Once again, our hopes for a bit of fall cruising in the Chesapeake were foiled by the weather, which compelled us to make tracks while we could. We took advantage of two glorious calm days to cover the miles down the open and potentially challenging Chesapeake, and into the protected ICW.
October 29 – November 1, 2019 Annapolis, MD to Solomons, MD to Portsmouth, VA Days 16 – 19
Making Hay While the Sun Shines
We picked two gorgeous days to run the 155 miles from Annapolis to Portsmouth, Virginia. This was a gift, as the Chesapeake can be a long, hard, uncomfortable slog if the conditions aren’t right.
Annapolis gave us a little bit of everything, as it often does. Lovely fall days, crab cakes, torrential rain, good friends. And we stayed a few days too long, thanks to Amazon.com.
October 24 – 28, 2019 Annapolis, MD Days 11 – 15
We normally don’t stay in one place longer than two or three days, unless there are circumstances beyond our control. We expected to stay in Annapolis for three days. That’s usually enough fun for us. However, both the weather and Amazon.com conspired against us and kept us in our slip right on Ego Alley for five nights.
After a blustery but efficient ride up the Delaware Bay, we made our way into the C&D canal then tucked in to Chesapeake City as the rain began to pour down. The damp evening brought a delightful evening with friends, followed by a fun ride into the Chesapeake Bay to Rock Hall.
October 22 – 24 Chesapeake City and Rock Hall, MD Days 9 – 11
Chesapeake City, MD
A big part of cruising is new friends and old friends. Some of the best emerge from the shadows and take us by surprise. On our way up the Delaware, traveling in loose company with Curtis & Kim on their American Tug Blue Rhapsody and Matt and Laurie with their Nordhaven 46 First Light, we received a Facebook message from Phil.
True to form, our fall trip out of New England is punctuated by regular gales. It’s always nice when the gales schedule themselves so we can hang in nice places. Cape May is definitely a nice place to hang. When the weather settled we ran up the Delaware Bay.
October 19 – 22, Cape May, NJ Days 6 – 7 – 8 – 9
We were settled in at South Jersey Marina in Cape May by 3:30 on Saturday afternoon after the 120-mile run from Atlantic Highlands. Always a little buzzy after a long, fast run, I got the dogs off the boat to go for a walk and to get the blood circulating again. It was a beautiful warm afternoon and town appeared relatively crowded. Lots of folks were out enjoying a nice fall Saturday.
As the “Bomb Cyclone” pulled away from Mamaroneck, we got under way again, but we had just a couple of days to make progress before the next gale would shut us down again.
October 18 – 19, 2019, New York City, Atlantic Highlands and Cape May Days 5 – 6
Mamaroneck, the East River, Manhattan and Sandy Hook
The northwest gale had lightened up by Friday morning. It was still blowing 15 to 20 knots, but we were in the sheltered waters of Long Island Sound and our route through the day would take us down the East River, so a brisk northerly was not a problem. It was clear and sunny: a classic fall day.
The strongest October storm on record gave us a great excuse to tuck into Mamaroneck for a few days.
October 15 – 17, 2019, Mamaroneck, NY Days 3 – 5
We are getting used to running from October gales. Last year gave us great practice, so we are finding our rhythm quickly this year. Before we even got our trip under way from Narragansett Bay, we knew we would have to duck and hide from a forecast gale in a couple of days. A careful scan of the forecast, our own speed and timing, and harbors along Long Island Sound, brought Mamaroneck, NY into focus. For so many reasons, it was a great selection to sit out a gale safely and comfortably.
Esmeralde is on the move. So are the fall gales, just like last year.
October 12 – 15, 2019, Days 0 – 3
Portsmouth, RI – Stonington, CT – Mamaroneck, NY
Thus begins our Winter Cruise 2019 – 2020. It will generally be a re-run of last year’s trip down the ICW to Florida, across Lake Okeechobee, along the Gulf Coast then down the the Keys. We will stop at some of our favorite spots from last time, and also add as many new destinations as we can. There is plenty to see and do. And, of course, it is a great way to get away from the New England winter cold, ice and snow. Continue reading Here We Go Again!→
All things fun (and tasty) in the life of the Beards
