JUNE 22: COMPLETING THE LOOP

June 22:  Well, today is a big day.  We will finally complete the Loop when we cross New York Harbor.  In preparation, we removed the old white American Great Loop Cruising Association (AGLCA) flag and installed the gold AGLCA flag.  We did not want to have to hoist it in the middle of New York harbor as it can be exceedingly rough there with all the maritime traffic.

A beautiful sunrise was a good omen for the day.

 A Sentinel guarding the approach to the channel.

 Veranzano Narrows Bridge which marks the entrance to New York Harbor.

 One of the "small" vessels we encountered as we approached the entrance.

 Our first view of Manhattan-rather hazy but still impressive.

As we enter the harbor proper, we have to be on the alert for passenger ferries, tankers and barges.

 And there she is!   The "Lady" saluting our gold flag as we cross our wake.

 Truly a magnificent sight.  Only the truly jaded cannot be moved by this symbol of freedom.

 Passing Ellis Island-the first stop for many immigrants in the past.

 View of the new World Trade Center.

 The journey began on June 4, 2011 and would have been done a year later except for a few unexpected interruptions.  It has been quite a ride.  We have traveled over 7,000 miles and been through over 100 Locks.  We have seen many different parts of the United States and Canada from small river towns to large cities like Chicago-all from the unique perspective of the water. 

There have been ups and downs and times when we have felt that it was an endurance test but overall it has been a wonderful experience.  We have great memories and have met the nicest people.  We have been on the receiving end of the kindness of strangers.  From the tow captain who pulled us out of the mud on the Illinois River to Wanda the owner of the Alligator marina in NC who drove the Captain to the emergency room and waited for four hours for him when he cracked his ribs. 

 We made our way back up the Hudson River to Halfmoon Bay Marina.  It felt strange coming back here after two years.  Sad also because the last time that we were here, we still had our four legged buddy with us.  For old times sake, we revisited the Ocean House restaurant where we had one of the best meals on the Loop.  It did not disappoint and we enjoyed a great meal and a bottle of champagne to celebrate finishing the Loop.

 

Dedicated to our Buddy: We wish he could have completed the journey with us.

JUNE 21: TO SANDY HOOK-THE LAST LEG OF THE LOOP

June 21:  Another early morning start for us as today is a long haul up the New Jersey coast.  We have to cover about 92 miles up which may not seem much when traveling over land but for a slow boat like ours it could take up to 12 hours.  Fortunately for us, the current was in our favor and we made it to our destination in just under 10 hours.

 Entering Sandy Hook Bay

 We had a calm anchorage and enjoyed a beautiful sunset.  Tomorrow we cross New York Harbor and our wake to complete the Loop.

JUNE 20: ATLANTIC CITY

June 20: Cape May is a lovely seaside town with lots of gingerbread cottages, boutiques and restaurants. But as we have visited it before, we decided to take advantage of the good weather predictions for the next few days and press on up the New Jersey Coast.

The New Jersey section of the InterCoastal Waterway is not dredged frequently and is very shallow.  Therefore, most boaters go out into the Atlantic Ocean to cover this section of the Loop.  There are some longer stretches and not that many places to stop so one has to take advantage of any good weather windows.

Our destination today is an anchorage just inside a pond outside of Atlantic City.  This is the same anchorage that we stopped at when we brought the boat back to Rhode Island.  We learnt from other boaters that due to Hurricane Sandy, the entrance has become shoaled and it is much trickier getting into the basin.

One can see the skyline of Atlantic City and its myriad of casinos from quite a distance.

 Approaching Atlantic City.

 A much closer look at the waterfront and casinos.

 One of the newer and more impressive casinos.

A dredger at work trying to undo some of Sandy's damage.

We turned into our anchorage with some trepidation as the channel has really become quite shallow and one cannot follow the existing markers anymore.  We made it through safely and this is the view from our location.

JUNE 19: CAPE MAY

June 19:  The current in Delaware Bay can be as much as 3-4 knots.  So it is important to time your departure to make sure that it is in your favor for the longest period.  We raised the anchor just before 7:00 a..m. and headed down the C&D canal to Delaware Bay.

