We left Mystic in time to make the 7:40 bridge - thanks to Bill's expert de-docking skills in such a tight place. The water was completely calm. No wind, no waves, sea like glass. Bill pushed the engine up since he knew we had about 8 hours ahead of us and the current was due to change around 1:00 pm. In Long Island Sound we were making way at about 10 knots. Everything was great.
Around 10:00 am we passed a HUGE log (20 feet long, 3 feet in diameter) in the middle of the water. Bill called it into the Coast Guard as a hazard to navigation; if a motor boat going fast hit the debris there would be a big problem.... Around the same time the sky got dark and it became very foggy. We turned the radar on so we could see what was ahead (and behind and around) us. That was the start of it all.
Beginning at 10:30 or so the Coast Guard stations in both Long Island Sound and New York began to issue hazardous weather warnings. As good mariners, we had already checked the weather online (from several sources) and listened to the radio. We knew what was to be expected and what we were in for.
As the sky got progressively darker and darker, we put everything down below and prepared for the rain, wind, and thunderstorms. Bill changed course so we would avoid the brunt of the bad weather, but the storm was large and was heading our way regardless.
But.... we still knew it would hit. It started to rain, got much colder, and the wind picked up. It got worse and worse. I got Bill his foul weather gear and went below to wait it out. The lightning was all around us and it began to rain very VERY hard. The seas picked up.
Then it DID hit us. We saw 30, then 40, then 45, then 50 knots on the wind gauge. Now, I will put put that into perspective.... 65 knots is considered a hurricane. We saw 5-0 knots! Fifty knots is the most wind that I have ever seen (by far!) and the most that Bill has seen by 10 knots. We had no sails up, which was a good thing. During the 30 minutes or so that we were in the storm, we heard four different mayday calls from sailboats to the Coast Guard. We were very lucky that we were prepared for what was coming and had a plan. Bill calmly steered the boat (getting very wet in the process). Thankfully the seas never got too rough (4-6 feet was the max we saw). We were down to motoring at 3 knots (WAY down from the 10 knots we had seen earlier!)
About half way through the thick of it, Bill yelled from the cockpit "Lauren, look at the dinghy!" I came topside only to see the dinghy (which we were towing as we always do) completely upside down!!!!! The dinghy rode a wave and the 50 knots of wind flipped it over. The dinghy was inverted and acting as an anchor (hence the 3 knots). It was half way submerged under the water. We couldn't see the motor and had no idea what happened to the gas tank. We tried to flip it right side up but it was no use. We eventually decided (after weighing our options) to cut it loose. We watched it float away in huge waves and pounding rain. In hindsight, we should have taken the engine off the dinghy before we left Mystic and mounted it aft of the boat. It was a costly mistake, and one we will not make again. So for now, we are again without a dinghy.
So.... it was a strange day to say the least.... very large logs and other debris in the water, so much fog that we had to use the radar, huge lightning bolts, 50 knots of wind, buriel at sea, May Day calls.
Thankfully we had Port Jefferson, NY to look forward to. We arrived at Danford's Marina around 3:30. Bill did a perfect job docking in a very tight slip in a narrow fairway. Danford's is a beautiful hotel / marina. We checked in and went to the hotel lobby for a drink to check the place out. Later Linda and Mike and their kids John and Andrew came by the boat. We hung out for a bit and then Bill and I went to their beautiful home for steak and corn on the grill. What a nice night we had at their place. Both Bill and I very much appreciate their generous hospitality!! We look forward to two more nights in Port Jefferson!
Around 10:00 am we passed a HUGE log (20 feet long, 3 feet in diameter) in the middle of the water. Bill called it into the Coast Guard as a hazard to navigation; if a motor boat going fast hit the debris there would be a big problem.... Around the same time the sky got dark and it became very foggy. We turned the radar on so we could see what was ahead (and behind and around) us. That was the start of it all.
Beginning at 10:30 or so the Coast Guard stations in both Long Island Sound and New York began to issue hazardous weather warnings. As good mariners, we had already checked the weather online (from several sources) and listened to the radio. We knew what was to be expected and what we were in for.
As the sky got progressively darker and darker, we put everything down below and prepared for the rain, wind, and thunderstorms. Bill changed course so we would avoid the brunt of the bad weather, but the storm was large and was heading our way regardless.
But.... we still knew it would hit. It started to rain, got much colder, and the wind picked up. It got worse and worse. I got Bill his foul weather gear and went below to wait it out. The lightning was all around us and it began to rain very VERY hard. The seas picked up.
Then it DID hit us. We saw 30, then 40, then 45, then 50 knots on the wind gauge. Now, I will put put that into perspective.... 65 knots is considered a hurricane. We saw 5-0 knots! Fifty knots is the most wind that I have ever seen (by far!) and the most that Bill has seen by 10 knots. We had no sails up, which was a good thing. During the 30 minutes or so that we were in the storm, we heard four different mayday calls from sailboats to the Coast Guard. We were very lucky that we were prepared for what was coming and had a plan. Bill calmly steered the boat (getting very wet in the process). Thankfully the seas never got too rough (4-6 feet was the max we saw). We were down to motoring at 3 knots (WAY down from the 10 knots we had seen earlier!)
About half way through the thick of it, Bill yelled from the cockpit "Lauren, look at the dinghy!" I came topside only to see the dinghy (which we were towing as we always do) completely upside down!!!!! The dinghy rode a wave and the 50 knots of wind flipped it over. The dinghy was inverted and acting as an anchor (hence the 3 knots). It was half way submerged under the water. We couldn't see the motor and had no idea what happened to the gas tank. We tried to flip it right side up but it was no use. We eventually decided (after weighing our options) to cut it loose. We watched it float away in huge waves and pounding rain. In hindsight, we should have taken the engine off the dinghy before we left Mystic and mounted it aft of the boat. It was a costly mistake, and one we will not make again. So for now, we are again without a dinghy.
So.... it was a strange day to say the least.... very large logs and other debris in the water, so much fog that we had to use the radar, huge lightning bolts, 50 knots of wind, buriel at sea, May Day calls.
Thankfully we had Port Jefferson, NY to look forward to. We arrived at Danford's Marina around 3:30. Bill did a perfect job docking in a very tight slip in a narrow fairway. Danford's is a beautiful hotel / marina. We checked in and went to the hotel lobby for a drink to check the place out. Later Linda and Mike and their kids John and Andrew came by the boat. We hung out for a bit and then Bill and I went to their beautiful home for steak and corn on the grill. What a nice night we had at their place. Both Bill and I very much appreciate their generous hospitality!! We look forward to two more nights in Port Jefferson!
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