Nov. 20 We’re on the road again! Down Narragansett Bay and on to Point Judith, we motored and all was well till we turned the corner and had seas and wind on the nose for the next 4 hours. As the sun set, we anchored safely in Niantic Bay for the night.

Nov. 21 Midnight, and both of us were awake. If we left now, we could make Greenwich by morning. The moon was almost full and lit the way. The yacht club was ready to take our lines when we arrived and that night, John’s mom and stepfather met us there for dinner.

Nov. 22 Mom lent us her car to use after lunch at L’Escale with her and a friend and we were off to the movies and Costco. Once we had given the car back and said our goodby’s, we had a quiet dinner and went to bed early.

Nov. 23 We got up early and had an easy trip to NYC and down to the Atlantic Highlands area to anchor for the night. The tide was a wonderful help all the way and we saw over 12 knots in the East River!

Nov. 24-25 After a windy night with choppy seas, we were glad to be on our way down the New Jersey coast. Once again, the tide was with us all the way down the coast, up the Delaware River, and through the C&D Canal. In honor of Thanksgiving, we had turkey sandwiches and some good soup. Our average speed for the trip was 7.84 knots! Just at dark, we found a nice protected bay to anchor in for a good night sleep.

Nov. 26 Up early and well rested and time to head down the bay to Oxford to visit our friends Larry and Leslie on “Algonquin”. They told us where to anchor, we launched the dinghy, and headed to their boat for dinner and socialization. It was good to see them because we missed them this last summer. We all had left over Turkey Day dinner- delicious!
Nov. 27 Up early and once more down the bay towards the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel- Bridge. The wind was blowing but off our stern quarter and the seas were manageable. The sun was finally out but the temperature too cold for our liking. Passing by the entrance to the Potomac added to the wind and waves for about an hour. The excitement for the day is dodging big ships and crab pots. They like to string them together and the paint them black just to make it more sporting! We finally reached the bridge at around 8:30pm going almost 9 knots. The boat was literally “spit” out of the bay. Down the coast with more following seas but bigger this time and they made for a rolly night. John had to stay at the helm almost all night and steer with the Z drive because the autopilot wasn’t strong enough to hold a course continually.

Nov. 28 The seas continued to roll us but slowly lessened by the time we reached Hatteras. The sun was out and it was good to make the turn to the SW and stop rolling. Both of us took turns napping during the day and were in good shape by evening. Dinner of John’s favorite hotdogs and beans and a pretty sunset set the tone for a nice night passage past Cape Lookout Shoal and on to Frying Pan Shoal.

Nov. 29 The day was gray and the wind slowly picked up. We lucked out and had two groups of dolphins come by and visit for about 20 mins each. Boy do I love watching their antics! For about the last seven hours, we had to steer using the Z drive remote because the autopilot couldn’t keep a course in the aft quarter seas that were “sidling us” to and fro. Just before midnight, we entered the Charleston channel and had the place all to ourselves for the first time! By midnight, we were anchored off the channel in the Ashley River and went to bed.

Nov. 30 We called our friend Doug, who we new from the Exumas last year and were planning to visit that day, and he came down to the Carolina Yacht Club and took our lines. Our berth there was provided by our other friends in Charleston. We spent the rest of the day catching up and playing dominos. It blew and rained but we were cozy inside. By nightfall, it had calmed down and we went ashore for a nice dinner at a nearby brewery. The wind that was blowing was so warm and balmy. It was wonderful!

Dec. 1 It was sunny but still breezy and much cooler here. We were picked up by our friend J.P. and taken to the city marina to meet some of her friends and see their boat. Then, they came to see our boat and we had a good lunch at the Yacht Club. J.P. then took us to do our errands and dropped us back at the club. We spent a quiet night.