Beach Haven, NJ

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Continuing our journey down the New Jersey coast, we started traveling at 7:30 on Oct. 13 just a little after dawn. 

We were traveling about a half mile off of the coast.  By doing so, we could pick up a favorable counter current and ride it down to Atlantic City.  It was fun traveling so close to shore.  We could clearly see the many lovely beach houses that line the Jersey coast.  We also passed the well-known Jersey coastline town of Asbury Park. Ideally, we would have liked to take this route all the way to Cape May but that was not to be.

As we approached Manasquan,  the wind picked up considerably and so did the waves.  Fortunately, we had a Plan B – to take the New Jersey portion of the Intracoastal Waterway which runs the length of the state.  We turned into the Manasquan Inlet and heaved a sigh of relief as the water and wind settled down considerably once we passed these interesting breakwaters.

We had read a lot about this section of the ICW and we weren’t looking forward to it.  It is known for its skinny waters and tendency to shoal.  But at least we had a second option so we could continue moving – this time on calm albeit shallow waters.

Although we were sheltered from wind and waves, the Captain (Jonny) had to be hyper-vigilant watching the markers that trace a very narrow route through most of the waterway.   We couldn’t rely on our electronic or paper charts ) because the extensive shoaling is a recent phenomenon.  We were able to use  Active Captain (a terrific crowd sourced navigation program that we have used extensively throughout the trip) to provide recent reports on shoaling and other hazards.

We followed the sinuous route past rows of attractive homes lining the shore on both sides.  It’s absolutely amazing how many waterfront homes are in New Jersey (far more than any other area we’ve traveled through). 

But it’s not entirely built up.  There are long stretches of beautiful marshland with birds and rushes and tidal pools that provide a serene counterpoint to the more densely developed areas of shoreline.

By late afternoon we started to look for an anchorage as we knew early on that there was no way we were going to make Atlantic City.  But anchorages are few and far between on this part of the  ICW.  We finally chose one in Beach Haven which is located on Long  Beach immediately off the ICW.  The charts showed 12 foot depths but when we poked our way in those depths had shoaled to only 6 feet.  But at this point we were out of options as the light was beginning to wane.

We settled into what we thought would be a good anchorage.  We were in a more open area than we usually would choose but the waters were calm and the wind was OK.  The shoreline was lined with what looked like newly built and very attractive homes.  We were thinking that they must be beach homes but as darkness fell, many of them were lit up and obviously occupied.

Lynn went all out (for boat cooking anyway) and made homemade eggplant parmesan and we had a delicious dinner that evening.  Jonny was exhausted but we wanted to watch the Democratic Presidential debates.  We thought for sure we would be able to get reception – after all we are in big NY/NJ market area.  But we couldn’t get reception so we resigned ourselves to watching two episodes of our guilty pleasure – Mad Men.  

Sandy Hook, NJ

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A significant milestone took place on Oct. 12 - we crossed our wake completing the official Down East Loop!  The Down East Loop actually begins and ends in New York City.   In between we cruised 2500 miles from June 12 to October 12.  Of course, we still have to travel all the way back to Florida and we are now  on our way home! 

We started this leg of our trip leaving Fairfield, CT at 8 a.m. on Columbus Day.  Our original plan was to get to City Island, NY which we were looking forward to visiting.  We took off on a beautifully sunny day with temperatures in the low 70’s.  It was perfect!  And we were especially happy that the seas were calm the whole day.  We made such good time that we were due to arrive at City Island by 1:00.  After checking the currents, we realized that they would continue in our favor all through New York City.  This was especially important as we had to travel down the East River and pass through an extremely turbulent area known as Hell Gate.  This is where the East and Harlem Rivers meet.  It is  known for being a very challenging passage especially if the currents are not in your favor and if the winds are kicking up.  In our case, the currents were in our favor and there was little wind  (and very little boat traffic due to the Columbus Day holiday).   So once again, we changed our plans and decided to go straight through NYC to Sandy Hook, NJ.

The passage through Hell Gate was turbulent with many conflicting currents and eddies.  It took the full concentration of the captain to ensure that we didn’t veer off course.  There is a blind  elbow turn of 90 degrees which can be pretty scary if a barge is coming from the opposite direction.  But we encountered no such problem.  We can only imagine what a wild ride this could be under different conditions!

 

The cruise down the East River was spectacular. 

We passed Gracie Mansion, the United Nations and cruised past the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building before reaching the mouth of the harbor. 

We cruised under each of the monumental bridges spanning the East River including the amazing Brooklyn Bridge.

We also passed the new World Trade Center and the Statue of Liberty as we did at the beginning of our voyage.  

Arriving in and leaving New York City is the most wondrous of feelings and doing so in a boat is an experience not to be forgotten.

From there we proceeded down the New Jersey coast to Sandy Hook – a long, elbow-shaped stretch of land extending out into the Atlantic.  We found a good anchorage inside that elbow and there we set our anchor at about 5 p.m.  It was a long travel day, but a good one.  We could see some nice homes from our anchorage and only two other boats were in the area.  We settled in for a quiet evening.  The only excitement was the significant rolling caused by a passing ferry every few hours.  This subsided by 11 and we had a restful night aboard Zendo.

Fairfield, CT

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We finally left New London on October 11 after a two week stay.  It was a sunny and warm day and the waters appeared to be very calm when we left at 8 a.m.  However, once we got out onto Long Island Sound we encountered some very choppy seas.   The waves looked to be about 3-4 feet and their intervals were very short, making for a rather uncomfortable journey.  We were glad that we had no guests aboard as they would not have been happy cruisers.  But we needed to “make hay while the sun was shining” so we hunkered down and spent the day heading for Fairfield.

