This year we decided to move Andante south to North Carolina for winter storage. Despite the distance from home, the warmer climate and DIY boatyard offers more opportunity to get off-season jobs done ourselves. In addition, the trip south gives us one last chance for adventure this season, with memories that can hold us until we return to the water next spring. While Dave has logged thousands of miles aboard Andante, this would be my first extended trip with overnight watches and more solo responsibility while underway – exciting and scary! We spent our final night before departure aboard the boat dockside, eating take-out from our local Chinese restaurant. The message in my fortune cookie seemed particularly fitting – “Take the chance while you still have the choice.”
We departed Red Brook Harbor under very cold and cloudy skies, riding a north wind southwest through Buzzards Bay. The forecast predicted that the winds would steadily drop to almost nothing by mid-day, shifting to the northeast and building some overnight. Based on this our plan was to follow the coast along the seaward side of Long Island, heading offshore to cut the corner and dodge traffic inbound to New York Harbor, ultimately arriving in Cape May, New Jersey. But forecasts are not always accurate, and plans must then change!
The day started smoothly, with a gorgeous sail out of Buzzards Bay and views of the new windfarm being constructed offshore of Martha’s Vineyard. The night to follow was very different than expected, with winds shifting southeast and building continuously throughout the night. A large quartering sea made it very difficult to keep the sails full and happy and hence Andante happily rolled from rail to rail. The sole log entry made by Dave between 0130 and 0930 simply says “stuff happened” — it was a bit too rough to write. In the early hours before dawn we made the decision to change our plans and head toward shore. After another full day of slogging through confused seas and heavy winds, we anchored exhausted in Atlantic Highlands, NJ with winds gusting to 40 kts after 33 hours underway. Before heading to bed, I opened the last fortune cookie left from our dinner the night before. The message said “The first attempt is the most difficult.”
Sail Andante 