I am in Robin's saloon with nautical chart No. 13003, Atlantic Coast, Cape Sable (Nova Scotia) to Cape Hatteras (North Carolina) opened on the table before me. I have located the point where, in about three weeks, Robin should make a left-hand turn of 100 degrees -- 40 degrees 20 minutes north, 69 degrees west.
John Morrison and I will leave Cambridge on July 18. Tom Gilmore will join us the following night in Chesapeake City and the following evening (weather permitting,) when we have reached a point about three miles offshore from Atlantic City, we will strike a course of 80 degrees (true). In about 260 miles -- which could be from two days to much longer -- we will reach the turning point.
I selected those coordinates because they are well south both of the Nantucket Shoals and of the shipping lanes going from New York to Europe.
When we reach that point, we will tack to true north(about 17 degrees magnetic) and run straight to Penobscot Bay and Rockland Maine, another 260 miles away.
If we have wind all the way, the whole trip will take seven days. I've allowed 13 days, trying to eliminate the rushing that accompanies most of these voyages.
Normally, we would sail to the Cape Cod Canal and then across Massachusetts Bay and the Gulf of Maine to get to our destination. That would involve two overnight passages and a couple of day sails.
Instead, we've chosen to make it an offshore passage, just for a change. I'm looking forward to the adventure, but we still have a lot of preparation ahead of us before we cast off.
This is actually almost the reverse of the first offshore trip John and I ever accomplished (I think that's correct. it is for me if not for John.)
Several years ago, we crewed for Tom when he brought his boat Kelte home to New Jersey from Rockland. We made that trip in two shots, in a lot of fog and in some good wind.
That voyage was a lot closer to the coast. This time, we'll be rounding the shoals and Cape Cod and sailing by the famous fishing ground, George's Bank, and the ominously named Ammen Rock (very close, if we are on course.)
We will keep you posted.