Friday, 6 June

A gentleman never sails to windward. Author unknown

So…the overall goal being to move the boat northward, the day’s forecast—and indeed, the subsequent reality—was not one to encourage a gentleman or lady to leave the slip, i.e., north-nor’west 10-to-15, gusts to 20, seas four feet.  Other northbound vessels left the hospitality of Utsch’s Marina but not this little yacht.

The staff, and slip holders, at Utsch’s couldn’t be more accommodating, even though their focus is on fishing.

Utsch’s is one of few options for those who chose Cape May as a staging area for destinations north or south.  Other than dropping the hook in a generally rolly anchorage, this is the most cost efficient option and a popular one judging from the number of transient vessels that have come in the last couple of days.

Opinions are abundant on any subject, including Utsch’s.  In this her third visit here, those aboard Steadfast have been pleased to tie off at Charlie Dock, slip 18—yes, the same slip each time—and enjoy the welcome of the adjacent slipholders and staff.  Their focus clearly is on sport fishing not sailing but there is a shared joy in spending days on the water.  Or nights, as the case may be.

At dinner time this evening, a 30-footer came along side, a line was thrown around a dock cleat and the crew summarily scrambled several times up the pier and back with pound-upon-pound of ice, bait and a few bags of chips.  Beer, too, one assumes.

With crew hustling in several directions at once, the boat at the tee-head made ready for an overnight fishing excursion.

Piermate Patty informs that the boat’s crew plans to go 70 miles out to fish tonight and tomorrow, returning tomorrow night.  Safe travels, mates.

Meantime, it’s been a busy couple of days aboard Steadfast: a three-mile round-trip to Acme Supermarket to re-provision; prepping meals for the next couple of days; re-fueling with diesel; checking the Racor, oil level, water lines; taking on ice, etc.  All now is believed ready for the run up the Jersey Shore starting tomorrow.  Early.

NOAA’s forecast is for winds to moderate, maybe even be favorable at some point late in the day.  Regardless, it’s time to move on, whether gentlemen are aboard or not.

Steadfast out.

Ahoy, mates!  Lots of skippers know way more about this than us.  For the benefit of those, like us, interested in this sort of thing and still trying to figure it out, here’s how the trip down Delaware Bay worked out o one day,  4 June 14.

The current through the C&D Canal seems to have little / no logical relation to currents down Delaware River / Bay, as in, riding the current eastward through the canal does not lead to a favorable current down the Delaware.  That’s why Steadfast turned left at the canal’s east end and went up the mile-and-a-half to Delaware City.  That proved to be a good point from which to stage the departure the next morning, a whole lot more fun meeting the folks at Delaware City Marina than anchoring behind Reedy Island.  You can get a great pizza at La Matesinz’s, too, and it’s just three blocks away from the marina.

Steadfast is a Com-Pac 27, waterline 26.9′, pushed by an 18 HP Westerbeke diesel turning a three-bladed Campbell Sailer prop.  Normally, she’d do 5.5 – 6 knots in flat water, slack tide.  Anyway, here’s how–with the help of  the nightly “seance” conducted by Tim-the-Dockmaster–the trip evolved:

*Professional driver.  Closed course.  Specially prepared vehicle.  Do not try this at home.  Taxes, tags, dealer prep and undercoating extra.  Actual results may differ from test.

Experience indicates the north-bound trip, Cape May to the C&D, can be made with greater ease, i.e., it’s possible to ride a favorable current most if not all the way from the Cape May Canal to Chesapeake City or beyond if you time it right.

Good luck!

Steadfast out.

Wednesday, 4 June

It is an accepted fact: when cruising, certainly when cruising on a small sailboat, do not try to keep to a schedule.  Just…let it be.  It’s the old Zen thing, being about the journey not the destination.  So what happens when you shove off from Delaware City and say “Cape May or bust?”  If it’s Steadfast today, she’s in Cape May by 2 o’clock in the afternoon.