After about 6-7 hours, as we got closer to the eastern end of Long Island Sound, the waters calmed down a bit, so the captain had a chance to take a nap.

Our plan was to stay near Fairfield so we could visit Jonny’s Aunt Edith (Skid) and perhaps see one of Lynn’s old buddies.  Fairfield is Lynn’s home town but she hadn’t spent a lot of time here since her parents moved to nearby Stratford after her dad retired.  The closest and best place to stay was Captain Cove’s Marina in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport right next door to Fairfield. 

Shortly after we arrived, Jonny’s cousin Abby and her husband, Rich, arrived with Skid in tow.  The cousins came aboard to see Zendo while Lynn stayed on the dock with Skid who uses a walker these days (which aren’t conducive to boats).  Afterwards we drove to a very nice restaurant in Fairfield Center called Centro.  There, we had a delicious dinner and lively conversation about old times and new which Skid generously hosted.

It was an eye-opener for Lynn to see how Fairfield Center has changed over the years.  The town looked beautiful with tree-lined streets, lots of attractive stores – so much of it barely recognizable (though it had always been a lovely town).   If we had had more time, it would have been fun to drive by her old home and more familiar haunts – but we’ll have to save that for another time.

Later on, after returning to the boat, Lynn’s old high school buddy, Billy Rappoport came by to see us and the boat.  He stayed for quite a while and we caught up on each other’s lives since we only see each other every few years.   It was a wonderful reunion with all concerned and we were touched by our friends and family taking time out to visit with us.

New London, CT

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On September 25, we left Stonington Harbor bound for Jonny’s home town, New London, CT.  It was great to have Addie and Lange aboard to join us on this particular cruise.  The trip was a pretty quick one with beautiful weather and fairly calm seas – though there were a few whitecaps.  Jonny was very moved by the opportunity to sail into his home town harbor.  As a boy, he always dreamed of having a boat and never achieved that dream until our move to Florida.  So seeing New London from the water and arriving on Zendo was definitely a special moment for him.

New London is one of the oldest and most  historic towns in Connecticut.  Founded in 1646, it is located at the mouth of the Thames River which flows into Long Island Sound and has one of the deepest harbors on the Sound.  During the Revolutionary War, it became an important base for naval operations.  For several decades it was the second busiest whaling port in the world.  It is also home to the US Coast Guard Academy and the Naval Submarine Base New London (where many of our nuclear submarines are built) and home port for the classic tall ship, Eagle.  It is really a little city with a charming downtown area that has had its share of economic ups and downs over the years.  We planned to spend some time here with Jonny’s brother, Andy, to prepare their mom,  Janice to move to South Florida.

First thing we needed to do upon arriving was to bring everyone (including Jonny’s mom, Janice) to Captain Scott’s, a great little open air restaurant on the waterfront. There we enjoyed all our favorites:  lobster rolls, fried clams, steamers, Rhode Island clam chowder, scallops – yum!

That evening we had another birthday dinner for Lynn at the Recovery Room, our favorite Italian restaurant in town.  We had a very jolly time there and as always, a delicious dinner that was enough for lunch the following day. Accompanying Janice anywhere in New London is a big production because wherever we go, someone knows her and they spend time chatting and reminiscing.  I guess if you have literally lived somewhere for 90 years, you develop quite a following!

The next morning  Addie and Lange left for the airport and the major effort to begin packing Janice’s home began.  We had a lot to do in a week’s time – pack much of the house, arrange for an estate sale, meet with the realtor, get a home inspection, etc.  Unfortunately, Janice has not been feeling well – her glaucoma is causing her problems.  Our trip to New London is being extended because of the need for her to have eye surgery and numerous follow-up appointments.  We want to especially recognize Andy for the loving care he is providing to Janice,  not only the last few weeks but also for having her move in with him for the next couple of months until we find a more permanent place for her.

 

A highlight of our time here was the arrival of Stephanie and Andy’s daughter, Samantha for the weekend.  Stephanie came in on the train and we got to visit New London’s historic train station to pick her up.

The girls came to see their Grandma Jan one more time before she moved to Florida.  They spent time going through the Grandma’s treasures and selecting items to keep.  They had quite a haul!

Every time we visit New London, we have to visit all of our favorite haunts which include Captain Scott’s (for lobster rolls and fried clams), Fred’s Shanty (for burgers and hot dogs), and Michael’s Dairy (for ice cream) and of course the Recovery Room (for great Italian food).  We got to visit these places more than once due to our protracted visit this time.  It’s amazing we don’t weigh more than we do considering all the delicious food we’ve been eating!

 

We also used this time to visit Lynn’s Aunt Edie and her cousin Sally.  Edie, Lynn godmother, is 99 years old!  Our family has strong genes on both sides!  We met them at a quaint pub in beautiful Essex, CT located on the Connecticut River.

We drove all over the state of Connecticut taking Janice to various doctor’s appointments.  What a treat it was for us to see the leaves starting to change!

We also had a chance to visit Janice’s granddaughter, Megan, at the restaurant she manages in Newington.

By Sunday, October 11, we had done all we could to help Andy in New London.  We decided to resume our trip aboard Zendo and continue our journey to Miami so we can help Andy get  Janice situated in South Florida.