Delaware City - Cape May NJ - Island Heights NJ

May 30

It has been a few days since we have written about the trip.  Time sure flies when having a BLAST! 

Delaware City

We arrived in Delaware City to a beautiful day.  The dock there is about 100 yards long and as luck would have it, we were all the way at the end.  This was fine for everything except Yudee.  He had to pee on everything he passed over those 100 yards every time.  This included everyone's electric, water and ropes.   had to do a lot of cleaning.

Delaware City is a beautiful town with the city planners clearly working to attract business.  Most of the businesses seemed to be weekend focused and were closed but the town had multiple parks and green spaces that were beautiful.  

For dinner we went to the only place open, Kathy's.  Everyone was boasting about the crab stuffed flounder and jumbo steamed shrimp.  Many said it was the best they had eaten on the their trip.  We were excited.  We sat and got the menus.  Everything looked as good and everyone said.  We waited and waited.  Finally, the waitress came over and said, "sorry, we are too busy for that menu.  We are now working off this one".  On the new menu, everything was either fried or from the grill (think burgers).  Without going into much detail,  suffice it to say that we both thought we might have been poisoned by the time we left.  It was the worse we had eaten in a long long time.  We laughed the whole way back to the boat.

Delaware City Marina is owned by a gent named Tim.  Tim is a brilliant man who understands the weather and sea conditions better than anyone ... and he uses that to terrorize his guest into staying as long as possible.  He does a briefing every day at 4:00.  It was excellent and very educational.  By then end, I wasn't sure Terri was going to get back on the boat.  Ultimately, the trip down the Delaware Bay to Cape May was just fine.   Here is the Nebo Log from the trip:

We passed a few cool lighthouses along the way.

Cape May

If you haven't been to Cape May NJ, put it on your bucket list now!  What a beautiful, charming and fun city. There is so much to do, see and eat.

We stayed in Utsch's Marina.  This is a true "working" marina with boats being pulled, painted, and repaired.  Fishing charters went in and out of the marina.  The marina store looked like a west marine.  It was pretty cool and the prices were great for the area (about 1/2 price of other marinas).  Because the marina was so big, we did have long walk to get to the front and because it was a working marina, everything as stoned over allowing the travel lifts (the big cranes that pick up boats) to go everywhere.  This created a little problem for Yudee for there wasn't grass anywhere, but he adapted and just pooped on the stone.

Terri and I were using our scooters to cruse around town when she looked over and saw her brother and his wife eating lunch.  Small world.  We knew they were in town but the odds of seeing them on the street were small.

Say "hi" to Andy and Barb!  It had been four years since she had seen him last. (And yes, that is an Ice Cream cone in her hand.) We had an amazing dinner out with them that night.

Later in our Cape May stay, Andy brought his son Brian with his wife and boys over to see the boat.  They are a great family and it was wonderful to see everyone.  

The next marina over was the opposite of Utsch's.  If Utsch's was a working marina, this one would be classified as a "resort" marina.  It was extremely nice and where most of the other loopers stayed.  As is very common with loopers, they would nightly assemble for "docktails".  Terri and I would walk over and join them.

Finally, Sunday our dear friends Don and Alicia took the ferry over from Lewes De and visited us.  What a treat.  We got to spend most of the day together and it was fantastic. The four of us have been friends since 1979!

Both Don and I had a lot more hair back in the day.  The ladies are still stunningly beautiful!

Island Heights NJ

It was time to leave Cape May.  The weather window was Monday from 6am - ~2:00pm.   This was a big decision point for us.  We could go "inside" along the ICW or "outside" on the ocean.  Inside would be very slow (~5 - 7 mph) and intense due to boat traffic and shoaling (sandbars).  We would only make it to Atlantic City (half way), but it is protected.  Outside is the ocean and oceans are scary things.  It would allow us to reach out goal in one day (Island Heights NJ).  We ultimately went outside and it was delightful.  No issues and the boat, Terri and dog all did well, despite initial trepidation.

Atlantic City from the water:

Going in Barnegat Inlet was a sphincter tightening moment.  Think Haulover on a smaller scale.  When on the backside of a wave the wave behind you pulls you backwards.  This is not something you can allow to happen for it will then accelerate you back into that first wave making control very difficult.  The effect was I was going ~21mph and the pull back slowed us to ~9mph.  It took full throttle to break the grips of that wave and maintain control.  Intense.  In the end, we got through it just fine.  I didn't even need new underwear!

Here is the light at Barnegat Inlet (taken after the intense spots when things had settled down).

 

We got in just in time.  The wind kicked up right on schedule and Barnegat Bay was rougher than the ocean.  However, this was just chop and the boat ignores piddly little 2 foot waves.  :) Jersey boaters are a bit wild and unruly.

Here is the Nebo Log:

We are staying at Dillion's Creek Marina.  It is extremely nice.  It appears that the hurricane Sandy Insurance money was well spent with the facilities appearing very fresh.
 

Last night, Jim and Marilyn Hauenstein surprised us and took us out to dinner at Seaside Heights.  We have been friends since ~1980 and Marilyn has yet to grow one inch taller (sorry gal, had to go there). Yudee is in love with Marilyn.

They are both retired education professionals and have done a spectacular job with both their careers and family.  The trip has proven to be rich with loving friends.

Well, we will stay here for another day and then off to New York City!

Stay safe and God bless.