Havre de Grace, Maryland to Delaware City, Delaware to Cape May, New Jersey

On Monday, June 8 we left Annapolis for our last stop on the Chesapeake, Havre de Grace, Maryland. It is just off of Chesapeake Bay on the Susquehanna River. Lafayette visited it during the Revolutionary War and thought it similar to a French city Le Havre and so was later named Havre de Grace (Harbor of Grace). We stayed at Tidewater Marina which was close to the downtown area as well as the Lighthouse and boardwalk at the other end. We walked to Tidewater Grille and enjoyed watching the commuter trains whiz by across the river. On the way we discovered an area of town covered with murals depicting many topics related to the history of Havre de Grace. On Tuesday, June 9, we walked along the boardwalk and lighthouse area and later I did some shopping. Lance and Sue (our buddy boat The Dash) joined us for dinner at Tidewater Grille. When we left the next morning some local fisherman said they were catching bass next to our boat. 

On Wednesday, June 10 we headed to Delaware City, Delaware.  We first crossed the Chesapeake to get to the Elk River which takes you to the C and D Canal (this connects Chesapeake Bay to Delaware Bay). Delaware city is just north of the end of the Canal on the Delaware River which leads to Delaware Bay, the next "big crossing" where you need to watch the weather.  We were taking waves on the beam when we started out on the Chesapeake so took it up on plane to make it smoother for me. There were beautiful sights on the Elk River, a lighthouse, sailing camp, an overlook wedding venue, and a winery.  On the canal we saw  Chesapeake City  which  looked like another place we could have stopped.  The Delaware City Marina is on another narrow canal and so they prefer to tie you from starboard but spin the boat around to port side so that you are ready to leave when it's time. We arrived in plenty of time for the 4:00 briefing that Delaware City Marina provides every day to check the weather currents and winds on the Delaware Bay, primarily using the DBOFS (Delaware Bay Operational Forecast System). They had a great power point with tips and tricks for crossing the bay and showed how to navigate the  DBOFS website. Later we had "dock tails" with Lance and Sue (The Dash) and Brent and Vonni (Hook and Ladder). A few more started to join but then the rain hit,  but after the rain we were treated to a beautiful double rainbow and went back outside. 

On Thursday, June 11 (our 43rd wedding anniversary), we walked around Delaware City and took some photos of the historic town. We also shopped at a local market, bakery , and liquor store for supplies. It was another 90 degree day so we stayed on the boat until the 4:00 briefing and then took an Uber with Lance and Sue to a recommended restaurant in nearby Middleton called Augustine Tavern. The building was historic having been the Augustine Hotel (built in 1814) near Augustine Beach, a popular destination since the 1870s. The food was amazing and a fun way to spend our anniversary. 

On Friday, June 12, the weather was true to the forecast and we had an amazingly smooth ride on the Delaware Bay. They recommend staying just off the channel,  since it's plenty deep next to it , to give room to the large container ships. Upon entering the Cape May Canal we stayed clear of the Ferry which crossed the bay to Lewes, Delaware daily. We arrived in Utsch's Marina around 2:30 to very hot weather so stayed on the boat waiting for the air conditioning to catch up. 

On Saturday, June 13, after early laundry and an Instacart delivery we took the Cape May Historic Trolley Tour with Lance and Sue. Cape May is 175 years old and  the entire town has been a historic landmark for 50 years. It is the oldest seashore resort area in the country. The town is filled with historic Victorian era homes. There was also Dutch influence in the architecture since the founder was Dutch.  The beach and boardwalk are beautiful and there are many shops, bars and restaurants. After the Trolley tour we stopped at several places across from the beach for appetizers and drinks and enjoyed the beautiful beach views. The people who live and work there are very friendly as well. Upon our return to the boat there was of course another beautiful sunset sky.

On Sunday, June 14, after church and chores, we took a dinghy ride to explore the area close to Utsch's Marina. We went through Cape May Harbor and Cape Island Creek. There were many condos and boat slips and fishing boats and even a house with a yellow submarine on the ceiling. We took the dinghy to The Lobster House and ate on the American Schooner part of the restaurant. The Lobster House dates back many years and has their own fishing boats, fish market, raw bar, restaurant, and the American Schooner on the water that we ate at. It was a great view to watch boats of all sizes. On Monday, June 15 we did grocery shopping and other chores. Tuesday we will be moving on to Atlantic City and getting ready for our good friends Cindy and Jay to join us to head to New York City! Look for updates in a week or so!