|
All Destinations
Cruising Itineraries
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
Itinerary 2: Through Hampton Roads to New York Harbor and up the East RiverAlex and I sail short handed routinely and have developed a watch schedule of 3 hours on, 3 hours off, which suits us well but certainly is not for everyone. What that means is that through the night, we are alone on deck while the other is sleeping. In both cases we were quite lucky with weather, and somewhat unlucky with things going bump in the night (which will be the subject of another story). In our case, we wanted the offshore passage and the weather window was exceptional for the week we chose. The forecast was for 20 knots consistently out of the southwest. That it turned out to be consistently 20-25 out of the west proved rather perfect. (The time before that, we had a forecast for 15 knots out of the SW and what we got was flat calm for two days, non-stop motoring on a glassy lake, and dead batteries as we approached the coast with fog rolling off the land!) They were magical passages as is every ocean adventure. The consistent offshore swell, the occasional ship on the horizon, the moonrise and sunset all combine to create an experience no coastal hopping can provide. And the view of Atlantic City from the water is awe inspiring. All that light creates an unbelievable fire on the horizon. We loved the Canal transit and the coastal visits, but for us the allure lies out to sea. That’s our choice. But we are careful. If the weather forecasts were iffy, we might have chosen differently. In this way, we’ve had small doses of the range of conditions you are likely to find at sea. I did not find it difficult at all to be on and off every 3 hours. The moment I get on deck, I feel alive and staying awake is not the issue. When I go below and I am tired enough, sleep is not an issue. Unless of course, the boat is really pitching, which we have also experienced. Then there is no recourse. So the bottom line is, choose whatever route makes sense for your boat, your ability and the conditions at the time. Then enjoy every minute of being on the water regardless of the route chosen.
|
Coastal Boating (Reg. in Ireland No. 443222) is a division of Knowledge Clinic Ltd.
Europe: Port Aleria, Rosnakilly, Kilmeena, Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland - USA: PO Box 726, Mahwah, NJ 07430 All content on this site is subject to Copyright© - All rights reserved. Contact us - Advertising - Privacy - Terms & Conditions - Copyright & Trademark - Webmaster |