We haven’t posted in a while.... so here goes...
We have a phobia about starting long trips on Fridays.... SO... we picked up our "crew" (Marty Besant) from the Hudson train station at 1330 hours on Thursday; had a quick lunch at a local diner; returned to the Autumn Borne, and shoved off for the South. The trip that afternoon went as far as Mike Schmidts Mooring ball at the mouth of the Catskill Creek... BUT the important thing is "we were OFF and moving south"... (on a thursday).

On Friday we motor-sailed down to Haverstraw Bay... and were shocked to NOT see any of the boats that recently had their masts stepped at HON. We were basically alone, except for a trawler. Anyway... nice anchorage.. peaceful night... as the wind was out of the NE, and coming right off the land, there at Croton Point.

We left Haverstraw bay on Saturday morning; motor-sailing toward NYC, and the ocean; We stopped at Gravesend bay (NYC - just south of the Verrazzano Bridge) for four (4) hours ; checked engine fluids: ate something, then pulled anchor and proceeded out into Atlantic for the 36 hour ‘rounding of New Jersey; (Saturday/Sunday); the plan was to meet up with Second Wind at 1800 hours (they were coming up to Sandy Hook from Atlantic Highlands); BUT...they left early.. .and we ended up playing catchup all that night, and the next day... down the coast of NJ.

About 0500 in the morning, (sunday) I began to smell anti-freeze strongly.... I went below to do a "walk-around"... I removed the expansion tank cap... and the Perkins did ONE Huge "BURP"... and out came a lot of anti-freeze... The engine was showing "over-heat"... on the gauge at the helm... Shut down.. and just SAIL for the next hour or so... WHILE I investigated... I laid on the engine room floor (to access the raw water pump, and impeller)... and checked out the Raw WATER impeller... Perfect !! Hummm ???? OK... now what ? the Perkins had just run perfectly from HON to Haverstraw, and now down to almost Atlantic City... What happened... ??? Thermostats usually go wrong at the beginning of motor-hours; sticking closed... once open tend to stay open... CLOG ??? with debris... NOPE.. Raw water flow FINE/ impeller fine !!! (hummm ??? ) OK... lets just fill coolant again... and start 'her' back up... We did..
Guess WHAT? the engine ran fine for the next 20 hours....

We arrived at Cape May at about 1430 hours...and proceeded through Prsywick shoal passage, and up the Bay.
We arrived at the top of Delaware bay about 2100 hours (Sunday). The PLAN ( usually written in sand at low tide) was to ride through the C&D Canal and into the Chesapeake Bay... (down to Sassafras River). But as we got to the top of Delaware Bay... and the north end of the 'LISTON RANGE'.. we heard the news that a cable-laying barge had the "Baker Range “ and the main channel completely closed. SO, we waited...

After about 45 minutes the cables were lowered, and we could pass by the barge, and work area...
Bill and Laura decided they would try the Reedy Island anchorage, which required passage through a very NARROW opening in a submerged jetty... in the DARK, in a high current situation... HUMMM
We did something else.... after two attempts at anchoring near Albany Creek.... WE elected to carry through with the original plan....SO, WE RAN the C&D canal at night, AGAIN !!! we motor-sailed all the way down to the corner of the Elk River, and the Bohemia Rivers. Anchored about 0230 hours on MONDAY!!! ~.

SLEPT like STONES.... we had then (except for naps between helming/ Watch shifts) been awake since Saturday morning (haverstaw bay)... it was now Monday

On Monday morning we moved Autumn Borne South, again, to the Sassafras River where we stayed Monday night.

Tuesday we motor-sailed down to Annapolis MD; A wonderful trip, in Sunshine and wind. SO.. We're now anchored in Weems Creek (Annapolis, MD), (our next door neighbors are Kathy and Kurt on "Five & Dime".

We’ll stay here most of the week, visiting friends and waiting out some weather (Nor-easter coming up coast).

NOTE: the US Navy has changed the "rules" on their mooring balls in Weems Creek... they are now marked "No tresspassing" property of the US government".