Will the Sun Come Out Tomorrow?

Day 11  |  Cape May to Atlantic City  |  40 Miles  |  6.3 Hours

Our departure from Cape May was delayed a bit as a heavy fog developed right after sunrise. Warm, moist air from the land had moved out to sea and settled over the cool water, resulting in advection fog or pea soup. We watched as a few local fishermen left their slips and were encouraged when we could actually see across to the other side of the marina. With buddy boat Sugarfoot off our stern, we headed out of the marina and into the Atlantic, bound for Atlantic City.

Visibility was about 1/8 mile as we made our way out the Cape May inlet. We had our navigation lights and radar on. A large fishing vessel eerily emerged from the fog and we passed port to port. We had our headsets on and I was on the bow for a better look. 

Other than the fog, however, it was a great day on the water. The Atlantic was flat and the wind was light and behind us. We saw horseshoe crabs, dolphin, and even a large turtle. Even though we cruised four and a half miles off the coast, we still had to keep our eyes open for floats and bouys, marking fishing grounds. Overall it was just a long, uneventful day with most of our time spent just looking out the pilothouse windows. 

As we made the turn into Atlantic City's Absecon Inlet, the fog had actually begun to thicken. Piloting primarily by radar, we stayed in the middle of the channel straining to eyeball the actual channel markers for confirmation. We knew the resorts of the Atlantic City boardwalk were supposed to be off to port. With the help of Google Maps, we later identified this large structure (below right) as the Flagship Resort.

We and Sugarfoot entered into a very narrow channel at Rum Point that opened into a large protected anchorage. The fog was a bit lighter where we set the hook, but the Brigantine Boulevard Bridge, which crosses the inlet, was only partially visible. 

As I write this at 7:30, the fog is as thick as its been all day and we're just hoping that we'll be able to get out of here early tomorrow morning. We cannot navigate this narrow channel by instrument only. Friday will have favorable wave and wind conditions for our next leg to Staten Island. Weather conditions deteriorate on Saturday. Here's hoping the fog lifts.

The map below shows the path we've taken from Annapolis to Atlantic City.

Catching Up with a Friend

Day 10  |  Cape May, NJ 

Enterprise picked us up and all of our paperwork was completed by 9:30. Finally, we were off on a short trip north to follow up with Fletcher (see prior post from 5/21).  When we arrived at the stables, he was in a paddock with his new best friend, Tad. I grabbed the apples I promised him I'd bring and headed down the fence, calling his name. He came right over, knowing I had treats. He also seemed glad to see me. 

I spent about half an hour with the big guy, walking alongside and chatting with him in the paddock. He was relaxed and loving life. Then came the time for the latest installment of Fletcher-Robin selfies, which has always been the highlight of my visits with him over the past several years. He did not disappoint and was both playful and expressive. Thank you, Abby, for welcoming us again to your barn. Best wishes and I hope to you see guys down the road in a year or so.

We took advantage of the rental car and hit as many big box retailers as we could. We had accumulated a short list since our departure from Deltaville and while we had the opportunity we wanted to try and check everything off. We hit Wal-mart, Lowe's, West Marine and Home Depot before returning to the marina to unload. There is about a five-foot tidal swing here and we came back with our bags and case of water at low tide. The ramp for the floating docks had settled in at quite a steep angle, and navigating it was made a bit more interesting by the misty rain that fell all day. 

We got all bags onboard and then returned the rental car. The seven Loop boats gathered for "docktails" at 5:00. Due to the chilly (OK, I say its cold) weather, we all loaded onto one boat. It was a great time to meet everyone, including our Harbor Hosts that came with fresh-baked donuts. A few of us will be heading out tomorrow morning to get to Atlantic City. Most of us will join back up on Friday evening at Great Kills Yacht Club in Staten Island, NY and wait for our next weather window together. 

Foggy Day to Cape May

Day 9  |  Chesapeake City to Cape May, NJ  |  63 Miles  |  8.75 Hours

The good news: there was little wind and wave action. The not so good news: the fog had rolled in and it was still chilly. The dense fog in the anchorage made for a picturesque start to the day. Too bad this initial view was about as colorful as it got for most of the day.

