Norfolk/Portsmouth Va 9/21 Dolphins

Leaving Deltaville and heading south, the wind is from the north, but blowing less than we are moving. Another motor day.  Shortly we pass the mouth of the Potomac River. We would love to turn in and go up to Washington DC, but 30 miles and the time of year, we pass. Maybe in the spring. Interesting that the Navy has ships in the area.

Potomac River

As we approach the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay, we see more and more Navy presence. The highlight was the pod of dolphins we crossed paths with. How cool!!!!  As we head for the Elizabeth River we see more Navy. From helicopters to small boats, the  highlight was the aircraft carriers parked side by side. Huge!!!!

Norfolk

Aircraft Carrier

We had talked with a marina where we could leave Journey for a month. Unfortunately, when we arrived we realized that it was not going to work. Many of the marinas have two pilings and a short, maybe 12 ft finger pier. No way to get Lu and Chester off the boat bow in and to go stern in, which is how you need to be, the dingy would be over the dock... IF I could back it in. Gave up that idea and called a high priced marina. Now we have nice floating docks with full finger piers. Everthing at a cost.


We again pick up a rental car and head for Holland for a month.  To be continued........

Deltaville 9/20

A good days passage south to Deltaville. On the way in we found bottom in the channel....a very narrow approach. Worked our way off  and into Deltaville Marina. Very quiet. The best part was the eye candy...boats that is. Next to a Santa Crus 52, behind us an Oyster 63, an on and on. A short one night stay and on to Norfolk area.

To Annapolis sept 13

As we leave Baltimore we again view the beautiful sights


The motor to Annapolis was uneventful. As we go under the Bay Bridge, the William Preston Lane jr....... Bridge, we head in toward Annapolis. And again it's dodge crab pots. This is a way of life here. Somehow    there is room at the City Dock. Now the City Dock has probably 75 moorings, twenty five docks which are short 12 ft docks with pilings tot tie to , and room on the wall.  Unfortunately, to do a dock  you almost have to back in. These are made for power boats. Can't back in with the dingy in the  davits. So on to the wall on the inlet. This is right in the historic district. Beautiful buildings.
The upside to being tied here is being right on the wall. The downside is how busy it is. At least a couple thousand people walk this every day. And three/quarters of them have dogs. Chester just could not control himself....Mr social. To sit in the cockpit put us on display.
Toured the Navel Academy. Only a block away. There was definitely a discipline that went with the opportunity. Interesting to watch 4000 midshipmen line up in formation for lunch.

While there our friends from last year at Tonnawanda ( the beginning of the Erie Canal) pull up in their dingy. They have been cruising since last year . Nice to catch up

Prepared to head further south.

Sassafras to Baltimore sept 10

As usual we left just after daylight. A pretty day as we motor down the river...8 miles to the bay.As we get close the  wind picks up. Out goes the headsail and we motor-sail down the bay. Now the main activity is dodging crabpots. They are everywhere. Lu watches and calls out "go left or go right" She does a great job. Down the bay to the Patapsco River that runs out of Baltimore. A right turn  heads us in the shipping channel. The wind goes from 5kts to 20 kts and back. Finally we turn more into it and roll up the jenny. We passed lots of  piers where freighter after freighter were tied up loading or unloading. As we weave our way up the river we pass the Francis Scott Key Bridge and Fort McHenry where all the history went on. We turn into our marina...Harbor East.

Docks

Navy medical ship "Comfort"

A Pink Freighter??????

Baltimore hit bottom in the 70s and urban developement has really taken place. The harbor  has all new buildings with lots of shopping and restuarants. There is a light ship, submarine,coast guard boat, and the last sailing only built ship, the Constellation. Lots of cannons etc. Somewhere here is the tall ship, the Pride of Baltimore II.

The Constallation

We bought a day pass for the water taxi and ran around the bay. Got off at Fells Point and played tourist. Lots of old,old buildings restored....again all galleries, bars and restaurants.

Tomorrow, Thur,  we are off to Annapolis

C&D Canal to Sassafras Harbor Sept 6

The C&D (Chesapeake & Deleware) Canal  connects the Delaware Bay to the Chesapeake Bay in a 14 mile canal. It's mainly to save freighters and tugs from going around and up the Chesapeake Bay. Big mileage savings. We left Delaware City at first light and headed around to the canal. Although the current was against us, it was mild. Went into the Bay and down to Sassafras River. Our friend Bob had told us it was a very pretty trip and there was marinas at Georgetown that could maybe do our repairs. Boy was he right.

Chesapeake Bay

I talked with Joe, the owner on Fri a.m. hoping to arrange repairs for the next week. He jumped on things and and by mid-morning repairs were in process. It took the guys five hours to straighten all the railing and the Davit.All of them were both bent and twisted. Boy, had I made a mess. Everything was about detail. By mid afternoon they were done. That left me to reassemble and install. Bob helped me...I crawled into the trunk, as we call it, and we bolted the rails back on. By the next morning it was done!

