Fall approaching, thoughts turn south

By Sailor Keddy -
Like all good things, summer in Newport is coming to a close. We said goodbye to a fellow crew member bound for law school a few nights ago, and another is leaving to finish college in two days. There is a definite nip in the air, especially at night. Fall is approaching, there is no mistake about it. I plan to leave sometime during the second week of October. The tourism will significantly slow down by then, hurricane season will be nearly over, and the cold fronts will (hopefully) will not have moved in yet, bringing fierce winds with them.

My general plan is to head out of Narragansett Bay, hook a right and go west into Long Island Sound. Then its down through Hell Gate, the East River and out into the Atlantic. I'll probably stay outside of the ICW as I pass by New Jersey, duck in around Cape May, and sail up Delaware Bay and then down the Chesapeake. From there, I'll stay inside around Cape Hatteras (I'm bold, but not that bold) and stay mostly outside with a planned stop in Charleston. From there, I'll make a b-line for Jacksonville. I'll probably stay there for a few days, and if the timing is right, catch the Florida vs. Georgia football game. I'll then make my leisurely way down the coast of Florida, around the Keys and up to Sarasota, Winchelsea's home port that she's never seen before. I plan to stay within 25 miles of shore the entire time, which is the limit of my Tow Boat US membership. I'm also well insured, for liability and loss of the boat, so I really have nothing to lose. When its all said and done, I estimate it will take three to four weeks. I've been saving money for the trip, but it shouldn't cost a whole lot actually.

More updates soon, as I make some final preparations for the boat and firm up the route by talking with people and reading the plethora of information out there about sailing down the east coast. Stay tuned...

Comments

Ginger McManahanasulivan said…
sir! will you be stopping by west palm beach for a few days to visit your favorite crew member of the m/y chorizo?
August 24, 2010 at 10:20 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Great strength of feets: removing the old diesel

By Sailor Keddy -
Image
After a blissful Christmas at brother's house with his family in Stuart, and my new little nephew, I drove back to Sarasota to start working on getting the engine out from under the cockpit. I got to my sweet Soveraine on Sunday morning and, after getting the lock open, couldn't slide the companionway hatch forward. This had never happened before. No amount of pushing could get it over the drop slides, it was as if they had swelled for some reason. I took out my sawzall and cut a tiny bit away from the top drop slide and it slid open. I was dumbfounded. The entire cabin was submerged in four inches of standing water. Nearest I can tell, during the fall the oak tree, that the jackass trailer park owner let the jackass of a hauler park my boat under, had shed all its tiny goddamn leaves which clogged my cockpit drains causing water to spill into the cabin. Luckily my dad was there to keep my spirits high and attitude in check, because I was in a throw in the towel, no good, d...
Read more

The voyage that changed it all, Part III

By Sailor Keddy -
Since this will be the third and final part of this series, and although I could go on for just about ever about this trip, I should mention why this is "the voyage that changed it all." Before I got that fateful Facebook message, I was struggling hard with the job I have, my passion for sailing and all that is associated with the Ocean, and trying to connect it all together in a way I could put food in my mouth. The people I met opened my eyes to a field of work that was exactly was I was looking for. I had to leave the When and If  abruptly due to her being stuck in Charleston for what looked to be over 10 days. The weather around Cape Hatteras was less than favorable. I flew back to Boston, with a weepy eye and thoughts in my head that I would not return to her, and the wonderful people I had met, ever again. A week past, and during this time I applied to nearly half a dozen jobs within the realm of getting me on a boat. From the lowliest bilge rat position on a moto...
Read more

Goodbye Boston: A Sailor's Proclamation

By Sailor Keddy -
"The decision to flee came suddenly. Or maybe not. Maybe I'd planned it all along -- subconsciously waiting for the right moment." Hunter S. Thompson I am leaving Boston. There is a laundry list of reasons why, but it boils down to an essential few. This is my third winter up here, and to be honest I've had about enough. The cold is oppressive; it latches onto your soul, sucks your vital will to live and leaves you breathless and desperate. It inhibits activity on both a mental and physical level. I've tried to get used to it, but the thoughts of what I could be doing if it were 30 degrees warmer have overcome me. My career, more than likely, will be put on hold. Had I known that I would be spending 8 plus hours per day staring at a computer monitor in the middle of a cube farm, while the world, my youth and my life pass me by, I would never have signed up in the first place. I have been with the same company for three years, since I graduated college, and I hav...
Read more