Our last posting left off at Cape May, New Jersey. In this posting, we will share info on our trip from Cape May up the Delaware Bay, through the C&D canal, south on the Chesapeake and into Norfolk/Portsmouth, Virginia. As well, I absolutely must brag about my granddaughter and share some pictures, and Dave will give you all the details on our boat repairs.
There are two ways to get south from Cape May to Virginia. One way is to travel due south in the Atlantic Ocean passing the coastlines of Delaware and Maryland. The other way is to first head north on the Delaware Bay and then south on the Chesapeake Bay. We chose the latter route even though it is longer because the weather at this time of year is too unpredictable for the ocean route.
The Delaware Bay is bordered by New Jersey on the east and Delaware on the west. The bay serves as a breeding ground for many aquatic species, including horseshoe crabs, and it is also a prime oystering ground. At the northern end, the bay meets the Delaware River, and up this river lies the city of Philadelphia, which was the largest city in North America in the 18th century. Today, the bay is one of the most important navigational channels in the United States, and is the second busiest waterway after the Mississippi River.
There is a current of up to 3 knots in the bay, so we set out early to take advantage of it. Our trip was uneventful and fast, and it only took us one day to reach an anchorage at the northern end just a few miles from the C&D Canal. We had planned to enter the Canal the next day, but when we woke in the morning, we were surrounded in heavy fog and had to wait another day before leaving. Here are some pictures showing the depth of the fog that day.
In 1804, construction of the canal, including 14 locks, began. But due to lack of funds, it was 1829 before the waterway was open for business. At a cost of nearly $2.5 million, the C&D Canal was one of the most expensive canal projects of its time. Through the years, as the sizes and tonnages of ships using the canal continued to grow, accidents and one-way traffic restrictions strained the canal's capacity. Between 1938 and 1950 alone, eight ships collided with bridges. Improvements began in the 1960s and were completed in the mid-1970s, and to-day's canal is a modern sea-level, electronically controlled commercial waterway, carrying 40 percent of all ship traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore. Millions of tons of cargo are transported through it annually by container and other bulk-carrying and general cargo vessels.
Our trip through the canal was, by far, the most boring section of our adventure to date. There is no scenery to speak of, and because of the current, we could only do about 4 knots. So, it took us a full day to go from our anchorage in the Delaware to Chesapeake City, which is still within the canal. It was a day we were both glad to see the end of. However, Chesapeake City was quite delightful and quaint, and we were able to tie up to a free dock there. Here are some pictures of the streets right beside our dock.
The next day, we exited the canal and started heading south down Chesapeake Bay. This bay and it's tributaries is considered the premiere boating area in the United States. It is truly a lovely trip and there is enough to see and do in the area to keep a boater busy for many years. We had to keep moving, however, because we needed to get to Virginia in time to fly out to Grand Cayman for Christmas. We had just passed by Annapolis when the weather turned foggy again, so we pulled into Rock Hall on the eastern shore. There was a free town dock there, so we felt we would be secure for the next day or so while a storm was expected to pass through.
Rock Hall is a common place for Chesapeake boaters to spend time, and in the season, it must be a “happenin” port as well. There are some great restaurants and marinas in a sheltered harbour. However, when we were there, pretty much everything was either closed down or had limited hours. We decided to eat dinner out since our generator wasn't working and it was too miserable and rainy to BBQ.
We walked to a restaurant that appeared to be open but found it closed. Just as we were walking away, a car pulled into the parking lot, the driver's window came down, and a friendly face appeared. The driver and his wife had also been hoping the restaurant was open. We asked if they knew of any other restaurants close by and explained that we had come by boat. Yet again, we were treated to American hospitality, because this charming and delightful couple offered to drive us to another restaurant where we joined them for dinner. Gary and Phyllis were also boaters, and they were celebrating having just purchased a waterfront home on the Chesapeake; they were selling their summer home on the New Jersey shore and relocating. We talked with them about boating and retirement and kids and careers. It was a special night with great people we will never forget. Gary and Phyllis, Dave and I were both impressed by your obvious love for each other and your commitment to enjoying the rest of your lives together. As I write this, I am thinking of all of the things I wish I had talked with you about if we had more time together. For instance, Phyllis, I'd love to hear more about the cookbook you wrote. Perhaps, we will return to the Chesapeake some day and connect with you again.
