Jamestown, RI

Our time was up in Newport, so the following morning we slowly sailed around the north side of Conanicut Island and then made our way back down to Dutch Harbor. From our anchorage the town of Jamestown is a short, pleasant walk.


Rather expensive condos overlooking the harbor in Jamestown.


Rather beautiful lady overlooking the harbor in Jamestown.

We spent a couple of days walking through the beautiful neighborhoods. The town boasts a grocery store, Laundromat, hardware store and a good marine store.


Circle driveway with view of the bridge.


We hiked to a cove where we saw many fisherman/women and a good shot of our potential future home. There's something like a 100 year warranty on the roof.

One morning we woke up to find the S/V Sojourner anchored right behind us. We met Rick and Linda last fall while we were in St. Marys, Georgia. In a prior life, Rick was a police officer in Mesquite, Texas--where Lisa and I bought our first house.

Later that morning Rick and Linda introduced us to Paul and Claire who were also anchored nearby on their Island Packet 445. After their laundry was done, we joined them for lunch.


Lisa's arm, Claire, Rick, me, Paul and Linda. It was good to see Rick and Linda again, and to meet Paul and Claire for the first time.

Newport II

The Americas Cup 12 Meter Columbia docked close to our mooring.

After putting many miles on Lisa's Keens and my flip flops, we began our search for the town park that was to play host to the band "Forever Young".

Stone house on Bellevue Avenue.


After asking directions, we finally found the park and the concert for that night. Forever Young's gig is all about the anti establishment music of Neil Young (Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young). They are very good. There's no doubt the lead singer can carry a tune better than his hero.


Concert by the bay. Finally got to sit down.


After the concert was over, we got directions back to our boat from an American General with a French name.

Newport

As you might imagine, Newport is an active town. The summers are pleasant and the sidewalks are filled with both locals and non locals looking for new ways to spend their money.

Our first evening in town we chanced upon the Navy band "Rhode Island Sound" which was giving a free concert in one of the city parks. They were actually quite good.

This is a way cool swing--modeled by a way lovely lady. If our yard had grass on it we would own this swing by now--I should have checked the price before I said that.

The seat is carved out of a tree trunk and branches make up the rest of the parts. Daniel Boone would be proud.

This had us looking for the perfect tree to make our own swing from.

Our second day in town we walked to "the other side" and walked a large portion of the Cliff Walk trail. This trail meanders around the shoreline offering spectacular views of the Sakonnet River and Rhode Island Sound. Turn your head 180 degrees and you see some quite impressive homes.

I think this guy had a good job.
 

At this point we are getting nervous about what that bird ate for lunch.

We kept thinking of our jogging days, and how awesome it would have been to have a trail like this to jog on.

Note to editor: I am aware that this segment has 2 sentences that end with a preposition. If Americans can take the u out of colour and harbour, can we not change the preposition rule as well. It would fit my speech pattern better. Or we could do a tea party or something.

Sag Harbor, NY to Newport, RI

Sag Harbor is not difficult to maneuver in, but there are some hazards that demand the skipper's attention. We were witness to a 40 something foot sailboat that went aground on a submerged rockpile near the entrance to the mooring field. He picked a bad day to go aground because the winds were strong the entire day and evening. As the tide continued to fall he kept going more horizontal. High tide was in the wee hours of the following morning, and by the time we got up he was gone. I don't know how his boat survived the rocks with that wind, but I guess he made it out OK.


Lisa talking to one of her many fans.


Our last evening in Sag Harbor before departing for Narragansett Bay in RI.

Narragansett Bay has an East Passage and a West Passage, with Conanicut Island and Prudence Island acting as the dividing line.

Newport lies in the East Passage and is the major (along with Fort Lauderdale) yachting center of the East Coast. Boats of all sizes, both power and sail ply these waters in large numbers--you gots to have your head up.

We didn't like our chances of finding a place to anchor on a weekend in Newport, so instead we decided to head for the less traveled West Passage and Dutch Harbor.

