After 20.5 months (620 days to be exact!) on the boat, it was time to go home!
We had hoped to take a little more time on our trek to MA but we had some beautiful weather predications in the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound, so we took advantage. Seeing the prediction that the weather in the sound was going to get nasty and stay for a few days, we moved even faster. Each day pushing our stop further north.
In the end we traveled 537 Nautical Miles in 7 days, from Norfolk, VA to Westport, MA via the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound. Stopping each night in order: Reedville, VA, Rock Hall, MD, Delaware City, MD, Cape May, NJ, New York, NY and Fishers Island, NY. The travel conditions were beyond beautiful with low winds and great currents. The only somewhat bad part was the fact it was low 60’s and we needed to wear pants!
Segment Stats
- Norfolk, VA to Reedville, VA
- Thursday, May 22, 2025
- Cruising Time: 9 hours 7 minutes
- 64.7 Nautical Miles
- Route: Norfolk Harbor to West side of Chesapeake Bay
- Weather: Calm Seas 1 foot, Winds from the west 8-14 knots, Temperature low 70’s
- Free Dock at Reedville Market
- Calm Seas and Sunshine – The Good
- Ran into Jamin’ and went for ice cream!
- Nice conversation with a stranger at the Reedville Market Bar
- Beautiful night and wonderful dock
- Strong Winds and Rough Currents – The Bad
- Once again, missed the museum due to it being closed
- Reedville, VA to Rock Hall, MD
- Friday, May 23, 2025
- Cruising Time: 11 hours 36 minutes
- 90.2 Nautical Miles
- Route: Chesapeake Bay – west to east side
- Weather: Calm seas – 1-2 feet, WNW winds 3-8 (until last hour kicked up to 22 plus) Temperature high 60’s
- Free Dock at Rock Hall Bulkhead
- Calm Seas and Sunshine – The Good
- Able to dock on the free wall and docked like champs with no help and a strong wind.
- Saw a massive downpour on radar and was able to avoid it. Drove backward but did not get wet.
- Strong Winds and Rough Currents – The Bad
- Rough conditions last hour: winds 22 gusting to 33, waves 3 plus on the bean about 1 second – UGH!
- A little rocky at the dock but not horrendous
- Rock Hall, MD to Delaware City, MD
- Saturday, May 24, 2025
- Cruising Time: 7 hours 45 minutes
- 55.9 Nautical Miles
- Route: Chesapeake Bay, C&D Canal, Delaware Bay
- Deltaville City Marina
- Calm Seas and Sunshine – The Good
- Called Delaware City Marina and hour before they closed and we were able to get a spot. We were going to arrive after they closed and they don’t allow late arrivals, we sped up and they waited for us!
- Finally, got to experience the Delaware Marina turn around by dock hands!
- Made it in time to hear the briefing about traveling the Delaware Bay
- Cute town and we got in a good walk
- Strong Winds and Rough Currents – The Bad
- Leaving Rock Hall in terrible conditions, (3 plus footers) we knew it would not nice, be but also knew they would change. Tracy sat downstairs while everything moved and the table toppled over. (UMM? thought this was pleasure boating!) Thankfully, within two hours the conditions got better.
- Got hit with a rouge wave that rocked us like we have never been rocked!
- Entered the Delaware Marina at dead low tide and they have very little water. The marina gave us step by step directions, via radio, starting in the bay. Just one little bump, but Captain Bob was able to follow directions and get us in even with a ripping current and low water.
- Delaware City, MD to Cape May, NJ
- Sunday, May 25, 2025
- Cruising Time: 6 hours 47 minutes
- 52.9 Nautical Miles
- Route: Delaware Bay
- Dropped anchor at Coast Guard-1 anchorage
- Calm Seas and Sunshine – The Good
- Perfect weather conditions on the bay!
- Thanks to a lot of research, we left the marina around 10 and hit great currents down the Delaware Bay.
- Gorgeous sunset enjoyed with wine on the bow. Oh no, spilt the wine!
- Strong Winds and Rough Currents – The Bad
- Windlass decided to stop working! Tracy needed to drive the boat in circles while Bob tired to get the chain out.
- Along with the windlass situation, 3 other boats were anchoring and the wind and current were doing who knows what and not acting normal. Thankfully, after about an hour all boats landed nowhere there they started but in perfect position for the night.
- Cape May, NJ to New York, NY
- Monday May 26, 2025 – Memorial Day
- Cruising Time: 14 hours 24 minutes
- 121 Nautical Miles
- Route: Atlantic Ocean to New York Harbor
- Dropped anchor behind Lady Liberty
- Calm Seas and Sunshine – The Good
- Amazing conditions in the Atlantic Ocean. Our plan was to stop at Barnegat Bay but with bad weather coming in a few days and wonderful weather currently, we keep going! First plan was to stop at Sandy Hook but with a good current and conditions, we decided to keep going and drop anchor behind Lady Liberty.
- Unbelievable experience anchoring behind Lady Liberty! The New York skyline lit up with the glow of Lady Liberty. It was a bit rollie but can call it a ‘bad.’
- Dinner, steak fajitas, was cooked and enjoyed with a bottle of wine on the back deck under the New York Skyline and under Landy Liberty.
- Morning coffee was sipped taking in the view from the chairs in our saloon.
- Strong Winds and Rough Currents – The Bad
- Pulling up the anchor seemed weird that it was not breaking but seemed to have more tension on the windless. Quickly, we realized we had hooked some cables! Some creative uses of a boat pole and moving the boat to wiggle the anchor released the cables and Three Sons will not be the cause of extinguishing the torch!
- New York, NY to Fisher Island, NY
- Tuesday, May 27, 2025
- Cruising Time: 12 hours 20 minutes
- 105.8 Nautical Miles
- Route: New York Harbor, East River, Long Island Sound,
- Mooring Bay at West Harbor Mooring (Fisher Island)
- Calm Seas and Sunshine – The Good
- Cruising East River is always and amazing experience. This was the first time we did an early morning transit and we definitely saw a little less traffic but we certainly needed to keep our head on a swivel.
- Timing of currents were perfect and we saw double digits, 11.5 the highest!
- Again, blessed with amazing conditions. We had planned to stop sooner but just keep going and going. Beautiful day!
- With the glasslike water, boat was perfectly still on mooring ball all night.
- Strong Winds and Rough Currents – The Bad
- Fisher Island, NY to Westport, MA
- Wednesday, May 28, 2025
- Cruising Time: 6 hours 23 minutes
- 48.1 Nautical Miles
- Route: Block Island Sound, Rhode Island Sound
- F.L. Tripp – HOME
- Calm Seas and Sunshine – The Good
- Again, absolutely wonderful, calm conditions!
- Seeing Bill and Allan waiting for us at the mouth of the Westport River.
- Remembered that 42 years ago today, we went on our first date!
- Strong Winds and Rough Currents – The Bad
- Our boating adventure coming to an end! Although we are happy to see family and friends and spend summer in Dartmouth/Westport, neither of us is sure how we are going to react to land life.
