ANNAPOLIS - SETTLED IN

He Said:  Hello from Annapolis.  We have really been enjoying our 3 plus weeks here in Maryland. Once you settle down in a marina like we have done, your life becomes normal - other than the fact you are living on a boat.  We try to hang on the boat thru the week and enjoy our weekends like we have always done in Phoenix.  

 

Most of our boat list is finished other than our windlass which is still giving us a headache.  This is our anchor system which is run automatically with, of course, a motor and a foot pedal.  We can still use it if we had to, but you have to put the anchor in and out of the water by hand - not so easy if it sets really well on the bottom.  And of course it is very important that it settles and holds.  We hope to have it fixed within a week from now.

 

Our game plan is to head south on October 1.  We are only paid at this marina thru Sept. 30.  Our spot is rented for the big boat show so we have no choice but to head out.  We will probably spend 1 or 2 weeks finishing up the Chesapeake Bay.  We have about 150 miles remaining until we reach Norfolk, Va.  We will be back to following weather and water conditions when we leave here.  The Chesapeake is not the ocean, but the locals claim it is known to be plenty nasty if weather kicks up.

 

I have been lucky to find a cool little bar about a 5 minute walk from the boat here in Eastport where they put on about any ballgame you request.  I have found a handful of Buckeye Fans (yes we are everywhere) that I met up with the last 2 weeks to watch the games. It was fun although neither was exactly a barn-burner - especially last Saturday’s game against Florida A&M.  It was 54-0 at halftime.  Our starting QB, Braxton Miller, has not played the past 3 games.  Should be fun seeing how we do against Wisconsin this Saturday and Northwestern the following week.  We should be just fine, but we will see.

 

I think one of our highlights of our stay here in Annapolis was this past Saturday.  I took the dingy boat over to my fave little bar called Davis’ Pub for the game at noon our time.   I headed back to the boat about 3:30 to get ready for our little concert about 50 feet from the boat.  This puts not-having-to-drive into a class of its own - we barely had to walk.  The concert started at 5 and went to 9.  The weather could have been better, but the evening was wonderful.  We had our little beach chairs in the front row sitting maybe 10 feet from the stage and of course, Michael Utley.  The opening act was also terrific - all original music about his travels and music from his heart.  It also had a Buffett sound the music had a twist of the SE part of the country - mostly Georgia, Florida and Alabama.  Then came Utley’s Band with a young man doing lots of JB music.  They sounded just like the Coral Reefer Band - helps having a guy in the band who has played with JB for only 40 years. I had a chance to get a mug shot and talk to Utley before they took the stage.  I probably will never have a chance to meet JB, but I had to know if he really is as good a dude as I hoped.  Utley said he’s every bit of it; that’s all I needed to hear.

 

Michael Utley doing his sound check

Jack and Michael Utley before the concert

Mike Frinzi and the band.  Doyle Grisham (left), Mike Frinzi and Michael Utley (middle)

Not too much else happening so we will reach out probably before we leave here in the next week.  One of the things I forgot to mention is we try to evaluate every part of our trip and it is very interesting.  What is really cool is that Tuesday will be our 4 months living on the boat, and what a different life style.  The fact that the first 3 months were almost a bonus is great.  We originally were going to begin our trip right here in Annapolis, so all of the NE part of the country sort of feels like a bonus.  We are very much looking forward to the South.  Hopefully it will be as cool as we hope!!

 

Take Care, Jack

 

She Said:  We haven’t written in awhile because we haven’t really done anything noteworthy.  Living aboard MTB while she’s tied-up is like living on a floating condo.  Our life is pretty normal – except without a car.  That means we’re doing a lot of walking and learning the bus schedule.  Without a car doing things takes a lot longer – it takes an entire day to run errands.

 

The longer we’re here, the more we like the area.  We can walk to almost everything we need (except a full blown grocery store).  Jack has found his new Teakwoods – although on a much smaller scale.  There are lots of people to talk to, the food’s good, and the drink prices are cheap.  He can even take the dinghy there.  The name of the places is Davis’ and it’s been around 100 years.  It was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  The Crab Pretzel is fabulous!  We’re only going to be here another week and there are still restaurants we want to try and few we want to revisit.