The next day, the weather was still bad, so we stayed another night in Rock Hall. We headed out the following day and made good time, anchoring in Hudson Creek just off Little Choptank River. It was a great little anchorage, but we still had a long way to go to get to Virginia, and we were anxious. So, we decided to leave the next day around 4 PM, travel 15 hours overnight and enter Norfolk, Virginia in the daylight. It was actually a nice overnight voyage, although there was a lot of freighter traffic, so we had to keep a close watch. Here is a picture Dave took of me at the helm during the night and one of the light of the moon on the water.
We entered Norfolk harbour early in the morning, and for me, it was much more intimidating than New York Harbour. Norfolk is home to the US Navy boat repair yards, and there were huge Navy destroyers and aircraft carriers at anchor and at dock. As well, there were gigantic freighters that made the aircraft carriers look small. The entrance is confusing and not particularly well marked, but we managed to find our way. Norfolk and Portsmouth are right next to each other, so it seems like they are one city. Our marina (Ocean Marine Yacht Center) was located in Portsmouth, and we found it with no trouble. We docked and went to meet with the service department folks. This marina was, by far, the cleanest one we have ever seen. There was no litter whatsoever, and the boat yard was spotless.
The staff were wonderful, too. Everyone was friendly and helpful. When I asked about kennels for the dog while we were in Grand Cayman, Ann, in the service office, immediately offered to see if a friend of hers would be interested in keeping him for us. It turned out that her friend, Viv, was very experienced, and she almost always had a foster dog in her home. Viv was more than willing to keep Dude for us, and for about a third of the price of a kennel!! Furthermore, Ann drove us to and from Viv's house!! Have I mentioned yet how impressed we have been with American hospitality?!!
As I write this, we are sitting in the sun in Grand Cayman having had an amazing Christmas and New Years. We got here on December 17 just two days before Marley's third birthday. We also celebrated my son's birthday (he was also visiting my daughter/his sister for the holidays) and Dave's birthday (December 23) while we have been here. I have been in grandmother heaven being able to spend a huge amount of time with Marley, and now, she really knows me. There is nothing quite like hearing her say she loves me!
My daughter (Kristen) and her husband (Graeme) have created a fantastic life here. There is something about this place that makes one feel like anything is possible – not a common feeling in downtown Hamilton or anywhere else we have lived. I don't know why this is so, except that the pace of things is generally slower and the atmosphere is generally more casual. Yet, everything about having a career and maintaining a home is pretty much the same. Perhaps, it's just the sun and the sea!!
Here are some pictures of Marley, my daughter and her husband and their home. The picture of Dave and I with Marley on the back of Kristen and Graeme's boat was taken on December 27. We had just spent the day in our bathing suits, eating at a beach-front restaurant and swimming with the stingrays.
Some of you may be wondering how our dog, Dude, manages on our boat and with the voyages. For those of you who don't know, Dude has never lived anywhere but on our boat, since we got him when he was a baby puppy. He loves the water and swimming, and his favourite thing to do while we are travelling is to sit on the side or front deck and just let the wind blow across his face. Here is a picture of just such a time, and one of him wearing a Christmas bow that Viv sent us by email.
Dave's Rant
OK, so this is supposed to be where I do the techy talk thing about how we overcame some of the challenges our adventure on the water presents. This one is more of a rant.
Pat mentioned that leaving Cape May, the 'big' generator was kaput as the water lock was fried – literally! Thankfully, the trip up the Delaware was without incident and outside of the inconvenience of having to use the engines or the small generator to keep things going it was OK. I must mention that the Admiral (Pat) did the vast majority of the night run to Norfolk. Thank You Pat! My shoulder was acting up again, but that's another story.
Coming down the Chesapeake was also OK and again I was really glad we had purchased a new radio with integrated AIS (Automatic Identification System). We used our radar extensively at night as not all vessels have AIS. Therein lies the rub. We noticed the radar was not performing as it had been. It seemed to take ages to warm up, and when it did, targets were not as crisp as they should have been and the range seemed to be limited. Add to the repair list for Portsmouth!
