2019: Hampton VA

16 October 2019
Depart: Hampton, VA anchorage 9:40
Arrive: Hampton Public Piers 9:55
Distance: < 1 nm

With rain predicted for the day, we decided to scoot on over to the marina as early as feasible. Since we could practically see the marina from our anchorage spot, it took only a few minutes to move ourselves over. Shortly after we tied up, Cathy invited me to join her on a walk around the local area.

We found a number of shops to explore including one I have not been able to visit on prior stops in Hampton - Best of British Whenever I have been by the store in the past, it had always been before or after their open hours. I had not planned on our outing being a shopping trip and did bring my wallet with me. It was a very good thing, or I might have loaded up on Branston Pickle, Cadbury chocolate, or McVities biscuits -- all childhood favorites!

In the shop we saw a couple of wall hangings that caught or attention.

On our walk Cathy found a place that could do some alterations on a pair of jeans for her, a shop to buy a loaf of bread, and an art and antiques store where we met a very friendly local artist. On the way back to our boats, we passed a mural on one of the buildings.

Hampton Mural

Today was a soggy day in Hampton. When the rain finally stopped in late afternoon, I took my laundry up to the marina building to get that out of the way. After that was done, I convinced Clark to go out for pizza for dinner. He found "Venture" via Google Maps, so we went there. They offered pizza and tapas dishes. I got a short rib and onion pizza called "Get Shorty". On our walk to dinner, Clark managed to snap a Hampton, Virginia sunset shot.

17 October 2019
no boat travel.

We had the day to ourselves until 4:00 when the Snowbirds Rendezvous had its first activity. The anchor roller on "Home Too" crumbled under the weight of the new, 44-pound anchor. Franklin found a roller at West Marine that was slightly too wide, so this morning Clark and Franklin worked on trimming the roller down to fit in the available space. They had saws and files to shave off some size.

The roller resizing project took quite a bit of time. When that exercise was finally completed, the four of us called for Lyft and took a ride to West Marine and Kroger's to shop for some supplies. The two stores were only .2 miles apart on the map. However, a cloverleaf for a major intersection sat between the two stores, so we walked about .5 miles to work around the fact that we could not cross the street safely in several places.

At the Rendezvous reception, I got quite a surprise as Rick and Jean, whom we met in April when we passed through Hampton, were in town and attending the Rendezvous as well.

Folks at our table during the Meet and Greet event
Bev and Bruce - "Paddy Wagon"
Rick and Jean - "Spindrift v. 2"

18 October 2019
no boat travel.

Today's events started at 8:30 with the first presentation. Topics for the day included ICW 101 and 201, Docking and Boat Handling, and Marine Corrosion and Care and Feeding of Shore Power. Today's session included a delicious lunch provided by "The Grey Goose" restaurant.

After classes ended, we walked back to our boats and Clark helped Franklin insert the sawed, filed and sanded anchor roller in place. With a touch more sanding, they got it in place and it even rolls!

Clayton and Dorothy on "Flight" whom we met in Marathon last winter are members of the Hampton Yacht Club and invited us to join them for drinks and dinner this evening. Walking to the yacht club, we got quite a surprise. The road was partially closed and a parade was marching by!

Phoebus High School
MC JROTC

Phoebus Parade thru Hampton, VA

Views on our way to the Yacht club ...

We had a great time catching up with Dorothy and Clayton as well as Jean and Rick at the yacht club.


19 October 2019
no boat travel.

Breakfast at a nearby hotel came with today's schedule. Sessions began at 8:30. Today's agenda included navigation using tablets and iPads, tides and current concerns on the ICW, off-shore weather, an update on the Bahamas, and anchorages and favorite frugal stops on the way south.

Tablet Navigation Session in Process

Dinner tonight was included in the event schedule. Once again we walked to the Hampton Yacht Club for cocktails, a buffet dinner, and live music.

