Land Ho!

We'll be home (Delaware) this afternoon. Yea! We've missed everyone. We're looking forward to being Land Lubbers for a few weeks.

A new water heater has been ordered. The old one was corroded and leaking from the bottom. That means no hot water on the boat until the new one is installed sometime after we return from Tucson. Until then we'll shower at the marina, do laundry using the marina machines and (most aggravating) do dishes by hand, heating water in the microwave.

Fortunately for the Dock B neighbors, we were able to shower last night at the marina in Cape May.

Good news - Vicki's hair stylist, the wonderful Lorraine, will do Vicki's hair Sunday so that she won't frighten Mom and Dad on the trip to Tucson next week.

The Calendar

We're in Atlantic City NJ - almost to Delaware. Two more cruise days. We'll arrive Saturday afternoon. Just checked the weather and there is a small craft advisory today due to wind (15 knots, gusting to 25), so we'll stay put rather than punish ourselves for the 6 hour trip to Cape May. Tomorrow and Saturday look like fabulous days on the water, so we'll take advantage of them. Unfortunately, this means that Vicki will have to cancel her Saturday haircut and color which she really wanted to get before going to Tucson to see Mom and Dad. We hop on the plane Monday and return Saturday, Oct 11. Then we're in Delaware through at Oct 22. Hoping to get to Annapolis at the end of that week to have Bob Smith beef up our electrical system (more power to the people).


Another DeFever (53 RPH) is cruising with us. Joe Nekolo aboard Sea Pearl dropped anchor next to us at Sandy Hook. We introduced ourselves on the radio and he dinghied over with Salty Dog, his very cute and laid-back puppy. We're buddy boating to Delaware and he's going on to Annapolis for an engagement and then on down to Florida, so we may be able to travel together again. Yesterday we......

.....News flash... Norm just emerged from the engine room saying that he thinks the hot water heater is shot. He heard the bilge pump working this morning and went to investigate a leak in the in the hot water heater. I'm not sure what the implications of this are other than we may be a little ripe when we arrive in Delaware!

Yesterday we strolled the boardwalk of Atlantic City and gave Donald Trump a wee bit of money. Joe cooked us a scrumptious feast of linguini and Long Island Sound clams in red sauce. He'll be here tonight for meatloaf. (Guess you can tell who's more the gourmet.) Today we're going to Harrah's to try to cover the maintenance expenses of this trip or at least the cost of a new water heater.

Hi Ya, Kids, Hi Ya, Hi Ya...We're back...........

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor hail.......prevented us from enjoying our forced (ho-hum) stayover in the Big Apple. We took in a couple of broadway shows, we ate, we shopped, we relaxed. Wow, what a great vacation from retirement. The weather broke today and we cruised a short distance to Sandy Hook, NJ for refueling. Atlantic Highlands Municipal Marina, here, is known for their great fuel prices on the East Coast; so, we filled her up. We had not taken on fuel since Southwest Harbor in Maine on July 5 and our tanks were down about half.

We are currently anchored inside the municipal breakwater here in Sandy Hook. Soon after our arrival, another 49ft DeFever Pilot House arrive and anchored not too far away. Joe and Salty Dawg (a cute poodle) dinghyed over and we chatted a bit. We will try to "buddy boat" tomorrow to Atlantic City--a 12-hour run from here.

All is well!!