With a 3:00 PM departure from Block Island on Wednesday, we arrived and anchored at Cape May on Thursday at 7:30 PM. Beating the sunset by at least two minutes. A total of 28.5 hours. Not bad considering we had wind from all directions at unusable speeds and lumpy, lumpy seas the whole way (mostly from behind, thankfully). We did some 8.5 knot surfing for awhile and from Atlantic City to Cape May, with mainsail, staysail and iron genny all going, we did the last bit at a good 8 knot clip. Nothing like 5 to 10 foot New Jersey shore waves to give you a boost.
What we saw? Porpoises in the phosphorescent nighttime sea. A sea turtle (species not known). An irate old sailor complaining to the Coast Guard about a container ship in his way (it wouldn't be New Jersey if someone wasn't bitchin'). Plenty of clouds and fog and threatening weather. But no rain. No problems. And no pictures.
The jelly fish in our sea strainer (picture included) came from Rhode Island Sound.
One neat thing (after the initial panic) occurred at 0500 on Thursday as Tess replaced me on watch. A yellow light came on at the cockpit control panel, followed by a loud alarm buzzer. It seems that our new FilterBoss Fuel System works. And, wonder of wonders, it was properly installed. I quickly (and confidently) switched a lever from Filter No. 1 to Filter No. 2. The buzzer stopped. The yellow light disappeared. The engine did not stop. We did not get soaked with diesel fuel trying to change filters in a confused sea before day break. Nice!
And, for you technical types. Filter No. 1 was used to "polish" our 18 month old fuel prior to our June launch and never changed afterwards. Thus it's likely premature failure. I changed it this morning at Cape May Literally a two minute job (or at least it will be the second time). Nice!
Otherwise, and luckily, as all you passage makers know, it was pretty boring. Tedious work. Glad to see the coast again at Atlantic City. Frustrated that our destination was still five hours away at that point.
We made it. Now headed up Delaware Bay in a dead calm. Hot. And 30 plus miles to the C&D Canal. But the tides with us. All's well.
Miah Maull Shoal Light on Delaware Bay (Banana Storage System still working - though we had a bee visitation earlier today).
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