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Coming back to the western shore, we found city moorings right next to the city docks, the boat show and the US Naval Academy. This is where the Brewster stayed for 4 nights (Windemere moved over to a slip on Back Creek) to wait for Diane and ride out Michael, now a tropic storm but still packing strong winds. The moorings are 500 lb. helix moorings which are screwed into the bottom and spec'd for 55’ boats. The winds were to come from the NW giving us protection from the city with no fetch. We didn't get much more than 35 knots and the only noticeable effect was the increase of wind driven tide by about a foot.
This was a good block of time to explore the city streets, stores, restaurants, a disappointing boat show and the US Naval Academy.
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We never saw much of the eastern shore on our last trip down the Chesapeake due to strong southernly winds so we are spending more time exploring some of the rivers on this side.
Chestertown 24 miles up the Chester River has served as Kent County’s seat of government since 1706 and has one of the largest collections of 18th & 19th century buildings in MD second to Annapolis. The city is also home to Washington College founded in 1782. The college owns several of the old buildings and property along the shore including the Hodson Boathouse which is a beautiful state of the art boathouse for rowing and sailing programs. We “lucked out” and arrived on the last day of the Annual Harry Potter Fest with activities throughout the streets. There were so many people that we returned the following day to get a better look at the architecture and stores.
Windemere was up in the Sassafras River by this time so we went back down towards the mouth of the Chester River to Queenstown to position for a rendezvous the next day in Rock Hall. After buying a dozen blue crabs from a local fisherman and a fair amount of picking, we had dinner, lunch and more dinner for several days.
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Travel up the Delaware w/SW winds and waves against the tide was lumpy at the mouth but evened out further up as the tides changed in our favor. Gray skies, murky water and very little traffic. The only big ships seen were anchored up by the C & D Canal. 14 miles down the canal, we arrived in Chesapeake City early enough to take advantage of the free town dock. In the past, we anchored out but there is 150’ of dockage that was open with only one other boat so why not have the luxury of stepping out to walk the dog. CC is quaint and beautiful but with a noticeable number of store frontages empty and others with limited hours and closed.
Getting ready to leave the next morning, we happened to notice a very large limb pinned to the stern of the boat by the tide, a harbinger of more to come. With all the rains, the Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River had to release a ton of water causing debris to be washed down including tires, limbs and large tree trunks. Others have seen refrigerators and parts of boats and things. All the rivers are contributing to these floating mine fields. 4 years ago, Chesapeake Bay was turned up with lots of chop from heavy south winds but so far on this trip, the bay has been flat making it easier to navigate through this stuff and a real pleasure to cruise.
Next stop the Sassafras River to a quiet anchorage behind Knights Island right next to Mt. Harmon Plantation. They have dinghy dock access and miles of trails that can be hiked around the property. The river is heavily treed with beautiful homes tucked in. Eagles everywhere. Fall hasn’t quite come here yet but must be beautiful when it does.
Moving down to Rock Hall Harbor, we found a spot along the bulkhead next to Kent County Park. Again a free town dock, there is one utility post for power that we don’t need and left for someone else. There also looks to be restrooms including showers next to a small community pool but need further investigation. This is not a good spot with any kind of south wind but we plan to stay one more night because there are strong northerly winds blowing through today. Tomorrow will probably find us poking up the Chester River before heading for the western shore and Annapolis.
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NW winds, following seas and good sized waves carried us to Atlantic City in no time. Arriving by 2 p.m., we had picked up the rpms cruising/surfing at 11-13+ kts. Nina, fuel concerns and no particular schedule argued for staying the night. We anchored in a quiet cove on the north side of the river across from bright lights of the strip, with access to a sand spit where many black skimmers rested. That was until Nina sprinted like a caged animal scattering them to the wind while making friends with local kids in need of a dog fix. She misses her grandkids.
Fuel prices were significantly higher here than in Cape May 30+ miles down the line so we crunched the numbers and decided to open both tanks and make a run the next day. This was hard for Harry who likes to keep the tanks half full but in hindsight it was a good exercise. We hadn’t fueled up since Old Saybrook, CT making the total mileage to Cape May 230+ miles. We carry 180 gal. in 2 tanks that is not all usable to avoid sucking off the bottom and bleeding tanks, but we had been cruising in difficult seas and winds and weren’t quite sure what our “burn rate” was. Sunday provided more favorable seas with NE winds and was an easy run down to Cape May giving us a better idea of burn rate average in variable conditions going forward.
Utsch’s Marina and Cape May is not a one night stand. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow cruisers heading south as well as great dining, beaches, gingerbread houses, shopping, provisioning, showers, laundry, and the best birding on the east coast this time of year. Harry got me a rental bike the following day and not able to find an organized birding event online, I headed off at 6:30 a.m. to the South Cape May Meadows where I had birded before. I thought I would be by myself missing my friend Ellen until I biked into the parking lot and saw several cars and recognized Pete Dunne, the self acclaimed ambassador of NJ Audubon Assoc. and one of the most amazing birders I have met. Timing is everything. Today was my lucky day and his Monday morning bird walk! 26 of us headed off including 6 leaders for an extraordinary morning. Sorry, photos are all about the birds!
