Home

We are at our home in Wallingford. It's been almost two weeks. We are making it as sellable as we can (again). A lot of work.

We are also trying to get used to the weather up here again. IT'S AWFUL!!!!! Rain. Rain. Rain. Our backyard is full of water and we actually had a roof leak (minor and fixed). We also have to get our Pearson ready to go in the water and to Mystic. The rain isn't helping.

Let's wrap up the end of our trip north...

We went from the C & D Canal down to Cape May, NJ. It wasn't a bad day even though we left an hour before sunrise. Reasonably calm but we had the main up and had a little help from the wind for a little while. We took a short cut right along the coast of Cape May inshore of the reefs. Even trickier than the stunt we pulled when we were southbound but this time the weather and seas were not too bad. We shouldn't make a habit of this but the time saved is so tempting. Still a long day 0500 to 1600.

After a night at Cape May and getting fuel we went to Atlantic City. Calm weather with storms predicted in a few days. We decided to just stay for lunch and dinner (six hours) and get underway again about 1800.

Seas were calm as we motored along the coast of New Jersey through the night. After a couple of rain drops the sky cleared about 0200 and the stars came out to play. Beautiful! Big 'W' out to remind us of Wallingford and our friends in the Waterbury Power Squadron. Cassiopeia (the big 'W' in the sky) is on the burgee (flag) of our Squadron.

In the morning we approached New York City and went through the Narrows-Verranzano Bridge. A lot of big ship traffic this time but since we were northbound we could get way to the side and stay outside the channel and still be in safe water. The bouyage system also seemed to make more sense or was more readable to us in this direction. The City was beautiful in the blue skies but we arrived later than we hoped and we missed getting the chance to wave to Heather as we went by the Brooklyn and Williamsburg Bridge area. 0 for 2 in these attempts. Since we were late we went through Hell Gate after slack water but had the current with us as planned. A little rough because of the opposing wind but not as bad as it could be. We ended up in Port Washington on Long Island. Back in Long Island Sound! Our home waters once again. We picked up the free mooring we used back the previous September. Full circle.

On Tuesday we headed to Mattituck. We had a great sail most of the way. The wind was NE at 15+kts and we just barely had a sailing angle but it went well. It's just so damn cold. Freezing. Carol has a ton of layers on. At home people are in tee-shirts but we are in a good breeze blowing over 50 degree water. Last week on the Chesapeake we had the same conditions but the water temp was 65 not 50. Big difference in comfort on the water.

Wednesday we motored home to Mystic right into the wind. Seas were not big but it was just miserable. Into the gray. Into the cold wind. 30nm seemed way longer than some of our 60+sm days recently. Statute (sm) miles are quite shorter than Nautical (nm) miles but our last day made nm seem even longer.

But we made it of course. Borrowed a mooring in the Mystic River as we waited for the tide to get higher at our marina and then went and anchored near our mooring. It was occupied by a poacher. Now who would do THAT?

Home again as I said at the beginning. Lots of work to do on the house and the Pearson and little time this summer for cruising. We'll get a little boating in as we prepare to do this all over again in the fall.

CAN'T WAIT.

C& D Canal

We are at Chesapeake City on the C & D Canal. Paying for a marina again.

I hate paying for marinas.

We're paying because the FREE dock is being taken up by people who do not tie up close enough to the next boat. Too special, I guess. Also the anchoring area is filled with people who anchor too close to each other for my comfort.

We spent two nights in the Solomans because of stormy weather and very strong winds. We headed for Annapolis on the next day. Windy, just not quite as windy. It was a beat into two foot seas. We banged around quite a bit. Scared the heck out of the cat. But we did get a three hour sail in. Three out of an eight hour day. Can't remember the last time we were underway and had the engines off like that.

Tomorrow it's an early start to head down Delaware Bay to Cape May, NJ. Likely to be a very slow day against the current. Hope it's not against the wind and sea also. Everyone hates this passage. When we were northbound it was pretty nasty.

If the weather holds we should be home next week. If.