Day 58 The New Jersey Shore Passage
After transiting the East River through New York City we ended up anchored in a familiar spot at Atlantic Highlands. We have spent enough time here between this year's voyage and last year to know our way around.
The houses are a mix from clearly vintage to very modern. Visible across the water is the NYC skyline, and access to the city is easy using the ferry. People extensively use the walking path along the water from the next village over and circling through town. We encountered many people out walking with their dogs. The place has a friendly village vibe in which a simple hello turns into a conversation, often sparkling with tidbits of local color. Shelby gets her share of attention on these excursions, which she seems to enjoy.
The next step on our adventure is out in the Atlantic Ocean running the New Jersey coast. Typically it takes us three days to hop down the coast before arriving in Delaware. In our voyages we have now been in every navigable inlet New Jersey has to offer. Barnegat Light Inlet is our favorite, offering a pleasant anchorage with nice beach and a small village to wander. It is also enough miles down the coast to be a good day's run, and that is today's plan.
After a careful weather check we decided to leave mid morning. It took an hour to clear around the cape at Sandy Hook giving us a good opportunity to assess conditions in the ocean before fully committing. Strong current, but otherwise not too bad. Once out in the ocean we worked on getting far enough off shore to not have to worry about fishing gear or sand bars while also staying clear of the shipping lanes used by the many very large ships moving in and out of NYC.
Quickly we got into cruise mode and started cranking the miles. The large waves left from yesterday's strong winds are forecast to subside by late morning. The waves are coming at us from the port side rear quarter and lift up Second Star generally gracefully. We ride down the wave faces in a gentle press of speed that repeats thousands of times over the course of the day. A humpback whale breeches spectacularly directly in front of us.
We made good time to Barnegat Inlet, but the waves had not subsided at all and are getting taller. The forecast 4 foot seas are reported by the nearby sea buoy as averaging 7 foot, and we experience many that are much larger than seven. Brent called the marina at Barnegat to get local knowledge regarding inlet conditions and was told that the inlet is so rough that none of the commercial fishermen have even attempted to go out today. From three miles away we can see the waves breaking over the inlet confirming very rough conditions.
It was not a difficult decision to say "change of plans" and keep heading south. Trying to run the inlet with the huge crashing surf could totally ruin the day.
So southward it is. Hours and many miles later we roll near Atlantic City which has a generally safe inlet, and we might attempt it in daylight. But the last of daylight has already drained from the sky. We are not up for running the inlet in the dark.
Now we are facing an all nighter at sea. We are comfortable on board in spite of surfing big waves & wind. Second Star is taking good care of us carrying onward confidently. Our biggest concern is Shelby who will not get her usual late day potty stop. She figured it out however and settled in relaxing as best as could be in the rough conditions. She is mostly miffed that dinner has also been put on hold.
We sailed through the night well off shore, bypassing the entire Jersey Shore. By taking turns navigating and resting we were able to sustain a sharp lookout. Dinner was a little challenging in the pitching sea, but we managed something hot and good.
With no moon and heavy cloud cover it is a very dark night on the ocean. The well lit casinos and famous Jersey Shore board walks provided a colorful all night commentary along the western horizon. Ahead and easterly is total darkness. Ocassionally we get a glimpse of the large waves running under us but our vision of the path ahead is dependent on radar and AIS. We encounter a pair of "research" vessels running a very repetitive and tight search pattern, covering the same two spots over and over. Makes one wonder what they are up to running such focused courses in these conditions. There were no other boats around the entire night.
Cape Henlopen Delaware offered a safe and accessible harbor that we knew well. A large breakwater provides protection from the waves and is readily navigable. The place is officially designated as a harbor of refuge which has been used for centuries. Just behind the breakwater is a sandy beach, well sheltered that is a favorite place in our log book. We have been planning a stop over here in our tentative look ahead plan anyway; this morning's arrival is just a few days earlier than anticipated.
We took a second reef to further decrease the area of our mainsail to slow the boat down in the last miles and allow the predawn light to peek over the horizon. We need some daylight to help in navigating around the breakwater. We were safely anchor down behind our favorite sand spit, tired but secure, before the sun was more than a sliver on the eastern horizon. Shelby got a much anticipated trip ashore and then everyone slept.
The rest of the day the ocean could be heard breaking hard on the ocean side of the sand spit. We rested comfortably on board and took a long stroll on the beach. As the evening approached the ghost crabs made their tenuous scramble to drink from the high tide before flittering nervously back to the security of their burrows. The ancient horseshoe crabs work their way up the high tide line to the beach, and the pelicans fly in for the evening council.
