Cape May NJ to NYC - July 23-25
Most of our travels so far have been in protected waters--either on the intracoastal waterway or in Chesapeake Bay. Just because these are 'protected' doesn't mean that you can't encounter some awful seas in the large bays and sounds along the way, but generally these more open passages are short, and you can wait the weather out if necessary.
We didn't have any really bad weather up till Cape May.
However, to get from Cape May to New York City, the only safe way for a boat of our size is to go out into the Atlantic and follow the coast north.
The weather for the next week looked moderately terrible. There was a low pressure system entering the area--this builds swells and waves from a combination of atmospheric conditions and winds. But the trip north can be broken into short legs of about 50 miles each: from Cape May to Atlantic City; then to Manasquan; then around Sandy Hook to New York Harbor.
So not withstanding the marginal weather, I, the Captain, decided that we would go out into the ocean, see if the seas were tolerable (if not we'd turn around and go back to the marina) and try to make the next port.
Wellllll...we did bounce around quite a bit on the way to Atlantic City. The swells were from the south, the winds from the north, and every once in a while this would combine to give a five-foot sea situation, which is two feet more than mildly uncomfortable.
But we made it Atlantic City!!!
We stayed at the Golden Nugget docks, a beautiful marina with terrible wifi. The hotel and casino were pretty inelegant, with many people playing slot machines breathing through their masks connected to portable oxygen tanks. The image reminded me of a nursing home! We wanted to try one of the supposedly fabulous buffets at one of the casinos, but the buffet at the Golden Nugget was rated (by Trip Advisor) as #6 out of 6 in Atlantic City, so we decided to try the #1, at the Borgata resort, part of the MGM chain.
The Borgata buffet was great, with a much younger, more affluent-appearing, and very Asian clientele. The decor was also pretty impressive.
The next morning we headed out to the ocean, with the same thought--if it's too rough, we'd turn back. It was rough but not too rough, so we made it to Manasquan, a bedroom suburb of NYC. There isn't much to say about this place, other than it was a welcome refuge from the sea.
The next morning we left early, in the fog (which means little wind) and headed up the coast for the three hour run to Sandy Hook and New York Harbor.
It was a little rough, but much calmer than the previous two days. Just as we rounded Sandy Hook, the seas calmed and we were in the protected waters of New York harbor.
We didn't have any really bad weather up till Cape May.
However, to get from Cape May to New York City, the only safe way for a boat of our size is to go out into the Atlantic and follow the coast north.
The weather for the next week looked moderately terrible. There was a low pressure system entering the area--this builds swells and waves from a combination of atmospheric conditions and winds. But the trip north can be broken into short legs of about 50 miles each: from Cape May to Atlantic City; then to Manasquan; then around Sandy Hook to New York Harbor.
So not withstanding the marginal weather, I, the Captain, decided that we would go out into the ocean, see if the seas were tolerable (if not we'd turn around and go back to the marina) and try to make the next port.
Wellllll...we did bounce around quite a bit on the way to Atlantic City. The swells were from the south, the winds from the north, and every once in a while this would combine to give a five-foot sea situation, which is two feet more than mildly uncomfortable.
But we made it Atlantic City!!!
We stayed at the Golden Nugget docks, a beautiful marina with terrible wifi. The hotel and casino were pretty inelegant, with many people playing slot machines breathing through their masks connected to portable oxygen tanks. The image reminded me of a nursing home! We wanted to try one of the supposedly fabulous buffets at one of the casinos, but the buffet at the Golden Nugget was rated (by Trip Advisor) as #6 out of 6 in Atlantic City, so we decided to try the #1, at the Borgata resort, part of the MGM chain.
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| Gambling table next to the bar next to the marina at the Golden Nugget |
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| Our boat was one of the smaller boats at this marina |
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| The 6th floor pool at the Golden Nugget |
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| Borgata hotel reception desk |
The next morning we headed out to the ocean, with the same thought--if it's too rough, we'd turn back. It was rough but not too rough, so we made it to Manasquan, a bedroom suburb of NYC. There isn't much to say about this place, other than it was a welcome refuge from the sea.
The next morning we left early, in the fog (which means little wind) and headed up the coast for the three hour run to Sandy Hook and New York Harbor.
It was a little rough, but much calmer than the previous two days. Just as we rounded Sandy Hook, the seas calmed and we were in the protected waters of New York harbor.
