Trying to reason with hurricane season

We arrived at Cherry Point on Wednesday 28 September after spending a night at the free town dock in Belhaven because there were threats of storms that never materialized but more on that later. We moved on to Hancock Creek Marina at Cherry Point Marine Corps Aviation Station where we planned to visit the family of one of my sons since he was going to be away.  We expected a short visit with our drive to move on to Charleston, SC where we planned to spend some time and leave the boat for our visit back to the Chicago area but hurricane season got in the way.

We left Coinjock, the first port in North Carolina and everything was pretty much as usual. No wind, little traffic and we made Belhaven in a day and then on to Cherry Point. In the past we have anchored in the Pungo River just after completing the canal but we seemed to get through it early this time and the threat of storms drove us to go on to Belhaven. We have stayed at the Dowry Creek Marina in the past but never actually gotten in to Belhaven which is a reportedly cute little town. So we found the free docks and with a couple discussions with the Dockmaster pulled in and tied up. We walked into Town and had dinner at the Fish Hook Cafe because it was the only restaurant open on Tuesday. Other than the nearby granary working all night it was very peaceful.

Sleeping grandkids on our little cruise.

The next day we left early and motored on to Cherry Point. Along the way we stopped in to Oriental for fuel and a possible pump out but it seems someone took the deck fitting so we couldn't use the pump out. There was again a threat of storms so instead of waiting for the town to fix it we went on to Cherry Point.  Fortunately again the storms were a no show.

So far we have been visiting with our grandkids as our schedules allow. They are in school all day with some evening activities, their Mom works and my son is away, But when we got here the tropical threat became real and we began to assess our options.

Based on the storm projections there seemed to be a good likelihood that the hurricane Mathew would significantly impact this area. That didn't leave many options. The first was we could quickly press on to Charleston but that seemed like a bad place to be. Second, we could try to retreat back to the Chesapeake but the storm could impact there as well and we would then have to retrace our progress. Next, we could try to find a good place close to hide or we could just stay here.

This marina is tucked into a creek about 15 miles above a tidal flow and has 360 degree protection from chop with excellent wind protection for at least 270 degrees. While not the perfect hurricane hole this was pretty good. There is a small channel coming in so swell and surge would be minimal. We are in a large slip with lots of room on either side so we can tie the boat between the finger piers with ample slack to ride up any surge. With family and friends here why go anyplace else?

So since we got here we worked to reinforce our position. Sunday we took the grandkids and our daughter-in-law for a boat ride so we could pump out having failed before, We also setup normal hurricane prep - double lines with chafe protection; filled the water tank; removed head sails and canvas; keeping the batteries full; secured everything on deck and got supplies for a couple day passage.  While you can never be ready, we think we are ready. Very early in my Army career someone implored that you always work to improve your position and we have done that, When under assault you don't want to think of the shoulda, coulda, woulda's. You want to think through everything in advance. The only additional thing I can think of doing if the threat was more is to go out and drop anchors and then secure the boat as we are but with the shift of the track it doesn't seem that great. About midweek the track shifted from a direct hit to passing east and turning south away from us.

In applying my double lines I was able to improve the arrangement with docking options available by distributing the load along the dock and also on the 3 cleats on each side of the boat. There were 2 very stout pilings at the end of each finger pier which while not all the way to our bow made good tie points and then there are 3 cleats on each finger pier and 2 along the dock behind the boat. By varying the angles it also created support for multiple wind directions since the wind shifts in large and small directions altering the stress on each line. I was able to arrange the lines so that there shouldn't be 2 lines of stress on any cleat at any time.

So we set up the boat, did some provisioning and waited. On the night before the storm we got together with friends Dave and Polly Brown who live near New Bern and had a nice happy hour in their beautiful home and then went out for Thai food. We also had lunch with them a week earlier because they're a fun couple. Nice to try to keep some sense of normalcy with the events swirling around.

 Our friends Dave and Polly..

