Tuesday, September 3. Day 56

We very much enjoyed our stay with Jim and Linda and appreciate all the hospitality. We hope to see them again later in our travels. After our last breakfast we left their dock at 933am to be close to high tide on our way through Oyster Channel so if we do run aground, we still have rising water to get off, but we didn’t have to worry. We hit only once near the low spot at the end of the lagoon and easily backed off to get on the right course. We waved goodby to Jim who had come down to take photos and make sure we got out ok exiting the channel at 944am. We quickly took off the mainsail cover while we had calm water. The wind was 6.4 kts TW at 180 degrees from 305 degrees (WNW). It was cloudy and very humid. As we got close to the inlet, we raised the main and then entered Barnegat Bay inlet at 11am with a bumpy ride from the incoming tide, but not as bad as that time years ago posted here on May 11, 2011. 1128am the head sail is out and the engine off 2 min later. We are going 6.2kts boat and GPS speed with the wind 10.4 kts at 97 degrees wind angle. That was short lived as we had to start the engine at 1207pm as the wind died immediately. The wind continued to decrease on Lorraine’s watch and was rolled up at 142pm. We continued our motorsailing ride down the New Jersey coast until we entered Abescone inlet to Atlantic City and was anchored south of the main channel before the bridge at 404pm traveling 39.63nm by the boat log and 46nm over ground getting a boost from the current. The current is 1.45kts while at anchor but the sheltered area has the dredgers and orange barrels and even though we discussed local knowledge with Clive and Jim before we left, we don’t feel comfortable entering the narrow channel. Phil is confident that we will be ok here. There are 2 boats anchored in front of us and one comes in behind us later in the evening.

530pm after not cooking for a while, it’s time to use up fresh produce starting to go bad and leftovers. I cooked a rutabaga, broccoli, fried cooked potatoes adding the leftover pork tenderloin for supper along with tomato and mozzarella salad.

We are close to the casinos here and at night they are all lit up. Here are our feeble attempts as the boat never stops moving.

Tomorrow we leave early for Cape May.