Leaving Maryland for New Jersey

We loved our stay in the Sassafrass River. We were accompanied by two other sailboats, one of which had a giant German Shepard aboard. While we were eating dinner, a Coast Guard work boat pulled in and anchored about 100 yards from us. Unusual, but they obviously had a task to perform in the area. Little did we know, as we pulled out of the river on Monday morning, that wasn't the last we'd see of the Coast Guard! We got a nice 1-1/2 knot boost from the currents of the tide in the Chesapeake Bay and C&D Canal. The cruise down the Delaware Bay - which can be quite choppy and rough - proved otherwise. Everything was working in our favor.....until....a bright orange Coast Guard patrol boat (like the one in the picture) passed us and then immediately changed course coming toward uswith blue lights flashing. Now, being stopped by the Coast Guard is not like being stopped by the police. It doesn't necessarily mean you've done something wrong or that you look suspicious. Most of the time they just want to check things out and be sure that you are in compliance with safety regulations (fire extinguishers, flares, throw rings, etc.), aren't aboard a stolen yacht or aren't hiding illegals. I felt confident that we didn't fall into any of those categories, particularly the latter two. But nonetheless, it was a hassle. The dogs went ballistic as the patrol boat drove right up beside us and offloaded 3 big "Coasties". John turned the helm over to me (and the dogs) and dealt with the business at hand. First thing they asked, "How many people are aboard and do you have any weapons?" Everything went smoothly until he asked for documentation that we owned the boat. Well, we do and we don't. This being an untitled show boat, we did not have the papers they were requesting and it sent them into a tizzy. It took a long phone call to their boss to settle it all, and 45 minutes later we were on our way. Arrived at the marina in Cape May and gave the boat a well-deserved bath! Had a delicious pork chop dinner and tuned into the news about (Hurricane)Earl.

We've dodged a lot of tropical storms/hurricanes in our fall boating excursions over the years, but this one is sounding a little more ominous. We are keeping our ear/eye to our weather sources and making some plans.

We left Cape May at 6:30 am (sunrise photo) and headed out to the Atlantic for our 115 mile trip up the New Jersey coast to our destination, Atlantic Highlands, NJ. This is the longest leg of the trip and we're always glad when it's over. At least this year the seas were smooth, only 1-2 footers, compared with last fall when we were driving through steep, breaking, 10 footers (a day I just as soon forget). For sure, the Krogen Express can take it, but not so much for the two and four legged passengers! In some places, we were only a 1/4 mile offshore, so we could see the lovely homes and beaches as we went. At the end of the day, we pulled into Atlantic Highlands, NJ off New York Harbor, dropped the anchor and walked the dogs, happy to be there.

Let the Anchoring Begin!

Saturday morning the winds and seas had settled down, and we proceeded out on to the (Chesapeake) Bay. This body of water can be very rough. But it can also be quite still. We have experienced both. This was a lovely summer day with a light breeze and perfect water. We even got a tidal boost that saved us 45 minutes! We pulled into the mouth of the Patuxent River on the western shore of Maryland around 4, and by 5 were anchored in a lovely cove just off the town of Solomons. We love to anchor when we can, and the Krogen Express is perfectly suited for it. Lowering the anchor is a simple process, and even on a hot night, the numerous portholes and hatches allow for great ventilation. Because we have dogs who must go ashore, we make good use out of the dinghy, and a fully hydraulic davit makes launching it also a simple process.

I was reminded while assisting with the anchoring/dinghy launching how important teamwork is between the captain and first mate. Our friends, Cathie and Pete Trogdon, who just completed a 7 week cruise in Alaska aboard their 36' Zimmerman are giving a talk at the upcoming Annapolis Boat Show on "Couples Cruising". Without looking at the syllabus, I can guarantee they are going to include the importance of teamwork. There can be times when things get a little stressful, but in the end, working together to accomplish a particular task is rewarding and gratifying (if not relationship strengthening!).

