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!