June 12, 2017, Monday, Day 63 (with time off for essential visits :))… Chesapeake to Delaware Bay to Cape May, NJ

We flew back from Boston (Dirk) and Ft. Lauderdale (me), met in Newark and arrived back at our boat at about midnight the 10^th. Although we had hoped to start traveling on Sunday, we didn’t get back from grocery shopping and returning the car until about 1:30, were tired, and decided to wait until the next day. Note: The reason we ended up leaving Newark at 9pm? My much earlier flight was canceled so had to use Uber to go to Ft. Lauderdale versus nearby West Palm Beach. On the other hand, I was able to take my darling grandson to a playground water park where we had a great time. And Dirk took advantage of the 8 hour delay to find an Indonesian restaurant in Brooklyn (a rare find).

We left the marina in high spirits and a good plan thanks to boating neighbors in the marina that helped us understand that we needed to leave in the rising tide based on the Chesapeake Bay, not Delaware Bay, since the water flows from the Chesapeake. Following that advice increased the speed of the boat on the Chesapeake-Delaware canal by 2 mi/hr! Leaving our bay and heading out the canal photos…

I had heard derogatory comments about cruising down to Cape May on Delaware Bay, but we lucked out with fabulous weather and smooth water.

It was a long day since we needed to travel the 14 mile canal and 57 mile Delaware Bay/Cape May Canal so we didn’t drop anchor in the Cape May Harbor until about 6:30pm. We had already eaten a quick dinner I warmed up while traveling the canal, so we were ready to go see some of Cape May.

I quickly piled flashlights, extra shirts and water into my little backpack as we got ready to launch the dingy. Dirk unlocked the dingy and engine, untied the lines holding it fast, we pushed it off the back of the swim platform, and off it went! We hadn’t tied it to the boat!!! So guess who jumped into the Cape May bay swimming after it? It moved pretty fast and I was tired and feeling a little gross when I hauled it close to the boat and Dirk threw me a line. I took a quick boat shower while Dirk got the dingy engine attached, and off we went. (I’m in the water towing the dingy).

There is an America’s Great Loop Harbor Host in Cape May. Harbor Hosts volunteers to be a contact as cruisers/loopers come through their area and Bruce is really helpful. He let us borrow his truck from a marina across the bay, so that’s where we headed, tied up the dingy and drove to Cape May. We wandered around and eventually ended up at the beautiful beach, sitting together on a Life Guards tower, waiting for a rocket to launch. Unfortunately the launch was cancelled, but it was really a wonderful place to be on a clear, warm night. (These are stock photos – not mine, but the life guard tower is the same.)

Cape May, New Jersey Walkway at Sunset

June 3 – 10 To Boston and Lantana, FL and back to the boat in Bohemia Bay Maryland

In case you happen to be missing our crazy adventure, we are taking a week’s break. We flew home with Wesley and for doctor’s appointments. When mine was completed I headed to Florida to visit our daughter, Sarah, her husband Chris, and our adorable grandson, Arden. My timing was great – today was the day of the his first big boy hair cut. They gave him bubbles to keep him distracted and it worked. He really didn’t seem to notice he was getting a hair cut.

Turning our days together we also visited playgrounds and found a splash park as well. Boat adventures will resume around the 11th!  Thanks for following us!

June 1, Thursday and June 2, Friday; Day 52 & 53, Deep Creek off Magathy Bay, and Bohemia Bay near the Chesapeake-Delaware canal.

We sadly left our free tie up in Cambridge with the boating help and advise of Chesapeake locals and decided to go a bay recommended by our new friend, Al.  The wind and weather prediction sounded good althought it started out cool and cloudy, but thankfully getting nicer. Yea- the sun.

We traveled the 11 or so miles from Cambridge MD back to Chesapeake Bay and didn’t see many boats until we neared Annapolis and the Bay Bridge. We did see a pair of boats traveling together and it turned out to be a tow and and it’s client. There but for fortune…

We had crossed the bay bridge when we went to the Trawlerfest last October and now here we are under it!  There are actually two bridges that look parallel, but not quite.

