Sue Creek, MD

Our original plan on Tuesday, September 7 was to take a couple of days to explore new anchorages on the Chesapeake Bay as we make our way to the MTOA Rendezvous. We decided that our our first stop would be in Georgetown, MD which was only a three hour trip from Chesapeake City. So we took  our time in the morning and brought Archie for a walk in this charming and historic little town.

Back onboard we set about doing boat chores.  Jonny cleaned the hull (which really needs a good wax job) and I worked on putting up our new wall hangings. 

After having a leisurely lunch we left Chesapeake City at 1:30 and hopped across the canal to get fuel.  The fuel stop was located directly under huge pillars holding up the bridge that spans the C&D Canal.  With a running current and the bridge pillars right there, it could be a little tricky tying up for fuel. But of course Zendo’s able Captain had no trouble! We took on an enormous amount of fuel (fortunately at a very good price) having somehow miscalculated how much we had put in previously. (See Zendo docked to the right of the bridge in the photo below).

Once we got underway it was a glorious day - clear skies, calm seas and perfect temperatures.  We thought we would arrive in Georgetown by 5:00 but we received a phone call from a friend who was out on the bay and paying more attention to the weather forecast.  We immediately checked the wind and wave forecast and learned that the wind on the bay expected to pick up that night and over the next two days.  Because of that we decided to skip Georgetown and push on to an anchorage closer to our ultimate destination.  We would have a very short cruise from there to the Maryland Yacht Club and arrive at the Rendezvous a day earlier than originally planned - all in all,  a good idea for safety and convenience.  Plus the negotiated rate for our boat was just $25 per night plus electric, an amazing price to stay at a very nice yacht club!  

So on we went arriving at Sue Creek, a very well protected inlet off of the Middle River where we had anchored once before.  We arrived at 6:00 and dropped the hook in very calm waters. The days are definitely getting shorter which is evident by the afternoon sun that seems to start waning by 4:00.  We are not at all keen about traveling on Zendo in the dark if we don’t have to.

We weren’t sure where we could take Archie in to relieve himself but we decided to dinghy over to a nearby yacht club’s gas dock. The dockhand said we could tie up as long as we didn’t stay long. Fortunately there was a good sized grassy area nearby and we threw Archie his frisbee over and over to give home some exercise.  He’s getting pretty good at retrieving it (with lots of treats of course)!

That night we had ravioli and salad for dinner and Jonny had a long phone call with his friend Mao who lives in Reno.  We cemented our plan to go to the Maryland Yacht Club in Pasadena, MD the next day just to make life easier. We’ll be there at the MTOA Rendezvous for several days and I’ll be flying out to Charlotte for a few days to help my friend Cathy with her mom who is quite ill. Jonny will be holding down the fort with Archie who will be promoted temporarily to first mate!

Chesapeake City, MD - return trip

After eight wonderful days in Philadelphia, we left on Labor Day, September 6, bound for  Chesapeake City. We had delayed our departure by a day due to all the debris in the Delaware River. Our scouts told us that conditions were improving so we timed our departure to take advantage of the tides leaving at 9:50.  It was a good decision.  Although we encountered some clumps of debris and occasional floating logs early on, once we got a little ways down the river (and once the tide turned) we were practically debris free.

 It was a long day of cruising - seven and a half hours - but it was calm and sunny and very pleasant. 

Boat traffic was light, mostly just the occasional barge.

It got busier once we entered the C & D Canal. It was Labor Day, after all, and there were quite a few weekend boaters out and about.  We arrived at Chesapeake City by 5:10. There’s a free town dock that one can tie up at but it’s on a first come first served basis.  Jonny was quite irritated because the space we could have fit in was occupied by two jet skis.  Little Chesapeake City was buzzing with the holiday crowd. The harbor was filled with small boats and jet skis zipping around and the waterfront restaurant was full and playing loud music.

We chose the better option which was to anchor in the nearby anchorage basin where it was quiet and surrounded by greenery. We could dinghy into a nearby dinghy dock and walk Archie along the same canal walkway that we loved in Delaware City. And that’s exactly what we did.

That evening we had an easy dinner of leftovers and explored our options for the next two days cruising through the Chesapeake Bay as we make our way to the MTOA Rendezvous in Pasadena, MD.

