Cape May to Jersey City - May 23 - May 27, 2010

       Leaving Cape May at 5:30 a.m.,  we made our way to the Atlantic Ocean to travel 100 nautical miles to Sandy Hook, New Jersey.  When we started out the seas were about 3-4 feet so we had "battened down the hatches" in preparation for the 12 + hours trip.  Fortunately, we have autopilot which made it much easier for the captain to navigate.  The winds were out of the east at 10-15 knots so we were dealing with washboard waves.  It was like boating on Lake Ontario so we did fine and the tug did better than we.  Rambler can handle quite a bit!!

     At 6:30 p.m., we pulled into Atlantic Highlands Marina for a 2-night stay.  Atlantic Highlands, NJ is a bedroom community for NYC, with rapid water commuter services. This is where we did a week's worth of laundry, resupplied our fridge, and rested on a rainy day.  We also enjoyed a cocktail and a plate of mussels in marinara sauce at the marina restaurant.  We had a very good rest before heading to Jersey City, NJ.  The photos below show what we saw as we traveled through the New York Harbor.

                                                        

  New York Harbor boat traffic

Statue of Liberty

Ellis Island

                       

  Approach to Liberty Landing Marina.  Tallest structure is the Colgate Building.

     Liberty Landing Marina has been our choice for our previous two trips to NYC.  It is ideally located directly across from the World Trade Center site and is one of few marinas in this area that offers quiet transient dockage courtesy of a 700-foot wave suppression system.  Also, a ferry to Manhattan leaves from the marina throughout the day.  Liberty Island State Park borders the east side of marina and offers bicycle paths, a museum telling stories of immigrants, and the Liberty Landing Restaurant with clear views of the Manhattan skyline. Jersey City, on the west side of the marina, allows access to PATH trains and several notable restaurants.  From here, sightseeing in NYC is only a ferry and a subway away! 

     We enjoyed three nights here.  Tuesday, Richard and his colleague, Carolyn, entertained on Rambler and even took the group of seven for a cruise passed the Statue of Liberty.  We then enjoyed a special dinner at the Liberty Landing Marina.  Richard then drove to Rhode Island to attend an important meeting, while I enjoyed a relaxing day, reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  Wednesday evening concluded with a fireworks display on Liberty Island celebrating NYC's Fleet Week.  Thursday, May 27 was the best day!!  Richard and I attended the Bon Jovi Concert at the New Meadowlands Stadium.  The concert was amazing!  We hit the pillows around 1 a.m.!

Chesapeake Bay to Cape May, NJ - May 19 - 22

     We spent our first night on Chesapeake Bay at Dozier's Regatta Point Marina near Deltaville, VA.  We and several other cruisers, including our friends on Masquerade, enjoyed a cheese and wine party on the veranda of the marina building.  Our wonderful hosts, Jack and his wife, Craig, joined us and listened to our cruising stories.  That evening we cooked dinner and watched a beautiful sunset.This is the second time we have visited this marina.

  

 Early the next morning, we began making our way to Rock Hall, Maryland on the east side of the Chesapeake and across the bay from Baltimore.  The journey there was spectacular!  The bay was very calm accompanied by clear skies.   I sat on the fly bridge for several hours, enjoying the warm air and beautiful scenery.  As we neared Baltimore, several freighters were anchored in the bay waiting for entrance to Baltimore Harbor.

Before we arrived at next destination, we passed under the Chesapeake Bay Bridges.

     Thursday, May 20 we spent a pleasant evening in Rock Hall, Maryland. The marina is resort-like with a pool, villas, and floating docks.  After our long day, we enjoyed a succulent seafood dinner at Waterman's Crab House. We will  have to return to this quiet fishing village to experience this again!  In the morning, we took a walk to the laid-back little town and enjoyed a light breakfast and coffee at Java Rock Cafe. 

     On Friday, we only had to travel 24 miles to get to Chesapeake City, Maryland located on the C&D Canal.  On this very warm day, Friday afternoon, we docked at Chesapeake Restaurant, Inn and Marina.  Because of a low tide and the lack of recent dredging, we hit the sand as we pulled into our slip.  With great effort, the docks hands were able to pull us close enough to our dock so we could disembark.  A few hours later we were able to adjust the lines.  Friday is party night and Chesapeake City had it going on.  Our dock was 20 steps from the open-air restaurant and bar, complete with live music.  We were amongst a number of go-fast boats and small Searays filled with revellers.  This scene brought back some fond memories of our early boating days so we joined in and had a great time!  Alas, we had a very long day ahead of us so we had to say good-night relatively early.

     Saturday, May 21, we left the party docks at 6 a.m. for a long day on the water.  We continued on the C and D Canal which provides ocean-going freighters access to Chesapeake Bay via Delaware Bay.  Again, we passed under several bridges.

     Delaware Bay is a passage of more than 50 miles from the C and D Canal to the Atlantic Ocean.  The bay is notorious for building up short, choppy seas quickly (similar to Lake Erie).  On this trip, we had following seas and 2-3 foot waves, easy enough for us to handle.  Last fall we encountered 4-6 foot waves as we left Cape May.  We handled those seas but it wasn't fun.  This trip to Cape May was much more enjoyable.  On the bay a nuclear power plant is a prominent landmark.

      Late afternoon, May 22, we arrived at Cape May Harbor and took up a dock at South Jersey Marina.  Cape May is reputed to be "the nation's oldest seaside resort."  The entire town has been proclaimed a National Historic Landmark.  Victorian houses laced with gingerbread designs, small cottages and grand show pieces, fill the streets of the village.  Cape May's beaches are legendary, stretching for miles along the Atlantic shoreline.