WEEK 9 LOG - Annapolis to New York City

We put the pedal to the metal this week (relatively speaking) and covered a lot of ground to make it to NYC by the last day in May. Our stops from Annapolis were Chesapeake City (anchor), Cape May, New Jersey (anchor), Atlantic City, NJ (anchor), Point Pleasant, NJ (cheap dock), and then to Liberty Landing State Park right at the foot of the Statue of Liberty (anchor). Other than one layover day in Cape May, we were underway every day. Since we blew a big chunk of the cruising kitty at the boatyard, we are trying to anchor out more, and it turns out we both really enjoy the privacy and solitude of being on the hook.

We left Annapolis on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, despite dire warnings of how you should never travel over the holiday weekend because the crush of boats and drunken knuckleheads. Maybe it would be intimidating if you had never boated in South Florida, but frankly it was like a slow weekday in Lauderdale to us. We had the current behind us on a very smooth run up to Chesapeake City where there is a small boat basin off the C&D Canal. This canal connects Chesapeake Bay with Delaware Bay. There was a restaurant and tiki bar there that was definitely jumping, but to my surprise, there was plenty of space to anchor out and a great spot to take Bella ashore.

Chesapeake Bay north of Annapolis

Our typical cruising speed is 8 mph

Our picturesque, serene anchorage in Chesapeake City

The next day was a biggie….the dreaded Delaware Bay. This is one of the most hated spots on the loop due to the strong tidal currents and wicked chop that kicks up out of nowhere. We managed to pick a fairly calm day and to time the tides so we had a nice boost from the ebb tide down Delaware Bay, and we made the 70 miles to Cape May in only 7 hours, which is really fast for us. Cape May is a really nice little place, one of the earliest seaside resort towns in the country and has some fantastically well-preserved architecture. It is also home to the US Coast Guard training center, sort of like Parris Island for the coasties.

Chugging down the Delaware

Lighthouse on Delaware Bay

Stewart's old fashioned ice cream parlor

Cape May beach

Cape May Shops

Leaving South Jersey marina and the fishing fleet behind

From Cape May there are two options for northbound travelers – you can run offshore in the ocean, or you can take the (quite shallow) New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway. We had some decent offshore conditions and picked the offshore route. From Cape May, it was a 50-mile trip to Atlantic City, where we found a really nice little anchorage right across from all the casino action. There was a nasty thunderstorm that night and the next morning was socked in with dense fog – so dense I got lost in the dinghy taking the dog ashore. We don’t get a lot of fog in Florida, so it was a great opportunity to get more familiar with navigating by radar. We picked our way out the inlet in probably less than 200 yards of visibility and ran along the coast in dense fog all day, 68 miles to Manasquan Inlet.

At the town of Point Pleasant in Manasquan Inlet, we found a fuel dock that offered dockage for a dollar a foot if you bought fuel. It was pretty primitive, no electric and a surgey, wakey, fixed dock, but the price was right and it was next door to Red’s Lobster Pot, where we had a terrific dinner.

Underway to Atlantic City

Atlantic City Steel Pier from the Atlantic Ocean

The view of Atlantic City from our anchorage in Brigantine

Fog during our anchorage departure 

Passing a nearby yacht in the inlet

Heading out to the Atlantic

Captain Bill's in Point Pleasant

Lobster Pot dinner with our friends from God's Grace

OMG this was so delicious!

Finally, it was on to the Big Apple! It’s only about 42 miles from Manasquan to the Statue of Liberty. Along the way, we hit the easternmost point on our great loop, at 73 degrees 56.859 minutes west longitude. Seeing the New York skyline materialize of the haze as we rounded Sandy Hook, going under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, and finally seeing Lady Liberty against the Manhattan skyline was nothing short of magical. And we and BellaGatto made it all this way in one piece! We pulled into a nice little anchorage at Liberty Landing Sate Park on the New Jersey side to spend the night.

Approaching Sandy Hook/Jersey Highlands

NY City in the distance 

BellaGatto in front of Lady Liberty (photo credit: God's Grace)

Bella Gatto and God's Grace at Liberty Landing State Park anchorage

A boardwalk for Bella

Next week  we will slow down the pace bit and slow walk it up the Hudson River to Albany and the canal to Lake Champlain.