Sunday morning, we decided to relax a little and didn't pull up the anchor until 10. It was nice to just hangout (too bad I didn't have the Sunday paper), plus it gave the girls and me a chance to take a long walk. Dinghy stored and anchor up, we were off to continue our trek north on the Bay. It was another lovely, smooth day; but as we neared the more populous part of the Bay we encountered more boat traffic. It's nice to see other boats, for sure; but some, like noisy cigarette boats, we just as soon stayed off the water. As the day wore on, it got hotter and hotter. I went below to check my emails and saw that the air temperature was 88! It was actually cooler at home in Hilton Head, 700 miles south of here. (Frankly, I'm ready for fall!) At 5:00 we arrived at our next anchorage spot, the Sassafrass River, on the eastern shore of Maryland in Georgetown. After we took the dogs for a walk on the sandy shoreline, we went for a swim off the swim-platform in the brackish water (half salt/half fresh). It was delightfully refreshing!

Chesapeake Bay Here We Come....Eventually!

Wednesday morning was lovely. We poked along the Waterway at 9-1/2 knots. The air was the coolest we'd felt all summer, winds were light, and the sun was shining. In fact, I even put on a long-sleeved shirt! A nice change from the previous day, AND the previous year when – along this same route – it was so hot we were putting ice down our backs! We knew we'd be passing Atlantic Yacht Basin in Chesapeake, Virginia by mid-afternoon, so we decided we would stay the night there and have a few things done on the boat the next day. AYB is a reputable boat yard in a very convenient location with the ability to handle most any challenge that might come a boater's way. Over the years, they have taken good care of many of our Krogen Express owners, and this was no exception. (Many thanks to James Taylor, the service manager.) Within walking distance of the yard are several restaurants, Rite-Aid and a nice grocery store, and a Dairy Queen! (Also, across the way is a free dock where anyone can tie up for 24 hours, first come/first served.)

Another lovely day awaited us on Friday. Trouble is, we really didn't know where to head! With always a plan in mind, this is a first for us! But our marine forecast sources (Wunderground.com, Passageweather.com, and the NOAA weather site) were telling us different things, and we had several legs of the trip to consider. First was the Chesapeake Bay, next was the trek up the New Jersey coast (not one of my personal favorites!). We also studied our principle online guide source (Activecaptain.com) to seek out suitable anchorages/marinas. There was a small craft warning for the Bay, and the particular body of water we were approaching (where the Atlantic meets the Bay) could prove to be quite dicey. We decided we'd just carry on and see how things developed. Norfolk is always an interesting place to cruise through. (Altho it's not as exciting as cruising down the East River of Manhattan at night. But that's another story for another time!) There is a lot of activity (ferries, police, Coast Guard, and pilot boats buzzing around), a myriad of noises (horns, beeps, machinery, and sirens from the industry on land), and excellent scenery (naval ships abound). With Norfolk practically behind us and the Bay fast approaching, we then had some decisions to make. The wind was kicking up, as were the waves. John said "well, what do you think? Should we go for it?" Knowing from experience what was ahead, I didn't hesitate, "No thanks." We headed up Hampton River, a spot we'd stayed many times before. This time we stayed at the Hampton Public (but not free) Pier, our first visit. Had a pleasant walk around town, and then dinner.

Fall boat show season kicks off aboard "Joy"

John and Bob's 35 hour trip from Ft. Pierce to Morehead City was uneventful. (But who would know!) My assignment was to drive from our home in Hilton Head and meet them on Sunday evening “somewhere near Wilmington, North Carolina” (depending on how their trip went). Of course there had been no communication with them since they left Ft. Pierce early Saturday morning. John was to call me when they neared their destination. I expected to hear from him around 2 pm. I had our two dogs – M.E. and Macey – with me in the car, and it was about 85 degrees outside. As we approached the Wilmington area around 2:30 pm. I still hadn't heard from John. I pondered what to do, particularly in light of the fact that I had these two panting dogs to consider. I couldn't just sit in the car with the engine/a.c. running indefinitely! We walked around a tree-full park and continued to wait for the phone to ring. Around 4:00 I started to go into panic mode (unusual for me, not generally being a worrier). Do I call the Coast Guard? Who could I call that would appreciate my situation and be able to not only console me, but offer me practical advice. Nobody really. I continued to just sit and wait....engine running. FINALLY, at 4:15 the call came. It was the most welcomed call I've ever received! They were headed to Morehead City. I was delighted to put the car in “D” and drive the additional 2 hours north. I was never so happy to see two people – and a beautiful Krogen Express at the dock – in my life! Even though they were unshaven and rather unkempt, there were big hugs all around! The boat was a mess. While the guys washed the outside, I tackled the inside, and was I ever happy to do it!