We exited the anchorage and began our trek through the C&D Canal to the Delaware River. Crossroads reached speeds over 10 knots (speed over ground) with the help of a 2.5 knot current. We passed under several bridges, each of a different design.

Before we knew it, we were out of the Canal and into the Delaware River. A blue heron sat on the jetty marking the Canal's entrance/exit as if to wish us Safe Travels. It seemed as if the sea anchor had been deployed as our helpful current disappeared and we were all of a sudden bucking an equally strong current. A short time later, we rounded the Salem Nuclear Power Station and entered Delaware Bay.

To our surprise and enjoyment, the wind was still minimal and the water was flat. This area is notorious for a rough sea state and white-knuckle voyages. We made our way past the Ship John Shoal Light (below left), shared the channel with several barges and freighters, and then passed Miah Maull Shoal Light (below right).

Thankfully as we entered the Cape May Canal, the sky began to clear and the sun peeked out every now and then. (I didn't put my sunglasses on once all day -- that's how dreary is was!) The seagulls took to the beach and we completed the final segment to Utsch's Marina where our first order of business was to fill up the diesel tanks. Two hundred and fifty gallons later, we were finally headed to our slip. Barry checked into the office and paid our bill which entitled us to a complimentary bottle of house-labeled white cranberry wine. Not willing to wait for it to chill, we headed over to the Lobster House for an early birthday dinner. It did not disappoint.

We've rented a car for tomorrow and will visit some friends, and Wal-mart, Home Depot and West Marine as well. The weather forecast has everyone worried and scrambling with weekend plans. There are at least seven active Loop boats here with us, all looking at how the track of Alberto will affect us. We think we have our plans and destinations in order, but will keep monitoring the forecasts.

Last Day in Maryland

Day 8  |  Chesapeake City

Following my post last night, I looked out the window and found this to be an interesting view from our anchorage.

It rained off and on all of yesterday afternoon and continued through the night. We took advantage of the opportunity to close up the boat and run the generator for a while. This allowed us to turn on the air conditioner and dehumidify the cabin, run our coldplate freezer to take a few degrees off the thermometer, and to top off the charge on our batteries. The front moved through overnight and the wind shifted. Our anchor held tight as we repositioned in the light breeze. The temperatures plummeted, dropping about 20 degrees from the morning before. I pulled out my jeans, long sleeved shirt and jacket while Barry bailed the rainwater out of the dinghy in preparation for our run ashore.

Yesterday afternoon I paid some bills and did some other paperwork. While most of our regular bills are satisfied electronically, some still require a stamp and trip to the post office. We Googled and found that the Chesapeake City post office (ZIP Code 21915) was a little over a mile away. We made that our destination for the day, glad to further stretch the boundaries of what we had previously explored. We walked along a major road that continued in the opposite direction of our travels over the bridge you see in the above photo. The shoulders were wide, the traffic was light, and we felt safe. Honeysuckle lined this stretch of highway and overpowered any odor of vehicle exhaust.

We spent a good part of the afternoon visiting with our "next-door" neighbors, Chris and Durene from Wilmington, NC, aboard Sugarfoot, a Monk 36 trawler. We will leave with them in the morning around 8:00 and make our way together through the C&D Canal and down Delaware Bay to Cape May, NJ. After a few days at anchor, we are anxious to get underway. While in Cape May we are looking forward to visiting with friends, grabbing a few provisions/parts, and enjoying a dinner at the Lobster House.

We're Officially Cruisers!

Day 7  |  Chesapeake City

There is no need for an alarm clock when you're sharing an anchorage with 30 Canada geese. They began honking at 6:00 and as much as I wanted to, there was no hitting the snooze button. We enjoyed a lazy morning under a gray sky. My NOAA radar app assured us that the storms would hold off until 3:30 so we piled into the dinghy and headed back to town to walk around.

We attempted to explore Ferryslip Road Park only to find that there were no trails and was an inaccessible protected wetland. A few flowers along the margin of the marsh caught my eye. We headed back into town, vowing to explore this time from one end to the other.

