The Fluidity of Cruising
12 September 2014 | Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Elaine/66 and windy
Weather changes, winds howl and then calm, and decisions change as well. Since Wednesday our plans were to depart on Friday a.m. for Atlantic City. Not happening. There was a small craft warning until 6:00a.m. today. Before we began cruising, Lawrence and I made a pact: if either one of us had a bad feeling about traveling we simply would not go. All day yesterday Lawrence had a terrible feeling about leaving this morning; he just could not get past it and last night the small craft warning appeared on NOAA. That clinched it, we would sit tight. Our new plan is to move from Atlantic Highlands early this afternoon and reanchor north of here just at the tip of Sandy Hook near the Coast Guard station. We will sit through tomorrow with predictions of strong easterly winds and rain. We hope to depart Sunday a.m. around 5:30 in strong north winds which are supposed to gradually subside to a more comfortable level for us and we hope to reach Atlantic City about 13 hours later. Then the plot thickens! The best day to go up the Delaware has consistently been on Monday necessitating a departure from Cape May point by 10:45 a.m. Winds on Sunday are to be north early and then changing to south. We have decided to try a 100 mile day and leave Atlantic City around 4:00 a.m. with the hopes of reaching the tip of Cape May by 10:45 and then up the Delaware Bay and into Chesapeake City by 9:00 p.m. - perhaps even as early as 7:00 p.m. For those who have been wondering where we are and when we would move, just remember plans have changed and may certainly change again! For now, a change of anchorage, a nice dinner and a review of wind and weather tomorrow!