At 5:15 am the anchor was up and we were on our way. It was a beautiful day but the morning forgot to bring some wind with it. We motored until Block Island was to our starboard, then hung a left, pulled out the sails, cut the engine and had a spectacular sail the rest of the way to Dutch Harbor. Our introduction to Narragansett Bay was picture perfect.

The following day we took the southerly route around Conanicut Island and then on to Newport. There is only one tiny pie shaped area in the harbor where you are permitted to anchor--all the "designated" anchorages are filled up with moorings. We motored around the anchorage but we didn't like what we saw, so we paid the $45 mooring fee (no showers, bathrooms, lounge etc.--just the mooring) and were relieved we wouldn't have to worry about poorly anchored boats crashing into us.


Lighthouse on Beavertail Point--south side of Conanicut Island.


Where do they walk the dog?


Pretty steeple in Newport.

The 12 meter Columbia from America's Cup fame was berthed right across from our mooring. The harbor is home to several of America's Cup 12 meter racers from days gone by. You can now hitch a 2 hour ride on one for $68 per person. Let's take the family for a half a day.

Atlantic Highlands to Sag Harbor

Our first day in Atlantic Highlands was hot and humid, so we decided to spend it hiking and getting dehydrated. The following day, with an eye to an overcast and threatening sky, we threw a backpack full of dirty laundry in the dinghy and headed to the Laundromat. We should have stayed aboard.

Before the wash cycle was complete extremely strong winds (which shifted direction 180 degrees) and heavy rain swept through the town and anchorage. A power boat and a sailboat capsized out on the bay, so emergency crews were racing to the scene. No one was injured.

We take great care to set our anchor well, but storms like that still make us nervous. I made my way about 3/4 mile through town where I could get a visual on our boat and make sure it had stayed put and that no other boats had dragged into us. Everything was fine. As I made my way back to the dinghy dock through horizontal rain I got cold for the first time since the Bahamas--how great is that. Life is good. The front brought with it much appreciated cool temperatures.


The anchorage and mooring field at Atlantic Highlands.

The cool night gave way to a splendid morning with perfect temperatures. Our plan was to make our way to the East River, which would take us through NYC and spit us out in Long Island Sound. Because of extremely strong currents through most of the East River, especially Hell Gate, we needed to arrive at the Battery (which is in Lower Manhattan) at around 4:30 pm so that we could ride the tide all the way to the Sound.

We decided to leave early enough to exit New York Harbor and go the necessary 3 miles offshore to empty the holding tank, then pull a U-turn, head for NYC and arrive at the Battery on schedule. This would allow us to be anchored in Manhasset Bay (off LIS) before dark.

Like I said it was an incredible day weatherwise, and once we passed the 3 mile mark we just wanted to keep going--so we did. While Lisa double checked the weather forecast, I replotted our course which would take us offshore down the south side of Long Island, around Montauk Point, then into the Fish Tale and on to Sag Harbor. This would require an overnight trip with perfect weather and a full moon--poor us.

My one regret was that I wanted to sail past Lady Liberty again just to make sure The Kinder and Gentler One hadn't draped a burqa over her face yet. I suspect that might be delayed until the next stimulus package.

Speaking of stimulus money...on our return from Dallas, we took the scenic route on the Blue Ridge Parkway starting in Asheville, NC then through the Shenandoah National Park. Very pretty. Every so many miles there were signs with 2 posts on them informing us that this was our stimulus money at work. I haven't looked it up, but I'm quite certain that road was built long before The Kinder and Gentler One appeared on the scene. If the signs are referring to maintenance, I wonder how they managed to keep the road up all those years before the Kinder and Gentler One showed up. Is the stimulus money tax deductible since it's being used for the reelection campaign? Aren't you glad you were able to contribute?

Oh the bunny trails....


We passed through a large ship anchorage near the Ambrose shipping lane.


The tonnage rule. If he's big enough to squash you and send you to the bottom without him realizing he hit you, he most definitely has the right of way.

It was beautiful weather the whole way. We passed the Endeavor Shoals off of Montauk at 6:40 the following morning. Then it took us forever to tack back and forth around the north side of Gardiners Island and then the south side of Shelter Island, before our final approach to Sag Harbor.


Rounding Cedar Point.

