Into the Chesapeake

Arrived at the head of the Chesapeake Bay yesterday afternoon after a big sail overnight on Tuesday.  We left Sandy Hook around midday after a very rocky night and gusts of up to 30kts.  In hindsight the anchorage chosen wasn’t the best position for the forecast weather but we were confident we could ride it out with our ground tackle without doing any damage and it was close to the channel out to the Atlantic.   

We set off while the wind was still howling and there was a nasty chop running from the wind blowing unimpeded across the bay.  Nic did a fantastic job on a pitching foredeck to first remove our anchor snubber and then to get the anchor winched in.  Its great to see how much more proficient everyone is becoming.  We started by motoring into 20 to 25kts of a NW breeze for an hour to clear the point.  We had waves crashing into the hull and sending spray clear down the deck and over the bimini.  Once around the point the seas were in the lee of the land and so it calmed a bit and we continued to motor until we cleared the channel.  Clear of the channel we put up the mainsail with a second reef in and the reefed genoa and set a course down the coast on a broad reach.  The boat took off doing 8 to 9 kts.  The forecast was for the wind to die so we had to cover as much distance as we could.

Leaving Sandy hook

Our plan was to leave in the early afternoon such that we would arrive at Cape May early in the morning.  This was all based on a 6kt average speed.  As we flew along however we were getting further and further ahead of schedule but its very hard not to keep going when the boat is in the groove.  For watches during the night we had agreed that Nic would do the 20:00 to midnight and the 04:00 to 08:00.  Scott would do the midnight to 04:00 stint and then after 08:00 in the morning.  

A very apprehensive Nic came up at 8 o’clock with Sam and they took over the watch.  We had already shook out all the reefs to maintain speed in the lessening wind.  Scott went below to get some sleep.  This was a huge moment for Nic.  This was her first watch and even though she could call Scott at any time its still a huge responsibility.  Sam came up and stayed on watch with her and they both did a superb job.  As it was things went well and when Scott got up the boat was still racing along - Sam and Nic had managed to maintain 7 kt average speed.  Issue now was that we would reach Cape May in darkness and we did not want to try and round the Cape at night.  So we reefed the main and set the staysail which slowed us down.  As it was we needn’t have worried because the wind started to die however we managed to continue sailing until we were off the Cape May light at around 0600.  At this point the wind had dropped to 2 or 3 kts so we stowed the sails and turned on the engine.

So the first night sail on our own had been completed and everyone had done a superb job.  This is a bit of a milestone for us because there will be a few more of these between here and Singapore.  Nic has got over her fear of the unknown although she is still cautious about night sailing.  The big issue for us is fatigue management.  On our first overnight sail with Peter and Claire, Scott had been absolutely whacked the next day.  This time it was Nic’s turn while Scott felt OK.

It had been a long night for some

Given how well the night sail had gone we decided to bypass a visit to Cape May and press on up the Delaware Bay to the canal which links the Delaware to the Chesapeake.  The Bay is very shallow and we stayed within or close to the shipping channel the whole way.  Not the most exciting trip but with the warm weather it was pleasant enough on deck.  We also had a 1 to 2 kt current helping us the whole way.  We had an interim plan to anchor at the entrance to the canal for the night but it was early afternoon when we arrived and the proposed anchorage was in the shadow of the Salem Nuclear Power Plant so we pushed on through the canal into the Chesapeake.  The canal was bigger than the Cape Cod canal but still as interesting.  We had to go under six bridges and numerous other power cables and pipelines.  Even though we have checked the chart for the clearances its still unnerving taking a tall sailboat under any type of overhead crossing.  The canal is lined with trees and the autumn colours are really starting to come out.  There are a couple of towns on the way through the canal but again the depths are limited for a vessel of our size.

Autumn Colours Starting to Show

Salem Nuclear Plant

We exited the canal into Chesapeake Bay and made for an anchorage at the mouth of the Sassafras River (named for the trees that line the shore).  

Once anchored, we cleaned below and tidied the deck. Scott decided to shake out the sails (everything was so rushed in the dark and the sails were not put away as neatly as we would have been able to do in the daylight). As Scott unfurled the genoa, Nic (who was on the foredeck) saw the most surprising sight. A little bat, that must have got wrapped up in the sail the last time we took it in in the dark, fell to the deck. We assumed it was dead - it was so small and delicate we didn’t imagine it would survive being squashed by the big sail.  However, on closer inspection, we could see that the poor little thing was breathing. So we left it be and noticed a short time later that it had moved seeking some protection under a large line on deck. We now had a ships bat but alas it was not to last.  By nightfall it was gone.

Ships Bat

Not sure what is here but its a relatively sheltered anchorage for the forecast SE winds and is a very pretty place. We shall hang here for a night or two and take this opportunity to catch up on some school work.

PS.  A number readers have asked for a map to see where we are.  Its too difficult to try and get a live map on the blog page but there are  couple of web sites that you can track us on.  Let us know if you can not find the web page or vessel and we can send the link together with our MMSI number (unique identifier) .

Time for a haircut