Motor Sailing in the Atlantic! (Day 003)

Brigantine, NJ to Cape May, NJ

Distance = 44.5 miles

Elapsed Time = 7:50

Average Speed = 5.7 mph

Weather: When we awoke, our decks were awash with dew. The evening temp was in the high fifties and it maxed out to 77 degrees in the bubble. We spent much of the day with the windows open. Small craft warnings were posted until 1800 hours with a forecast of 15 knots out of the north and three to five foot seas. We never saw double digits on the wind meter and the swells might have been three feet with an occasional five footer. At times the sea was virtually flat. Most of the day was partly sunny.

Using the new wash down pump

Comment: 0740 It’s anchor up time! And what a treat we had!! I was at the helm, inching the boat forward as Anna Marie was at the starboard bow to unfasten the bridle. Once removed, I continued to inch the vessel forward while pushing the button to raise the anchor. When I met some resistance, I goosed the engines to break the anchor out of the mud. Once free, I continued to slowly raise the anchor while Anna Marie squirted the mud off the chain using the new pressure pump hose. Neat! So far so good with these new pieces of equipment.


Absecon Light and Construction on New Casion/Hotel (click photo to enlarge)

Once again, we are in the Atlantic Ocean. This time, small craft warnings are posted, but we left the anchorage in flat calm conditions and, after negotiating Absecon Inlet, we found no discernable reason for the small craft warnings. We continued on to Cape May. We were able to motor sail for an hour and twenty-five minutes before the wind back to the south west and was on our nose.

We observed the M/V Christine and two unknown sailboats already anchored near the Coast Guard Station. We continued past and made the turn to starboard to enter Utsch’s Marina. We took on fuel before making our way to our assigned slip.


Nestled in at Utsch's Marina, Cae May, NJ

We have a family function to attend tomorrow evening in Stone Harbor, so we will be at Utsch’s for two nights.

After securing the boat and our equipment, we walked to the mall in downtown Cape May and stroll the promenade before returning to SUNSHINE for dinner and some evening entertainment.