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Interesting weather heading out of the CT River. It was a bit gloomy when we left with some rain and winds 18 kn out of the SW. The tides were with us for the first half and the ride was reasonably comfortable down to Manhasset Harbor, Pt. Washington, NY. Along the perimeter of the mooring field are yellow moorings that can be picked up 1st come 1st serve for 2 nights at no charge. This makes it a great place to stage going through NYC.
We must be on the same schedule as 4 years ago because once again the General Assembly was in session at the UN causing river restrictions navigating through the city. The day we left, 9/27, the river was completely closed until 10:30 and then only the east river could be used. This didn’t cause a problem for us but some of the sailboats with tall masts had difficulties because there were also restrictions on the bridges. ‘Course Harry was miffed with the NYPD boat referring to us as “the little white boat” when they hailed us to the east side. The river wasn’t as busy as we remembered but there was interesting traffic with planes taking off and a government helicopter that we got shooed away from.
Friends have continual told us about the hospitality at the Great Kills Yacht Club on Statin Island so we decided to stop. Great Kills Harbor is completely surrounded, in part by the Great Kills Park which is a unit of the Gateway National Recreational Area. Because of the weather, we won’t get a chance to really explore the park but it’s been a good place to ride out storms for a couple days. The yacht club is a workingmen’s club and really impressive w/slips, yard space to store boats and a travel lift to get them in and out. The clubhouse is spacious and the bathrooms exceptional. The members are a group of friendly electricians, carpenters, plumbers, police and fire who do everything themselves. We didn’t have the need but rides were offered.
The weather, winds and waves look good to continue to Atlantic City tomorrow. If the going is really good and Harry allows an increase in rpms, Cape May isn’t out of the question but that would be a very long run for Nina.
NE 20+ kn winds and 5-6’ waves all on our stern made for a sleigh ride from Cuttyhunk to Old Saybrook, CT. Top hull speed was 16 kn coming down a wave. Watch Hill RI was an option that we checked along the way but the harbor was crowded, passed on the $60/night yacht club moorings and with the outside anchorage unprotected, we decided to continue to North Cove where we’ve been before and knew would be a good choice to spend a couple nights. A beautiful town with a well protected cove, it is also a port of refuge with free moorings marked with yellow tags. Tuesday’s prediction of high winds and rain will keep us here another day. The vibration seems to have disappeared with the new zinc.
Months of waiting and endless lists of things to do have come to an end. We have left the harbor on our way south down the ICW to Florida and the Bahamas. We planned to end our first day in Sakonnet, RI but were picking up vibration and wanted to check the prop so we are spending the night in beautiful Cuttyhunk Harbor instead. The boat was careened a week ago and the zinc changed so after finding the prop clear, Harry took the new zinc off and we motored around. There was still slight vibration but not as bad and finding nothing else amiss, he changed it again. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
After 16,163 miles and 143 days of travel, we are home with a pass through Niagra Falls.
On impulse in 1972, I started off so I thought to NF with a couple college friends. It was winter. The car was packed but wouldn’t start because the fuel line was frozen. I didn’t know much about dry gas and mechanics but it was probably a good thing we never made it out of the parking lot because looking back no doubt we were up to no good. 45 years later here we were on the US side of NF. Coming from the northwest where skies were big and mountains magnificent, it was strange and disturbing to go around one corner after the next to find a better angle of the falls only to be blocked by gates and fees. Raining and with a urge to move on, we drove to Cayuga State Park in Seneca Falls to enjoy one last campfire, organize and get cleaned up to come home.
With the yard a jungle, spiders taken over the house, squirrels set up house IN our house, over 11,300 photos to be culled and sorted and family/friendships to be renewed, we have catchup to do and it feels good.
The first question asked seemed to be what was our favorite place. Over a 5 month period, that is really hard to answer. Is it really a place, the people, wildlife, fishing, birds, hiking or landscape? My answer is time. Having the gift of time to absorb and experience all that is most interesting is the best part of this journey. Many of the special times have already been highlighted in the blog. FD Roosevelt had the foresight to start the preservation of this land for everyone. Our current one is doing everything possible to destroy it. Selling and polluting the land that we need to survive while eroding our mental stability, he is systematically destroying, separating and dividing all that is vital to living.
Take whatever time you can to explore, enjoy and appreciate this land. Don't forget that it belongs to each of us and do whatever you can to help protect it. My hope through sharing photos has been to show the fragility of nature, inspire all to carve out the time to experience it for yourself and hope that nature and our land continues to thrive and be there for generations to come.
