S.O.S. - stranded in a dinghy
October 5th we anchored in Cape May, New Jersey. Our spot was next to a large Coast Guard post and the area was busy with lots of boats.
Before sunset Josephine and I ventured to land in the dinghy to walk Queso. Upon our return the dinghy stopped. After checks and discussion via phone with Nate, Josephine started paddling. We quickly learned the current or wind was too strong and float up to nearby rusty dock. We tried hailing help from another dinghy passing by, the man said “it will take a long time to pull you back. I want to go to land first and look around.” What!?! Thanks alot mister. Nate got the paddleboard out and got a workout coming to us. The problem was no gas so Jo and Nate (barefoot) hiked to the gas station while Queso and I stayed on the dinghy next to several very big shrimp boats.
Some of the waterfront architecture was very impressive.
The next day we were off to Barnaget Light, New Jersey which had a tricky entrance with huge breaking waves causing us to follow a local boat through an unmarked portion of the inlet. There were many beach fisherman and this part of the peninsula was sleepy with many businesses closed for the season. At sunrise Jo and I took Queso to land. We all had a nice walk and Queso got to run off leash for the first time in weeks. It was a glorious sight.
Our departure from this anchorage was even dicier on the way out. As we approached the canal, we saw some big waves plus two coast guard boats and one coast guard helicopter. Quickly we all put on our life jackets which are usually only warn at night as we always try to sail in calm/safe conditions. Josephine hooked Queso to her vest with his leash. We then saw a sailboat getting towed into the bay. The Tow USA boat called us over the radio, “No Worries, No Worries. This is Tow Boat USA, what are you intentions?” We replied that we were sailing North and shared our route. The tow boat captain told us the North was safe and gave some route tips. The exit was rough but safe and didn’t last very long.
Doing lots of reading while living on No Worries, I can recommend this one:
Addy keeps us connected by sharing her adventures at the local beach and even some of her assignments like the Engineering one below.
