This is the run that I’ve been dreading, the big hump in the trip. Part of that has been remembering how it seemed to take forever at 21 knots when I did it in the 85 foot research vessel I designed. It turned out to be the easiest and most comfortable long leg of the trip up to this point. Who would have thought that the hardest leg would be what I thought of as a short “repositioning” from Millford to Stamford in the only stern wind I’ve had since leaving Portland?
I fell asleep at 1900 and slept as soundly as I can remember, not surprising considering the length of the day before. I sprang wide awake at midnight and the anchor was up 45 minutes later. Motoring back towards the nighttime skyline of New York and then turning around dark Sandy Hook and watching the city fade away slowly astern was marvelous. This time, I found myself enjoying the solitude and being able to take it all in without the distraction of conversation.
A fellow was fishing on the very tip of Sandy Hook, all alone with a big fire going. I passed (carefully) close enough make him out quite clearly. There was not traffic that was any kind of crossing factor until I was well down the coast. The engine ran, the autopilot steered, and I enjoyed the lights and the seemingly effortless progress.
I had to watch for commercial and sport fishing boats off of each of the inlets but the run was uneventful until dawn. My early start made dawn the half way point which seemed to greatly shorten the day. The day passed easily. I read and felt like I was sliding easily downhill.
Atlantic City seems to rise like a new Atlantis out of the ocean since the shore falls away and the land under it can’t be seen for hours after the buildings first appear. I’d planned to go to the state marina but, running up the channel between the jetties, I suddenly felt a yen for the kind of wild and lonely anchorage I’ve seen little of since returning from Canada.
I ran up under the bridge and worked my way carefully s far up into the extensive marshes behind the city as I could. It was sort of like Halifax, all wild looking one way and the city spread out in the reciprocal direction. The skyline is particularly impressive, one of the buildings is a complete animated billboard with computer driven lights between all the windows so it constantly displays ads, photos, and animations advertizing the casino. The scale is just amazing.
I started to feel the pressure easing and that evening sitting in the cockpit was the most relaxed and enjoyable since dropping off my first leg crew in Portsmouth, NH.
I fell asleep at 1900 and slept as soundly as I can remember, not surprising considering the length of the day before. I sprang wide awake at midnight and the anchor was up 45 minutes later. Motoring back towards the nighttime skyline of New York and then turning around dark Sandy Hook and watching the city fade away slowly astern was marvelous. This time, I found myself enjoying the solitude and being able to take it all in without the distraction of conversation.
A fellow was fishing on the very tip of Sandy Hook, all alone with a big fire going. I passed (carefully) close enough make him out quite clearly. There was not traffic that was any kind of crossing factor until I was well down the coast. The engine ran, the autopilot steered, and I enjoyed the lights and the seemingly effortless progress.
I had to watch for commercial and sport fishing boats off of each of the inlets but the run was uneventful until dawn. My early start made dawn the half way point which seemed to greatly shorten the day. The day passed easily. I read and felt like I was sliding easily downhill.
Atlantic City seems to rise like a new Atlantis out of the ocean since the shore falls away and the land under it can’t be seen for hours after the buildings first appear. I’d planned to go to the state marina but, running up the channel between the jetties, I suddenly felt a yen for the kind of wild and lonely anchorage I’ve seen little of since returning from Canada.
I ran up under the bridge and worked my way carefully s far up into the extensive marshes behind the city as I could. It was sort of like Halifax, all wild looking one way and the city spread out in the reciprocal direction. The skyline is particularly impressive, one of the buildings is a complete animated billboard with computer driven lights between all the windows so it constantly displays ads, photos, and animations advertizing the casino. The scale is just amazing.
I started to feel the pressure easing and that evening sitting in the cockpit was the most relaxed and enjoyable since dropping off my first leg crew in Portsmouth, NH.