Annapolis to Old Saybrook CT

During the few days that Jeff was in DC, I took care of a few important things like getting a much needed haircut first and foremost, laundry, picking up parts and pieces for the boat and waiting for a mechanic to perform a new engine service.  The dinghy is essentially our "car" and  I found a salon across the river and made an appointment for Thursday the 5th. When the time came, I hopped in, started up the motor and was on my way.  While walking to the salon I passed a couple of ducks enjoying a puddle.

On Friday my cousin Gail and her husband Wayne came by the boat and we decided to go back to the same restaurant we had been to with our previous guests.  It's a neat place with great food.  So off we went once again in the dinghy (Gail rode with us!) and met up with Wayne there.  Gail's boys and their other halves joined us and we shared lots of great stories.

Sign outside of the Boatyard Bar and Grille

Wayne and Gail (Thanks for coming to see us guys - we had a terrific time catching up!)

Jenna and Kevin - newlyweds!

Adam and Katie (soon to be newlyweds!)

After spending almost a week in Annapolis it was time to move on.  We left the dock on the morning of June 7th, waving goodbye to a happy memories of visits with lots of friends and after fueling up, set our sights for the C&D canal. (Chesapeake & Delaware).

While at the fuel dock, a gaggle of geese paddled by....

The wind was on our nose so no sails up for us.  We motored to Chesapeake City but it was too shallow for us to enter the harbor.  We continued on to the Delaware River and anchored behind Reedy Island.  Very peaceful compared to the marina we would have stayed in.  Not much to see along the way. Osprey feeding their young...

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge (with some creative artistry looking through the dodger)

A clearer view.

A waterfront farm

Passed a car carrier

...and a fellow sailor

Watched the sun go down while at anchor

Up again the next morning bright and early to begin our continued journey.

Several families of rays passed by

Lighthouse in the distance

Up close and personal

The water was finally clear enough for dolphins! We left the muddy waters behind, rounded Cape May, up the New Jersey Coast and sailed into Atlantic City.

Another lighthouse

Almost looks like a painting!

We made it to Atlantic City and tied up at the Historic Gardner's Basin Marina which was part of the Aquarium.   The sights around us:

June 9th - Bye-bye Atlantic City.  This day proved to be a long, boring trip to Sandy Hook.  We saw some of Hurricane Sandy's aftermath.

We had visitors overhead....

and at sea

Into Sandy Hook

Tied up at Bahr's Marina in front of the restaurant just before 7pm.  No dockhands around to assist, but nevertheless we made it look like child's play.  Many faces peering out the restaurant windows... We were the only sailboat there, so we figure we must have wowed the patrons. (or at least we like to think we did)
We awoke to a foggy morning - it looked and smelled just like coastal Maine!

Left the dock in the fog and passed Wilson floating by!

Onward to NYC!

Getting closer...

 A slight delay.  Coast Guard doing security checks.

And we're off again!

We've got the Statue of Liberty in sight. Pretty exciting!!

What a busy place! Such a contrast to the lack of scenery the day before to sensory overload! See for yourself.

My brother took a picture of us from the Brooklyn Bridge webcam.  We look like a toy!

UN Building

The Chrysler Building

People waving at us from overhead!

On through Hell Gate where the Long Island Sound, East River and Harlem River all connect in one boiling body of water. Thanks for the great coaching from our friend Jack, a retired NYC Harbor pilot.

Behold, another swimming family in the middle of a busy channel.

Floating prison?

Lots of activity at LaGuardia Airport

Under the Throgs Neck Bridge and on to Oyster Bay, Long Island.

Anchored for the night in Oyster Bay and we were entertained by some wakeboarders!

The next morning we had a lazy start, as it was raining. Headed out around 10 am with intentions of anchoring in Satchem Head but had to make a slight detour.

Where we anchored to remove the crab pot line from our prop.

Two and a half hours later, we decided it would take too long to reach the only anchorage we would be protected in from the east wind, so called the Norwalk Cove Marina to see if they had an available slip. Happy Anniversary to us! I didn't have to cook - we enjoyed a great meal at the Sunset Grille near the marina.

Back out the next morning and on our way to Old Saybrook.  It's gonna be a long day!

Brrrrr! Remember all those pictures of us in shorts and how dark we were?
We're fading fast.  It's cold up here! Like the getup?

Brian's on his way!

Becky, Brandon and Brooke are on their way!
They'll all meet in Atlanta and fly together to Hartford.

And we're almost there too!

Finally! Wind was on our nose all day and we pushed through 3-4' waves.  This would typically have been a lay day for us (who wants to be out in this?) but we have big things to see and do.  My nephew is getting married on Saturday, which is why we're all here!

Rain, rain PLEASE go away!

