mvalwayshome

While we wait for our 3 day weather window to get up the east coast of New Jersey, we did walk about the town a bit.  We ate at a couple of the local restaurants.  One more to our pocket book.  The other a fancy seafood place with cloth napkins and wine glasses as water glasses.  We should have raised our pinky the whole time we were in there.  🙂

Along the water front is the charter boats.  Lots of them all over the different marinas at Cape May.

Charter boats

If you don’t want to clean your own fish….  Wonder what they do with all the fish cleaned carcass and stuff?  Use it for mulch??

You don’t want to clean your own fish? No problem

How cute!!

Tiny Cruise Line for hire

Condos on the water front.  I think it is best if you have a boat.  That way you would understand the docking process, fish cleaning process, and just over all boat smells.

Water front condos

Of course, every town has a psychic / palm reader.  I figured she already knew I was walking by so why bother her?!

Stormy sunsets for the most part.

Windy – stormy sunset

Sunset in Cape May, NJ

Flags flying proudly… Sunset in Cape May, NJ

We wait for the 20 -30 mph winds seize.  We wait…..

When we arrived in Cape May, NJ we knew the weather was going to get windy and rainy.  Gusts up to 25 mph or higher for a couple of days.  We didn’t expect this weather to go from bad to worse –> to bad –> to not-so-bad –> to bad again.  So we wait until we have the perfect weather to go out into the Great Blue Atlantic Ocean!

There is an ICW route that some boaters are taking.  We cannot.  Our draft is too deep and we would get stuck in a number of places.  So we wait.

However…. some of our highlights during our stay here:

These guys are really busy during the weekends.  Not so much during the week.

Parasailing and Jet Skis

I saw a man hauling the first of these 2 groups of fish.  They were huge!!  Caught on a small thin rod and reel.  We saw scales later in the gravel and they are the size of 50 cent pieces.  Wow!

Fish caught during a rainy day

I noticed this boat docked off to the side and wondered about the water depth.  My suspicions are confirmed.  At low tide, the boat is sitting in mud!!  At high tide, it is floating free.  If you don’t need to go out into the water ways during low tide, why not?!?

Neighbor on “the hard”

We finally rented a car to run some errands to the grocery store, Walgreens, and West Marine.  After all the errands, we had time to go to the Light House…

Cape May Lighthouse

I am not on the boat!!  I am on land.  This picture should be straight.  It looked straight when I took it.  My sea legs are giving me away. 😉

There are several bird houses structures around the light house grounds.  We heard chirping and saw little birds flutter to and fro.

Bird House and light house

The holes are numbered.  The birdhouses are labeled.  This makes sense if you want to keep track of the favorite holes, which hole is used, and all those statistics bird watchers would love to know.

Bird outside of D- 13

This is a great picture of the lighthouse from the parking lot.  See the clump of trees?

Lighthouse

Clump of trees – do you see the ducks?

I walked by them before I realized they were there.  They were waiting out the stormy weather as well.

Nestled quietly beneath the trees

See Wayne with his red knit cap

At the beach, we had to see the “Concrete Boat”.  We built 12 of these concrete boats??  Really?  Do you wonder where the other 11 are?

SS Atlantus

Or what is actually left of it.

Concrete Boat Remains

We had to dig our cold weather gloves, hats, and jackets back out.  One day the whole day was 57°F.  Brrrr.  With the wind chill, it was definitely a knit hat day.

The locals keep apologizing for the weather.  “These North-Easterns only last 3.5 days.  We haven’t had this kind of weather over such a long period of time.”  Ok.  The locals seem tired of the wind as well.  Soon, the sun will come back out.  It will be summer weather …soon.  That is what we hear.  Soon.

We decided that if we got out early from Delaware City and high tail it south to Cape May we should be there by noon.  Just when the wind would go from <10 mph to gusting up over 15 – 20mph.  We had the wind and current against us… the winds were from the south and the tide was flooding ( going up ).  The tide would eventually turn in our favor later in the morning.  We were up and on the waterway even before our first sip of coffee.  Cloudy skies in the morning at Delaware City with the promise of sunshine in Cape May.  Surely, the forecasters will be correct – again!

The water in the canal or creek was slowly moving us off the dock.  The creek was moving smoothly.

Leaving the Delaware City Marina before 6am

Just as we are leaving the shallow canal, the sun came out for a second for me to capture this image for all eternity!

