Delivery cruise part I

Just completed first leg of our delivery cruise on a new to us Newburyport trawler from Annapolis to Kingston, NY on the Hudson River. After a 2 day training session with Captain John Albertine (who, by the way, was amazing) we felt confident to begin our voyage.

We left Annapolis on Thursday March 28 en route to Chesapeake City for the first leg of our trip under cloudy skies and a brisk breeze. Arrived around 9:30 and settled in for the night after a hot meal looking forward to day 2 on the vaunted Delaware Bay.

Our cruise down the bay was timed with the ebb current with the winds in our favor so as to make for a pleasant and uneventful trip to Cape May and we continued on to Atlantic City. Had our first experience with a soft grounding smack in between the channel markers to South Jersey Marina at low tide and were fortunate enough to free ourselves after a few minutes. Arrived Atlantic City and anchored out just inside the inlet next to Harrah's Casino. Weather stayed cold but winds remained light and we settled in for the night looking forward to long stretch to NY Harbor the next morning.

My long and anxiously anticipated journey up the Jersey coast was an experience I'll always remember - a beautiful sun filled day with temps approaching 60 and winds light and variable made for a tranquil cruise up the coast with my first mate for life Linda (aka the admiral) great friend Tom and sis-in-law Jenny. Rounded into Sandy Hook and anchored out after viewing firsthand some of the devastation wrought by superstore Sandy.

Next morning was Easter Sunday and we cruised into NY within maybe a quarter mile of Lady Liberty and Ellis Island which was quite a thrill! My grandmother from Ireland came through Ellis Island around 1915. No boardings by USCG, port authority or police was surprising as we were forewarned that would most likely be the case. Spent 2 days relaxing, taking in some sights and doing some minor repairs (coolant leak) at Liberty Landing Marina. Highly recommended due to their overall courtesy, efficiency and professionalism not to mention the fact that they were just a cool bunch of guys.

Left for final day after saying goodbye to our crew, my wife and new crew member daughter Valerie began a 12 hour trip up the Hudson in freezing temps and a steady headwind of 20+ knots with the icicles dripping down from the bow of the boat. And I wondered why when we encountered people along the way they would query "heading south?" Then scratch their heads when we replied "No, north!" Go figure! Summer is coming, isn't it?!!! Finally settled into Rondout Creek and spent an enjoyable evening with family and now looking forward to next leg of journey to bring our new vessel to her new home port in Wilson, NY on Lake Ontario.

We may be newbies to the trawlering lifestyle but are already in love with the possibilities. Our vessel performed admirably and we owe it to a lot of research, great surveyors in Annapolis and training before we set sail. Bon voyage til next time!

No offense, but do you think you could break this into paragraphs? Please?

Congrats on the new boat, and your first cruise!

Keep posting-- I would like to hear about your experience with the Erie canal this early in the season.

We are planning on heading North early this Summer to do some canaling!

Enjoy your boat-- JohnP

Great write up. Looks like the gods were smiling on you for the trip to New York. Very interesting. I like your attitude. Thanks for sharing.

Nice write-up! I enjoyed it. Now for some more adventure. Let us know what happens.

Many thanks for sharing, hope you and yours enjoy your new venture.

The trawler gods were smiling on you on your trip up the Jersey coast. Looking forward to hearing the rest of your journey. Fair winds.

thanks

Thanks for a great detailed story.`

I read it with even more interest, because in a month, I will be following you, all the way from Ft. Pierce, FL to NYC.

Good luck with your future endeavors.

Richard

Thanks for breaking up your story into paragraphs!

Fortunately, the several times I've run aground (in my sailboating days), it was on a rising tide. (Knock, knock.)

Ray's Mahalo Moi and my Coot hit bottom on the Petaluma River just east of Hwy 101 on a falling tide recently. Fortunately, we were able to plow through the soft river bottom to deeper water.

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip. Welcome to the forum.

Vahevala said:

now looking forward to next leg of journey to bring our new vessel to her new home port in Wilson, NY on Lake Ontario.

Click to expand...

We brought our trawler home to Lake Ontario early 2009 from New Hampshire, down the Atlantic Coast, through Long Island Sound and then up the Hudson and through the NY Canal system... It was a great trip! The worst weather we encountered was on Lake Ontario. We stayed at Oswego for several days 'til the weather improved and stopped in overnight at the Rochester Yacht Club - very nice club and a reciprocal, so the first night was free. We then travelled on to Wilson where we spent two summers.

We are now located at a small marina at Point Breeze on the Oak Orchard River - a great spot, between Rochester and Wilson. Delia Rosa is still on the hard - hopefully in the water early May...

Hope to see you out on the water!

ps... watch out for all the dead heads on the Hudson... lots of them just below the surface the year we came through. When we stopped at Ess-Kay Marina at Brewerton (a very nice family run marina and yard) there were a couple of boats hauled that had struck deadheads and bent their props coming up the Hudson.

Thanks for all of your replies, advice, etc. Will certainly be on the lookout for deadheads on the Hudson. Have been forewarned that early season voyaging could pose such perils. I'll have my crew keeping a keen eye out. We plan for a more relaxed pace of 6-6.5 knots which hopefully will allow for both more efficient fuel consumption and early warning of what lies ahead.

Will stay tuned for any more and much appreciated advice. Next trip to begin first weekend of May. Thanks again everyone!