October 10

With the dinghy down and the weather temporarily improved, we decided to go ashore. Barnegat is obviously a seasonal place, since everything including the grocery store was closed. We went to the State Park at the Barnegat Light. Although the offices were closed, one could walk to the top of the light and around the park. The current was rushing out at the time, opposed by a sea breeze that kicked up some considerable waves in the channel. After walking a few miles, we concluded that bread was not available but we did find milk and eggs (and a small purchase of gin and beer). Before we went ashore, Annette and I were meandering through the anchorage when a woman on a small catamaran, Stray Cat, said, "Look at the dolphin." We went over and saw a dolphin throwing a fish into the air repeatedly and diving after it. This was repeated several times over the next fifteen minutes or so, much to our delight. We had never seen this behavior before.
We grabbed the stern of Stray Cat and became acquainted with the couple on board, Bev and Rob. They told a story of their experience yesterday on the outside. They lost their dinghy off the back of their boat, despite their considerable efforts to avoid its loss. The waves were up to ten feet and the dinghy kept filling with water and dragging off the davits and the lines holding it chaffed through quickly. A 62 foot circumnavigating sailboat had also come in with a blown out spinnaker sail draped over the side. They had been cruising along in modest conditions when the sudden wind change and increase in velocity hit them. They could not get the sail down and it was ripped apart. All this reinforced the wisdom of our decision to remain safely on the mooring.
In the evening, we invited Walt and Pat and Rob and Bev over for munchies and drinks. Rob and Bev are from Canada and are headed for the Bahamas. This is their first time this way. We had a lot of laughs and made the usual promises to keep in touch along the way. They had an appointment at the West Marine store on the Toms River for the next morning to get a replacement dinghy. Fortunately, they are small enough to go on the inside of the barrier islands and avoid the continuing small craft warnings off the coast. Here Pat Washer and Rob enjoy the company and the home-brewed wines brought to Sabbatical by both couples. We truly hope to see this couple again as they are a lot of fun.