Philadelphia, PA - return trip

On Sunday, August 29 our plan was to leave Delaware City Marina at noon and head up the Delaware River to Philadelphia where we would stay for a week. We became concerned when we were told by Tim’s crew that there was a lot of debris including big logs in the river from the recent rainstorms surrounding Hurricane Henri. However after checking in with SeaTow we decided to proceed with caution. It turned out that we encountered very few logs on our four and a half hour cruise.  The day was sunny and mild and we rode the current all the way arriving at the marina at 4:45.

Ben, who was in the sailboat next to us last time we were here, helped us to tie up. He and his wife, Kristine and their little baby, Maverick, live onboard in the marina and have proved to be great neighbors - friendly, helpful and engaging.

Unfortunately, the marina had a lot of debris including logs and branches that collected as a result of the running waters in the river.  Throughout the week, Jonny and others had to clear some out.  Jonny took to the dinghy to haul a log that was almost 60 feet long back into the river!

Stephanie has been jammed with work and school the last few weeks so we didn’t plan on seeing her until Wednesday. But on Monday, we walked over to their apartment and took Ryan to lunch and picked up all the many items we had had delivered to their address.  

On Tuesday morning, Jonny met up with our friend Tracy and they walked through the Fishtown and Northern Liberties parts of Philly to a cool area called Grafitti Pier.  The name is self explanatory.

Jonny had been craving Chinese food so upon his return we walked to Chinatown and had lunch at Panang.  It wasn’t Chinese, it was Malaysian but that was close enough for us.  It was quite good though he declared it more Chinese-Malaysian than that which he had eaten when he lived in Malaysia.  The servings were so large that we took half of it home and had it for dinner.

We had mailed some of the delicious ravioli from Arthur Ave. in the Bronx to Stephanie and Ryan, so on Wednesday night we made dinner for them in their apartment.  We had ordered cheese ravioli for them (and mushroom ravioli for us) but when we cooked it, it turned out to be filled with mushrooms which Stephanie doesn’t care for so it was a little disappointing.  She nibbled around the edges and ate the appetizers and salad but was so exhausted that we left early so she could get a good night’s sleep.  Bugatti’s made it right after I called them the next day to tell them of the error.  They sent out a new box of cheese ravioli the next day.

Each day we’ve been taking Archie for walks along nearby piers as well as in two nearby dog parks.

We particularly like one that is on the side of a hill and usually has a couple of nice dogs that he likes to play with.  It was here that we met a dog owner who we had met on our previous visit.  We saw her almost every day and she recommended a groomer for Archie where we were able to make an appointment for him on Friday.  Thursday, however, was haircut day for me and I was quite pleased with the referral I received from Stephanie.  This photo shows the results of both my haircut and Archie’s.

On Thursday afternoon we walked over to the Italian Market and had a delicious lunch outside at DeBruno Brothers.  We also took the opportunity to stock up on more cheese, salami, sausage, pasta and tomatoes.  Do we eat to live or live to eat? Guess!

That night we went out to dinner with Stephanie and Ryan in a restaurant close to Rittenhouse Square. Philly has great restaurants and many of them are BYOB which is such a plus!

Saturday was a beautiful, clear day - perfect for apple picking! And that’s just what we did. Stephanie picked us up (and finally got to visit with Archie).

She took us out to Terhune Orchards in New Jersey where we picked two pecks of four kinds of nice ripe apples. The orchard also sold wine and cheese boards and had a musician playing so we hung out there for awhile enjoying the perfect weather before doing a Costco run.

Ryan wasn’t with us because he had gone to the Navy game in Annapolis with his dad for the day.  Later on that evening we went to a cool little Korean restaurant near Rittenhouse Square for dinner.

When we got back to Zendo that evening we went out on the dock to join our neighbors, Ben and Kristine, who were watching a great fireworks display by the bridge over the river. We enjoyed the ringside seat and a glass of wine with them.

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Originally we were going to leave on Sunday morning, but the debris from Hurricane Ida was still significant and floating down the river so we decided to delay our departure.  This log floated next to our boat.

We spent quite a bit of time this week shopping for fabric to create a textile wall hanging to cover water stains on the teak in the saloon.  We found some we liked and bought foam board to mount it.  On Sunday, we finally put it all together and hopefully it will look good when we hang it. Photos to follow once that happens. 

