Fwd: CAPE MAY TO THE CHESAPEAKE, Sassafras River (39:21.90N 75:53.980W)

Restless of Auckland
Roland and Consie Lennox-King
Wed 27 Sep 2017 13:12


CAPE MAY TO THE CHESAPEAKE, Sassafras River (39:21.90N 75:53.980W)

16.9 we carefully calculated the tides to get around fearsome Cape May, and set off at 1030 and by 1230 we were heading up Delaware Bay, with half a knot against us. We continued up the Delaware, and entered the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal at 1800, motoring into a beautiful sunset. We anchored at 2100 in the Bohemia river, having done 80nmiles. We were very glad to be out of the projected area of Hurricane Jose.

The next day we motored 16.5nmiles to anchor up the Sassafras River, and were very surprised to see a Catamaran pass in the distance, with a New Zealand and a Loyal flag up, Roland recognized it as our friends on ‘Salanjo’, which we last saw in Turkey. We put our dinghy into the water and motored 2.7 miles up river to find Salanjo anchored in preparation for going on the hard for the winter. We were pleased to catch up with Geoff and Ian, and went to lunch together at the Granary Restaurant, the only place open. Later that day we stopped to chat to the Commodore of the Cruising Club of America, which we are joining for a summer cruise next week, and were told that our good friends Clacky and Sandy were a few feet away, on their new Grand Banks 46, ‘Sea Paws’. It is always nice to catch up with old friends in new places!

Tuesday 19 Sept was predicted to be the worst effects from hurricane Jose, but we were happy that although it was overcast, there was little wind. We went to a ‘Hurricane cocktail party’ on Sea Paws, and then out to dinner at the Granary Restaurant, real Chesapeake fare: Crab cakes and Harvest salad, with sweet potato chips.

20.9 we took up our anchor and motored south 37.5nmiles to anchor by Gibson Island, in the Magothy River, in sight of a lovely horse farm. We stayed there 2 nights, catching up on oddjobs, Roland went up the mast for 2 hours and polished and cleaned.

22.9 We left the Magothy River, and motored 26nmiles to anchor in Langford Creek east, in the Chester River, for a very peaceful night.