The sail down to Long Island was supposed to include a stop at Block Island but the wind favoured a straight beam reach and onto Mystic we went. Up the long winding river we found a mooring just outside the Bascule Bridge for the town. A not very busy place at this time of year but there was a good consignment shop where we stocked up with second hand charts. From Mystic it was the Thimbles, a great collection of deserted islands, only empty because all the houses seem to be holiday homes. We didn't go ashore, surprisingly. It rained and rained with some fog so onward gingerly to Newhaven for lunch where there was an Ikea next to the wharf. 2 hours later I was released from the shopping but not until we had a very nice Ikea brunch for 5 dollars for the 2 of us.

I forgot to mention Kevin helped repair our broken cooling hose connection which had snapped in the housing so needed a drill to get off and another thread made. All good learning and another lesson for me to get the right tools! The auto pilot course computer needed shifting into a drier place so we achieved that as well. You might like to have confirmed that if you have 2 problems together the 3rd is bound to happen. We were going to take Kevin and Jean back up the Narragansett but whilst weighing anchor we realised that there was another anchor on our chain from the boat next door and it was speedily coming towards us, soon to hit us on the stern but without any damage. Once sorted out, off we set  and because the engineer was onboard I thought I would rev the engine to 3500 revs to give it a blow out. When it reached the said speed it over heated so off went the engine to find out why. Look out for the 3rd accident I thought and low and behold we drifted onto a lobster pot and were well and truly caught round the rudder. So over the side you go with knife between the teeth and away goes another fishermans catch, and his pot. He was only over the way but luckily wasn't looking. I hope he doesn't read this.

Back to Long island and another motor across to Huntingdon on the south shore. What a great place the Yacht Club was, so welcoming after we had paid the 40 Dollars for the mooring. The local club members were so nice and Al the Greek barman kept us amused over supper. Apparently the club was being taken over by a new management company and he may lose his job.

After another motor we arrived in Port Washington the next afternoon to meet up with our sailing friends again. Its great to be able to swop stories and catch up with the gossip. More importantly it was to get the low down on New York which Ali and Richard had got sorted for us. Off on the commuter train the next day and the bright lights here we come. 

Jen's bit -

We had one very long day in New York and it was wonderful. Robbie and I split up when he did the cultural visits [actually to get a veterans pass and look over the US aircraft carrier Intrepid] and Ali and I did the shopping and people watching. We met up again at 5pm at the Hard Rock cafe before seeing Cirque du Soleil. Happy but with aching feet we caught the 10.48 train back to Port Washington and were back in our bunks by midnight.

So after a day or so to catch up with jobs and take delivery of the spare parts for our outboard it's time to up anchor and move on. The next 24 hours was to be a very full day too.

From Port Washington we were to sail down the East river and out of New York harbour passing through Hells gate and it's notorious tide (see photo). Then the plan was to sail overnight down the New Jersey coast to Cape May. Sadly the weather wasn't at it's best. Our dream of sailing past the Statue of Liberty was fulfilled but it was cold, grey and misty - not the best photo opportunity. We decided to continue with our overnight plan and sailed past Sandy Hook back out into the Atlantic Ocean once again. The tide turned as dusk arrived making the sea very choppy and then the first thunder storm. When we were completely soaked the rain stopped and the sea settled down again as we were further off shore, so we had change of clothes and a nice cup of tea just in time for the next down pour, this one felt more personal because we tracked it on the radar and it followed us down the coast for several hours! By midnight things improved, the clouds vanished, the wind settled in from the west at a steady 15 knots and we were able to sail on a beam reach down the coast and arrived in Cape May in very good time, 24 hours after leaving Port Washington, 160miles.

Cape May trains the US coastguards and we were anchored off their training grounds, we watched them marching in and out of the lecture rooms  chanting and in step. Its a pity their voice procedure on the radio is not as good as their marching. Our next door boat gave me a lift into town on their tender and I swapped a story about New York. She was a yachting journalist. After a good nights sleep we caught the tide out of Cape May around some shallows and into Delaware Bay. 

50 miles up the Delaware is the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and after visiting the museum we now know all about it. Opened in 1829 and  the busiest shipping canal in the world, 350ft wide 35 ft deep and 14 miles long. We stopped at Chesapeake City, like a service station on the canal, for the night.

Then into Chesapeake Bay and the Sassafras River which was a great change from the hustle and bustle of the last week. A nice couple of quiet days

at Turner Creek and Georgetown, where we once again acquired a free mooring. Robbie forgot to tell you that he took the outboard apart, it is a 2 year old Suzuki 2.5 which had been suffering from the additives put in the petrol, meant to make it more environmentally friendly. After waiting for some parts he eventually managed to put it together again and it works! Saves the muscles rowing.

Now in Annapolis which I will tell you about in a few days because this blog has been too long already. Suffice to say look out for the next instalment because it will be a much more interesting with more shopping and a US Football match. Everything was really exciting apart from the Football game. I won't let Robbie tell it because it will be as long as this blog if I do.

Photos

Robbie in consignment shop.

Hell Gate 

East River

S of L

Times Square

Coastguards in training

Osprey on our neighbours spreader

Delaware - note jumper and hot soup

Chesapeake City.