Baltimore MD to Herrington Harbor North

We left Baltimore Thursday morning 9/5 for a 4 hour ride to Annapolis where we caught a mooring ball right at the mouth of ego alley for the weekend.  

Last time we were here we were busy with buying new bikes and didn't get to visit the Naval Academy. This time we didn't miss it!  I'm so glad we took the tour.  It was really something!  It is amazing what these students have to do to qualify for being accepted at the Naval Academy not to mention what they have to go through while there!  The campus is absolutely gorgeous, full of history and traditions.    

The crypt of John Paul Jones. 

High tide!  The dingy dock at the end of ego alley. 

Dinner at Middletown Tavern established in 1750.

Sunday 9/8 we took Roxie in for her morning walk before leaving for Saint Michaels and found a little car show in the middle of town.  

After our walk in town we left Annapolis and started on our way to Herrington Harbor North.  We stopped to anchor in St. Michaels Sunday afternoon.  St. Michaels is a really quaint place; nice and quiet.  It is also home of Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.  

We left St. Michaels Tuesday 9/10 making our way to Herrington Harbor North where we are scheduled to have Osprey Marine pull the boat out of the water and put her on the hard so that she can have her  bottom redone.  This consists of having the old bottom paint soda blasted down to the fiberglass, having a new epoxy layer added, then bottom paint.  We have a couple of days in the water to prepare for the boat being on the dry for 2 weeks and were going home to Ohio to visit family, friends and complete our annual doctors visits.  

Roxie enjoying the ride to Ohio!

We had a great couple of weeks catching up with everyone and getting those annual check-ups completed.  We even got to go up to Canada for a couple nights stay at Caesars in Windsor and went to a Ohio State football game in the shoe!  

We got back to the boat 9/28 and had just enough daylight to reinstall the bow thruster, new anodes and prep to install the stabilizer fins the next morning before Cheers was placed back into the water.  

We have a couple of days in Herrington Harbor Marina to put the boat back together and restock the fridge.  Our next stop is the Annual Kadey-Krogen Cruisers Rendezvous at Calvert's Marina in the Solomon Islands.  

 

Sandy Hook Bay NJ to Baltimore MD

Saturday 8/24 we left Sandy Hook Bay and made our way to Atlantic City, where we anchored in the harbor for the night.  We traveled 93 miles and it took 12 hours!  It turned out being a really nice anchorage considering all the traffic that was going by all evening.  Once it got dark the current took over and we were nice and still all night.  

Being anchored in the harbor, we were really close to Gilchrist Restaurant and the Farely State Marina at the Golden Nugget Casino.  So being we had plenty of time, we jumped into the dingy and had breakfast at Gilchrest.  So good!  

After getting back to the boat we started our normal process of pulling up the dingy but we ran into a problem....the motorized wench was not working.  It had been acting up, but hadn't actually quit working!  

Bill had to hand crank the dingy the rest of the way up.  Another project!  At least we have a replacement motor.  Hopefully finding it under the master bed will be the toughest part of replacing the wench. 

We made it into the dock without issue and did some cleaning, laundry and boat washing, then we were off to the Golden Nugget for a little video poker.  I started off strong, but ran out of playing money and headed back to the boat.  Bill was doing great on the craps table where he made up for what I lost and then some!  All in all, fun night. 

Monday while I worked, Bill finished up washing the boat.  After I got off work we decided to walk to Harrah's.  We just were not having good luck there so we wondered back to the Golden Nugget.  I sat at the machine I played the day before and about 15 hands in I got a Royal Flush!  Totally awesome!   

We decided to take our winnings, have some dinner and call it a early night.  We were leaving Atlantic City in the morning headed to Cape May.  

Tuesday morning, Bill released the lines while I worked in the office and we started our way outside along the coast.  Not too far into our ride we  noticed that the engine speeds were fluctuating up and down by itself.  Turns out the throttle rod was broke, Again!  This happened before in Little Current.  

Luckily, Bill used a leather bootlace to control the throttle as we continued down the coast to Cape May.  Once we came in the inlet I had to drive and Bill controlled the throttle from down in the engine room.  Thank goodness for our headsets!

We got anchored and had 2 emergency repairs to tend too before we could get the dingy down and take Roxie to land.  First the throttle, then replace the wench.  Always something!  Oh, and the issue with our battery charger...that needs fixed too, but we will get repaired/replaced in Baltimore.  

Wednesday the 28th we left Cape May and went 55 miles to Delaware Bay, Reddy Island next to the entrance to the C&D canal where we anchored for the night.  There was a threat of a storm but it just missed us.  

