We reviewed the weather last night and decided it best to stay and due maintenance since everything Scott needs for the engines and gen are here if something should cause a problem. The day is a stunning sunny day but a small craft advisory is in effect after 8 tonight. Waves expected 4-6 foot on the ocean. We could run to Atlantic City but then spend a rainy. dull day there. We chose to stay here with the other loopers as well and enjoy some comradery. With all the amenities available here the decision was easy.
A lazy morning for me and a busy one for Scott in that engine compartment. I do the domestics while he slaves away. We plan on heading out to the city later before the rain and expected T showers later.
Heading out to the big city of Cape May in the loaner car we find a delightful community. The city is lined with age old building refurbished from at least a hundred years ago. The buildings are colourful in colours we wouldn’t see at home. Purple, greens yellows, red adorn the entire area. Sometimes all on the same house but it works here. Horse drawn carts are on the streets so fitting for this town. The main street, Washington St., is a completely car free street with cobblestone walkways, storefronts and boutiques. Away from the tourist areas we find the beach. A gorgeous white sand beach that caters to the tourist at $6.00 a person. The beach runs for miles so we guess that at some point it is free. Scott takes some pics of the hotels and beach, houses and just about everything he can. The character of Cape May is everywhere. It is worth a stop by both boater and landlubber vacationer.
As we always go off the beaten path exploring we find that there is some history with WWII here. We find a lookout point that has a high silo looking lookout that soldiers sat in day in and day out to look for approaching boats on the Atlantic Ocean. There is a sunken cement ship here as well. A lighthouse stands at the State Park along with a free beach and a full bunker that has 6 feet walls so to withstand a blast from an approaching enemy vessel. The bunker is right on the beach.
We also find that this area is an area where ornithologists come to study birds of migration. The birds of prey migrate through this area in vast numbers. There are fresh water ponds that offer refuge from the ocean and habitat for them to rest up as they travel the coast. We see swans, Canada Geese and ducks in these same areas as they too are migrating. The State Park offers the visitor passes to go up the lighthouse for a bird’s eye view of the area. We didn’t partake but did find the beach instead and walked along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean where it meets Delaware Bay.
On the way back to our boat we stop at Acme (no kidding) the local grocery store and pick up supplies. Tonight we will have docktails with some fellow loopers that we have met here also waiting for the weather window to cross the Atlantic north. CWay, Chrysalis, PharmLife are here with us. A few others joined in the fun as well as they travel north to Maine. A single handed sailor that is doing the loop is here with us as well after running 48 hours to get here down the Delaware River. He’s had a day to recoup and is up for some docktails with us Loopers. Later in the evening C Way joins us on our boat for a nightcap and we talk about travels north. They started in Tennessee and headed northbound. We start to realize that we are about 3 days travel away from crossing our wake in NYC.
