New London CT to Portsmouth VA

Dave, my trusty sailing buddy, met me in New London and we departed on the 17th sailing for Port Jefferson on Long Island. Winds were light so we had to motor-sail most of the way. On the morning of the 18th we dropped the mooring and headed for Port Washington: we were able to sail most of the way and picked up one of the free town moorings. Unfavorable winds and rain were predicted so we stayed two nights waiting for the front  to pass. We left on the 20th at 1 pm to get favorable current through Hell Gate and the East River and by 4 we were hoisting sails by the Statue of Liberty. I think I'd much rather sail through New York any day than take a car. There is some commercial traffic and lots of ferries but nothing compared to the automotive traffic we sail by. The winds were from the west and north west at 15 knot so we had a great sail. We kept on going for 46 hours and 305 miles and by 11 am on the 22nd we were at anchor in Old Point Comfort, which was settled in 1607 by John Smith.We took naps and went then ashore to explore. Fort Monroe, the latest incarnation of fortifications at this spot which began as Fort Algernon in 1609, was constructed during the early 1800s. We had a great time exploring the casements and ramparts and going through the museum there. Edgar Allen Poe was assigned here and Robert E Lee helped to build it.

Fort Monroe

Dave by the 500 yer old Algernon Oak

The Fort was held by the Union during the Civil War and many freed slaves were given asylum here. Harriat Tubman was the chief nurse to tend to injured blacks and Fort Monroe became known as "Freedom's Fortress". Jefferson Davis was held here after the war.  It was decommissioned in 2011 after serving as one of the longest lived Army bases and now is a National Monument.
We re-provisioned today and will take on fuel and water tomorrow morning; next is the trip down the Intercoastal Waterway until Tropical Storm Sandy passes and we can go outside again.

Heading South

After a beautiful summer sailing our home waters in Maine I am moving the boat south to Georgia again this winter.We will store it there until early March when we will head south to explore the Bahamas or down the Keys.  Randy had his nephew Alex on board for the first leg from Freeport to Newport, Rhode Island. We had great winds and made record time to Newport; stopping at Chandler Cove, the Isles of Shoals, and Plymouth, Mass. Alex is a graduate of Maine Maritime Academy and is at sea quite a bit, although in much larger craft. He was good company and a big help on the trip.
We had visitors for lunch one day in Cape Cod Bay three little birds decided to join us for a rest and to get  drink of water.

One decided to come say hello and landed on my hat! They stayed for several minutes then took off for parts unknown.

I sailed solo from Newport to Fishers Island, NY and then to New London Ct. where I am now awaiting my sailing buddy Dave who will join in for the rest of the trip.