Stern rail and davit

All the people at this marina were very nice even though it is 98% power boaters. Just kidding. As we were on  the end, many came out to see the progress and to visit Chester. What a nice experience.

Crossing Delaware Bay (Sept. 3)

On a dismal, overcast morning we approach Delaware Bay with our wounded stern.  There was enough wind to put up the headsail and move along.   Mother Nature gave us a free shower.  Its always a pretty site to see tugs moving barges to various locations.  We encountered 2 such beauties on the Bay and happily get out of their way.    Our destination is Delaware City Marina, just past the C&D Canal approach.  It is a sleepy, tiny town.  The canal walk is tastefully done with red brick and park lighting from the marina into the town.  Yes, the town has ice cream which kicks it up a notch!

We were disappointed with the harbormaster at the marina.  Tim needed an attitude adjustment.  He gladly ordered parts for us when we gave him the specific part numbers, not a problem.  When the wrong part came in and he had to return it...he was not a happy camper with us.  No bones about it. 
He had recommended a welder and made the first contact for us.  The welder, Kerry, met with us once and then never came back or returned phone calls as promised.  We pulled up and moved on to Sassafras River where the experience did a 180.   Encountering people like Tim & Kerry only makes you appreciate the good people even more.

Atlantic City Aug 30

Rolled into Atlantic City in the AM. They put us at a dock in the middle...hardly any other boats on the dock. Now understand, we thought maybe we were on the dingy dock. Later, a 120 ft Delta tied up along the pier across from us. Being at the "Golden Nugget" casino ( they manage the municipal marina) we were way out of our league. Lots of glitz! Not too bad on Thur night, but Fri the band on the deck got obnoxious...also way too close.

We got wild in the casino....Lu lost $20 and I made $20....not the high stakes.

Headed out Sun am for Cape May. Only a little over 30 miles, not a bad run. BUT, of course, the current was against us. Never have we seen a place where,  I think, wakes were required. Even the Coast Guard made a big wake. Went in to  a nice marina by the canal.

We remeasured the bridge height on Journey, again. The bridge height in the total height of the mast above the water. Add in the lights and antenna and that's how high a bridge has to be to clear under it. Also you play in the tide. At the base of the bridges is usually a marker in the water to show the height.

As we we leaving our slip we had a fender-bender. I backed into a piling, trashing the port-stern rail and davit. Our new friend Bob, on Azure Skies, called in the Bridge height at 57ft. Because the tide was rising, we licked our wounds and headed out. At 56ft, our antenna scrapes the underside of the bridge. The second bridge was no better. The rest of the ride out the Cape May Canal was uneventful. A great sail up the Delaware Bay...with the current. 7-8 knots with just the headsail.

All Night Sail on the Atlantic: He Said, She Said

She Said:  when the news came from the He of no other choice but to night sail from Atlantic Highlands to Atlantic City on the Atlantic Ocean, well....okay.  Like the choices are what?  I trust Mark and see first hand how avid a 3W (weather, wind, waves) sailor he is, so what the heck.  It will be cooler that's for sure.  We leave just before 5 pm and it takes us a while to get to the ocean but we arrive to waves and chop just like we are used to on Lake Michigan!  Not a problem.  It gets dark and the Jersey Shore is beautiful with lights.  Time for a delicious salmon dinner which tastes even more delicious under sail with the cool breeze.  We actually sail!  It gets cooler and the forecasted wind of 8-10 picks up to around 18.  We take turns snoozing with the dog throughout the night.  When I'm on watch that's when the wind picked up to 18 & 20 knots.  Get the jacket.  The sound of the water from behind and the darkness is rather eery.  Mark's 20 minute snooze turns into an hour and I see we need to change course.  I make the decision it is time for the He to get up!  He changes course, we chat for a while and it's my turn to snooze with Chester.  Morning breaks and around 8:30 a.m. we slide into Atlantic City.  We are docked by 9:30, registered, walk the dog (good boy!  19 hours since his last land break), have a cocktail and go to bed.  The night and the sail went fast.  Survived.

He Said:  New Jersey is not like we are used to on Lake Michigan. Ports are very far apart and most are too shallow for a sailboat. The ICW in New Jersey is 1-2 feet deep in a lot of places. Thus the decision to go the 80 some miles to Atlantic City. By leaving around 5:00 gave us a nice window if the wind turned light. After rounding Sandy Hook( look it up) we headed south. The wind played with us ....from a broad reach to a run....that's from 130 degrees to 180 degrees. This direction makes the boat roll. As the night progressed the wind increased. Tried my best to keep the ride smooth. Ran about three miles off shore which is only in sixty feet of water, Lu did much better than Chester, but still she was night comfortable. I took Chester down for a short nap which turned into an hour. The wind picked up around twenty knots. We were running with the headsail reefed and the mizzen. Rolled too much so reefed the mizzen. The first time I have ever done that..worked well. Then I also needed to depower so we did not arrive too early. Lu and Chester had a nice three hour nap. Good!  Early arrival into Atlantic City and a long motor into the chop to round the point and into the opening.
Chester did amazing but was unfair to him. Lu did very well but not her thing.