Berkeley Island, NJ

After a very long voyage the day before we were happy to delay our departure on Thursday, July 19.  Jonny took Archie for a walk on the beach with a fabulous view of the Atlantic City skyline.

We departed at 10:30 on a rising tide and made our way to Berkeley Island on the NJ Intra-Coastal Waterway.  For the first couple of hours we cruised through shallow low-lying wetlands.  Eventually we hit the huge stretch of the Jersey shore where houses are lined up cheek to jowl over the entire barrier island.

Eventually we arrived in Barnegat Bay where we could feel the force of the wind blowing from the ocean.  We were all very glad to be traveling along the inside route.

As the afternoon wore on we became aware of the threat of severe thunderstorms expected throughout the region. We made our way to a safe anchorage north of Barnegat Light by Berkeley Island arriving at 4:25.

After a while Jonny took Archie in to do his business and I worked on my first blog entry. Every year I have fits with blogspot but I never want to change having 9 years worth of blogs on the same platform.  This year it was worse than usual and after many hours over several days I decided to give it up. As you may notice, a month later I’ve tried again and think I can make it work (though I am now way behind - writing this entry on July 8)!

A thunderstorm arrived as we were sitting down for dinner. It was fierce (40 mph winds) but we were securely anchored.  We expected another storm later that night but fortunately it didn’t come.

Brigantine,NJ

We finally began our 2025 cruise leaving Delaware City bound for Cape May on Wednesday, June 18. Our trip was delayed because we had several little repairs to make and we wanted to spend some time in Philadelphia with Stephanie and Ryan. Our voyage this year will be much shorter because of the big news in our lives - our first grandchild (a girl) is due in early October!  For that reason we have decided to move to Philadelphia this summer.  We found a row house to rent just two blocks from Stephanie and Ryan and we’ll be moving in August. Our Miami condo is on the market but we’ll see if we sell it or rent it out since the real estate market is so soft right now.

Our immediate cruising plan is to go up to Mystic, CT for an MTOA Rendezvous in mid-July.  We’d like to spend a few days in Manhattan on the way since we often bypass it in our rush to get to more distant destinations. Of course, visiting friends and family in CT is always on our agenda.

Back to the first leg of our journey - we departed from Delaware City Marina (where Zendo is housed for the winter) at 6 a.m. bound for Cape May, NJ. We left early to take advantage of the currents and favorable winds on Delaware Bay.

The day was very overcast, foggy and cool and the sun didn’t start to break through until around 2 p.m.  Jonny suggested we bypass Cape May and go all the way to Brigantine, NJ which would add another 5 hours to our journey.  The reason to do this was that the Atlantic Ocean was quite calm and we could make the passage between Cape May and Atlantic City more easily today while the next day the seas were predicted to be quite rougher. The wind was expected to kick up for the next few days and if we could make it to Brigantine we would be better positioned to take the inside ICW route up through NJ.  So we cruised past Cape May for another 4 hours!

At 4 p.m (10 hours into our journey), we were making our way up the Jersey coast about three miles off-shore when Jonny finally let me take the helm to give him a rest. Not five minutes went by before a really loud alarm went off - the raw water alarm.  Jonny jumped into action to see what the problem was. Unfortunately, the tool he uses to check the water temperature had a non-functioning battery.  Since none of the gauges were showing an increase in water temperature which would indicate a big problem, we just continued on our way without incident. You can be sure that the next purchase will be that special battery!

Although the waves and wind were pretty calm, being on the open ocean can sometimes make one feel a little queasy.  Archie stayed glued to me the whole voyage and it wasn’t one of those easy days when I could read or knit, so we just hunkered down and made the best of it.

It was a very long day and around 6 p.m. the weather app was indicating an approaching thunderstorm.  Fortunately, we were just passing Atlantic City with our mooring at Brigantine not far beyond. 