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After 23 days on the Olympic Peninsula in WA, it’s time to head home to family and friends on the east coast. It has been decades since I’ve spent that amount of time with my sister, Susan and brother-in-law Will. Truth be told for Sue & I, it probably goes back to the early 70’s. It has been a mellow time to reflect and appreciate how they live, work their land, the animals - chickens and sheep and Danny that crazy loving Irish setter. One of the sheep, Blackie, was rejected from his mom at birth. They hand raised him in the lower level of the house where he learned to use the dog door to get in and out until he was too big. Nine to ten years later, he still comes in to visit and was tolerant of Nina coming nose to nose. The morning we left, Will roused the chickens off their roost to gather enough eggs for a wonderful breakfast for all of us, Jay, Jeanne, Harry, I and Sue & Will.
We have been moving slowly out of WA, ID & WY enjoying the west with no alarm clocks and no schedule. First night was in SE WA in the Yakima River Canyon on BLM land at the Lmuma Creek CG. To get there, we went through the fruit producing country of Yakima - apples and peaches this time of year. The canyon was created by a combination of the upheaval of plates, lava flows flooding the area and erosion of the Yakima River creating a canyon with beautiful smooth folding mountains on either side of the river. The Yakima is one of the most popular rivers for trout and steelheads.
Continuing into ID with more fruit, wheat and livestock country along the Columbia & Snake rivers, we ended up at another BLM CG, McKay’s Bend on Crystal River in Lewiston, ID. As a note to ourselves, this was a gem. Beautifully manicured grass, paved pads, full hookups and showers along the river for a modest $9 w/the senior pass. This river is also extremely popular for steelheads and has BLM CGs scattered all along the banks. Most are free. Some just a parking lot but all are perfect for an overnight.
Heading SSE towards the Sawtooth National Forest, another overnight was at Donnelly Lake City Park. Although a bit isolated and lonely as the only residents, the location was beautiful. We thought we would spend the next night up in the valley of the Sawtooth but it was high, cold, rainy and snow was a certainty the next day in the pass at 8700’ so we continued down in the rain to Craters of the Moon NM - good for a convenient overnight and early departure.
In 2014, we spent a month in WY and the Tetons so hoped to relive the wonderful time we had at Signal Mtn. CG for a couple nights. The pass getting into Jackson was a twisty, turning 6 miles of 10% grade up & down that shook the brakes badly. Once in the valley it was cold. We decided to go to the campground anyway and let it speak for itself. “Cold, gray with snow covered ground and picnic table and someone was in our favorite site - keep moving!” Life is an experience and we have never been east over the Togwotee Pass and the Rockies. At 9658’ and snowing at the summit, I was glad it was Harry’s shift but coming down below the snow line, we had a majestic bull moose pass comfortably across the road in front of us. Further east, Dubois was a pretty cool western town and we made Dubuis BLM CG along the Wind River our home for the night.
Central WY going east was sagebrush plains with pronghorns, prairie dogs, cattle, horse and oil rigs. We got a kick out of signs that said, “Drive slowly and enjoy the Wyoming scenery”. The speed limit was 80 mph. We decided on another city park in Douglas, Riverside. It was a pretty nice grassed park along the Northern Platte River with showers, dump and water all for free for up to 2 nights. There was another RV/trailer rig there for company . . . and then we were joined by 4 guys and their dead pronghorns yet to be processed. More on that later because it is late and I am still reasoning out the whole hunting thing of the northwest. Especially after Harry looked in the dumpster to see what they left behind . . . .
Heading through NE, we decided to try the scenic route which basically went where we wanted to go on a fast 65-70 mph road w/no traffic. It was gray and rainy and after some agriculture including sunflowers, much of the landscape was the same rolling plains. Who knows, maybe we bypassed oil rigs. There were trains though. Long coal trains with 135 to 150 cars. Two engines to push and two to pull. Loaded eastbound and empty coming back, they were continuous on 3+ plus tracks. "Clean coal" we assumed. We were headed to Bessey CG in a NE National Forest near Halsey and raced to get across a track ahead of a train to avoid the wait. Nice park w/electric sites and all the amenities for $5.50 w/SP. Of course we hear the trains but that has been a constant in Canada, Alaska and all around the NW.
With 1788 miles to go, we’ll start making some tracks tomorrow to get home.
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After quite a long stay at my sister's home in Indianola, our journey east starts tomorrow. This has been a great block of time visiting Sue & Will, sailing on Miracle, visiting cousins Richard and Drew, Lauri & Hannah, eating geoduck chowder, dungeness crab, smoked salmon . . . .
Jay & Jeanne arrived on the 23rd in their 24' RV rented for their stay. Good times out a La Push, exploring Neah Bay and watching J & J experience the life of RVing including water backing up in both the sink and shower when they exceeded their gray tank capacity. All fun and good laughs for two sisters and a brother who haven't been together for over 10 years!
All for now but photos will show more.
