New York New York!!!!

   We made it! 

Arriving in New York City.

Our view of the Big Apple from our slip in Newport Marina, NYC

.... just past the Colgate clock...

Zephyr and Thomas and Baby come aboard from Costa Rica.

Time Square

The Liberty Girls  Zephyr and Jane

Aren't we cute!

Museum of Natural History

Metropolitan Art Gallery

Gaughin....Tahiti here we come!

Zephyr and Janie leave for India and Nepal.

Wade and I say goodbye and back to Broadway to see Wicked...Wicked!!

We also had seen Billy Elliot with the fam.

After a night anchorage at Great Kills we head off to explore Long Island. "Catch ya later Miss Liberty!"

Leaving the Big Apple under the Brooklyn Bridge

 

My favorite building.... The Chrysler Building

We loved Long Island!  So much history and "fishstory" with pasts of whaling and storms at sea.  Floods that ruined villages and the patron saints often single woman or widows that restored the sea-side towns that have become havens for tourists and summer homes and refuges for the rich and famous.  We enjoyed the Hamptons and Sag Harbour, Port Jefferson.  We had a great time at the Greenport Brewery tasting espresso dark brew and a pumpkin ale just to name a couple of the delicious beer brewed on site but first took a spin (actually went 'round twice) on a restored carousel!

Bluefish, wine and a new dress!

...and a gorgeous sunset with my honey....what more could a girl ask for?!

Swans visiting our boat for appies at cocktail hour at Sag Harbour (and Montauk!)

They smelled the barbeque!

              Surfing buddy Rick MacMurray and Wade at a photoshoot in Montauk.  Shaka  bro!

                                                               Surfing Ditch Plains

                                Montauk Lighthouse.  The first lighthouse in New York State.

View from the lighthouse...wedding and paddle boarders.

Frequenting Liar's Pub.  Just one of the many docks where fisherman bring in thier catch and, deservedly, quench the thirst!  Lots of Striped Bass in these waters!

Ahar mate!

Solar Power!!

Another dream come true.  Solar Power.
We are powered up by 11:00 and can watch T.V. all day, plug in all the appliances and never start the new generator (except for AC).  We can even use it for the new EcH2O water maker and for hot water!

5 commercial Suntech panels give us 1400 watts of power...we wait for the day to test it's true capacity.  All be it....there has to be sun during the day to get the full effect....but hey, where we're going that shouldn't be a problem!

Bottom Painting

The good news is that we saved over $3000.00 in labour.  The bad news is that it has been 2 solid days of really dirty work. Corbett and Robin came through yet again when they suggested we call the Interlux Dealer as they had when their bottom paint didn't last as long as it should have.  Sure enough, Matt, our dealer supplied us with all the paint since our bottom paint only lasted one year.  Even so, it was probably due to the way it was applied.  Wade told him we would be Interlux clients for life!

 So,  here is the process:

• 

1.  Power sanding with 80 grit.

2.  Hand sanding around through hauls, top of the keel and rudder, etc.

3.  Taping the water line.

4.  Painting the keel with an epoxy protective layer.

5.  Two coats of paint.

6.  Third coat of paint on the water line.

7,  Move the support stands and replace.

8.  Paint 2 coats of paint to cover stand areas.

                                    HIRE  YOUR LOCAL SMURF...THEY DO IT BEST!!

9.  Lift the boat and paint under keel.

10.  LAUNCH!

Lockwood Marina, Raritan River, New Jersey

With much deliberation and help from our knowledgable friends and locals, we decided to get the boat hauled out.  We had originally planned to do this, anyway, since we had our watermaker shipped to Corbet and Robin's house in Bradley Beach.  We met the Monicas in Rum Cay, Bahamas.  Wade's brother, Leigh,  said that we must have a homing device planted on us since Hurricane Irene seemed to follow our trail from the Bahamas all the way up the East Coast precisely landing in each and every location that we had just visited or passed by.
We worked hard stripping the boat and dismanteling the 5 solar panels which just fit through the companionway and into our boat.  Wade had to take off the sails and the forestay (and then later put it back on), chart plotter and bimini and we had to stow everything away and tie everything down.

Well, then we took refuge with Robin and Corbett who took in all the strays.  We defied all odds and barbequed on the front porch, had a Hurricane Feast along with Pete's Beach Juice which gave us the courage to bring on the Catagory 4.  

Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!  Irene!!!!!!!!

(overdramatization just like the news)

Well, the Catagory 4 turned into a Catagory 1 which seemed like the average Tropical Storm encountered almost daily in the rainy season in Costa Rica. But there were gusts around 68 mph and there were, sadly, deaths due to falling trees.  But it was nothing compared to snow storms endured in Canada.  So Wade and I survived our first hurricane!  I even went surfing the next day!

BRADLEY BEACH

Cape May, N.J.

Exhausted after another 3 day and night trip we snuggled into Cape May and WE GOT CRABS (again) and ate ourselves silly at the Lobster House.  Day 2 we took the trolley downtown and to the beach; a nice reprieve since we had another overnighter to the North end of Jersey.

Beaufort, NC

We had all kinds of weather and experiences between Charleston and Beaufort.
Smooth sailing and dolphin shows turned into The Perfect Storm!
Wade was calm at the helm and I was praying that I would see my first Grandchild.
We were exhausted and finally happy to make our way in to Beaufort to get some sleep.

We indulged ourselves at the oyster bar after playing tourist at the Maritme Museum which boats a lovely library and exhibition of Blackbeard who "went down" here in Beaufort around 1783.  The bookstores here are excellent for sailing and marine books of all kinds and Wade finally found the coveted Skipper Bob Guide book to Anchorages and the most useful of tips for Cruisers.

At sunset we dingies to Carrot Island and saw the wild horses and took a stroll on an estuary board walk through a sanctuary.  The sun was going down huge and red, lighting up the fresh water river on which we are anchored, right in front of Beaufort Mansions.

Glad to be off the unpredictable Atlantic we will have a few days on the ICW. Today we will leave for Oriental.