A friend of ours has a mooring ball there that he graciously lets us use. As we approached the mooring field a big trimaran was tied up to it.  Jonny called Glenn to make sure we had the right one. Apparently an interloper had grabbed it but Glen directed us to another one that wasn’t being used.  In fact, we were the only two boats in the mooring field that night.  Thankfully, the thunderstorm passed us by and we just had a little rain as we tied up at 6:20. It was a long 12 hour day!

But it still wasn’t over as Jonny had to take Archie to relieve himself.  I made dinner while he was gone and we finally could relax with apps and a nice hot dinner. It’s no surprise that we were exhausted and went to bed early in our nicely tucked away anchorage.

Philadelphia, PA

We wanted to get an early start on Wednesday, October 16 to take Addie and Lange for a cruise up the Delaware River to Philadelphia. In order to catch a favorable current we left by 9:15 on a chilly morning fortified by a warming breakfast of oatmeal, fruit and coffee.  We bundled up for the first part of the four hour journey and stayed on the flybridge until we sought the warmth of the cabin for most of the remaining cruise.

Arriving at the Penn Landing Marina we were somewhat surprised to see how few boats were there, and even fewer amenities, but neither proved to be an issue for us. There were some colorful swan boats available nearby. 

Penn’s Landing is located in Old City, the most historic part of Philadelphia, with lots to see and do within walking distance. We had lunch onboard and walked a bit along the docks and the nearby neighborhood which was starting to be decked out for Halloween. 

We also showed them some of the elaborate mosaics in the neighborhood bordering the Magic Garden near South Philly.

That evening we met Stephanie and Ryan for a drink at Fringe Bar and walked from there for a delicious sushi dinner at Tuna Bar. It was a very fun and festive evening.

Stephanie and Ryan graciously offered us the use of their car the next day, so we Ubered to their home where Addie and Lange got the grand tour. Stephanie and Ryan also offered to watch Archie that day so he could have a play date with their Corgi, Eloise.

Jonny got to play tour guide all day and drove us through many interesting parts of the city including nearby Naval Square (where we’ve been looking at condos), along stately museum row and the beautiful park along the Schuykill River. We passed the colorful boathouses owned by the various collegiate skulling teams. 

From there we headed over to elegant Rittenhouse Square and strolled through that lovely park stopping at Goldie’s for their famous falafel sandwiches and tahini shakes.  After that we headed over towards City Hall for a 2:00 tour. But first we stopped at Macy’s to see the amazing Wanamaker Organ, the largest fully functioning pipe organ in the world.

The tour of City Hall, a landmark building in Philly, was mildly interesting and the best part was going up the tiny elevator to the top of the clock tower with its stunning 360 degree view of the city.

Later that afternoon we met Fiorella Fernandez (the daughter of friends from Miami) and her fiancé for happy hour.  We met them at a most unique setting, a huge ship called Moshulu located on the next dock from Zendo. The Moshulu is the world’s oldest and largest square-rigged sailing vessel that is still afloat and the only restaurant venue on a tall ship today. We were so impressed with the elegance of the dining rooms and event space which, not surprisingly, is also a very popular setting for weddings.

Afterwards, the four of us went to one of Philly’s popular BYOB restaurants called Aroma for a delicious Italian dinner. All in all, it was a very full day!

On Friday we took a long walk through Old City checking out the site of Benjamin Franklin’s home, printing press and the first post office. We also saw Betsy Ross’s home, the site of Alexander Hamilton’s home and various other aspects of our country’s early history.

From there we walked across town to Reading Terminal Market which was bustling at lunch hour. We turned Addie and Lange on to our favorite pork and broccoli rabe hoagies and found a table to enjoy our lunch. 

After that we hoofed it over to the Italian Market about a mile away.  Addie and Lange were very impressed with the DeBruno Bros. cheese shop and the many vegetable stands lining the street.  We managed to find room for a shared cannoli and cappuccinos at an outdoor café.

Returning to Zendo, we had lots of nibbles for dinner sitting out on the aft deck.

