June 13, 2017

I am back to the blog tonight.  Our crew left this morning and Jim and I have to fend for ourselves again.  We traveled up the Hudson 

West Point 

passing West Point.  It reminded me of a castle in the series "Game Of Thrones".  Then not much further up the river we saw a real  castle built in1804.  Not in good shape but someone was trying to keep it standing.  We reached our destination of Poughkeepsie, NY.  We hailed a cab and headed for FDR's home in Hyde Park.

Cotten Candy Sunset

FDR's Home

1804 Castle

In 3 days now, Jim has seen both Theodore's and FDR's home in New York.  The Hudson River valley is one of the most scenic places we have been on this trip.  There were rowers rowing down the river, geese flying in V formation up the river and as the sun set  the fog rolled in and it looked like pink cotton candy all over the river.  Not sure where we will end up tomorrow but I am

certain that it will be every bit as pretty as this.  

June 12, 2017

Piggy backing on Captain Jim's posting, we must mention that Jim and David came trudging down the dock shortly before 10:00 pm last night.  Penny and I had formed our own personal search party and were just starting  out when the weary travelers appeared.  It seems Uber stops as early as restaurants open late in Staten Island.  Both Jim and David  agreed that the trip to Sagamore Hill was well worth it and they felt surrounded by history and a sense of family.  They were both grateful for the assistance of native New Yorkers who helped them navigate the system. 

This morning we were smiling and filled with a sense of anticipation at the prospect of passing in front of the Statue of Liberty and retracing  the footsteps of our ancestors.

Lady Liberty's majestic height,

Representing all that's good and right.

The Colorado Cat cruised on by,

The crew's emotion soaring high!

Tonight we are safe and snug in Croton On the Hudson, sadly realizing that we are leaving tomorrow.

Croton On The  Hudson

June 12, 2017

Jim is writing his own blog today with his personal reflections of his quest.

I feel badly for all those people who were not on our boat today.  This was a red letter day!  We left our Staten Island slip today at 0640 under a hazy sky and on smooth water.  We turned the corner and there was the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge with New York Harbor under and over the bridge.  As we entered NY Harbor we were able to see in the distance our STATUE OF LIBERTY.  Can you believe that?!  In our own boat?!  Who would have imagined such a thing?!  We worked our way closer to the Statue than any of the tourist boats.  (I’m sure I heard her say, “Welcome”.)  We sailed around her (what a feeling: lump in throat) and then ventured over to Ellis Island, dodging tour boats and ferrries.  (The fact that Beth’s great grandfather arrived in this country through Ellis Island made it even more special.)  

We then crossed the Hudson River, went into the shadow of the sky scrappers, crossed behind the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and into the East River.  We went up the East River, under the Brooklyn Bridge at a speed of 12 knots!  We worked our way up the river (dodging tour boats), turned around and returned at about 6 knots.  What a current!  We curved around as close as we dared to the towering buildings and re-entered the Hudson River.  

New York Harbor is a wonderous place and being there in our own boat, going where we dared to go, and spending as much time as we wanted to spend was a once in a life time experience.  It reminded me once again of just how lucky we’ve been.  Another adventured shared with Penny.

We then started up the Hudson River.  Oh, what a wonderful journey!  We slowly got past the magnificent buildings, past a submarine and aircraft carrier, beautiful homes, and big ships and began to journey between green hills and cliffs.  Interspersed in this green were great buildings with character and history (universities, churches, old government buildings). This is the most beautiful country we’ve seen on this trip!  (Even more beautiful than than Chesapeake Bay which is saying something!)

We are now tied up to a dock in Half Moon Cove just off shore of Croton-on-the-Hudson, NY.  What a day!  Maslow would have said I experienced "self-actualization".

We Made It To New York!

Under the Verrazno Bridge

Guess Who?

But I have one great regret:  None of our nine children and grandchildren were with us to share our experiences.  Our grandchildren would have gained wondrous life-long memories that could have been shared with one another for decades. 

Brooklyn Bridge

Ellis Island

June 11, 2017

Where oh where did Teddy's house go?

Where oh where can it be?

We've been on a bus, a train and a boat,

No sign of it can we see!

