From the Carolinas to Connecticut

Making it to New England warrants a new blog entry! This post recaps the past five weeks of sailing the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, Jersey Shore, East River, and Long Island Sound.

On the morning of May 20, we exited the Beaufort Inlet near Morehead City, NC. It was a last minute call, forecast dependent, to run offshore instead of crawling up the final stretch of ICW to the Chesapeake Bay. Calm conditions permitted us to round Cape Hatteras, which is notoriously dangerous in choppy seas, that evening without incident. We spent the next morning crippled by seasickness as we bashed directly into the wind. Luckily, our angle to the wind improved before nightfall. Other than a few close crossings with massive commercial vessels near Norfolk, the second night underway was uneventful. Before sunrise on May 22, we entered the Chesapeake Bay between Cape Henry and Cape Charles in VA. We were tempted to drop anchor and rest, but pressed on a third night. At 8AM on May 23, we passed through the Spa Creek Drawbridge and tied up to a mooring ball between downtown Annapolis and Eastport. Painfully exhausted after 72 hours underway, we immediately passed out. A couple of hours later, we were startled awake when the Blue Angels roared overhead. We reached Annapolis just in time for two days of aerobatic demonstrations leading up to the Naval Academy Graduation Flyover. Mike’s dad picked us up on his 21’ Boston Whaler the following afternoon and took us out to the Severn River to watch the main event. 

The Blue Angels zip by Traveller's mast

We spent several days in Annapolis seeing friends and family and preparing to sail north. Mike and I retrieved our cars and parked them in Eastport, which has free dinghy docks and open street parking, so we could get around easily. Before departing Annapolis, we stocked up on provisions, topped off our two propane tanks (for cooking), and grabbed our cruising guides of the Mid-Atlantic and New England from my dad's storage unit.

A ship in the C&D Canal heads towards the Chesapeake City Bridge

On June 2, we traveled 27 nautical miles NNE through the Chesapeake Bay. It was peak cownose ray mating season, and we saw a few dart by. We anchored in Worton Creek on the MD Eastern Shore for the night, and left at 7AM the next morning. We headed NE to the Elk River, and entered the C&D Canal with the flooding tide. At 11AM, we stopped half-way through the 14-mile long canal in Chesapeake City and parked Traveller at the free town dock. We spent the afternoon walking around the quaint town and absorbing information at the C&D Canal Museum. The canal opened in 1829 and was purchased by the federal government in 1919. By connecting the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay, it reduced the water route between Baltimore and Philadelphia by 300 miles. Before the canal was converted to a sea level operation in 1927, it utilized a system of locks that raised water levels with steam powered waterwheels. The C&D Canal Museum is located at a pump house that was in service from 1851 to 1927, and showcases a waterwheel and two 150 HP steam engines that lifted 170 tons of water per minute. As we exited the museum, we saw a large vessel narrowly clear the 140’ Chesapeake City Bridge. The pilot who had guided the vessel from the entrance of the Delaware Bay climbed down a ladder and hopped into a pilot boat riding alongside. After he peeled off, another pilot arrived to guide the vessel through the Chesapeake Bay.

Hope Creek Generating Station in Alloways Creek, NJ

We pushed off the Chesapeake City town dock at 7:30AM on June 3 and transited the remainder of the C&D Canal to the Delaware River. As we proceeded SE towards the Delaware Bay, we grimaced at industrial buildings lining the DE coastline to starboard and NJ coastline to port. It was a bit unnerving to get so close to the nuclear power plant in Alloways Creek, NJ. We comfortably motor-sailed in light and variable wind for our first few hours in the Delaware Bay. Conditions suddenly worsened when southerly winds steadied and built. The opposing wind slowed us down, causing us to arrive at Cape May (the southernmost point of NJ) closer to high tide than expected. We hoped to take the Cape May Canal to the harbor and anchor there. Traveller’s mast is 54’ tall, and two fixed bridges reaching 55’ above the medium high waterline span the canal. Since the tidal range was at its maximum due to the full moon, we played it safe and anchored outside the canal. We were tossed around by waves and wake for most of the night (a ferry that runs between Cape May and Lewes, DE passes through here fast). At sunrise, we made the 4-mile trek through the canal and anchored next to the USCG Training Center in Cape May Harbor. After parking the dinghy at the Corinthian Yacht Club, we set out on a leisurely stroll around the country’s oldest seaside resort town. We had fun window shopping at charming boutiques and novelty shops in the open air Washington Street Mall and admiring Victorian homes near the beach. Our visit to Cape May coincided with horseshoe crab mating season, and we found several crawling on the beach and swimming in Cape May Harbor. 