I want to emphasize Pat's comments about entering Norfolk – crazy. Freighter, tugs with barges, tugs without barges, tugs with sections of war ships, destroyers and aircraft carriers, ferries, sail boats, fishing boats and the ever present patrol boats making sure you don't get close to any naval vessels. And you wonder why you can't find the marks – they are there, just obscured by all the traffic. The good news is, when the navy moves one of their ships, they get on the radio and announce that warship xxx will be doing such and such so be aware.
On a humorous note (we stayed well out of the way) a somewhat large naval vessel was exiting its berth to head for the dry dock. At the same time, a rather large freighter was exiting the channel, right in the middle, right by the navy docks. You could hear the frustration in the voice of the warship's radio operator repeatedly asking the freighter what their intention was. In summary, what side of the channel are you going to be on (very polite, I thought). The freighter's radio operator's limited command of English came back with a kind of jumbled 'we're heading out to sea'. No kidding.
Pat was at the helm, so I went outside to watch. They didn't collide but you could just see a tiny bit of space between them when they passed each other, VERY slowly!
The next challenge was getting the Hope into the slip with the travel lift. We had been told to be at the slip by 8 am sharp. We were told the lift operator would have the lift positioned with straps in the water waiting for us and, if we weren't there by 8:15, we'd lose out position and have to wait until later in the day. 08:00 we're at the slip. No travel lift in sight, no operator. 08:30 the operator shows up and says, he needs about 20 minutes or so to warm it up and get it into position. Oh joy. By this time, the boat that was to be lifted after us was now playing the same game we were. Try and stay around the travel lift in a 5 knot current! Finally the lift is there and the straps are in the water. OK, let's go. NOT! Every time I'd get lined up to enter, you guessed it, current would carry us past. The problem being I needed a certain amount of speed to enter the slip. If I ran at that speed, there would be no way in heck I'd get 40 tons of boat stopped once inside the slip, which was just slightly longer than our boat. We tried 4 or 5 times without success and my patience was wearing thin.
Just off the slip, was a pair of dolphins (large posts used to assist in bringing the vessel into a pier or slip). I really didn't want to use the dolphins as they mark your boat and can rip off your fenders. In the end, I put her nose into the current, did a sharp port turn and caught the dolphin mid ships and gunned into the slip. Hard reverse to stop. Hardly a mark but scary as heck. The boat awaiting our entry watched all this goings-on then radioed that they'd wait until later in the day for slack tide. Smart move. Pat says I'm stubborn, I say I'm tenacious!!
The Hope was pulled without incident, and we had a good look at her bottom – very nice – except for the fishing line and net sections wrapped around her props!! Took over an hour to get them clear. We were very fortunate there was no damage. We saw the effects of running into fishing lines at 20 or 30 knots on some other vessels in the yard. Struts ripped off, props folded up like a closed flower, transoms cracked. We also saw what happens when a really nice 60 ft fiberglass yacht hits a steel marker – part of her hull caved in with sections missing. Glad we only run 6 knots. Glad we're steel.
The repairs to 'Hope' required much more than I expected, but these guys did seem competent. Lots of discussion including one conference call to Tim (master shipwright) in Canada to work out solutions for our drippy seals. Added new stuffing boxes, which was not what we had planned, and they had to tear up the floor in two places and put in hatches with accompanied carpentry work.
They pressure tested everything, found many more coolant leaks, mostly 'O' ring issues, ordered parts for the generator, added salt water anodes (after removing the fresh water anodes) painted the bottom and are now in the process of testing the injectors on the port engine along with getting me a quote to tune up the radar. I suspect the cost to tune up the radar will be as much if not more than buying a used, newer radar. As for the injectors, 5 out of 6 are good. One, not so much. Awaiting word on the fix.
Our buddy John keeps reminding me that the word boat is really an acronym for 'Break Out Another Thousand' I think it should be spelled BOATT (ten thousand)!
In any case, we're anxious to get back to the boat and get this adventure underway once again. With a little luck, or maybe a lot, they'll call tomorrow telling us when she'll be ready. I'll include pictures of some of the work once we get back. In the meantime we're enjoying Cayman and researching our next steps along with possible destinations to ride out the hurricane season. Never a dull moment.