We walked many of the same streets we had the previous two days, but it seems this time we were looking more closely and seeing the little things. We noticed the highly-decorated porches, the accessories that personalized each dwelling, and the doorways.

We also enjoyed reading the many signs along the way. We passed by four churches, but after the conclusion of their morning services. Most houses have a historical marker placed out front alongside the sidewalk and we read most of them. This one homeowner must have had sign envy ... and a sense of humor.

We made our way back to the Canal overlook and were content to watch the boat traffic for a while. It was 1:30 and Barry was on the phone when it began ... rain. It was just a drizzle, but the radar showed red in the area so we headed back to the dinghy dock. We climbed into the dinghy and Barry gave the cord a quick pull to start the outboard. Our hearts sank as the cord snapped and came free. Luckily, our anchorage neighbors were tied up beside us and had similar plans of returning to their boat. They graciously towed us back to Crossroads. Thank you, crew of Slip-Knot. We did not want to paddle our way back. Once securely tied up, Barry replaced the cord as I handed him the tools. All is good and we're all set to go again tomorrow.

We've always been told that the definition of a cruiser is "one who repairs their boat in exotic places." I'm not sure if Chesapeake City is exotic, or if repairing the dinghy is the same as repairing the mothership, but we felt pretty good about overcoming our first mechanical challenge. We know there will be more to come in the next year.

Exploring Chesapeake City

Day 6  |  Chesapeake City

Our Memorial Day weekend will be spent on the hook in Chesapeake City, MD. Its an opportunity to get some housekeeping and maintenance projects completed. This morning Barry woke up eager to do laundry. Yes, I too was shocked and skeptical, but you must understand that our onboard washer/dryer combo unit is still new enough to us that it falls into the category of Boy Toy Gadget. I was more than willing to let him give it a spin ... and rinse.

We hopped into the dinghy and made the short trip over to the C&D Canal Museum. The C&D Canal connects the Chesapeake Bay with the Delaware River. It is administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from an office here in Chesapeake City. The Canal Museum houses the original canal pumphouse, complete with waterwheel and pump engines. The museum does a nice job of telling the story of this hand-dug canal. On the grounds is a full-sized replica of the Bethel Bridge Lighthouse that was used to warn vessels of the locks and bridges prior to the 1920s.

Following our museum tour, we headed back to Crossroads to grab some lunch and, more importantly, recharge our phones. We loaded back into the dinghy and set off for the other end of the basin so we could walk through town. There is a small retail district dotted with B&Bs and restaurants. A central park was set up for a late afternoon wedding. Historic homes dating from the 1870s featured lush gardens. Judging from all the rhododendron and peonies in full bloom, the season here is about two weeks behind Richmond. We found a quiet overlook and watched the boats come and go on the canal.

Looking for inspiration, we found a town map at the ice cream store. Not wanting to be rude, and being an "even" day we also grabbed a cone. (Boat rule is ice cream no more frequently than every other day.)

It was determined that we had explored about all we could. We returned to Crossroads and I actually pulled out a book, took it to Fiberglass Beach, and read a few chapters before nodding off. We gave the dinghy a good cleaning while sitting on the swim platform with our feet in the water. That was a refreshing end to the day.

Right now the air is still and the humidity is high. Rain is supposed to move in overnight. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

A Day for the Birds (In a Good Way)

Day 5  |  Annapolis to Chesapeake City  |  52 Miles  |  8.2 Hours

Barry woke me at 5:30 am. He was anxious to get underway. I did not share his enthusiasm. By 5:50 both our anchor and the sun were up and we were out of Annapolis harbor and heading north up the Chesapeake toward the Bay Bridge.

All my usual morning chores (wash down anchor, deck, me / wipe down boat) were done in time to enjoy the passage under the bridge. Its always special to pass under this bridge by boat or drive over it by car, but it has special meaning for me as I have completed three Across the Bay 10ks over the bridge as well. You can't appreciate the size of this structure until you try to run across it. I have special memories from each race and the folks who have joined me to "Beat the Bridge."

Just on the other side of the bridge, we passed two more lighthouses -- Sandy Point (below middle) and Baltimore (below right).

