Long Beach Island, NJ to Great Kills Yacht Club, Staten Island, NY

6/18/12
We left with some wind behind us.  The concern in Barnegat Bay is shallow water.  Many loopers mentioned problems, but we had none.  After going through the Point Pleasant-Manasquan Canal, we turned upriver on the Manasquan toward Manasquan River Club.  Although we talked to them on the phone a few times, we still were unclear about entering their channel and finding the slip.  Their marina is a small peninsula with individual slips facing the land....there were no piers and no identifying numbers on the slips.  We called again and were directed to slip B55 which was a floating dock but required stern end toward shore.  WE ALWAYS GO BOW IN!   So Ron took the helm and started backing up, but we got stuck because this slip had silted in from lack of use.  A fellow boater helped us with the lines and we finally powered into the dock.  The heat index was 104, so about 4:30 we headed for the pool.  After 10 minutes, we noticed the storm approaching so we quickly went back to the boat.  While I boiled water for mac and cheese, the wind picked up to 40 mph and got pretty rocky.  After carefully draining the pot, we had a bouncy dinner.  The storm passed fairly quickly.

6/19/12 (Headed for Staten Island--Great Kills Yacht Club)
We always check numerous sources for weather before starting out for the day.  All predictions stated that winds in the Atlantic were 5-10 knots and the waves were 3 to 4.  This was a little more wave action than we like, but the forecast for the next 5 days progressively deteriorated.  Manasquan Inlet is the last of the ICW and you must go out.  We headed for the inlet at slack tide because this can be a very turbulent spot.  As soon as we left the inlet we were hit with constant 30 knot winds and seas of 4 to 5 feet with a period of 5 seconds.  Some waves were much higher.  The life jackets went on Duke and me immediately, and Ron's was next to him on the seat.  He did a great job of driving the boat and keeping the other two passengers ( Duke and Jan) from total panic.

  We had everything stowed inside cabinets except for a few magazines, pillows, paper towels which were on the seats in the galley.  When the waves were on our bow, we would sink into a wave and rise up on the next.  When the waves were quartering, we were slightly more comfortable.  When we had a beam sea, the boat would tilt down to the gunwale and then right itself.  It was the roughest ride of the loop so far. 

After some LARGE wave action, everything ended up on the floor.  The seat in our dingy came loose and nearly fell overboard...this is the seat to which we attach our motor, so we would have lost the motor if the seat had gone overboard.  One of the fenders tied up top broke one of the horn mounts.  So all in all....not a fun day! 
After rounding Sandy Hook, NJ, the water calmed down.  We are at Great Kills Yacht Club in a secure little harbor.  We arrived right before the rain started. 

God was watching over us today! 

6/19/12
We are able to stay at this Yacht Club because of the kindness of one of its members who has arranged for Great Loopers to stay ($2.00 per foot-cash)  without having a reciprocal agreement from another yacht club.  The weather has cooled significantly but it is raining and very windy.  We will be here until Sunday morning.  If the weather is good, we will head for the East River and Long Island Sound.