When checking when to leave Schaffer’s Marina check the currents of the Delaware Bay, and not the C & G canal. The currents will be against you while in the C & G but will become favourable on the Delaware which is a much longer transit. You want to time your exit along the canal to be in your favour heading to Cape May. We decide the best time to leave is when the C & G is against us and the Delaware is going to be against us for about 1/4 of the way. Then it will be in our favour and we will have a push from the tides heading out all the way to Cape May. It is still a long day at 8 knts. Scott decides to pick it up for about an hour while we transit the Delaware just to save some time but also the engines have not worked hard in a long time. We need to blow out some carbon. The bay is fairly flat water. We feel very lucky having so many days in a row to cover the Chesapeake and now the Delaware. Yes, this is the same Delaware that George Washington traveled. There are not many areas to duck in along the coast on the Bay so a good weather window is imperative.
A chop starts to build as we get closer to Cape May but it was still very reasonable. We are heading into Utch’s Marina. It is a bow in only as it is too shallow for stern in. The marina entrance is being dredged and we find 5 feet at the channel. It does deepen upon entering the marina. We find our slip and now I can’t get off the boat. Scott finds a step where I climb over the bow rail, find my footing at the step 3 feet away and then climb down the step. I won’t be getting off often.
At the marina we find so many loopers. We meet several at docktails. It was a fun night getting to hear everyone’s journey and where they are from. Cheers to a great night. We all headed back to the boat at 7:00, Looper’s need down time at home too.
It’s also my birthday so we head out to the nearest restaurant. Lucky Bones has an array of menu options at a reasonable price. Scott had the rack of ribs and I had an amazing cabbage and brussel sprout salad. We even treated ourselves to a chocolate chip cheesecake. After dinner we headed for a short walk and then back to the boat.
We did find pickleball and some folks to play easily accessible with an Uber. Great courts with okay competition but we are happy to have had a few games.
