Yesterday was a long, tense and tiring day. We got underway at first light after being at anchor in Beach Haven, NJ, and headed for Manasquan, about 45 miles away. We took the inside route through very shallow water. Our boat needs 4 feet of water to safely negotiate a way to a destination. There were a number of times that we only had about 5 and a half feet of water under the keel at times.

To add to the tension, it was rainy and drizzling the entire day so it made finding the channel markers quite difficult at times. Thank goodness for radar and out GPS/chartplotter which shows all the buoys and water depths. It made locating our channels and turns somewhat easier.

In order to get to Manasquan, where the inlet to the ocean is located, at the end of Barnegat Bay we

Fell asleep last night before I could post our days adventure to the cruising log. Yesterday was overcast again with fog. But, by 10 AM it was just about gone so we got underway and had a very wonderful day going down Delaware Bay to Cape May. For about two hours we were fighting against the end of the incoming current, but once it changed we were making 10 knots towards our destination. Not bad for an 8 knot boat!!

Now it was totally clear all the way down the bay and into the Cape May Canal, when as we were about a half a mile from our destination at South Jersey Marina, I watched a fog bank form in front of us. I immediately turned on the radar and was able to navigate the final way with the radar. Fortunately, the last time we were in Cape May we had visited the marina in our dinghy so I pretty much knew where we had to go.

So here we are today, Friday 10/7 waiting for a weather window. The marine forecast for the next week is calling for seas anywhere from 5-11 feet high with high winds. We are thinking we are pretty much stuck here until the middle of next week due to the convergence of the remains of tropical storm Tammy and a cold front that’s moving in.

The intent today was to get going at first light with the idea of making it to Atlantic City, about a 10-11 hour day. We left at 7 am in a mild fog, but with the tide in our favor pushing us through the canal at almost 11 knots. As we approached the breakwater at Delaware Bay the fog thickened immensely and we decided to turn around. Even with radar it would have been dangerous to continue.

The forecast had said the fog would clear and it would be sunny and in the 80’s. I wanted to anchor off to the side of the canal and wait as long as needed for the fog to lift so as not to have to backtrack to Chesapeake City. My crew was pretty adamant that she did not want to take a chance of proceeding even if the fog lifted as we could run into more as we went down the bay. We decided to head to a marina about three miles from the entrance to the bay and as the forecast was calling for the same conditions tomorrow, wait out the weather as long as needed.

Well, by noon the sun was shining and the sky was blue and the temps did get to about 80. At least I was able to clean the boat!!

Right now, the decision is to head out tomorrow for Cape May if space is available at a marina. The forecast has changed to be only partly cloudy with no fog. However, as the tropical storm down south is supposed to collide with a cold front on Friday, it would mean staying In Cape May through the weekend as the offshore forecast is for over 8 foot seas!! No way we’re going out in that!!!

We decided to go to dinner at a restaurant here at the marina. As we were walking up to it, another couple met up with us. They had just sailed from Sandy Hook, New Jersey through the night and up the bay. The fellow who owned the boat had brought it down from Lake Erie with different friends as crew. He was headed down the ICW for a winter in the Bahamas. We had a lovely evening chatting about traveling by boat.

We left Rock Hall this morning in mild fog and overcast skies. The forecast called for this to burn off by about noon with sunshine to follow. Well, it’s been overcast all day but the trip up to Chesapeake City has been uneventful.

I’m still disappointed about not being able to head south. It’s hard to imagine that getting a slip for a few months could be this difficult. Oh well, we can always try again another year.

We arrived at Chesapeake City with hopes of staying at the free dock. Just as we were about to turn in to the basin, another blue hulled trawler pulled in ahead of us and took the last spot, so we anchored out.

Since the weather was cool, we took the dinghy in to the dock so we could walk through the town. When we pulled up I recognized the blue boat as a boat from France that we had passed near West Point while going up the Hudson this past June. We spoke with the owner who said they motored this vessel across the Atlantic Ocean and have traveled the Caribbean and up the East Coast. When we saw them they were on the way to the Erie, Oswego and Rideau canals for the summer and are now heading south to the Bahamas.

