A wonderful weekend

The sun shone each day and although we didn't get much wind and had to motor most of the trip, it was the most wonderful three days. Capt is laid back, easy company and I felt weirdly calm and at peace, which is not my normal state!

Sailing down from Tom's River, NJ towards Cape May on the first day we had some dolphins accompany us for a while, I didn't even try to take a photo. They lept out the water a few times and circled around to pass us again and I couldn't help but smile as I watched them show off for us. We passed Atlantic City in the dark, the buildings bright against against the dark sky and once we were out of the glow from the east coast's sin city, the stars could twinkle in all their glory. At 2am we dropped anchor outside the coastguard station and snuggled down into the warmth of our sleeping bags.

The next day we rounded Cape May in warm autumn sunshine, (so warm that I was wearing shorts quite comfortably) and headed up the Delaware River. Capt spent sometime swotting up on the boats so that he has fully prepared for the show and I enjoyed the quiet and just the feeling of being away from other people, a rare treat when you live and work in the hustle and bustle of NY! That evening we got into a marina on the C&D Canal just as the sun was setting and went to get a decent feed with his parents who were sailing the smaller 31ft boat down. This was the first chance I got to really talk to them and they were lovely, his mother was quick to tell me about how he had a habit for running around naked as a baby and that his third word, after 'mamma' and 'dadda', was 'boat'. His Mum also shared the happy news that Capt's older brother and his girlfriend of 8 years are expecting their first child.

So Sunday morning came and my birthday, it was cloudy and the visibility was pretty poor. I managed a quick call to home to my parents from my mobile that chewed through a fair amount of credit! By midday that cloud was clearing and we motored down and under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. At 3pm we were into Annapolis and having to change into shorts and tees since it was so hot! The Annapolis fall series is running at the moment so the bay was busy with yachts making their way in from racing. We had tied up in a packed yacht yard and spent a couple of hours chatting lazily and watching the comings and goings. All too soon my taxi arrived to take me to the train station and back to the real world.

Waiting at BWI station for the train back to New York I felt content. Once settled in my seat I didn't immediately block out the noise of the carriage by listening to music as I usually do. The voices and the chatter surrounded me and pushed my thoughts back to being in the warm cabin with the boy. His arms around me and the water lapping gently on the hull.

It was the most wonderful way to spend my 26th birthday weekend. I spoke to my oldest and best friend on the phone during Sunday, she said I sounded happy and content. On the train back I realised how right she was.

All images by me. Atlantic City on the horizon, C&D Canal marina, Sunset on C&D Canal, Atlantic Sky