True to his word, Tim-the-Dockmaster at Delaware City Marina was on the pier and cast off Steadfast–among others—on time at 0600.  When released, the current spun her 180-degrees, as Tim had said, and she motored smartly out into Bulkhead Shoal Channel of the Delaware River.  As Tim’s “seance” last night had divined, the ebb gave a nifty boost to Steadfast and a couple of other southbound boats.  By 0700, she motored along at better than 7 knots, speed-over-ground, while Little Red loafed along at 2400 RPM.  Not bad.  Half-hour later, it was up to 7.6, then into the 8s and shortly before nine o’clock topped out at 9 knots!  Sweet.

It’s hard to describe what a 9 knot current looks like but note the angle at which the tide has tilted this buoy.

The weather favored the trip, too, with bright sun and a one-foot following sea pushed by a light nor’westerly.  Still, Tim’s tea leaves had foreseen the fair current to run out somewhere around Miah Maull Shoal and sure enough, it did.  By a little after 1000, speed was down to a more modest 6 knots and for the last two hours, water speed and speed-over-ground were about equal at 5 knots or so.

Other than the barges and cargo ships that run the channel, Ship John Shoal Light is about the biggest thing on Delaware Bay. Cool name, too.

By 1330, Steadfast was between the jetties at the west end of the Cape May Canal and tied up at Utsch’s Marina (we like this place, despite some mixed reviews) having covered a total of 53.2 NM at an average speed of 6.5 knots.

In conditions like this, Delaware Bay is simple: just follow beside the channel and stay out of the way of the shipping.  Still, “destination sailing” is not the usual nor preferred approach aboard Steadfast.  Nor is Delaware Bay–with it’s dearth of desirable harbors or anchorages–the sailor’s preferred cruising ground.  But this day at least, it all worked!  Next, it’s up the Jersey Shore and on to New York City and Long Island Sound.

For now, though, we’ll just savor being in Cape May.

Steadfast out.

Tuesday, 3 June

“You know, you should be able to fit ‘er in here.”  This was the assessment of Tim-the-Dockmaster as he stepped-off the vacant space between  a catamaran’s outboard and the inflatable hanging off the davits of a power cat. “Waddya say?  Wanna give it a try?”

This moment was to be the highlight of the day, a short trip–less than 15 NM passed under the keel–with a much higher than average level of entertainment.

It started with one more perusal of Eldridge’s current tables for the C&D as compared to its exit into the Delaware River.  That confirmed to the satisfaction of all hands that departure from Chesapeake City should be somewhere between 1030 and eleven.  It’s more art than science: read all you want then hope for the best.

So Steadfast swung out of the basin–the current is such, a boat goes sideways as much as straight ahead–at 1050 and immediately speed-over-ground was in the high 7s.  That’s while Little Red ran not much over idle and speed-through-water (surface) was just four-point-2.  But the canal’s so easy to pilot.  Just keep it between the two banks and you’re fine, until coming around a bend and you happen to see…

There’s not a LOT of ship traffic in the C&D Canal but what there is, takes a lot of room.

So there’s a quick U-turn to stand off to the side for a few moments against the current while this gal clears the bridge, let her pass, then cut across a not inconsiderable wake and back on our way.

When called on the phone early this morning, Tim had said to call  back once past the Reedy Point Bridge, just before the canal’s eastern terminus.  That done, his colleague Tara at Delaware City Marina gave explicit details on how to make the approach and stay in deep water.  The approach is straightforward but the channel into Delaware City is narrow.  It’s hard to imagine there’s any place to anchor.

Delaware City boasts more than 250 ante-bellum buildings, the most of any city in the state.

That channel also carried water running about three knots as we arrive.  That was okay; just made it that much easier to slow down.  It does add to the interest when sliding between the boats tied at either side of the fuel dock (as you may have gathered, Tim likes to use every possible foot of his lengthy floating pier).  Once the diesel was topped off for tomorrow’s run, then it was up the channel a bit more and into this snug little spot.

Docklines taut and here she sits with a foot to spare!  (Steadfast don’t need no stinkin’ bow thrustas.)  Her skipper did need a good bit of direction from Tim along with timely line-handling by Tim and Tara.  These folks are great, make everyone feel right at home, and put Delaware City Marina on a short list of favorite places to dock.