The weather became windy and rainy almost a week before the storm arrived so the ground was very saturated causing great fear of falling trees. Rain and wind began building on Friday with the storm's expected arrival on Saturday. Saturday morning we moved our rental car out of the marina lot to higher ground so in the event of flooding it wouldn't get wet and parked it away from trees that might blow down. The rain began falling in earnest Saturday morning as the wind built. Just before noon it was announced that a tornado warning was issued for the area just south of us so we packed some bags and put in the trunk of the rental car just in case we needed to leave in a hurry.

Beginning of the storm.

Saturday afternoon we disconnected our shore power in anticipation of the power being shut off and rolled up the power cord. With the wind speed we hoped our windgen would keep us in power and wouldn't need our diesel generator. Later we walked over to the Club House and chatted with some other folks there as the power was now off. As it was getting dark we went back to the boat to weather the storm.

Rain fell in buckets from just about dark until about midnight and the wind really began building. We watched the movie the Heart of the Sea about the true story that inspired the novel Moby Dick with the wind and rain surrounding us. We checked the line frequently but the water level never rose much. We continued checking the lines about every 2 hours all night but the water level never changed. The wind changed direction ti more behind us that was even better sheltered so we really didn't feel much of the 30 kt winds but the frequently high gusts rocked the boat as they blasted through.

Scene in the morning.

Once it started getting daylight it was obvious there wouldn't be any more high water and it had not rained in hours. The wind gusts continued into the afternoon but the land protection made the wind bearable. About mid-morning the sun came out brightly for the first time in about a week and the storm was gone. Now to get everything back to normal.

In a couple of days we will be leaving for Chicago for about a week so we will leave the boat prepped in the unlikely event of another storm while we watch reports of damages further down the coast and figure out our course from here. Fortunately we had no damage from the storm but many did and we regret their losses. So once again we made it through a storm in a safe spot. We learned that the marina where we have reservations over the holidays is fine. It's just where we go between now and then. So much for the reasoning in hurricane season.

Working our way south

We were finally able to get off about 1115 on September 23 after waiting for the completion of our companionway security door. It is unique but a very simple design. It has a 1/2" stainless steel mesh woven 12 gauge metal cloth welded into a 3/4" angle iron frame that slides into the companionway. On the inside is a bug screen and on the front is a hasp that can be used to padlock to our companionway hatch. This coupled with our hatch bars will hopefully provide a deterrent to boardings by local criminals in places we visit.

 
A view of the door inserted into our companionway.

But we got underway and of course we missed any wind. Motoring down the Bay the water was mostly glassy the entire way. We were lucky enough to have current with us so we made good progress for most of the day. We had thought about stopping in Mill Creek off the Great Wicomico River near Reedville, VA but it became apparent we would be getting there after dark. Since the creek channel is narrow and not well marked we looked at other options and chose to anchor behind Sandy Point in the Great Wicomico. As darkness fell I turned on the radar as I usually do and it was very

View of the shoreline

helpful in picking our way through the many fish traps around the entrance channel as well as the many unlit marks. When we got to the anchorage we saw 2 anchor lights but I had 3 returns on the radar and after searching with a light we found a 3rd boat and dropped anchor far away from all of them. Coming in the Wicomico we were treated to a brilliant array of phosphorescence in the wake of the boat and the prop wash looked like a jet vapor trail in the water.

View across the anchorage

After a peaceful and quiet night we motored out about 8 with relative ease and again picked up an outgoing current. Forecast was for some wind to come up mid-morning and could be sailable.  After motoring for 3 hours with some teases of wind it did come up mildly behind us so we popped the spinnaker and took off with the wind building.  Wind was coming from a very spinnaker friendly

A little traveler along for the ride

direction 15-20 and we were running at 8-9 kts.  Unfortunately the wind continued to clock around and we had to either jibe or drop the chute.  I was able to use the main to push wind into the spinnaker for probably 10-15 miles but eventually even that became a struggle. With not many miles

Working our spinnaker run

to go and knowing how long and hard it was to jibe we opted to just go on main only. But getting down the chute proved to be difficult with the wind back-winding it and blowing it over the genoa. Finally we got it down and sailed the rest of the way to the channel into Hampton where we brought in the main and motored to our slip.

