See where we’re at: https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:6165338/mmsi:368134980/imo:0/vessel:CALLIPYGIA
Well, the Callipygia has delivered us to balmy Cape May. A New Jersey coastal town has a lot of its seasonal businesses shut down in February, for some strange reason. But Charlie at Utsch’s Marina gave us an unbeatable price for a transient berth and the places that are open (the Lucky Bones, C-View, the Bagel Time Cafe, and the kitchenette at the Lobster House) have all been stellar. Special nod to the pork roll omelet at the Bagel Time. Good LORD, were those portions generous.
This is a long overdue first update on a blog I said I’d keep up. I’ve tracked down wifi and remembered to bring a charged laptop to the bar at the Lucky Bones so that I can finally inform the masses.
We left from Portsmouth, RI on Monday the 30th of January at 5:35 PM. Motored to Point Judith and anchored there at 9:23 PM. Lost about two hours of sleep on an otherwise ideal night to due to a cargo ship called the Grand Orion hailing a pilot for a good two hours starting a bit after 2 AM. My written journal accounts that: “a great cheer arose from the sleepless people” when the pilot finally friggin’ responded.
Got up, organized the mass of supplies we and Tripp’s parents had tossed below and basically slept on the day before, and left the Harbor of Refuge at 2:17 PM on the 31st (Happy Birthday Tripp) heading towards Cape May, New Jersey. We had 34th birthday Modelos during the middle of the day and finished off the turkey and stuffing leftovers from our Sunday night farewell dinner.
At our furthest, we were about 25 miles from shore through the New York City shipping lanes. Tuesday overnight and Wednesday into Thursday were spent alternating 4 and 6 hour watches, with Tripp taking the 6 hour watches until he was so tired on the last one that I stood a 6 1/2 to help out. Sailing conditions were cherry, wind was with us almost the entire way. Spent some time motoring aided by the staysail, some time with one reef then a second in the mainsail as well. Fuel lines needed to be bled on four or five occasions, otherwise the engine was reliable too.
I however, got to experience sea sickness for the first time. Certainly a difference between offshore sailing in a Liberty 28 compared to the Penobscot Bay on a three-masted schooner. If Isaiah Patterson is reading this, the only time I have felt worse was the hangover before Gloomhaven after a night out in Brandon. Tripp, who wasn’t sea sick, also had little appetite and we made it through on gold fish, water, and English breakfast tea. He commented that, by the time we got to Cape May, our battered goldfish bag “looked how we feel”. I, uh, have to agree.
But the sea sickness was more comical than awful and it opened up on moments of true beauty. After one bout, I saw fins in the water and got to watch three porpoises a few feet off trail the boat, clearly visible beside us. Tripp was amused by my barging in through the companion way while he was resting.
“What’s up?”
“I just hurled but there are dolphins and it’s awesome, I need my camera!”
At 6:43 AM on Tuesday morning, I realized I was totally out of sight of land for the first time in my life. That evening, the sunset started in successive layers above the horizon of peach, cerulean, and celadon. I love when there’s a green tinge to the sky. I don’t know if it’s actually rare, but I don’t seem to notice it that often. The orange sun set, a fullish moon was in the sky early. Clear stars. What a time to be alive.
Got to Utsch’s in Cape May at around 10:15 Thursday morning.
I’ll post again tomorrow, but for now, have the photos that are owed.
Hermit Thrush 