We all had a sound sleep that night, particularly the guys; and Bob left in the car early Monday morning to head home and back to the office. John and I and “the girls” (our affectionate name for our dogs) set out for an easy, short ride to a spot near Oriental, NC, River Dunes. This is a fairly new waterfront development of coastal/southern-style homes with a man-made, very protected harbour/marina. http://www.riverdunes.com/index.php?flag=marinagallery It has a pool, workout room, and a gorgeous clubhouse/restaurant (open only on weekends). J.C., the dockmaster, and his assistant Reggie, greeted us “with open arms”. We had a long walk around the neighborhood and then a dip in the pool, followed by a meatloaf dinner on the aft deck of “Joy”.

Tuesday morning was very rainy and windy. We head for Manteo (pronounced Manny-o). This town is off the ICW, but it's one we've visited before and really enjoyed. Within a 2 minute walk of the town dock are shops and good restaurants. The dockmaster, Carl, has been there forever. The docks are fixed, wooden, the only downside. Our boat is such a snap to get on/off with floating docks, and while fixed is do-able, it's certainly not preferable. Anyway, the forecast called for a NE wind of 5-10 with 1 foot seas. Turns out it was more like 20 knot winds with 2 foot seas, and numerous rainstorms which made the seas kick up even more. Saw lots of shrimpers along the way (see photo). Once (very) happily tied up at the dock, we hosed the boat down, and took a short walk with the girls. M.E. made a new friend who was aboard a Nordic Tug and they had a blast running around the park area at the marina. John and I got cleaned up and met our friends, Joe and Laura, who drove us to their Italian restaurant in Nags Head for a fabulous feast. Filled up with pizza, hot wings, eggplant parmesan, lasagna, salad, and bread, they then insisted on ordering us dessert. (No refusals, here!) Mousse cake, tiramasu and cheesecake topped off the meal, and they even sent us home with a couple cartons of (big surprise!) left-overs. Needless to say, "sweet dreams" followed.

Fort Pierce to Morehead City in Under 35 Hours!

What a great trip - ideally suited for a Krogen Express 52'! Yesterday morning we were berthed in our home port in Fort Pierce, Florida. Tonight we're enjoying a comfortable slip in Morehead City, North Carolina.

On Saturday, just before 7:15 a.m., we cast the lines off of Joy, our Flag Blue KE52' show boat, in Fort Pierce, and cleared the inlet about 45 minutes later. Just past the first sea buoy, we made a hard turn to port, set our Raymarine SmartPilot to 23 degrees and ran the rhumb line all the way to the Beaufort Inlet. We found ourselves in the channel a little before 5 o'clock this evening and were securely tied up at Morehead City Yacht Basin by 5:30. From slip to slip we covered just under 500 nautical miles.

Our ultimate destination is Rhode Island's Narraganset Bay for the 40th Annual Newport Boat Show in mid-September. As has been their tradition, John and Betsie Tegtmeyer, owners of Krogen Express Yachts, plan to enjoy a somewhat leisurely trip north. Not only does this provide the obvious enjoyment we boaters treasure, it also gives them valuable perspective as they continue to improve the brand.

Schedules being what they are, and wanting to be in NYC for Labor Day, John decided that they needed to shave several days off the total trip. Thus the plan was hatched to make the subject voyage.

Having logged nearly 30,000 miles at the helm of the KE52', John has a keen sense of her capabilities and vast experience for estimating travel times. Betsie would be driving up from Florida to meet us at the marina and John suggested she arrive in Morehead around 6:00 or so. Clearly, that worked out well.