Scrumptious Buffet at HYC

Cocktails and Live Music

Our table at the buffet dinner
"Home Too", "Spring Break", "Salty Dog", and
"Sunset Delight"

This time with Clark included!

We must have sat at a lucky table. The event included a few door prizes and three people at our table one. "Spring Break" won a wet back and caps. "Home Too" won a small canvas bag. Clark won a comfy soft throw blanket made by Sunbrella. I held onto the blanket for no longer than it took to hand it to Elaine on "Salty Dog". She had oohed and aahed over the prior throw that came up for grabs, so I decided, since I did not need / want a throw, I would give it to her. She was thrilled!

Sample door prize - Hampton throw blanket

I was thrilled, when the grand prize came up, that our friends Jean and Rick on "Spindrift v. 2" won. A marina on the Chesapeake offered a free haul out and boat bottom power wash plus some other goodies to make it a big win for them.

Fortunately, we did not have to walk back to our marina after dinner as a shuttle bus was provided for the trip. We did not relish walking back in the dark.


20 October 2019
no boat travel.

This morning Dorothy came by with her car to take Cathy and me to the supermarket. After some Googling on her phone, Dorothy offered up a nearby Harris Teeter and I was thrilled. The Kroger's we went to on Thursday did not have several of the items I needed to restock. Harris Teeter on the other hand had everything I hoped to buy and even some things that I did not plan to get but could not pass up because they are a rare find.

After we dropped off the food and Cathy, Dorothy drove Clark and me to her house for the day. I brought my laundry. We had chili and grilled for lunch. After lunch, Dave and Bev now on "Amale" came to join the group. Great day with our boating friends!!

Bev, Dorothy, Ev, Dave and Clark

This time with Clayton and without Clark

At the end of our visit, Clayton drove us back to our boat where we settled in to watch our favorite Sunday night television shows.

2019: Chesapeake Bay

13 October 2019
Depart: Summit North Marina, Bear, DE 8:50
Arrive: West River Anchorage #1 4:00
Distance: 63 nm

After walking it a couple of times, I decided to look at the app on my phone that measures the distance I walk. To the closest restroom from the boat was .33 miles (each way). The one we walked to last night for our showers was further away than that. I got my morning exercise by walking to the toilets and back before we continued on our journey.

We traveled the remainder of the C&D Canal this morning. As we passed by, we checked out the Chesapeake City free dock. Because of the spacing of the boats there, it appeared to be quite full. We thought all the boats would have left first thing in the morning.

Free Dock at Chesapeake City, DE

On the opposite side of the canal, we saw twin boats docked near Schaefer's Canal House Marina.

Schaefer's Canal House on the C&D Canal

Our trip today included a couple of interesting barge sightings - both with drogues.

A barge carrying barges!

A barge carrying a classic wooden boat. A Trumpy?

Drogue is visible in the water behind this barge.

We dodged a lot of debris in the water again today. With the size of the objects, a hit could cause considerable damage!

Tree / limb at least 6 feet long!

When we could take our eyes off the obstacles in the water, we enjoyed the view of the bridges and lighthouses.

Baltimore Light on Chesapeake Bay

William P. Lane Memorial Bridge

Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse 

14 October 2019
Depart: West River Anchorage just south of Annapolis, MD 8:00
Arrive: Mill Creek Anchorage off the Wicomico River in VA 4:50
Distance: 76 nm

We planned an early departure, but when Clark got up and took a look, he found a very foggy sky. He let me stay in bed an extra few minutes before we got up and got going.

"Home Too" in the foggy West River anchorage.

Morning mist in Maryland

As we did yesterday, we again dodged tree limbs and pilings in the water. If not for the debris in the water, it would have been a rather boring ride. The debris fields kept us on our toes!

Another tree-sized piece of wood floating on the waterway
due to severe flooding in the area.

As the sun lowered in the sky, Clark captured a silhouette of a passing ship.

