(Hells Gate, New York)- Tom and Jane Babbit are having fun sailing their J/46 BRAVO in
various parts of the world. Recently, they sailed from Maine down to
Newport just before Hurricane Joaquin passed offshore of Cape Cod. They
continued on their journey south, here’s Tom’s commentary:“Thanks for the use of your mooring in front of New York YC’s Harbour Court. However, with the forecast for gale force northerlies, we moved to an Oldport Marine mooring just off Newport Yachting Center for the lost week of the great Nor’easter!
Finally, on Sunday, the sun came out, Hurricane Joaquin went east and there was a glimpse of less than heinous seas off New Jersey.
Off we went on our J/46 BRAVO to conquer Block Island Sound and Long Island Sound to New Haven.
Talk
about no turning back! We soon found ourselves with 25 to 30 knots
(and the occasional 35 knot whistler) nearly dead astern (Northeast)
with short period swells of 15 feet against the outgoing tide! More
like building-sized steep chop!The plan was to hit the flood at The Race, which we did, and that rewarded us with a relatively calm second half of the cruise.
While we have sailed our various J/Boats for decades in 30 to 40 knots in comfort we honestly had never seen conditions like this for many years.
So as we approach our seventies, here is our salute to exuberance and never growing sedentary - proof of a 17-knot surf! Darn good boats, I might add! Our average speed to New Haven just over 9 knots! Cheers, Tom”
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