A visit to the Annapolis Harbor would have been nice but we didn’t feel strongly enough about it to navigate the busy harbor so we moved on.

We arrived at the Magathy Bay inlet welcomed and warned by a small lighthouse.

Although there are many secluded anchorages further into the bay we opted for the closest one and it was lovely. It reminded me of our Lake Boon neighborhood a little, but with bigger boats. And there we sat, in the middle of what looked like a small lake, as paddle boards and kayaks and party boats went slowly by. Some ignored us squatters but many waved back at us.

June 2, Friday, to Long Point Marina on Bohemia Bay (near the Chesapeake-Delaware canal and then the end of Wesley’s journey with us.

We decided yesterday that again we needed a marina that could fix a leak in our hull above the water line while we head back to the Boston area for a number of days. Long Point Marina was recommended and we’ll leave the boat there as we head home. We saw some larger vessels as we headed north and then east.

We are now settled in the marina and were treated to another nice sunset.  There is a party going on nearby on shore with lots of adults laughing and having a great time. Nice. Tomorrow we all head back up to Boston where Dirk and I have some doctors appointments and Wesley will return to taking care of the house and animals.

May 31, Wednesday, Day 51, Cambridge, MD

The online apps seemed to say the seas would be much better today so we left the Calvert Marina in Solomons and headed out. It was a grey and a bit chilly at first but the day lightened and finally there was sun!  The Chesapeake was pretty quiet but we saw some serious ships on the way as well as a huge off-shore oil platform and operation.

And a nice looking  tug with large barge

We decided to head to yesterday’s destination, Cambridge, which we gave up on because of the high seas. It’s an historic town on the eastern side of the bay and down a few rivers – it was 11 miles from our main route but very worth it. The town provides a free tie-up wall which is just blocks from the town center. Soon after we tied up, two other trawlers like ours came to the share the wall. We looked at each other’s boats and chatted a while, and then we walked around the area.

Wesley really wanted some fried shrimp and the restaurant (Snappers) about 1/2 block away on the water had them on the menu. We all enjoyed dinner due to their varied offerings, and got a kick out of the chair in front as well.

Tuesday May 30, day 50, Solomons Island area off Chesapeake Bay

Well, our hopefully protected anchorage didn’t work out so well last night. The boat started rolling a little as we went to sleep, but the waves and rolling increased during the night such that the rolling and noise of water slapping on the boat work us up around 5am and there was no more sleep after that.

At about 6:30am we gave up, and rapidly completed our readiness preparation, hoping that once we were on the bay it would be calm enough to continue north. Well, it wasn’t. We keep going into the bay for about 10 minutes, but there was so much jostling that Dirk turned the boat around and we headed for the protected area of the town of Solomons Island, 2 miles from where we anchored out last night. Short trip today, resulting in negative miles! I started calling around and found a marina with availability at the right price and services. So here we are at the Calvert Marina. It’s not fancy, but has showers, laundry and nice slips, plus nice people that helped us tie up.

After settling in I decided to walk to the nearest grocery store – about 1.5 miles, and visited parts of a sculpture garden on the way.

A Lyft ride brought me back to boat where we finished a few loads of laundry, ate  lunch, and walked around the area a bit.  We wanted to see some of the town and requested both Lyft and Uber rides – no response! Fortunately a NOAA surveyor hear our woes and drove us as far as his hotel where we got the name of an independent wild card driver – Bert! He took us to the small town and dropped us off at a Tiki bar. We took pictures, ate a good meal elsewhere (CD Cafe) and are now back at the boat. Sure hope the weather improves for tomorrow.

Monday May 29, Day 49, Patuxent River near Solomons, MD

We left yesterday’s anchorage around 9am, traveling a less stressful way out of the area that included a lovely swinging bridge. Wesley joined Dirk on the flybridge to see the sites along the way.

We are now in Maryland after traveling past the entrance to the great Potomac River earlier today. We had planned to go just beyond the 12 mile Potomac inlet to a protected harbor, but on closer inspection the entrance and small bays looked too shallow on the maps so we continued on until we came to a good alternative a few hours later – so an 8 hour day. Fortunately the Chesapeake was calm today so it didn’t wear us out like it did yesterday.

