Nimue - Heading South to Annapolis -23 July

Heading South to Annapolis -23 July - 1 Aug 2011

Nimue

Sun 24 Jul 2011 20:27

We stopped a couple of nights in Port Washington, primarily to pick up some more supplies for our journey south to Annapolis, in the Chesapeake.

Bearing in mind that we were in the middle of a heat wave, I vividly remember the extreme heat of the air blowing over us as we motored down the East River. Once we reached Manhattan, the noise of buzzing helicopters overhead was striking, but we also had to be careful of the ferries leaving the nearby docks at full speed. As we were nearing completion of the 40nm journey to Atlantic Highlands the sun was setting, but we just managed to lay the anchor before the pitch black night arrived; typically no sign of the moon!

With light winds forecast, it looked like we were going to have to motor the majority of the way down to the Delaware River, so decided to diesel up prior to our departure. When we arrived, the pump attendants were bemoaning the high price of diesel; at U$4 a US Gallon (that’s about 60p a litre). So you can just imagine their reaction when I told them the price of fuel in the UK! The conditions for the first 100 nm were benign, but throughout the night the fog began to build and as dawn approached we were in a ‘pea souper’. Scott Free, who had been within eyesight, vanished from view, but we could make them out on the radar. As we neared Cape May, we had to keep a keen eye out for the fishing boats heading to port as quickly as possible with their catch. To avoid them and the large tankers, we took an inside passage around Cape May, which required careful navigation to avoid the numerous sand bars.

Coming south on the East River and came across this prison ship near Riker Island

Another view of the fabulous Chrysler building and our final approach to the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges

Helicopters and ferries galore

Some nice shots of Scott Free

We managed to put in a bit of sailing as we took the tide up the Delaware and after 174 nm dropped anchor at Reedy Island, staying in the same anchorage, as our outward trip down the Delaware.

With a 0630 start the next day, we caught all the tide across the C&D canal and down the Chesapeake, arriving 12 hours and 66 nm later, in Annapolis.

Approaching the C&D canal and one of tugs towing a tanker

No longer baby Ospreys!

Some delightful waterside properties and we head further down in to the Chesapeake

After a couple of days, Scott Free headed down to Herrington Harbour in preparation for their lift out. We decided to spend just a few more days in Annapolis and took the opportunity to finish our tour of the Naval Academy. The heat had now become unbearable and sitting on Nimue, although at anchor, was just unbearable. So we hired a car with air-con for a couple of days and for one of the the days we drove a couple of hours south to the very attractive Solomon Islands, which takes its name from 19th century Baltimore businessman Isaac Solomon, who established a cannery there shortly after the American Civil War. I know it’s really sad, but due to the heat, we just couldn’t drum up the energy to get out of the car to wonder round the Calvert Marine museum.