Saco, Maine to Norfolk, VA - our beginning!

Saco, Maine to Norfolk, VA

Arriving at Portland Maine, we met with the seller of our boat for a quick visit and orientation of the boat, complete with a short shopping trip to the local marina for the many boating necessities as well as a few"luxuries" we feel warranted. Since the boat was purchased without any household goods (pots, pans, dishware etc.) nor safety items (life jackets,etc.) shopping was our first order of business. Supplying a boat is much like setting up a condo or apartment the first time. NOTHING exists! SO off to Target, Wal-Mart, Sears and the like we went in our rented car. Since we only had two days before the hired delivery captain and his wife were to arrive to begin our orientation trip south, we had to move fast! Suz learned how to "boy shop", as she came to call it. That is, you go into a store, see what you like, buy it and move on. No time to go from store to store comparing prices, features and such, you just needed to supply the boat with the stuff you need. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING was purchased in less than two days, including outfitting the galley (kitchen), the heads (bathrooms), staterooms (bedrooms), salon (living room), and cockpit (think: covered back porch where you sit to drive). Plus, we had to buy provisions (groceries and supplies), and boating stuff like life jackets and incidental stuff. We were busy beavers, but got everything we needed in time to meet our delivery captain, Jim VanderSchaaf and his wife Anna late afternoon prior to our scheduled departure date of September 28, 2007.

After ferrying them to our moored boat in the Saco River Marina area, we all got acquainted and they stowed their stuff in the guest cabin for the two week trip. Dinner that night was our treat at a nice Italian Restaurant in Saco and a "get-to-know-each-other" evening. Early to bed and early to rise was in order and we hit the beds ready to take off at first light on Friday morning. Unfortunately, the weather turned very foggy that morning and we couldn't see beyond the bow of the boat so a later morning departure was under taken instead of an early one. Out the Saco River and into the Atlantic, down the coast to Newburyport, MA to rendezvous with brother and sister-in-law Andy and Rebecca Lobb was our destination. Arrival into Newbury port was exciting as the entrance is very tough and the jetties come way out into the Atlantic to allow boats safe entrance through a rather rolling sea. Meeting them for dinner and drinks at a local restaurant then saying goodnight for them to return in the morning for early morning boarding and departure toward Newport, RI where they would return to their home in MA. We traveled down the coast to the Cape Cod Canal which cuts across the "arm" of the Cape, allowing us to avoid the longer distance around the cape's tip and affords a much smoother passage south. This is very pleasant passage and provided ample time to chat and laugh with all aboard as we enjoyed everyone's company. Two great days aboard with them went too fast and we were sad to say goodbye as they left for the bus station to return home.

The next day we had an appointment which allowed us to have a couple of technicians aboard to address some technical issues we needed looked at. Then next day it was down the coast toward NYC. Cruising down the coastline afforded us a very personal view of the stately homes of the east coasters. Extreme natural beauty along the coast, coupled with gorgeous coastal estates were plentiful and we were allowed to look "right into their living rooms" from our vantage point on the water. The estate grounds were immaculately maintained as the gardens and lawns were in the finest of condition. We could only imagine each home as the summer place for the Vanderbilts, Morgan's, and Rockefellers. Some probably were! Down across the coastline of Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York toward NYC was a delight and each night Capt. Jim helped us find just the right anchorage, each one seemed prettier than the last. We especially enjoyed Potter's Cove and the Thimbles in Connecticut. GORGEOUS!

After entering the Long Island Sound from the north, we headed south toward the city anticipating a unique and beautiful view of New York City, and we were certainly not to be disappointed. Suz drove the boat right through a rather notoriously difficult section of the East River called Hells Gate without a problem and we entered the city right through downtown Manhattan, looking up at the skyscrapers towering above our heads. Down past the UN building and around the end of the island where the Staten Island Ferry docks, around Ellis Island, and under the Statue of Liberty provided aspectacular up-close view. Then over to the New Jersey side for fuel andwater we went. Heavy boat traffic caused us to really stay alert, yet we felt quite comfortable with our job at getting through it all. Unfortunately, daughter Nancy, who lives in the city was unable to get free of her busy scheduled meetings to meet us, but we felt close to her none-the-less. That night we anchored in Liberty Park (at no charge,thank you!) directly behind lady liberty for a surreal evening BBQ on theboat. It seemed that if the wind blew just right, we could have looked right up Lady Liberty's dress!

Next morning, we were up and at 'em, moving down the coast toward New Jersey and beyond. Over the next two days, we traveled the entire length of NewJersey in the Atlantic roughly 3 miles off shore, yet due to fog, we rarely got a view of land. Glad we had RADAR so other vessels were easy to pick out before danger would be the order of the day. No problem rounding the tip at Cape May to begin the third day out of NYC, then up the Delaware Bay in a Northwesterly direction to connect with the C&D canal which connects the Delaware and Chesapeake bays. That night we anchored in the canal and helped ourselves to an early bedtime as it had been a long couple of days. Early the next day we continued through the canal into the Chesapeake and came down the bay into a terrific little seaport town of St. Michaels, MD. Picturesque and friendly, we vowed to return someday as it was a very lovely spot to visit.

Next day we were off again to down the western coast of the bay to the Rappahannock River and the neat town of Salomon's Island. Seemingly one pretty fishing village after another, we really enjoyed the Chesapeake area! The last leg took us into Norfolk, VA where we would leave the boat while were turned to Colorado to complete our packing, stacking, and arrangements for our winter away. Entering Norfolk, was exciting as it is a huge Naval area, complete with Battleships, Aircraft Carriers and other enormous container ships and the like. We felt like a little fly on the ocean trying to dodge our way through the traffic into the marina we scheduled for our dockage. We made it safely and had one final night out with Anna and Jim before thanking them for their expert training and sending them home while we prepared the boat for our away time.Quite a two week trip, to say the least, but with the helpful guidance of our hired skipper, coupled with our eagerness to learn, we felt ready to take over as captains on our own, once we returned from our Colorado respite, in November.