Bahamas or Bust

Two days ago we successfully completed our 155 mile trip down the Hudson River and re-entered salt water. Indiscipline is in the Atlantic Ocean! We have covered 1400 miles in 2 1/2 months since leaving Port Washington, WI, and we are a darn long way from our starting point in San Diego. Tomorrow, we are headed for New Jersey and the beginning of the Jersey ICW, a planned 35 mile trip with about a 25 mile "offshore" passage in the Atlantic (only a mile or two out).

Nothing has broken except our antenna masts due to hitting low bridges (easily fixed and now 10 feet shorter) and a cooling hose on the starboard engine. Our Cat 3208 engine's continue to start every time and pound away throughout the day without missing a beat. I will have to adjust the starboard stuffing box soon and it will be time to do an oil change in the next few weeks. Fuel filters were just changed. Even with high fuel prices (way over $2/gallon in Canada) and high marina fees we are still on our $100/day budget - mainly because the Erie Canal was so inexpensive (many cities provide free docking and even some with free power).

We didn't consider the trip down to Hudson to be a whole lot of fun, but it was interesting. We had a lot of sailboat friends from the canal and it continued to be great to see them in the evenings. We had several days of rain and for the first time kept on going through it. The river is deep and an easy ride. One of the most amazing things is that tidal currents reach all the way up river to Lock 0, the Troy Federal Lock. At times we were floating downstream at 10 mph with the engines just over idle, only to watch the speed on the GPS dwindle throughout the day to 9, then 8, then 7 and finally in the 6's as the tidal current turned and I increased the revs. We easily managed 40 miles per day, and pushed on for NYC with a couple of days in the 50 to 60 mile range. The river was often rough, with lots of barge traffic, and it was difficult for the kids to do school work while underway, as we were used to on the canal. Westpoint was much larger than we ever expected, but we couldn't stop because there was a cruise ship there and a Navy Frigate on the way and the dockmaster wouldn't allow us to tie up. I didn't want to anchor in the unprotected river as I was warned against it by a couple of New Yorkers we met up river. Also interesting, we have met up with two other Californian boats, much loved by their owners.

We spent two days touring the city, here at the Liberty Landing Marina we are directly behind the Statue of Liberty and across the Hudson from the World Trade Center. The marina has a ferry across the Hudson for $5 per person (one way) but the kids are free. We tried the subway and made it to the museums one day and to walk around Times Square the other. Today we had planned to go on south but we are held up by bad weather. So we have spent a totally slow and relaxing day watching the Olympics and reading and walking in the park. It is surprising how good it feels to take a day off.

We are very low on food because there is no place to shop here. We managed to pick up a few, expensive, items in NYC but to go shopping in Jersey City we have to ride our bikes through some very poor neighborhoods and turned around because we felt very uncomfortable.

Some people have asked about the price of fuel and here in New York we are paying around $1.85 per gallon for marine diesel, however, Indiscipline is getting about 2 miles per gallon at these slow speeds so we are making up somewhat for the cost. NYC marinas are all around $2/foot so this is the most expensive place we have stayed and the marina has virtually no services. This was a mailstop for us and it was great to get news and letters and photos from home.

We have now crossed 1650 miles in 3 months and have retired our fourth chartbook and cruising guides. After spending 3 days in New York City (2 touring and one resting), we were tired of the big city life and ready to move on. However, there was a bad weather forecast so we decided to only cross lower New York Bay for Sandy Hook and the Atlantic Highlands Marina. We arrived to find our slip, and lots of help getting tied up from the locals because there was no slip, only a place between pilings, and about a 9 foot tidal range (we arrived right at low tide). The folks next to us were wonderful, they spent most of the day helping us and also drove us to the store. Good for us, we had a finger pier along one side but everyone else had to climb over their stern to the fixed dock. That is quite a climb at low tide when the fixed pier is about 7 feet above water. 3 of our sailboat friends from the Erie canal were there, including our special friends on Moxsun (who arrived the day after the storm).

