john-and-riaAfter the relatively long trip down Delaware Bay we decided to spend some time in Cape May, New Jersey, a place we new little about until our arrival. We’re glad we did, as there was much to see and do there – long beaches (and this was to be our last chance to walk the beach for some time), an iconic and interesting lighthouse, a lively beach strip, and a huge variety of restored (and some not-so-restored) houses from the Victorian era. It also turned out to be a great place to ride our bikes.
After Cape May came Atlantic City. the east coast’s Las Vegas. Quite a contrast! Although we originally had planned to anchor out and not visit the city, the day we arrived was a blustery one, so we decided to take a berth at the marina which was part of the Golden Nugget Casino (this was formerly one of Trump’s casinos – I guess it got fired).
So far this has been our most expensive place to stay – just over $100 for the night and well beyond our usual digs – however the unique views helped to make up for it. We made a bus trip into town the following day to go to the post office, which gave us a broader view of the place. To these casual Canadian observers, Atlantic City is a study in contrast itself – many new, glittery casinos set against a rather dowdy background, and an overall feeling that the city has yet to reclaim its past glory.
Some parts of the New Jersey ICW are very challenging to navigate, with a maximum recommended draft for transit of 4.5 feet and unpredictable shoaling in some spots. Although we had a couple of close encounters with the bottom along this stretch, slow cruising speeds and a high level of concentration kept us out of trouble.
The ICW ends at Manasquan Inlet, where it is necessary to travel ‘offshore’ for 30 miles or so before reaching the Hudson River. Needless to say it can be a difficult passage if the weather and tides are not co-operating, but we monitored both closely and chose a day that turned out to be just about perfect. In addition to providing safety and comfort, this allowed the crew to full enjoy one of the expected highlights of our trip, the approach and entrance to New York harbour. It did not disappoint.
More New York City to come…..
Congratulations on reaching New York NY!
That’s quite a stretch… How many miles on the trip log?
How have you been finding the chores of provisioning?
Especially if you are spending most nights at anchor…
We hope to be off in about ten days. Most of the tasks completed and all systems ship shape… I hope. Heading dues west to Sweden.
Greetings
Lion & Kaarina
Any way of editing comments??
Dues should read due of course…
Thanks Lion. According to the GPS we travelled just over 1500 statute miles from Stuart to New York. That leaves us about 2000 miles to go this year.
Provisioning has been relatively easy as we’ve been able to stock up when we’re berthed at a marina or municipal dock. Many of the municipal docks are free – especially in the smaller towns where they’re close to services in the downtown area – so we’ve used them quite a bit. When anchored we’ll sometimes dinghy to a local dinghy dock and provision that way.
Safe and happy sailing in Sweden, and let us know about the trip when you return.
Cheers,
John & Ria
Congratulations on reaching this milestone that was but a distant dream back in February! Did you know that when the first Roller Coaster in the US was built on Coney Island it cost a nickel and went 6 MPH. There is some trivia for you that I just happened to read about a couple of days ago. Glad to see that all is well with you two, and His Idea!
Cheers,
Doug
PS. You are missing the coldest June on record on the West Coast! Another Junuary day today!
Thanks Doug, and for the trivia.
We hadn’t heard that the weather was so cold back home. Other than the occasional shower or bout of rain, usually overnight, our weather has been generally sunny and very warm throughout our trip. We’re counting our blessings for this and hoping it will continue.
Cheers….