The houses are a mix from clearly vintage to very modern. Visible across the water is the NYC skyline, and access to the city is easy using the ferry. People extensively use the walking path along the water from the next village over and circling through town. We encountered many people out walking with their dogs. The place has a friendly village vibe in which a simple hello turns into a conversation, often sparkling with tidbits of local color. Shelby gets her share of attention on these excursions, which she seems to enjoy.
The next step on our adventure is out in the Atlantic Ocean running the New Jersey coast. Typically it takes us three days to hop down the coast before arriving in Delaware. In our voyages we have now been in every navigable inlet New Jersey has to offer. Barnegat Light Inlet is our favorite, offering a pleasant anchorage with nice beach and a small village to wander. It is also enough miles down the coast to be a good day's run, and that is today's plan.
After a careful weather check we decided to leave mid morning. It took an hour to clear around the cape at Sandy Hook giving us a good opportunity to assess conditions in the ocean before fully committing. Strong current, but otherwise not too bad. Once out in the ocean we worked on getting far enough off shore to not have to worry about fishing gear or sand bars while also staying clear of the shipping lanes used by the many very large ships moving in and out of NYC.
Quickly we got into cruise mode and started cranking the miles. The large waves left from yesterday's strong winds are forecast to subside by late morning. The waves are coming at us from the port side rear quarter and lift up Second Star generally gracefully. We ride down the wave faces in a gentle press of speed that repeats thousands of times over the course of the day. A humpback whale breeches spectacularly directly in front of us.
We made good time to Barnegat Inlet, but the waves had not subsided at all and are getting taller. The forecast 4 foot seas are reported by the nearby sea buoy as averaging 7 foot, and we experience many that are much larger than seven. Brent called the marina at Barnegat to get local knowledge regarding inlet conditions and was told that the inlet is so rough that none of the commercial fishermen have even attempted to go out today. From three miles away we can see the waves breaking over the inlet confirming very rough conditions.
It was not a difficult decision to say "change of plans" and keep heading south. Trying to run the inlet with the huge crashing surf could totally ruin the day.
So southward it is. Hours and many miles later we roll near Atlantic City which has a generally safe inlet, and we might attempt it in daylight. But the last of daylight has already drained from the sky. We are not up for running the inlet in the dark.
Now we are facing an all nighter at sea. We are comfortable on board in spite of surfing big waves & wind. Second Star is taking good care of us carrying onward confidently. Our biggest concern is Shelby who will not get her usual late day potty stop. She figured it out however and settled in relaxing as best as could be in the rough conditions. She is mostly miffed that dinner has also been put on hold.
We sailed through the night well off shore, bypassing the entire Jersey Shore. By taking turns navigating and resting we were able to sustain a sharp lookout. Dinner was a little challenging in the pitching sea, but we managed something hot and good.
With no moon and heavy cloud cover it is a very dark night on the ocean. The well lit casinos and famous Jersey Shore board walks provided a colorful all night commentary along the western horizon. Ahead and easterly is total darkness. Ocassionally we get a glimpse of the large waves running under us but our vision of the path ahead is dependent on radar and AIS. We encounter a pair of "research" vessels running a very repetitive and tight search pattern, covering the same two spots over and over. Makes one wonder what they are up to running such focused courses in these conditions. There were no other boats around the entire night.
Cape Henlopen Delaware offered a safe and accessible harbor that we knew well. A large breakwater provides protection from the waves and is readily navigable. The place is officially designated as a harbor of refuge which has been used for centuries. Just behind the breakwater is a sandy beach, well sheltered that is a favorite place in our log book. We have been planning a stop over here in our tentative look ahead plan anyway; this morning's arrival is just a few days earlier than anticipated.
We took a second reef to further decrease the area of our mainsail to slow the boat down in the last miles and allow the predawn light to peek over the horizon. We need some daylight to help in navigating around the breakwater. We were safely anchor down behind our favorite sand spit, tired but secure, before the sun was more than a sliver on the eastern horizon. Shelby got a much anticipated trip ashore and then everyone slept.
The rest of the day the ocean could be heard breaking hard on the ocean side of the sand spit. We rested comfortably on board and took a long stroll on the beach. As the evening approached the ghost crabs made their tenuous scramble to drink from the high tide before flittering nervously back to the security of their burrows. The ancient horseshoe crabs work their way up the high tide line to the beach, and the pelicans fly in for the evening council.
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