Locking Up the Erie Canal

 

Well, that last time I posted we had locked through Lock #8 and were staying the night on the free wall just outside it. We had planned to leave the next morning to head on west. Well, things can change in a moment's notice along this trip. When we got up in the morning we were told by the Lockmaster that they had closed the Locks 9-15 completely and had halted all navigation westward. This was due to flooding in the area. As you know, this area had been getting a lot of rain. Especially when we were in Waterford! Anyway, he told us it could be up to six days!! However, it was on a day to day notice.

That day it rained and rained. The Lockmaster had opened all the gates on Lot #8 and we could see the water rushing downward. It was unbelievable the amount of debris it carried. Logs the size of small trees were just flowing past us as we sat. Across the river we could see a soccer tournament trying to be played. It would rain and they'd stop for a while and then they would try it again only to have it rain again. They guys got bored so they decided in between rainstorms to ride their bikes into town to see what was there. They found a Mall, Kmart, and several other places. They had eaten in a good place named "99". So we told them that we girls wanted to go back there for lunch the next day (if the rain ever quits).

Sunday mid-morning we were told that the Locks were open. However, we had already planned to stay even if they did open the locks. The debris was still heavy. We also wanted to get an early start on the day we left. Plus, we were going to eat at 99 for lunch! Before we could go anywhere though, Mike and I needed haircuts. How convenient to have a Looper along that is a hair stylist. She set up shop right outside her boat and quickly cut anyone's hair that wanted it. Now that's service!

Mike had said that there were bikes on sale at Kmart when he was there. He wanted a bike for his birthday. It was only a week away so we decided to splurge and get bikes for the both of us now. It's a lot easier to get around when you stop at a dock if you have a bike to ride. BUT - have you ever heard of a 65 year old man wanting a bicycle for his birthday?? I think we have come full circle now. Not sure what that means! Anyway, we walked to town while the others rode their bikes. We went in to Kmart – bought the bikes, baskets and of course- bells! You can't have a bike without a bell! Sounds like the ice cream man – ching – ching! Anyway after that we went over to the restaurant to meet the others. Had a really good lunch along with bloody marys.

After lunch, I thought we were going to get on the bikes and ride home. But wait! Not yet! Mike had to put the baskets and the bells on first! So we sat outside the restaurant in the mall while he got the bikes to his liking. Oh, I forgot to mention - my bike is the coolest! It's black and has pink wheels! It also has pink piping around the seat and some pinstriping! Mike's is manlier - it's black with cream. We rode them back to the boat without any mishaps!

We decided that the river looked better so we decided that we would leave early in the morning (Monday). After three nights on the wall, we were about ready to climb it! Anyway, off we went, planning to go hopefully 40-50 miles. Locking through the locks today was much easier. We didn't have the wind to deal with as much.

While we were boating along we got a call from Sweet Pea! They're on our tail! Hopefully they will catch up with us soon. They said they've been running with a boat named Inconceivable. We saw them back at Atlantic Highlands when we anchored out before New York Harbor. It's really fun to keep running into Loopers along the way.

While we were boating along, we met up with about 20 miniature steamboats. Now this was cool! There were all actual steamboats like the one used in African Queen but smaller. This was a steamboat club that was heading to Waterford from Little Falls. – About an 80 mile trip. They burn wood and make steam. We had seen piles of wood that had been chopped and covered up along the canal and had wondered what it was there for. Now we know. Anyway, they were really cool. They would blow their horn and a big puff of smoke would come out the stack. They were a sight to see!

You won't believe the other sight! For some reason, someone has installed a Volkswagen Beetle atop an 80 foot smokestack. All our guidebooks told us to look for it, but none of them offered up a reason why it was there. Now that's funny!

We passed through Amsterdam, the birthplace of Kirk Douglas. And Fonda, NY which has nothing to do with Henry Fonda, but they still claim they do. Along the way, we would see old locks and remnants of the original canal. It's hard to believe that this canal was built so long ago.

