Cape May – At anchor

Thunderstorms in the distance at Cap May

I got up at 5:00 am and took Hoolie ashore after convincing him that it really was time to go ashore, he just wanted to sleep. The day turned out much better than predicted with winds only around 5 kts and little wave action. In going down Delaware Bay, you can’t get the current in your direction all the way, it’s like going down the Hudson River – the current will eventually reverse on you. However, you can go up the bay and keep the current just like going up the Hudson, it just doesn’t work the other direction.



New Coast Guard trainees - marching, lots of orders given

 Coming into Cape May we heard the Coast Guard call four boats in succession for boarding and checking papers, we were not among those called. The first question they asked over channel 16 was “When were you last boarded by the Coast Guard?” One guy out of five answered that he was boarded this summer and passed with “flying colors”. The Coast Guard did not board him but did board the restd (hint - hint).

Since we hit Cape May at near low tide we took the canal with its 55 ft bridges The 55 ft clearance number is measured at high tide and since our mast is only 55.2 ft and it was 3 ft under high tide, we figured we had about 3 ft of clearance – however – knowing the number and then watching your mast approach the bridge from the vantage point behind the wheel is another matter. From that perspective it appears there’s no way it’s going to clear! Stop the boat! Brace for impact! But then you’re committed, the numbers are right (you tell yourself) and then you watch the mast seem to melt through the bridge, swearing that it must at least be scraping the bottom of the overhead – but you hear nothing and you cruise right on through – then you do it again for the second and last bridge, whew!

We’re peacefully anchored and a beach nearby for Hoolie relief, a perfect anchorage. It’s off to Atlantic City on Friday.