Cape May

Tuesday July 31
38 57.595 N
74 52.015 W

Big day today, 64 nautical miles, and our arrival was a bit difficult, but there are no scratches (that we can see!). Off to bed now, early start in the morning to Atlantic City.

11 MPH! (bottom right corner)

The trick today was to judge the tides so we could run with the current down the Delaware, which will be as much as 2 knots. If we messed up we would probably not make the distance in daylight and have to find an anchorage - and there are no good ones in the Delaware. We studied the time tables yesterday - finding them very confusing - and made our best plan. We started against the current and finished against the current, but got a good 4 plus hours where it counted in the river. Tide Hiker made it up to 11 MPH - which is akin to warp speed - and I have the photo to prove it.

Bridges over the C & D canal

The remaining 12 miles east on the canal were uneventful and quite picturesque. That all changed when we arrived in the river - lots of traffic, lots of civilization, including a nuclear power station.

The Nordhaven

As we turned and headed downstream we noticed a Nordhavn 35' ahead of us and so called them on the radio to compare notes. Turns out Jim and Sheila are also headed to New York and we will probably buddy up with them the rest of the way. Because Tide Hiker is a bigger boat we will have to sacrifice some speed, but I will appreciate "safety in numbers" as we head out into the Atlantic for the next two days.

The weather had been OK but turned a bit windy and choppy as the day progressed. By the time we got into the Cape May canal (that cuts off the tip of the cape) it was quite windy and the current was running against us. We crossed under a couple of narrow bridges and I had to use full throttle and the bow thruster to keep our head up.

We had chosen a marina close to the entrance to the Atlantic. To take our dock we had to make a u turn back into the current in a narrow channel, so I took it as wide as I thought I could, but Tide Hiker did not want to turn against the current and into the wind - and then we ran into the bottom. The rudders jammed, the current heeled the boat and we were stuck! The props were churning up the bottom and we were going nowhere.

Well, to make a long story short, I was able to get the boat off and we made the dock. I was a bit pissed with the marina because I was following the approach they recommended, and we had not been warned about the shallow water and it was certainly not marked. Added to that, Tide Hiker is a bit windy and turning into the current and the wind is difficult.

As for damage, I was a bit concerned about the rudder, but all went well on our run to Atlantic City, so I assume all is OK. We will get her hauled in Solomons on the return to check.That afternoon I checked and cleaned all the strainers.