We settled in to Business-As-Usual mode, cruising at 1600 rpm and 6.5 knots (speed over ground) against a pretty good current. Passing barges and tankers provided pleasant diversions.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, the wind shifted from behind us and we found ourselves in the dreaded position of zero apparent wind. Without even a hint of breeze, it was hot -- even too hot to be out on Fiberglass Beach. Adding to the frustration, the water was full of trash making our passage tricky. A week of heavy rains had brought tons of sticks, branches and logs into the water. Dodging this proved to be much harder that dodging crab pots. We heard a few thumps, but we never made full contact. We also came across several mylar balloons (PSA: Please don't release them as they end up in the water) and plenty of dead fish.

We finally reached the top of the Bay and entered the Elk River with the Turkey Point Lighthouse off to port. Also a personal favorite, the little white lighthouse looks so stately tucked into the foliage on the bluff of Elk Neck State Park. We also began to see an abundance of osprey tending nests/young on the channel markers.

Then, out of the haze, I saw them. Two white spots -- head and tail -- indicated that this was not an osprey, but something more special. I grabbed my "real" camera and caught the eagle in flight as it flew down the port side of Crossroads. I tracked it as it swooped down, grabbed the fish, made a U-turn, and proceeded to fly away down our starboard side. Barry and I were both energized by this viewing, and then even more so when I reviewed the pictures and saw that I caught it all.

We rounded a bend in the river, saw the bridge, and knew we had reached our destination -- Chesapeake City. As planned, we were the first boat in the basin and easily dropped anchor in a prime spot. We lowered the dinghy like pros, loaded up, and headed over to the docks. We walked around town a bit and then grabbed dinner on the deck at the Chesapeake Inn.

As the sun sets on our anchorage, four sailboats have joined us for the evening. We will stay here through the holiday weekend ... and probably still be talking about the eagle.

Exploring Annapolis

Day 4  |  Annapolis 

We anticipate completing the Great Loop in a little over a year. Many folks have done it quicker. Many more make this journey in annual segments, taking many years to "cross their wake."  Our timeline still allows ample time for stopping and taking in the sights. Although we've been to Annapolis countless times by both boat and car, we still enjoy walking around town so we elected to take it easy and stay put.

We planned to sleep in, but I was awake at 5:30 and came up to Fiberglass Beach to watch the sunrise. It was the best one of our trip, but still a bit disappointing. I'll keep watching for the dramatic reds and oranges I love, ignoring the "red in the morning, sailor's warning" adage. I then curled up on the pilot house bench and went back to sleep, thankful to get another hour.

Breakfast, showers and chores occupied our morning. Barry got our registration numbers applied to the dinghy so we're now legal. (This project was rained out on multiple occasions the week prior to our departure.) I caught up on some family requests and then called my Aunt B to wish her a Happy Birthday. We hailed the water taxi and headed in to town, starting in Eastport and working our way around to the Naval Academy. Of course, we had to enter through Barry's private gate. :-)

We hung out at the end of Ego Alley, watching the parade of boats and people. There is a nice statue tribute to Alex Haley of Roots fame. We surmised that maybe five percent of the folks walking around would have any knowledge of Haley or Kunta Kinte. We walked the grounds of the Statehouse (Annapolis is the capital of Maryland) and then returned to Pusser's for a late lunch/early dinner and a cold beverage.

Our final stop was to pick up a few provisions then we headed back to Crossroads aboard the water taxi.

We plan to leave early tomorrow (even for us) and knock out the miles as soon as we can. Anchorages are first-come, first-served and we want to improve our chances of a securing a prime spot for the predicted rainy Memorial Day weekend. We're also looking to get ourselves in a good position for a early-week trip through the C&D Canal.

Busy Day to Annapolis

Day 3  |  Solomons to Annapolis  |  53 Miles  |  6.3 Hours

As we slept, the hundreds of gnats that had found refuge onboard during our trip to Solomons worked their way to the pilot house windows. While this was disconcerting at first, it made for quick work in our new-found game of Splat-A-Gnat. With the help of a fly swatter and a little Windex, we removed the infestation and were on our way at 6:45 to Annapolis. Tuesday night's rain and the morning dew provided a nice opportunity to wipe down Crossroads. She won't be getting a full-fledged bath for a while so I will take full advantage of these conditions to keep her looking sharp. While cleaning the stern, I had a bit of fun photo-bombing Barry's rear-view camera.

