What a night! At least the wind came from the NE so there was no fetch and hence very little sea but the wind generator was howling so the battery banks we reasonably well charged when we awoke. We were told that there would be a lot or rain too but fortunately that didn't materialize.

This morning we coordinated our first meal out for this trip with Moonlight Maid and Sea Rose and chose a rather nice Indian restaurant within easy walking distance from the docks that had a good buffet for less than $12/person so tip in we got out for $30. A treat to ourselves! Then another grocery run followed by a relaxing PM on the boat.

Looks like tomorrow there will be quite a flotilla heading down the East River around noon with our fingers crossed that the channel by the UN will be open again. Then the question will be do we stop at Sandy Hook or carry on to the Delaware? There are varying wishes amongst the crew of Nelleke but I guess we will wait to see what unfolds after we get through the river, if we can get through. I'd like to get to Annapolis early to get a spot at anchor for the boat show.

Whoops! Missed a day. Sorry.

Here I am on Saturday morning having been ashore with Peri to visit the farm market and get a few odds and sods to accompany us on the next stage of the trip. Last night Matt, the fellow that runs the anchorage and water taxi came by and took us all out on an impromptu sunset cruise. There was another couple aboard who were celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary along with a whole mess of transient boaters. Matt is a great host and storyteller so we got quite the lesson in local geography and history. We could easily spend a summer here. He even offer me a job running one of his water taxis if I should choose to do that.

Looks like the decision today will be to head through the East River, out the harbour around Sandy Hook and on to Cape May for Sunday night. The , the next day we'll head up the Delaware and across the C&D canal since our immediate objective will be Annapolis and it will be a shorter distance on that route which will get us there in quicker time. This means that this might be the last entry until Cape May.

Whoops. Missed another day. Sorry again. It happens when I can't get access to the Internet and we get underway before I can. This was one of those times.

We got away on Saturday and shot through the East River like a watermelon seed squeezed between thumb and index finger. We decided to push for Cape May since we had great weather and motorssailed through the afternoon night and following AM. We even saw a humpback whale beating the water with fins and flukes. We pushed around the tip of Cape May and anchored near the west end of the canal which turned out to be both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it made a 70 mile trip on Monday into a 50 mile one but also a curse because of all the power boaters who were zooming about. Our friend Al from Moonlight Maid said it best when he said "All power boaters regardless of the size of their boat should be put in a dingy and have people zoom about them until they capsize and sink. Maybe then they would understand." As it was we now have a flooded outboard and when I tried to row Peri ashore to give him his 36 hour overdue meeting with a fire hydrant I couldn't row back against the current and Moonlight Maid brought us back when they reset their anchor. The good news was that part of the beach where Peri did his ablutions was a nude beach and although most of The sun worshipers were guys and hence didn't get me too excited (Barb will have to tell you her opinion) there was one woman with a seriously tight body. Unfortunately I will be having nightmares for weeks from he face that went with it. We also had an issue and learning experience with the anchor and what happens when the windlass clutch is too loose. Anyway that all got sorted and we are writing this from the pilot house seriously wrapping myself around a vodka tonic. I foresee an early night tonight and an early start tomorrow.