 

We’re making great progress on our “to-do” list.  I’ve recovered the cushions on the back patio, and it looks so much better.  The front 3 windows are being replaced today.  The only thing that’s still outstanding is the windlass (electronics for the anchor).  They think it’s the control panel and we’re just waiting on the part.  We can anchor without the windlass, but it would be an entirely manual process.  Dropping (and raising) the anchor is my job so I really want it fixed.  Keep your fingers crossed!

 

We had a really fun night out Saturday.  It was finally the night of the Coral Reefer benefit concert.  The venue was small (the stage was actually in the water) and there were only 550 tickets sold.  Our beach chairs were front row!  The opening act was a singer/songwriter with a Jimmy Buffett flavor – his name is Jim Morris.  The food was endless (and good) and the Painkillers were flowing.  The main act was John Flinzi with Michael Utley and Doyle Grisham (Coral Reefers).  They did a few Buffett songs and were really good.  Jack got to meet Michael Utley, so he was in heaven.  I can’t remember a night when we had so much fun!

 

Michael Utley sound check

Singer/Songwriter Jim Morris

The entire band.  The stage is literally in the water.

My girlfriend, Susan, was supposed to come for a visit but it didn’t work out.  Her trip was postponed until October and we’ll be gone when she gets here.  I’m really bummed, but I hope she’ll meet up with somewhere else along the way.

 

We were fortunate to only experience a few hot and humid days while in Annapolis.  It’s now officially fall and the temps here have definitely cooled down – it’s been downright cold a few nights.  I still have a hard time believing that summer’s over.  In many ways it feels like we never experienced summer.  We never ran the A/C for more than a few hours on a few days.  I hardly ever got a chance to wear sleeveless tops, and I only got in the water once.  On the flipside, how can I complain about weather where we don’t need the heat or A/C and sleep with the windows open every night.  With 20/20 hindsight I guess it was a near perfect summer.  

 

As much as we’ve enjoyed Annapolis, it’s time to start planning our departure.  We’ve got a plan that will take us a week to 10 days to get to Norfolk – if the weather cooperates.  If there are no hurricanes forecasted for late October, we will hit the IntraCoastal Waterway (ICW) around October 15.  That’s the trip that we set out to take, so we’re really excited about that.  Whenever anyone talks about the ICW they talk about running aground – it’s not IF we go aground, it’s WHEN we go aground.  I can't start thinking about that already.

ANNAPOLIS

He Said:  Hello from Annapolis.  Our trip from Delaware to Annapolis was nearly perfect. The C and D Canal was as calm as could be.  It took us about 1 ½ hour to pass thru the Canal and then it was off to the Chesapeake Bay. Our 55 miles to our marina went well.  The weather was nice, no big winds and of course no big waves either.  We like this a lot! We arrived here in Annapolis about 4PM on Sunday.  As we traveled under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge we were sort of greeted by only 200 or more sail boats.  They were everywhere, and we had to navigate between them to stay on target for Eastport Yacht Center, our new home for 30 days of September.  Arriving at the marina went well other than the fact we had several boats around us waiting for me to make a move.  They were smaller than us so they stayed out of our way as we back the boat into the slip with good success.  Maybe they stayed away because they heard we were on our way in.  

 

We got all of our boat stuff finished up very fast and headed to the Bryants’ for a Sunday cook-out to celebrate Labor Day.  They had about 18 or so friends and family, and it was so nice of them to include us.  They lived 2 doors down from us in Phoenix and now live about 10 houses down from the marina we are staying at.  Andy and Margaret did a great job on dinner, and we meet some really nice friends of theirs.

 

Sailing with Margaret & Andy Bryant (center) and Katie Belt (front left)

 

We sort of got the lay of the land the next few days - restaurants, groceries, pubs and all the rest of the important things in our lives. All of the people we have met here at the marina have been terrific.  A really nice guy from Almost Heaven West Virginia has been tons of help about everything here in Annapolis - whether it is boating, fishing, or finding your way around town.  Thank you, Ray.

