September 23 – 24, 2012
After a 3-hour snooze following the offshore leg of our journey towards Annapolis, we hauled up the anchor and spent the next two days traveling up the Delaware River, through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (C and D Canal), and down into the Chesapeake Bay.
The next two days were long and hard against the wind and waves. We had timed this whole portion of the trip to be with the wind and current at our stern. Unfortunately, we had no such luck. The southeast wind that was forecasted to carry us up the Delaware River didn’t arrive until it was time for us to make our turn to the south. This delay wreaked havoc on the comfort of our travels. We probably should have stayed put, and waited for the winds to be in our favor. However, that would be two days away, and we felt the need to get to a smaller and more protected anchorage.
We motored up the Delaware River against the northly wind, but with the current. With the wind and current against each other, the majority of the day was spent beating against short, choppy waves. As the river narrowed and the wind died down, the waters flattened and we continued to have the current with us. Even though we were only motoring, we averaged 8 to 9 knots, and hit a top speed of 10 knots over the ground.
At the end of our Delaware River leg, our anchor found the bottom near a breakwater wall at the eastern entrance to the C and D Canal. Our ears rang in the silence after the engines were turned off, and we had no trouble falling asleep.
The following morning, we hoisted the anchor in time to catch the tidal flow down the C and D Canal. Wil remained at the helm while the kids and I attempted to catch up on some school work.
C & D Canal traffic
motoring down the C & D Canal
another long day of motoring
As we neared the end of the canal and the channel opened up into the Chesapeake Bay, again the wind and waves were against us. School work came to a halt, and we all began to dread the rest of the day’s beating.
We had hoped to make it all the way to Annapolis, but changed our minds and wearily pulled into the Sassafras River for a break from the bumpy ride. There we found a quiet corner around the first bend in the river. We dropped the hook and planned to stay for the next 2 days, catching up on school and tidying the boat. We would pick up on our journey to Annapolis once the wind began to blow from the north.