We had made a slip reservation at the Hampton Public Piers on the recommendation of one of our friends who also happened to have a coupon for a free night they weren't going to use. So we checked in there for 2 nights and made plans to meet with another college friend Bob Kukich and his wife

Hampton downtown

Sam. We walked about and had a beer and appetizer at the Venture Restaurant and Bar before heading back for a nice dinner aboard.

After a day of boat chores and catching up we had the good fortune to have Bob and Sam come by the boat for drinks and then went to the Deadrise Restaurant at the former Ft Monroe. We had a great visit and hopefully will lead to more opportunities for getting together.

Our dinner with Bob and Sam.

View from the Deadrise Restaurant.

So after our great evening with Bob and Sam we prepared and left Hampton heading for the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. We left the slip about 0700 with little wind to help us and we worked our way

The views at Mile 0 of the ICW.

through the wickets getting down the waterway. Our first disappointment was a delay at the Gilmerton Bridge as the bridge tender took exceptionally long to raise the bridge. That delay then caused us to miss the 1030 opening of the Great Bridge Lock which set our trip back an hour. Going on we got through the other bridges and on down to Coinjock, NC. Last week the ICW was closed due to high water. The Dismal Swamp Canal is still closed. But coming down from the Norfolk area the water in the channels was deeper than usual. Most of the channels had water at least 10' in places where in the past we were nearly bumping.

From Coinjock on skinny water is less an issue so we hopefully have come through the hard parts and the rest of the trip on the ICW will be as uneventful.

Now that we're underway our next stop is Cherry Point to visit my son's family.

Deja vu all over again

Yogi Berra's famous quote comes to mind often. We were here in June doing work but we were here twice last year and for months in 2014 getting the boat outfitted. But, beyond that we have been provisioning for a really long trip, visiting medical appointments, seeing old friends and going to places we used to frequent.  Driving the beltway in rush hour it almost seems like we never left but then we're back on the boat and this is our reality.

We've spent 2 weeks in Oxford doing some relatively minor repairs and services while we tended to our longer term requirements. Our medical issues are being resolved but will take more time. We have seen many old friends since we've been back in the Bay but we probably won't see many again for a long time unless they come visit us. We have added stores of food and beverages to support us on out trip. But of course at some point they will be exhausted and how we replenish them is still an open question. But we have to stock to get to our first destination.

Pusser's new Gunpowder Proof Rum that finally we got to try.

Other than some routine maintenance the only new addition we completed in Oxford was our companionway security door that we expected to get in Galesville but were not happy with the outcome. We have a simple steel mesh welded into a frame with a bug screen on the inside so we can leave the companionway open for ventilation when we are off the boat or sleeping but have it fully secured against intrusion. Most of the places we go it probably isn't necessary but there are some high crime areas we will be visiting.

Nearly full moon rising over the Boatyard.

Lunch with Jim and Jean Upson.

One of the spectacular sunsets over the Boatyard.

Our big events were the times we met with family and friends before shoving off. Nearly everyday we had lunch or dinner with friends. Often several different ones on the same day. One recent weekend we drove to Pennsylvania and met my college classmate Mike Campbell and his delightful wife Hannah. Then we continued to Wilkes Barre to meet grandson Alex. The next day we spent the afternoon with my sister in Lancaster and dinner with two of my sons; Justin and Jonathan.

Mike and Hannah Campbell.

Justin and Jonathan.

Seeing old friends and falling back into portions of our previous lives provides a siren's song to days past and a fleeting thought about how it would be nice to do the things we did for years. But, the reality of what we are doing now is so much nicer. With any luck we leave tomorrow to head on down the Bay as the first step to an extended journey.

We've been here long enough it's time to move on from where we've been.

Old friends and new friends

After arriving back in the Bay our first port of call was Spring Cove Marina in Rock Hall, Maryland for 5 nights to achieve several different objectives but primarily the Chesapeake Island Packet mini-rendezvous. From there we planned several other calls that would lead us back to Oxford to complete the last bit of work before heading south.