We also have gotten to know the manager here at the marina, Kimberly, and our next door neighbor, Bernard.  It has been a pleasure.

 

View off the bow of MTB looking toward the Chesapeake Bay.  The Bay Bridge is on the far left side of the picture

 

 

This past Thursday we had our very first over-nite company as far as a couple goes.  My nephew Todd Belt and his wonderful wife Katie drove in from Columbus on Thursday and arrived here at about 3PM.  We had a great time with them, but their departure on Sunday came way too soon.  We took the dingy out, went sailing with the Bryants, drank a few cold ones, did the crab thing, and on Saturday made our way into Annapolis and visited the sites.  The Naval Academy was too cool.  The Severn River runs right alongside the city and is very cool.  Not too hard to believe that Todd and I found a little bar downtown with a beautiful Buckeye Flag hanging in the back of the bar.  You know where we watched the first half of the game against San Diego State.  It was 35-0 at halftime so we passed on the second half.  

 

Todd and Jack taking a sightseeing trip in the Back Bay

 

Within walking distance of the boat there are about 4 cool little restaurant/bars - much closer than the 1.2 miles into Annapolis.  We have hit each one a few times.  The coolest is a bar called The Boat Yard.  It was our first discovery.  We walked in their last Monday and noticed about 10 Buffet albums all over the joint.  After a few questions we realized the owner hangs down in the Keys where he sails and fishes - better yet all kinds of pictures of him hanging with Jimmy!  The coolest part is that a week from this Saturday there is the 9^th annual benefit concert about 50 yards from the boat.  No JB, but for you Coral Reefer People how does Mr. Michael Utley sound? Utley is the key board dude and has been with Jimmy forever.  Also playing is the steel guitar player from the band.  So you know where we will be on Saturday the 21^st   - at McNasbys’ Oyster Company (I am reading the sign from the boat). We are looking forward to hearing some JB music and whatever else Utley has up his sleeve.

 

Naval Academy - practice ships

As I sit here typing we are getting our first rain in about 2 weeks - heard you people in Phoenix have had your share the past 4 or 5 days.  I know you guys can always use some rain.  We will be departing here in about 2 ½ weeks.  Our slip is rented on Oct. 1 for the largest Sail Boat Show in the country - at least that is what we’ve heard.  By the looks of all the sailboats we have seen I believe it.  We have about 140 miles remaining of the Chesapeake and we will probably take 2 to 3 weeks to finish that part of our journey.  After that, we will be in Virginia and then off to the Carolinas.  That is about it for now.  Hope all is going well!

Take Care, Jack

 
 

She Said:  We have finally arrived in Annapolis.  The trip was long, but we had favorable currents.  About 13 miles out, we saw the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (more than an hour away at our speed) and we started getting excited.  As we got closer to Annapolis the number of sailboats multiplied.  They were everywhere, and as long as they’re under sail they have the right of way – that meant a lot of maneuvering.  We entered the Severn River and made a quick left into the Back Bay where we were met with a ton of boat traffic.  Our marina/slip was immediately on our right and we actually passed it because it came up so fast.  We were surrounded by at least a half dozen boats entering Back Bay, and Jack needed to back up into the slip.  It was a difficult situation and Jack docked us (stern in, port tie-up) like an expert boater.  We were so excited to be here.  The original plan over a year ago was to start our trip in Annapolis.  Everything that we’ve experienced up to now has been an added bonus.

 

After getting settled in, we took a quick shower and headed off to our friend’s house for a Labor Day cookout.  Our former Phoenix neighbors, Margaret and Andy Bryant, bought a house in Annapolis a block from the marina.  The Bryants are from this area originally and have had a sailboat here for the last couple of years.  They are a wealth of information.  We had an excellent day visiting with them, their family and friends – we were the last to leave so hopefully we didn’t overstay our welcome.