By afternoon, the big storm had arrived, the first Nor'easter of the season. It was a whopper. That day started out sunny and nice and we had a good trip from New York but light rain arrived in the early afternoon and strong winds from the North East in the evening. We had doubled all of our windward lines and were very worried about being blown into the downwind boat (those nice folks who helped us). At low tide the lines are tight and the boat is hanging straight down but at high tide you have to tighten the lines to keep close to the dock. However, a 35 knot wind and 3 foot waves were arriving at high tide so there was no way we could move the boat by hand. This was also about midnight and the storm surge was so high the finger pier was under water. We were tossing and rolling and pitching worse than if we were at sea. Breaking waves were hitting the boat! All the docklines were tight as steel and we could not pull the boat over. It was impossible to get off the boat. I spent most of the night sitting in the salon keeping an eye on things. All the crew dreamed of being at sea in a storm.

By dawn the wind had backed to the North and we were no longer subject to the merciless fetch of wind and wave across the harbor. Still, at high tide waves came rolling right over the breakwater. The tide was down and we could see. We were able to adjust the lines and eat a normal breakfast. One of the lines had worn a large hole in the wooden dock and also in our fender board. That was the only damage. Now we got the rain everyone had promised. By afternoon the storm was gone and it was sunny and cool. It was Karen’s birthday so we climbed out and went out to dinner in town. The next day I went a long bike ride and everyone else had a great day. Atlantic Highlands is a lovely town and we really enjoyed it.

So on to the New Jersey ICW. We took the 25 mile outside run to Manasquan Inlet. The ride was fun. The inlet was frightening, a 3 knot tide was ripping out while we were going in and it made it rough. It was also packed with fishing boats, and a couple of big express boats came tearing out at full throttle. But we made it in. Skipper Bob's guide says to stay at "The Shrimp Box" restaurant free dock so we found it and tied up. We were there around noon, the only boat. There is room for 3 boats at the dock. By evening there were 11 boats (10 sailboats and us, no children, all going to the Bahamas). There were 2 sailboats rafted to us. It was fun, like a big party, and we got to know all the crews of all the boats, plus some of the locals who came down to talk. It is a working fishing harbor and crowded with big offshore steel fishing boats. The town of Point Pleasant was great, and we played at the beach all afternoon.

Small town docks versus big marinas. At the small docks we meet every one on every boat and share a lot of stories and have fun together, power and sail. At the big marinas we don't usually meet anyone.

In the evening we had to run the generator. After starting right up, suddenly it stopped. I couldn't find anything wrong and visions of a big repair bill were haunting us. There is some kind of a fuse in a wire connecting the ignition switch to the solenoid and this had burned. The connection on the solenoid was loose. Once we found this she started and ran as great as always. But it is a sign and little things are starting to break more often after 3 months of daily use.

Next morning we took the Point Pleasant Canal and that was an experience. The tidal current was against us and running at least 3 to 4 knots. It created steep, fixed waves in the narrow channel. It reminded me of trying to boat in a California arroyo during a flash flood! That, plus the 100 fishing boats in our way made for an exciting morning. But don't get the wrong idea - the New Jersey ICW is beautiful. Great tidal bays connected by dredged rivers or canals. Miles and miles of wilderness, then a city with lots of homes, docks, eating places, bars, and marinas along the channel. We had a week of great weather so we moved 30 to 40 miles each day. That is a long run in these waters, with many miles of no wake zones, drawbridges, and small craft that would be swamped by our wake. I have liked this area the most of anyplace we have seen since the North Channel and Lake Michigan. Add to that a short walk over the barrier dunes to miles of clean sandy beaches covered with shells and you get the idea.

Yesterday we left Little Egg Harbor and had to cross the inlet. The seas outside were very rough, 4 to 6 feet. Waves were breaking right into the inlet and we got hit on the beam by a very steep 6 footer that was about to break on us. Indiscipline popped right over. That was our only excitement of the day, the rest of the time we were enjoying the trip. I don't know if it was the big wave or not, but when we arrived the glass top of our electric stove was shattered even though the cover was closed. We are going to have to use the alcohol stove until we can somehow get new tempered glass.

Cape May is full of beautiful Victorian homes but everything seems to be a long way from the Marina. We are going exploring today after school and plan to head down the Delaware Bay tomorrow morning bound for the Chesapeake. We are still going to Washington DC and plan to spend the next 4 to 6 weeks in the Chesapeake.