From our anchorage in Worton Creek the trip to Rock Hall was only about 15 miles but we had current with us and no wind. So we motor sailed with what little wind we had while tacking to keep it far enough off the bow to get some lift. Rock Hall has mostly shallow water and the charts show a bar running south that would demand that we make the entrance a long way around. Having been in the area a couple of times I recalled that there was a path cutting across but didn't remember the way so I called our old friend Hayden Cochran who gave the vectors and we got across and into the marina safely. All the way in we had enough water but not by much.

Dinner at the Harbor Shack with fellow IP owners David and Peg Schaake.

Our first objective at Spring Cove was to drive into Virginia to see an orthopedic surgeon about my finger. We accomplished that and they removed the sutures so I was no longer required to keep my finger dry but still no swimming. We used the trip to also do some needed provisioning since our last opportunity was in Newport with some minor shopping along the way.

After dinner waiting for the trolley back to the boats (photo credit Hayden Cochran).

The IP mini-rendezvous was similar to the one we attended in Maine last summer but with a totally different set of boats. About 30 boats were represented and gave us an opportunity to visit with some old friends but we met several new couples that we got to know fairly well. Numerous folks came to visit our boat to get ideas from the work we had completed preparing her for our life aboard. The rendezvous is a great opportunity to get insight from others and share experiences. In spite of the heat the breeze kept it very pleasant during one of the hot spells of the summer. Would have been nice if our A/C worked but we'll get that fixed in Oxford. But in the end we got to meet lots of new folks and had a great time.

Sunday morning coffee (photo credit Hayden Cochran).

Among the new folks we met were David and Peg Schaake who keep their boat in Annapolis and offered that if we were coming to Annapolis we could probably use a slip in the marina at their condo. So given our dinghy challenges we accepted and were able to use an empty slip on Spa Creek for 2 nights that we spent in Annapolis. While in Annapolis we were able to visit with our old friends Al and Trish Del Negro. Since we were able to walk from the dock we were able to do some shopping and carry things back to the boat.

Stopping at Pusser's Dock Bar for a Painkiller.

But Wednesday came and time to leave but we once again were forced to motor our short trip down to Herrington Harbour.  We had slips at HHN for 10 years but this would be our first trip back in the 2 years since we left cruising. The only time we had this boat at HHN was one night when we took it over to HHN from Oxford to move off of our previous boat on to this boat. That was a whirlwind and very cold around Thanksgiving of 2014 about 2 weeks before we left to go south.

While at Herrington we got to see many of our old friends. On Friday night we went as guests to a slip holders party where we saw many old friends. Saturday night we hosted a happy hour on our boat since the threatened tropical storm canceled the cruise. After the happy hour we went to dinner with our good friends Larry and Pam Brown. While in our slip we made friends with several new live aboards so our circle continues to expand.

The hurricane party on 9/3/2016.

Enjoying a night out in Annapolis with Ed and BJ Skinner. Friends from Marathon.

One of the key reasons we went to HHN was so that we could have easy access to northern Virginia for Linda's follow-up surgery. Back in July she had the benign tumor on her hand removed but they did not get all the bad tissue so a follow-up was required. This time they were successful but the sutures and the dressing will leave her challenged for several weeks.

Post op recovery.

We also used the opportunity to begin stocking up or our trip. The Friday and Tuesday around Labor Day we spent shopping and running errands. Among the errands was getting paper charts and courtesy flags for our trip since there are no chart books and we really need to have the flags before we get into the countries were visiting.

So after being at HHN for a week it was time to move on. The time we weren't running errands we spent with friends old and new. Our next stop is Oxford to get the boat ready to leave. The list isn't long but there is lots to do so after visiting with old friends its time to get to work.

Leaving Herring Bay and Herrington Harbour for probably the last time for a long time.

Back to the Bay Part Deux

Something I was looking forward to doing at Cape May was spend time at the Beach. But, with the finger dressing that was out. Then of course there was the continuing discussion about the weather. We did get to spend time with our friends Tom and Sue Jones who have a summer home in Wildwood.

The storm front moving in.

Linda picking guitar with Tom and Sue Jones.

