A big day today.  Our last day on the Chesapeake Bay.  We have often heard folks say they can spend a full summer exploring all the anchoring spots and small towns on both sides of the Bay.  “The Bay” is certainly big enough.  There are many towns we didn’t visit because we are trying to keep to the AGLCA recommended time frame to get from one part of the waterway to another.  Maybe our next time around.

We are leaving the Chesapeake Bay and going through the Chesapeake – Delaware Canal.  A canal that joins Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware Bay, of course.  Who knew canals like this existed??  It will be a long day for us.  72 miles.

Low wind and relatively no current enabled Wayne to back Always Home and turn her around in a tight space.   As we left you can see some of our very beautiful neighbors.

Here is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

An early morning barge the “Night Owl” pushing what looks like rock and gravel.  Birds hopping on the gravel for a easy ride.

Another day of 1 – 2 ft waves expected in this part of the Chesapeake Bay.  Looks pretty good, doesn’t it?

One of the questions for the day…. what are these birds doing just hanging out in the middle of The Bay?  I overheard some fishing folk say that if you watch the birds, you will know where the fish were.

Leaving the Chesapeake Bay and entering Elk River.  The water calmed down immediately.

Just inside the river that really still looks like “the Bay” except that the water is flatter and smoother is a small brown square that looks odd.  Would ducks not be able to see the straight lines?

There are several bridges along the Chesapeake Bay – Delaware Bay Canal.  All are taller than we have to worry about.  Some images along the canal…

We did move over and slowed to idle so that the barge could pass without issues.  Hardly a wake.

I love all the green hues of the trees along this canal.

Just before the Summit Bridge, we crossed over from Maryland into Delaware!  No “Welcome to Delaware” sign was seen.  Maybe we missed it.  😉

We think this is the first blue bridge we have seen.  Very pretty.

After this last bridge, we went out into the Bulkhead Shoal Canal that is adjacent to the Delaware River.  Is that a heron on a buoy?  Oh, did you also see the big power plant behind it?

Our marina is tucked in the side of this canal.  Another one of those marinas that creates a challenge to new boaters.  Maybe a bit of the hide and seek kind of game with marinas?  This marina has a long floating dock after a very shallow entrance.  The marina told us to stay out in the Bulkhead Shoal Canal until they were able to help a sail boat get unstuck from soft mud and get docked.  Yes, the water was just past low tide.  We followed the marina’s directions so that we wouldn’t get stuck as well.

A long canal or creek that is approximately 100 feet wide.  A very big challenge for large boats because there is very little turning room.  The marina has a nifty way of turning boats around.  We entered the canal heading south.  The dock hands helped turn the boat around so that we would be facing north to get back out the canal tomorrow.  There is only one entrance/ exit to this canal.  They used the creek current and Wayne’s assistance manning the engines to slowly move us around.  Using our boat lines tied to the bow and stern.  It was masterful!!

Welcome to Delaware City Marina, Delaware City, Delaware!!

 

We walked the small town of Delaware City looking for ice cream.

Images of Delaware City near the marina.

 

We did find the ice cream place.  A cup for each of us so that we wouldn’t drip all over our clothes.  It was warm outside and very sunny.  The ice-cream was delicious.

When checking in with the Dock Master, I told him we had “conquered the Chesapeake Bay by making it to Delaware City!”.  He said, “The Chesapeake Bay is easy compared to the Delaware Bay!”  Oh, no!  The Dock Master conducted a short “weather talk” about the Delaware Bay and entering the Atlantic Ocean near Cape May, NJ.  Another cold front was coming our way, again.  Do we leave tomorrow and beat the weather of high winds down the Delaware Bay or wait for calmer weather?