After nearly 50 miles and 7 locks we were ready for a stop. We decided that a marina would be nice if it were cheap enough. We found one for $1.00 a foot. That's $42 for NautiNell. You can't really beat that. It would cost us almost that much to run the generator for 8 hours or so. It was the St Johnsville Municipal Marina. We tied up to a wall there rather than in slips. No problem. Mike and I immediately took off for a bike ride to explore the town of St .Johnsville. Not much there. We did find a Dollar General and a Pizzeria. NautiNell had not wanted to start her port engine this morning. It really was becoming quite a bad habit of hers. Mike decided that she really needed a new solenoid. There was a NAPA Store fairly close. They would get us the part by 8:00 a.m. in the morning. Perfect!

We all decided to order pizza. Mike said he'd go get it on his bike. You see, any excuse to ride his new bicycle. However, the guy at the marina offered to drive someone up there to pick it up. We sat out at a picnic table and ate our pizza discussing what we were going to do the next day. Actually, I believe we discussed much more than that. Finally it was time to return to the boat and try to get a good night's sleep. In the morning, the NAPA guy showed up about 8:30. Mike had already removed the old solenoid so it didn't take much time at all to install the new one. And voila! NautiNell's port engine started right up! So about 9:30 we were on our way again. Thanks to the boats that waited for us. They didn't have to, but that's how it is with Loopers.

We made to thru five locks (16-20) and about 35 miles. Lock #17 was the largest single step lock on the canal. It lifted us 40 feet. Some of the other locks raised us only 8 feet. Lock 17 had an entrance gate that lifted above the boat rather than swing open like most. In fact there are only two locks like this in North America. The other one is in Canada. It looked ominous – like a guillontine coming down! We passed the Herkimar House that was built by General Nicholas Herkimar of the Revolutionary War. I should have paid more attention in my high school history class. I know he did something important, but I don't know what…….

We had planned to stay at Utica but the marina wasn't open. In fact, much of that area wasn't open. Again we were able to tie up to the FREE dock (wall). I love that word FREE. We had pretty much got tied up and began to relax when a rainstorm hit. It wasn't bad, but we're getting a little tired of rain! Anyway, we were safe.

This morning we were off and running about 8:00 a.m. We only had two locks to lock through (21 and 22). We were starting to lock back down now. We've made it to the top. It's a lot easier to lock down. It's quicker and there isn't nearly the turbulence to deal with. We made it to Sylvan Beach and the marina Mariners Landing. Not a bad little marina. Sylvan Beach has a four mile sandy beach, amusement park, and quite a beach town atmosphere. This is the last stop before we cross Lake Oneida. Lake Oneida is only about 20 miles across but you really need a good weather window to try it. Many Loopers stay here at Sylvan Beach until that window occurs. You do not want a west wind. Guess what they're predicting for the next few days. Oh well.

Mike and I had pretty much already decided that we wanted to spend some time here at the little beach town. We wanted to be sure to be somewhere cool on the 4^th of July. Right now, we're planning to stay through Monday. If weather permits we will cross the lake on Tuesday and be in Brewerton. NY. That is the last stop before we enter the Oswego Canal which takes us to Canada. The rest of the boats are planning to cross the lake tomorrow and move on to Brewerton. I hate that we're not all able to stay together longer - especially Jeremiah - we have had a ball with those guys!. However, I bet we see them again in a few weeks somewhere in Canada.

Till next time!

Admiral "C"

 

Spending Time in Waterford

Okay, it's been a while since I posted to our blog. Sorry, there just isn't enough time in the day sometimes! Anyway, here goes!

We left Norrie's State Park Marina early Saturday morning in the sunshine. After the storm, we were really glad to see it. We still can't get over just how pretty the area around the Hudson River is. We are seeing a lot of history. After all, a lot of the houses we are seeing date back to the 1600s.

We planned to stay at a free dock along the way, but they became a little hard to find. However, we were told about a nice anchorage in Schodack Creek just below Houghtaling Island. The river was rather narrow but we had plenty of water if you stayed in the channel. Jeremiah anchored with us. It turns out that the small marina we passed (The Hook) was having a fundraiser and selling chicken to go. Of course, that ended at 4:00 but that didn't detour Mike and Jeff. They went up there about 6:00 p.m. in the dinghy to see if there was anything left. They came back with enough to feed all four of us. It was good too! We didn't have to cook! What a great anchorage. Ha!