Because our itinerary necessitated round the clock operation, John and I decided on 3 hours shifts. Both of us caught a little rest during our off hours on Saturday so we'd be better rested for the night portion. I think this arrangement worked out well as, at least for one night, this proved reasonably comfortable.

We weren't sure how long we'd have cell coverage, but we lost contact before 10 o'clock on Saturday morning. Our route took us about 150 miles offshore so we were out of touch until just before our arrival in Beaufort. John's T-Mobile phone kicked in about 10 miles out but I couldn't call home on my Sprint phone for another mile or two.

During the day we ran our 480 Yanmars at 2550 rpms, which is usually good for 14.5 knots or so. Given the northerly flow of the Gulf Stream, however, we enjoyed a 2 to 3 knot boost for about one half of the journey, even seeing occasional bursts to 18 knots. For those unfamiliar with these diesels, 80% of rated rpm is 2700, so this is a leisurely speed for them.

Overnight, we throttled back to around 1600, which normally yields just below hull speed at 9.5 knots or so. The additional encouragement from the Stream allowed us to average closer to 12 knots and we sometimes saw better than 13. Given that we're only burning about 6 to 7 gallons of diesel an hour at these engine speeds, I'd say we were seeing some rather exceptional efficiency.

As good radio stations are a little hard to reach this far offshore, we relied on our MP3 players to keep us entertained through the night. I can't speak for John's tastes, but mine's pretty "eclectic." I enjoyed the opportunity to get reacquainted with everything from Country (Toby, Taylor, Carrie, Sugarland) to Oldies (Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Styx, Supertramp, Eagles, and more) to some current faves like Cold Play, Daughtry, and fittingly, local Carolina boy Dave Matthews. I even dialed up a little Jazz and some Opera. Sorry, no rap and definitely no disco, though! I had to draw the line somewhere.

For me, aside from comfortably and uneventfully (which is always the idea when boating) accomplishing our objective, the highlight was being buzzed by a Navy fighter plane somewhere off the north Florida coast. We assume he was flying out of the naval air station in Jacksonville (NAS-Jax). John and I differ as to his intentions, however. You make the call on this. As our route was a little bit unusual for a pleasure vessel and given a previous close encounter with a nuclear submarine in the area (we were hailed and told to alter our course, thank you), I'm thinking he was dispatched specifically to check us out. John's view is that he didn't have anything better to do than to scare the bej... (heck) out of us. At any rate, he made three close passes, each time at low altitude and with his canopy tilted toward us for maximum visibility. I'm sure he could easily make out the whites of our eyes and gaping jaws as he coasted by. An awesome experience, for sure!

For the most part, the weather was excellent. Despite mid-90 temperatures, the ocean breezes and the shade of the big bimini top made flybridge cruising downright comfortable. We did get hit with some rain, but never enough to chase us into the pilot house. At one point today, the benefit of the precipitation was a very complete, end-to-end rainbow of the kind you'll only see at sea. Fascinating, but, alas, no pot of gold to be found.

As to wild life, we did see some flying fish along the way. Amazing to see how they glide forever just inches about the wave tops, only to crash back in the water with Kamikaze-like abandon. I wish we'd seen more. A small gathering of sea gulls caught our attention at one point. Turns out they were escorting a pod of a half dozen gargantuan dolphins. We were going too fast for them to catch our wave, but they did simultaneously breach the water in formation to check us out. Later this afternoon we saw some ominous looking fins breaking the surface. Were they sharks or just more dolphins? Can't say for sure.

All in all, while I can't say that I'd choose this type of cruising on a regular basis, I'm grateful for the speed and range capabilities of the Krogen Express which frankly made this particular adventure realistic for a two person team. A typical full-displacement trawler could easily cover the distance but would require at least one additional overnight. For most, this would require a third crew member to share the helm. And faster boats tend to lack the range and often the seakeeping capabilities as well.

To learn more about the KE52', visit us at www.krogenexpress.com or call 1-866-4KROGEN. Krogen Express - Cruising Without Compromise.