Cruising 2023

Cruising 2023. 2023 was not too adventurous compared to the Newfoundland trip of 2022. But it was fun and we got as far north as Maine and visited a number of new places.

June 22, 2023 – August 10, 2023 – New Bern to Boston

We left New Bern and made the normal run down the Neuse River and up the ICW to Norfolk and Chesapeake Bay, stopping at Dowry Creek Marina, Coinjock Marina, and Tidewater Marina in Norfolk. At Coinjock we were about ready to leave when Channel 16 announced closure of Centerville Bridge due to high water so fortunately we were able to delay departure, arriving in Norfolk a bit late so we tied ourselves up.

From Norfolk we traveled to a new anchorage for us at Mill Creek on Ingram Bay. Very hot so AC running for two days. We were hoping to get to a Vineyard restaurant and took the dinghy to their dock but unfortunately they were not open during the time we were there.

On to one of our favorite anchorages at Rhode River just south of Annapolis for three nights.

Next stop on 7/2 was Annapolis Yacht Basin where we planned to spend July 4th weekend and watch the fireworks. Stayed 3 nights and watched the barge based fireworks from the Annapolis Harbor. We had a great view from the foredeck of Long Point. Annapolis is always a nice visit with good restaurants and it’s always nice to walk the docks at Ego Alley.

Onward to C&D canal, to Cape May for a first time visit to Uschs marina, up to Atlantic City to the marina at the casino and then a long run up the Jersey coast to Sandy Hook anchorage outside New York City. 7/9 we continued on to Port Washington and caught a mooring ball for a few nights break after several days running. Hells Gate on the east river was well timed and we hit 12.5 kts with little effort.

Next stop was Northport, a few hours up Long Island Sound, home to KK48 Changing Course owned by the Sniders. We stayed a few days and joined Bob and Ann Snider for a beer at the local brew pub. Leaving Northport for Port Jefferson mooring ball, then on to Fisher’s Island. Weather was much worse than forecast with Long Island Sound winds 20 to 25, gust in 30’s, and heavy rain with lightening and limited visibility. We were happy to drop the anchor and 114 feet of chain behind Fisher’s Island.

We had been in contact with Rob and Juliet who were a day or two ahead of us and anchored in Block Island. We decided to go there so on 7/17 we headed to Block Island and anchored in the Salt Pond for our second visit ever. Over the next 5 days we toured the island on our scooters and electric bikes, bought and cooked up a feed of lobster on Long Point and enjoyed the company of Rob and Juliet while we made plans for a Bahamas cruise in 2024.

We needed to get to Boston to leave the boat and head home to Newfoundland for a wedding so we left Block Island on 7/23 for Popes Island marina in New Bedford, MA and then onward through the Cape Cod Canal for a two week stay at the Boston Shipyard and Marina, tied up just opposite the Nantucket light ship which is undergoing restoration. We had a few days touring Boston and then flew to Newfoundland to visit family and attend Mary Ann’s niece’s wedding (Angie). We had a great time and headed back to the boat where we carried on northward on 8/10/23.

August 10 to 20 – Boston to Boothbay Harbor, ME

From Boston we headed to our normal stop in Gloucester in the mooring field just inside the breakwater, and onward to Falmouth (Portland Maine) at Handy Boat moorings. From Falmouth we headed to an anchorage on Casco Bay in Harpswell. In future we will tour Casco bay more extensively but for this trip this was our only stop. After a night at anchor we carried on to Boothbay Harbor in Maine where we stayed for what turned out to be six days due to crappy weather. The mooring field in Boothbay was extremely tight and at times we could chat with our neighbor while deciding if we needed to put out fenders or not. Boothbay is a nice town and well set up for tourists.

Boothbay was as far north as we went on this trip and on 8/21 we started out trek back south.

August 21 – October 18 – heading south to New Bern

We retraced out steps south heading for the Kadey Krogen rendezvous at Solomons in Chesapeake Bay. First stop was the Handy Boat mooring field near Portland where we ran into our New Bern neighbor Paul who is on a Selene 43. He saw us on AIS and came by in the harbour launch. Paul took us in his car on a tour of Portland and we enjoyed a nice lunch in town.

Falmouth to Kittery. We heard that Kittery is a nice stop so we booked a dock and stayed four days, enjoying walks and biking around the area. But the dock was very exposed and we rolled like a barrel for several days. If we visit again we will anchor further up the creek to get away from the open exposure.

Kittery to Newburyport. Newburyport has the most amazing current imaginable. We tried to time arrival at slack but were a bit late, however grabbed our mooring and got hooked up without problem. Mary Ann designed side door dinghy entry system so that we could get off the boat and back on in what must be 5 to 7 knot currents. The system includes a dock line tied between mid and aft hause pipes across the starboard entry door. When we arrive back to the boat you grab this line and hang on for dear life while Don jumps on the boat and gets a bow line attached. But the town and the people are fantastic and we stayed for eight nights. They even kept our electric bikes in the office and charged them up for us. The harbourmaster boat put our bikes ashore and returned them to the boat at the end of our stay. This has to be the most hospitable marina we have ever been to.