Fortunately, the skies cleared overnight and we had a bright sunny day with very little wind.  As we entered Delaware Bay, our speed really picked up and we were rocking along at 10 knots.

 This buoy shows how strong the current can be in Delaware Bay.

 The Bay is dotted with interesting lighthouses.  Some are still in use and others are abandoned.

 Entering the Cape May Canal, we had to slow down and give way to this ferry.  It's a lot bigger than us.

The ferry terminal is just inside the Cape May Canal.

It's rather busy.  There were 5 ferries docked there.

We made it into the Utsch's Marina successfully and were hauled out immediately.  We waited with bated breath to view the bow thruster once it was out of the water.  Peter removed the outer casing but that shear pin was also intact. However, the entire propeller was covered with crustaceans which may have impeded its ability to force water right or left to move the bow.  This was unusual as Peter had inspected it in Belhaven just a few weeks ago and it was clean.  Anyway, as nothing else seemed to be out of order, he proceeded to scrape all those little buggers off the propeller and reinstall it.  The boat was lowered partially back into the water and I tested it and voila it worked.  

The boat was lowered completely and we motored over to our slip for the night.  We were happy campers and celebrated by going out to dinner. 

JUNE 18: THE CHESAPEAKE & DELAWARE CANAL

June 18:  All looked good for our departure today, until the Captain noticed that the bow thruster was not working.  Trying to maneuver a single screw boat without a bow thruster is a tough challenge.  However, the Captain managed to back out of the slip using short bursts of speed.  The bow thruster was working perfectly when we arrived here 3 weeks ago so its demise is a mystery.

Our trip through the northern section of Chesapeake Bay under cloudy skies was uneventful.  The rain held off except for a few sprinkles here and there.  It really started coming down as we entered the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal (C&D).  The C&D canal links the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays and is kept well dredged for the large commercial traffic that transits the area.

Our destination today is an anchorage just inside the C&D canal.  When we bought the boat 6 years ago in Norfolk, we followed this same route and anchored in the same spot.  What a difference 6 years makes!  The place has completely changed.  There is now a marina here with an inn and restaurant in the formerly deserted basin.  This is, however, a very well protected anchorage and a good spot to wait out any bad weather.

Next on our agenda was to investigate what has caused the bow thruster to give up the ghost.  Step one was to dismantle the motor from inside the boat to determine if the shear pin was broken.  So the chief mechanic climbed into the small space in the forward cabin where the bow thruster is located.  His trusty assistant stood by ready to hand the necessary tools, read the instruction manual and hold the torch.  So who has the easy job?

After successfully dismantling the equipment, we found that the shear pin was intact.  The poor chief mechanic had to endure putting the entire machine back together cramped up in such a confined space.  The poor guy was exhausted by the time the operation was completed.

What now?  We made arrangements to be hauled tomorrow when we arrive at the marina in Cape May.  Rats! Just when we thought things were going so well....

JUNE 15-17: BACK ON THE LOOP-AGAIN!

June 15:  We hit the road early in the morning to make the 9 hour trip back to Maryland.  After the very boring trip back to Rhode Island, we decided to take the slower but more scenic route back via the country roads of Connecticut.  It was definitely more enjoyable.

While we were away, we the new batteries were installed on the boat.  The good ole Duddon Pilot was there to welcome us and still floating!

June 16-17:  A mad dash ensued to prepare the boat for departure on June 18 that included cleaning, restocking the larder and navigating our course for the days ahead.  The weather looks good for leaving on June 18 so early  to bed for us.

MAY 28-JUNE 14: STILL IN RHODE ISLAND

We spent the next few days organizing movers, removing items that we did not plan to put in storage-all those fun things that are involved in packing up a household.  Fortunately, we had done a fair amount of planning before we left last time to prepare of a potential sale and move.

Wednesday, June 5 was the day for the house inspection.  The buyer arrived with half a dozen inspector specialists and spent 5 hours going over the place.  We were surprised but not too concerned as we had hired our own house inspector last summer who gave us a good report.

