We go back into cruising mode, heading north for the summer. The first leg is all big water — up the Chesapeake, down the Delaware, and up the Jersey Coast to NY Harbor. Retracing the same path we did two years ago almost to the day when we were doing The Great Loop. Which means there will also be lots of current Loopers to meet. But we notice it feels different this time.
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We’re on the move again for the summer season. We decided to escape the oppressive mid-Atlantic heat and humidity, and the predicted fiercer-than-usual hurricane season, by heading to the fresh water cruising grounds further north. We originally planned on doing the Downeast Circle Loop which would have taken us all the way down the St. Lawrence Seaway into the Gulf of St. Lawrence around New Brunswick and Nova Scotia before coming down the New England Coast to New York. But lots of little things with timing and logistics starting popping up that made us stop and realize that maybe this wasn’t the summer to do this. So we scaled our plans back and will do what is called the Triangle Loop from NY Harbor.
When we did the Great Loop two years ago, we went straight up the Hudson into Canada and did not do the historic Erie Canal and Thousand Islands area of New York/Canada. Doing the Triangle Loop will allow us to leisurely cruise up the Hudson, the Erie and Oswego Canals to Lake Ontario, Thousand Islands, Montreal, maybe even Quebec City, then down Lake Champlain and the Hudson. Without the need to keep pushing to cover the greater distances and worry so much about hurricanes, we can take our time and just have a relaxing summer on the water.
We will be traveling with all the other Loopers until we get to Lake Ontario so will have opportunities to meet new cruising friends. We look forward to enjoying the repeat sections even more because we know what we’re doing and aren’t trying to figure out routes and how locks work so much of the time. The first leg is getting from Norfolk to New York — up the Chesapeake Bay, down the Delaware Bay, and up the New Jersey coast to NY Harbor. This is almost all open water cruising, where weather controls the schedule even more than usual and conditions must be near-perfect over high mileage days.
Chesapeake Bay
Onancock VA May 26-27
Crisfield MD May 28
Cambridge MD May 29 – Jun 1
(Dover DE side trip by car) May 30-31
Rock Hall MD Jun 2
We slipped out of Little Creek Marina early in the morning bound for Onancock. It was a nice calm day out on the Chesapeakel. Around midday, we started hearing the Coast Guard issuing weather warnings for a severe thunderstorm heading across Norfolk and Little Creek, right over where we had been for the past month. We were only about 35 miles north and had blue sky and a few clouds off in the distance. Just a reminder of how quickly things can change and how isolated these squalls can be on the Chesapeake.
Onancock is a charming little town on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. We docked and spent half an hour securing the boat on what has got to be one of the weirdest fixed docks we’ve seen for tying up. It alternated two different size pilings in both diameter and heights, and at high tide the water came within inches of the top of the wall, making placement of fenders a challenge for the 2-3’ tide change.
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Most everything in town was closed for the Memorial Day weekend as we strolled and scootered the streets and residential neighborhood. Dave got a whiff of fresh popcorn and followed his nose to a vintage movie theater that sold us a bag of popcorn even though we weren’t going to the movie. I followed my nose along a route of honeysuckle in bloom all over town. And we met a Looper couple from MN who kept their boat at Sunnyside Marina right there by Stillwater.
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We delayed our departure from Onancock the next morning long enough to walk up to the Corner Bakery for their fresh donuts, for which they are famous and some of the best we’ve had – and regular readers know we are connoisseurs of all things that go well with coffee. Then it was a nice day for a slow cruise to Crisfield. This town was formerly a hub of Chesapeake crabbing and oystering, but now is a shell of bygone times. We were here before, and unlike many towns we’ve revisited where we’ve seen significant improvement in two years, Crisfield hadn’t changed much, still with many vacant store fronts.
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We did a fast cruise up to Cambridge to smooth out the ride from some chop that was present. By the time we turned up the Choptank River toward Cambridge Yacht Basin the water was glassy. Shortly after dinner, Dave got a port bilge alarm on his phone from our boat monitoring system. He took a look and there was indeed a fairly large amount of water there. The good news is it was fresh water rather than salt, so not a hole in the boat itself. Dave investigate further and discovered a connector under the galley sink had failed, as evidenced by water all under the cabinet. It only took him about 30 min to replace the bad connector, and then we had to clean up the mess. I tell you, he can fix just about anything on a boat.
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We did a fast cruise up to Cambridge to smooth out the ride from some chop that was present. By the time we turned up the Choptank River toward Cambridge Yacht Basin the water was glassy. Shortly after dinner, Dave got a port bilge alarm on his phone from our boat monitoring system. He took a look and there was indeed a fairly large amount of water there. The good news is it was fresh water rather than salt, so not a hole in the boat itself. Dave investigate further and discovered a connector under the galley sink had failed, as evidenced by water all under the cabinet. It only took him about 30 min to replace the bad connector, and then we had to clean up the mess. I tell you, he can fix just about anything on a boat.
