10/14/15  Sunrise in Barnegat Bay was BEAUTIFUL. David and I were up early, in spite of the very long and arduous day yesterday, to try it again. Being on the water in low lands similar to NC barrier islands, pre-dawn so reminds me of getting up before dawn as a child to fly to the NC outerbanks. I love the cool, clean crispness of that time of day. And the changing light that makes monsterous shapes diminish to manageable/real size as the light increases.

Out of the marina where Bob invited us to stay on his fuel dock for free by 7 AM with fresh water, fresh fuel and clean, dry laundry. Beautiful, isn't it?

Holiday  Marina, across ICW entrance from Barnegat Bay

And then we ran aground, again. "Chuck, we missed that information about which green can was NOT marking the channel. Can you come get us off again." Even with THAT slow down (I made brown rice while waiting for Chuck) we made it out of the inlet at slack tide. MUCH, MUCH better than entering yesterday wind against tide. Headed south again.

Had a lumpy day of sailing but almost calm, relative to yesterday. Both of us were hyper attentive to changes in the sound of the transmission, given the abuse we wrapped around the prop shaft. And tired since we've been up before dawn. I know days are getting shorter but "before dawn" is still early.

Made our way to Atlantic City well before dark. Depleted of personal steam we opted for the face dock in Historic Gardeners District marina rather than the anchorage a little farther up the channel. I told David that I just wanted to be secure (whatever that is) and not have to worry about low water, shifting winds, strong currents. Tie my to something that is solidly connected to ground, please.

Don't know which casino but it dominates the waterfront at the Inlet. Trumped Trump, I think.

We made a quick trip to the Atlantic City Aquarium (free since we paid for dockage) and out to dinner at Kelsey & Kim's Southern Cafe. Good southern cooking. Lots of sugar, in the cooked cabbage, for example, was a little distressing but still good, and a walk back to the boat. Amelia was sitting in the middle of the Pilothouse floor wondering the where/when of us.

David w/Loggerhead Turtle

Tired. Realize that I probably stuffed any fear, and I suspect there was much, I had yesterday in order to just keep moving forward as safely as possible. The seas were horrific. I don't remember being afraid but do remember hoping that the boat and rigging could handle the stress, that the dinghy wouldn't be torn from its pretend-davit or the outboard be swept off the rail. Maybe those were the primary fears rather than loss of life - mine, his, Amelia's. In any case I was glad to be off the boat for awhile tonight. And glad to be back in our water home this evening.

Tomorrow is a later morning but we will head out for Cape May, NJ - south.