 

View from bow of MTC looking down Back Bay

We spent the next day walking around getting to know our surroundings.  The area we’re in is called Eastport – just a short 1 mile walk into downtown, historic Annapolis.  The walk into Annapolis is filled with quaint, turn-of-the-century homes.  There are also several restaurants/bars.  We met Margaret and Andy at The Boatyard for dinner.   Jack fell in love with the place because Jimmy Buffet is everywhere – the owner knows Jimmy.  Even if weren’t for the Buffett connection, we’d still like it – fun atmosphere, good food and reasonable prices.  We saw a poster for an upcoming benefit sponsored by The Boatyard.  It will feature music by two members of Jimmy’s band – the Coral Reefer Band.  The event will take place a stone’s throw from MTB.  We’ve got it on our calendar.

 

Annapolis Skyline from Severn River.  Middle tower is the state capitol.  Far right tower is chapel of the Naval Academy

 

We borrowed the Bryants’ car and got a lot accomplished – groceries, vegetable stand, hardware and liquor store.  The furniture on our back patio is an ugly green.  I made new cushion covers for the furniture which makes the green even uglier.  Jack bought some white spray paint and has transformed the furniture.  It looks 100% better.  Now I need to get some more fabric and finish the project.

 

The vegetable stand we found is like the ones I grew up with and they still have in some parts of the Midwest.  The stand we found sells produce from PA and the eastern shore of the Chesapeake.  The corn and tomatoes are EXCELLENT.  It’s that flavorful produce that we just don’t get in AZ.  We tried the local peaches and OMG!!!  Thankfully the stand is within walking distance, because we’re there almost every day.  Even closer is a fish market.  The owners fish in the morning and open late afternoon to sell the day’s catch.  We’ve made numerous trips there, too.

We were really looking forward to the arrival of Jack’s nephew, Todd, and his wife, Katie.  They drove in from Columbus, OH and arrived late afternoon Thursday.  We had happy hour on MTB and then headed to Carole’s Creek for dinner.  We feasted on ½ price appetizers.  They were excellent – not our regular bar fare.  We will definitely go back there. 

 

The Belts - Todd, Katie & Jack

 

Sleeping on board has been great.  We actually sleep better on the boat than we did on land.  That wasn’t the case for Todd & Katie’s first night on board.  The water and wind were awful, and we spent most of the night awake.  Fortunately, none of us got seasick – but it was close.

 

The next day was very relaxing.  We enjoyed a sunset sail aboard First Light – Margaret and Andy’s sailboat.  A highlight was sailing in front of the Naval Academy. 

 

Naval Academy at sunset

  

On our last full day together we explored Annapolis, including a visit to the Naval Academy.  Jack and Todd found a bar to watch the Ohio State game; Katie and I did some shopping.  For dinner we did the local favorite – steamed crabs.  We fixed fresh corn on the cob, tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and fresh baked bread – yum.  We went to the local fish market and bought fresh crabs which they steamed for us.  We sat on the back deck of MTB and attacked the crab with our mallets.  The crabs were a lot of work with very little reward.  We laughed so hard - it’s a night that we’ll always remember.  We enjoyed our time with Todd and Katie and hated to see them leave.

 

 

 

For the last several days we’ve been settling into Annapolis.  Jack’s made friends with the marina staff, and they’ve been helping him with all kinds of boat tasks.  His new best friend is Ray from West Virginia.  Jack does a great impression of Ray’s southern drawl, and he’ll do it for anyone who will listen.

We’re really enjoying Annapolis.  The weather has been all over the place – we’ve had picture perfect days and hot/humid days.  We’ve actually needed the AC – good thing we’re hooked up to electricity.  We’re looking forward to exploring more of the area, and we’ve got a lot of little projects to get done while we’re here.  So we will definitely be busy the next 2-3 weeks.

 

Annapolis Sunset

 

NEW JERSEY - BELMAR, ATLANTIC CITY & CAPE MAY

 

We haven't published anything in awhile so this one is pretty long.

 

He Said:  Since our last blog things have been going very well and no mechanical stuff - sweet!!  We started our trip toward NJ on Sunday morning and all went well.  It was really cool in the East River traveling thru Manhattan and seeing all the beautiful NY stuff from a completely different view.  Hell’s Gate, which had me sweating bullets, was not as difficult as the bad ass name would make you believe.  The current, which is what it is known for, was traveling nice and rapid but with our 740HP Volvos we were very confident of getting thru.  We hear that sailboaters, or very underpowered boats, can get into trouble.  If you can only travel 5 or 6 MPH and the tide is moving at you the same speed against you, you are basically sitting in neutral and going nowhere.