We decided to anchor in Mill Creek as we have been here before and liked it. The one drawback it has is the lack of services - weak cellphone and no digital television. As we approached the anchorage, "Sunset Delight" turned off to port and "Home Too" continued on to our starboard side. They needed to refuel before tomorrow's travels.

As we dropped our anchor for the night, it made sounds like a squeaky wheel. I found it unpleasant to listen to, and Clark found it disturbing from a wear-and-tear point of view. While we waited for Franklin and Cathy to come into the anchorage to join us, Clark and I disassembled the windlass to lubricate the parts in an attempt to eliminate the noise.

We have taken apart the windlass a few times now. It takes two. One to pull the pieces off and the other to read the step-by-step instructions and make sure nothing blows or rolls off the deck. Clark had a devil of a time finding the squeaky culprit until suddenly he had an ah-ha moment and realized it was the infamous "stripper" that was causing the noise. Once he applied liberal lubricant to that part, the noise disappeared completely.

Clark had the last piece to be complete the reassembly in his hands as "Home Too" entered the anchorage. By the time they finished fueling and found the anchorage, the sun had set.

Sunset at Mill Creek, VA

As they started to anchor the anchor roller broke. Consequently, they rafted with us. Fortunately the next few nights for them are in a marina, so they will have a chance to fix the roller before needing to anchor again.


15 October 2019
Depart: Mill Creek Anchorage 9:05
Arrive: Hampton, VA Anchorage 4:15
Distance: 53 nm

The trip from Wicomico River to Hampton felt like it took forever. Although we had not even a ripple in the anchorage, as soon as we got out in the open, we found 15 knot winds and rocky seas. On the bright side, we did not find any debris on today's travels. Despite watching intently, we did not see any traps on the water either - even in the fish trap zone.

Starting early afternoon, we repeatedly heard a Coast Guard Securite announcement concerning a super tanker due to arrive at Thimble Shoal Channel at 2:00. As we also approached Thimble Shoal Channel, we kept a watch out for the vessel named "Cosco Jasmine". Finally, around 3:00 we saw the ship on the horizon. AIS revealed that we our paths would cross in approximately 30 minutes.

1200 foot long super tanker heading for Norfolk, VA

This sailboat looks very small beside the cargo ship.

Getting up close and personal with the cargo ship was the excitement for the day. As the ship turned towards Norfolk, we turned to Hampton, Virginia for the night. Entering the Hampton River, we saw familiar sights including Hampton University.

Old Point Comfort Lighthouse

Hampton University

Great boat name ... "Dessert First"

Franklin dropped off at the Hampton Public Piers for the night while we continued on under the nearby bridge to anchor in a spot we have used a few times.

Our anchorage for the night in Hampton, VA

As I worked on the blog update and Clark did some repair work on a propane leak, we heard someone shouting at us. It turns out some sculling boats were passing by. The person who yelled told Clark that his parents were from New Jersey. He had obviously seen "Rumson, NJ" as our home port shown on the hull of our boat.

Clark wants to attend a Snowbird Boaters' Rendezvous here in Hampton starting Thursday and lasting until Sunday. There will be seminars and opportunities to meet more boaters. Clark is particularly interested to hear Chris Parker speak. Chris Parker's weather broadcasts provided us with the critical information we needed to be able to travel safely on "Sea Moss" in the Bahamas in 2016.

2019: Delaware Bay

12 October 2019
Depart: Cape May, Utsch's Marina, 9:50
Arrive: Summit North Marina, Bear, DE 6:15
Distance: 59 nm

Given earlier predictions on wave heights in Delaware Bay, we expected to be held captive in Cape May until Sunday. However, Clark reviewed the wave heights early this morning and decided that we could "make a break for it" if "Home Too" was amenable. Franklin and Cathy voted "Aye", and we threw ourselves into high gear to make our escape as quickly as possible. As it was a last-minute decision to move, it took some time to prepare to depart. We managed to leave just before 10:00.

