As all of you know, weather plays a major part in boating. If it’s crappy, you hang out in a harbor until things get better. If it’s nice, you make tracks to your new destination. Anything in between is a roll of the dice to what you’ll really get. So it was with a roll of the dice that I headed out of Annapolis for the 30 mile trip to my next stop, Worton Creek. We had stopped at Worton Creek on the way south and I found it to be a really nice place to drop the anchor but first I had to get there.
I pulled out of Annapolis and headed towards the Bay Bridge. The weather was looking good for the trip north and the winds were in my favor so I unfurled the headsail and settled into a nice sail north. As I passed under the bridge, somebody turned on the hurricane machine again and the winds kicked up over 20 knots…again. I sighed and shook my head as it was looking like it would be another day of getting salt water all over the boat…😮💨.
About an hour later, the winds had actually dropped enough that the waves dropped down to about a foot and the boat was smoothly sailing along!! I could get used to this I thought…😁. Soon enough, I was turning into Worton Creek. I had a couple of things to take care of before I dropped the anchor and I knew that the Worton Creek Marina was the place to go. I finally raised them on the VHF and they said the fuel dock was partially blocked by a 91′ motor yacht but I was welcome to try coming in around it if I wanted. I’m always up for a good challenge so in I went!! I made it in without trading any gelcoat, took on fuel and water, then backed out and headed towards the anchorage. It was early in the afternoon when I dropped the anchor and it was so peaceful that I took a nap…👍.
Oh what a night it was!! It was so calm and still that the boat never moved all night. I woke up early to catch the tide up and through the C&D Canal with the goal of reaching Delaware City to wait out another blow coming through. The next big hurdle was the trip down the Delaware Bay and this is something you want to do in calm weather if possible.
The trip through the canal was uneventful and actually quite peaceful. Even the Coast Guard boat went by with just a wave instead of boarding Infinity for a safety check!! As I reached the end of the canal, I called Delaware City Marina on the VHF to let them know I was approaching their facility and they said they’d be ready for me when I got there. This marina is located on a very narrow canal that has swift currents running through it so I was really happy to have a couple of dock hands there to catch lines. My plan was to leave early the next morning and I was pointed in the wrong direction for the current so the dock hands warped the boat around 180 degrees using two lines and the current. I was duly impressed at the ease in which they performed this feat!!
The weather for the next day was forecasted to be blustery in the morning then dropping down to almost calm. My plan was to get to the Cohansey River, anchor overnight, then head to Cape May NJ to stage up for the trip up the Jersey shore. I delayed my departure as the current was running pretty strong and I didn’t want to attempt to pull off the face dock without help. The dock hands didn’t start until 8:00 am so it looked like I’d be sticking to my plan. To my surprise, the guy on the boat just in front of me stepped out into his cockpit and asked me if I needed help handling lines. I replied that I did and to give me about 10 minutes to get set.
About 15 minutes later I was headed out of the marina and down the Delaware Bay. The first big obstacle to overcome was a huge freighter coming up the bay so I hugged the side of the channel and let him pass. After that, I passed by the nuclear power plant and into the wider part of the bay. I had caught the current running out of the bay so soon enough I was running about 7 knots over ground. I took some quick measurements and figured that I actually had a chance to get to Cape May in one day instead of two so I decided to go for it. The day progressed as forecasted with the wind dying to almost nothing and the temps heading into the 80’s. I made it to the Cape May Canal entrance just as the current started to turn in my favor. I motored down to Cape May and dropped the anchor in a tight spot next to the Coast Guard training station. I knew the next few days were going to be nasty with winds in the mid to upper 20’s so I let out more anchor line than normal and settled in for the long wait. I wouldn’t be disappointed as the weather kicked up and stayed that way for about 4 days. I kept an eye on the weather as I wanted to make the passage up the Jersey shore in one shot but it really wasn’t planning out. I finally decided, after consulting with my people, that it would be wiser to split the Jersey shore into two days. My first stop would be Atlantic City and then I’d do a long day to get to NYC. Now that the plan was set, I’d just need to wait for a good couple of days to make the run.
Next up…the Jersey shore and rough times in the Big Apple.
❤️❤️❤️
Sailing Infinity 