 

We arrived Sunday mid PM in the Shark River in Jersey.  The little town was called Belmont and it was very cool.  We had to work ourselves into the fuel pump with lots of stuff happening around us.  We had all kinds of boat sizes, jet skis, people swimming right next to us and just too much action happening. We finally made it to the fuel dock without taking any people out of the picture.  The coolest part was after getting the boat backed into our tight slip (with some help) we settled in at about 50 ft. from a really cool outside bar that was rocking. They had live music all day long since it was on Sunday.  You talk about putting pressure on yourself.  You feel like you are on stage in front of a few hundred drunks trying to dock your boat - it went just fine.

 

We spent both Sunday and Monday in Shark River and loved it.  We walked thru the town and found an intersection where the Boss would record music in a building that is now a church.  For you Bruce fans from way back you will understand the intersection (10^th Avenue and E Street).  Way cool.

 

Jack, The Boss & the E Street Band

 

We left Tuesday morning heading to Little Egg Harbor but changed our plans and landed in Atlantic City.  (For all of you in the west, the Vegas of Jersey).  We spent just 1 nite there and it was cool but mostly large casinos with of course buffets and gambling.  We found a great little outside bar with live music.  This band was by far the best we have heard in a long time. The first 3 tunes were: Jimmy B., Zac Brown, then the Boss -  tuff to beat.

 

Atlantic City skyline reflecting in the harbor
 

 

We left early on Wednesday AM heading to Cape May, NJ. The cruise along the Jersey Shore (for 3 straight days) was beautiful.  I always thought that the bad wrap on Jersey was for real.  We thought that the damage from Sandy was amazing, but so was the resilience of these people.  It is just as amazing.  Most of the houses along the shore have been built back to there original look after only 10 months.  I had no idea of the amount of money in this area - the houses were large and beautiful.

 

We spent both Wednesday and Thursday in Cape May and really enjoyed it.  We enjoyed the cute little town and found a few cool little bars within walking distance of the boat.  

 

Beautiful Cape May Victorian Homes
 

                                                                                                                                                                          

Friday morning we left for Delaware City for a 1 nite stop on our way to the Chesapeake/Delaware Canal.  Delaware City is a very small town for people to hang for a day or 2 when heading somewhere else.  We went for dinner on Friday nite at Crabby Dick’s.  They had good food and also live tunes on the patio.  We were originally planning on leaving Delaware City on Saturday but there was a small craft advisory so Tim, the marina owner, advised us to stay put and we did.  We do not challenge 20MPH winds and possibly 5 to 7 ft waves - no thanks.

 

We only saw two barges in the Delaware Bay.  We were next to them as they passed one another.  Jack kept MTB out of their way.

 

The owner of the marina, Tim, is pretty well known at Crabby Dick’s so I thought I would use his power on Saturday to request some sports.  For those of you who know me at all can figure out the favor I needed - maybe 12 noon ESPN2/Buckeye Football.  I’m as happy as can be that it is that time of year again - YES!!  Watched the game on the patio with the big screen and $3.00 drafts.  Pat stayed on the boat for the 3 or so hours I was gone.  It was a nice break for the 2 of us. You guys know who you are from CK’s in the Tuke, it was terrific talking to all of you.  

 

Anyhow our plan is to depart on Sunday early and do the C & D Canal (17 miles) then over 50 more to Annapolis.  We hope to arrive late afternoon in Annapolis, because friends from 2 doors down in Diamond Ridge II now live in Annapolis and are having a party Sunday for a Labor Day Celebration. We hope to make it to the Bryant’s for the cook out.

