Hi everyone,
Ed, John and I left finally the mystic river marina on sat. November 3, which was my birthday.
We got off the dock in the dark and the seas were calm, as we traveled into Long Island sound it was a beautiful morning.
Ed quickly had to steer our boat out of the way of a six foot leatherback turtle swimming directing on top of the ocean and swimming toward our boat.
I was so psyched , it was huge and l thought that it was the best birthday gift Mother Earth could of sent to me.
As we traveled down the sound, the wind just kept getting worse and worse and really bad.
I mean gusts up to 55 miles an hour and the waves got crazy.
They were 11 ft to 12 ft and coming from all directions and just relentless.
White caps everywhere.
It was so testing on my nerves, even thou,
I always say, if your not living on the edge, your taking up too much space.
I was really living in the edge this day.
We were the only ones out in it other then a huge freighter on the port side of us.
Ed decided that we better work our way into port jeff, the winds and waves just kept building and building.
It really proved to me how well this boat handled all of the waves.
It was a very long approach to get in and we all worked really hard trying find the entrance to the inlet.
The white caps didn’t allow for us to see very well at all.
Ed spotted the ferry leaving Port Jeff heading out and we all kept out eyes on the entrance, as we looked for the single marker to go around before heading in.
It was testing our nerves.
Well we got in and it was blowing really hard, just not giving us a break.
Just kept building and building.
We hailed a marina and these two dock boys wanted us to go into a corner slip with another boat.
The wind was so crazy, I told them, it’s not going to happen, it’s way too windy,
We are docking in this slip.
They had no idea, what we just went through.
We were all grateful to have docked and were safe.
We arrived at 1:30 in the afternoon.
Ed said, he has never ever seen the sound this crazy in his life.
Four other guys tucked in here as well, they came from Greenport and they couldn’t believe the sound either. They left on Friday morning and it was relentless as well.
Had a fabulous birthday dinner in port Jeff and , yes I got to burn my wishes too.
Day 2, Sunday Nov. 4
Headed out at 7:00am, wow, it was a lot calmer and a lot less stressful today.
we were entering New York, east river, I told Ed , there are two boats coming up fast and furious on your port side with no radio contact, as I was yelling they better not blast by us this close.
They hailed us on the radio, Margareta , this is , Anthony’s way, I started cracking up , it was Rob Mannarino and his brother Todd on, Ryno. They are from our marina
Two brother, both heading to Stuart, fl.
They run faster then us so they cruised by us.
East river was beautiful, I love that ride, it still just takes my breathe away…
I asked Todd how was the jersey shores ?
he came back,
like a lake…
Awesome…
Well we got out in it and it was amazing and a blessing the jersey shore was like a lake and we ran hard all day.
I spotted a huge whale blow, it was so awesome.
We drove late into the pitch black night, you could see Atlantic City all lit up like a movie for hours. It was wild seeing it from the wide open ocean, a huge building with a movie screen running. Tons of colors, really cool.
Then as the night came on us the waves started to build.
We entered the cape May inlet at about 10:00 pm and the wind was relentless again, we had to anchor and it was really tough to grab, do to the wind and current.
Second time we grabbed, this was at 10:30 at night.
A single sailboat was behind us, no lights on his sailboat, really…
In the middle of the night, the anchor dragged and we had to reset it.
It was crazy, but we did it. Wind was still howling.
All around us were more boats, they must have tucked in as the night went on, do to the conditions.
We cruised 175 miles this day, do to , we knew this front was coming in, wind and rain, Ed was trying to get front of it.
Day 3 Monday
Woke up to a really dreary morning raining and foggy, again.
Like I always say, everything always looks better in the sun, like everything tastes better with bacon…
We all agreed let’s poke our head out into the Delaware river and see how it is.
As we were leaving Todd, came on the radio and said are you guys heading out, please let us know how it is out there.
Well it was another long and rough going , but Ed steered this boat like a race car,
He couldn’t use the auto pilot, do to the huge swells were pushing the boat 20 degrees each way.
Every boater we talked to on our journey, complained about the same problem with the auto pilot.
A lot of following seas, hard to steer.
Fog kept rolling in and out and rain,
huge ships and barges just kept passing by us.
Just like two ghosts passing in the night.
We got reservations at Schaffer’s for dockage and fuel.
When we docked two characters started telling us all of these crazy stories, they came from Manhattan, heading to the keys and how they were cruising all night in 11 foot seas, they witnessed a sailboat taking on water out in the jersey shores and had to help them out until the coastguard came. We called those two characters ,
The fast and furious.
All of us said, why did they have to share that negative story with us…and wow, what were they on…
Day. 3
We headed out at 8:55am, and , the fast and furious boys were still sleeping.
All of the boats at the dock were in route.
We were cracking up over the fast and furious boys are probably still sleeping…
As we headed down the C & D canal, we saw eagles perched on every telephone pole as well as the navigational beacon lights, it was so cool and so awesome.they were just hanging out on watch.
Another gloomy day of running, but we kept chugging along out into the Chesapeake bay.
Todd and his brother tucked into Annapolis we headed to Solomon island.
We got onto Solomon Yaughting center and the sky’s lightened and lit up with huge pink colors, and really warm.
I’ll take it pink skies at night, sailors delight.
Day, 5,
Today is our 31 wedding anniversary and yes, the Chesapeake Bay is glass and the sunrise was magical. Everyone is laughing at me, do to , they know I hate to wake up really early. I watched the fireball rise, love it.
We pulled off the dock at 6am this morning in pitch black, the stars were magical.
I radioed Todd, to let him know, get going, it’s a bonus out here, it’s like a lake, love it.
Sunny, warm and beautiful.
They are heading to Coinjock, Ed has to refuel and we don’t run as fast as those guys.
So just slow and steady.
My latest saying is,
Life Begins @ the end of your comfort zone…
This journey has tested my comfort zone.
But life is a journey and we all have to live it.
Keep us in your protection prayers.
Calm seas, and no more wind!
Love and besos,
Meg and Ed