Sunrise in Delaware City, DE

This is the trip we are planning on doing today.  Delaware Bay is not as big as its sister Chesapeake Bay.  The dock master at the Delaware Bay Marina said:

“The Chesapeake?  You can plan around 4-6ft waves.  Easy.  The Delaware Bay?  4-6 ft waves just happen!”  Oh joy!!  Maybe the dock master was just kidding?!!?

Southward from Delaware City to Cape May

We saw the Salem Nuclear Power Plant for almost 2 hours on the horizon.  Some of the most fascinating pictures are:

“Waddell Sea” pushing a barge northward past the power plant

You can tell the direction of the wind by the smoke stack line leaving the top of the power plant.

6:50am Power Plant

8am – water looks pretty good for today’s travel

“Nashwan” heading North

Delaware Bay looks like a pear or funnel.  The upper part is Delaware River.  The lower part is the Delaware Bay.  We were told that the lower part would be a be more wavy and wild.  We did have more waves.  That 1-2 foot, I suppose.  Nothing too bad.  A few more white caps.  This pictures is was taken around 10am.  The current finally was in our favor and helped us south by a 0.5mph gain.  Yahoo!!

More waves in southern Delaware Bay

Delaware Bay!

You know when you are getting close to land when you see:

Parasail!!  – Is that a smile on the sail?

Parasail

We are entering an “ICW” waterway.  I think it is called the Cape May Canal.  Looks short and deep.  We need to boat near the Ferry to get past some shallow waters.  Otherwise, this water should be smooth and calm.

Cape May Canal

Cape May – Lewes Ferry Terminal.  Looks huge!!

Cape May Ferry

We see a marker floating in the water.  I grab the binoculars to see what it says.  Generally, these markers give information like “no wake” or ” 5mph”.  Today’s marker is labeled “Obstruction”.

“Obstruction” buoy

Looking ahead we see this along the canal’s edge.  Indeed.  An obstruction!

The Obstruction!

Route 162 Bridge

If you look under the bridge, you can see the next bridge in the distance.  As we approached the bridge we see this little water craft right in the middle!!  Actually, this young lady must not have been aware that she was close to the bridge and all the traffic coming and going from the Cape May Harbor.  Lots of people in all sizes of boats coming and going on a sunny Saturday afternoon.  I hope she finds her second wind and moves to the side before someone runs over her!

Kayaker in the middle of the canal

Out of the canal and into Cape May Harbor.  Around the corner and we found out marina for the next couple of nights as we wait for the weather to calm down again.

Utsch’s Marina

Utsch’s marina just at noon!

We arrived just before noon.  We fueled up and found our slip.  Wonderful!!  The water was good.  The wind was just beginning to pick up.  We made it here and survived the great Delaware Bay!!

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.

Sunrise in Annapolix

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.

Leaving the Chesapeake Harbour Marina

Here is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

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.

Entering Elk River

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?

Duck Blind?

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…

Chesapeake City Bridge

“Delaware Responder”

Cute red “Pilot Boats”

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

Barge coming toward us

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.

Summit Bridge

Chesapeake and Delaware Canal Lift Bridge – Rail Road

Chesapeake and Delaware Canal Bridge

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?

Heron on Red Buoy CD

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!!

Last marina to the south

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

Images of Delaware City near the marina.

Central Hotel

Isn’t this a delightful little rental?

Main Street in Delaware City

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?

The weather says Go!!  We rose early in the morning to get to Annapolis in the early afternoon before the afternoon thunderstorm arrives.  Even though it isn’t summer yet, afternoon showers seem to occur every day.  It should be an easy day of 53 miles.  But it will be another day on the Chesapeake Bay.  How exciting!

Early Sunrise in Solomon, MD

5:30am Sunrise. Red Skies means a great day!!

Our day is starting out cloudy and humid but no rain.  The humidity was up due to that rain from last night.  After studying the weather projections, we should be driving out of the cloudy skies into sunny skies.  Northward.  The Chesapeake promised to settle down and only have 1 ft waves.  Fingers crossed that the Marine Forecasts are correct!

Goodbye to the Solomon, MD – Solomon’s Yachting Center

As we started moving the boat, the wind came through the opened windows and we were able to get some relief from the humidity.  We just aren’t really used to all this humidity coming from Arizona.  You would think that since we are on the water, we would be having lots of humidity.  Not so far.  My hair started to frizz.