The day started out with a very accurate weather forecast.  Jim and David ventured out, on their own, to tour Sagamore Hill, the home and summer Whitehouse of Theodore Roosevelt.  Five and a half hours and 54 miles later after battling the complicated New York transportation system of Uber, buses, ferry, train and subway, we got a victory call. "We made it and don't wait dinner for us!" They must have felt like they were charging up San Juan Hill as they approached his residence.

99% correct

Nichols Marina

Meanwhile,  Penny and I enjoyed a leisurely 2 mile walk, bushwhacking through an "authorized personnel only" path to the other side of Great Kills Harbor in search of food, actually a restaurant, for brunch.  We passed five restaurants and not one of them opened before noon or 1:00.  What? Doesn't anyone eat breakfast in Staten Island?  

Discovery 0f the Minnow

Desperate for shade, we plopped our sweat soaked, fatigued bodies on the steps of a darkened  restaurant with no hours posted.  Two aproned employees approached from the parking lot and we asked if they were open. A shrug and "I don't know" was all we got. The manager must have gotten the message because he was quickly at the door saying, "Of course we're open," as he put out his display of "Todays Specials." Fortunately we were rewarded with a delicious meal and were fortified for our stroll back to the marina.  As we walked along the shore, we discovered the "presumed to be shipwrecked Minnow".  No sign of the Professor or Marianne, but we are convinced of the authenticity due to the tattered curtains and possible remains of Gilligan's hat.  For Penny and I the rest of the day was uneventful as we relaxed and fulfilled forecast while waiting for our adventuresome husbands.

June 10, 2017

We tucked in under a spectacular full moon last night and awakened to the hustle and bustle of Hammond Marina as boats of all shapes and sizes departed for a Shark Fishing Tournament.  Another Chamber of Commerce Day  aboard the Colorado Cat as we cruised the Jersey coast and  crossed the border into New York, Jim and Penny's 9th state. Mandatory toast and changing of the flags!  We struck out for Manhattan shortly after our arrival at Nichol's Marina in Staten Island using every mode of transportation from boat to bus to ferry to Uber to good ole walking. Our goals for today, to see the Statue of Liberty and visit the 911 Memorial, a truly reverent site.  We had authentic New York pizza at Steve's Pizzaria, an establishment across from the twin towers that survived the devastation.  We arrived back at the dock in time to view another memorable sunset and low and behold, what came into view between the trees was The World Trade Center.  Life is good on the Colorado Cat.

We are headed to New York City,

Where the skyline's really pretty.Lady Liberty's majestic still  Going past her...what a thrill

Good Night New York

 

World Trade Center

,

Water Memorial

Down with New Jersey, Up New York

Lady Liberty

!

Good Night Moon

June 9, 2017

Technology challenged us yesterday and we were unable to continue the blog  or even retrieve it.

Suffice it to say Atlantic City did not to live up to our expectations , but the sunset over the Golden Nugget was spectacular and we were on our way  to bigger and better things this morning.  The flat seas and beautiful sunrise beckoned us to move north on a 54 mile journey under perfect conditions.  We are currently docked at Hammonds Marina in Northern New Jersey after a picturesque cruise along the Northern Jersey Coast .  Another gourmet meal at Colorado Cat and tomorrow we look  forward to arrival at Staten Island.    

Empty Beaches

Our Next Door Neighbor

Calm Seas To Point Pleasant

Atlantic City Skyline

Empty Boardwalk In Atlantic City

Sunset in Atlantic City

June 8, 2017

As tradition dictates on the Colorado Cat, part of the crew's responsibility is to write the blog, so here goes.  The Morrow's are comfortably ensconced in the luxury and hospitality of Admiral Penny and Captain Jim. We were anticipating a day of R&R secure at the dock in Lewes, Delaware, when the Captain made a spontaneous decision at zero dark thirty to brave the wind and seas and head for Atlantic City, New Jersey. 

A 56 mile, slightly rocky  run at 10 knots with 3.5  plus seas, siting  the Atlantic Ocean on the starboard side and the Jersey Shore to port. Cast off lines just after 7:00 am and arrive at Kammeran's Marina just before 1:00.  What a lovely job they did with their website, we hardly recognized the place!  But it is quiet and charming and away from the hustle and bustle.  

