Mona Eastbound

[Bubba the Pirate]

Good show!
I was anchored at that very spot 11 months ago on a W42.

[Frank]

Enjoy your down time...
Great run...Ya deserve it!!
Stay warm  ;)

[Jim_ME]

I'm resurrecting this thread for Charlie and any other interested folks. 

Count me among them. Enjoying the updates. :)

[ralay]

Videos!  Cause watch is pretty darn boring.

The first is 10-20nm off the coast of MD or DE.  Looks pretty chill in the sunshine, but we actually had a small craft advisory and were barrelling along at 7-10kts. 
https://vid.me/gOgJ

The second is the view from down in our berth.  It also looks totally serene and not much like being there.  It looks like a still boat with swinging fruit, instead of still fruit with a wildly swinging boat.
https://vid.me/D4zi

[Bubba the Pirate]

Nice!
Thank you.

[w00dy]

Woke up before dawn yesterday and started the engine. There was little wind but after waiting at cape may for a solid week, we were ready to make some forward progress and take advantage of a day when wind and waves weren't flat out against us.

The swells were between 6 and 9 feet, but the long period meant that instead of bashing against them, we simply rode up and down like we were on a huge carousel. Otherwise the seas were mostly glassy and smooth. We had left early enough that by the time the N wind did start to pick up, we were already coming in Absecon inlet at Atlantic city and done for the day.

It was a short run of 7 hours, but got us 40 NM further and shortened the length of our next offshore hop. It currently looking like we may get a favorable weather window starting Thursday. We will probably sail out of here and head straight to Block Island RI, 180 NM or so. It seems like a place worth spending some time at,    nut I'm afraid we will be in too much of a hurry to spend more than a few days there.....story of my life

[ralay]

Woody was ready to go to Block Island this morning, but I wasn't. Rain and fog are forecast starting Fri afternoon.  Strong currents, rocky cliffs, rain, night, and fog are okay by themselves, but get exponentially worse in combination.  Right now, we're about 5nm offshore of NJ on our way to Great Kills or maybe straight through the East River if we can arrive at the Battery in time to run heck Gate with the proper current.  No time to stop in NY and no mooring balls out at 79th St yet, but at least we'll get the views. 

Today is SW wind ~15kt.  2-4' seas.  Sunny.  Full moon.  heck, there's even cell service.  The cockpit ID nice for reading and down below for napping.  Too bad this only happens once a month.

[ralay]

We made it to Block Island, RI on Sunday, via Long Island Sound. 

Sailed from Atlantic City to New York Harbor, going under the Verazzano Bridge around 0300.  It's amazing how far offshore you can see New York.  Our lovely SW wind died and we motored past the Statue of Liberty and the Battery in dead flat water with a big full moon.  There was a lot of traffic mixed in with lots lights on shore but with 4 eyes and AIS, we made it through fine.  We arrived just in time to transit heck Gate with the start of a favorable tide. 

When the sun came up in Long Island Sound, it was wild to see how different everything looked.  Everything from Texas to NJ is pancake flat and marshy or swampy.  Now there were hills, bluffs, rocks, and very clear, blue water.  The next few days were torture, because I wanted to stop at every interesting little nook we passed.  But of course, we blew most of our down time in Cape May.  It was sunny and the wind was great, so we sailed to Block Island without going ashore in NY or CT. 

Supposedly Block Island is a more difficult place to visit in the summer.  The water in the Great Salt Pond is mostly 20-50' deep and the bottom is sand, rock, and eel grass.  When it's full up, there are lots of people dragging around on short scopes.  We were the only boat, so we went to the shallowest legal spot and threw out our CQR and 150' of chain, which is holding just fine.  We rode bikes from the North lighthouse to the South lighthouse and everywhere in between.  It's so strange to be somewhere with big knobs and cliffs and rock beaches.  We finally feel far from Texas.  As a Yankee, I've been missing the mountains terribly.  Today Woody is holed up in the boat while a NE wind dumps rain on us.  I put on my foulies and rowed ashore for exercise. 

Tomorrow we're heading to Newport and then onward towards the Cape Cod Canal. 

A few Block Is pics here:  http://imgur.com/a/rqgHx

[Frank]

Great update!

Must feel awsome passing through NYC and the Staue of Liberty!!

Have fun kids!!

[Bubba the Pirate]

Good work!

[Cruiser2B]

Good to see you guys are making good progress.

[ralay]

Thanks!  Keep those ferry folks in line.  You'll probably see us again come fall.

Tonight we're somehow the only boat in Newport Harbor.  Hundreds of empty moorings.  Is it crazy to be in New England in April?

[CharlieJ]

Got the email. Take me off the list? I'll paddle your bottom!!! :) :)

[ralay]

Eh, I feel a little self conscious presuming that everyone wants to read 2-3 pages about us every other week.  Glad to hear you're enjoying it.

[Captain Smollett]

Please continue with the reports.  I may not often respond to the thread, but I do enjoy reading your updates.

[ralay]

Goal achieved.  We're anchored off Thompson Island in Boston Harbor after a day of fog and pouring rain.  We went, I dunno, 700-800 nm.  One spinnaker andnone foot pump damaged.  One alternator and one battery alarm fixed.  Two cushions lost.  One fender found and one pair of foulies claimed.  No engine problems.  No groundings.  No shouting.  Did more motoring than I'd like to admit, but what else is new?  Home is where the anchor drops.

[Bubba the Pirate]

Perfect! :-)