Our last update had us in New London to wait out a storm system. As it turns out - a very good call! We later learned that there were 3 tornado touchdowns on Long Island, so glad we avoided that! After we left New London, CT we found ourselves not making the progress expected as the current was against us and the wind fairly light. Instead of pushing to get to Port Jefferson after dark - we ducked into a tight anchorage in Mattituck, NY. The "creek" leading to the anchorage was maybe 100 feet wide at points and the depth at low tide outside the unmarked channel only 4.5 feet at low tide. (OOGA-CHAKA draws 5 feet). We will say it was worth the feelings of trepidation we felt motoring into an unknow harbor through a poorly marked channel.



The weather in Mattituck was a mixed bag. The photo here was taken on a 40 degree day with no clouds. The previous day was storming and blowing 30-40 knots, with an overnight temp in the 20's..... When it came time to leave it took us an hour to pull our Danforth anchor out of the clay bottom. When it did finally release, it took another 15 minutes to remove the ball of clay, roughly the size of a small bear from the anchor. Once set, we were not going anywhere!


Departing Mattituck on Wednesday November 17th, with a wake up temperature of 29 degrees outside, we were on our way to Port Jefferson, NY. The 5 hour trip was uneventful and we were able to pick up a mooring at the head of the harbor, near the Port Jefferson Ferry terminal. The rocking from the wake of the ferries traveling back and for to Bridgeport, CT was well worth the peace of mind of being on a 1000 lb. mooring.




With a full moon and a calm night in the harbor, relaxing in the cockpit was a welcome reward. Tomorrow we were headed out early, and took full advantage of the down time to kick back and relax. Steak tips on the grill topped off the night - an excellent treat!
Thursday found us watching the sunrise in 57 degrees .... it seemed like a heatwave! we left the mooring and headed for Port Washington. This trip was a little longer taking us 7 hours, but we were able to pick up a mooring deep in Port Washington harbor before sunset. The next day was predicted to be another heavy wind event and we were glad to again be "hunkered down" on a mooring. Friday came and went as expected, winds over 30 knots and a choppy sea surface. A good day to be stationary, We were able to restock on groceries with a Stop N Shop immediately adjacent to the harbor - a nice find! Friday was predicted to be mild with light wind. The trip Friday would find us in the East River on our way to Sandy Hook NJ, another 8 hour day.



The trip down the East River through Hell's Gate ( the location where the East River meets the North Harlem River and currents can provide a less than delightful experience ), we made the passage at slack tide as planned with no issues.





Today, Tuesday November 23rd finds us still in Sandy Hook , NJ. Our next passage to Cape May Delaware (completely avoiding the New Jersey coastline ), will take us 18-20 hours to make the 110 plus mile trip. The next weather window opens for us tomorrow, which we will take. We will leave mid-day and sail through the night ( thank goodness for auto-Pilot ). Depending on the weather, we may stay in Cape May for a night or two - or - continue up to the C&D canal and hunker down at one of the marina's along the canal for the next weather system to pass...... time will tell! More next time on the friendly hospitality of the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club