We ventured out in the winds and blustery weather to walk to sparkle and glitz of Atlantic City. WHAT? Where is it? Closed store 

 store fronts 

June 7, 2017

Guess what....  we are still in Lewes, and will be tomorrow, and hopefully Friday we will attempt to go to New Jersey.  Jim and Ellie left around noon and the new crew checked in around 3:00.

At least the sun was shining but the wind was still blowing.  While we sitting on the dock and enjoying a cocktail a raccoon came down the rocks and looked at us.  So far we have seen more wildlife in the small town of Lewes than we have seen the whole trip.  Amazing. Tomorrow I get to show Dave and Beth the town and the history.  In this small town there are about 200 volunteers

that take care of all the flowers in the parks, and there are a lot of parks.  It is beautiful.  Delaware is quite a state.  No taxes of on food, booze, sales tax, low property taxes, nice roads, beautiful schools.  They get their money with the formations of LLC's.  I

Our Next Door Neighbor

am very impressed. Yesterday as we drove through the center the state and the farms are very neat.  The small towns seem to be well maintained.  Our next stop is New Jersey, I wonder  if it will look as nice?  Hopefully we will know Friday.

New Crew, Dave and Beth

June 6, 2017

Captain Bailey and I made the morning walk to the bakery for coffee and a sticky bun. This "weathered in" in stuff is tough on the crew. After the bakery it was wait around for the rental car company to pick us up and spend most of the day driving back and forth to Annapolis to recover our van for the return road trip to Sturgeon Bay tomorrow.

Yes, unfortunately tomorrow we end our cruise as Jim and Penny's crew aboard the Colorado Cat. Without a doubt it has been a truly great experience for both Eleanor and I and we hope we get an invite to meet them again somewhere along the "loop"? To anyone of you that read this come and meander through the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay. You will not be disappointed. It is a totally unique and beautiful area to see and tour.

Our day was capped off by meeting and visiting with owners of sailboat moored on the dock with us. John and Brenda were incredibly helpful to Penny and Jim on what to expect to encounter on their next leg form here to NYC and the Hudson River. They are sailing on to Cape Cod and on to Maine. Brenda provided the funniest quote of our trip; "a bow thruster saved our marriage".

To truly make our last evening even better Penny and Eleanor made a true Easter Shore dinner of crab cakes, shrimp cocktail, new potatoes and white corn, The seafood came from the Atlantic Seafood Market in Annapolis, a fifth generation market that has incredible variety and quality of fresh seafood. 

Through out the last week Eleanor and I have had an adventure and a tour like no other. Captain Jim's and Admiral Penny's humor, hospitality and sense of adventure have really made or "crewing" time on the Colorado Cat something really special and unique. Eleanor and I wish them only the best with fair seas, light winds and continued success on their "Grand Loop".

The End Of A Great Time With Lincolns'

Enjoying Lewes, Delaware

Wildlife in Lewes

Sail On,

Jim L

June 5, 2017

Rain, Rain Go Away, come again some other day! Oh well, as forecast we are "weathered in" on the Delaware Coast. The captain and I immediately made tracks for a great bakery to try a local creation, a ooy-gooey bun with some locally roasted coffee. After that the good news was that we got about an hour of dinghy time on 

the Lewes and Rehaboth Canal before getting pretty well drenched as the rain came in at 11 AM.

So the day has been spent catching up on emails, paying bills and setting up a rental car for Tuesday to retrieve our van in Annapolis. We headed to a local pub as the captain had a craving for some wings before dinner. And of course some more shopping for Penny and Eleanor at a used book store and a few dozen other places.

Our rainy "weathered in" day with a great chicken dinner created by Penny and Eleanor and the movie,

Night at The Museum. To finish off the evening we took an intense look at at the 00 Zulu marine forecast and synopsis for Cape May to Atlantic City. So far this does not look good for Colorado Cat to continue until Thursday at the earliest. Forecast is for Northeast winds 15 to 22 knots, gusts to 28 with 4 to 6 foot seas with swells from the East at 7 to 8 second intervals. Not a good forecast for running "outside" on the ocean up the Jersey Coast. Add some fog and a rain/drizzle combination and it seems Penny and Jim will have to continue on the Grand Loop with the fresh crew coming on Wednesday. As much as we don't want to end our part of the tour, Eleanor and I will reluctantly turn over the crew duties to the next "sailors". I will be back tomorrow night to complete my last log entry for our time on the Colorado Cat.  Jim L

