Delaware Bay, Crossing Our Wake and Back Home to Mystic

Delaware Bay is also huge

Since there aren't any places a boat that draws 4 1/2 feet can easily get off Delaware Bay, we cruised the entire length of the bay from Delaware City to Cape May, in one day.

Docktails in Cape May

While in Cape May, we took yet another, Trolley Tour, this time with Hiromi and Mike from "Off Leash."

On Cape May Tour

After Cape May, we went "outside" (the ICW) and up the Atlantic Ocean, past Wildwood with it's amusement park waterfront, to our next port of call, Atlantic City. There we docked next to Loretta and Bob on "Carol Anne" and directly in front of The Golden Nugget Casino.

 Wildwood, NJ's waterfront amusement park

Not to let a good spa go to waste, Loretta and I checked into the Golden  Nugget's newly renovated spa. They were having a June special - a one-hour massage for $99.00. How nice!

Docked in  front of The Golden  Nugget 

The next day was a REALLY long one - all the way from Atlantic City to New York Harbor - 85 miles "outside."

Approaching New York

We left Atlantic City at 6:05 am and arrived at The Statue of Liberty, where we crossed our wake (finished the Great Loop), at 5:00 pm.

New World Trade Center

CROSSING OUR WAKE!

"Off Leash," "Carol Anne" and "Humbug" all crossed their wakes at the Statue that afternoon. It was the first time 3 Looper boats have crossed their wakes at the same place on the same day, making us minor celebrities at AGLCA  (America's Great Loop Cruisers Association) headquarters.

We were met at Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City, by Larry and Lenore from Champ III. They are gold, and soon to be Platinum, Loopers (they're half way through their 2nd loop). As soon as we'd tied up, we took down our old, ratty, "in progress," white burgees and put up our new gold ones that signify we have completed the loop.

Out with the old, in with the new

Selfie of Gold Loopers congratulating ourselves

Of course, we had to congratulate ourselves that night by consuming a bit of champagne.

 Crossing our wakes called for Champagne  

The next day, Pete and I took the ferry over to Manhattan for provisions at a Whole Foods market and that evening, our group had a celebration/farewell dinner at Liberty House Restaurant which is right at the marina and has a fabulous view of Manhattan.

Liberty House congrats/farewell dinner

Reluctant to say goodnight to our friends from whom we would part the next day, we went outside to sit by the restaurant's warm fire pit.

Smooching by the fire pit

There, with the Manhattan skyline just across the Hudson, we toasted marshmallows and reminisced about the things we'd seen and done together over the past, amazing year.

Reminiscing by the fire pit

The next morning, Loretta and Bob and we, headed up the East River, they for New Rochelle where they used to keep their boat, and we, for Norwalk.

Chrysler Building

As we headed north, we passed the Manhattan skyline.

UN Building

We stayed in Norwalk one night and had breakfast the next morning with our good friends, Rick and Pam.  Then we headed up Long Island Sound toward Essex, CT.

Approaching Norwalk Harbor

We stopped in Essex to see the folks at Wilde Yachts from whom we had ordered the boat and with whom, we will list it soon. We'll be going back to a smaller, faster boat - the type we've always had before.

Saybrook Pt Light at the mouth of the CT River

Wilde provided us with a free slip, so we hung around Essex, delaying going home, for a couple of days.

Griswold Inn, Essex

Finally, on June 9, 2014, we headed for home.

Noank at the mouth of the Mystic River

We arrived at our dock in downtown Mystic 1 year and
12 days, 7,035  statute miles, 2,428 gallons of diesel and 833.5 engine hours after we'd left.


As we came up the river, we said hello to familiar sites like Abbots Lobster In The Rough restaurant and the Mystic railroad swing bridge.

Abbot's

 Mystic railroad swing bridge opening for us

Our neighbors were their to catch our lines and welcome us home.

Neighbors waiting to catch our lines

It was truly, a once-in-a lifetime trip and an incredible adventure. We saw a large part of this country and Canada from a unique perspective few people will ever see. We tested our navigational skills and our marriage and both, happily, turned out to be strong. We made some very dear new friends who we plan to keep in touch with forever. We also met many, many other folks we hope to see again. We'll miss the immediate circle of friends we had wherever we found other Loopers, and the astounding generosity of complete strangers. We're grateful for the opportunity to have taken such a trip and for the good health we experienced during it.  And, of course, we are most thankful that we and our beautiful boat made it home safely.

It's estimated that 25,000 people climb Mt. Kilimanjaro each year, but only about 125 -150 boats do the loop each year. And WE did it!
                                         UNBELIEVABLE!

HUMBUG in our slip - taken from our deck