 

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge as we approached Annapolis.  We could see if for approximately 13 miles
 

 

Later for now.  Hope all is going well.  Jack

 

 

 

She Said:  We have been dreading New Jersey.  Everybody has horror stories about making the approximate 125 mile journey down the Jersey shore.  The water and winds are often miserable and there are very few places to go ashore if the weather turns bad.  And the few places where you can go ashore don’t have easy entrances.  So we have seriously considered taking the “inside” route – the New Jersey IntraCoastal Waterway (NJICW).  The problem with the NJICW is that when Sandy came through last year the bottom of the ocean/NJICW moved around a lot.  The Army Corp of Engineers has been through the northern portion of the NJICW dredging it so that the waters are navigable, but they’re still working on the southern portion.  Obviously, the GPSs aren’t updated to reflect the changes in the waterways, so it would be a lot of slow traveling and constant watching the waters.  We decided to take the ocean route.

 

Our first stop was Belmar on the Shark River about 35 miles south of NYC.  It wasn’t our first choice for an overnight, but we lucked out - we loved it.  There were 3 bridges that needed to open in order for us to get through, so we had to idle around waiting.  The houses along the river banks were really picturesque.  Since we were on a river there were strong currents which made docking a bit of a challenge.  But once we were docked we kicked back and enjoyed the marina.  There was a big outdoor restaurant/bar that was just steps away from where we were docked.  The place was packed.  There was live music that played until about 10pm.  We could hear the music sitting on MTB.  Jack was in heaven.

 

Our first New Jersey Sunset.
 

 

The plan was to depart the next morning, but the weather wasn’t cooperating.  This was a great place to get stuck an extra day.  Belmar is a typical Jersey shore town where the population explodes in the summer.  (Along the northern Jersey shore you have to pay to go on the beach – it’s $7/day/person.)   It is next door to Asbury Park, so Jack loved all the Bruce Springsteen stuff.  On E Street at 10^th Avenue, we passed the place where the E Street Band practiced and got their name.  We walked to the beach and talked with a guy that’s lived in the area his entire life.  He told us about the effects of Sandy and the rebuilding that has taken place in the last 10 months.  The homes along the shore had 5 feet of standing water on the first floor (which is the garage level).  Most everything along this particular portion of the shore survived, but needed repairs.  There were, however, some vacant lots were older buildings were that didn’t make it.  Believe it or not, the restaurant/bar had live music on Monday night, too.  After dinner Jack went to listen to the music, and I had some peace and quiet on board by myself.

 

The Boardwalk in Belmar.  The homes on the left received new facades after Sandy came through.
 

 

We were off early the next morning for Little Egg Harbor.  The bridges were operating on demand, so there was no waiting around.  We were pleasantly surprised by how calm the winds and seas were.  The Jersey shore is really very pretty.  It’s a series of beaches and beach towns.  About half way into the trip the seas changed.  We started getting big rolling waves – nothing treacherous or dangerous, just uncomfortable.  As we approached Little Egg Harbor we called BoatUS Towing (which is like AAA towing service for boats).  The marina in Little Egg Harbor suggested we call them upon our approach to the harbor to get “local knowledge” of the waterway and current shoaling.  After talking with the guy at BoatUS, we decided it was just too much of a hassle getting in there, so we opted to travel an additional 10 miles to Atlantic City.  The entrance to Atlantic City had its own set of issues.  The winds and currents were at odds with one another and we were in the choppiest water since P-town.  Fortunately it was only a short distance – one we got into the channel it was smooth as glass.  We quickly found our dock and tied up for the night.

 

Neither of us are gamblers so Atlantic City wasn’t high on our list.  There was a big stage set up in the marina that had live music every night during the summer.  The band was great.  The food, however, wasn’t so good.  Our first mediocre meal since we left Phoenix.  We headed back to MTB before the last set.  Jack sat on the top of MTB and listened to the final set and I went downstairs to read.  Atlantic City turned out being a nice overnight stop.

 

A seagull having dinner.  They grab the crabs out of the ocean and bring them on the docks to eat.  First the gull pulls the legs off, then throws the crab on the dock to crack the shell.  Nature at work - it's really interesting to watch.