Clark said it would be a slow ride up the Delaware River, and he was not joking. The further along we got, the worse the numbers. We saw our speed continuously drop 8.8 became 7.7 became 6.6 and eventually barely 6.0 knots. You know it is a slow day on the water when you celebrate to be going 6.8 knots. When we got over 7 knots we were cheering!

As we traveled north on the Delaware River bucking the current, all sorts of debris (tree branches and lumber) came our direction as it floated out with the tide. We saw huge planks floating by including some with long nails protruding from the boards! The area has experienced heavy flooding due to a storm out in the ocean.

We hoped to stay tonight at Delaware City where we have stayed in the past. However, when we talked to them, they directed us to call the Summit North marina. Delaware City Marina closed at 5:00 p.m., and we would not arrive until closer to 6:00. Given their "tricky" dock setup, they do not want anyone tying up without them on hand to assist. We contacted Summit North, and they said they would accommodate us.

Another possibility for a place to stay for the night was the Chesapeake City free dock. Clark contacted our friend Kenny on "Daybreak" to ask if the city had a camera on the dock so we could see if there would be room for us. Kenny did one better ... he drove by in his car and checked it out for us. The docks were full, so no go there.

We were well pleased with the day's travel in that we never saw anything close to the 3-5 foot waves that were predicted. We had calm waters for the entire trip and very little boat traffic. Even the commercial traffic seemed to be staying off the river. Even so, by the time we reached Summit North Marina, we were all ready to call it a day.

Views on today's travels included ...

Clark saw a railroad bridge up ahead, so

he tried for the "down-the-tracks" picture.

Due to a full moon and flooding from tropical depression Melissa, "Sunset Delight" rode high enough in the water to allow Clark to try for a "down the tracks" picture. Normally, the tracks would be so high he would not be able to look down them for a picture.

We passed four small lighthouses in Delaware Bay ... Cross Ledge, Miah Maull Shoal, Brandy Wine, and Ship John Shoal Lighthouse.

Cross Ledge Lighthouse

Ship John Shoal Lighthouse

Salem Nuclear power plant was on our starboard side as we traveled the Delaware River.

Salem Nuclear Power Plant in NJ

We arrived at Summit North Marina in time to get some great twilight and sunset pictures.

Late-day arrival at the C&D Canal

Sunset at the Summit North Marina docks

Night sky in Bear, Delaware

2019: Cape May NJ

October 8, 9, 10, and 11, 2019
Utsch's Marina, Cape May, NJ
No boat travel.

We spent over 4 days in Cape May waiting for the waves to settle in Delaware Bay to a level that would permit us a comfortable transit to the C&D canal and eventually Chesapeake Bay.

While we waited for any opportunity to move on,  Clark worked with Franklin on "Home Too" to improve their on-board equipment to enhance their docking and anchoring capabilities. 

For better protection from damage caused by rubbing on pilings at marinas, Clark helped Franklin make fender boards. The folks at Utsch's marina found 2 2x4s that could be re-purposed into fender boards.  Clark drilled the holes, and Franklin did the assembly. Evelyn mostly watched!

Team Project - Nearly finished fender boards

Franklin applying the finishing touches 

The much larger and time-consuming project entailed swapping out their existing anchor, chain, and rode with a more robust setup. After many hours of measuring, analysis, and discussion, a decision was finally reached on how much line, how much chain, and what type and size anchor to install to replace the existing setup.  They decided on a spade design. Due to the somewhat compact size of the anchor pulpit, much deliberation was put into deciding which  brand and weight of anchor to use for the job to allow it to fit in the available space and hold the boat even in windy conditions.

Although we spent the majority of our time at the marina, we did manage to walk into town twice.  Since it is October, we got to see some seasonal flowers and Halloween decorations. We also visited both locations of a local marine store,  Marine Gear. Franklin bought the anchor project materials there. While there, I found some very inexpensive boat shoes to pick up for Clark and for myself.

Sights we saw around Cape May during our stay and on our walks included ...

