NEW JERSEY COAST PART 2

We decided to stay an extra day at Barnegat Inlet because the winds were blowing like stink out on the ocean while we were safe and secure in a delightful little anchorage inside the bay. The morning was spent snuggled up in the cockpit enjoying the “rock ‘n rolling” of the boat as it was buffeted by gusty winds. It was amusing to watch Towboat US pulling an endless parade of yachts off shoals (been there, done that) and to see the frantic antics of other boaters “pushing off” from each other as their anchors lost their hold and vessels threatened to collide. I had to chuckle thinking back to our own bit of drama the night before…

No sooner had we gone to bed than Vince, unable to sleep, heard a weird sound—like a big marble rolling over our deck. Ever vigilant, he leapt from the berth and into the cockpit—horrified to see the boat beside us drifting away with its dinghy scraping alongside ours as it passed! He immediately shouted an alarm to the other vessel. Its captain, who was just coming out of his shower, jumped “buck-naked” onto his deck and managed to stop his boat from crashing into those behind him just in the nick of time! Last night it was an adrenaline rush for us all but this morning, in the light of day, it all seems uproariously funny and just another chapter in the ongoing “comedy of errors”.

In the afternoon the wind died down and “Jersey George” a local who befriended us when we arrived, dinghied over and offered to take us ashore. Later he returned with beers in hand and we had a little celebration as he wished us well on our journey south. We had a “rolly” ride into Atlantic City the next morning and once again spent an extra day in a lovely little spot with a great view of the casinos at night. Then it was off to Cape May, a great seafood dinner and the end of our “off-shore” experience.