The Steel Pier in Atlantic City

On June 6, we traveled 39 nautical miles NE along the Jersey Shore to Atlantic City (AC). We sailed most of the way on a broad-reach in 10-15 knot wind. After we cleared the Absecon Inlet, the wind mounted and lightning struck in the distance. We quickly lowered the sails, squeezed through the narrow entrance to Rum Point Basin in Brigantine, and anchored moments before a thunderstorm with 50 knot gusts hit. The next day, we went on a quick dinghy ride to AC and parked at the Golden Nugget (f/k/a Trump Marina). Towering casinos and hotels had vanished into a cloud of wildfire smoke blown down from Canada. Since outdoor air quality was deemed hazardous by the EPA and local health authorities (the AQI surpassed 300 that day), we did not feel too guilty about sucking in second hand cigarette smoke while playing video poker at the Borgata. We cut our gambling losses at $30 and took the jitney (minibus) from the Borgata to the boardwalk. I wish I’d taken a Dramamine before boarding the jitney, as it was a fast and bumpy ride. Our driver left the door open the whole time, presumably to save a few seconds at each stop. After the harrowing jitney ride, we unwound with a pleasant walk down the country’s oldest boardwalk (the first section opened in 1870). As a fan of the series Boardwalk Empire, I was excited to see landmarks dating back to AC’s heyday. One such site was the Steel Pier amusement park, which opened in 1898 and hosted the first Miss America crowning ceremony in 1921. It was a bit upsetting to see signs of economic decline in the once lavish city dubbed “The World’s Playground” during the Prohibition Era. Casinos and hotels were vacant, most shops and restaurants were closed, residential areas looked abandoned and largely neglected, docks were falling apart, and nobody was working at the Golden Nugget marina. The only self-service fuel dock we’ve ever seen was at the Golden Nugget (I assume due to low staffing), which seemed ironic as it is located in one of the two states that prohibit self-service gas stations.

Barnegat Light, Long Beach Island, NJ

We left AC on June 9, after most of the wildfire smoke had cleared and visibility had improved. We sailed 33 nautical miles NE and anchored just inside of the Barnegat Inlet at the northern tip of Long Beach Island. While we ate dinner in the cockpit that evening, we watched local firefighters run water rescue drills on jet skis. On the morning of June 10, we proceeded 52 nautical miles north to Atlantic Highlands and anchored in Sandy Hook Bay. Atlantic Highlands is a small Victorian town on the northern Jersey Shore that boasts distant views of Manhattan and the highest point on the eastern seaboard south of Maine (at 266’ above sea level).

Manhattan Bridge

On June 10, we filled the diesel tank at the Atlantic Highlands Marina and sailed into Lower New York Bay. Then we crossed under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge (which connects Staten Island and Brooklyn), entered Upper New York Bay, and waved to Lady Liberty. As we approached the southern tip of Manhattan Island, we veered east into the East River (the Hudson River runs on the west side). The East River is not technically a river, rather it is a tidal strait that connects Upper New York Bay and the Long Island Sound. Being a tidal strait, it produces strong current that we carefully planned around. On the stretch of East River that separates Manhattan from Brooklyn, we crossed under three bridges that connect these boroughs (the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and Williamsburg Bridge). Then we crossed under the Queensboro Bridge (which connects Manhattan and Queens) as we moved up the west side of Roosevelt Island. As we neared Randalls Island, we veered east to stay in the East River (the Harlem River runs on the west side). Then we made it through Hell Gate, a part of the East River where the current often exceeds 5 knots, unscathed. As we passed Rikers Island, the home of New York's largest correctional institution, planes descending towards LaGuardia Airport swooshed by Traveller’s mast. A few minutes later, we spotted the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center, an 800 bed jail barge anchored near Hunts Point in the southern Bronx. After clearing the Throgs Neck Bridge (which connects the Bronx and Queens), we entered the Long Island Sound. We covered a few more miles before tucking into Manhasset Bay and anchoring in Port Washington, Long Island. 