We were up early the next day and ready to go. Our destination was Troy, NY. This is the last stop before the first Lock. We knew there was a wall there to tie up to. When we did get there, a couple of boats that had been traveling with Jeremiah earlier were just leaving. They were heading through the lock to Waterford. The wall in Waterford is free. Rich and Lyn of "Goofin Off" live in the Troy/Waterford area. They had just completed the Loop a few days ago. They were here now to help out any Loopers with supplies, etc. They invited us along with the other Loopers to join them for a cookout at their local marina. They made us feel right at home. While we were there, we saw the twin to NautiNell. Mike and I talked to the owners. They had sold everything and were living on the boat at the marina with their five year old granddaughter. They really had the boat fixed up nice. Gave me some ideas!!

The next day we locked through to Waterford. This lock is called the Federal Lock or Lock #1. It only lifts you about 15 feet. It was a good one to start on. Mike and I have been through several locks before on the Arkansas River, etc., however, never with a boat this size. It is quite different! Anyway, we had no problems and soon we were at Waterford. The wall was full however, so we rafted up to Jeremiah for a while until a space became available. It wasn't long and we were tied up to the wall and ready to check things out. Waterford is a neat little town. There is a Visitors Center right here at the dock. There are several restaurants nearby, a grocery store, laundry and hardware store. Everything that a Looper could want! Oh, and the docking is free! They say that you are supposed to only stay 48 hours, but it isn't enforced. They do ask for a donation of ten dollars a night for after the first 48 hours. Not bad!!

Rich was back early in the morning running the guys to the hardware store, West Marine and anywhere else they needed to go. It rained off and on, but didn't dampen anyone's spirits. The first night we all ate at McGruveys. (Jeremiah, SeaMoore, Dream Catcher and NautiNell). The food was great! We really haven't had a bad experience yet at any place we've eaten. McGruveys had a waitress there that had majored in theater. She was quite a hoot!

We ended up spending four nights at Waterford. It kept raining just enough that none of us wanted to start locking through. After all, the docking price was right! One day, Linda, Becky and I went to the grocery store. It was about a half mile away. The store allows you to push their cart back to the dock. They pick them all back up on Saturdays! The one funny thing is you have to tell them so they can disengage the locking system they have on the carts. If you try to push the cart past a certain place on the parking lot, it just locks up. It's kind of like an invisible fence for dogs. Only it doesn't shock you! We laughed so much coming back to the boat. We knew we surely looked like three bag ladies! What Loopers will do!

While we were there at Waterford, Mike decided to install a new stereo up in the bridge. That, of course, pretty much took up one full day. It sounds great though! (Once he walked back to the hardware store in the rain to get an antenna!).

While we were there, Sweet Pea made it to Waterford. They rafted up with us until there was a spot open. It was good to see Jim and Dale again.

Our last night at Waterford, we ate at the Angry Penguin. The owners wanted to name it Drunken Penguin but the town wouldn't let them. Hence, they named it "Angry" Penguin. It's a bar and grill with really good food. The night we were there, they were having a Texas Hold'em tournament.

Early Friday morning it was starting to clear up so we changed our plans rather quickly and headed through the Erie Canal. We had planned to stay one more day, but Mike decided to go along with the others. Off we went! More than "Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal"!!

The first lock (#2) only lifts again about 35 feet. It was a short ride. Just as we pulled out of that lock, there was #3! Here we go again! We did that for two hours – locking through five locks in two hours! That was a little tiring! Lock #7 was a little farther down so we got a very short break. These locks seem smaller than the ones on the Arkansas. Mike thinks they are. It may be that our boats are larger than in the past! There were five boats locking through on Lock #8. It was pretty hectic. This lock only had ropes to hold on to. No cables to tie off to! The wind was blowing against us and it was all we could do to keep NautiNell close to the wall. Not much fun!

Just above Lock #8 there was a wall we all could tie up to. We decided this would be a great place to spend the night. It was only 3:30 in the afternoon, but we didn't want to venture much farther and cut into happy hour! LOL! Anyway, we gathered on SeaMoore and told lots of stories.

Tomorrow would come soon enough!

Till next time!

Admiral "C"

 

New York Harbor

Woke up to another beautiful morning. But, I think everyone was just a little nervous about the trip to the New York Harbor. We all had heard horror stories! Again, we had great seas with hardly any wind. We had to make it by several fishing boats, large and small that seem to want to anchor in the channel. There must be good fishing there because they were there when we came in last night and then again this morning.