Later, Tim’s briefing on NOAA’s latest forecast for wind and current confirmed what we’d been thinking: shove off at o600, hope to catch a fair current running most of the way down Delaware Bay and then sneak into the Cape May Canal, grab a slip and not long thereafter, enjoy a cool refreshing beverage.

It should be interesting.  Again.

Steadfast out.

Monday, 02 June

It was anticipated that this would be another mundane report on motoring from-here-to-there.  After all, with a fair tide, negotiating this leg of the trip is not much more than follow-the-dots, go from one channel buoy to another.  But there was the little matter of an unexpected guest who latched onto Steadfast overnight, a “sentinel” of sorts.

Still Pond, last night’s anchorage, is recommended not just for its beauty but also for a bottom with good holding properties, where an anchor can be set with confidence that it won’t drag.  And, by golly, Steadfast did not budge last night.  When it came time to weigh anchor, the reason became apparent.

Instead of leading away from the bow at the usual angle, the nylon portion of the rode was straight up and down.  Several long, hard pulls accomplished little.  Something was holding down the rode.  Steadfast motored forward just a bit, a few feet of rope were hauled in and the process repeated several times until the culprit emerged from the murk: a four-foot long section of a tree limb, maybe 8-or-10-inches in diameter.  It remained suspended a few seconds, then released its grip and slipped back to the bottom.

Impressive estates such as this keep watch along both banks of the Elk River.

It was then about 0815 as Steadfast headed back out into the northern Bay, turned to starboard and, with her 135 genoa set and pulling, began making 6+ knots over the bottom, even though Little Red was turning just 2000 rpm.  By the time she entered the Elk River, speed was close to 7 and still increasing.  She topped out at 8.5 knots just before turning into the basin at Chesapeake City: 22 nautical miles in just under three hours!

That current continued to carry her eastward as she turned into the anchorage basin, ’til Little Red revved-up a good bit more and Steadfast glided smoothly off the canal.

Unlike the 200′ Super yacht Majestic, Steadfast to date has been able to negotiate the canal without the help of a Maryland Pilot.

A handful of sailboats–all in the 40-something-foot-range–are anchored in the basin.  The marinas, including Schaeffer’s across the way, are nearly vacant.  Few of the snowbirds have yet to reach this far north.  The plan is for Steadfast to leave fairly early tomorrow, ride the current the 14 NM to Reedy Point, then turn to port to spend the night in Delaware City to await a favorable combination of current and weather to run the 50-miles of Delaware Bay to Cape May, NJ.

Steadfast out.

Sunday evening, 1 June

Fred and the Mate have come to an understanding. It may be a tad early to say they are or will be “friends,” but it’s clear they are getting along. Getting along, in fact, far better than at any point in their decade-long acquaintanceship. A formal introduction later, but first…

This dispatch comes from Still Pond, a cove on the eastern shore, just north of Worton Point which seems, on this particular afternoon, to be aptly-named. Open to the north, its ten-foot-depths are embraced by a thin strand of sand, then woods, on the west and south, and a tall clay bluff to the east. In other words, this would seem a perfect anchorage, where Churn Creek spills into the Pond, for tonight’s predicted southerly wind.

As its name would have one believe, Still Pond is a quiet refuge from the busy traffic on the Bay.

After a quick nine-o’clock stop for ice, Steadfast slid down Swan Creek and turned west at Green-3 to cross the bar, the Baltimore skyline in the far distance. Once back into 18’ of water, she bent around Swan Point on a heading that generally followed the Tolchester Channel, catching a fair tide that pushed speed-over-ground into the low 6s. Sweet.

By 1300, she’d put another 22 NM under her keel and was riding to anchor in Still Pond. And Kate had decided she and “Fred the Fridge” can get along, after all.

This is no small step. Fred’s a tad old-fashioned and stuck in his ways. Many were the times when he would lose his cool. Resistant to change, he has been slow to accept attempts to modernize, as when the 12-volt cold plate was installed a couple of years ago. He can be tough to reach, back there in the corner, and items left in his care have been known on occasion to simply disappear, never to be seen again.

Normally clouded-mouth, this is as close to “hello” as Fred gets.