Philly has been great fun as always. It’s clearly becoming another home away from home for us.  How’s this photo for a historical reference for this city of brotherly love? 

Delaware City, DE - return trip

Early Friday, August 27 we took a dinghy ride back to H&H Seafood to give Archie a quick walk before heading up the Delaware Bay.  Once again our destination is Delaware City.  We had a long but very pleasant cruise on a hot sunny day.  Fortunately the bay was calm and we rode the current all the way up arriving at 2:00 after a seven hour cruise.

As we arrived in historic Delaware City, we were surprised to see only one other boat in the area where we usually tie up. Tim, the owner of Delaware City Marina, was on the dock to welcome us back.  We’re always happy to see him!  He has a dry sense of humor that we greatly enjoy!

The skies were quickly clouding up and later in the afternoon it started to pour buckets! And it continued to pour for several hours.  This was by far the most intense rain we’ve had on this trip. At first we sat on the enclosed fly bridge to experience the storm but that got tiresome after a while and we went into the saloon.  It was quite warm and very humid so we turned on the AC for some relief.  We were extremely pleased not to discover any leaks which is really quite remarkable!  

That night we had sausage and peppers for dinner with the sausage we had purchased in the Bronx’s Little Italy and did our usual round of calls with family.

On Saturday morning we took Archie for a long walk on the beautiful C&D Canal walk nearby.  This is definitely one of the best parts of staying here.  Jonny did some of the never-ending boat chores and I did some of the never-ending laundry and cleaning.  Zendo needed a good vacuuming which is a bit easier to do with our new shop vac.

Jonny had hoped to get Charlie, the marina’s mechanic, to look at a few issues (there are always issues on a boat) but Charlie was on vacation for the next few days.  We didn’t have a car this time and there really aren’t any decent restaurants nearby so we had a relaxing evening eating leftovers, reading and watching TV.

The next day we plan to head up to Philadelphia to stay for a week.  We’re excited to be able to spend time with Stephanie and Ryan again.  There won’t be quite as many visits since she is very busy with work and school at this time. This blog will be on hold until the end of that visit.

Cape May, NJ return trip

We had a long day of cruising again on Thursday, August 26 so we got up early to take Archie in to to Barnegat Light for a walk.  One of the good things about having a dog is that it gets us out walking a lot every day even if we are anchored. This time we walked across the barrier island all the way to the  water on the other side.  We found a very nice boardwalk in a park that led to the beach.  We followed it until it started to get muddy and then turned around.  We didn’t want to delay leaving by having to wash the sand out of Archie’s fur!

We pulled up anchor by 7:30 and headed south down the remaining Jersey shore.  Early on it was sunny and clear with perfect temperatures but by 10 it became very foggy.  It was so foggy that Jonny turned on the radar and it was only with radar that we could see other ships on the water.  Fortunately, there were very few out on the water.

I was happy because we finally decided what to get Stephanie and Ryan who are both turning thirty in October and December respectively. Shhhh!  Archie slept most of the way nestled against whoever wasn’t piloting at the time.

We traveled over 65 miles which got us in to Cape May by 5:15.  We anchored in our  usual spot in the harbor and quickly climbed into the dinghy to go to our favorite seafood market next to the Lobster House.  Alas, it was closed!  How disappointing.  Time for Plan B.  Fortunately, Jonny had read about another seafood market on the other side of the harbor which was also supposed to be good.  He called to make sure they were open and that there was a place for us to tie up.  So we climbed back in the dinghy and went all the way to the other side to find H & H Seafood.  We tied up at their dock and walked through the outdoor patio to see about eating there.  One small hitch - no dogs allowed even on the patio!  Plan C was then implemented and we ordered take-out - boiled shrimp, potato salad, cole slaw and corn on the cob.  The best thing about finding this new market is that it is much closer to where we are anchored.

We hauled the food back to Zendo and finally sat down to eat by 8:00.  The food was pretty good but not as good as what we get from the Lobster House market (nor is the selection as wide).  Their new 5:00 closing hour could cause a problem for us in the future!

We had an early-to-bed night because we had one more long day cruising to Delaware City for our next stop.

Barnegat Light, NJ return trip

After a quick morning walk at the Miramar Yacht Club in Brooklyn’s Sheepshead Bay, we left at 8:30 on Wednesday, August 25.  We expected a long day’s cruise on the ocean side of the New Jersey shore bound for Barnegat Bay.  There would actually be two long days of travel down the Jersey shore because the weather was predicted to be good and most especially the seas would be calm.  And so it was! A clear, sunny day and calm seas made for a long day but a pleasant and happily uneventful one.

