Date: June 20, 2013
Day on the Cruise: 66
From: Skipjack Cove Marina, Georgetown, MD
To: Delaware City Marina, Delaware City, DE
Statute Miles: 42.9
Time: 5.0 Hrs
Cumulative Miles: 1,569.1 SM
On Board: Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut, John
We are in Delaware City, DE tonight!
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| Delaware City is on the Delaware River between Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey |
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| Delaware City, DE |
Another beautiful travel day! We said goodbye to,my cousin John after he joined us this morning for breakfast on the boat. The day was cool and very clear, and again, very low humidity. We got away from Georgetown about 8:40 and headed for the Chesapeake Bay. The dreaded crab pots were still at the entrance to the river. We wound our way through them and got out to the channel heading Northeast in the Bay.
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| Going down the Sassafras River |
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| Many boats were anchored in the coves last night |
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| Stair structure to get to his dock! |
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| Sassafras River meeting Chesapeake Bay |
A big Coast Guard Cutter passed us going like a Bat Out of Hell, throwing us around with his wake. Soon we saw Turkey Point which is where the Elk River joins the Chesapeake Bay. We turned up the Elk and this lead us into the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal or C&D Canal as it is called.
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| Waked by a Coast Guard Cutter!!!! |
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| Turkey Point - We turn into the Elk River, leaving Chesapeake Bay |
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| Turkey Point |
This Canal is 12 or 14 miles long, and it connects the Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware Bay. Ocean going ships, tugs, barges, pleasure boats, etc use it as a shortcut between Philadelphia and Baltimore and points South on the Chesapeake. This Canal eliminates the need to go down Delaware Bay, into the ocean, then back up the Chesapeake Bay, saving about 300 miles. The Canal accommodates ships up to 884 feet long. There is a Canal dispatcher that controls commercial traffic on this waterway. Commercial vessels have to call the dispatcher two hours before they will reach the Canal entrance on either end. As a pleasure boat, we were not required to have permission to enter the Canal.
We entered the Canal at Chesapeake City, MD. Earlier, we left the Chesapeake Bay behind when we passed Turkey Point and entered the Elk River. We spent 17 days on Chesapeake Bay with 9 of those being travel days! Seven of the nine travel days were OK. The other two were horrendous!
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| The bridge at Chesapeake City |
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| Schaeffer's at Chesapeake City |
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| Chesapeake City |
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| Old Inn at Chesapeake City |
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| Marina and Restaurant at Chesapeake City |
Our passage through the Canal was largely uneventful. We passed one commercial vessel - a tug and barge pushing a big bow wave. There were a lot of pleasure vessels in the Canal.
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| View along the C&D Canal |
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| View along the C&D Canal |
We came out into the Delaware River at Reedy Point, which is on the East end of the C&D. After turning North in the Delaware River, we reached our marina for the night. Delaware City is a small town of about 1,000 people, that is on the East end of the C&D Canal. There is a huge oil refinery here.
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| Exiting the Canal into the Delaware River |
After getting settled, a marina employee drove us to New Castle, DE to pick up some prescriptions. This was a very nice gesture by a first class staff! This marina is a very nice operation!
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| Looking along an old section of the C&D Canal at Delaware City |
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| Delaware City Marina |
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| Susan with Blue Moon in the background at Delaware City |
Now for a change in plans. I learned yesterday that my uncle whom we were going to visit tomorrow, is having minor surgery tomorrow, so we have had to scrub the visit. A weather window for cruising out in the Atlantic up the coast of New Jersey has opened for Saturday. This might be the last chance to go up the coast until late next week. Waves are predicted to be 2-3 with winds at 10-12 mph.
So, we are going down the Delaware Bay to Cape May tomorrow, then up the coast of New Jersey on Saturday. Saturday will be a long day!
Thanks for Reading!
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