Seasonal Pumpkin Patch

Halloween Horse and Ghost

Deserted Downtown Cape May, NJ

Froggy Bicyclist -- at local gas station

2019: Rough travels Sandy Hook to Atlantic City

5 October 2019
Depart:  Rumson NJ 12:00
Arrive: Brielle Yacht Club 4:45

Looking at the upcoming marine forecast, Clark decided that our best option for travel would be to leave as quickly as possible. We made our decision around 4 o'clock Friday afternoon and put ourselves instantly into travel- prep mode.  Other than sleeping through the night, we worked non-stop getting ready to drop our lines and get underway.  Provisioning the boat and shutting down the house are time- consuming activities.   We targeted an 11 o'clock departure and managed to leave by noon.  For this trip, we have a buddy boat, so we headed to Atlantic Highlands to meet up with our travel partners - Franklin and Cathy on "Home Too".

"Home Too" near Atlantic Highlands, NJ

As we approached Manasquan Inlet, Clark checked times and distances and decided we had to make a stop here for the night. Brielle Yacht Club quoted $3 per foot,  Hoffman's quoted $4, so we opted for BYC. A young teenager came to the dock to help us tie up for the night. Before we could get settled, someone from Hoffman's marina came out and told us to "get off their dock". Huh?

After several phone calls, we found out that there is a new owner of BYC, and the prior owner did not make it clear to the new owner that this particular section of dock where they told us to tie up is leased to Hoffman's. After much scurrying around by the young dockhand, he managed to find us two new slip assignments.

I thought after the embarrassing "land dispute" fiasco that we might get offered a discount for our troubles. Instead, when Clark went to check in, they told him the rate was misquoted because it had just gone up to $4 per foot. So, I guess, in a way, we got a discount because Clark convinced them to give us the quoted rate.

But wait ... the fun wasn't over yet! Apparently, several slips have not been used since Superstorm Sandy. After Clark and I got settled in,  the woman on a neighboring boat said,  "You better leave at 6:00 in the morning or you won't get out of that slip until noon! " She wasn't joking!

We docked at mid-tide on a 4-foot tide change and saw we had .9 feet of water under the boat.  

Two hours later, the boat was sitting on the bottom! On the bright side, the slip was so narrow compared to the width of our boat, we couldn't tip over. The boat rested tight on a pole on one side and only allowed room for a somewhat squished fender on the other to keep us off the finger dock.

Pictures taken approaching or at Brielle Yacht Club ...

At the railroad bridge, Manasquan Inlet

Sunset at Brielle Yacht Club

"You know you are in NJ when you see a Pork Roll banner!"
Picture taken near Marina Office

6 October 2019
Depart: Brielle Yacht Club 6:15
Arrive: Brigantine Anchorage, Atlantic City, NJ 3:30

Worried about being stuck in the slip until noon, I woke every two hours during the night to check the time. At 5:45 I was up and dressed and heading for the lines to start departure preparations. Note, sunrise came at 7:00, so we were up well before the sun. We had twilight, so we could see our way out. On departure, Clark checked the depth finders and could not get a reading on either one. We made it out of the slip without issue and were we glad to be out of there! I enjoyed watching the sun rise as I stowed our lines and fenders.

The marine forecast appeared reasonable for an outside trip to Atlantic City and maybe even Cape May, NJ. Since we were underway before 7 a.m., the 84 nm to Cape May was not out of the question. However, reality in the ocean did not match the prediction, and we found ourselves with a very uncomfortable ride. By 10:00 a.m., as we approached Barnegat Inlet, it felt to me like I had been out all day on the ocean! Clark said, "We need to bale out here", and in we went to travel on the inside.

With winds and waves forming a following sea, we were pushed this way and then that into Barnegat Inlet. Steering can be and was challenging to say the least in those types of waters. Finally, we got to the Barnegat lighthouse, things settled down, and we could enjoy the sights.

Windsurfer finishing up for the day.

