Since her launch in August 2000 we have sailed our Voyage 430 catamaran close to 24,000 miles. From commissioning in Cape Town, South Africa we sailed across the South Atlantic visiting St Helena and Ascension Islands and Fernando de Noronha, up the northeast coast of South America, the Caribbean from Barbados, Tobago, Trinidad, Grenada, the Grenadines, St Vincent, St Lucia, Dominica, Isles de Sante, Guadalupe, Antigua, St Bart's, St Martin, the American and British Virgins, the east and west coasts of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to Texas and back. We visited in the Bahamas briefly before coming up the East coast of the US. Travel along as we made our way north by visiting the East Coast Cruising pages.
Beginning in late April we sailed the Chesapeake Bay. Our first ports of call were along the James and York Rivers to visit the colonial estates and towns just as the colonists did, by sailing ship. We made our way up the vast Potomac to Mt. Vernon, Alexandria and then Washington. We swept back down the river visiting St. Mary's City before reentering the Bay on our way to Solomon's Island and on to Annapolis. Baltimore and a little town called North East at the very top of the great Chesapeake Bay. There is so much to see and do it's hard to believe we spent 9 weeks on the Bay and her tributaries and hardly scratched the surface.
We also took several side trips. New York City via Amtrak and Frostburg in Western Maryland for Rebecca's Graduation and then on to Philadelphia for Nicole's Baptism.
In June, we sailed through the C and D Canal leaving the Chesapeake behind and entered the Delaware Bay. We traveled the Delaware river to Philadelphia. We had a great visit in our old home town. Of course, we did the tourist thing to the hilt but mostly we caught up with dear friends and family.
The first week of Summer we spent lolling at the Jersey Shore, anchored off of Sea Isle, New Jersey visiting with more family and friends. The following week we set sail along the Jersey Coast to New York.
July started out steamy and hot as we settled in to New York for the Fourth of July. The fireworks display in New York city was everything Stu hoped it would be. It was fun to share the holiday with our friend Gary Smith and his family aboard Wind Runner. Later we sailed home with Gary from New York to Connecticut.
Long Island Sound and the waters off of Connecticut and Rhode Island are amazing places to sail. We had a nice visit on the Niantic River, where we made lots of new friends and went claming and fishing. We also took a side trip to New London to see more fireworks and to see the big Submarine base there.
We sailed out of Long Island sound to Block Island where we experienced the first fog of our journey. A few days later we headed for Martha's Vineyard's lovely harbors. Before we turn south we hope to go across to Wood's Hole and up through Buzzards bay to the Cape Cod Canal and then on to Province Town on the tip of Cape Cod. While we are at it we may go see the Plymouth Rock.
Cape Cod Bay is as charming as any of the old song writers claim it should be. The last of July and beginning of August found us playing along this fabled seashore.
We made the passage through the Cape Cod Canal and turned North East along the coast of the mainland to Plymouth where the pilgrims came ashore. Later we crossed the Bay, due east, to Province Town or P Town as it is called around there. We spent the following two days playing in Wellfleet Harbor, a quiet little artsy oyster town about half way down on the inside of the cape.
New England held us under her spell long enough. It was time to cut loose. After an interesting visit in Nantucket we took an offshore route directly to New Jersey. A high front came through and provided us with a nice overnight sail. It had been months since we had a real offshore sail and it was grand.
We enjoyed a few days at the Jersey Shore once again. And, we made some new friends and caught up with Stu's family. It was time to head back to the Chesapeake. We sailed from Cape May to Ocean City, Maryland. From there we visited Chincoteague, Virginia. We continued with a grand spinnaker run down the Delmarva Peninsula and around the tip to unique Kiptopke Beach. After a nice rest we crossed the bay to Milford Haven, Virginia. From there we crossed to Smith Island and then on to Solomon's Island and finally Annapolis.
Shearwater enjoying a front row seat in Baltimore's Inner Harbor
The air in the Chesapeake is beginning to cool but there is plenty of warm sunshine and nice breezes and there are still so many places to visit. The last week of September we were fortunate to have our friends Sandy Smith and Raymond Tollman on board for a fantastic sailing adventure on the Bay.
The first week in October we were joined by Jim and Judy Bloom and friends from Palm Beach.
The remainder of October was filled with preparations for our trip to Bermuda and the Virgin Islands. The weather began to get cool, well rather cold and we are in the mood to get going.
November found us on our way to Bermuda and then on to the Virgin Islands.
We'll be in the Caribbean for the winter and hopefully we'll cross the Atlantic once again to visit the Azores, Europe and the Mediterranean.
