Cape May NJ to Port Washington, NY

We left Cape May around 3:00 on Friday June 18th, as the winds were predicted to be around 12-15 out of the south for the next 24 hours.   Leaving at 3:00 put us in New York Harbor around 11:30, timed to head thru the area called Hells Gate with the current.   Currents run around 3 knots, so you definitely want to time the trip.    Planning a trip like this is a bit of guesswork.  Will the wind hold?  Will we do more than 6 knots?  

We left with our full main up, and jib, planning on the 15 knots.  We exited the breakwater at Cape May, and struggled to steer the boat, as the 3 foot waves predicted, were actually 5 to 7 foot waves, and the wind was 25 knots, not 15.   We quickly put in two reefs in our main, and the boat settled down, and we were off, doing 8 to 10 knots with a comfortable ride.   We held this until somewhere off the coast of New Jersey around 3:00 in the morning, when the winds started to die, and shift a bit.    We took out our reefs, but timing wise, were going to be about 3 hours early for the current in New York.  No issues, we just sailed slowly for a while, in virtually no wind, and ended up with the timing working out.

The lady of the harbor

Downtown Manhattan

Lots of bridges, all tall enough for us to pass under

Some strange looking buildings in NY

More unique architecture

Brownstone anyone?

Quite unique

After the run through NY City, we anchored in Port Washington NY.  

Some of the homes around the bay are quite the mansions.

Ultra Modern.  How would you like to have to clean all those windows?

More of the classic old wealth look

More of a Mediterranean look?

We spent a couple of days in Port Washington, picked up some stuff we ordered from Amazon, and groceries.   We then left and went across the bay to City Island.   Doyle sailmakers are located there, and we ordered our new sail.  Should be ready in 6 weeks.   Then back to Port Washington, as the anchorage at City Island was quite bouncy from all the boat wakes, and strange swell that comes in.   

More groceries, did a large stocking order, as the Stop and Shop grocery store is right by the dinghy dock.    

We then headed east, with a pleasant downwind sail for about 4.5 hours to Eaton's Neck, where we are anchored in a small cove next to a Coast Guard Station.   Very calm here.  Trying to avoid areas on the weekend, where there are a lot of boaters, and the waters get very choppy from all the wakes.

Here is the 360 view from where we are currently anchored.  It is near low tide, so somewhat a restricted view.  Tide here is 8' so I took the video from atop the bimini.