Cape May New Jersey

We got up early to study the charts for the passage down the Delaware River to Cape May, New Jersey. The tidal current is very strong in the top half of the narrow bay. As the bay opens and widens, the tide becomes less strong. The trip from Delaware City to Cape May will take 10 hours. Every six hours, the tide will change direction. When we leave Delaware City, it will be against us. At some point over the day it will switch and begin to push us. The plan was to ride the favorable tide for as long as possible. Dave talked to Tim, the Delaware City Marina Harbor Master, about the notorious current we'd be facing. Tim went over our plans, agreed that our timeline should work, then reminded us to resist taking "shortcuts" outside the channel. Shoaling can change on a daily basis and it is best to stay close to the charted waters. This is very good advice!

The tide was rising and pushing Mystic backward on the docks toward the low bridge. We assessed just how we'd get her off safely. Todd, from the vessel Unplugged, offered assistance, holding our stern line while I untied our mid line as Dave throttled into forward. I pushed off the dock and hopped aboard waving farewell to our friends. As we began the trek down the shallow canal toward the channel, I distracted myself from the depth finder by securing our lines and fenders. Before I knew it, we were past the green entrance marker and into deeper water. We headed south and saw two sailboats moving ahead of us. Both appeared to be heading down river like us. It's a nice day to have company. We expect a 10 hour day but won't know until later if we can pull it off; it could take much longer to get to Cape May. The current slows our progress until we are well past Reedy Point where we anxiously watch for it to switch to our stern and begin to push us toward our goal.

Leaving Delaware City behind

Three Bridges
Looking up the C&D Canal from Delaware River

Salem Nuclear Power Plant, off Reedy Point

Ship John Shoal Light

Huge Cargo Ship Overtaking Mystic on Delaware River

Cruising - Team Rogers on the Delaware River

There was very little wind and the water was completely calm. We fought the two mph current, patiently waiting for a boost. Nature offered us distractions with sightings of butterflies, lighthouses and a sea turtle. We watched as schools of fish gather and swirl in giant whirlpools, occasionally flopping into the air creating flashes of silver on the water. It appears that they are being chased by larger fish in a feeding frenzy. About an hour after passing Reedy Point, we began to gain speed, first hitting six then seven, eight and nine mph. We passed Shipjohn Shoal Lighthouse doing more than ten miles an hour. This is lightning speed for Mystic.

Peaceful calm on the Delaware River

Ship John Shoal Lighthouse

Cross Ledge Lighthouse Ruins

Elbow of Cross Ledge Light (Cross Ledge in background)

Miah Maull Shoal Lighthouse

Fourteen Foot Bank Lighthouse

Click here for more on: Delaware Bay Lighthouses

Fish whirlpool feeding frenzy

As we passed the Brandywine Shoal Lighthouse, about 8.5 miles northwest of Cape May, one of the sailboats we'd spent the day cruising with came into view. They took a shortcut across the banks then in front of the entrance to the Cape May Canal. They passed in front of us to go around the tip of Cape May, then rejoined us later at the popular harbor anchorage near the Coast Guard station. We remained in the channel, taking the long way around to the canal entrance via the designated channel. There are two ferries at Cape May that cross over to Lewes Delaware. As we reached the channel that will take us to the Canal, one of the ferries called us on the VHF. We are on a course that appears aimed to cross the channel in front of the ferry. Dave responds that we will be turning to port and will remain on the left side of the channel, out of the ferry's way. In the distance, we watched as Parasailors soared past the Cape May Lighthouse. The view was breathtaking.

Brandywine Shoal Lighthouse

Cape May, NJ to Lewes, MD Ferry

Cape May Lighthouse

Para Sailors gliding by lighthouse

The canal that cuts through Cape May, connecting Cape May Harbor with the Delaware River is shallow but has enough water for us to pass through at high tide. There are two stationary bridges that are also an issue for some sailboats. They are not an issue for us. The canal provides a protected route that avoids the outside passage around Cape May peninsula. It was dredged in 1942 and became a part of the New Jersey Intracoastal waterway during wartime. We entered the Cape May Canal and were delighted to find ourselves passing through a beautiful waterfront neighborhood. I spun from left to right attempting to capture the view in photographs. I took so many pictures that I have dedicated a blog post to our canal experience.

Entering Cape May Canal from the West

Exiting the Cape May Canal

Coast Guard Station, Cape May New Jersey

We were glad that we could go through the canal which shortens our journey. As we exited on the east side, we saw Utches Marina on the right. We followed the channel to the Cape May Harbor anchorage, just off of the Coast Guard Training Center. It was already full of boats. We slipped between two sailboats and dropped anchor but quickly realized that we were drifting back into the channel. We re-anchor after swinging around to a new spot close to green marker #7. The sunset warmed our cockpit as we relaxed on deck and enjoy our dinner of soup and pan biscuits. We've read that many loopers have issues making it from Delaware City to Cape May but we made it with ease; experiencing a good day on the water. We face the Atlantic Ocean next. Mystic's draft is too deep for the New Jersey ICW. We will be in the ocean from this point until New York City. Time to put our seatbelts on for the ride!