We had a choice when we reached Atlantic City - anchor or marina. Clark and I decided to anchor in the Brigantine anchorage where we had stayed once before. "Home Too" had difficulty getting their anchor to hold, so they chose to stay at a marina instead. Just before we got to the turn off for the anchorage, Clark and I heard a nasty noise come from one of the propellers. We hit something but saw nothing before or after to give us a clue as to what we had encountered. 

With our schedule all out of whack, we were hungry early and decided to have an early dinner. Immediately afterwards I laid down on the couch and went into a deep sleep. I woke up long enough to make my way to my bed and then passed out again. 

7 October 2019

Depart: Atlantic City, NJ 11:20

Arrive: Cape May, NJ 4:45

Worried about the props and the marine forecast, Clark got up early and immediately started making phone calls and doing research on places to haul out the boat. In between those phone calls, he spent time doing research and making calls to find out about conditions for a boat like ours with a 4' draft traveling "on the inside" from Atlantic City to Cape May. He talked to a boat towing company about the route and the man he spoke to told him to forget it - too many shallow places and hazards! He did not find any places in the AC area capable of hauling a boat our size, so we needed to move on.

Since we are traveling with a buddy boat, we need to make joint decisions on go / no-go and when to go. After serious consideration, Clark thought that it would be worthwhile to get to Cape May today. The marine predictions indicate we will be waiting several days for a travel day. Clark and I both thought it would be much nicer to be stuck in Cape May than in Atlantic City. Clark offered to go out in the ocean and check out the conditions then report back to Franklin to make the final call.

On our way past the Absecon Lighthouse
hidden among the tall buildings

Still worried about the props and not having found any place that could haul a boat our size, Clark decided to dive under the boat to take a peek. He informed me, as we headed out into the rough ocean seas, that he planned to dive under the boat out in the ocean while he waited for Franklin to catch up. Clark does some things that I think are crazy dangerous and this idea has to be up there at the top of the list. Who free dives, i.e. no air tanks, under a boat in the Atlantic Ocean with 5'+ seas? The answer is ... Clark!!! 

At first he said we could just drift out there while he dove, but then he decided, thankfully, to drop an anchor. It was only 25' deep, so we let out about 150' of rode, turned off the engines (so he wouldn't die from carbon monoxide poisoning), and in he went. The water temperature was reported to be 68 so he wore a "shorty" wet suit for some protection. The good news is ... I still have a captain as he did not wash away or get a concussion from the boat coming down on his head. The other good news is that he could find no visible damage, i.e. bent prop blades or an object wrapped around a prop. 

I was very relieved, to say the least, when he was safely back on board the boat. Timing worked out well. By the time he was back on board, rinsed off, and dressed (around 12:30), our friends were just coming out of Absecon Inlet, and we could start heading towards Cape May together. We had some rocking and rolling, but nothing like the day before. The fact that the waves hit our forward quarter helped break their impact.

As we neared Cape May, the "Cape May Whale Watch" vessel haled us on the radio and told us that a humpback whale was up ahead of us on our course line. Clark thanked him for the call and said we planned to divert our course, so it should not be an issue.

Cape May Whale Watcher vessel

We could not see the whale from where we sat, but we could see the water spewing in the air from the spout. Earlier in the day, near Atlantic City, however, we did spot a whale. We saw the spray of water go up into the air as a big black body dove into the water. Cool!

A fishing trawler, "Elise G", entered the Cape May inlet just ahead of us. As we followed him in, we saw him raise his outriggers. Later, when we saw he had to go through a bridge, we understood why he pulled them in.

Outriggers up or it's a no go through the bridge!

With all the excitement and long hours on unfriendly seas, I told Clark I wanted dinner out tonight. Since the Lobster House is very near Utsch's marina, we opted to go there for a relaxing meal and conversation. 

It looks like we might be in Cape May for a full week waiting for the next weather opportunity to allow us to continue on our way south. There are certainly a lot worse places to have to spend a week! I told Clark to think of it as a "vacation".