Cape May, NJ

As we cruised eastward in the C & D Canal, we passed under several bridges; this RR bridge is normally left in the raised position, unless, of course, a train is coming through.

We came into the Delaware Bay at Reedy Point. There was a little turbulence as the two waters merged, but all in all seemed rather calm. We must have picked the right day to go. This is the first "supertanker" we saw.

Ship John Shoal Lighthouse is on the New Jersey side of Delaware Bay. Once past this landmark, we were able to leave the shipping channel and set a straight course to Cape May.

We were all relieved to have only 1-2 foot waves ... Eschaton soon chugged on past us, as their cruising speed is a bit faster than ours.

We had been told that the Bay gets rough at the mouth, especially in late afternoon, so we had gotten an early start. The rough water did not happen, however, and with a boost from the tide, we were soon entering the Cape May channel. It was Memorial Day weekend, so the channel was very busy.

The channel leads to the huge sheltered harbor, where several marinas line the shores. We had reservations at Utsch's Marina, three generations of family owned since 1951. As soon as we tied up at the dock, Russ and Cindy (Ladybug), who we had met back at Port St. Joe, FL, came over to welcome us and invite us to a potluck dinner at their beautiful Mainship 400. The next morning, Tom and Diane (Noah Genda ... home port on the upper Mississippi) offered to take us to the grocery store in their rental car. Their boat had a bent shaft, so they are "on the hard" waiting for repairs to be done.

Cape May is at the very southern tip of New Jersey and claims to be the oldest seaside resort town in the nation. We went out for a biking tour of the town with Nan and Jack and saw several of the town's Victorian homes, all meticulously restored.
These are all across the street from the Atlantic beach.

We wanted to walk on the beach, but after learning you have to pay $5 to get on it, we declined, just on principle. It was crowded with Memorial Day beachgoers.

We biked out to the Cape May Lighthouse, but it was closed for the day.

On the way back to the Marina, we saw these two beautiful homes. This one is a B & B ...

... and this is a museum of the Victorian style, but too late in the day, it was also closed.

We bought shrimp at the Lobster House, where they had a great seafood market, and grilled them up for dinner.

We've had good luck on the "big waters" lately, but still have a couple of challenges left before we get back into the fresh water. Heading north from here is the 114 mile New Jersey Intercoastal Waterway. The NJ ICW has a reputation for being shallow and twisty with many spots of shoaling, especially for the first 50 miles. The alternative is to go "outside" ... into the ocean ... for the first part or the whole thing. Eschaton went today, on the ICW, slowly and on a rising tide ... and they only ran aground once !!! Local fisherman pulled them off. We've studied, talked to others, watched the weather and even called the Cape May Coast Guard for their advice in making our decision. We're going outside to Atlantic City tomorrow ... stay tuned !!!