Just got back from moving the sailboat from New York to the Chesapeake.

[Bonhomme Richard]

What an experience. We left New York harbor and sailed offshore overnite to Cape May NJ. About a 23 hour trip and averaged about 6 knots. We had rain with 3 to 5 foot waves out of the east and 5 to 8 foot swells coming at us from the south which made for a pretty bumpy ride. It was my first time ocean sailing and my first time sailing at night and it was a strange experience especially when the fog came in and you felt like you were in a cocoon. Kind of unnerving being in the shipping lanes with fog. Came away from it feeling a sense of accomplishment.

[cbayer]

1. Sounds great, Bonhomme! What kind of boat were you in? How many on board?

I love night sailing, but agree with you about fog in the shipping lanes. I have spetd many an hour staring at the radar and giving the captain frequent updates.

I don't know about the east coast, but one of the coolest things about an overnight sail out here is when the dolphins come around in phosphorescent water. True magic.

I hope you enjoyed it. Mixed swells are my least favorite kind of weather condition, because that is when I get queasy and unnerved. Hope you are able to do it again under better conditions.

Congratulations!

cbayer

[Bonhomme Richard]

2. There were 3 of us in a Catalina 34. The water wasn't phosphorescent

though we did have a dolphin come up beside the boat as I turned toward Cape May. We also did not have radar so I kind off took the attitude that what will be will be. It was a good experience.

[cbayer]

3. Good boat and good number of crew. I wouldn't go out without radar.

The shipping lanes scare the daylights out of me.

Again, glad it went well and you arrived safely in port.

:toast:

[Bonhomme Richard]

4. A side note. I was amazed at the film of oil on the bow of the boat.

We weren't the only ones. When we anchored in a cove after arriving there were other sailboats there and one of the guys was washing the oil off of his boat.

[Bonhomme Richard]

5. It's a shame more can't experience that kind of trip. It is somewhat life changing.

All of a sudden everyday things don't seem to be as critical. Driving home I thought that if the car broke dow, no big deal. I can walk. If I had trouble at sea that is literally life threatening. There is no where to go and you simply have to deal with it. I seemed to get a whole new prospective on life.

[cbayer]

6. Agree. When on the boat, you find that every problem can be solved because it has to

be solved. It does give you a very different perspective.

We are considering starting to take couples or small families out for a couple of days at a time to teach them not just about sailing, but about living off the grid and being entirely self-sufficient.

You don't think about things like water, electricity and waste in quite the same way when you are carrying it all around with you.