Thursday, June 6, we met with our realtor to hear her assessment of the prior day's inspections.  The conversation was interrupted by a call from the buyer's agent to inform us that the deal was off.  After getting over the initial annoyance of breaking our trip, driving home, etc., we decided that perhaps the outcome was for the best.

So we will head back to the boat in a couple of days and (hopefully) finish the Loop before traveling back to Canada for our summer adventure. We are planning on a 10-12 week trip visiting Lake Ontario and from there going to Ottawa, Montreal and Lake Champlain before coming back to Rhode Island again for the winter of 2013-2014.

MAY 27-28: BACK TO RHODE ISLAND

May 27:  Yesterday, we received a surprise offer on our house which we accepted after a few back and forths.  So now, we have to find a place to leave the boat while we go back to Rhode Island to seal the deal.  Fortunately, a fellow Monk boat owner recommended the Maryland Marina which is in Pasadena, Maryland which is just a short distance north of Annapolis. 

After arranging to pick up a rental car in Pasadena, we dropped our mooring and enjoyed smooth seas all the way to the Maryland Marina.  Peter also arranged to have two new engine batteries installed while we are away as both were not charging up adequately.

May 28:  After a long and boring ride, we reached home late in the evening and will spend the next several days getting the house ready for sale.

MAY 25-26: NAVAL ACADEMY AT ANNAPOLIS

May 25-26:  The United States Naval Academy in Annapolis was founded in 1845.  It is a four year academy established to train officers for commissioning in the US Navy and Marine Corps.  Today, it occupies 338 acres and the entire campus is a National Historic Landmark.

There is so much to see that we spent two days touring the Academy and could have spent a few more as well.  We spent over three hours on the official tour and many more on our own.

  The following is a small sampling of the many impressive and well preserved buildings.

An example of one of the senior officers' homes.

There was a major exhibit at the Academy on the War of 1812 while we were there.

It was also graduation week at the Academy.  This new graduate happily posed for me.

As a former submariner, the Captain posed in front of the monument to all submariners who have given their lives during war.

The tomb of John Paul Jones-A sailor born in Scotland who became the most well-known naval fighter in the American Revolution.  He is considered by many to be the "Father of the US Navy".  This magnificent marble and bronze sarcophagus was donated by the French Government.

MAY 23-24: PLAYING TOURISTS IN ANNAPOLIS

May 23:  Before we could play tourists, we had one major boat project to undertake.  Yes, we did think all those big projects were behind us...but boats being boats..The Captain noticed that the stuffing box was leaking a little too much so the challenge today is to remove the old stuffing material around the shaft and replace it with new.  Does not sound like a big deal, right?  Well, yes if you are doing this in the water.

So the crew prepared everything ahead and attacked the problem.  Admiral was charged with stemming the water that would pour into the boat, while the Captain removed the old shaft seal and packing material and inserted the new.  After a few breathless minutes, the process proceeded quickly and completed without any mishap thanks to the Admiral and a well functioning bilge pump.

We were now free to leave the boat and head to downtown Annapolis.  We scouted out the local transportation options and chose to take the bus to the nearest shopping mall to stock up on supplies.

May 24:  With all our boating chores done.  We spent the next few days truly relaxing and exploring Annapolis.  What a neat town-it has the highest concentration of 18th Century houses.  The names of the streets-King, George's, Prince George's, Hanover, Duke of Gloucester date from Colonial days.

A few examples of the well preserved historic houses.

Monument to Thurgood Marshall, the first black justice of the US Supreme Court who was formerly a Maryland lawyer.

MAY 22: ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

May 22:  We decided to head off today for Annapolis to beat the crowds as the coming weekend is Memorial Day and will be busy.  Our trip north was uneventful with calm seas and little wind.  We arrived in Annapolis and ventured in to the inner harbor to pick up a mooring.  There was only one other boat ahead of us and plenty of room.

 Annapolis Harbor:  home to lots of sail boats.

 Entering Annapolis Harbor

The view from our mooring:  St. Mary's School.  We were bystanders to their graduation ceremonies.