The time has come for us to prepare for the trip south for the winter.

Ryan has returned to the boat and took August off, Liam has been working and savin gall summer.  And I’m ready to go.

Liam’s last charter is on September 15th and I’m hoping that we can leave that Friday afternoon.

First “Hop” will be from Provincetown Mass to Nantucket.

The plan is to head around the cape and do an overnight slow sail so we can get there with some good light.  Then into the harbor and drop the anchorage outside of the mooring field.  We could grab a mooring but then we’d have to reserve one and stick to plans.  Plus it’s $550 for a week.

In all of our years of sailing we’ve never actually been to Nantucket so we’ve been reading about the things to do and making our lists.  My lists always look the same, bookstores, libraries, and cafes.

Second Hop will be from Nantucket Island to Block Island

With luck we can do another overnight sail from afternoon to afternoon and then we’ll treat ourselves to a mooring ball.  At Block Island they are first come first serve and it’s later in the season so I’m confident that we’ll be able to get one with ease.

Again in all of our years of sailing we’ve never actually stopped at Block Island so I’m looking forward to the stay.  We usually go to Newport RI

Third Hop will be from Block Island RI to Atlantic Highlands NJ

Unless there is an issue we like to anchor inside of the breakwater at Atlantic Highlands.  We’ve stopped there almost a dozen times so we know what to expect.  Overall a protected anchorage and a practical stop.  Hardware store, diesel, water, grocery store, and a cute little town.

We’ll wait in Atlantic Highlands until the weather is right for us to sail all the way to the Chesapeake, so no telling when we’ll leave.

Fourth Hop will be from Atlantic Highlands NJ to Hampton VA

The sail from Atlantic Highlands to Hampton takes us about 50-60 hours so we try to wait for good wind and calmer seas.  This makes for a longer wait but we don’t mind.

The goal for Hampton VA on the way south is to only be there to sleep off the trip but overall it’s a fun little town.

Fifth Hop will be from Hampton VA to Chesapeake VA

Specifically we’ll be heading to the free docks at the “Great Bridge” this is a short hop of about 5-6 hours and ends up being a practical stop.  Fuel, water, groceries, and a laundromat that takes credit cards on the machines themselves.  I think the limit is 48 hours on the free dock but, if you can keep a secret, we’ve more than once stayed 72 hours!

Sixth Hop is from Chessapeak VA to an anchorage on The North River

Just south of Coinjock Marina where many folks stop the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) opens up into the North River.  IF you leave the Great Bridge to make the first bridge opening and the wind is right to anchor in the open you can pop into the North River before sunset and get settled in by dusk.  Room for 1,000 or 2,000 boats to anchor there.  There’s nothing there other than a secret canal which leads to a private “no trespassing” marina.  So we’ll only stay the night.

Seventh Hop is from the North River Anchorage to the Alligator River

Another long hop that takes all day but we like to anchor across from “Deep Point” just where the Alligator river turns west and narrows.  It’s a good spot that has good holding and slightly better protection from the wind.  Nothing here at all, not even cell reception which is quite welcome!  The plan is to only stay here the night.

Eighth Hop will be from the Alligator River Anchorage to Bellhaven NC

In Belhaven we like to anchor almost all the way in as close to the bridge as possible.  Pretty much in the “turn around” spot for larger ships.  The town has a great grocery store, a spot for water & diesel, and a hardware store.

Laundry is a bit of a walk but overall not bad and we’ve found it a great spot to get work done.

Final Hop for 2025 will be from Belhaven to Oriental.

The goal is to arrive on or near November 1st.  Liam is signed up for the November Captain’s Licence Class in town and the plan is to stay in a marina for November and December.

Oriental has everything a sailor could need so we should be good.  Right now the big question is which marina should we stay at?  The one with the pool and courtesy car or the one across the street from the cafe?

When in Oriental I want to run an 120v tie in connection wire & switch, have Liam pass his class, do Thanksgiving & Christmas, and we’re going to have a dodger made for us which I’m over the moon about.

Beyond that our plan is to head to Carolina Beach NC so Ryan can take some private SCUBA classes, then to Cumberland Island and Fernandina Beach FL so we can just chill for a bit.