You’d think by now

Working down the river, I figured that maybe the best thing to do the first night would be spend the night at Ram Island. The breeze was light and out of the Southwest as it was to be the next day also. To have a comfortable nights sleep out of the swell(there’s always swell)I came in close to the beach and near the dock that’s there. After all it’s going to stay southwest, a great way to start the trip.
What I neglected to do was read the little red blurb titled Hazardous Weather Alert on the report which was clearly for someone else far away. I ate a simple dinner and nodded off at around 7:00, only to be woken by the boat slamming into waves and pointing in the exact wrong direction. The breeze was now 18-20, and dead out of the east! To add to it I had anchored in the very wrong spot for that wind direction. The jetty was now parallel and not far off, not to mention the beach was somewhere behind me, couldn’t see it, but heard it close.
What to do? If I picked up the anchor and didn’t back to the helm and engine controls in time I’m either be on the beach and or making unwanted friends with the dock. Shortest voyage on record! The best course I decided was to hold pat and stay. I had a lot of confidence in my Rocna anchor and would let it do what it was designed for. I got lucky this time.
I woke in the morning to a gentle southwest breeze, had breakfast and started making my way down the Sound to Duck Island roads, the next stop.
And I do read those blurbs now - religiously!

The official start!

It’s 2:09 and I’ve closed the front door to the house for the last time for quite a while. All that’s left to do now is walk back to the Seaport find the dinghy and row out to Star who is now sitting quitely in the anchorage to the North.
The trip down from Marblehead which usually takes 4-5days took two weeks, thanks to Florence and her effect on all the New England weather.  Considering I had to wait in Marblehead, Plymouth, and
Cuttyhunk it really wasn’t suffering after all.
But I was chomping at the bit, and ready to go!
It’s so easy to make big plans...in warm dry shop that doesn’t bounce around. Yup I think I’ll take Star from Montauk straight to Cape May. That way I’ll miss all that travel time down the Sound and not have to go thru Hells Gate. Makes perfect sense to me, that is until you get your ass handed to you on the way to Plymouth because you left to early and the three day Easterly hadn’t died down yet. Been a long time since I left breakfast, last nights dinner, and three nice glasses of wine for the fish but there it is.
So I put my tail between my legs and headed for Mystic and not Montauk. No way, I wasn’t ready and Star is not an offshore boat. Had a wonderful weekend with Sue, replenished the larder, and was looking forward to a calm trip down the Sound. Who’s afraid a little Hells gate anyhow?
Heading down the river my thoughts went to what was ahead, to much to imagine, for now it’s the next buoy wait....red right return oh shit.