Well! $2/ft seems a bit pricy but every once in a while it seems like a great deal. Setting aside the gift package containing three pieces of biscotti, designer homemade soap, and a bottle of wine, that came with the registration the after we docked, the forecast switched from 15 kts from the west to a severe thunderstorm warning and, sure enough, as forecast, at 20h30 the skies darkened, the heavens opened and thunder and lightning started smacking about. I'd pay $84 to feel that Barb and I are safe any day. The storm didn't last very long but it made up for it in intensity. When we get a chance we will attach one of the photos that Barb took of the sky to show you what I mean.

The next morning, this morning, I rechecked the weather and it became obvious that we weren't going to get a 48 hour window but we would have a 24 one. Moreover, if we didn't go this morning we would be guests at the marina for up to three days. So, at 06h30 we were off north again aiming for NYC. Based on my cyphering it looks like we will be at Sandy Hook sometime around midnight. Slack low is scheduled for 04h30 at the Battery so if we head directly in from Sandy Hook we should catch the flood tide and ride her in through the East River to Port Washington. However that would put us through the East River in the middle of the night. That doesn't appeal to me at all, so we will anchor at Sandy Hook from midnight until before noon tomorrow and then get the later trip through the River to Port Washington. Hopefully they will have a vacant mooring for us. If not we'll anchor.

An overnight and a storm certainly makes a big difference in sea conditions. For the better part of the day we were motoring, not even motor sailing and except for some small ocean swells the sea was flat albeit a bit rolly. By mid-day we were abreast of Atlantic City and shortly before diner we were off Barnagett Inlet.

We have decided to stay in Port Washington a minimum of two days to chill out, visit a grocery store and put the water and fuel that we have on deck into their respective tanks.

We pulled into the anchorage just off the Coast Guard station and were anchored by 01h15. An exhausting day if only for the length of it. The motor and partial motor sail from Cape May was enjoyable albeit a bit boring except for the last bit in the dark and a couple of the seaside communities were popping off fireworks. Even the anchoring went smoothly. We had heard about fish traps in the area but didn't find any. Nope, the most exciting part was coming in the New York and Atlantic Highlands approaches. The current was unbelievable! 2+kts on the nose for the last hour of the trip that we expected to take 30 minutes. The only other time we did this we followed Screech in and either by good luck or good planning we cruised in here in what must have been slack tide. As we came in there was another boat already at anchor, Moonlight Dancer, and her AIS signal was an indication that we could get in there too. We found our the following morning that there were 3 other power boats at anchor in here too but we couldn't see them until daylight.

Friday off to Port Washington.