Winter trip recap 2007

The Winter of 2007 was the first time in our almost 30 year history that we were forced to cancel a scheduled trip. This past Feb. 17-18 the host crew of the pirate clan ventured out to the river banks to survey the situation. A ice storm from 4 days earlier, and 2 weeks of subfreezing temperatures have clogged the Delaware with moving pack ice. Captn. Mitchell, Kevin,aka Death, and myself walked the encrusted beach to search for the South-East Passage. An incoming tide had the ice flow moving north toward the Walt Whitman bridge. A continous barrier of ice created a blockade to the Island. We could move south along the shore, or try to break through the icy rampart. Of course there was the other deterent of launching the boat from the beach. The shoreline was reconstructed of frozen snow and stacked-up ice with thickness up to 2 feet. Several blows with a sledge hammer did little to change the icy landscape. I'm sure the locals who were also on the beach enjoying the morning sunrise wondered just what the hell I was doing smashing the ice, but decided best not to question a man wielding a sledge hammer. Finally there was a concern that once we did make it out to the Island, what would we find on Sunday after a night of forecasted snow and more subfreezing temperatures. Would there be access to the Jersey shore of the river? Would we have trouble with  100+ lbs icebergs tipping our boat? Miraculously we used better judgement and decided to respect the Mighty Delaware and reschedule the trip.