I began my phone calls to the marinas in Florida, some of whose waiting lists I had placed my name on over the winter. It’s truly hard to imagine that slip space is unavailable. This first marina is located in Gulfport, about a 30 minute drive from our condo. This past February, they called to say they had a slip available at that time. I informed them that I would like to stay on the waiting list as I needed this slip for mid November. When I called them today, I was informed I was not even on their list!! So much for this place.

The next was the municipal marina in Gulfport where I was informed that this past June they did away with the non-resident list as the resident list has grown so long they just had to restrict any slips to Gulfport residents only.

And so it went through the next 4-5 marinas. No slips to be had!! Sooo, we left Cambridge this morning to head back to NY where we will lay the boat up for the winter at the end of the month. Are we disappointed ?? You betcha!!! But we have had a great time here in the Chesapeake, seeing some great old towns and meeting a number of nice people along the way.

So we had a marvelous day on the water today in the bright sunshine and flat seas ( I’m sure this line is getting a little boring!!) and arrived back in Rock Hall for the evening, just north of Annapolis. If all goes well with the weather, we should be back in NY by Thursday afternoon.

It was a long term dream to make it down the ICW by boat, but what you begin to learn early on when you are a boater, is that Murphy’s Law comes into play just too often!!

Today’s trip from Oxford to Cambridge covered eleven miles in about an hour and a half. Once again we had an magnificent day weather wise with the water pancake flat!! We traveled around a point and up the Choptank River to Cambridge Creek. This is a little tributary extending about a mile off the river and right into the heart of the historic part of Cambridge. There is about a 500 foot long concrete bulkhead where there is no charge to tie up. No water or electricity either, but we’re self sufficient for at least two days without these services. This area is surrounded by condos , marinas and a restaurant and leads to a tiny draw bridge to allow access up the creek. Really well protected.

Bren decided the relax on the boat for the afternoon as all the walking we’ve been doing aggravated her hips yesterday. I on the other hand set off to find a visitors center about a block away. I was able to get a brochure describing a walking tour of this area and all its’ historic homes. These homes range from the mid 1700’s to the late 1800’s and are all meticulously maintained.

During my walk I also came across the Richardson Marine Museum which had a wonderful display of sailing ship models. I actually learned that the term “bugeye” as it applies to the type of sloop common for oystering on the Chesapeake comes from a Scottish word meaning oyster.

Hard to believe it’s Oct. 1 already. Today we took a walk to the post office where our mail finally arrived, and to a hair salon so Bren could get her hair trimmed. Guess what??? The hair salon was closed for a three day vacation!! So on we went down the road to the Cutts and Case shipyard. This is a famous wooden boat restoration, repair and building yard. It has been written up in many of the boating magazines because of a patented system of boat building developed by Mr. Cutts.

We got permission from one of the workmen to enter the shed where a boat by the name of “Foto” is located. This is a beautifully varnished and maintained boat dating from the forties and was owned by Morris Rosenfeld, a world renowned marine photographer. His entire collection of photos is owned by Mystic Seaport. There was also a 65 foot varnished hull in the shed which belongs to Mr. Cutts. Seems like he has been building this boat over the last 15 years during the yards down time. Hanging from the ceiling over the hull are the two cabin structures. From the plans posted next to the hull, the boat is reminiscent of those built in the 1920’s.

In talking to the workman before we left we learned that Mr. Cutts lives in a house that was relocated to his property and is the oldest home in Oxford, dating to the late 1600’s.

From here we walked back to the main street and the consignment store where Bren purchased table cloth and napkins that go with our décor in Fl. After this we walked over to the Oxford Museum which has a display describing the history of oystering in the Chesapeake, the oyster wars that I described in an earlier post, and the relationship to Oxford. There was a fellow ( an attorney from DC) there who was instrumental in setting up this display of historical objects and documents over the last three weeks. He did a great job !!

After a couple of hours in town, we returned to the boat where we spent the day relaxing and cleaning the boat. Tomorrow we are off to Cambridge.