Hello Brielle, NJ

Bill and I left Jersey City and the beautiful cityscape of NYC around 10:00 this morning in a light fog. We had another interesting day in the sense that we were in New York Harbor for the first part of our trip and went right by both Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

The rest of the trip along the Jersey Coast was uneventful. There was light wind so we motored and got to Brielle, New Jersey around 3:30. Brielle is on the Manasquam Inlet and is very pretty (and quiet). At first the small marina where we are staying put us in someone's slip who is away for the night. But after we tied up and got on shore power, the marina manager came by and said she didn't realize we were a sailboat and we would have to move ASAP. When the tide goes out, there is only 4 feet of water - we would be on the bottom. So Bill moved the boat and we are now on the fuel dock, which happens to be about 30 yards from a railroad bridge that goes up and down every 1/2 hour or so (complete with a loud siren). We are in the same place where we were in 2004 during our trip from Boston to Annapolis.

We are only here for the night and will go have dinner at one of the local restaurants before leaving tomorrow for Atlantic City.

One thing I forgot to mention yesterday was that sv Mary Elizabeth has a new SOG (speed over ground) record -- 12.0 knots! It happened yesterday when we were going through Hell Gate with the crazy current. This surpasses the previous record of 11.8 knots when Bill, Al and Ross were going through the Gulf Stream on their way from Bermuda to Cape Cod.

NYC, NY

Bill and I got up early after a very nice sushi dinner last night with Linda and Mike. We got coffee in downtown Port Jefferson before leaving the dock. It was a perfect day. Sunny, warm, clear skies; MUCH different than the conditions when we arrived in Port Jefferson.

We had a very pleasant ride through the Long Island Sound. Our trip today took planning on Bill’s part. He had to time the various currents correctly or we would be bucking a current of up to four knots. Since we average between seven and eight, four knots makes all the difference (and time) in the world. Bill paid particular attention to when we would be in Hell Gate, the area where the Long Island Sound and the East River meet. There is also the current from the Harlem River to consider.

As we were leaving Long Island Sound and entering the East River there was a lot of boat traffic to contend with. Not many pleasure boats (we saw only a handful) but rather commercial traffic (water taxis, barges, tour boats, ferries, etc.). The East River is amazing. We passed Riker’s Island (and the prison!), La Guardia Airport, Harlem, the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, lots of NYC traffic, downtown Manhattan, and the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in the distance. We went under seven different bridges to include the Brooklyn Bridge.

Last time we made this passage (in September 2004) we stopped in City Island, NY. This time Bill decided to push further (again because of the timing of the currents) and we arrived at Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City, NJ around 3:45. Tomorrow we will leave Jersey City and head to Brielle, NJ for a night. After that, destination Atlantic City for a few nights, which we are both looking very forward to!!!

Today really was an awesome day. We could feel the energy from New York City from the water. There were helicopters, police sirens, taxis honking their horns in response to the traffic, tourists taking pictures, lots of boat radio traffic, huge buildings, amazing sites, and Coast Guard and Police boats monitoring everything. This has been one of the highlights of the summer for me so far. Seeing the city from the water is a different perspective.

To see more pictures of New York City, click here

Port Jeffeson is a very pretty place. Bill and I woke up early this morning and hung out. Last night we made brunch reservations at the hotel restuarant for 11:30, which we enjoyed very much. Afterwards we walked around and explored the village. The marina is the center of the town. There were a lot of motorcycles , shops and restaurants to explore. Linda, her two sons and her father in law stopped by for happy hour. We are enjoying our time here.

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!