This is More Like Cruising
29 October 2017
New York to the Chesapeake
October 16 - 19, 2017
With the engine starter fixed, we topped off Sojourn's fluids and headed out on Monday morning. We had laid in a course to Atlantic Highlands inside Sandy Hook, NJ. Our intent was to anchor in behind the breakwater and then head out in the morning for an overnight motor/sail to Cape May, at the entrance to the Delaware Bay.
As we went under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, we had out first look at the Atlantic Ocean. With the winds offshore, the ocean swell was low, so we discussed foregoing Atlantic Highlands and heading directly to Cape May. A final check of the weather forecast showed continued offshore winds 10 - 15 knots, so we reefed the mainsail - a practice we maintain for any night sail. We had been flying the number three Genoa since we stepped our mast in Catskill, NY. Soon we settled into a nice beam reach.
This was Matthew's first time sailing on the Atlantic Ocean and he took it all in. He had a steady hand on the wheel and was picking up the electronic navigation very quickly. One of the last purchases we made in New Jersey was a cell / GPS enabled iPad. We had time, with our engine shenanigans, to download the charts for our trip and we were able to accomplish more detailed trip planning on the iPad, as well as check our current position and get regular weather updates.
A quick note on communications. Before leaving Canada we had extended our Bell Mobility coverage and for $10.00 per month on a 2-year contract it now included unlimited talk and text in US and back to Canada and extended our Canadian data plan to the US - in our case - 3 GB. In addition, the iPad we purchased as unlocked and we had put Verizon pay as you play on it, so we still had data at a reasonable price for weather and for internet checks.
The sail was excellent. We managed a solid 6 to 6.5 knot throughout the evening and into the early morning. Tuesday morning, pre-dawn winds grew to 15 to 20 knots and the wind and waves were more quartering than offshore. Still, the period between waves was relatively long and the height of the waves was just over a meter. We clocked 8 to 10 knots on a regular basis and surfed down a few waves at 12 knots with Matthew on the helm. I slept through those speeds.
We pulled into Cape May in the dark, circled around a couple of times when our sleep-addled minds could not reconcile what we were seeing to what was on the chart. Eventually we figured out exactly where we were and continued on to anchor in front of the Coast Guard station. We had a bite of breakfast and slept for a few hours. In the afternoon, after getting squared away from night sail, a couple came by in a dinghy. They introduced themselves as Cathy and Rob, sailing a beautiful Island Packet. They too were headed south. They invited us over for happy hour - and we accepted.
Over drinks on their boat, Packet-Inn, we discussed travel plans for the next day with Cathy and Rob and agreed they were heading out at roughly the same time as we were. We always feel comfortable when we are buddy boating. It is nice to have someone close if you have an issue and it is good to be able to give back should they run into a problem. Fortunately, neither of us had to call on the other during the passage up the Delaware.
The Delaware Bay and Delaware River can be described as a 'nasty piece of water'. Because of its shape - wide at the bottom and narrow at the top, the current runs slowly at the entrance to the Bay and the current speeds up as the Bay and River narrows. It is called the Venturi effect, just like water through the nozzle of a garden hose. The Delaware floods (fills) for about 7 hours and ebbs (drains) for around 5 hours. To successfully move from Cape May to the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal you have to get from bottom to top before the tide turns and gains significant speed.
If you ask 3 sailors what is the best way to successfully transit the Delaware you will get at least 5 opinions. Here is our take on the process.
First, don't attempt to transit the Delaware if the wind in opposite the current. This is the same rule that applies to crossing the Gulf Stream. So on a flood current, going inland on the Delaware, you want an East wind. North or South will also do, but not a West wind. The opposite is true for the ebb current. We had a North wind, so that would give us a reach going up the Delaware.
If you want to minimize your transit time and can maintain at least 5 knots, head out of the Cape May Canal, or the mouth of the Bay, 2 hours after slack water on they flood tide. That way you will be able to take advantage of the maximum current heading up the Bay and your speed will increase by 2 to about 4 knots. You can complete the 55 miles very quickly.
We decided we did not mind spending the extra time, so we headed out at 0700 and moved against a mild ebb current - less than one knot - for a few hours. We were able to sail for a good portion of the morning, gaining some speed from the increasing current. We stayed out of the shipping lane for the most part, although there was not a lot of activity on the Wednesday morning. We called ahead to Packet-Inn and Rob confirmed that they intended to anchor just off Reedy Island, within site of the C&D Canal. We arrived at the anchorage at dusk and followed them into a well-protected anchorage and a quiet night.
The next morning, we transited the C&D Canal and anchored at Turner Creek on the Sassafras River. We anchored with a half dozen other boats - again, a quiet anchorage and a good night's sleep.
Fair Winds
Mary, Rob and Matthew