Should I stay or should I go

 “Truly successful decision-making relies on a balance between deliberate and instinctive thinking.” - Malcolm Gladwell

When we made the decision to go into Cape May after our slog down the New Jersey Coast, we were faced with a decision that was difficult to make.  How does one know they are making the right decision?  Is it common to make the decision and then doubt it?   Or worse yet, fear the shoulda, woulda, coulda of hindsight?  How do you make a good decision? 

Craig and I typically weigh the pros and cons, as I’m sure that’s how most people do it.  Not only do we have to think about the safety of our family, but also we have to take in to account the abilities (or lack there of) of our boat and what she may or may not be able to handle.  

While resting at anchor, we were faced with waiting out high wind or confront the wind and waves in order to get around Cape May and head up the Delaware River.  The treacherous trek of our 30-hour passage was very fresh in our minds and we weren’t really interested in being in uncomfortable conditions again, so soon anyway.  We didn’t want to stay put until the winds died down either because we wanted to push on to Annapolis and take advantage of the good wind (from the appropriate direction) up the Delaware.  And we knew we couldn’t go through the Cape May canal because our mast was too tall for the fixed bridge.  We scrutinized the chart and the tide tables to figure when we needed to leave in order to have the current in our favor.  We also knew that there were many shoals around Cape May and we didn’t feel comfortable dodging them in high winds and waves or in the dark.

What to do, what to do??  We looked at one another and asked “what do you want to do?” and the other said, “I don’t know, what do you want to do?”  Have you ever been paralyzed by this situation?  In the end, we felt it was safer to leave in the day light hours.  Everything is better in the daytime, right?   Plus, as Craig said (jokingly) a daytime rescue was better than a night time one!   So we left at 8:45 in the morning slightly ahead of the changing tide to get a head start.  As it turned out, the waves were only really bad near the inlet and then seemed to settle down quickly.  We were able to hug the beach and make great time up the Delaware.  In hindsight, it was a good decision!

Curve Ball

Planning around the wind (direction and speed) and the low or high-pressure systems are top priorities when sailing.  We check multiple sources, beginning days ahead of departure, to make sure they are agreeable.  This time, even after paying close attention to the weather, checking it twice, and twice more, we got thrown a curve ball.  Sometimes Mother Nature has a mind of her own just to keep us on your toes, making sure things don’t get too easy out here. 

We sailed in light winds with our friends on Escape Velocity past the Statue of Liberty for the last time.  We planned to sail, overnight, the 110+ miles down the New Jersey coast on the coat tails of a cold front.  We knew the wind would eventually change to the southwest sometime in the night and hoped we’d be at the mouth of the Delaware by then.  At which point we would head north and the southerly wind would be ideal for sailing.  Even if we didn't make it to the Delaware before the wind changed it was forecast to be light from the Southwest and we could easily motor in light headwinds.  Sounds like good planning, right?  We won’t name names or point any fingers but if we were, it would be directly at the professional weather gurus.  They got it all WRONG!  The northerly wind switched to WSW even before we got passed Sandy Hook; the last bit of land before leaving New York. 

Heading out of New York Harbor - Verrazano-Narrows Bridge ahead

Escape Velocity sailing along side

We conversed with Escape Velocity, determined to keep going in search of stronger winds out at sea.  We did indeed find strong winds, but they were from the southwest; the exact wrong direction for sailing comfortably.  By 4 am, the winds had increased to 15-20 knots.   We were sailing as close-hauled as our boat would allow, slamming just off center to the waves, not making very good progress.  We tried tacking way out and then back again, hoping it would help us feel better about keeping the sails up.   Somewhere along the way, we lost sight of Escape Velocity off our stern.

Sneaking a peak into the wind

The Tug plowing through the waves....

...towing a barge!  And he was going much faster than we were.

When the wind reached 25-30 knots and 3-6 foot waves were crashing over the boat from the windward side and over the bow, Craig noticed our jib sail had broken.  Our hearts sank as the image registered in our brains.  Did we have to buy a whole new sail?  Could it be repaired?  Was it the camber spar?  Would we have to get a new one custom made??  Immediately, dollar signs were swirling around my head like Wiley Coyote did when Roadrunner dropped a boulder on his head.

The rod that holds the two fittings together, broke

We dropped the jib sail and decided to stop in Cape May were we could hide from the high wind and waves and regroup.  Unfortunately, Cape May was another 10 miles, which is a long way in steep waves in a 30 knot headwind.  As the boat rode up a wave, our speed decreased.  As we raced down the backside, we increased speed.  This was not helpful in our nearly nonexistent forward progress.  Some waves allowed a gentle transition between the trough and the next.  But more often than not, the boat lurched and rolled through the waves as they crested and tumbled over the top.  We encountered several waves that were taller than 6 feet (or so it seemed) – not many, but enough to make things exciting.  As I turned to go in the Cape May inlet, I watched with big eyes as we climbed one such wave, reached the top and looked down a cliff on the other side.   This resulted in a dramatic scream (me) as the wave splashed over the entire boat, clearing the bimini (the roof covering our cockpit), which is a good ten feet above our waterline and getting Craig wet on the other side!!   Needless to say, we were all very relieved to be in the calm waters of Cape May for the night!  With closer inspection, we would not need to replace the entire sail, just the fitting.  It still has to be custom made but a lot less expensive comparatively.  We felt lucky.