The Adventures of Captain Gale: Lots of Weather

From: briangale@alum.bucknell.edu [mailto:briangale@alum.bucknell.edu]
Sent: Friday, November 22, 2002 9:05 AM
Subject: Lots of Weather

The weather gods have taken quite an interest in my trip as of late. On my departure from Rhode Island last week I made sure to toast the gods of the ocean. Apparently the wind gods are a little peeved...

2 days out of RI got me to Huntington Harbor on Long Island, making good time. But a noreaster carrying 50 knot winds kept me in Huntington for three days. As the winds abated I took off through Hell Gate, down the East River and through the New York Harbor. Sailing through NYC is always a great time - Past La Guardia and Rikers prison (did you know they use old Staten Island Ferries there? no kidding, I have video proof); Under the Whitestone and Throgs Neck Bridges; floating past the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, the UN building; under the Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges; past the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and finally under the Verrazano Bridge, all the while avoiding all the high speed ferries and shipping traffic. Non-stop action.

Once under the Verrazano it calms downand I settle in for the overnight motor-sail down the Jersey coast. At night you can follow the buoys that flash red, green or white at certain intervals. It's always confusing on the Jersey coast, trying to figure out what all these flashing red buoys are that aren't on your chart. It takes a while to realize they're flashing red stop lights! Only in New Jersey...





I pass the blaze of lights (visible 20 miles away) that is Atlantic City. I didn't stop - Tom Jones wasn't playing. Arrived at Cape May (Wildwood) at dawn and finally pulled into a side river halfway up the Delawre Bay. The past couple days have found me through the C&D canal and halfway down the Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately there's another storm coming in this afternoon, so I'm ducking into the Potomac River to wait it out. I should be back in action Saturday afternoon, and in the ICW by monday, and then only 1000 miles to Palm Beach. Here's hoping this is the last of the big storms...

Thanks to all who have written. Take care and keep in touch. Oh, and if you're looking for someting to do on a Friday night, come on down to VA, the first round is on me.

Brian
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