May 6 & 7, 2019 Making a Run “On the Outside” along the Jersey Shore; Cape May to Atlantic City/ Atlantic City to Sandy Hook

Right from the get-go, we found ourselves climbing up the big swells and sliding down the back-sides. At the same time, two foot chop from the NE smacked us steadily on our starboard beam… causing our trawler to roll from side to side. It wasn’t long before a queasy feeling began to grow in me. While I was below getting some ginger snaps and candied ginger to settle my stomach, I made a half-hearted attempt to straighten out the rearranged furniture. That trip below clinched it. Without a horizon to focus on, I lost my equilibrium and continued to fade away. The ginger remedy was too little, too late. I was down for the count. Luckily, Wally didn’t succumb to the unpleasant sensation of seasickness and remained steady at the helm for six hours… while I sat slumped on the settee. The next day’s travel was to be nearly twice the distance (96 miles) and twice the time on task (12 hours). I was determined to beat the nasty, unsettled feeling of the day before. As soon as I arose at 5 am, I took a motion sickness relief tablet. Wally and I both had a bowl of hot cereal and prepared a care package of apples, tangerines, pb&j roll-ups, ginger snaps, candied ginger, hot coffee and bottled water to get us through the long day up in the pilot house. We pulled anchor at 5:30 and joined a number of off-shore fishing boats and pleasure craft about our size getting a head start on the day. The swells were still at it, but the chop was swinging around to the S, smacking us on the stern. Wally complained of feeling chilled and headed below for a comforter. Without the horizon to focus on, he must have lost his equilibrium like I had the day before. By 9 am he was tucked away on the pilot house settee, looking mighty green. I offered him the motion sickness tablet cure, but he opted for the ginger-fix instead. Several hours past and he showed little signs of improving. By early afternoon, Wally was ready to try the motion sickness relief meds; I gave him two tablets… the “treatment of symptoms” dosage directed on the package. Back under the comforter he went. Thank heavens I had regained my sea legs in time for this voyage, because by this time I had been at the helm for nine hours. As we prepared to make the turn into the Sandy Hook anchorage later that afternoon, Wally seemed somewhat recovered and took over the steering. The meds had worked… and just in time. We were both treated to a spectacular sight. A pair of whales, yes whales, came out of the water, breaching just off our bow. It was truly a moment for the memory book and a first for us… what a treat! When we departed Cape May two days before, Blue Haven was still in her slip. By the time we were turning into the Atlantic City anchorage, she was pulling in behind us. Allen and Lila said they left their slip about an hour after we did. Their trawler’s extra 1 mph speed allowed them to catch up to us in 6 hrs. On Day 2, we rounded the point to see Blue Haven sitting calmly on anchor. Allen and Lila had passed us at mid-day, still going about 1 mph faster than we could go. Again they made up their one hour later departure time in 6 hours. That’s life. It was sure nice to have new friends waving as we dropped our anchor beside them.