 

We got an early start for our final day of ocean cruising.  Cruising the ocean was not part of our original plan, and after spending two months on the ocean we are more than ready to say good-bye to the ocean.  We couldn’t have asked for a nicer day.  The water was really calm and Jack spotted a couple dolphins.  Before we knew it we were cruising with about 30 dolphins.  It was one of the coolest things to be part of.  There was one dolphin that jumped completely out of the water – just like at SeaWorld!  It was a picture perfect day . . . until we approached the entrance to Cape May.  All of a sudden boats of every size were speeding toward the channel’s entrance – not a good sign.  We followed their lead and sped up.  Unfortunately, we didn’t outrun the thunderstorm.  It was raining so hard it was difficult seeing.  Also, there were buoys that we’d never seen before, and we weren’t sure how to navigate them.  As we headed toward them a siren went off and a voice came over a PA system telling us to turn to “turn to your port.”  They were buoys marking a dredging area and we were supposed to stay far away and that’s not what we were doing.  We got the marina on the radio and asked for directions.  We were told to look for a Shell sign and keep it to our port side.   OK, no problem.  We find the Shell sign and call back the marina.  Guess what – we’re at the wrong Shell sign.  By now it’s raining so hard we can’t hear over our radio so we decide to just hang out until the rain lightens up.  The rain finally eases up and I go back outside to get the lines ready – I’m soaked.  We pull into the right marina this time and Jack expertly pulls us into our slip.  One more experience to check off our list.

 

A pretty Cape May street

 

The marina area of Cape May is about a mile from the town.  Because of the rain we decided to stay close to the marina on our first day and not head into town.  The Lobster House Restaurant was a short walk and we checked it out.  It’s been around for a hundred years and is an institution in Cape May.  It’s a combination of a restaurant, bar, take-out, raw bar and market.  We bought food at the fresh market and cooked on MTB.  The next day we spent the day in town.  It is a very cute town – lots of Victorian homes (residential, commercial, and lots of B&Bs).  We had a pleasant day in town.  That evening we stayed close to home and had dinner at Lazy Bones.  The food was great and we met lots of fun people.  One gentleman in particular we hope to meet up with in Annapolis. 

 

We were pleasantly surprised with our time in New Jersey, but it was time to head up the Delaware Bay for the C&D Canal.  The trip north was pleasant but very slow.  We usually travel at 1200 RPMs and go about 9-10 MPHs, but the fastest we ever got was 8 MPHs.  It was a long, but uneventful day.  The original plan was to go through the C&D Canal and overnight in Chesapeake City at the western end of the Canal.  The currents through the C&D Canal were going to be flowing against us, so we decided to spend the night in Delaware City (the eastern city of the Canal) and catch favorable currents the next morning.  It turned out to be a great place. And that was a good thing, because when we woke up the next morning there was a small craft advisory which meant we weren’t going nowhere.  Jack was able to watch Ohio State football at a local bar and I got some quiet time – we were both happy!  We had a great meal at Crabby Dick’s.

 

A lighthouse in the Delaware Bay.  The white stuff isn't paint.  You figure it out!

We left Delaware City Marina at 7:30am for the 70 mile trip to Annapolis.  Leaving the marina is an interesting process.  The marina is on a narrow river and the docks run parallel to the river.  The distance between the dock and the opposite side of the river is maybe 60 feet.  That means there is limited turning space.  And because it’s a river, there’s current to deal with making turning precarious.  The marina has an interesting way of dealing with this situation.  Depending on the direction the river’s current is flowing, the marina will tie up either the bow or stern and untie the other end.  They will then let the current of the river turn the boat around using the pivot point of the tied up end.  It’s really interesting to watch. 

 

The calm waters of the C&D Canal

 

 

The C&D Canal – which was first discussed in the 1600s, reintroduced by Benjamin Franklin in the late 1700s and finally built in the 1800s to shorten the distance between Philadelphia and Baltimore – is 17 miles long and has currents of up to 4 knots.  We started the trip during slack tide and by the time we exited the canal the current had picked up to about 2 knots in our favor.  We also had a favorable current once we entered the Chesapeake Bay.  The entrance to the bay was absolutely gorgeous – probably the prettiest waterway I’ve seen on the entire trip.  We made the trip to Annapolis in about 8 hours.  We are both really excited about our upcoming 30 days in Annapolis!