Have I mentioned how gloomy the Delaware usually is when we travel it? Not sure why and others say the same. Today had a one hour delay due to fog, with improving conditions as time and distance progressed. Overall a calm and pleasant trip up to Delaware City Marina- so yes, a seemingly small birthday gift and one I was very pleased to receive.

Uh oh. too foggy to leave the anchorage

Crabby Dick’s was having a party for me, but we opted for dinner at Lewinsky’s on Clinton where the French 75s are quite strong!

Birthday Party!!

Along the C&D Canal. Fresh paint since last fall

Along the C&D Canal heading to Havre de Grace from Delaware City Marina

We stayed two nights, eager to get to Havre de Grace where Goll’s (old-fashioned) Bakery awaited us. This time we used the marina’s courtesy van to make a provisioning run.

Dinner was a price point down from our typical choice, at La Cucina, a few blocks walk away. Pizza won out as that gives us either lunch leftovers or another dinner.  The revolving glass dessert case did its job and we ended up sharing a dessert which I think was chocolate/cheesecake layer cake. Yes, very tasty.

Second time we’ve seen this in the past 3 days- what is the meaning?

A boat docked ahead of us at Delaware City Marina had a doll just like this one above, tied near the stern. Ok, odd. Then we saw this one in Havre de Grace; baffled now. Anyone want to posit an idea?

You will have to trust me; I saw it happen.

I heard it and turned quickly, just in time to see two humpbacks slip under the surface. But then they obliged me by surfacing again and my slow shooter caught this:

Two humpback whales within 1 mile of NJ shore

We made good time from Sandy Hook, NJ to Cape May with smooth waters close to shore; the only sign of Irma was the noticeable, albeit gentle, swell coming in from the southeast. Today’s  111 nm trip was as close to perfect as you could get without actually being perfect.

A few dolphin sightings confirmed we were indeed offshore, but still quite close to shore.

Flat calm on the trip to Cape May- at mid day

Paddle boarding in the gentle incoming swells off the breakwater at Cape May entrance channel

Happy to be done with this long jump. But when I think back to our time with s/v Ortolan, the trip would have been an overnight or two to get us from Sandy Hook to Norfolk, VA. I like being on the “dark side” again. 🙂