The first day we arrived in Cape May was spent doing boat chores and then celebrating our arrival at the Schooner Bar at the Lobster House. Saturday we worked more boat chores and then met our friends Tom and Sue Jones for drinks and dinner at the Lobster House. Sunday night we met the Jones' again and dinner at their place. Monday we walked about the town and prepared for an early departure Tuesday.

Throughout the weekend we were again reviewing weather because we initially planned for a Sunday departure. Forecast evolved and we saw a line of serious storms that would hit us while transiting the C&D canal with forecasts for hail so a Sunday departure was out. Monday the forecast called for high winds that would be right on the nose going up the Delaware Bay but Tuesday looked fairly benign so we focused on a Tuesday departure.

Looking at the beach while walking about.

Stopped in for refreshment at the Rusty Nail.

Forecast was for relatively light winds that would be on our nose but we might be able to get some lift. The key factor wold be the current. We figured if we left at 0600 we could catch the outgoing tide in the Cape May Channel and round CM Point at slack tide. We dd not want to go out the channel on an incoming tide because of the turbulence which is the same reason slack tide at the Point would be good. But once round the Point we would catch the incoming tide that should last most of the way up the Delaware and then catch the outgoing tide through the C&D and on down the Chesapeake.

Passing Town Point, the Chesapeake end of the C&D Canal.

As it turned out we made it up the Delaware sooner than expected and made it to the Canal before the current turned but slowly the current turned and we soon gained the advantage right down to our anchorage at Worton Creek along the Chesapeake Bay. In the northern part of the Chesapeake currents run stronger than further down the Bay so having the current made our last 20 miles go much faster. From our slip n Utsch's Marina we traveled about 100 miles in about 12 hours having left about 0600 and dropped the anchor just after 1800. But we were now back in the Bay more than a week after we left the Vineyard on our way back.

Our anchorage at Worton Creek.

We spent a very restful and quiet night anchored by Worton Creek and then on to Rock Hall from our new Chesapeake adventures as we prepare to head South.

Sunset from our anchorage.

Journey back to the Bay Part 1

After a short but very fun stay in Nantucket we needed to begin our way back south to get ready for our eventual return to southern latitudes. The decision was complicated by the weather forecasts. When we came to New England we were facing East and North winds. Now that we are looking for a passage southwest the winds are out of that direction for at least the next week. So we tried to develop a travel plan that makes sense in the conditions forecasted or otherwise known as the best bad option.

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.

A sailboat sailed down to Nantucket, with a crew so stout they could tough it, they pulled out the sail and buried the rail now that's the way to sail to Nantucket.

There are many funny limericks about about a man from Nantucket. But Nantucket is a really great place to visit for young and old. But, we got there Thursday afternoon with the wind blowing 15-20 steady with gusts to 30. We got the hook down with the wind and current going in the same direction but we knew with the tide change we would have the wind oppose current.

Last year we had the same issue but it really wasn't a problem. When the wind opposed the boat would settle right above the anchor facing the current with the chain laying on the bottom. When the current changed the chain would be straight out. But I bought a barbell and shackle to use as a pendant on the chain in situations like this to keep the chain down from the boat hull to avoid the discomfort we had in Rudder Cut Cay in the Bahamas. So I clipped on the weight and put out lots of scope and hoped for the best.

A very classic ride in Nantucket.

But once the tide turned we spun around as we should have but as the strength of the wind modulated we spun and spun and spun clockwise then counter clockwise and clockwise again continuously. Where we anchored we weren't really close to other boats but with our odd spinning and my concern that we could pop the anchor from the spinning I sat in the cockpit as an anchor watch until the tide turned and we were once again stretched out on the chain in the wind. The next morning we were up before the current turned and hauled our anchor so we could move further away from the other boats and for the first time I put out 2 bow anchors in a so-called Bahamian Mooring pattern. First I dropped our primary anchor in the direction of the wind and current then let out enough chain to get us 2x as far back as we would settle. I dropped my second bow anchor and worked our way back up to the point I wanted to be at tugging on the line for the second anchor to get it set and then cleated off the anchor line on the bow cleat. As usual I swam down on both anchors and found them set well. For the rest of our time we enjoyed a controlled swing without the crazy gyrations of that first night. The final challenge came when it was time to raise the anchors as the second anchor had dug itself in so well it took lots of effort to raise it by hand.

