It has finally come. It is time for the run down the Delaware River to Cape May. We have a great plan, the weather is good with forecast for 1 to 3 foot seas, an outgoing tide and 8 to 15 knot head winds. One by one the loop boats are starting to leave Delaware City to head south. We were about the fourth boat out and close enough that we were able to keep an eye on each other. Todays run is about 55 NM and should take about 6 1/2 hours. Just off the western shore south of Reedy Island there is a jetty wall that depending on the tide is submerged but is marked in most spots and ui well out of the channel. It was designed to trap the silt that runs down the river allowing the channel to maintain depth. As we made the slight turn to the south east we passed the Salem Nuclear Power Plant. The shipping traffic was lighter than expected with a few ships traveling at 13 knots south bound with minimal wake. The wind was around 10 knots and the seas were around 1-23 feet until we got close to the Miah Maull Shoal and the Cape Maye/Lewes Inlet.
We made the west end of the Cape May Canal where we dodged one ferry and headed east bound in the canal. The canal had light traffic with fisherman heading west. After passing a few bridges including an old railroad bridge we made it to the Canyon Club Marina located on the north side of the canal just past the Cape May fixed bridge.
The win was steady and strong out of the east and we were given a slip assignment for a stern in port tie leaving the wind off of our bow which made docking easier than it should have been. Once in a while “Murphy ” stays home. Canyon Club Marina is a beautiful marina with a great pool, clean restrooms and a well stocked store. There is a fuel and pump out dock on the south side of the main entrance. The dock hands were good but the dockmaster in the store didn’t have much information about the area and didn’t seem interested in anything but going home on time.
Cape May is a city and seaside resort at the tip of southern New Jersey’s Cape May Peninsula. It’s known for its grand Victorian houses such as the Emlen Physick Estate, now a museum with a preserved interior from the era. Shops and restaurants line the Washington Street Mall, 3 pedestrianized blocks of Washington Street. The Cape May Lighthouse provides views across the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean.
We only planned on staying through Memorial day but with the weather as windy as it was we stayed for 8 days through May 31st. While in Cape May we were able to visit with Maria’s cousins George and Gail who took us to the Nauti Spirits Distillery for some refreshing cocktails and the next day to the Cape May Brewing Co. for live music, cold beer and met their son Matt and his wife Julianne and their 2 daughters.
We were able to get our bikes out and ride through the city of Cape May where I got my 1st flat tire. Without a tube I had to drop it off at the local tire repair store and we were able to walk through the Washington Street Mall. The mall has a lot of shops and small restaurants where we stopped and ate at Delaney’s Irish Pub for a good burger and pint. It was still windy and cool so after picking up my bike we headed back to the Marina and awaited the arrival of several loopers to include Tom and Diane on Beachside, Shirley and Tony on Puffin, and Doug and Shari on Thistle. The wind was still strong which made docking for all the loopers an adventure. The Marina did have a shuttle van and we were able to go shopping.
While in town we were able to have cocktails at the Lobster House which is a huge restaurant with a boat set up as a bar in Schellenger Creek. It had a cool atmosphere with a great view.We also ate at Lucky Bones Back Water Grille for good pizza.
We were grateful to be joined by our good friends Tommy and Taryn who drove down from Brigantine. They joined us along with other loopers for docktails at “Beachside”. On Memorial Day the Marina held a cook-out for members and guests with cold beer, soda, hamburgers and hot dogs. The staff was great but the weather wasn’t very cooperative. Needless to say only a couple of kids and a few ducks were the only ones in the pool all weekend. I did get a chance to get out on my bike for a long ride to walmart on a great bike path that ran past the Cold Spring Brewery north and south.
All and all with the limitations due to weather Cape May was a great stop with great friends.
