Aboard s.v. Trudy Mae

We are finally on our way again. We left Cape May this morning and are currently motoring up Delaware Bay on a beautiful warm sunny day.

So to catch you up...here's the whole sad story...

We did pass through New York City harbour on Thursday Oct 29th and could have headed to Liberty State Park but it seemed too early in the day to stop...so we headed for Atlantic Highlands...and we'd have made it too if we hadn't blown the impeller just before the bridge at the narrows. We anchored (so as not to drift into the retaining wall made of giant boulders) and called for a tow (rather than attempt to fix it there with our emergency (used) impeller and then try to anchor in the dark). Tow Boat US (thank goodness we'd purchased the towing insurance when we were in Oswego) got us to Atlantic Highlands and dropped us off on a mooring just as it was getting dark.

Doug managed to find a place that had our impeller in stock, but it was about 30 miles away...but he also managed to find a sympathetic fisherman who offered to give him a lift out to the marine store and back. Once we had the part it was a quick fix with water happily splashing out of the stern. The engine was happy...or so we thought. Now ready to move on...Mother Nature decided we'd stay. We were weathered in by high seas and gale warnings.

Finally on Tuesday Nov 3rd the weather was settled enough to make a run for Cape Ma...although there was still a small craft warning due to gusts forecasted to be up to 25 kts. It was a beautiful day and we sailed along quite happily. Before dark we reefed the main and put up the storm jib - just in case - and carried on. It was a beautiful evening with a huge full harvest moon to light the way (not to mention the lights of Atlantic City - yikes no environmentalist there). Around 2 AM the winds picked up and the main sail had to come down. We were still moving at 5-6 kts with just the storm jib (we think NOAA's forecast was a bit conservative). Shortly after daybreak we turned in and headed for Cape May harbour. We anchored and started to plan our next move...hoping to hang out for a few hours and wait for low tide and head for Delaware Bay...but that plan was quashed when Doug checked the oil...or what used to be oil. It now looked like wet cement. The rest of the day was spent trying to determine exactly what the problem was.

On Thursday (Nov 5th) we headed into Utsch's Marina. We needed parts and there were more gale warnings starting overnight. By late Friday we had identified the problem...we needed a new water pump (we know...we know...it's never the water pump. According to Moyer Marine in all the years it's only ever been the water pump once...well now it's twice)...but it was too late to order it...so we were stuck again. We made the best of it and toured Cape May, provisioned, did laundry and other maintenance jobs around the boat. Monday the water pump was ordered and Tuesday it arrived and was installed in short order...followed by 3 oil changes. Another week had passed but the engine was purring and not "making oil"...so again we are ready to go except for the "Atlantic Assault" (the tropical storm formally known as Ida) moving up the coast. Foiled again!

For 3 days the winds howled and rain pelted. Finally yesterday it subsided but we still had to wait a day for the seas to calm.

So finally we are on our way again. Lunch has just been served on the Lido Deck (ok...its just the cockpit) and the sun is shinning...it's 20 degrees and its just about low tide so we should be picking up speed as the incoming tide carries us along with it. Next stop...somewhere in the Chesapeake sometime tomorrow...