The first bridge we came to was the Verrazano Narrows Bridge that links Staten Island to Brooklyn. It also serves as the dividing line between Upper Bay and Lower Bay.

As we passed by Staten Island the whole panorama of New York City just spread out in front of us. And there among all the tour boats and ferries in all her glory was the Statue of Liberty! Standing 300 feet tall – serene and lovely. I still can't believe that we actually were able to boat up to her. Well, we did have to stay at least 150 yards away, but who cares! I never could have dreamed this. What a Kodak moment! We took pictures of the other boats and they took pictures of ours with her in the background. There we were – in the New York Harbor seeing all the things that we had heard about. Now, I'm starting to sound like a small town girl from the Midwest - wait a minute – I am!

There is the area called the Battery which got its name from a battery of 92 guns placed there by the British in 1693 to ward off attacks by the French. We saw the 1884 Fireboat Station that displays a clock built by Seth Thomas. It strikes the time with ships bells. We could see Ellis Island, the Empire State Building, Pier 57 and several other landmarks. We passed this huge sailboat that is over 200 feet long! It was sailing under British flags. I learned later that you could lease it out for a week for only $364,000! Anyone up for that?

We really didn't have any trouble in the Harbor except for the ferries. They are very large and go very fast and do not get out of your way. You get out of theirs!! There are so many of them crossing back and forth all over the Harbor. We probably spent about an hour there in the Harbor just taking pictures and soaking it all in.

We crossed under the George Washington Bridge which has two decks of traffic. What was so nice though that once we got beyond the GW Bridge, the metropolis pretty much started to dissipate. Then we saw the Palisades. The cliffs were striking! It was hard to believe that we had just gone through all the hub bub of the Harbor only minutes before.

As we ventured on we went through Yonkers – you could see the trains running back and forth to the City. Then we spied the town of Ossining. This is where Sing Sing is! The maximum security prison. The one where the Rosenbergs were held and executed! We better not pick up any hitchhikers, huh!

Finally we decided that we would anchor our near Haverstraw Bay just around Croton Point near the Half Moon Marina. It was about 3:30 and we had had a big day! Mike took the dinghy in to run to the store. He found out that at the park just over by the marina, they were having a "music revival" this weekend. It is a fundraiser for "Save the Bay". Trying to clean up the Hudson River. They told him that it was a lot cleaner than it had been in the past and that they swam in it now. From the looks of it – I can tell you I'm NOT swimming in it! The revival is put together by Pete Segar. I imagine there will be some pretty good bands there, but we just couldn't justify staying through the weekend. They had brought over a barge for this 100' sailboat that they bring over to party on. The event used to be held just on the sailboat, but its outgrown it.

During the night and into the morning there was a light rain. It was cool and I doubt if anyone had a hard time sleeping. When we got up, it was pouring! We had planned to head out around 8:00 but we waited until about 9:30 for the rain to stop. We headed out just as the sun came out! What luck!

We weren't on the river long before we came up on West Point. It was really a cool sight from the river. You used to be able to dock there, but no longer because of 911. As we went on up the river we were shocked to see just how pretty the scenery had become. Not the water! The scenery! There was a lot of debris in the water. We passed Foundry Cove where they used to make cannons during the Civil War. We then came up on this island (Pollepel Island). It had an old run down castle on it! It was called Bannerman's Castle. He had built it back in the early 1900's for a summer resort. But I guess he didn't keep it up. Hmmm. The state took over in the 1960s and now if you want to see it – you have to take a tour boat.

We could see that there was some rain headed our way. Even though Mike kept saying that it was going south of us. We found another cheap marina at Norris State Park. – Norrie Point Marina. Only a dollar a foot. Now you don't get much for a dollar a foot, but we did get to tie up safely and have electric and water. However, before we could get there, the storm hit! When we did get there, we had to wait out in the river for about an hour for it to subside. Rain! Lightening! Wind! - Strong! That was a little unnerving! We could see the marina. We were only about 100 yards from it. But they didn't want to get out it in to help up tie up. I didn't blame them, I didn't want to get out and deal with the lines either! So once it had subsided, we made our way in. We're here for the night. We plan to head on up the river in the morning. The whole Hudson River is about 155 miles long. We've made it about 70 miles so far. So, I think we have a couple more days of traveling before we make it to troy NY which is the end of the Hudson. There we pick up the Erie Canal!

