On Thursday, May 7, I had driven down to Bay Bridge Marina to ready the boat as best I could for the trip home to NY. I checked the oil, antifreeze, generator, etc and put some provisions on board. I also brought along some bedding for Mike and myself. After spending the day going over the systems and starting and running the engines and generator, I left for the long ride home to NY, to return to Heart‘s Desire on Saturday.

We’re here at Woodmere Bay Yacht Club in East Rockaway, NY!! The trip was fantastic. My crewmate, Mike was providing payback for my help transporting his sail boat to and from the north shore of Long Island twice last year(one 16 hr. and one 12 hr. day). We left New York Saturday morning in torrential downpours. However, luck was with us as on arriving at Bay Bridge Marina in Stevensville, MD., the rain essentially came to an end.

We returned our rental car to Annapolis, got a lift back to the marina and made ready to cast off about noon. As the final lines were removed, I put the starboard clutch into gear and began to move out of the slip. I then engaged the port clutch only to have nothing happen! Oh Joy!!! Back into the slip on one engine, shut down and jump into the engine room to find the morse cable had jumped out of the retaining clip. Easy fix!! On our way again for a great ride to Chesapeake City. Arrived about 6 pm, and relaxed at the Chesapeake Inn and Marina. After dinner we walked into town, which has many quaint 19th century homes that have been renovated.

Sunday morning dawned bright and clear but windy. We left at 6 am and headed for Atlantic City. This would be the longest leg of the trip, lasting 12 hours. We were averaging between 9.2 and 9.5 knots over ground based on the GPS, with seas of 2-3 feet on the starboard aft quarter all the way down Delaware Bay. This boat has a very comfortable motion on all the points of travel we were on.

One of the members of the TWL had recommended Kammerman’s Marina in Atlantic City, which is on the opposite side of the harbor from Trump Marina(which charges $4/foot). While the slip fee was only $2/foot, the marina is very much on the wrong side of the tracks, if you get my drift!! It was so far off the beaten path that the cabby we hired to get us back from dinner at Trump Castle had no idea of where it was. I was glad to have noticed several street names when we left and was able to guide the driver back to the marina! By the way, I won big at the slots, $3.25!!!

We awoke after a great nights rest and left by 5:30 am for our destination about 90 miles away. We had the best day yet, with a following sea of 1-2 foot rollers and a cool NW wind at about 10 knots. We sat back and enjoyed the ride and were tied to our dock at the club by 3:30 that afternoon. Not bad!!

The boat performed flawlessly the entire trip and truly gave us a feeling of confidence in the way she rode and handled.

Now the cleanup begins so we can prepare for our “Heart’s Desire” of untying the dock lines in 2005 and really going cruising.