Cambridge was a good place to leave the boat to son Scott’s Air Force Change of Command. at Dover AFB in Delaware. Dave’s brother Chuck and wife Margie drove up from Virginia Beach and picked us up. We had dinner with Scott and Ashley, the ceremony was the next morning, and then Scott had to bolt and we followed suit. Chuck and Margie dropped us back off at the marina less than 24 hours after we had left.
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But the whirlwind wasn’t quite over. Our friends Dave and Sonia from Crew Lounge happened to be up in Cambridge with their boat for a Ranger Tug gathering, and our other Looper friends from True North drove up from their home in Maryland to see us both. So about an hour after getting out of Chuck & Margie’s car we jumped into Jim and Gee’s truck and went over to Crew Lounge for a couple hours before they had an event to attend, then shared a pizza with Jim and Gee back at our boat before they headed back home. (And I forgot to get a picture with everyone.) The whole day had been fun and filled with family and friends, and by the time we went to bed I could only marvel at all we had done in less than 36 hours. Whew! Bonus was that we had been able to arrange for a much-needed diver to clean the hulls while we were away – woohoo!
We stayed an extra day in Cambridge. We scootered over for groceries and then back through town. Of course I had to go see my favorite mural of all time at the Harriet Tubman museum. That evening we went to The Dive Club, a new bar/restaurant with a nautical theme and fun décor. Every 15 minutes something happened. The sound of thunder and rain prompted the bartenders to don life vests. Another time a fishing rod mounted on the wall suddenly began reeling in a ghost catch. It was all in fun and worth the cost of the expensive fancy drinks, and the bill was brought to our table tucked into a miniature glass bottle.
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Now it was time to turn our attention to watching for good conditions to get up to NYC. We finished up the Chesapeake Bay with an overnight stop at Rock Hall. We used the marina bikes to ride around the small town, finding not much open on a Sunday afternoon except for an ice cream place, which of course we had to patronize – first ice cream of the season!
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Delaware Bay to New York Harbor
Delaware City DE Jun 3
Cape May NJ Jun 4 – 6
Atlantic City NJ Jun 7
Great Kills NY Jun 8-9
Once we left the Chesapeake Bay it would be big water and putting the miles behind us until we got to NYC – four travel days in all – with all travel predicated on finding a weather window. We started with a nice calm day on the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal. We were a bit surprised at the amount of logs and debris we had to dodge. We could see on AIS that the American Eagle cruise ship was chasing us down the whole way, and they finally overtook us just as we got to the end of the canal where we wanted to go left but they would be going right. Technically we had the right of way, but you don’t argue with a 250’ boat on a tight schedule. So we pulled over and let them go past.
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Delaware City Marina is famous for ‘flipping’ the boats. The marina is in the old canal with a significant current, and since you have to go out the way you came in it can be difficult to turn around. They have you come straight in and tie up bow and stern, then the dockhands strategically let out and take in lines and let the current turn your boat around right at the dock while you just sit and go along for the ride. When we were here two years ago, we arrived at slack current so Dave just spun the boat around with the engines and we tossed them lines. But this time we fueled up, then they flipped us with the lines. It’s actually pretty slick. I was so enthralled with watching them do this that I forgot to video it.
Delaware City Marina is famous for ‘flipping’ the boats. The marina is in the old canal with a significant current, and since you have to go out the way you came in it can be difficult to turn around. They have you come straight in and tie up bow and stern, then the dockhands strategically let out and take in lines and let the current turn your boat around right at the dock while you just sit and go along for the ride. When we were here two years ago, we arrived at slack current so Dave just spun the boat around with the engines and we tossed them lines. But this time we fueled up, then they flipped us with the lines. It’s actually pretty slick. I was so enthralled with watching them do this that I forgot to video it.
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Here were great conditions to get down the Delaware Bay, so off we were the next morning. We had reserved at South Jersey for a few days because of high seas forecast off the coast. We went into town and admired all the preserved Victorians Cape May is famous for, strolled the two packed blocks of their outdoor mall, and impulsively played a round of mini-golf. (Dave won, but I almost caught him when he had trouble feeding the alligator.) We cleaned, Dave changed various engine fluids, and did route planning. In the evenings we watched the March of the Dead Horseshoe Crabs through the marina. It’s mating season for horseshoe crabs, but then they immediately die and the prehistoric-looking carcasses float. So as the tide comes in, so do the dead crabs in little flotillas, and then they go back out six hours later.