Till next time!

Admiral "C"

We stayed at Barnegat a few more days

 

Well we stayed at Barnegat Bay a few more days. The weather was still a little windy. It was coming from the east and that's not good for boaters on the Atlantic. SO we stayed a little longer – three more nights to be exact! Sunday and Monday we hung loose. Mike took care of some things on the boat and I caught up on things. The weather was forecasted to be yucky for at least two more days. SO we all decided to rent a car. We could get one pretty cheap for 24 hours. No wonder – it was a Ford Focus. You barely could get Jeremiah (Jeff and Linda) and us in it! Anyway, we took a ride Monday evening and had dinner at Mud City Crabhouse in Manahawkin, NJ. It was a really cool place. Again it was BYOB, but this time we were more prepared. We brought along our own and sat out on their outside patio while we waited for a table. It took about 45 minutes, but we didn't care. Again we ate too much but it was so good! I had crab one more time! Wonder what I'll start eating when we get to New York?? Anyway, we all had a good time. Went home full and happy.

The next morning the weather didn't look so bad. But we had already rented the car and had plans to do some shopping so we stuck with our plan. The guys dropped Linda and me off at the laundramat while they visited West Marine (again!). After that, we had to take the laundry back to the boats before we went shopping. The Ford Focus has a very small trunk….. Anyway, we then had lunch at Doyle's Pour House – an authentic Irish pub. We only had the car for the rest of the afternoon so we didn't dally too long. Off to Walmart! Now you haven't lived until you visit a New Jersey Walmart!! Unbelievable!! A couple more stops at the liquor stores and we were done. We stopped by Enterprise so they could take us back to the boats. Now, get this – a full trunk – five adults (counting the driver from Enterprise) in a Ford Focus. We were holding 12 packs on our laps and carrying on. The driver was a young kid and I think he really wanted to go with us.

Finally! Wednesday morning we had perfect weather!!! We took off about 7:30 heading back out through the Bay toward the Atlantic. Now you remember the guy that was a little upset with us about his fishing lines on the city dock? Well, he wasn't there but his brother must have been. Again, we get the New Jersey one finger salute along with several choice words. What an attitude! Why he even told us to go back to Missouri! J We didn't even get into his lines! He just didn't want to pull them in. He kept telling us to go out farther but there wasn't enough water to do that. Duh! That's what the bouys are for!! Obviously he doesn't own a boat – that's why he's standing on the dock! Sheeeeh!! Mike was so mad he tried to sound off our big horns (the train ones) but in his frustration, he broke the knob! So he just yelled back at him. Wasn't quite the same. Forgetaboutit!!!

It took us about an hour to get out to the coast. New Jersey is not known for dredging. You really have to watch your depths. Anyway, we made it and off to New York we went! The weather was wonderful. We couldn't have asked for a better day. The seas were calm and the sun was shining. We made good time too! It helps when you have a tide going out with you. Helps push us along a little.

We decided to stop for the evening and drop a hook. Tired of marinas! We wanted to be fresh when we hit the New York Harbor. We anchored out in the Atlantic Highlands area along with Jeremiah. We had to go completely around Sandy Hook and then back down south a little. What a beautiful place to anchor. Plus, there was SweetGrass on anchor! They had been there a day or so and were just killing some time before they went into New York. They had family coming in to stay with them for a week or so. We all had a little happy hour on our boat. Now NautiNell can hold her own! Six people having appetizers and drinks on our sundeck and she wasn't even crowded! We had more fun cussing and discussing everything that had gone on. We could see the Manhattan skyline and watched a beautiful sunset. I couldn't believe that I was sitting on our boat looking at Manhattan and with a full moon, no less! How cool is that!

Till next time!

 

Admiral "C"

    

 

Another Day at Cape May and then to Atlantic City!

