Around dawn, we slipped our mooring line and motored out into the near-glassy Chesapeake. It was a beautiful morning, but around midday, the sky got dark and we were supposed to get some nasty thunderstorms so we dropped anchor in the Bohemia River for a couple hours to let the storms pass. They ended up missing us entirely and we continued on to the C&D Canal. Once in the canal, the skies got dark again and we got some rain as a few nasty thunder cells passed ahead of us. We slowed down to make sure they’d miss us, and once they were gone, we kicked up the throttle once more. Dodgesquall achievement unlocked.
I used to not understand why people hated the Delaware Bay so much. I am a convert to their tribe. At first we had an easy, fast passage (9+ kts), but when we reached the bend in the channel to head down the bay, the wind was directly against the current. We had about 2 hours of 5-10 kt breezes against a 2+kt current, and the chop was just this ugly, short period, slammy, crappy mess that I couldn’t WAIT to be done with. By the time we finally broke free, I was just plain old cranky. Sunset was stunning, though, and almost made up for the couple hours of discomfort. By the time I was off watch, the current had changed and the sea state settled back.
My last night watch of the trip was uneventful and ended in a beautiful sunrise. Unfortunately it clouded over and we had to play with our speed again to avoid more squalls, and while we could hear thunder, all we got were some showers. Even though there was still some lingering smoke from the Canadian wildfires, the city skyline came into view hours before we got to the harbor and I admit to getting teary. NYC is unlike anywhere else we go in our travels, and seeing the skyline is awesome in the most literal sense of the word. I couldn’t help reflecting on all that has transpired since last time I saw that skyline and looking forward to what our summer season has in store.
Seeing a whale from our own boat has been a bucket list item of mine since we started sailing. We saw the pilot whales down in The Bahamas, but they’re relatively small as whales go, and I was still hoping to see a humpback or fin whale. As we approached a shoal off Atlantic Highlands, I found myself wondering if we’d see one in New York Harbor, as there have been several sightings in the area. No sooner did I think it than a fin whale surfaced about 100 yards ahead of us. I put the engine in neutral, expecting him to cross ahead of us, but when he surfaced again, he was about 30 feet off our port side. It happened too fast for photos, but I was in absolute awe to have such an incredible encounter.
We made it into New York Harbor just ahead of slack tide and needed to kill a little time. It was overwhelming to see all the tugs and barges, ferries and other recreational vessels waiting to make the run, and it only got crazier. Between all the water taxis, some tugs and a bunch of party boats, navigating the East River was a total nightmare, and we finally got (mostly) free of the mess once we got to Hell Gate.
Coming back after so many months away is an emotional experience and feels like a huge accomplishment. The people who left New York are not the ones who returned – we’ve learned, grown and changed. I’m sure we’ll reflect more on this amazing journey as we settle back in, but for now we’re just happy to have the hook down and to get some rest.
