Block Island is a case study of why COVID 19 continues to spread.
August 6 – 9, 2020 Block Island, RI Days 22 – 25 aboard this summer
What a strange world. We are very lucky, but still, we struggle. Like everyone else, all our normal patterns and pleasures are disrupted. We have stayed home a lot more than normal, not socialized with friends or family, and used the boat less than we would like. The weather has been stifling hot, so we have been inside far too much.
We spent weeks trying to decide how we would spend the 4th of July holiday. Every option we contemplated was shaken up by Covid-19. Ultimately we ended up heading to Provincetown, a stop we always enjoy.
June 30 – July 6, 2020 Portsmouth, RI – Padanaram, MA – Provincetown, MA – Cuttyhunk, MA Days 15 – 21 aboard this summer season
We definitely wanted to be off on the boat for 4th of July. Our little home town is delightful, but on the 4th it gets much too crowded for our tastes. COVID-19 made planning difficult. Some facilities still were not open, some towns were very restrictive, dining out was complicated almost everywhere. Our choices were some combination of Block Island, Mystic, Stonington, Montauk, or east to Buzzards Bay and Provincetown. Ultimately, for a variety of reasons, we chose Provincetown, which we always enjoy.
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.
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.