Solomons to Annapolis is another familiar trek. It is also loaded with scenery and is one of my favorite day trips on the Chesapeake. Leaving the Patuxent River and heading north we first pass by the picturesque Cove Point Lighthouse. The Calvert Cliffs and trees always provide a nice backdrop for pictures. Just past the lighthouse is the Cove Point Liquid Natural Gas Terminal. There was a tanker in the anchorage awaiting its fill, but no activity this early in the morning.

I spent a little time on Fiberglass Beach catching some rays and a little snooze. I have determined that the charging display for our solar panel is a good indicator for prime tanning time. When our panels are charging at over 250 watts, Fiberglass Beach is the place to be. Before we knew it, Thomas Point Lighthouse was in sight. Thomas Point is a screw-pile lighthouse and is the quintessential Chesapeake Bay lighthouse. We passed by closely to help get some good pictures. The sky was a bit hazy, but the red and white still popped.

About the time we got to Thomas Point, we noticed how the boat traffic was increasing tremendously. This was anticipated as we knew the Blue Angels would be performing an air show over the Naval Academy at 2:30. Boats of every size and type were converging on Annapolis harbor. After some discussion, Barry and I agreed to drop anchor for the show viewing and then reset for the evening much further in when the crowd went back home.

The Blue Angels were amazing and so was the collection of boats. Everyone behaved and gave each other enough room to swing. Six jets performed for about half an hour. Barry and I stood on Fiberglass Beach and enjoyed this special opportunity.

Following the show, the harbor cleared out and we moved closer to town, anchoring near the Naval Academy. Barry grilled some chicken and we had an excellent view of the Wednesday night sailboat races -- sometimes too good of a view. As former sailors, we enjoyed seeing these boats sail back through the harbor and appreciated their skill at maneuvering through a very crowded area, although we were also concerned about our anchor chain and swim platform.

We will stay in Annapolis tomorrow and take the water taxi in to explore the town.

Comfort in Solomons

Day 2  |  Little Bay to Solomons, MD  |  50 Miles  |  7.5 Hours

We slept well and awoke to a nice sunrise in Little Bay. We had named the crabpots we had been dancing with the Blues Brothers, and were happy to see that they were still floating and lurking a short distance off each side our swim platform.

We raised the anchor and Barry took us out of the anchorage toward the Chesapeake Bay. Washing down the anchor proved to be a messy proposition and it took about five minutes of scraping with the boat hook and using our pressure wand to spray off the caked-on mud. Thinking I had done a pretty good job of cleaning up the mess, I returned to the pilot house where Barry told me the boat look good, but I was sporting a "mud-stache" from the splatter. (Sorry, no pictures of this.) Time to head downstairs and clean up.

The trip to Solomons, MD is one we've made many times in our 25 years of cruising the Bay. It is a comfortable trip with lots of open water and a pretty direct route. We passed in close proximity to two lighhouses (Smith Point, below left, and Point No Point, below right) and could see two others in the distance. As we neared the Patuxent River, we were entertained by a variety of aircraft coming and going from the Naval Air Station.

We had originally planned to anchor out and I had already removed the safety pin and snubber in preparation for lowering it. The weather forecast and a lack of desired spots, however, led us to pick up a mooring ball. A quick change of plans had me grabbing the boat hook and preparing to pick up a pendant for the first time ever aboard Crossroads. Barry placed us right alongside the ball and I grabbed the pendant on the first shot ... whew. We were secure and quickly prepared to go ashore to pay our bill, get in a little walk, and some ice cream. Mission accomplished, we returned to Crossroads, got the dinghy back on the upper deck, and cleaned up just in time for the thunderstorm to roll through.

All is calm now and pretty soon we'll have to decide what we'll do tomorrow. It is so weird to have no real plan and no real schedule.