Leg 24, Cape May to Delaware City (Day 39)

0400-Up with the alarm. Followed the routine and checklist to get going. Another sailboat must have come in after dark. They left just before me. Didn't have a sunrise restriction evidently?

Some fishing boats went out in the dark before but overall pretty quiet in the harbor on my departure. One power boat coming in under the bridge the opposite direction.  The Cape May Canal is narrow and on the west end is a ferry terminal that crosses the Bay.  

The sail boat that went out ahead of me appeared to turn around, not sure but they may have gone aground on the sand kicked up by the ferry's which was noted in my information.  There are markers but doesn't help since they are not color marked appropriately. I followed them out after they corrected themselves.

As soon as we hit the Bay the wind rose immediately and was way over what was forecast. I was getting gusts above 22 knots and a steady 20 was the norm.  It was quite rough.

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I put up full sail and of course I was heading right into it on a close reach so the water was breaking over the bows. I quick closed all hatches and side ports and before it got rougher I hustled to the bow and put the anchor and road away. I always leave it out to dry before stowing it, but now it was wetter than when I pulled it up!  I managed to get it put away without getting my feet wet which was pure luck.

The good part was with the strong wind I was doing over 7.0-7.5 knots steady. It was pounding the boat a lot though so I was constantly moving things to safer places in the boat. The hull will be covered with salt on arrival! The wind held for about 20 NM until I approached a narrower part of the Bay and then it began to head me and I was pinching and loosing ground and speed.  

ABANDONED LIGHT HOUSE

Eventually the wind dropped too and I rolled up the Genoa to get back closer to my track and even then I was still making 6.0 knots in the current! I was able to sail maybe another 5-7 NM and then the wind dropped and I motored but left the main up. Still making too much speed! My ETA was 1415 and I was shooting for slack tide at 1615 due to the otherwise adverse current in the narrow channel at Delaware City for docking.

SAW SEVERAL SEA GOING TUGS DOWNBOUND

CLOSE UP OF TUG AND CABLE HOOK UP

BARGE TOW CHAIN AND WHAT LOOKS LIKE AN EMERGENCY RELEASE?

At one point I was down to the engines in slow idle 1200 RPM and still making 5 knots SOG.  Seemed like no matter what I did I was going to be early.  I finally decided to accept a 1 knot current on arrival since I knew I would have lots of assistance.

HAD THE ENGINES IDLING AT 1200 RPM AND WITH CURRENT WAS STILL MAKING 5 KNOTS!
SALEM NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN BACKGROUND

Made the phone call abeam the C&D Canal and a follow up VHF call on 9 before entering the narrow channel. The harbor master insisted I not turn in until we had positive radio contact that he had guys in place on the dock. I was about an hour early. 

The docking went fine.  Hard reverse against the current to bring the starboard stern up to the dock where they could reach my stern line and secure it, the current did the rest.

OLD C&D CANAL SERVES AS THE DELAWARE CITY MARINA.  ALL BOATS ARE TIED ALONG SIDE

Had a nice dinner on the deck of Crabby Dick's looking out on Pea Patch Island, historic Fort Delaware, and the old C&D Canal which now serves as the Delaware City Marina.

Trip stats: Charted distance 52.63 NM, logged distance 41.01 NM due to current (11.6 NM difference!). WT 83.4 F, Log 8185.9 NM.