Annapolis to Atlantic Highlands

On Tuesday morning we left our mooring on Spa Creek and motored the 4 miles to Bert Jabins boat yard on Back Creek. We needed a quick haul to clean and inspect the bottom, and to change the zincs on our prop shaft and the keel cooler for our refrigerator/freezer.

Our intent was to use the Haven Harbor yard in Rock Hall, but we were having trouble contacting the guy we needed to schedule with. We were desperate to get out of a very hot and windless Spa Creek so we decided to use the Bert Jabin yard. They did a good job with the pressure wash, but were a little pushy to splash the boat back in the water. We had less than a half hour to clean the barnacles off and to change the zincs--and they were not busy. The guy that received us on the dock, was not one that made you feel like you would want to come back--I'll just leave it at that. But the yard looks first rate as far as facilities go.

At 5:30 am we left our mooring on Back Creek and headed up the Chesapeake for the C and D (Chesapeake Delaware) Canal and then to Reedy Island on the Delaware River. The plan was to anchor behind Reedy Island that night and then leave with a fair tide at 10:00 am the following morning to shoot down the Delaware River and Bay, round Cape May and sail overnight to Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey.


Sunrise at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.


The Chesapeake Bay Bridge a bit later. The bird thinks it's all about him.

After passing under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, we fought a slight foul current until we reached the C and D Canal, where the tide finally turned in our favor. For a non planing displacement boat, it is essential to time your arrival at the C and D Canal and the Delaware River when the tide is pushing the water the same direction you want to go. Once we neared the end of the canal, we were going 4 knots over our hull speed.

It was an uneventful day and shortly before 4:00 pm we entered the narrow cut that took us from the Delaware River to the other side of Reedy Island.


Obligated to take a picture of the nuclear plant when it's right in front of you. For the full story check our July 2009 entry about half way down the page.

As mentioned earlier, the tidal currents are quite strong on the Delaware River. The further north the stronger the current--presumably because it is narrower. We are not fast enough to ride a fair current all the way to the Atlantic before the tide reverses, so we plan it to take advantage of the stronger current on the north end.

This had us weigh anchor at 10:00 am, and we picked up an extra 3 to 3 1/2 knots all the way down the Delaware River and half way through the Delaware Bay before the tide turned on us.


Ship John Shoal Light on the Delaware.

Rumor has it, this lighthouse was named by a Chinese English student while eating shrimps on fried rice.


This marker shows the current that you don't want to run against.

As we rounded the shoals of Cape May, passed Wildwood, and Atlantic City I could almost feel the sting on my back from the many sunburns of yesteryear at those beaches.

Shortly before 11:00 Friday morning, we entered Sandy Hook Channel which led us into New York Harbor. We knew we were in the channel because we had to dodge a plethora of anchored fishing boats.

We hung a left and headed to the harbor in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. The anchor was down at 12:20 pm.

While at the dinghy dock, we met an Austrian crew who sailed their Amel across the Atlantic, went to Venezuela, came back up the Caribbean and are now sailing the East Coast of the US.