Newburyport to Plymouth. Another new stop for two nights. We grabbed a mooring ball in Plymouth and visited the plantation as well as Plymouth Rock.

Plymouth to Vineyard Haven. Another new stop. An early start from Plymouth was needed to time the current at Cape Cod Canal. And fortunately this also aligned with good timing to transit Woods Hole, another difficult passage with many hazards. But at slack it is fine and we hit the timing perfectly. Martha’s Vineyard is a nice visit and we met up with MIchael and Bridget on KK48 Sea Shanty.

Vineyard Haven – Port Washington A big storm was brewing and we wanted to get down Long Island Sound to better protection. One night on the tidal wall in Falmouth, and then on to Fisher’s Island, Port Jeff, and then Port Washington where joined our friends Rob and Juilet on Sea la Vie at anchor. The storm hit and we had high winds but were safely at anchor for four days before heading further south.

Port Washington – Sandy Hook – Atlantic City. The UN Assembly in NYC was about to create delays and closures on the east river so despite some bad wind forecasts we left Port Washington with Sea la Vie for Sandy Hook anchorage where we spent a miserable night in high winds bouncing around. By morning we were ready to leave and enjoyed a beautiful run down the Jersey coast with winds off the land arriving at Farley State marina in Atlantic City on 9/19.

Atlantic City – Cape May – Schaefers dock on C&D Canal.

C&D Canal to Solomons. Sea la Vie departed for Baltimore. Long Point headed for a long day with forecast high winds to make Solomons where we planned to leave the boat and drive to New Bern to visit our house. We left at 0545 and it was pretty good until about noon when winds picked up and the Chesapeake Bay showed it fangs. However a Kadey Krogen is built for worse than this so we had a comfortable ride with very few boats visible, arriving in Solomons at 1530h. We stayed for a couple of nights, secured the boat and rented a car to New Bern for a visit home. We returned for the Kadey Krogen rendezvous, leaving Solomons for the final leg home on 10/12/23.

Leaving Solomons we headed for an anchorage in Deltaville with four other KK, then on to Norfolk, Coinjock, Dowry Creek for fuel and then home to New Bern arriving October 18, 2023.

2023 Cruise wrap up

This summer we cruised 1838 nm consuming 1389 gallons of fuel in the John Deere’s, returning 1.3 nmpg. Operating hours on the main engines was 260 hours.      Average fuel consumption was 5.35 gallons per hour (excl generator). The trip covered 119 total days. The generators combined for 229 hours and another 210 gallons of fuel for a total fuel burn of 1599 gallons.

While 2023 covered waters we have visited before we found many new places such as Kittery, Casco Bay, Newburyport, Northport, Martha’s Vineyard, Block Island, Boston and others. It was a great trip and now we get some boat projects done and prepare for Bahamas 2024.

2022 Newfoundland cruise wrap up

Our cruise to Newfoundland was a great trip. We traveled a total of 3510nm, consuming 2707 gallons of diesel in 477 operating hours on the John Deere’s. The generators combined for 200hours and another 300 gallons of fuel. The trip covered 153 days and we average 7.4 knots overall

Visiting Newfoundland on my own boat has been a long time dream and we enjoyed every minute of the trip. However cruising Newfoundland takes some effort. Weather is more unpredictable than most of the east coast, and fog is a certainty especially early in the summer. Facilities are not geared towards visitors so you don’t make reservations and be greeted by dockhands catching your lines. Most harbours are remote but welcoming to visitors. In return for the effort you will meet the best people on the planet, welcoming and friendly. The landscape is rugged and beautiful and sparsely populated. Those that make the effort will be much rewarded. Our next adventure to Newfoundland will explore more of the east coast up to Notre Dame Bay and perhaps further.

Boat projects winter 2022

• Haulout at Jarrett Bay Boat yard in winter 2022. Several projects were completed including
• Bottom paint with prop speed on the props.
• Removed both shafts for inspection at Beaufort machine shop. Shafts were refitted to the couplings and props.
• Props sent to machine shop for inspection and adjustment if needed (not needed).
• Replaced both shaft seals with new and installed two new spares on each shaft.
• Insurance survey completed with minor items to address.
• Installed bow eye. The bow eye is installed low on the stem to reduce the anchor chain required to achieve desired anchor scope. With the high bow of the Kadey Krogen this reduces anchor chain requirements by about 50 feet, which is very useful in Bahamas and on the east coast.
• Fire system inspected.
• Replaced all skeg and rudder bolts due to corrosion.
• Replaced front motor mounts on the 12kw generator. This genset is closing in on 8000 hours.
• Changed master head toilet to Raritan elegance electric macerator style. Guest unit may be changed next year if this is a success.