Always up for some free beer and cold WiFi.

During the sail over to Nantucket we ran into fog about 5 miles from the island. In fact the island had been shrouded in fog although as we got into the harbor the fog abated and the sun was out. From the time we got to Nantucket until we left the dew point was so close to the ambient temperature that any cooling brought fog. Each night the boat was dripping from condensation of the fog on the rigging. Since it was cool anyway to run our A/C to dry out the inside of the boat would have made it very chilly.  But our A/C developed an issue in Cape May and we haven't used it (or needed to) since then.

With the foggy conditions we just stayed on the boat Thursday evening celebrating our sail and good fortune to have made it to Nantucket.So Friday we began exploring. Our first stop was for lunch at Something Natural. A great little bakery cafe where they bake their own bread and pastries. For their sandwiches they slice the loaf horizontally and a half sandwich is one piece cut in half and a whole sandwich is 2 pieces of horizontally sliced bread.

Brant Point Light Nantucket.

Brant Point Beach looking out at the anchorage.

Hayden's Saltbox 14.

After lunch we walked around town checking out shops and stopped in the Whaling Museum. Having seen it last year we didn't need to spend lots of time in it but we walked about and listened to one of the programs. Since we are supporters of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum we have reciprocal privileges at other maritime museums so we registered and enjoyed the display.

Our trip in would not be complete if we didn't stop by Slip 14. Last year we found this little place by the water that was a real sailors bar. We stopped in for a beer and some of their famous wings. We met another liveaboard, a single man who lives there in the summer and goes south in the winter. Had a great discussion with him. Also met 2 gents who sailed up from NY for their vacation on the island.

Slip 14.

One of the nice things about Nantucket is there is a supermarket downtown right near the dinghy docks so we picked up some provisions we needed and headed back to the boat.

Saturday we walked about and visited the Old Gaol (Jail) and had lunch at the Backyard Barbecue where they had an excellent smoked turkey sandwich. Nantucket's beauty is n the preserved charm of the old homes and mansions which date back to the time when Nantucket was the premier whaling port in the world. It has now become a summer getaway for the very affluent so it is quite a haven for people watching and shopping in stores you won't find anywhere else.

Old sea captains homes on Main Street.

The old Gaol (Jail).

The waterfront is lined with 100+ ft yachts Med-moored while their owners or users visit the island.Many of the large yachts are available for charter either when their owners aren't using them or many are exclusively for charter in the realm of $50k-$100k and up per week depending on the size and the amenities.       

As has often been the case schedules are often decided by weather ad the trip to Nantucket was no different. We had a date to be back in the Chesapeake on 27th August some 2 weeks away. But, we had other stops we wanted to make. The forecasts for almost as far out as we could see were for heavy sustained southwest winds and frequent storms so the big question became when do we leave. Sailing back to Cape May from Nantucket would require about 8 hours more than our trip to Block Island. That means we really need to see a 48 hour window for the passage and given the forecasts it didn't look likely anytime soon. The last thing we wanted was to go southwest in heavy southwest winds. Ironically when we went to New England we had heavy east-northeast winds and could have used southwest winds and now we have the exact opposite.

The fog rolls in on Saturday night which featured a benefit concert by the Boston Pops on the beach followed by fireworks. It went off but most of the fireworks were just noise.

So after intense deliberation and some other considerations we decided that Sunday looked good to start the trip back at least as far as Martha's Vineyard. Then Monday the winds would be northerly for a while and then be light so we could probably go to Atlantic Highlands. It looked like a low with heavy storms would come through late Tuesday-Wednesday and give us some west-northwest wind that we could sail to Cape May before the next round of storms came through Thursday.

So with those considerations we made our plans to leave Sunday morning and go over to Martha's Vineyard where we would meet our friend Kris Faught and is family before jumping off to New Jersey Monday.