September 16                              Atlantic City, New Jersey

We were ready to leave New York and head south.  We finally had decided to leave the boat in Baltimore.  Other places were considered, including Norfolk, Virginia and Mystic, Connecticut, but Baltimore was a good place for beginning next summer’s journey, either to the north or to the south.  As he had not piloted the boat, except for limited forays for fuel and pump-outs in Southwest Harbor, David was eager to take the helm and start traveling.

  

An early departure gave us an incredible view of the Statue of Liberty silhouetted against a blue sky and reminding everyone again of the welcoming spirit of the United States (despite recent Republican rants to the contrary).  The harbor was crowded with ferries, pleasure craft, cruise liners, barges, tugs, and enormous tankers and cargo vessels.  After going beneath the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, we encountered numerous sailboats, all with furled sails because of the light wind.  The lack of wind was to our great advantage.  We had smooth water all the way to Atlantic City.

A mixture of lovely Victorian cottages and large, shiny glass-sheathed hotels, Atlantic City provides several sheltered marinas for mariners to dock and enjoy the ambiance.  We again chose the Senator Farley Marina at The Golden Nugget.  After a long day at sea, we opted to remain on board, oblivious to the numerous attractions offered by the casino next door.