After spending a few weeks away from the boat following our return from our winter trip to Florida, we headed out again just before Memorial Day weekend to enjoy Block Island before the summer crowds descend. We had some memorable moments!
May 30, 2021 Portsmouth, RI to Block Island, RI
Note: After abandoning the blog for much too long, I’m going to give it another try. No time like the present to get re-started.
We returned home from our winter cruise to Florida on Friday, April 15. After spending exactly six months on board, we moved ashore and caught up on life at home, plus made a few short Airstream trips to get our land legs back. But sure enough, the itch to get back out on the water soon returned, and we decided that an early season run to Block Island would be fun. We’re not wild about the summer crowds, so we like getting there before the season gets in to full swing.
After being holed up in Solomons waiting for the gale to blow through and the high water to recede, we were ready to move out and move on. Getting to the bottom of the Chesapeake, and entering the ICW proper, was our agenda.
October 31 – November 1, 2021 Location Days 20 – 21
We had stayed one “extra” day in Solomons. The gale had pulled away the day before and a lot of folks had headed out, thinking conditions would be OK. We had scratched our heads, assessed the finer points in the forecast, and concluded that with breeze still fresh out of the south, the bay could use another 24 hours to lie down. This decision proved correct, as the boats that had left the day before all scurried for cover in whatever creek was available not long after getting under way. The bay was, as we suspected, still rather gnarly.
We enjoyed an extended stay at Solomon’s thanks to — can you guess? — the weather. Two lovely days, one one day of gale conditions and historic flooding. We picked a good spot to ride it out.
October 28 – 31 Solomons, MD Days 16 – 20
We left Annapolis behind as the clouds cleared out, the sun began to shine brightly and a stiff northwest breeze pushed us down the bay. Small Craft Advisories were up. It was blustery — 15 – 25 knots — but as it was behind us, we were pretty comfortable. The current was erratic, first against us, then with us, then against us. The sea state got a little lumpy when it turned against us off Jefferson Island at the entrance to Eastern Bay, so we pushed up our speed for twenty minutes or so to get beyond it, and life became happy again.
Starting with sunrise on a glassy calm East River, we enjoyed the awe of Manhattan, a placid Atlantic Ocean along the Jersey Shore, some crazies in Manasquan, a summer-like day on Barnegat Bay, and a unique ride up the Forked River.
Friday, October 15, 2021 City Island, New York City, Manasquan and Forked River, NJ Day 4
We started out with coffee pre-dawn, and watched the morning glow develop on the eastern horizon on a warm, clear, glassy calm morning. Just beautiful. The plan for the day was the classic run down the East River, which is always a thrill, then ending up somewhere in New Jersey, depending on our progress and conditions.
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.
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