Onward to Annapolis!

The Chesapeake Boat Basin Marina in Kilmarnock was nice.  The loaner car was the best we've seen! If a marina in fact HAS a loaner car they are usually not the cream of the crop.... We went to pick up outboard engine parts and groceries.

The next morning (5/30) there was a light drizzle and still chilly, so we bundled up in our foul weather gear and set off for Tangier Island, one of our chosen destinations as we make our way north.  The Waterway Guide describes Tangier Island, VA as follows:  "Nosing through the channel leading to Tangier Island is a rare experience.  There is no other way to put it. Contrasted against blue sky are small white crab shanties, each with their own dock, lining the way on both sides like a welcoming committee for those arriving on Virginia's working waterman's island."  Parks Marina was mentioned as having 25 slips for visiting boats and Active Captain (an internet based interactive cruising guide) reviews from fellow boaters said that this was a very laid back marina and that Mr. Parks will come out and see you - eventually. We picked our own slip (out of two available), tied up and walked to town. There are approximately 800 residents on this dry island and no cell service or WiFi.  It's like stepping back in time.

Jeff was fascinated by the lines and the forward wheel house of the Chesapeake Bay crab boats. Notice the big rusty steel gantry for installing and removing the diesel engines.

Mr. Milton Parks came down the dock to collect the $30 dock fee that evening and shared local stories with us.  He's 83 years old and still running his marina - the kind of guy you 'd invite in for dinner. There was one other cruising boat there for the night until dusk, when another sailboat arrived needing a slip. We all helped them get into the only available space - AFTER we moved our boat to make room, essentially blocking in our neighbors.  This sailing couple was grateful for our assistance and brought a bottle of French wine to our boat where we shared stories of our journeys.  

We were first off the dock the next morning and headed to Spring Cove Marina in Solomons, MD. Once secure there on a T-dock, we set out to wash the salt off the boat.  Unfortunately, I forgot that my month old Oakley sunglasses were resting comfortably on the brim of my hat, and when I leaned over to spray the hull, down into the water they went.  Jeff tried to fish them out with a pool net to no avail. One of the locals on the dock had a number of a diver in town. I called and left a message...  It was the weekend, and doubtful that someone would be available to come to us until Monday, so I decided to order another pair.  Only issue there was that the Oakley Vault doesn't ship.  Someone had to physically go to the store and buy them.  Dean Haskell to the rescue! There was a store in Hilton Head that had one pair - so I asked Dean if he would be so kind as to purchase & ship the new pair to me, which he did almost immediately.  Thanks again Dean!

That evening I received a call from Diver Ron.  He would come to the boat first thing in the morning (we would be leaving early) and assured me he'd find the glasses.  At 7:30 am he was suited up and ready to jump in. It was a dark mucky bottom and 13' deep.

Less than a half hour later, he came up with the glasses. They don't look too bad on Ron....

Now I have a spare pair and a sunglass lanyard to go with them.

Next stop, St. Michaels.  We have some friends there who we met in St. Augustine while they were there this past winter.  They came to see the boat and have a cocktail, then treated us to a homemade dinner at their house!  We didn't have time to spend another day there to explore, but promised we'd be back on our way south in the fall.  What a fun time we had together. Thanks Jim & Linda!

We managed to get two loads of laundry done before we went to dinner, then settled in for the evening at The St. Michaels Marina. The next morning we would head to Annapolis.

Bridges, Bridges everywhere!

Our friends Bruce and Jenny drove in from Alexandria to have dinner with us on Monday night.  It's always such a pleasure to share time with them.  There's never a lack of things to chat about - and lots of giggles!!

There's a pool here at the Annapolis Landing Marina, where we've been since Monday and will be through Friday although we haven't tried it out yet...

Our good friend Ellen stopped in last night after work and we enjoyed dinner together.  Thanks for your company and the goodies! Check out the sails in the background.

This morning, Jeff was installing a flag halyard among many other things.  His "project" list never gets shorter. Good thing I have something to do, like keeping up with this blog!

Tonight he'll leave for a short business trip in DC and return on Friday when we'll get together with my cousin Gail and her husband Wayne for dinner.  They have been a "mail drop" for us and have been collecting online orders and our mail which has been forwarded to them for pickup.  Thanks for that! It's so nice to get to visit with friends during our trip. Tomorrow I'll take the dinghy to a hair salon for a much needed cut & color. Today, Jeff gets a cut from his onboard stylist..... me. We'll leave Saturday morning and beeline it to Old Saybrook, CT for my nephew Chris's wedding. It'll be a treat to see everyone. Our granddaughter Brooke will meet her great grandmother (my mom) for the first time! We love it when the family is all together!!

These families are pretty cute too...