163: SAILING NORTH WITH A NIGHTMARE detour. WATCH THIS to know what NOT TO DO

After a week in Cape May where we fixed our wind instruments, got our first vax, cleaned the boat, and rested, we were ready to move North. But, we preferred to make day hops on our journey to NYC vs. one overnight so we planned a stop in Atlantic City and then in Barnegat Inlet. Ironically, as we were passing Atlantic City and the winds were behind us and the seas were calm, we opted to bypass Atlantic City and make a beeline for Sandy Hook; this is the staging ground for sailing into NYC. But, as we were passing Atlantic City, our port engine started to shake and we didn't know what was happening, so we opted to drop anchor in AC and check it out in the morning. The anchorage in AC was horrible. It was unprotected and every motorboat coming out of the marina drove past us at breakneck speed, creating a constant tsunami in their wake, sending all of our items flying off the counter and shattering on the floor. Needless to say, we were ready to leave as soon as possible. Due to current, we didn't get any sleep as our boat swung 180 degrees and the stern was almost in the shipping channel, the one that has NAVY and cargo ships passing through it all night. It was unnerving. Additionally, we forgot to lock the rudder so the boat was swinging and banging and doing all sorts of things that after locking the rudder, it stopped. The next morning, Brown dove the prop and it was clear. We did some other tests and felt confident that we must have propped it and lost the rope or bag on the way into AC. We were free to go! He finished his caulking job and we took off for Barnegat Inlet. Little did we know what we would encounter entering and leaving! We later learned it to be the most dangerous inlet on the East Coast and we can see why. It's rough with waves and currents and eddys. We had to full throttle to ensure the boat went where we wanted it to go. Captain Brown did a great job. Thankfully, we were able to secure a great anchorage once inside the inlet, which was peaceful and calm. Every day we were getting closer and closer to NYC, my hometown! #sailing #sailboat #sailingprojects #atlanticcity @barnegatinlet NEW TO OUR CHANNEL? We are Eileen and Brown Councill. Welcome to our channel and a glimpse into our life adventure! 2020 was a year of uncertainty and change (for all of us, right?), but we overcame the challenges and decided it was time to chase our dream, to sail around the world! Did I mention that we had very NO sailing experience? Before leaving Qingdao, China, our home of 4 years, we sold almost all of our earthly possessions and started our international search to find the right sailboat that we would call "home." After 5 months of unanticipated twists and turns, we found what we were looking for, a used Leopard 44' Catamaran located in St. Lucia. So, here begins our journey, filled with unmatched excitement and honestly, a bit of trepidation as well. We have much to learn as we travel the world on our floating home and we intend to document that journey and share it with you. We are so glad you have decided to join us, and we hope that you will find our story so compelling that it will inspire you to chase your dreams too! As a viewer, we consider you to be part of our family and look forward to getting to know you. Don't hesitate to comment on our videos and ask questions. We will do our best to answer every correspondence! All we ask is that you have patience with us as we work really hard to improve our camera/video techniques and ability to tell a story. Hopefully, you will be as BLOWN AWAY from watching, as we are in experiencing and producing our adventures! HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT US? If you wish to support our video efforts, all we ask is that you SUBSCRIBE, give a THUMBS UP, SHARE our videos with your friends, AND COMMENT! WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET TO KNOW US MORE DEEPLY? It would be an honor and pleasure to deepen our relationship with you as a Patron. Please click on the following link to see how: https://www.patreon.com/sailingblownaway WOULD YOU LIKE TO FOLLOW OUR JOURNEY? https://www.noforeignland.com/boat/6040796987916288 WHERE CAN YOU FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA? Instagram - @sailingblownaway Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SailingBlownAway Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/eileen.dietrich/ YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/sailingblownaway