T&T: Pooh travels from the Chesapeake through NYC

[Mark Richter]

Wednesday we met up with fellow T&T member Paul Esterle in Chesapeake City,
who was kind enough to take us grocery shopping and find us a place to
refill our LPG tank.  Thanks, Paul.

Thursday at 04:30 we sailed out of Chesapeake City, MD on the tide, leaving
2 hours before high tide at Reedy Point.  There was some wispy fog rising
from the C&D canal, ocasionally heavy, and we met one large fuel barge and
tug.  Holding the fair tide nearly all the way down Delaware Bay, we arrived
in Cape May, NJ and anchored at 13:30 just east of the Coast Guard station.
The distance run was 73 sm.  Then we napped for a couple of hours to make
ready for an overnight run up the Jersey coast.

Thursday eve at 17:10 we headed out of Cape May, bound for New York harbor.
A sailboat we met coming into the harbor said conditions outside were
uncomfortable, but do-able, so we decided to have a look outside and turn
back if it wasn't comfortable for us.  The forecast was for winds SW 10-15
and 2' seas, but we actually saw winds S15 and seas 2-3'.  Our initial
heading was 065 degrees magnetic, so the south wind wasn't too bad, but we
wished for the predicted SW instead.  After 5 miles, we rounded a small
headland and turned to about 50 degrees, which felt a bit better.  Around
midnight, the wind started to ease and clock a bit to the SW then W, so most
of the trip was quite pleasant.  We arrived at Sandy Hook around 08:00 and
continued north into Coney Island Creek, where we anchored at 10:00, a run
of 133 sm.  This creek is well protected in all directions, but the sides
are littered with rotted barge hulks and demolished docks, and the only
dinghy landing is on a beach in a public park.  We went ashore and bought
some fruits, vegetables and meats at small markets near the Brighton Beach
subway (actually elevated) stop.  The Coney Island boardwalk and amusement
park looks a bit down at the heels, a big disappointment for me.

Saturday we left at 13:40 on the tide, a distance of 47 sm, anchoring at
Nyack at 18:30.  That night a frontal system blew through, with 40 kt winds
and heavy rain with small hail.  The Supermax did its job, and we had no
worries.  Sunday (today) we departed Nyack at 05:05 to catch the fair tide
up the Hudson.  It was a glorious day, mostly sunny with light winds from
the SW, changing later to NW at 10-15 as we anchored in Saugerties at 14:05
after a run of 72 sm.

Tomorrow morning we'll unstep the (hinged) mast, reducing our air draft from
34' to 14', and head on up the Hudson toward Waterford and the start of the
Erie Canal.  We've decided to stay on the NY canal system for the summer,
instead of venturing up to Canada and the Trent-Severn waterway, partly in
response to the high fuel prices and partly so we can slow down a bit and
stop more along the way.  A season pass on the Erie, Oswego, Seneca and
Champlain canals is only $100, and free town docks and lock walls will be
our summer home.  The bicycles will get a good workout.

Mark & Joyce, m/v Winnie the Pooh
46' trawler-that-was-a-sailboat