Early in the morning, we were up and ready to move into the Utsch's Marina. We really didn't have a real reason to move to the Marina; we were enjoying the anchorage. However, we had made reservations and had already paid for one night. So we weighed the anchor and headed over to the Marina. After we settled in and visited with the Loopers that were there, we decided to rent bicycles and ride to the beach. Oops! I forgot to mention that is was in the 90s! It really wasn't all that bad though. Cape May is a really nice little beach town. It says that it's been a summer tourist destination for nearly two centuries. The town itself is filled with old Victorian architecture with quaint little houses and really interesting shops. There's a pedestrian mall and boardwalk. A lot of the houses have been converted to bed and breakfast inns. We road to the beach which was beautiful. We wanted to ride on to the lighthouse at Cape May Point, but it was another three miles and it was really hot. So we stopped off at a little beach bar to cool down. Had a couple of drinks and I went to the t-shirt shop next door. Mike was happy to wait in the air conditioned bar. After that we rode around some more and decided to go back to the boat where it was cooler! We stopped along the way at a Marine Supply store to buy new charts. Ours ran out here in Cape May. Kind of important, huh!

Marina was really filling up. There was a shark tournament this weekend. I guess it's a really big deal! Our neighbor told us that there will be well over 200 boats in the tournament. Big money and boats come from all over. Wish we could be around to see the weigh in! Forgot to mention that Larry, our neighbor, was flying a huge rainbow flag. He claimed that his buddies hung it one night and he's deliberately leaving it there to bug them. I have to admit I really liked Cape May. I was surprised to find such a cool spot in New Jersey.

Trident, Jeremiah and NautiNell held Happy Hour on the dock. There was lots of stories and laughter. We then walked up a short ways to the Lobster House Restaurant. Had a great evening visiting with everyone.

The next morning consisted of watching the weather and waiting on our mail. Trident was staying another day, but we were anxious to get going. While waiting, Mike messed about the boat and I baked cookies. Guess I was feeling a little domestic. Jeremiah and NautiNell headed out around noon with plans to anchor out at Big Egg Harbor. We were told by the guides that there was good anchorage there. However when we got there it was looking a little hairy. In fact as were were heading toward the bridge, it was looking a little scary. Then a message came on the VHF from a boat in the area telling us that we should not approach that area. The storms had really messed it up and he guaranteed that we would run aground. I don't know who you were, Captain but I greatly appreciate that information! A few minutes later another boat came on the radio and told us of a good anchorage near Atlantic City. Just a few more miles. We anchored in a small basin just off Rum Point. Perfect!! Jeremiah, NautiNell, Aurora (the ones that helped us out) and another boat were the only ones here.

We were right across from the Trump Building. It is has a very large LED sign that fills the entire side of the building. Along with the other skyline lit up in the dark, it was gorgeous. Now, we did know that possible thunderstorms were in the forecast. We prepared as much as we could. Then right after dinner, it hit. We rocked and we rolled!! It was very unnerving! It was very exciting! Although Mike was continually checking on it, our anchor held throughout the entire evening. We had about three different storms pass through. Not sure Jeremiah will anchor again with us. This is one of the few times they have anchored.

The early morning found a beautiful sunrise and peaceful waters. We headed out to Barnegat Bay. We knew that more storms were still in the forecast. We decided that if we could find a fairly cheap marina, we would stop and possibly spend a couple of days until the weather cleared. Well, we found one. Only a $1.00 a foot. Not bad! It was really tough getting in to it. The inlet is really shallow. Even though it's marked fairly well, it was still hard to stay in the channel. The state of New Jersey lacks in dredging its channels. We finally found the way to the marina but only after we took out some guy's fishing lines. He was fishing on the seawall along with several people. Most of them pulled in their lines when they saw us coming. After all, we had to stay snug close to the wall to have enough water to pass. He didn't like it one bit. He was the "typical" New Jersey guy yelling at us and throwing around his hands. He didn't have any nice things to say about us. Jeremiah came by after us and he was still giving it to us. Jeff said that he was using words he had never heard before! Oh well……… Forget about it!!!

We finally made it to the marina only to be greeted pretty much by dumb and dumber when it came to helping us in. Actually, we were okay – we were in a cheap marina – safe from the weather and could stay till Monday without a problem. A few hours later, in comes Moonstruck! Doug and Judy have a Catamaran. They had met Jeremiah along the way and wanted to party with them again. They had made it here from Cape May in six hours. It took us two days!!! They are a hoot!