There so many major rivers that feed into the Chesapeake and each have a large number of rivers that feed into them, so if you have plenty of time, finding anchorages wouldn’t be a problem – we’d just head up river 5 or more miles. But we also need to be at the top of the Bay in Chesapeake City by Saturday morning so detours upstream are a concern and finding anchorages just off the bay is the challenge we had today.

As we moved north we had a surprise visit… we turned around on the flybridge and this huge ship was bearing down on us! Dirk immediately swung to port to get of her way, but it was strange that the captain didn’t call and warn us.

We are now anchored in a partially protected area – a little bumpy but ok, and again was treated to a lovely sunset, accompanied by a trio of taps on shore. There is a naval air station on shore near us.

May 28, Sunday, Day 48, Leaving Yorktown, VA

We’re on our way again after a short break at home for our son Wesley’s graduation from Middlesex Community College.  So proud of him. Our daughter Sarah flew up from Florida and joined the celebration which also wonderful.

On Friday May 26th, Wesley, Dirk and I flew back to Richmond and were able to get a Lyft driver to take us back to the marina- at 2am! I was very pleased someone wants to work all hours like that. Saturday we slept late, shopped for food (Uber this time), filled up with diesel and water, pumped out, and were on our way.

It was a nice sunny afternoon and we optimistically headed to Yorktown, Va up the York river. Not my best navigation decision as it was a long way for a short day and there weren’t any likely anchorages until almost 6:30 pm. We set anchor near the town and shore but had no protection from the surprising swell from the river, and I had left my Bonine at home. Darn! But I survived, we had a burrito diner, and we all went to bed early to catch up on sleep. (Yorktown in the distance – as close as we got unfortunately!)

Today (Sunday) is cloudy and cool (66) as we head back to the Chesapeake and then north.

Well, once we left York river and entered the Chesapeake I realized that I had not yet acquired my sea legs! I put on an ear patch but too late to help much in the morning, although I never “lost it”. The boat was rolling side to side in 2 to 4 foot swells (1 to 2 was predicted) and Dirk was physically uncomfortable too. Wes stayed in the cabin and said he was fine! We decided we’d had enough around 1pm and found our way into a harbor and then a creek called Stutt’s Cove not too far from Deltaville, VA.  The harbor entrance was literally called “Hole in the Wall” and it was very tricky to navigate the narrow, curvy channel. Dirk had to back off at one point when the depth showed as 2.5 feet ( we need 3.5!).

I made them grilled sandwiches for a late lunch, ate some saltines and went for a nap. Later Wesley and I played a Catan card game while Dirk read.  Hopefully the Chesapeake will be calmer tomorrow!

May 21, Sunday, Day 41, Hampton VA – Salt Pond Marina, Hampton, VA

Was it really just today that we left downtown Norfolk and headed up river to the beginning of the Chesapeake Bay? It’s been a long, busy day so it seems like that was days ago.

In spite of our concerns regarding a 70 foot yacht semi-blocking the exit of the marina, Dirk once again amazed us both and made it look easy to navigate in a tight space.

We were enjoying the sites on the Elizabeth River and took our time as we saw many more navy ships including 5 air craft carriers.

We also passed by a huge container ship and I thought of Tom Hanks in the Captain Phillips movie.

As we moved out to the bay the wind and wave action picked up and we were really bouncing around for an hour and a half  – a little more than was comfortable but we were ok.  Dirk is wondering if we wasted money buying me the sea sickness patches!

We are now set up in a slip in Salt Pond Marina, in Hampton, VA. After we got settled we left to rent a car, went shopping, did laundry and set up the v-berth cabin for Wesley’s upcoming visit.  We also removed items that came with the boat that we haven’t used – such as two large cushions, a TV screen and a very large wok – it felt good to open up some space.  They are now in the community room of the marina with a FREE sign!

