CT to NYC through NJ

Ship’s Log, September 27, 2009

From Saturday the 19th in CT through to Sunday the 27th in Cape May, NJ

Saturday the 19th we had a quiet evening well inside of Cold Spring Harbor and diner was on the boat. Sunday’s departure was determined by the tide. We had a glorious ride up the Long Island Sound and Down the East River. We got the tide correctly and flew down the river at 12 knots. Our usuall speed is about 8, so that is a 50% increase in speed. The boys found the best spot in the house on the bow and then we moved to the flybridge to view Lady Liberty in NY Harbor. Then it was up the Hudson River to anchor at the 79th Street Boat Basin. There were no moorings available and we are trying very hard to not pay the $$$$ for a slip. Since there were no moorings they said we could anchor and use their dingy dock and facilities for a smaller fee than mooring. Now anchoring in the Hudson is a mixed blessing. We had the most incredible views, the least expensive “hotel room” in the city, easy access to shore and a roaring current that made boat life a challenge. A Chinese Fire Drill ensued that night as our anchor did not re-bed with the tide change and we made a slow drift south. Fortunately something woke Jon up and we did a scramble to get back into place before becoming too well acquainted with the boat behind us that had been 300 yards away and was now about 5 yards away. The current and passing boats also make for quite a rock and roll situation and the speed of the water that night was such that it caused our anchor rode (now out @ 230 feet) to vibrate causing a pitch to emanate like a stringed instrument. In fact I was aware that the current was ebbing when the pitch subsided. Then I was able to get back to sleep.

Jon took us on quite the tour of the town over the next few days. Sunday evening we dined on the patio of an outdoor restaurant just across from Lincoln Center. Monday we started up at the campus of Columbia University where Jon had just taken several courses and worked our way down to Washington Square in the Village. We ended up dining in a place off Times Square. After dinner we had to pass back through Times Square again to get back to the subway. TS is now a pedestrian area and there we discovered that it was all set up with row upon row of chairs for a show on one of the giant screens above the square. On impulse we went in and sat down. It turned out to be opening night at the Met – Tosca. We figured out that we were between Acts 1 and 2 (of 3) and Act 2 started shortly. It was amazing. The huge screens, the unbelievable sound system drowning out the city sounds, the evening with perfect temperature and the whole ambiance was quite an experiene. The entire crowd exploded with Tosca after her wonderful aria. She was spectacular. It was just an amazing event with these people sitting out in Times Square enjoying life. Not waiting for the end we grabbed a cab to go back to the boat. That morning we had been able to move to a mooring so the next two nights were much less taxing. Tuesday we were feeling a bit worn out by our enthusiasm of the previous two days, but we still did much walking around and saw more, different areas of the city. It is an amazingly large place and also amazingly more friendly than the “old days”.

Wednesday we parted company with Jon and headed south under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge headed to Sandy Hook, NJ. There we met up with my brother James and his wife Gina and after giving them a boat tour had dinner ashore. Thursday it was back up and around the hook to Barnegat Bay Inlet. The tide had just changed against us but the wind was calm and with the modifications that have been made to the jetties it was an easy entrance. That green can all the way on the right is still disconcerting, though. Carefully picking our way among the reds and greens we got to the correct area for overnight anchoring. It was very hot when we arrived and Mark headed ashore to find bait. His catch was a teensy blowfish – seems they are not poisonous around here. Friday the wind was up considerably so going outside was not an option. We decided to go for the inside route. Looking at the chart we picked a place at Little Egg Harbor Inlet that looked like a decent place to anchor. We worked slowly and figured out the reds and greens – the buoy system - and then we were on the NJ ICW. It was interesting being on the inside. For the most part it became quite clear as to where one was supposed to be and it was extremely clear that if you left the channel it was basically 1 foot deep. However it also became clear that our choice of anchorage would be less than good. All that stuff that looked like land on the chart turned out to be fields of grass in the middle of the bay with absolutely no protection from the wind, which was why we were on the onside in the first place. Not only that, but for a short passage through the area of Little Egg Harbor Inlet we had the pants scared off us as we moved literally from green to green (no reds around) and the sounder was showing 2 feet. Some fast chart work showed that Atlantic City was only about 15 miles or two hours further. Even still that anchorage situation was iffy. We really were not interested in the Trump Marina. I kept plugging away at the internet and finally came up with some articles written by Gene and Katie Hamilton who write for several of the boating magazines talking about an anchorage called Rum Cove (not on the charts, but is noted as Rum Point) and is just across the inlet from Atlantic City. The entrance looks like you could skip over it from one side to the other. We could see other boats inside, so we turned in. Over the bar we went and I headed up to prep the anchor. Mark swung around the last area marked as shallow but alas it was not wide enough. I suddenly realized we were not moving. Bummer. 200 feet to go after a long day and cocktail time and we were in the mud. Thank goodness our Sea Tow is paid up. I called them and they were there in about 15 minutes. The very nice man tied to our port stern cleat, “prop washed” and pulled for about 15 minutes until with his twin 200’s blew away the mud under us and he was able to pull us free. Fortunately the only harm done was to our egos – especially since we had made it the whole way from Barnegat without touching. Well the old saying is…..

Saturday we took the dingy across the inlet to go check out Atlantic City. As there was no dingy dock we improvised and just hoped that it would be there when we got back (it was). Atlantic City remains a study of contrasts. This was not the best section of town. After several blocks we got up to Boardwalk and checked out the scene. We did wander into the Taj Mahal Casino just to see it – even had lunch there. What a completely different world and mentality. I had intended to drop a roll of quarters, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it. No one armed bandits – all push buttons.

The weather was still high winds and now the rains were coming. It poured all night but Mark finally convinced me to head out and do the next stretch to Cape May again on the inside. We still bumped bottom on that spot even though we went even wider. This next section of the NJ ICW included many more bridges and we figured out that the bridge tenders were not returning our calls because there is an issue with the radio. Always something – oh, yes and a piece broke off the windlass (the unit that pulls up the anchor and 75 feet of chain) this morning. The section today has also terrified us several times with the depth or lack of it (2 feet?!?). The marshes however are stunning. The grasses go for miles and it has been fun to watch all the bird life. Wherever there is actual land the homes are cheek to jowl, every single one with boat docks. A few more closer-than-comfort calls with the bottom and we finally pulled into “Sunset Lake” in Wildwood, just north of Cape May – one of the few areas that has more than 6 feet of water and is out of the mainstream. However, all is well. The anchor is placed there is a light breeze and the sun is coming back out.