Fortunately, the weather had improved dramatically from the cruise up the river and each day in Philly was more beautiful than the previous one.   We all went to bed early that night since Addie and Lange were trying to go stand-by on a 5:30 a.m. flight and Jonny and I wanted to catch the current going back to Delaware City. It was another wonderful visit from the Kings to celebrate my birthday. They have been coming every year since we’ve been cruising on Zendo and we hope they’ll continue to do so!

Delaware City, DE (third visit of the season)

We went for a walk across the bridge in Georgetown on Saturday morning, October 12. We wanted to see the historic home and inn that sits high on a hill overlooking the water.  The home was significant during the War of 1812. The British had reduced most of the nearby town of Fredicksburg to ashes and then crossed the river to Georgetown intending to do the same. But the  owner of the house, one Kitty Knight, apparently was able to convince the British to save her house and that of her neighbor from burning. Theirs were two of the only ten or so homes that remained after the British set fire to the rest of the town.  The home is a local landmark.  We walked all around its grounds and its beautiful setting overlooking the river. 

By 9:30 we left Georgetown bound for Delaware City.  We first cruised back down the Sassafras River for about an hour before we re-entered the Chesapeake Bay.  We then cruised the C&D Canal which is very well-protected. It was a pleasant journey and we caught glimpses of some of the trees just starting to show their colors.

We cruised past Chaesapeske City arriving back at our favorite Delaware City Marina by 2:15.  

We were awaiting the arrival of our friends, Adelaida and Lange King, who were coming on Tuesday. We are definitely slowing down as we near the end of our journey and we spent a fairly relaxing couple of days walking Archie along the canal path and doing various boat and “household” chores including getting Zendo ready for our guests. 

We ate all our meals onboard as there are just a few restaurants nearby and we were saving our dining out until they arrived.

Late Wednesday morning we drove to the Philadelphia Airport to pick them up. On the way back to Zendo we brought them to historic New Castle, next door to Delaware City.  New Castle is a lovely town with many historic red brick homes and cobblestone streets.

There is a tavern there called Jessup’s that has an outstanding beer collection. We knew how much Lange loves beer so we thought they would enjoy this very old and authentic restaurant which, of course, they did. 

We had a great time hearing about their recent trip to Nepal and sharing our travels with them. Addie and Lange have made it a tradition to come and stay with us to celebrate my birthday very year that we have been cruising on Zendo.  This time they were unable to come closer to my birthday but of course it didn’t matter and the day they arrived we started a three day celebration!

That night we ate onboard enjoying lamb chops with spinach and a rice dish. The next day we would be cruising up to Philadelphia to continue the celebration, part of which will include dinner with Stephanie and Ryan on Wednesday night.

Georgetown, MD

We left Baltimore on Thursday, October 10 at 8:30 for the five and a half hour cruise up the Chesapeake Bay to the Sassafras River. It was a chilly day, sunny, and quite breezy.

I wore four layers of clothing to stay warm and I managed to stay on the flybridge with Jonny for the duration. We’ve been wanting to cruise the Sassafras to Georgetown and we were given a gift certificate for two nights at the Sassafras Harbor Marina so this was the perfect time to take advantage of it.

Once we turned onto the Sassafras River, it became less breezy and we were able to enjoy this very beautiful river. The Chesapeake Guide Book called  it one of the prettiest rivers on the bay and we definitely agree.

We arrived by 2:10 and tied up to the T-dock. There were several marinas nearby but this one appeared to have the most boats in it, by far. We had the impression that Georgetown itself was easily accessible and very much worth visiting, but if there was a center of town it was nowhere near where we were. The marina itself was very well maintained with a big ship’s store and nice facilities. 

We went for a walk with Archie to explore the somewhat pastoral surroundings.

 Afterwards, Jonny washed down Zendo to maintain its pristine condition after the big detailing job. That evening we ate onboard - we’re trying to use up our food and we ate the cabbage and sausage casserole that was in the freezer.