Downtown Lewes

Bored Sailors

Home Sweet Delaware

First Church, First City
In The First State
Delaware

June 4, 2017

06:00 - Lines cast off and believe it or not all four of us are awake. Six and a half hours later after a great  60 mile Southbound run down Delaware Bay we are docked after a masterful helmsman maneuver by Captain Bailey at Lewes City Marina. Uneventful as the run was we were all glad to be moored into a protected dock to await the weather issues forecast for the next two days. It should be noted that our "reserved slip" was impossible for us to get into, but our good fortune held and we were able to get the only slip left at the city marina. Lewes, DE is a great little town on the Delaware Shore and will be a great place to hunker down in until the weather improves.

Among some of the other notable of the day we saw a pod of dolphins herding fish for a
meal. Our run also included passing by 4 light houses, one of which was for sale if you care to own one? All of us still are amazed at the amount of commercial traffic on these waterways. We passed by numerous tugs, tankers, container ships and ferries.

Jim 0- Bird 1

Light House For Sale

After our arrival in Lewes we found a great Italian Eatery. Eleanor and Penny walked the town and went shopping. Fortunately they did not do too much damage to the Visa cards. After Jim B took a well deserved rest, he took a walk about only to have a local bird provide some dropping on his clean shirt. After a quiet relaxing dinner of leftovers we are all headed to the berths early tonight to await the tempest that is scheduled to be upon us tonight and Monday.

Jim L

Our Favorite Light House

PS - Eleanor copped out on the blog writing duties, so I am back again tonight. 

June 3, 2017

This is Jim L back for another Colorado Cat blog entry. It was a great and long day. We find ourselves in Delaware City, DE after a 8 hour, 70 mile journey up through the North Chesapeake Bay and the C & D Canal into Delaware Bay. The day started cloudy, cool and breezy, but ended up sunny, warm and light winds. 

There were two encounters with commercial traffic, the first with a freighter trailing us again and closing fast as we left Baltimore and the other with a tow boat as we traversed the C & D Canal. The first was side lined as we were able to head off on a course that was out the channel. The second was just a close call as another boat ignored the the close quarters to shoot in between us and the tow and barge. See the photo!

Shortly after that encounter, Colorado Cat passed into another state and state flags were raised and lowered with a beer toast as has become Penny and Jim's custom. That makes 6 states in 4 months and starting on number 7. Quite an accomplishment at less than 10 MPH.

After getting docked for the evening the marina owner held a captains meeting for a Delaware Bay Downbound Briefing. This became a bit of scary and educational lesson on tides, currents and winds for our trip tomorrow to Lewes, DE or Cape May, NJ. We are off early in the morning to make the best of our "window" before the bay becomes tough to traverse.

For dinner this evening we walked into Delaware City to have dinner at Lewinsky's on Clinton Street. And yes, the restaurant was named for the reason you think it was!!! 

Eleanor and my time on Colorado Cat continues to be both enjoyable with just enough "adventure"to make it a very memorable one.  Eleanor will be back tomorrow with more.

Delaware Briefing. OMG!!!

Lewinsky's on Clinton Restaurant

Yea! Delaware

WTF

Jim L

June 2, 2017

Today was a busy day.  We were up and underway shortly after seven am.  Before leaving for Baltimore we motored to the Annapolis city docks and around the Navel Academy.  Motoring to Baltimore we noticed a large freighter  that overtook us in a rather intimidating manner.  Thank goodness Jim decided to get out of the channel.

We really enjoyed our day in Baltimore.  We had lunch in a genuine neighborhood pub.  Continuing in the boat mode we took the water taxi to Ft. McHenry.  Just in case you forgot the history of that fort think of Francis Scott Keys and the Star Spangled Banner.,  After touring the fort we continued with the navel theme by touring the Constellation, the Chesapeake Lightship and a WWII submarine.  That would be four water taxi rides, three ships and one catamaran. That would be a record for us.  We also managed to walkabout 15,000 steps according to our Fitbit.  Tomorrow we are off to Chesapeake City.  Our last stop on Chesapeake Bay and then of to Delaware Bay.

Constellation

Chesapeake Lighthouse ship

Jim In Mortal Combat With Daisy Duck