Thursday morning we left Reedy Island and started our 10 hour ride to Baltimore, MD.  We got a dock at one of our favorite marina, Anchorage Marina where we stayed a week to get a travel break and do some maintenance and cleaning.  

We were lucky enough to be there for the Labor Day holiday.  The marina hosted a BBQ cookout and a live band.  We also got to catch up with the friends we made as we came through in the spring.  In addition friends we had made in Stuart FL came in!  

Dinner at Captain James Seafood!

Block Island to Sandy Hook Bay, NJ

Saturday 11/17/24 we crossed back over from Martha's Vineyard to Block Island trying to out run Ernesto which was coming up the coast from Bermuda.  We ran in 5 to 6 ft waves, 15 seconds apart.  The ride was surprisingly comfortable and we made it into the harbor just in time to get Roxie up to land for a bit and make dinner.   

Sunday morning the dolphins were busy catching their breakfast as we left the anchorage at Block Island.  We were up and out of there by 6am in order to make it through Plum Gut with a favorable current.  The ride was much like yesterday but a little gloomy.  

We anchored in Port Jefferson.  Ernesto was way off shore but it dropped over 5 inches of rain overnight and we woke to the dingy full of water! 

Monday morning 8/19 we left Port Jefferson and made our way to Northport NY.  This was the first time we had been in Northport and it was a really nice town.  They had a town dock that was free for the day, with water and electric until 5pm, then if you wanted to stay on the dock overnight there was a $2 a foot fee.  We needed some dock time, so we stayed for 2 nights.  

It was very interesting that the didn't having a floating pier, but they did have 10ft tides that changed about every 6 hours!  They had dockhands that stayed on the dock to tend ropes as the tides changed.  There were times that Bill had to use the dingy to take Roxie up to the park because the boat was too far below the pier!  

Wednesday 8/22 we left Northport and made our way to Oyster Bay.  We found that this area is one of the richest neighborhoods on Long Island.  The homes around the bay are very upscale and beautiful.  Word has it that Billy Joel has a home here on the water and it is currently for sale asking $49 Million! 

 

Well, we had planned on staying in Oyster Bay 2 nights, then to NY's Liberty Landing but the battery charger started acting up again!  We pulled up anchor Thursday morning 8/23 and started making our way to New York.  

Back under the 7 bridges over the East River and into the Hudson before dropping anchor at Atlantic Highlands in Sandy Hook Bay.      

Boston to Block Island

We departed Boston Sunday 8/11/24 headed to Provincetown, aka P Town.  We anchored there for 2 nights.  

The harbor had these cute little floating shanties and the locals would dock their boat right up to them and spend the day! 

P Town is pretty much a party town and was very busy!  

Once I got off work on Monday we headed to the beach.  We tried to claim a spot on the outside, but just as we were starting to unload the dingy a ferry sent us a 3ft wake that turned the dingy sideways and flooded it!  Unfortunately, the wave also took out Bills phone!  

Needless to say we couldn't stay there so we came back into the harbor side.....no waves.  As we were scoping out a place to set up we came across a group of seals resting just off the beach in waist deep water.  

Tuesday 8/13/24 we pulled anchor and made our way on the outside of Cape Cod to Nantucket where we anchored in the harbor for 2 nights.  Nantucket was really laid back and a lot quieter than P town.  

Thursday 3/15/24 we made our way to Martha's Vineyard.  Before anchoring we stopped at the town pier for free water and pump out.  While there the dockhand told us about the annual AG fair that was happing in the middle of the island and fireworks Friday night.  Like Nantucket and P Town, Martha's was very touristy.  

Friday morning we woke up to a flock of guls hanging out on the bow rail.    They must have spent the night there because the deck was covered in bird poop.  

Yuck!  As soon as we got back from taking Roxie up for her potty break Bill went out to try to clean up the mess.  It must be berry season, because that stuff left black stains on the deck.  

Friday morning we took a 20min bus ride from the harbor to the fair!  Just a little ways from the harbor the landscape changes to woods and farms with rolling pastures.  Beautiful!  

The fair was a decent size considering we were on an island.  Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures.  I did get a couple of the animals.....

This guy was humongous!

  

Look at these cuties!

We got back to the harbor for dinner at the Black Dog Tavern, then back to the boat to watch the fireworks!  We had a great day!

Saturday 8/17/24 we started our way back south.  What a great tour of New England! We so glad we did this trip!