Norwalk, CT

On Friday, June 21 we took Archie for a leisurely walk in the park in Port Washington, NY since we were in no big hurry to leave. We saw a family of swans along the shore and Archie played frisbee and found a fellow doodle to wrestle with for quite a while.

It was a beautiful day and we wanted to catch the tide as we made our way across Long Island Sound heading for an anchorage in Norwalk, CT.  We didn’t leave Port Washington until 11:35. It was a very calm and peaceful crossing on what turned out  to be a very hot day.  

We arrived at our anchorage in Copps Harbor by 3 pm.  Who knew there would be such a tranquil and isolated spot in busy SW Connecticut - but Jonny found it!

We took Archie in the dinghy to a narrow spit of land with a rocky shore and tied it up with an anchor because the tides are quite dramatic there. We walked and walked along the shoreline of Chimon Island which was next to a state park named for Stuart McKinney, a well-known Connecticut legislator.  The shore was strewn with dead horseshoe crabs and lots of seashells.  Jonny and Archie were very happy campers and were interested to walk around the whole island. However, the sky was starting to darken and there were rumbles of thunder in the distance so we headed back to Zendo to batten down the hatches.

It started to rain shortly after we returned and we were glad to be cozy and dry inside.  We have been trying to nail down places to stay in the New Haven and New London areas for the next week.  We’re planning to visit friends and family in New Haven and we’re leaving Zendo in New London to drive to a friend’s wedding in Ithaca the following weekend. 

We had lamb chops and corn on the cob for dinner and spent a relaxing evening at this pleasant anchorage, However when we were getting ready to go to bed, the wind shifted in an unexpected direction and we started rocking and rolling. It wasn’t too bad though and we were actually nicely lulled to sleep.

Port Washington, NY

On Thursday, June 20 we awoke to another beautiful sunny day. While I had a Spanish lesson with my favorite tutor, Jonny took Archie for one more walk through City Island passing a place that we’ll have to check out next time. 

 

After that we prepared for our very short cruise over to Port Washington, NY. We had gone there the year before for the first time and really liked the town. It is very friendly to boaters with inexpensive moorings and a convenient launch. We left City Island at 11:20 and tied up at our mooring by 11:55, a short 35 minute run!

After getting a pump-out by the mobile pump-out boat, we took our dinghy into shore for lunch. We decided to treat ourselves by making reservations at The Wild Goose restaurant which had an appealing menu and very good reviews. We started to walk up the hill into town. It was a mile walk but Archie started to limp a lot and he seemed to have something that really bothered his paw. In addition to that, it was getting very hot so we called an Uber to take us to the restaurant. 

That was a good move and we were very pleased with our choice.  The Wild Goose was lovely, the menu had lots of great choices and our waiter was great. Archie settled into a corner and was very well-behaved. We each had a drink and were very happy with our choices. 

By the time we left, the heat had subsided just a bit, Archie’s paw was fine and we walked back to the dinghy which was downhill all the way! 

Port Washington is also great for cruisers because it has lots of shopping with Stop ‘n Shop and Target nearby. We stopped for some provisions at Stop ‘n Shop before returning to Zendo where we read and napped for the rest of the afternoon.  Our lunch was so substantial that there was no need for dinner. This was the longest day of the year and we were in a perfect spot to enjoy the waning light.

City Island, NY

We caught the 6 a.m. bridge opening on Tuesday, June 18 leaving our Glimmer Glass anchorage in Manasquan bound originally for Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn.  But it was such a nice day we thought we might be able to make it all the way to City Island instead. The seas were remarkably flat, perfect for cruising.  It was sunny and warm and not too hot considering that there was a huge heat wave expected in the eastern part of the country. Jonny had the great idea of anchoring behind the Statue of Liberty and having lunch on board while we waited for the tide to turn so we could run with it up the East River and on to City Island. And that is exactly what we did for about 90 minutes, enjoying our time in the shadow of that great symbol,

From there we headed up the East River passing under the iconic Brooklyn Bridge and other landmarks which Archie seemed to enjoy watching.  

We arrived at the South Minneford Yacht Club at 4 p.m.  City Island is one of our go-to stops.  We like it because it’s like a little New England sailing village right in the middle of New York City. It’s casual and homey with only one Main Street and friendly residents.  

It was important for us to be in a marina because we were having a terrible time with our water onboard which had a strong sulphuric odor to it.  Jonny needed to drain the tanks and then shock them with bleach which we were hoping would correct the problem.

