Utsch's Marina to... Utsch's Marina? (Day 005)

Utsch's Marina to Utsch's Marina

Distance = 11.1 miles
Elapsed Time = 2.3 hours
Average Speed = 4.8 mph

Whitecaps in Cape May Harbor!


Weather: Cool – low 60’s to mid to high 60’s; the wind started at 10 knots but within a couple of hours built to 15 to 20 with gusts to 25 out of the north, clocking to NE where it stayed for the rest of the day. NOTE: Small craft warnings are posted until Thurday evening, and the northeast winds are predicted to blow at 15 t0 20 knots until Saturday evening. We may be in Cape May for a few days!

Comment: We were up at 0730 and guess what, even though a small craft advisory was posted, we were experiencing north wind of 10 knots or less. Could the forecast be as wrong as it was on the day we made the run in the ocean? Naw… could it??

At 0900, we decided to stick our beaks into the Delaware Bay to see! We slipped our lines and motored off. North Star, another sailboat in Utsch’s Marina followed suit. The sky was partly sunny, but we had periods of cloudy skies as we motored in the Cape May Canal. As we neared the ferry terminal, we watched as a tell tale puff of smoke alerted us to the fact that a ferry was backing out of its slip. Once completing its turn, it motored off toward Lewes, Delaware. We hoped that Brother Bob and his friends were aboard this run as the bay was much calmer now that the Coast Guard was predicting. We expected that passengers on later boats would have a more “exciting” passage!

While in mid channel, we ran aground in what felt like soft ooze. This is the second time during the trip that we have contacted bottom. (ED: During our last trip, we touched bottom one time during the entire trip!) We worked our way off without too much trouble and immediately called S/V North Star to alert them to the shallow spot in mid-channel. They asked for suggestions and we offered that we found 15 feet near the sterns of the ferries. They made it through without any problem.

Once out in the bay, we found marginally tolerable conditions. We continued on as the wind and seas built. Our journey didn’t last as I decided to turn around after seeing the we were taking water over the bows on three of every five waves. We reasoned that the boat could handle the conditions, but the ride would not be particularly comfortable. We could take it too, but didn’t need too. We expected to be in worsening conditions for the next 8 to 10 hours. It took all of two minutes to make the decision to turn around.

We were back in our slip at Utsch’s Marina by 1120 hours. Anna Marie was most happy… I was too; after all, we’re cruising!

While walking the docks, we ran into crew on a boat from our old home marina, Mariner's Marina in Barnegat. They are on a delivery trip aboard a friends boat bound for Great Oaks Harbor YC on the northern Chesapeake. We shared stories about the marina and some of the sailors we met there.

M/V Honga is docked here as well. We last spoke to the crew of this vessel at Dowery Creek Marina last spring. We had been sharing the waterway with them for several days. They were traveling with M/V Transition and for several days, we would hear them hail each other over the VHF radio.

They have completed the Great Loop and spent the summer visiting some of the great places they missed. They expect to be in Marathon by early January.