SV Blue Sky

Time to head out to Block Island.  Expect a 48 hour passage because we will let the wind do most of the work for us (try not to get impatient with the motors).

So the winds became terrific at the start and gave us another opportunity to attempt to fly the parasailor.  This time with success.  The key was to leave the mainsail down as the swirling eddy behind it tended to wrap the parasailor around anything convenient before it could be fully deployed.  Nightmare!  But this time it went well.

So after a successful day flying the parasailor (love it – great boat motion, easy downwind sailing), we met with minor disaster taking it down.  Snuffing it was challenging and resulted in another swirling wrap around everything.  Finally just hauled it down old fashioned style and sorted out the ugly wrap a week later in Bristol.  Obviously still lots to learn here.

After another day of sailing, the sunset was beautiful as the winds quickly dropped while we anticipated a very early arrival at Block Island the next morning.  Lesson learned #2.  All going according to plan until the wind died 8 hours earlier than forecast.  Blew a big hole in our plan to sail 100% of the way there.  With absolutely no wind at night, we had to resort to the iron jenny until some wind showed up around 4 am.

Ok, so we were too tired to take great arrival photos.  But the moon made a spectacular appearance (photo didn’t work – moving sailboat, low light = bad combination) just before sunrise.  Just awesome.  We arrived at the break of dawn and promptly went to bed after securing the anchor.  The next day was a bit of a write off as we cleared the cobwebs from our brains.

We spent 2 full days at Block Island, using our new bikes both days. Our first day we took a five mile cycle to loosen the legs after a 2 day passage (no pics). We treated ourselves to a beer and lunch at The Oar restaurant afterwards where they allowed us to sit outside with the dog.

The second day we took a longer cycle to the northern tip of the island to a nice beach where Charlie and I walked while P kept an eye on the bikes (forgot to bring the lock). This was a much longer cycle of ~10 miles which ended in town at the grocery store. Nice store with lots of fresh produce. There are so many things to like about this island, from the huge protected bay to the cycle friendly roadways. It’s a definite favorite so far on this trip. (Click on a photo below and you will get a slideshow).

Looking across Cow Cove to Block Island north light. Charlie and Gwyn hiked almost there while Paul guarded the bikes (forgot the lock).

On the way back from Block Island north light

Happy campers exploring north coast of Block Island after a 5 mi bike ride on our new folding bikes

On the way back home after visiting Cow Cove. Stop for a breather after a big climb to this point. Downhill from here. Yeah!

A view back to Blue Sky from Block Island

OK, so the Cohansey river was unique and absolutely isolated except for the very visible mammoth steam plume from the nearby Salem nuclear plant. Then again, I guess that’s better than a mammoth coal dust plume, at least as long as nothing goes wrong and someone figures out how to “retire” the plant eventually.

Once underway, it was the normal challenge of crabpot dodging – good thing I had that strong coffee.

Lucky people who have a short enough mast to cut through the canal rather than go around the outside!

Finally we made it into the harbor and kicked back for the night.  But not before the Coast Guard showed up and made all the boats move closer to shore so we were no where near the channel.  Our shallow draft came in handy.  Next day we had a quick look around the harbor then a long walk through town to the grocery store.

With groceries in hand, it was a long walk back to the boat for a beautiful sunset before setting off to Block Island.

OK, so we got a lazy start out of Chesapeake City.  Decided to give Charlie a long walk in the morning and explore Chesapeake City.  What a gorgeous town with many houses beautifully restored.  Nothing was open on our early weekday walk and it was cloudy – but it was still beautiful!  Have to return to explore in more detail.  Anchorage was serene and calm in about 10 feet of water.

However getting out the next morning proved a challenge.  After all the posts online we expected problems but with our dilly dallying in town, we managed to leave right after low tide of 0.4 feet.  Chart wise we should be good at 7.5 feet.  However, we attempted multiple exits and found the deepest point at only 3.7 feet, so enlisting all 150 hp of our engines we furrowed our way, plough style, through the sand until we got out.  Methinks there needs to be a bit of dredging there to get to the charted depth.  There may have been deeper water somewhere but we sampled most of the exit (including the recommended NE corner) without success.

After breaking free, we had a delightful 1.5 to 2 knot current push through the canal to Delaware Bay.  This made for a quick transit and a subsequent push down the Bay with the favorable current at about 1 knot until the tide turned about an hour before we got to the Cohansey River.  (Local boat knowledge note – watch the tide line and if favorable stay to the channel side of the line.  The current reverses in the shallows about an hour before it reverses in the channel).  In short, if current is favorable, stay towards the channel until it turns.

Cohansey River – home sweet home for the night.  Only place I have anchored where the power of the current kept us pointing at the current but the power of the 8 knot breeze kept us on top of the anchor despite the current.  Boat, captain, and mates were all confused by this but we appear to be stuck solid for the night.  Tomorrow – Cape May!

Chesapeake City sounded interesting so off we went the next morning motor sailing up the bay in 6 to 9 knot winds. It was pleasant albeit a bit sticky and hot as the temp climbed into the 90’s with humidity in the 70’s.
 
Then there was that darned catamaran that seemed to have a dead aim straight at us no matter how I altered course. #^&@%! Lo and behold, as we passed, we were enthusiastically greeted by Tommy Smith and crew!! Bonus! Undo the #^&@% and be delighted to meet such excellent friends on the journey – two days, two Annapolis friends.
 
Rest of the trip was more motoring than sailing due to a very light following wind that would have had us drifting along under 3 knots on wind alone. We arrived at Chesapeake City just in time to brace for another thunderstorm after having a bite to eat. Rained cats and dogs and of course our hatches leaked. Still working on that fix.

Been a while but finally all critical repairs are done. Itchy feet said to get moving even though there are still many boat projects in progress (we are only 2 months delayed from the original plan). Dashed out of Annapolis after getting our water topped up (since we can’t make water in the Chesapeake – too dirty). Was interesting hearing from long time Chesapeake dwellers about the water – clear to four or five feet – used to be in the water constantly. That was then. Now, rarely in the water – can only see about 6 inches. General consensus – farm fertilizer and city storm runoff is harming the echosystem. Don’t know about harming it, but changing it for sure. Lots of crabs and other life but very murky, especially after a storm.

In any case, we made a run for it about noon and arrived in Sillery Bay on the Magothy River about 4 after a leasurely sail (at about 3.5 knots).  We finally resorted to the motor as a thunderstorm swept toward us. As luck would have it, the big bad storm that threatened us petered out before arriving and a brand new one formed just east of us as we arrived. So lots of thunder, but just not on top of us.

On the beach of Dobbins Island in Sillery Bay when we arrived, many boats were enjoying the end of labor day with a party – finally dispersing as the light faded. All that was left was someone’s flip flops which Charlie and I discovered the next morning after kayaking to the beach for a romp.  But the big surprise in the morning was when we spotted Dan (first person we met at Liberty Marina) pulling anchor. What a blast. He allowed as how he was one of the boisterous party people the evening before with members of his family and friends. He grew up in this area and happily remembered winter times when the area froze and people would drive cars to the island across the ice for a slightly more frigid party, albeit I believe there was amply antifreeze for the blood in attendance. Delight to see Dan there.