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On what was supposed to be our last bad weather day keeping us in Cape May, we woke up and saw that the forecast had improved dramatically while two days out was starting to deteriorate. This was ‘bird in the hand’ conditions and we quickly shifted to making the run to Atlantic City along with almost all the other Loopers at the marina. We had 2’ seas behind us, so it was a glorious run 40 miles up the coast to Atlantic City with a couple pods of dolphins as a good omen. Amusement parks are abundant on the Jersey shore; we decided it must have the most Ferris wheels per capita than anywhere else in the world.
Entering Absecon Inlet to get to Atlantic City, we noted the juxtaposition of the old lighthouse and Coast Guard Station with the high rise hotel-casinos and a windmill farm in the background. But that was the extent of our respect for Atlantic City. From our stop here two years ago, we knew it was a pit and were happy to stay on the boat and listen to the 80s cover band playing at the large restaurant patio nearby – rather appropriate for the whole dated Atlantic City vibe.
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We were out of Atlantic City before 6 am for the long ride to NY Harbor. It was an even better day than the day before with gentle swells at long intervals from behind, more dolphins, and the Saturday Morning Recreational Fishing Fleet out in full force. We decided these guys are the crab pots of the Jersey Coast as we wove through their packs. But the wind picked up as we made the turn at Sandy Hook into lower NY Harbor, and had quite a chop right on the nose until we got into the shelter of Great Kills Harbor. A big gust ripped my favorite hat off and it was gone. We got anchored, and then listened on the VHF as a 17-boat group all arrived and the harbormaster was directing them to their mooring balls. It was actually quite entertaining. The two guys in the tenders were very professional, zipping around escorting boats when they couldn’t find their assignment, zipping over when another radioed they had dropped their boat hook overboard, or they couldn’t get their line through the mooring ball. Took about two hours to get them all tucked in.
We stayed at anchor two days, dinghying over to a nearby park with a boat ramp and dock for Roxy morning and evening. We noticed how many people parked their cars and got out lawn chairs to sit and watch the harbor or sunset, or even just stayed in their cars facing that direction. On our return dinghy trips, we did stop and talk to a couple Loopers whose boat names we recognized, but they were once again brief encounters and exchange of the basics. And on our second morning, we pulled up at the boat ramp to see my favorite hat had washed up there! It was pretty nasty after 36 hours in the water, but as my favorite hat it was worth the effort to clean it.
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Final Thoughts
This completed the big water stretches of travel – at least until we return along this same route headed south in early fall: Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, and up the Jersey Coast to New York Harbor. When I think back to two years ago (almost to the day) when we traveled this same route, it is with great satisfaction that I realize how much more confident and competent we are. Big water used to scare me, and weather windows always seemed a bit of a crap shoot. But after traversing Great Lakes, crossing the Gulf, and cruising to and through the Bahamas and back we know how the boat performs in different conditions and more importantly, what is comfortable for the human (and canine) crew. It’s not that we get it right every time, but we’ve learned how to use all the resources available to us and piece the information together like a puzzle to get a better idea of the picture. And I still get nervous sometimes that the weather might suddenly change beyond the forecast as it did a few hours after we left Norfolk when we were hearing the severe weather warnings. But I’m much more willing to accept the less than perfect days because they’re still decent travel days.
The other thing that strikes me when I think about our early days on The Loop covering this same stretch is that it feels different from a social aspect. Delaware City, Cape May, and Atlantic City are standard Loop stops, and with each of them I was reminded of the many people we met and later traveled with and continue to stay in touch –such as Crew Lounge and True North (who we met up with in Cambridge), Baker Street Blue, and Off Leash. Yet this time around there hasn’t seemed to be the interest in gathering for docktails, going to dinner, or hanging out in marina common areas to chat. Many have questions about the route ahead, and we were happy to share what we knew – but that feels more like being the consulting Village Elders. We’ve wondered if there were fewer Loopers overall than 2022. Or maybe there’s no longer the post-COVID craving for social contact after the year of limitation. Of course, a big part is that we are different and so have different perceptions. It’s probably a combination of all these factors and more. But it definitely feels different.
Once again, this has all reinforced how important the people are to our experience and enjoyment of travel. Family and friends are what stick with us when we think about the many places we’ve visited. Even the actual cruising is more fun with a buddy boat, even if for just a short period. The Hudson River is like a Looper funnel, and we are still hopeful to find kindred spirits as we continue north.
Pops’ Stats Corner*
- No of Days: 15
- Travel Days: 8
- Miles Traveled: 501.6 (436.2 nm)
- Hats Lost Overboard: 1
- Hats Found: 1
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*Pops is the family’s affectionate name for Dave’s dad. He had a mind for sports statistics, earning him the nickname Numbers from the coaches of several Stillwater teams with whom he worked. This regular section of the blog is in his honor, because it’s the kind of thing he would love.
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So many Loops out there! Enjoy the leisurely pace of the Triangle