2014 July 11 to July 13 Chesapeake Bay to Cape May Delaware

07/11:  Left anchorage and bid farewell to our long time friend, the Chesapeake Bay at 0655.  Light winds, 1’ seas, few boats and b right sunshine.  Arrived in Delaware                                    City 40 miles and 7.5 hours later.  We had planned to press on from there to anchor out somewhere near the half waypoint on the way to Cape May.  Bonnie researched locations on the web and found nothing that would be both secure from approaching storm and pet friendly (as in having a place that we could dinghy to with Jada.  So, we remained in the Marina in Delaware City .  While there we got a weather briefing from the Harbormaster (a local with extensive experience on the Bay).  He advised us that we should absolutely be off the Bay (in Cape May) before 1500 as he could foresee combination of wind & tidal currents that would produce waves fro 6 to 8 feet.   We further we researched it and concluded that he would try to be off the Bay by noon.  So we planned an early departure for the 12^th.  On the social side, Bonnie contacted a friend of long standing who lives in Wilmington and she & husband drove over to join us for dinner; an enjoyable prelude to an early AM departure.   Bonnie:  The DC Marina was a long floating dock in the canal that ran alongside the south side of this small town. The dock hands were exceptionally helpful due to the tidal currents…..amazing to watch tide go out as fully expected to be sitting out of the water on a mud back-tide was @ 7 ft! We were exceptionally lucky that my friend, Barbara Burd and her husband Dick, could join us at this last minute notice. Barbara and I had met in July 1963 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for a 3 week Summer Practicum for 3^rd year Occupational therapy students. Over the intervening years we have been able to share time together maybe 5 or 6 times but when together there is a bond that we were very lucky to have forged so long ago. Bill and Dick marveled that we just picked up as if our last visit was yesterday-in fact had been in 1997 at the AOTA conference in Indianapolis!!

Boat graveyeard

LOW tide

Barbara and Bonnie

C and D Canal linking Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay

Delaware City Marina

07/12:  As planned, we were up early, had the dog walked, coffee made and boat ready to go by 0530.  Had ample daylight to navigate though was about 35 minutes until sunrise.  Got underway at 0535 and instead of our usual 8 – 8.5 speed, I goosed it up to @ 18.5 mph, reducing travel time in half.  We arrived in Cape May after 63 miles and were in slip at the South Jersey Marina at 1015.  Sure enough, winds freshened in mid-afternoon.  Don’t know exact impact on wave height or period but did note that NWS declared a Small Craft Warning for afternoon & evening & tomorrow.    Bonnie:  SJ Marina had 5 stars and wow—well deserved. We were met by 2 dock hands that helped us back into a slip—again tidal currents  can give you fits. Again the tide was @ 2 ft higher and lower than norm! This is a truly lovely marina---after cruising +7500 miles we have seen them all. The showers here are private rooms, designer tiles and river stone for the shower floor! And the laundry machines take CREDIT CARDS!!!! Cape May is known for its Victorian homes—this was a major vacation destination in the late 1870’s onward. We walked the 1+ mile into the commercial district for groceries and to ogle the beautiful homes.  Bill took the Trolley back with the groceries while I continued to wander, enjoying the homes and gardens.

07/13:  Lay Day in Cape May.  On agenda, MAJOR scrub down of the boat, some light maintenance, and, just kickin back and enjoying the day. Bonnie:   It seems all we do is say, “gotta clean the boat”. Well there are different levels of cleaning-sometimes I think just existing creates dinge! This cleaning was major—took everything off and scrubbed from bow to stern with a boater’s best friend, Soft Scrub with bleach, backed up with spray bleach cleaner, many many rags and a powerful fresh water hose.  Sparkling white is its own reward. While Bill did some “electronic maintenance” I joined Kitty and Henry who were on La Vita,  next dock over, for a tour of Cape May Point Park. I met Kitty in the laundry room, where else. Her soft speech pattern betrayed her origins-South Carolina. By the time I had shared my fond SC memories we were sharing many more common interests – books, water experiences, etc. Like us they had been sailors and transitioned to power and were returning to South Carolina after cruising up the Hudson. While The Point was being enjoyed by beach goers, we wandered around the Point and through the little museum. There are remnants of WWII bunkers on the shore as well as watch towers to locate the German submarines that wrecked havoc with US shipping off the coast. The canal between the southeastern part of Delaware Bay and Cape May was constructed to provide a safe passage for commercial shipping. There are many many wrecks off Cape May. Dinner was pan seared in garlic, pesto and butter wild Salmon that I had purchased from the fish market next door-fresh that morning.

Kitty and henry from Camden, SC

Cannot imagine being on that top perch just to find Tuna!!!!

Lady Gail Marie - 140ft MegaYacht, belongs to the owner of the New Orleans Saints, Tom Benson

Former St Joseph School, now a Retreat Center and Cape May Light