As the sun started to peak out of the clouds, we see an early morning barge pushing something along.  It almost looks like a submarine in this long distance shot.  Doesn’t it? Maybe a whale?

Early morning sun

Our first go-fast boat of the day.  Out looking for that perfect fishing hole before 7am in the morning.  Water looks bumpy but not too wavy.

Go-Fast Boat

This is the “Challenger” pushing heaps of something that looks like coal.  I like the nice neat piles in a row.

Heaps being pushed south

I have the binoculars up and sweeping the area.  I see something ahead.  A large structure out into the water.  It isn’t in the way, but being a curious person, I look at the chart plotter to see if it shows what the structure is.  I see “tunnel area”.  Tunnel??  Under the water??

Tunnel?? What is a tunnel doing out here?

Large offshore operation

I found out it is the Dominion Cove LNG production plant.  They must have dug a tunnel from the land to get the distribution platform out into the deeper water of the Chesapeake Bay for large transports ship.  Don’t see “tunnels” on marine maps very often.  I just had to find out.  😉

The sun is really trying to peek through the cloud.  Beautiful!

Water so bright we had to put our sunglasses on!

The water is pretty good.  Not too rolling.

Are the skies really yellow? Sunrising at 7.20am

I was driving minding my own business.  Concentrating on the water ahead.  Looking out for any small boats, daubers ( crab pots ), or large boats coming our way from the north heading south.  Periodically, Wayne and I will look behind us to check for any boats or strange objects that might be creeping up on us.  A large fishing boat or trawler can cause a substantial wake even when they are going in the same direction as we are.

I see this little triangle on the bottom of our chart plotter.  It could mean almost any sized vessel with a with AIS transponder.  I am thinking sail boat.  I decided to look back and see what it could be.  I mean, the little triangle at the bottom of the screen ( just above the 8 ) is small.  It is a small green triangle.  You might not even be able to see it well.  Surely, the vessel is also….

Triangle? Someone behind us??

It happened to Wayne.  Now it is my turn to go…where did that big monster come from??

Cargo ship!!!

I abruptly moved Always Home over away from this cargo ship.  The water is pretty deep and there isn’t any problem giving this guy room.  Just a surprise.  This behemoths must move faster than our 10mph!!  The last time I had checked behind us, it wasn’t there.  I don’t even know where / what port it came out of.

Here is the little triangle next to us.  The chart plotter is so deceiving.  It looks like our boat is HUGE.  The little triangle is off to the right of us.  See how small it is?

Little triangle beside Always Home

Cargo ship beside me

Your keen eye may have detected that this cargo ship is over a half mile away from us on the chart plotter above.  It may take 5 minutes or so, but the cargo ship’s passing wake rocks the boat!!  We can see the ripples as they approach.  We hold on and try to steer the boat into the waves to help mitigate their affect.

It wasn’t that busy on the waterway.  But I did capture a few other boats that passed us going south.

“Amy Moran” pulling a grey barge

Dredger being pushed up the bay

Another MSC ship!

We may have lost the magenta line, but we gained channel markers that even the big ships can see.  This is “Bloody Point Bar” light.  It is supposed to be 54ft tall.  Of course, it has lights for daylight and nighttime.  Some of these large markers also have bells or whistles.  They aren’t quite as loud as I had imagined, but if you are a small fishing boat in a fog, you probably would think it loud!

Bloody Point Bar Light

As we approach Annapolis trying to find our marina, we see there are several large ships sitting or anchored up ahead.   There are 3 large ones ahead.

Behind this boat is “Jumbo”.  Seems appropriate name.

“Bitu Express”

“Sir Albert”

By the way, the marine forecasters were correct.  We had less than 1 foot seas.  Pretty calm and delightful!!

We were delayed in the Solomons, so we will not be visiting Annapolis.  Our marina for the night is just south.  We understand the water in Annapolis is very busy!!  We wanted an easy on/ off of the Chesapeake Bay to keep moving on our Loop trip.

Chesapeake Harbor Marina, Annapolis, MD

Another very protected cove.  Nice marina and beautiful boats all around.  A few large boats were along the main drag as we entered the marina.  Wayne was able to nicely drive past them and put Alway Home on an adjoining T-head.  The marina is surrounded by condo looking buildings.  Very nice grounds.

A late afternoon rain looks like it is almost here!!

Sunset in Annapolis, MD