Loop Crazy?

Loop Crazy

Having completed the Great Circle Loop in 2013 and the Little Triangle Loop in 2014, we have finally started north on the Down East Loop for our 2015 adventure.  This loop takes us back to Canada via the Hudson River where we now sit.  Then we will track further north via the Champlain Canal, Lake Champlain and the Richelieu River empting out into the St Lawrence River. From there we will travel out  the Gulf of the St Lawrence with stops in Quebec City, the Saguenay Fjord, and the Gaspe Peninsula.  Rounding the Gaspe, we will stop at Prince Edward Island, then visit the Bras d’Or Lakes.  Turning toward home we will make stops on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia before returning to the states through Maine and the East Coast of New England finally completing our loop in New York City.

Just a quick preview of our coming posts in case any readers were wondering where we are wandering this summer.  As we have access to strong WIFI we will update the blog with news and photos….. providing our finicky camera decides to resume some semblance of normal functioning.  (Perhaps this salt water rich environment is not camera friendly? Or was it that cup of tea bath??? Like many things on a boat, our cameras seem to be consumables.)

After a long week in Cape May, NJ, we were delighted to wake to a favorable forecast for the 130 plus mile jaunt in the Atlantic up to the great NYC harbor. Our delayed departure from NJ was mostly weather related – we enjoyed stormy weather with high winds, rain and fog as we sat on the hook in front of the Coast Guard Training compound.  Our days began with reveille and ended with taps punctuated between with the chants of recruits marching off (OK, running is more accurate). We were told by a retired coastie that this was more fun to look at than do. All of this was patriotic and entertaining for us until Steve discovered a slow weeping leak in an essential part on the engine – the fuel injectors.  This gave us a good excuse to check out the Cannon Club Resort Marina for a few nights while Steve hunted down parts and repairmen outfitted with the special tool needed for the FIX.  (JEE took the opportunity to do laundry!) Not finding the tool, and noticing the drip was diminishing, we finally headed out when the weather gave us an unexpected break. It was not perfectly flat, but the 3-4 foot easterly swells and moderate winds (mostly under 10 knots) were managed by the Admiral and Frank.

Officially beginning our Down East Loop from an anchorage in Gravesend just before the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, we caught a favorable tide and flew up the Hudson for a restful first night in our latest loopiness.