That evening I made twice cooked pork tenderloin, summer squash, and salad for dinner. Afterwards we took Archie for a walk through town stopping to buy the needed bleach and some ice cream for dessert at this funky market.

The next morning we walked Archie to a nearby park where he played frisbee and had fun playing with another poodle.  Jonny then spent the rest of the day on our water problem.  It was a drawn out process since he had to drain the two water tanks, fill them with diluted bleach and let that sit for 4 hours, then drain them again and refill them with clean water.  Fortunately his time and effort paid off and we now have clean odorless water! Jonny is ever so resourceful!

While he was doing that I was working on my Spanish homework because I’m now temporarily taking lessons with two Spanish tutors! You would think I would be fairly fluent by now!

That evening we had leftovers for dinner and made plans for the next seven days of our journey including meeting up with some of our cousins in the New Haven area.

Manasquan, NJ

On Monday, June 17 we left at 6 a.m. to take advantage of the calmer morning seas along New Jersey’s Atlantic coast. It was sunny and clear with just one to two foot swells. Our original plan was to go to Barnegat Bay and anchor at Barnegat Light. As we entered the bay, the wind kicked up and there were lots of whitecaps. This is the spot where we have the option to continue to cruise on the intracoastal waterway which would be much calmer than the ocean. So because it was still relatively early in the day, we decided to continue on the inside.  Our timing was perfect because the ocean was becoming more and more uncomfortable and we wouldn’t have wanted to be out in it.

We headed north to Manasquan where we like to stay in our favorite Glimmer Glass anchorage.  Unfortunately when we arrived at the inlet we had to wait 90 minutes for the little bridge into Glimmer Glass to open.  We hovered in the nearby waterway as the bridge tender kept extending the time for the next opening.  

By 3:30 we were finally able to drop the hook and settled into our quiet little spot amid the many summer homes in this popular shoreline community.

We quickly took Archie in to the little nearby pocket park where we tied up to a tree. 

 

We have stayed at this anchorage for years but it was only since we had Archie that we discovered the charming village of Manasquan, just a short walk from the park.  The hydrangeas were in full bloom which was quite delightful!

We strolled into town and headed to a local Italian specialty shop where we had purchased delicious food in the past.  I had a plan for dinner but we ditched it and instead bought some delicious prepared food to have for dinner.  We had chicken Milanese, cacio e pepe pasta and roasted zucchini for dinner. A real treat!  Afterwards, Jonny took Archie for one last trip to the beach while I cleaned up.

We didn’t stay up late because we had to get up very early again for the next leg of our journey to Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn.

Brigantine, NJ

We left Cape May at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 13 bound for Brigantine, which is next to Atlantic City. We left early to take advantage of calmer seas on the Atlantic Ocean as we made the 5 hour cruise. The winds and seas pick up in the afternoon so we’ll be traveling early as we make our way up the New Jersey coast.

It was a sunny day with calm seas and comfortable temperatures as we cruised about 1 - 2 miles off the coast.  Unfortunately, it was just far enough from land to make it difficult for me to do my Spanish class by Zoom so I rescheduled it for when we stopped for the day. The Atlantic City skyline showcases the many casinos still operating there.  Unfortunately the town has seen better days.

We arrived at the spot where we would be using a mooring belonging to a friend.  We planned to keep Zendo there while we rented a car to drive to Connecticut for the weekend. We arrived at Glenn’s mooring ball by 11:30 and tied up.  Jonny took Archie into shore in the dinghy while I had my Spanish lesson.  We packed for our weekend away and had a light dinner.

The next day we dinghied to a marina by the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City where we met Glenn who let us tie up our dinghy to his dock while we were away. We had rented a car from Turo (individuals rent their own cars) and the woman we rented from brought the car to us - so convenient!  We drove the four hours to Fairfield where we stayed with our good friends, Peter and Paula.  I’ve known Peter since 5th grade, growing up in Fairfield together. We both met our spouses at UConn and we’ve all been friends ever since.  It was great catching up with them as we hadn’t seen them since last year and this was the first time that we had seen their new home. They had moved to Fairfield from Longmeadow, MA about a year ago. We went for a great walk in the woods with our respective dogs who got along fine by basically ignoring each other!

The next morning we all took another nice walk and drove by my childhood home.  Later Jonny and I drove to Stratford to attend a Celebration of Life for his cousin Steven, who very sadly passed away from Legionnaire’s disease this winter.  He had to be airlifted from Barbados, where they were staying, to Miami where he was hospitalized.  The event which was held at Steven and Anne’s home was very special with no more than 30 people, all of whom were either family or very close friends.  Lots of stories were shared amidst tears and laughter. Steven was a unique personality and he made an impression on everyone who knew him.  He will be sorely missed.

