As we continue to formulate our plans for sailing south, we
have begun to compile a list of places we hope to visit. Our plan is, basically, to leave the
Narragansett and head south/west. While
our route will change as we progress, we have some preliminary ideas:
Late August: move onboard full time in Bristol Harbor,
RI. We will want a few weeks to settle
in and adjust to having Atalanta as our only home and to test out new
equipment. All remaining possessions will be tucked away on the boat or safely in
storage.
September (Mid): head into Long Island Sound and spend time
near New Rochelle visiting family for a week or so.
September (late): leave Long Island Sound entering the East
River. Passing Manhattan’s east side, we
will round the Battery, passing the Statue of Liberty. Once clear of the Verrazano Bridge, we will
sail south to Cape May, NJ. Leaving Cape
May via the canal, we enter Delaware Bay, the C & D Canal, and Chesapeake
Bay.
October: explore the Chesapeake, both on the Annapolis side
and the Delmarva Peninsula. We hope good
winds warm temperatures for this part of the voyage.
October (late): enter the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) at
Hampton Roads, VA. We will spend a
number of days heading south, making time only during the daylight hours until
we reach Morehead City, NC. By leaving the ICW and going into the Atlantic, we
will avoid rounding Cape Hatteras. Once
on the outside, we will sail south to Charleston, SC.
November: is our time
for Charleston. This will provide us with a chance to visit family in Mount
Pleasant. City Marina is a great location for accessing all that is Charleston
so it will be our home for the better part of a month. We do not want to be south of Charleston before
the end of the November since hurricane season continues until November 15th.
We may even find ourselves lingering into the early part of December. Time will tell.
December: will find
us launching off for the blue waters and sunny skies of the Caribbean. Palm
trees and no snow! Our point of departure will most likely be Charleston but
our next destination is undetermined. We want to visit Puerto Rico and a friend
of Richard’s who lives there. Then it’s
on to the BVI’s.
Be sure to comment and suggest places that we should visit
(or that you would like to come to visit us).