Our original plan was to go straight from Nantucket to Cape May. Challenges to this were trying to get through the shoals between Nantucket and the Vineyard knowing they shift and the charts aren't accurate and then we would need about a 48 hr window and we wouldn't be able to leave until Monday but storms late Tuesday foreclosed on the needed time. We thought about shortening the distance by going to Block and we could do that Monday and then wait until later in the week for a window that was not apparent to head to Cape May or perhaps a closer destination like Atlantic Highlands or go through Long Island Sound. So we decided we could sail to the Vineyard Sunday using the strong SW winds and then leave Monday for a closer destination at Atlantic Highlands and wait out the weather and then do the short passage to Cape May. We probably wouldn't be able to sail but better than waiting or getting beat up.
Looking over the Edgartown Mooring Field
So we made a mooring reservation for Edgartown on the Vineyard and started out after the fog lifted. Had lots of theories of how to get up the 2 anchors and should have used my sense to swim down and free the second anchor before bringing it up. But I thought we could get it up without doing that but was mistaken. Normally when an anchor is set it can be coaxed loose by working the boat around but we had wind, current and another anchor that restricted the ability to do that. So we continued backing down past the second anchor and using the power of the boat finally broke it loose and then hauled it up by hand as second anchor is not on a windlass. We then worked our way back up to retrieved the front anchor. What normally takes just a few minutes took almost a half-hour but we eventually got everything recovered and were on our way. The good news from all this is the anchors were well set and not likely to have let go on us. But every anchorage is a new day.
Had a great upwind sail to the channel mark for turning in to Martha's Vineyard. Going in the Edgartown channel put the wind right on the nose so we motored our way in to our mooring. After getting cleaned up we met our friend Kris Faught and this time with his family for lunch in Edgartown and then back out to the boat for a swim. Next morning we left Edgartown under a beautiful sunny sky but little wind.
Views of Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard.
Later after we rounded the northern tip of the Vineyard we were able to sail for a few hours but the wind died and we went to motor for the rest of the trip to Atlantic Highlands. Seas had a light swell to them but little or no wind or chop for the entire trip. At night the nearly full moon provided a bright light on the water even as haze and fog restricted our visibility.
Sailing By the Vineyard.
We made it into Atlantic Highlands early in the morning and had to wait for the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club to open to get a mooring assignment. Plan was to wait for the afternoon storms to pass and then leave late on Wednesday for Cape May riding some strong NW winds that would die overnight but get us to Cape May by morning.
View of the municipal harbor at Atlantic Highlands.
Storms didn't hit us but we watched one cross to the north into NYC. We also had periods of rain overnight. The next day, Wednesday, we started very casually and leisurely, took trash to shore and prepared to leave. But leaving Wednesday wasn't to be.
Atlantic Highlands has very nice moorings with 2 independent pennants of 3/4" line that are connected to a pole float making them easy to retrieve and deploy. After we had secured the mooring I further cleated off the line to ensure it wouldn't flip off and to shorten the lead so were not close to the boat behind us. When we were leaving the wind was blowing 18 kts so we needed to motor up to relieve the tension on the cleats. I took off the port lead and I had thrown it in the water and was attempting to clip it on to the line loop on the float when I realized we were actually motoring away from the mooring but my hand was wrapped around the lines to undo them. My hand got pinched by the line to the pennant and against the cleat causing a deep gash and severing the tendon. I was able to throw off the other pennant and while free go below wash the hand and assess the damage. The cut was bleeding profusely so quickly grabbed a paper towel and put pressure on it. After showing it to Linda we decided it needed medical attention that probably shouldn't wait to Cape May. We resecured our mooring and went ashore after applying a hasty dressing.
We took a cab ride to the local hospital after an Urgent Care facility said they couldn't set the finger. After an x-ray and treatment they sutured the incision and then put the finger in a splint for it to mend. Since I can't get the dressing wet until the sutures are removed in 2 weeks and losing my middle finger on my right hand doing chores on and around the boat will be more challenging. So we'll figure the workarounds to get it done.
We ended our visit to North Jersey after getting a prescription filled with dinner and a couple Dos XX's at the 10th Avenue Burrito Bar on Main St in Red Bank to take the edge off.
View of NYC as we rounded Sandy Hook.
Sunset over NJ heading south.
Next day in the early afternoon we left with no wind and had a beautiful night passage to Cape May. No rain or storms although in the early hours around Atlantic City there was a storm that passed behind us and we got into our slip at Cape May about 8 AM. We slowed down so we didn't get in too soon and and floated about for a little while before going in.
Now to begin our Cape May adventure.
Back at the Lobster House for dinner and happy hour.
Nearly full moon over Utsch's Marina,Cape May.
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