That night we went out to dinner with Peter and Paula. The next morning, Billy, another friend I grew up with, came over to visit after  having just flown in from Israel the night before where he had attended a second wedding celebration for his son and new Israeli daughter-in-law.  It is always great catching up with my old buddies who have now become Jonny’s as well!

After a quick visit, we said our good-byes and by 11 we were driving back to Atlantic City and Zendo to continue our 2024 cruise.  It was a weekend  packed with family and friends and lots of love.

Cape May, NJ

This is the first entry for our 2024 cruise! We spent more than a week at the Delaware City Marina where we had put Zendo up for the winter. We stayed with Stephanie and Ryan over one weekend and took the rest of the time to get Zendo ready for our voyage.

Jonny did a number of repairs while I did the bulk of the cleaning and cooking. We made a couple of provisioning trips as well as stocking up on all the essentials! 

Our departure was delayed twice due to more needed repairs (engine ignition timing and the replacement of the alternator). Our saloon was torn up for a couple of days!

Sea trials (or shake-down cruises) are important safeguards!  But the third time was the charm and we finally left quaint Delaware City on Wednesday, June 12 at 7 a.m. headed for Cape May.  It was an ideal day - with a favorable current, calm seas and no wind to speak of. 

We had a pleasant 7 hour cruise although Archie wasn’t that excited. He spent the whole time snuggled up to one or the other of us. 

We arrived at our anchorage in Cape May and were looking forward to eating at one of the two nearby fish restaurants.  After relaxing for a couple of hours, we took Archie in the dinghy (which he prefers over the big boat) and planned for an early dinner. Alas, both restaurants were closed - apparently only open from Thursday through Sunday. So we headed back to Zendo and had our own salmon dinner from our recent provisioning. We always anchor near the Coast Guard Station where we can hear the “Coasties” practicing at all hours.

We had a quiet evening on board planning for the next several days. We’ll be heading for Atlantic City where we will stay on a mooring and rent a car to drive to Fairfield, CT to stay with friends Peter and Paula for the weekend. On Saturday, we will join Jonny’s family for a Celebration of Life in honor of his cousin Steven who tragically passed away this winter. 

We’ll return to Zendo on Sunday and continue our journey. Our ultimate goal this year is to cruise all the way to Down East Maine and cross the Canadian border to visit Campobello Island where FDR and his family used to vacation. 

Delaware City, DE (return trip)

Our last day of cruising for 2023 was Saturday, October 14. We had a short two hour run up the C&D Canal leaving our anchorage in Chesapeake City at 7:45 a.m. The day started off a bit overcast but it was warm enough with no rain which made for smooth sailing on the canal. 

We arrived at the Delaware City Marina by 9:42. Tim, the owner of the marina, met us at the dock and guided us as we did a 180 degree turn in the canal while the current nestled us along the dock. Tim always makes what could be a tricky docking quite seamless.  This is where we will be putting Zendo up for the winter as we did last year. We chose Delaware City Marina because it’s just a 45 minute drive to Philadelphia where Stephanie lives. We left our car here and we like Tim and this sleepy little hamlet so here we are again.

We’ll be spending the next several days getting Zendo winterized, packing up our things and loading our car for the trip back to Miami.  But before we leave, we have a very important responsibility and that is hosting Stephanie’s wedding to Ryan on October 28!  Stephanie has done a magnificent job of planning every detail of this wedding with Ryan and of course working with both sets of parents.  We are beyond excited because we think they are so well suited to each other  and we adore Ryan and love to see how they are with each other.  (This picture was taken at Stephanie’s bridal shower in April.)

Our 2024 cruise has been another rewarding adventure. We traveled 1,245 nautical miles cruising from Delaware City up the Hudson River to Burlington, VT on Lake Champlain. We enjoyed exploring many of the quaint towns and old cities along the Hudson River and had a wonderful time visiting new places as well as old favorites on Lake Champlain. We also cruised to various spots on the Chesapeake Bay.  We had a good balance of stays on anchor, on mooring balls, at free town docks and in marinas and we enjoyed every bit of the experience.

Every year at the end of our trip we ask each other if we would like to do it again next year. And this year, like the nine years prior, we have agreed that we want to do it again.  So until next year…