Hurricanes
A squall off the New England coast.
We arrive back in good ol’ USA at Provincetown on Cape Cod, Labor Day weekend. Oh my! What a culture shock. So many people, so many boats. Checking in with the ROAM system worked well, although as it was a holiday weekend it took being on hold overnight before we were officially approved. We anchored on the edge of the huge mooring field and took the long dinghy ride into shore. Provincetown has a business strip that was a wonderful opportunity to people watch.
The Pilgrim Monument rises high above the town of Provincetown. It commemorates the first place the Pilgrims landed, however there was no water supply so they quickly moved on and settled across the bay in Plymouth.
A replica of the Santa Maria in Provincetown harbor. We later saw it making a dash down Long Island Sound to escape hurricane Lee.
The quainter and quieter backstreets were delightful to stroll through. It was hot, we pulled out the summer clothes that had been in storage and enjoyed the feeling of warm sun on our backs.
There was a wide range of art on display in the many, many galleries. We dipped in and out, as we wandered the length of the town. They were not all as blunt as these Bad Dogs shown below.
The following day we went to the beach.
Since our visit, just 2 weeks later hurricane Lee loomed on the horizon and took direct aim for this area. I hope there was not too much damage.
We left Cape Cod and transited through the Cape Cod Canal into Buzzards Bay and the legendary sailing grounds of Marthas Vineyard. The current going through the canal was fairly benign, until the end when we were swirled around under the final bridge.
We spent a few days visiting Marthas Vineyard (most expensive beer ever) and Woods Hole. The Woods Hole Historical museum, Aquarium and the Ocean Science Discovery Center were all great visits. By this time Hurricane Lee was in the news, the precise track was still uncertain, but it was decidedly large and heading our way. We began a hasty retreat west down Long Island Sound toward protected waters we hope.
The predicted track of hurricane Lee was right through the area we had enjoyed this past summer. We still had friends in Nova Scotia and Maine as the storm approached - very little we could do except worry. One of the reasons we spent the summer in the northern climes was to escape hurricane activity. This year the Caribbean has been spared. The north, not so much. Lee is the third named storm to target this coastline this summer 2023.
So what did we do? We arrived in the western most part of Long Island Sound a few days before the predicted landfall of Lee. Oyster Bay is a natural hurricane hole, the shoreline curves sinuously around leaving no direct path open to the sound and no long fetch to create bucking waves. The water was shallow allowing for good anchor scope and the bottom was mud, so strong holding. We stayed there as the storm slid by to the west. We were literally right on the edge.
While in Oyster Bay we visited the motorcycle museum of the most famous current resident, Billy Joel. Pretty impressive, especially as this was only part of his full collection.
The morning Lee passed by we pulled up the anchor and set out for New York. Why the rush? Well unfortunately the following week the UN was in session and when this happens, the coastguard, as a matter of security, closes down the East River. If we did not leave Saturday morning it would be a full week before we could transit and get to our next stop in Brooklyn. The timing of our departure was also critical to make sure we arrived at Hells Gate at slack tide, or shortly thereafter. This area of water is aptly named as it is where the waters from Long Island Sound, the water from New York Harbor and the Hudson river via Harlem River all merge. The tidal currents can reach up to 6kt and whirlpools can form. It sounded terrifying.
Approaching New York under the Throgs Neck Bridge. We passed Rikers Island and the prison ship used to relieve overcrowding. They were playing basketball in the terrace exercise yard.
And before we knew it, we arrived at Hells Gate - we timed it perfectly. The tide just turned past slack so there were no issues passing through the choke point, and we had a favorable current for the rest of the passage down the East River.
What a view. The marina, One15 Brooklyn Marina, was right opposite the tip of Manhatten and Wall Street. The view was unbeatable.
We spent a couple of days exploring Brooklyn with Jake and had some memorable meals. We even found a sailmaker in Brooklyn, although methinks long since out of business. We even had a boat party to show off Helacious to friends and family. Great visit.
Leaving the marina we crossed the bay, dodging high speed ferries and tug boats, and anchored between the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Unable to land due to security restrictions, we just enjoyed the million dollar view.
The weather presented a perfect passage south, steady wind from the west to send us down the New Jersey shore to Delaware Bay and through the D&C canal to the Chesapeake, our home for the fall. Here we will prepare Helacious for our next major passage back to the Caribbean where we will explore the southern Windward Islands.