Philadelphia, PA - return trip

On Sunday, August 29 our plan was to leave Delaware City Marina at noon and head up the Delaware River to Philadelphia where we would stay for a week. We became concerned when we were told by Tim’s crew that there was a lot of debris including big logs in the river from the recent rainstorms surrounding Hurricane Henri. However after checking in with SeaTow we decided to proceed with caution. It turned out that we encountered very few logs on our four and a half hour cruise.  The day was sunny and mild and we rode the current all the way arriving at the marina at 4:45.

Ben, who was in the sailboat next to us last time we were here, helped us to tie up. He and his wife, Kristine and their little baby, Maverick, live onboard in the marina and have proved to be great neighbors - friendly, helpful and engaging.

Unfortunately, the marina had a lot of debris including logs and branches that collected as a result of the running waters in the river.  Throughout the week, Jonny and others had to clear some out.  Jonny took to the dinghy to haul a log that was almost 60 feet long back into the river!

Stephanie has been jammed with work and school the last few weeks so we didn’t plan on seeing her until Wednesday. But on Monday, we walked over to their apartment and took Ryan to lunch and picked up all the many items we had had delivered to their address.  

On Tuesday morning, Jonny met up with our friend Tracy and they walked through the Fishtown and Northern Liberties parts of Philly to a cool area called Grafitti Pier.  The name is self explanatory.

Jonny had been craving Chinese food so upon his return we walked to Chinatown and had lunch at Panang.  It wasn’t Chinese, it was Malaysian but that was close enough for us.  It was quite good though he declared it more Chinese-Malaysian than that which he had eaten when he lived in Malaysia.  The servings were so large that we took half of it home and had it for dinner.

We had mailed some of the delicious ravioli from Arthur Ave. in the Bronx to Stephanie and Ryan, so on Wednesday night we made dinner for them in their apartment.  We had ordered cheese ravioli for them (and mushroom ravioli for us) but when we cooked it, it turned out to be filled with mushrooms which Stephanie doesn’t care for so it was a little disappointing.  She nibbled around the edges and ate the appetizers and salad but was so exhausted that we left early so she could get a good night’s sleep.  Bugatti’s made it right after I called them the next day to tell them of the error.  They sent out a new box of cheese ravioli the next day.

Each day we’ve been taking Archie for walks along nearby piers as well as in two nearby dog parks.

We particularly like one that is on the side of a hill and usually has a couple of nice dogs that he likes to play with.  It was here that we met a dog owner who we had met on our previous visit.  We saw her almost every day and she recommended a groomer for Archie where we were able to make an appointment for him on Friday.  Thursday, however, was haircut day for me and I was quite pleased with the referral I received from Stephanie.  This photo shows the results of both my haircut and Archie’s.

On Thursday afternoon we walked over to the Italian Market and had a delicious lunch outside at DeBruno Brothers.  We also took the opportunity to stock up on more cheese, salami, sausage, pasta and tomatoes.  Do we eat to live or live to eat? Guess!

That night we went out to dinner with Stephanie and Ryan in a restaurant close to Rittenhouse Square. Philly has great restaurants and many of them are BYOB which is such a plus!

Saturday was a beautiful, clear day - perfect for apple picking! And that’s just what we did. Stephanie picked us up (and finally got to visit with Archie).

She took us out to Terhune Orchards in New Jersey where we picked two pecks of four kinds of nice ripe apples. The orchard also sold wine and cheese boards and had a musician playing so we hung out there for awhile enjoying the perfect weather before doing a Costco run.

Ryan wasn’t with us because he had gone to the Navy game in Annapolis with his dad for the day.  Later on that evening we went to a cool little Korean restaurant near Rittenhouse Square for dinner.

When we got back to Zendo that evening we went out on the dock to join our neighbors, Ben and Kristine, who were watching a great fireworks display by the bridge over the river. We enjoyed the ringside seat and a glass of wine with them.

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Originally we were going to leave on Sunday morning, but the debris from Hurricane Ida was still significant and floating down the river so we decided to delay our departure.  This log floated next to our boat.

We spent quite a bit of time this week shopping for fabric to create a textile wall hanging to cover water stains on the teak in the saloon.  We found some we liked and bought foam board to mount it.  On Sunday, we finally put it all together and hopefully it will look good when we hang it. Photos to follow once that happens. 