After visiting with everyone on Jeremiah, we all walked over to Michael's on the Bay for dinner. It is a true New York Italian type restaurant. We didn't know it but it was BYOB. So Michael had his son drive the guys back to our boats to get out drinks. Now that's service. The food was great! What a great night!

We woke up to another gloomy day. Mike took the dinghy out fishing. I hung around and caught up on some things that needed to be done. Jeff and Linda invited us over to their boat for dinner. Linda is true blue Italian. And what a cook she is! Meatballs and linguini! Wow! We ate entirely too much and drank entirely too much wine. But what fun! Another great night in a cheap marina. Perfect!

Well, it's still crappy out this morning. Moonstruck decided to leave anyway. They're faster than us so the waves are as much an issue as they are to us. Jeremiah is even slower than us so they definitely didn't want to leave yet. We stayed with the original plan and hopefully we will leave out in the morning. In the meantime, Mike is catching some crabs! Now what am I going to do with them!!!

Stay tuned!

Till next time

Admiral "C"

Pictures of Cape May

Here are some pictures taken in the Cape May, NJ area. I really liked it there.

We left Delaware City for Cape May!!

The fuel truck finally showed up Monday morning about 10:00. Our battery was delivered about 9:30. Now this is a 125 lb. battery! Mike and one of the guys from the Marina had to take the old one out of the engine room and then get the other one on the boat and down in the engine room. It took a lot of maneuvering and struggling, but they did it. Mike hooked it up, connected all the terminals, crawled out of the engine room, closed up the compartment and was done for the day. But wait! The engine still wouldn’t turn over. It’s those gremlins again! Mike struggled with it for a while and finally traced the loose connection. Both engines now start right up and purr like kittens – or maybe like two Ol’ Cats – 3208 Turbo Caterpillars to be exact! Anyway, they are running great!
Now after all that, it turned out to be too late to head down the Bay. So we got to spend another night in Delaware City. That wasn’t really a problem. It was beautiful weather, there were other Loopers there and the Marina was giving us a really sweet deal! We hung out most of the day. Mike fixed various “things” including the front hatch that leaked – but only when it rained. We walked to the liquor store and around the small community. The town is only about 8 blocks by 8 blocks. But is has a small grocery, liquor store, post office, several restaurants, a city park, several churches and a blacksmith!
Since the canal is rather narrow and the current runs about 3 knots, the guys at the Marina “hand turned” out boat around. Now that was something to see - like a dance with everyone in step. NautiNell gracefully followed their lead and in no time she had made a 180 degree turn. She was now facing back toward the river, with a full tank of fuel and a brand new battery - She was ready to roll!
Jeremiah (Linda and Jeff) were also planning to leave soon. So we planned to go together early Tuesday morning. By early, I mean 6:00 a.m.!! By leaving this early we would be heading out with the tide and the current. This would be a big help to save on fuel and time.
Tuesday morning came all too early! But we ready to get moving. Our stay at Delaware City Marina was very enjoyable and Tim (the owner) and his crew did everything in their power to help make it that way. Any Looper that may be reading this and is planning to stop in Chesapeake City or another marina in the C&D Canal, we strongly suggest that you wait and plan your stop at Delaware City Marina. It will definitely be well worth it.
When the last line was untied and we had bid our farewell, NautiNell and Jeremiah set out to navigate the Delaware Bay and to arrive in Cape May, NJ. We left with a beautiful sky and light breeze only to have the fog encompass us as soon as we reached the Delaware River. As we ventured on the worse it got. At times we couldn’t see 30 yards. Jeremiah was in front of us and would disappear at times. She reminded me of a ghost ship that would fade away only to reappear again and again. This trip soon became very intense, especially when we heard on the VHF that a barge was on the C&D Canal near the bridge and heading east. This would put him behind us some but we weren’t sure just how far. His description of the fog was – “visibility zero”. Oh did I mention that we were in the shipping channel? We used the Chart plotter, GPS and the Radar. The fog finally began to lift in about an hour or so. Finally the sun broke through and all was good. Now that we didn’t have to creep along, we were able to make pretty good time. In fact with the tide and the current working for us, we were able to run 1500 rpm and make 11 knots! This lasted for quite a while. We moved along at a racing speed! The water began to get much prettier here. I believe because it is no longer brackish. Mike even saw our first dolphin!
In a couple of hours, the tide must have changed because at the same rpm, we were only running about 6 knots. Thank goodness we weren’t going too fast, because we hit a 2x6 board floating out in the middle of the Bay! No damage!! There was also a rainstorm behind that seemed to be catching up with us. However it must have went north of us because we made it to Cape May safe and dry.
At about noon, we were on the Cape May Canal. This Canal is decorated along both sides with really nice homes. Each home, of course, had a rather nice boat usually in a private dock. The canal opened up to the Cape May Harbor, a very busy place with lots of marinas and a huge Coast Guard Training Center.
Jeremiah had reservations at Utsch’s Marina. We had planned to anchor out somewhere and stay in a marina tomorrow night. We found a great spot on the east side of the Coast Guard Facilities. We dropped anchor and relaxed for a while. I would think we couldn’t get much safer than to anchor near the Coast Guard! There were a lot of large fishing boats going in and out of the harbor here. NautiNell would rock pretty good a time or two. However, she stood her ground! After a couple of hours, things seemed to quiet down considerably. We took a great dinghy ride to check out the area. We checked out several marinas who were full of huge interesting boats... There’s a whale and dolphin watching tour boat that goes out morning, afternoon and then at dinner time. I was shocked to find out that there are actually whales around here! However, I’m sure you have to go out in the Atlantic a lot farther than we will to see them. We found several other Loopers at Utsch’s Marina. Our buddies, Bavarian Cream, Jeremiah, Trident and several others were there. Hopefully some of them will still be there tomorrow too. I do know that some of them are getting a little anxious to get going during this nice weather and to head up to New York City as soon as they can. We plan to stay here at least 2 nights. We’ve been told that Cape May is really a great place to visit and has a great beach. We may rent bicycles tomorrow and see if we can find it.
After dinner on the sundeck, Mike and I watched the sunset. It was beautiful tonight with the sun a really bright red. The really cool thing was as the sun went down; we could hear the Coast Guard playing TAPS. That was really cool. It about made me cry!
Who knows what tomorrow may bring!
Till next time!
Admiral “C”

