Yesterday we left Duck Island Roads early in the morning, anticipating a long, crappy day...we were right. Long Island Sound seems to be very inhospitable. The only time we sail here is in the late fall, or the early spring, so I guess it could be about the timing, but we haven't had many good days on the Sound. Yesterday we were bucking the current the whole day. With 20 knots of wind behind us, and a current against us, the sea conditions were miserable...and we are still hand-steering.

We pushed on to Newport, RI, where I had dreams of going ashore (haven't touch ground since Norfolk), but it turns out today appeared to be a good traveling day, so we left Newport this morning at 7AM, and pushed on through the Canal to Plymouth. It was looking like a good day until we came out of the canal into Cape Cod Bay. THe wind was blowing 20-25 knots with gusts to 35. Finally we had the oportunity to do some sailing, but it was a squirrely ride.

Plymouth Harbor entrance is almost 5 miles long, a well-marked channel winding through shallow water. With 25 knots on the nose, Al was white-knuckling our way in. We dropped the anchor just outside the main mooring field, and a breathed big sigh of relief.

If the weather holds for the next 2 days, we should be home on Sunday...we'll keep our fingers crossed.