The next day, Greg, the MTOA operations director for the Chesapeake, came by to pick up the several boxes of  Rendezvous materials that we were storing. He came aboard with Glen, another MTOA member who keeps his boat at Sassafras Harbor Marina and we had fun chatting with both of them. 

They had recommended the early bird special at a local restaurant called the The Granary.  So I made reservations and we headed over there with Archie for an early dinner. We were surprised at how busy the restaurant was. Instead of taking advantage of the early bird special we chose an array of delicious sounding items including oyster stew, an appetizer that included three types of roasted oysters, the swordfish special with a crab cake added on and a delicious pork roast special.  That, along with a half price bottle of wine and blueberry pie a la mode, caused us to have a very filling dinner experience.

We wrapped up the evening nice and early and the next day we planned to return to Delaware City.

Baltimore, MD (return trip)

On the morning of Saturday, October 5 while I was having my Spanish lesson, Jonny walked Archie and brought back breakfast pastries from a little bakery that he found. We had delicious crispy croissants and a cherry pastry for our breakfast, a nice treat!

We left Annapolis by 10:30 bound for Baltimore. It was a sunny day but a bit cool. We passed an array of kids racing their little sailboats which is always fun to watch.

It was also pretty windy which made for a somewhat uncomfortable passage.  The bay settled down some once we got to the Patapsco River.

This time instead of staying at Anchorage Marina where we usually stay, we stayed at Lighthouse Point Marina just down the waterfront a bit. We chose to stay here because it is an Oasis Marina and we had won a large gift certificate for Oasis Marinas at the last MTOA Rendezvous and we wanted to take advantage of the free dockage before our cruising season ends.

Upon arriving after our four hour cruise, we were surprised to see how few boats were in the marina. We were quite pleased, though, to see a sign welcoming us at our designated slip. That was a first for us!

It turned out the marina had recently been totally refurbished and that and the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge resulted in less business for them this season. The dockmaster was very friendly and helpful and the marina had fine services and accommodations.  Our plan was to stay here for four or five nights nights because Jonny had scheduled a team to detail Zendo and we find it very comfortable staying along Baltimore’s attractive waterfront. 

The cleaning crew arrived bright and early on Monday morning and spent four plus hours with five workers cleaning and polishing every nook and cranny on the outside of Zendo.  It has never looked so clean in the ten years that we’ve had her! The team was friendly and professional and the price was less than what we we had ever paid in the past. Needless to say, we were very happy! 

That night we returned to Ne Ha for another excellent Chinese dinner. This is the restaurant that Stephanie and Ryan had found when they visited us a couple of weeks ago. 

On Tuesday, the museum we had wanted to visit was closed so we walked to Fell’s Point to have lunch at Bunny’s Buckets & Bubbles.  But upon our arrival we discovered that it wasn’t open for lunch on Tuesdays.  So instead we went to nearby Cooper’s Tavern which turned out to be quite good. We sat outside at this historic tavern which was creatively decorated for Halloween.  Jonny had a terrific burger and I had my first soft shell crab of this trip.

We had a relaxing rest of the day and skipped dinner as we often do when we have a big lunch.

On Wednesday we took an Uber to go to the Baltimore Museum of Art where we spent a couple of hours wandering through their very large collection. They had a particularly extensive collection of Matisse’s works along with many other Impressionists.  In addition, they had a fascinating Native American collection, a large African collection and some very interesting modern art installations. It was a lot to take in and it was well worth our visit.  

That evening we finally got to Bunny’s, Buckets &Bubbles for dinner. Stephanie and I had been here for lunch a few years ago and really enjoyed it. It’s very kitschy and it features excellent fried chicken and other goodies and emphasizes pairing them with a large selection of champagnes.  It sounds like an odd combination but it works. We shared a smoked trout appetizer, a fried chicken dinner and delicious shrimp and grits and of course, a bottle of champagne. It was a lot of fun!

After dinner we walked back to Zendo along the waterfront with a beautiful sunset lighting the way. The next day we will be heading up the Bay to the Sassafras River where we were given another gift certificate for two nights to a marina there. Lucky us!