After 3 nights anchored at Cape May awaiting a favorable weather window to continue onward, this morning's 8 AM departure was into larger forecast seas than we have been willing to depart Cape May in previously, however, with a wind direction forecast to be behind us. Since the winds had calmed down ahead of forecast yesterday and remained calm through the night we decided to "stick our nose out there" and decide if we would proceed or turn around for a 4th night in Cape May.

It was a 3-layered sort of passage. We transited the inlet shortly after high tide into fairly benign seas that were off our stern starboard quarter, and morning sunshine in upper 40 degree temps. Shortly thereafter overcast skies with less than 2 miles visibility prevailed.

During the mid-day portion of the passage the wind direction was more favorable allowing us to motorsail for a while; the seas grew a bit larger yet with about 8 - 10 seconds between them; I shot a video close to high noon, which can be viewed at this link (if you listen closely you eventually might hear the waves crashing):
https://picasaweb.google.com/KevinDebbieStone/April242013#5870528715695738802

Shortly before and after the video was shot Grace was climbing up the waves at 5.9 knots and surfing down them at 8.3 knots of speed.

Less than an hour later the seas were dramatically closer together and bigger. The genoa was furled, and the anchor in the roller at Grace's bow was close to being buried in the crest of the next wave at times.

Fortunately, at 2 PM we entered the anchorage in Atlantic City about 20 minutes after low tide; at low tide we probably would have been on the bottom; it was pretty shallow in the entrance channel. Kevin said it would have been better to be aground than still out there in those seas.

We are the only boat anchored here so far. The buildings around us are less visible by the hour; the fog is rolling in. It is windier in here currently than any of the previous times we have been anchored here.

The above shot was captured on April 14th on the Chesapeake Bay.