The boat will stay here while we head home for Wesley’s graduation from Middlesex Community College and bring him back with us for a week visiting towns along the Chesapeake.

May 20, Saturday, Day 40, AICW 0! Norfolk, VA

A big day – we went through our first lock ever – and it turned out very well  and then we arrived at the big city of Norfolk, VA . We are staying right in the city at their Waterfront marina. We also completed the Atlantic ICW – I should have been calling it the AICW all this time, A for Atlantic.

We started early (7:15) since we knew we’d have to wait for swinging bridges and to negotiate a lock on the way north today. The scenery continued to be “lazy river“ even after the first bridge.

Then we came upon the lock and the traffic of boats all holding at idle until the 10am opening. We pulled into the left side of the lock behind the boat ahead of us, were helped to slip a bow and stern rope around cleats at the top of the wall, and held the ropes lightly as the water rose in the lock. Very smooth, and then we left in order, still in a row for a short while.

A little later the view changed drastically as we approached Portsmouth, VA, the city across from Norfolk, a naval yard city. It is industrial and largely focused on big ships, either maintaining them, unloading them and we saw boat scrapyards as well.

After docking at the Norfolk Waterside Marina, we were told how lucky we were to have live music playing on the wharf right next to the marina tonight! Hope they don’t play too late. (Getting old, much?)

Lunch was next and then we headed for Nauticus – a unique Navy science museum with a big focus on the USS Wisconsin attached to the museum. The museum is striking in it’s use of technology to tell the stories of ships, sailors and battles while also having many interactive exhibits for all ages. We also walked through the battleship seeing the large cabins for officers and jam packed bunks for enlisted sailors, the huge galley, heads and even the top floor of a 5 floor gun turret. In spite of my peaceful leanings I was impressed by the ingenuity that went into what we saw today, and the dedication mentioned by so many sailors that served on the USS Wisconsin.

A band was still playing at 10:30pm and I was concerned since we usually hit the pillow earlier, but on the other hand, this is such a happening place that we just were treated to a great firework show from the nearby baseball park and visible from our boat dock. The band stopped at 11:00 and all is well. 🙂

May 19, Friday, Day 39, ICW MM 30 – Pungo Ferry, VA

We knew this morning that we weren’t up for another 70+ mile day and that there was a malfunctioning bridge at mile 15 would stop us.  So it was a pancake day and then we took the time to replace the engine room insulation on two floor panels. We’ve had the (expensive) insulation for while but just hadn’t gotten around to attaching to the underside of some of the salon flooring. (The salon teak floor has about 5 large and 3 small sections that lift up and provide access to various areas of the engine room. There should be sound insulation on all of the panels, but two panels were missing it.)

With Wesley coming on the boat with us soon we needed to get the box of insulation out of the guest v-berth = motivation. It shouldn’t have been so difficult except Dirk had to pull out over  40 one inch heavy staples left over from previous jobs and it was also very hot in the cabin.

After that effort we cleaned up and were on our way.  The cruising was initially in broad waters and then narrowed to another wide, straight canal. At the town of Coinjock we were invited to join in a meal with all the other boats waiting for word that the bridge  20 miles up had been fixed. We hear there’s a good restaurant there, but we waved and went on our way.  We later saw a large Coast Guard vessel, complete with a machine gun on the bow!

There were only a few recommended anchorages before the broken bridge (which has been fixed now) so we stopped in one with a number of other boats already enjoying the small creek. We were having a challenge finding ourselves a deep enough spot and debating how to adjust our anchorage, when a fisherman  in bass boat when by. “You stayin’ overnight?” “Yes…” ” Well, there will be about 40 bass fishermen in this creek tomorrow at sunrise, just so you know. I’ll tell them to be nice to you.”  With that warning, we decided to find another spot. I couldn’t image trying to leave the creek and dodging all those bass boats!

In less than a mile we found a safe spot, not much off the ICW and near a bridge, and right now all is peaceful and quiet. But earlier we saw, heard and then felt the thunderstorm. You can really see them coming in these low lands. Turns out it moved off pretty quickly so no drama to report. Whew!