Philly has been great fun as always. It’s clearly becoming another home away from home for us.  How’s this photo for a historical reference for this city of brotherly love? 

Delaware City, DE - return trip

Early Friday, August 27 we took a dinghy ride back to H&H Seafood to give Archie a quick walk before heading up the Delaware Bay.  Once again our destination is Delaware City.  We had a long but very pleasant cruise on a hot sunny day.  Fortunately the bay was calm and we rode the current all the way up arriving at 2:00 after a seven hour cruise.

As we arrived in historic Delaware City, we were surprised to see only one other boat in the area where we usually tie up. Tim, the owner of Delaware City Marina, was on the dock to welcome us back.  We’re always happy to see him!  He has a dry sense of humor that we greatly enjoy!

The skies were quickly clouding up and later in the afternoon it started to pour buckets! And it continued to pour for several hours.  This was by far the most intense rain we’ve had on this trip. At first we sat on the enclosed fly bridge to experience the storm but that got tiresome after a while and we went into the saloon.  It was quite warm and very humid so we turned on the AC for some relief.  We were extremely pleased not to discover any leaks which is really quite remarkable!  

That night we had sausage and peppers for dinner with the sausage we had purchased in the Bronx’s Little Italy and did our usual round of calls with family.

On Saturday morning we took Archie for a long walk on the beautiful C&D Canal walk nearby.  This is definitely one of the best parts of staying here.  Jonny did some of the never-ending boat chores and I did some of the never-ending laundry and cleaning.  Zendo needed a good vacuuming which is a bit easier to do with our new shop vac.

Jonny had hoped to get Charlie, the marina’s mechanic, to look at a few issues (there are always issues on a boat) but Charlie was on vacation for the next few days.  We didn’t have a car this time and there really aren’t any decent restaurants nearby so we had a relaxing evening eating leftovers, reading and watching TV.

The next day we plan to head up to Philadelphia to stay for a week.  We’re excited to be able to spend time with Stephanie and Ryan again.  There won’t be quite as many visits since she is very busy with work and school at this time. This blog will be on hold until the end of that visit.

Cape May, NJ return trip

We had a long day of cruising again on Thursday, August 26 so we got up early to take Archie in to to Barnegat Light for a walk.  One of the good things about having a dog is that it gets us out walking a lot every day even if we are anchored. This time we walked across the barrier island all the way to the  water on the other side.  We found a very nice boardwalk in a park that led to the beach.  We followed it until it started to get muddy and then turned around.  We didn’t want to delay leaving by having to wash the sand out of Archie’s fur!

We pulled up anchor by 7:30 and headed south down the remaining Jersey shore.  Early on it was sunny and clear with perfect temperatures but by 10 it became very foggy.  It was so foggy that Jonny turned on the radar and it was only with radar that we could see other ships on the water.  Fortunately, there were very few out on the water.

I was happy because we finally decided what to get Stephanie and Ryan who are both turning thirty in October and December respectively. Shhhh!  Archie slept most of the way nestled against whoever wasn’t piloting at the time.

We traveled over 65 miles which got us in to Cape May by 5:15.  We anchored in our  usual spot in the harbor and quickly climbed into the dinghy to go to our favorite seafood market next to the Lobster House.  Alas, it was closed!  How disappointing.  Time for Plan B.  Fortunately, Jonny had read about another seafood market on the other side of the harbor which was also supposed to be good.  He called to make sure they were open and that there was a place for us to tie up.  So we climbed back in the dinghy and went all the way to the other side to find H & H Seafood.  We tied up at their dock and walked through the outdoor patio to see about eating there.  One small hitch - no dogs allowed even on the patio!  Plan C was then implemented and we ordered take-out - boiled shrimp, potato salad, cole slaw and corn on the cob.  The best thing about finding this new market is that it is much closer to where we are anchored.

We hauled the food back to Zendo and finally sat down to eat by 8:00.  The food was pretty good but not as good as what we get from the Lobster House market (nor is the selection as wide).  Their new 5:00 closing hour could cause a problem for us in the future!

We had an early-to-bed night because we had one more long day cruising to Delaware City for our next stop.