the marina right on time, and here we are, at the southern tip of New Jersey, ready to head north tomorrow. We’re staying at the South Jersey Marina, which is very nice. And I have a view of the famous Lobster House and their classic schooner America.

Tonight, we’re meeting Lynn’s friends Dana and Doug for dinner. They have a home and a boat here. They all worked together at Kidder.

Everyone at the marina loves Guinness, and several people remembered him from when we were here last year. He will come to dinner with us, of course. We’ll meet Dana and Doug on their boat, and then we’re planning to go to Mayer’s Tavern, which is dog-friendly. Yea!

Tomorrow, we’ll exit via the inlet on the eastern side of the harbor – into the Atlantic Ocean – and we’ll run north along the NJ coast to the Manasquan Inlet, and then through the canal to Barnegat Bay and Metedeconk. About a 5-hour trip, and the weather is supposed to be perfect!

************************

Before I sign off, I want to thank everyone who has commented on the blog, and I’m sorry I can’t respond to each one personally. Between lapsed cellphone coverage, poor Internet connectivity, and the duties of running the boat, it’s just not practical. (We ARE on vacation, after all!) But we LOVE reading them…it makes us feel connected to all of you as we travel.

With love,

Rod & Lynn & Guinness

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!

It was a great trip, and it’s wonderful to be back home. And we are ALL THE WAY HOME (back in Hershey’s Mill).

I’ll write more in a few days, and I want to go back and enhance some of the posts, but for now…Ahhhh.

This will be just a brief post tonight. I am intoxicated and tired. Maybe exhausted.

Had a great night with my dear friend Pat from Key West:

Pat is the woman who was so kind to me in Key West.The Queen of the Dog Park.

We talked about the old times and we had ourselves some beers (still crazy after all these years.

Listening to “Rock Me Mama” by the Urban Nashville Players.

Just wanted to let you know that all is well.

I’ll be happy to be home.

My family owns a house on the Metedeconk River, near the top of the Barnegat Bay. What a pleasure to be here during the heat wave!

We are right on the river, which is about a mile wide where we are.

It’s a great place to relax and watch the sailboat regattas, but BOY is it busy with throttle-happy power boats! We went to get diesel fuel, and it was a madhouse in the channels!

Anyway, tomorrow we leave early for Cape May.

The Windy app predicts a sloppy trip tomorrow and Monday, but we are heading homeward anyway!

Talk to y’all from Cape May.

XXOO Rod & Guinness