But Fred has begun to tow-the-line, as it were. He’s organized, holding cheeses in one plastic box, salad fixings in another, bread there, condiments over here and, of course, ice cubes. Fred, it seems, has met his match. At very least, he and Kate have reached an understanding.

And I, ah, I can reach the ice.

Steadfast out.

Sunday, 1 June

There’s a slight roll accompanied by the low rumble of a Cummins diesel, a deadrise taking watermen off to the day’s work. The first stirring in the anchorage is aboard the blue 47-foot Beneteau off to port. A gentleman climbs out of the cockpit, down to a tethered inflatable, starts the outboard and motors off towards shore…dressed in shorts and a tee-shirt! What up wi’ dat?

It is NOT that warm—just 52—here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and it does tend to feel cooler on the water, you know, so the crew of Steadfast remains below and layered up in jeans and fleece. Sipping hot coffee to chase the chill.

It’s been that way the last couple of days. Steadfast motored away from Bachelor’s Point, Oxford, about 0845 and into a hazy, overcast that idly threatened a brief shower. Down the Choptank, she snaked into and through Knapp’s Narrows alone on a falling tide (without touching bottom), rounded Poplar Island and set a heading to Tolly Point at the mouth of the Severn. Traffic on the Bay this day was light in number, ‘though not in size of those underway.

Few boats were seen on the Bay this hazy day but this gal was hard to miss.

Sailboats and sportsfishermen emerged with the sun on the turn up the Severn to Annapolis, a total of 28.1 NM for the day. Despite it being Friday afternoon, and with a major regatta scheduled for the weekend, a slip was secured at the City Docks. Short on amenities but extra long on entertainment value, there’s nothing quite like the constant parade along “Ego Alley.”

A slip at the City Dock is the center of all the action in Annapolis.

The stop included a good 25-minute stretch-of-the-legs to Graul’s Market for provisions; morning coffee at Hard Bean; and, of course, a quick stop at Mills Liquors & Fine Wines. Then it was down the Severn under sail—and sun—in a pleasant northerly and in company with dozens of others.

Part of the large fleet assembled before the start of the Leukemia Cup Regatta at the mouth of the Severn River.

There must’ve been much disappointment as the breeze lightened and died. Little Red sprung to life and pushed Steadfast the rest of 20 NM to Swan Creek, past Rock Hall and Gratitude, then into a sheltered anchorage with room for a dozen boats or more.

Despite close proximity to marinas and services, Swan Creek retains much of the rustic feel of the Eastern Shore.

The sun coming up this morning over Rock Hall is every bit as beautiful, bringing the promise of a warm day ahead. Warm enough, perhaps, that even the crew of Steadfast will don shorts and tees. How crazy is that?

Steadfast out.

Thursday, 29 May

“Occasional rain and drizzle,” read the forecast.  The rapping on the deck overhead indicates this is one of those occasions which, in turn, confirms the decision to stay in Oxford and seek shelter for the night at Bachelor’s Point Marina.  More of a working yard than a “destination” marina, but the staff couldn’t be more helpful, the facilities are neat and clean, and the location near the mouth of the Tred Avon will make for a quick getaway tomorrow.

That’s probably best out of concern for the self-esteem of dear little Steadfast. Although she was in (near) Bristol condition and standing tall when she left her home slip, she is dwarfed by the boats–ahem, make that “yachts”–tied up all around her.  A handsome Fleming 65 (I think) motor yacht spent most of the day here before heading off.  In the rain.

The 65′ “First Light” motors past the bowsprit of the 100′ schooner “Summer Wind” at rest at Bachelor’s Point, Oxford.

(Pssst! Does he know he’s left a fender hanging off the stern quarter.  Glad to see that happens with the best of yachts!)  And then there’s Summer Wind, too big to get a good photo but there’s more about her at http://www.charterworld.com/news/relaunch-100foot-alden-sailing-yacht-summerwind-gmt-carbon-spars

We’re plugged into shore power–the solar panel’s not producing a lot of juice today, for some reason; go figga!–to keep the lights on, the ice box cold and the laptops fully charged.  With the temperature yet to hit 60 today, the cold plate in the ice box hasn’t had much to do.  It’ll earn it’s keep in a few weeks, though.

