Milk Run

Well about as close to a “milk run” as any delivery gets, especially compared to the Feisty Girl delivery back from the Bahamas in 2023 where the northeasters kept coming fast and furious. This was the return trip with Raven from Marsh Harbour to her home port in Newport Rhode Island.

The shoulder seasons are offshore delivery time but at the same time the calendar is also full of Snipe regattas and bikepacking trips. This makes for tricky scheduling as you never really know what the wind Gods will deliver. This trip slot right in between the Erie Canal Trip, the Snipe Spring Series (that saw the return of Drunkin Philly another Persson refit) and Snipe Week 2026 (Colonial Cup/Nationals in Annapolis). Fortunately this year the long term forecast for that week looked good and held. So many experiences to be had, so little time…

Raven ready to roll.
We’re off from Marsh Harbour (L to R: Alex, Chip, Ned, Pam).

It was a fun group of four – Chip and me on one watch and Ned and Pam on the other. Chip and I flew down on Friday and we departed a little after noon on Saturday. Pam handled all the meals and planned a bit different menu than the usual prepared foods to heat. This was a great change as the first 3+ days (until we got out of the Gulf Stream) were pretty hot and running the stove in that kind of weather makes it pretty miserable below. The dinners consisted of “bowls” that were served cold (Mediterranean, Asian, Southwest, pasta etc), lighter fare that was really tasty and perfect for hot weather. And easy to prepare, server and clean up. These were filling without sitting like a lead ball in your stomach. Genius.

Pasta salad with tuna and chickpeas, something Lisa Pline would concoct!

Ultimately we had three and a half days of very pleasant broad reaching in 15-25 knots with an eventual Gulf Stream boost past Hatteras. Pretty easy, low stress sailing and plenty of time for camaraderie, stories, great conversation, podcast recommendations (OMG how did I miss the story of The Codfather??) and great sleeping (I know, shocker eh?). Of course there is always a little unsettled weather off Hatteras, this time mostly just light air with some heavy rain and then really really dense fog off the New jersey coast which we had to motor through the last day and a half, but it never came strong on the nose. After 975 miles, 5 days, 9 hours we landed on her mooring in Newport Harbor. And it was none too soon as a day later a screaming 50 knot northerly came through which would not have been fun. I’m so fortunate to have the opportunity to sail with such great people!

Such great passage sailing!
Got some Snipe-Style sailing in. This was really rolly polly as the breeze came astern and required a number of hours hand steering, but was really fun.
I always volunteer to take the berth in the middle of the action because I can sleep anywhere, anytime. My superpower.
Ned and Pam enjoying their watch.
Enjoying the sunrise watch, my favorite time of the day.
The rain off Hatteras, but fortunately no lightning. I HATE lightnining.
Pea soup fog off the New Jersey coast. only about 100 yards visibility. Finally a little breeze blew it off 6 hours later.
The one oddity of the trip was seeing an AIS target “Autonomous Drone” about 40′ that wandered over towards us east of the NYC harbor shipping channel. No doubt homeland security keeping an eye (and “nose”, my guess sniffing for any radioactivity) on vessels traveling by.
A spectactular rainbow heading into Block Island Sound. They never get old!
The last supper as the weather cleared in Block Island Sound. Even cleaning out the fridge it was excellent!
The skies were clearing and it was a beautiful, cool evening coming into Newport.
The Predict Wind track with wind.
The Predict Wind track with current. Note how far north the Gulf Stream is this year.

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