Statue of Liberty

Standing on Liberty Island with Manhattan behind us

We spent a few days in Port Washington, which lived up to its cruiser-friendly reputation. It has two conveniently located public docks where we could park the dinghy for free. One of the docks was within three blocks of a laundromat and grocery store. The other was within easy walking distance of a state of the art library, Mediterranean cafe with killer baklava, and Long Island Railroad station. We took a train from Port Washington into the city, and then a ferry to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. After snapping close-ups of Lady Liberty and visiting public museums on both islands, we went on a tour of the Ellis Island immigrant hospital that was in service from 1902 until 1951. We were surprised to learn about innovative medical technologies and meticulous sanitation methods employed here. The overall mortality rate for patients treated at the Ellis Island immigrant hospital was only about 1.6%. That seems incredible considering the fact that people from all over the world with infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, measles, scarlet fever, and the Spanish flu were treated here.

Clam diggers in the Long Island Sound near Port Washington

Mike with the bluefish he caught in Northport Bay

On June 16, we headed east to Northport, Long Island. We observed several mariners digging/raking clams during the 24 nautical mile run. As soon as we set anchor at Bluff Point in Northport Bay, Mike pulled out his phone and obtained a free saltwater fishing registration for NY and CT. He caught a massive bluefish about 30 minutes later. The bluefish was quite tasty after we soaked it in milk to neutralize any fishy taste, coated it in Cajun seasoning, and fried it in olive oil. The next day, we got a mooring ball at Seymour’s Boatyard in Port Jefferson Harbor. There is no public dinghy dock in Northport, but a free launch service is available to mooring guests. We took the launch downtown to check out a waterfront Pride Festival and buy fancy cookies at a local bakery. My cousin, John, and his fiance, Jess, live in Northport. They hung out with us aboard Traveller one night. My Aunt Jackie and Uncle John live in the neighboring town of Huntington. They also came to see Traveller before treating us to a delicious dinner overlooking the Huntington Sound at the Head of the Bay Club.

Scenic dinner with some of the Shea's in Huntington, NY

On June 20, we motor-sailed 24 nautical miles east and anchored in Port Jefferson Harbor. The next day, we headed north across the Long Island Sound to New Haven, CT. It was a pleasant 27 nautical mile sail on a beam-reach in moderate easterly winds. We anchored in Morris Cove for a couple of nights while we waited out strong easterly winds that prevented us from progressing towards the Block Island Sound. The New Haven Yacht Club launch operator was kind enough to give us a ride to and from shore, where we caught a bus heading downtown. Yale University, which was founded in 1701, is New Haven's biggest taxpayer and employer. The sprawling urban campus featuring several impressive examples of High Victorian Gothic architecture was a sight to behold. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that the Yale University Art Gallery is free to the public, and enjoyed browsing its diverse collection.

Ancestral figures (Indonesia) & ceremonial mask (Nigeria) at the Yale Art Gallery

Easterly winds died down yesterday, enabling us to motor 21 nautical miles east along the Connecticut Shoreline to Duck Island in Westbrook. Along the way, we passed two birds anxiously flying around what appeared to be a bobbing head. Mike whipped the boat around and I inspected the scene with binoculars. Thankfully, it turned out to be the bobbing head of a lively seal and not a dead human.

Our first seal sighting on Traveller in the Long Island Sound

Today, we motor-sailed a quick 9 nautical miles east in light wind to Old Saybrook, which is where the Connecticut River meets the Long Island Sound. We claimed a free transient mooring ball in North Cove, right next to a public dinghy dock that is within a mile of a few historical sites and several shops. Our next destinations are Block Island and Newport, RI. We are eager to check out these popular sailing destinations reputed to have amazing mudslides. As an added bonus, my cousin Elizabeth lives in Newport. For now, we're off to explore Katharine Hepburn's hometown of Old Saybrook. We will be sure to share the details of our upcoming New England adventures with you on Sailing Traveller!