Meantime, we start to feel like hibernating aquatic mammals, plan our departure and plot our course to cross the Bay to the Annapolis area in the morning.  There’s a big regatta scheduled there this weekend so we may not be able to get a slip on “Ego Alley” but we’ll give it a shot.

Steadfast out.

Wednesday, 28 May

There are banshees about tonight.  Many.  Their screams pierce the dark as they fly through the rigging, the trees, anything that stands above sea level.  One after another they rant, minute after minute, ’til inexplicably they fall silent.  But just for a moment, then they’re back at it.  Banshees.

Or it could just be the wind, kicked up by what NOAA tells us is a “back door cold front.”  Gusts are up to 27 knots.  They feel like more.  Whatever, it’s blowin’ here in Oxford, dead out of the east and Steadfast is less than still.

Yesterday’s sail up to Cambridge turned out to be a fun trip.  More than the fact of moving smartly under sail was the experience of sailing the Choptank beyond the mouth of the Tred Avon River.  The Chop narrows considerably as she turns eastward past Castle Haven but the channel remains deep and wide enough as to be easy to pilot.  Deep enough, in fact, that shallow draft craft like Steadfast may slip outside the zig-zag channel in several places to head more directly to her destination.  And each way one turns, the reward is a scenic Eastern Shore view.

After a good soaking last night, then brief shower this morning, there appeared to be a dry if hazy window at midday when Steadfast could safely slip out of Cambridge and move north–a little, at least, about 10 NM–to re-visit the quaint town of Oxford.  There’s not much to Oxford, size-wise, but what’s here is focused almost exclusively on boats, boaters and boating.  Nice.

There was time for a bicycle ride around town with stops at Hinckley’s Ship’s Store, Oxford Yacht Yard, Tred Avon Yacht Club, Oxford Market and for an early waterfront dinner on the pier at The Masthead.  (Sorry.  No photos.  The phone was left inadvertently on board.)

Anyway, there may be another chance tomorrow, given NOAA’s posting of a small craft advisory along with predictions of rain all day.  Then again, a brief window is all that’s needed to move on a bit farther.

Be well!  Steadfast out.

Tuesday, 27 May

Yes, it’s true: Steadfast in fact does sail on occasion and when she does, she’s a happy gal!

The forecast didn’t call for much in the way of wind so not much was expected.  After what felt like an up-hill climb–Solomons, motoring across the Bay to the mouth of the Choptank River at not much more than 4 knots but lots of flies–Steadfast turned to a heading of 090 and, whaddaya know – there’s WIND!  Blessed wind!  Woo-Hoo!!

So, all of her Ullman sail set, topping 6 knots at times, she reaches all the way up the Chop to the entrance channel for Cambridge, MD.  Neither the chart nor the cruising guide gives much indication how to enter the recently-built municipal yacht basin but the channel is easy to spot and carries depths of no less than 10-feet all the way in.  The basin is headquarters for Cambridge Yacht Club where a phone call ahead confirmed that reciprocal privileges would be extended to members of Mathews Yacht Club.  Handy.

While everyone at CYC was gracious and friendly, it’s doubtful a better welcoming committee could’ve been planned, the classic skipjack Nathan of Dorchester out to greet us, likewise under full sail.

A classic Chesapeake Bay skipjack heeled to the wind, under full sail, is a lovely sight, indeed!

Once in the roomy basin, Steadfast tied off as assigned and the crew disembarked for a stroll into town.  Streets are lined with impressive century-old homes of granite or brick, Victorians bedecked in gingerbread, surrounded by lovely gardens.  Downtown, of course, like any in the US, is not fully recovered from the setbacks of recent years.  But the effort clearly is being made.  Evidence, for instance, is in the small pedestrian mall along which a long mural-mosaic depicts significant elements of local history.

That looks like it hurts! Confused for an oyster, Kate gets squeezed by a Cambridge waterman who recognizes a “pearl” when he sees one.

So surprise!  Terrific three-hour sail.  Interesting downtown.  What a great day.  Not sure what the weather holds for tomorrow.  Maybe another surprise.

Steadfast out.