May 26th - Island Heights to Brielle NJ

Although it was a little foggy leaving Island Heights, we had a relatively short day today to a marina in Brielle NJ. In Brielle we had a great day with our longtime special friends Tom and Pat Meyer. We had a delicious dinner, prepared and brought onboard by Chefs Pat and Tom, with the Meyer's and Kathleen Reabold - Stone, a classmate of Teresa's from high school, and her husband Bob.

Underway in the fog

A lift bridge on the Point Pleasant Canal

Point Pleasant Canal

Kathleen and Bob

Our dear friend Pat Meyer

Always good for a laugh, Tom Meyer

  .

May 25th - Atlantic City to Island Heights NJ

Another long day.  We left Atlantic City late in the morning to take advantage of a rising tide going through the shallow areas.  Arrived in Isand Heights NJ near Toms River, only a few miles from where Teresa grew up.  We met a nice police officer , Patrolman Curtis, who greeted us to the Island Heights municipal dock.

Homes along the Toms River in Island Heights, NJ

Pavilion and dock in Island Heights

SONATA, GREAT ESCAPE and BLUE MAX IV docked for the night

May 24th - Cape May to Atlantic CIty

We wanted to travel through the New Jersey Intracostal Waterway as we had missed this during our first Great Loop (we traveled the ocean).  Before leaving the marina we met another boat doing the loop - BLUE MAX IV with Luc Dupuis and Jocelyne Boyer, a couple from Val-d'Or Canada.  All three boats traveled together.  The NJ Intrcoastal has very shallow water so we had long, slow days.

Houses along the NJ Intracoastal waterway

                                                 

Atlantic City

                                                                   

Wind farm just a couple of miles from the casinos

                                        

May 23 - Chesapeake City to Cape May NJ

  Underway with SONATA before sunrise to take advantage of the favorable tide on the Delaware Bay.  There are a couple of pictures of SONATA in the C&D canal, but none in the Bay itself - because - the Delaware Bay was HORRIBLE.  Seas were 4-6 feet right on the bow.  Not unsafe but very uncomfortable.  Once we arrived in Cape May, we met our good friends Ben & Monica Birch and were able to have a nice dinner with them before continuing north through the New Jersey Intracoastal waterway

                                            SONATA underway in the C&D Canal

                                                                 Ben & Monica Birch

May 22nd - Finally Underway

May 16th to May 22nd.  We had the opportunity to spend a relaxing 3 days with our great friends Sam & Maggie Short at their cottage just north of the Rappahonick River.  The Boyz did a lot of swimming.  Also got a chance to spend a few hours with their wonderful daughter Brooke before we headed back to Edgewater on May 21st.
    Once in Edgewater our boating buddies Bonnie & Charlie Burke arrived in their Grand Banks SONATA. We will be cruising with the Burke's for a couple of days.
   Sunday morning, May 22nd, SONATA and GREAT ESCAPE headed north on the Chesapeake to Chesapeake City, MD at the western edge of the C&D Canal.

Main Street Annapolis

Ego Ally in Annapolis

Stopping for a drink

Shipmate, Sam & DP having a cold one

Maggie & Shipmate

Wet dog !!

A man secure in his masculinity

Ready for more swimming

Leaving Pier 7 Marina

Heading for the Chesapeake

Our nation's finest near Annapolis



SONATA underway in the north Chesapeake



The Law of Gross tonnage in the C&D Canal

SONATA & GREAT ESCAPE in Chesapeake City

We're still in Edgwater MD, although we are ready to go!  Here are a couple of pictures of our good friends Wayne and Carol Gass and their youngest son Evan, who just completed his freshman year at James Madison University.

Carol, Wayne and Evan on the bow of GREAT ESCAPE

                                              Shipmate getting into the action after dinner

Underway for Great Loop #2

Here we are, April 19th 2011 and the Great Loop #2 has offically begun.  We left Green Cove Springs on Saturday and took two days to make it to Hooper's Island on the eastern shore of Maryland where GREAT ESCAPE spent the winter.  The boat looked very good for being out of the water for 6 months. It is amazing how much "stuff" we move each time we leave or go back to the boat.  Just look at the back of the SUV.

    The boat was launched on Monday, April 18th.  As you can see from the picture below, GREAT ESCAPE takes up most of the sling on the travel hoist.

    This morning, with an early underway, we made the 64 nm trip from Hooper's Is. to Pier 7 Marina in Edgewater MD on the western shore (just south of Annapolis) where we will spend a couple of weeks outfitting and doing some last minute maintenance.