A rocky, rolly transit to the Cape

This picture of Trent sums up the first half of our transit from Newport to Woods Hole. As we left Narragansett Bay we were met with six-foot swells out of the south and they were rolling us pretty good on the beam/quarter. This kiddo didn’t get out of bed and when he did, he was green! Some fresh air, a seat at the helm, and a little food finally got him feeling better, and soon the Elizabeth Islands were blocking the seas. But then the fog moved in! Once again we were socked in with less than 1/4 nm visibility and the radar, nav lights, and fog horn were turned on. It was like this almost the entire way up the bay to Woods Hole.

With winds forecast to stay out of the south overnight we headed for what is called the “Penzance Bay” anchorage in Active Captain, but is known as Stony Beach to the locals. While there ended up not being anywhere to beach the dinghy and go ashore, it was nice to see the familiar beach and relax and plan the next move for visiting Woods Hole. As the water was reading at a balmy 78F, I also jumped in wipe down the boat’s waterline and take a little swim. It’s great to be back!

A pandemic, a tropical storm, and a walk down memory lane—Newport

As Navy veterans, and specifically as former Surface Warfare Officers, we are no strangers to the delights of Newport, RI! But this visit offered a few new twists—visiting via water, during a pandemic, and in the path of a tropical storm. Tropical Storm Fay just pushed us to extend our stay on our mooring and smartly plan shore excursions. The pandemic? Other than closing the Navy marina to transients and closing the showers at the town wharf, it had very little impact on our stay. Masks were required in town—an easy rule to comply with—and stores and trails asked folks to maintain physical distancing.

We used this stop to do laundry, grab some provisions, top off water, explore a bit, and watch movies when the weather was crummy. It was awesome! We are rested and ready to move on!

Getting the latest on TS Fay at the mariner’s center.

Haven’t seen $5/wash since Bahamas! 

Obligatory stop for lobster rolls.

The have this great little float just for water fills!

We walked all the way around Fort Adams.

Cleaning and marking the chain for deeper anchorages!

Weather to leave or not? (A.K.A. A tale of two transit days)

In hindsight, the heat made us do it! We were so ready to be free of the 90F heat wave and get to new places! We debated, straight to Rhode Island, or via NYC and Long Island Sound? Both would work, both were interesting, but in the end, straight to Newport on a 2-night run was better. There were some afternoon thunderstorms in the forecast along the NJ coast for the first day, but figured they would lessen a bit out at sea and we could use some maneuvering to avoid the worst of it. We departed Cape Henlopen for the open sea around 0830. How did that work out for us? Not well. Not well at all.

Five hours into our journey we started to see the storms popping on radar. They were well to the north of us and isolated. As Frank’s 1600-2000 watch approached, a weak front dropping in from the north brought another ingredient to those isolated cells and we were staring at an intense blob. Run to Ocean City, NJ? We would be coming in the channel as the storms reached there. Head south towards Cape May? Another batch of storms was brewing there. Stay out to sea, maybe even a little further out in hopes that some of the energy would dissipate by the time it got to us? We would be so alone and vulnerable. As you may have guessed by now, we stayed out at sea. Frank took his watch, the kids went to their rooms, and I stayed below in full fowlies and my life jacket and harness, ready to spring into action. He took down the sails and motored, trying to keep us steady in the gusts that approached 40 knots. Lightning was all around us for about 3 hours and he got drenched. Around 1900 things calmed enough for me to take him some food on deck. We had some stuff down below that wasn’t secured well enough, but we came through without taking a lightning hit or any damage—what a relief!

The radar picture we were facing and the edge of “the blob.”

By the time I came on watch at 2000 the winds had subsided. I killed the engine, unfurled the genoa, and sailed away on a broad reach while keeping an eye on the veins of lightning astern of us. We were exhausted, but safe. In a total contrast to the first day, the second day was sunny with delightful sailing and tons of visits from playful Atlantic white sided dolphins! I even saw a Minke whale on my morning watch! The only down side? So. Many. BALLOONS! Broke my heart to see so many of them out there. Don’t do a balloon release. Just don’t.