Solomons Island pics

Why not stay one more day!

Thursday morning, we woke up to 15-25 mile wind gusts. NOAA was predicting 4-5 foot waves. We decided why not stay one more day in Annapolis. So we played. After the front had moved through last night, it left much cooler temperatures. We walked around some and saw more sights. We did a little shopping and had lunch out on the sundeck overlooking the park.

Bavarian Cream (Larry and Jane) had invited us for cocktails at Happy Hour. They have a very nice boat. Larry is originally from Ohio and Jane is a Louisiana girl. They live in Louisiana. We talked about each other’s adventures in being new at this “big boating thing”. In other words, each other’s screw-ups! Had a great time! Walked over to Chick and Ruth’s Delly for dinner. Yes, that's how they spell "Delly. Now this is quite a quirky place. It’s been on the “Man vs. Food” show on the Food Channel. They have a 6 lb. milkshake and a 4 pound cheeseburger. We passed on those. However, they did card everyone when we ordered a beer! We wanted to get there for breakfast, but didn’t make it. Every morning at 9:00 a.m. they have everyone stand up and say the Pledge of Allegiance. Now that’s cool!!

Friday morning gave us light winds and cool temperatures. Just what we hoped for! We took care of a few things and headed out about 11:00 a.m. Bavarian Cream had headed out about 6:30. Hope we see them again along the way. We decided to bypass Baltimore since we had spent an extra day in Annapolis. We were ready to see something besides city.

We anchored out in Sassafras River about 18 miles from Chesapeake City. The guide books had said that this was a nice area but to avoid on weekends because it gets busy. Well, we came in on a Friday night so I guess we’ve beat the crowd. - Maybe because it’s a weekend after a holiday. - Usually those are slower. Anyway, it reminds us of the lake and that’s great!

Mike read that Saturday, June 4 is a free fishing day in Maryland. SO, he rigged up his poles and is ready to catch the “catch of the day” first thing in the morning.

We’ll see……….!

Till next time!

Admiral “C”