We arrived at the same anchorage in Barnegat Bay that we stayed in on the way up. It is in the town of Barnegat Light (population 764) -  one of the many small beach towns along Long Beach Island on the Jersey shore.

Of course the first thing we did after anchoring was to take our patient pup into shore passing by this colorful fuel dock.

As we walked towards the dog park we were surprised to see when Barnegat Light was established.

This is the town where the dog park is locked and only open to residents.  We thought we would take our chances and try to get in.  Luckily we ran into one of the same women we met last time and she remembered us (or maybe it was Archie) and she welcomed us back.  At first there were just three dogs in the park but before long there were several more.  Archie was a happy camper! Everyone there was very friendly.  We even met a young man from Miami Beach who was getting ready to move to Evanston where my sister lives!

While there, I spent some time on the phone with our friend Cathy whose mother is battling cancer.  We were discussing when I could get away and fly to Charlotte to give her a hand with all that needed to be done for her mom.

The day was really hot and Jonny did the sensible thing by going for a swim before dinner - smart man!  Afterwards he made a nice dinner of fish and summer squash on the grill.  We had a quiet evening reading and making flight arrangements before going to bed early.  The next day would be an even longer day of cruising as we make our way down the remaining Jersey coastline to Cape May.

Brooklyn, NY

On Tuesday, August 24 Jonny took Archie for a last walk in City Island and decided he wanted to have a hearty diner breakfast before setting out on our cruise. After returning from the walk we left Archie onboard and walked to the City Island Diner for breakfast.  This is a quintessential small town diner and we had a very satisfying breakfast.

It was noon when we left the marina which would allow us to catch a favorable current through New York City as we headed to Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn.

It was a hot day and the skies were clear but it’s always somewhat challenging cruising on the East River.  It’s a narrow river with lots of boat traffic zooming by.  The boats kick up waves that bounce back and forth across the river churning up even more rough water. Between that and the swift current one has to be hyper vigilant all while ogling the iconic landmarks.

We chose to stay in Sheepshead Bay on the recommendation of a fellow boater who recommended the Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club there.  Jonny tried to contact them through various means to no avail.  He saw that there was another marina nearby with mooring balls and called them.  The fellow he spoke with at the Miramar Yacht Club was very welcoming and even offered to buy us beers when we arrived.  So we obviously made plans to go there instead.

We arrived at the bay by 3:45 and called in for guidance as to where to tie up to the mooring ball.  The launch came out to meet us and it turned out that it serves both yacht clubs that just happen to be next door to each other!  There were too many lines on the mooring ball and they were very tangled so the launch driver went back to get help and she brought David out, the fellow Jonny had talked to on the phone. He straightened everything out and urged us to come join him for a beer once we got settled.  And so we did, of course taking Archie with us so he could walk onshore. 

David introduced us to several old salts who were fellow yacht club members.  This was a very casual, low key yacht club that primarily caters to sailors.  The Sheepshead Yacht Club next door had more going for it with a restaurant and pool but apparently their phones weren’t working which is why they never called us back.  No matter.  We had a fun time sitting outside exchanging stories with the Miramar members about our respective sailing mishaps!

Afterwards we took Archie for a walk along the main drag which was very busy and not at all attractive.  We learned that Sheepshead Bay is the name of the bay we were moored in as well as the name of this Brooklyn neighborhood.  It gets its name from the sheepshead, an edible fish found in the bay’s waters.  It was originally a summer fishing destination and over the years it became a popular tourist destination along with Manhattan Beach across the bay. But it was eventually surpassed by the growth of Coney Island.  The community has had its ups and downs over the years.  It is quite diverse with a an especially large Jewish and Russian population similar to nearby Brighton Beach.  We didn’t see enough of the area to get a really good feel for it.  Next time we pass through we will be more likely try staying at our original choice, the Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club. The photos below are the most attractive shots we got from our approximately one mile walk.

That night we had antipasto salad which we had purchased in City Island and and leftover pasta from our dinner out.  It was just as good the second time around!   

As the sky darkened we laid out on the foredeck looking at the few stars that permeated the city lights and watched a big beautiful full moon rise.  Pretty special!