Beauty after the storm.

The kids came out for most of the day, too. The seas were a little rolly, but they were happily tethered into the cockpit with their books. 

How our kid crew handle passages.

We took a lot of beam seas through the night, but made it to Narragansett Bay with the favorable flood tide in the morning. Fog enveloped us as we approached land—we couldn’t even see a marker that was 0.2nm away! We turned on our navigation lights, fired up the radar, and started blasting our automated fog signal through the PA horn on our mast (I LOVE that feature!). And we made it! We grabbed a mooring and some much needed showers and rest. 

A foggy Newport welcome.

Weather decisions are the hardest part of this lifestyle, and that’s coming from someone who used to have to give weather info as part of her career! It is the aspect that brings the most anxiety, yet sometimes the greatest reward. For now, we will enjoy this safe port for a blow that’s coming in two days!

New territory! Delaware Bay

With the 4th of July holiday (and all the boating craziness it brings) on the horizon we left Annapolis in search of quiet anchorages in new places. Our final stops in the Bay, the Sassafrass and Bohemia Rivers, ended up being surprisingly nice anchorages with warm, fresh water, good holding, and not too much small boat traffic. That said, we did end up having to rescue a guy who had fallen off his jet ski in the Sassafrass! Booze, an improperly worn kill switch, and inexperience left this big guy worn out from holding on to a circling ski, but Frank took the dinghy and managed to turn the ski off so the guy could rest and get back on. Never a dull moment!

Northbound under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge!

Our first trip through the C&D Canal was planned to use the tide to our advantage and we had a very pleasure full trip through some quite pretty scenery. We dropped the hook for a few hours off of Reedy Island to wait for a favorable current down the bay, then went to the Cohansey River for the night. We ended up shifting our anchorage to further up river for a smoother night, but the current made for my least-favorite, least-restful conditions—wind versus current—for half the night. I may be ready to try a kellet to keep the chain and keel from interacting. Add in the horse flies and I can’t say I’m excited about going back!

Flying the big flag on the 4th through the C&D.

The picturesque C&D Canal

Our final night in Delaware Bay, after dodging a big thunderstorm, was spent anchored off of Lewes and Henlopen Point. The plan is to head out tomorrow and head north. I rank the Chesapeake Bay, with its many peaceful rivers and quaint coves, above the Delaware Bay with its silty water and swift rivers. It was ok, just not my favorite. Time to move on.

More work, some play in Annapolis

While we were still in Herring Bay we knocked out one more project—move the jerry can storage. We had cans port and starboard back aft by the cockpit. While it was convenient to have the fuel near where we would use it, I got sick of trying to wedge my foot between the cans and the cabin top and they didn’t make for the nicest view either. We also had too much weight back aft and on the port side. Moving the boards forward and putting most of the cans on the starboard side would help. While this was in no way a “must do” project, I’m thrilled with the result. While we now have boards forward on both sides, all of our cans fit on the starboard board so we are going to try them out there. It’s where we need the weight and it keeps them clear of the genoa.

So much tidier on deck now!

With a part for the engine on its way to Annapolis, we headed there, too! We picked up a mooring ball right off of Bert Jabin’s Yacht Yard for a few nights and enjoyed gawking at the yard operation, making a small dinghy repair, walking to marine and grocery stores, and paddle boarding on Back Creek. When the part came in, a quick dinghy ride saw it delivered and install of the new engine coolant lines began immediately. While wrapping up that project we were surprised with a visit from the crew of S/V Traveler whom we had met in George Town, Exuma! It was great to see them again and was yet another reminder of how small the ocean and cruising community can be.

Hot work, but the fuel line has been repaired!

I told them it was a STAND UP paddle board!

Mid-project. It went back together! (Whew!)

With all the work done we decided to shift to the main Annapolis mooring field for one last night so we could relax, walk around town, and get ice cream and Painkillers. Pro tip: you can get a half gallon of Painkillers to-go from Pusser’s for $40! It was a great way to officially wrap up this work period!