CONVOY!

“We got a little convoy

Sailin' up the coast.

Yeah, we got a little convoy,

Ain't we got reason to boast?

Come on and join our convoy

Ain't nothin' gonna get in our way.

We gonna roll this sailin' convoy

'Cross the Jersey Coast!

CONVOY!”

Rock Hall is a cute, sleepy little town with some unusual architecture(?) We explored the two main streets a little with Kelly and Jim from Fairwind, while we sat out a stormy and windy day. 

After a celebration of sorts with Fairwind and Windover crew we all headed for Chesapeake City on the C&D Canal the next day.

Good winds and a favorable current enabled us to make it to Chesapeake City in record time. 

The free dock accommodated all of us for a few more nights as we again waited for the winds to die and shift and a favorable current to take us through the C&D Canal all the way to Cape May. 

Meanwhile we visited the few shops and frequented all but 1 of the 4 restaurants/bars in town. 

Our wait was justified. It was a beautiful sailing day down the Delaware Bay. We encountered a few tugs and barges, a few container ships, but had blue skies and a nice sailing breeze practically all the way.

Our small convoy of 3 boats increased to 5. WOOF (WindOver, Obsession and  Fairwind) was joined by Barry Duckworth and Blue Moon in Cape May (well, WOOF really joined BM AND BD as they had been there several days waiting for bad weather to pass).

All 5 of us began the short (36 mile trek) to Atlantic City. It was a beautiful sail. 

 

Along the way WindOver returned to Cape 

May, But the following day Obsession, Barry Duckworth and Fairwind set sail for Atlantic Highlands/Sandy Hook at daybreak for the 80 mile trip. 

We had calm seas, light winds, and a favorable current to start. Blue Moon opted for a shorter trip with a stop in Barnegat Bay. 

It’s nice to travel with Buddy Boats, especially in new and challenging waters. For us this part of our trip south was riddled with anxiety (engine issues), not the best weather conditions, and nervous anticipation since it was our first trip.  

The camaraderie and friendship among sailing cruisers this trip has been amazing to us. Well, we knew all along that those of us who sail are special people, but truly, we have found some of the best! 

We also marvel at how far we’ve come. Not just in miles traveled, but also in feeling more at ease with Obsession, our electronics, our tide and weather predicting and charting. We slide into dock spaces for fuel without issues, choose anchor spots with expertise, enter new harbors, and are so much more confident with our ability in general. We’ve found our comfort zone, and have tried very hard not to exceed our limits. It’s been such a fantastic ride! 

The best is yet to come. Another trip through NYC and Hell’s Gate, A sail up Long Island Sound to Shelter Island, and then finally Block Island, where we started last August. Newport will be our last stop in early July.