Around 2:30 pm we dropped anchor next to Billy Joel's boat (one of many) again. Almost the same spot as last year.

Sag Harbor is a town with $14 hamburgers, so if we want to eat out it's pizza by the slice.

As of this year the city started charging a daily rate to land the dinghy. But they do have a grocery store and a Laundromat.

Annapolis to Atlantic Highlands

On Tuesday morning we left our mooring on Spa Creek and motored the 4 miles to Bert Jabins boat yard on Back Creek. We needed a quick haul to clean and inspect the bottom, and to change the zincs on our prop shaft and the keel cooler for our refrigerator/freezer.

Our intent was to use the Haven Harbor yard in Rock Hall, but we were having trouble contacting the guy we needed to schedule with. We were desperate to get out of a very hot and windless Spa Creek so we decided to use the Bert Jabin yard. They did a good job with the pressure wash, but were a little pushy to splash the boat back in the water. We had less than a half hour to clean the barnacles off and to change the zincs--and they were not busy. The guy that received us on the dock, was not one that made you feel like you would want to come back--I'll just leave it at that. But the yard looks first rate as far as facilities go.

At 5:30 am we left our mooring on Back Creek and headed up the Chesapeake for the C and D (Chesapeake Delaware) Canal and then to Reedy Island on the Delaware River. The plan was to anchor behind Reedy Island that night and then leave with a fair tide at 10:00 am the following morning to shoot down the Delaware River and Bay, round Cape May and sail overnight to Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey.


Sunrise at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.


The Chesapeake Bay Bridge a bit later. The bird thinks it's all about him.

After passing under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, we fought a slight foul current until we reached the C and D Canal, where the tide finally turned in our favor. For a non planing displacement boat, it is essential to time your arrival at the C and D Canal and the Delaware River when the tide is pushing the water the same direction you want to go. Once we neared the end of the canal, we were going 4 knots over our hull speed.

It was an uneventful day and shortly before 4:00 pm we entered the narrow cut that took us from the Delaware River to the other side of Reedy Island.


Obligated to take a picture of the nuclear plant when it's right in front of you. For the full story check our July 2009 entry about half way down the page.

As mentioned earlier, the tidal currents are quite strong on the Delaware River. The further north the stronger the current--presumably because it is narrower. We are not fast enough to ride a fair current all the way to the Atlantic before the tide reverses, so we plan it to take advantage of the stronger current on the north end.

This had us weigh anchor at 10:00 am, and we picked up an extra 3 to 3 1/2 knots all the way down the Delaware River and half way through the Delaware Bay before the tide turned on us.


Ship John Shoal Light on the Delaware.

Rumor has it, this lighthouse was named by a Chinese English student while eating shrimps on fried rice.


This marker shows the current that you don't want to run against.

As we rounded the shoals of Cape May, passed Wildwood, and Atlantic City I could almost feel the sting on my back from the many sunburns of yesteryear at those beaches.

Shortly before 11:00 Friday morning, we entered Sandy Hook Channel which led us into New York Harbor. We knew we were in the channel because we had to dodge a plethora of anchored fishing boats.

We hung a left and headed to the harbor in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. The anchor was down at 12:20 pm.

While at the dinghy dock, we met an Austrian crew who sailed their Amel across the Atlantic, went to Venezuela, came back up the Caribbean and are now sailing the East Coast of the US.

Richard

Minutes after getting settled on Spa Creek we got word that my brother in law, Richard, had succumbed to cancer. He fought with courage through surgeries, rounds of chemo, radiation, a strict diet where he didn't eat anything that tasted good, and eventually paralysis from the waist down.

Richard was a good friend and the kind of man you want your sister to marry. He had a huge impact on my life. We miss him.


Richard and Ruth.


At John G's in Florida a day or so after Dad's memorial in late February of 2010.


Richard's wonderful family posing with a ceiling fan. Robert, Ruth, Amy, Ryan


Ryan instructing the help to turn the fans on high so he can achieve the Farrah Fawcett look. Their friend, Paul, is in the middle--he doesn't care if the fan is on or off.


My sisters, Mom, Lisa and I joined the crowd.