Homestretch

Nice passage down to Cape May and we dropped the hook for a few hours to wait for a favorable tide in Delaware Bay.  Delaware Bay continues to solidify its reputation in our minds as a  . . . difficult . . . body of water.  Very shallow with lots of spots to navigate around, long and narrow so the tides are funneled through a narrow channel making them stronger and,  lots of big ship traffic.  The tide cycle is not long enough to carry us all the way so we either start out with the tide against us or end with it against us.  

Did I mention the big ship traffic?  Shore lights silhouetted the darkened, towering hulks as they churned past at 20+ knots.  Their bulbous bows pushed water aside like a bulldozer at a landfill.  The quarterwave seemed to suck it all back in , leaving vivid images of what would happen to a little 34 footer caught in this self-made wave pool.  When the Bay really narrowed down, we hugged just to the outside of the channel markers to stay in the clear.

Russ let me sleep 5 hours straight.  A little guilt but I slept like a baby.

Homestretch now.  I figure we've sailed 1050 miles since leaving Annapolis on June 30.  We've spent 15 1/2 days on the boat for a daily average of 70 miles.  Our dinghy has not touched water since Portland.  

Next time it'll be nice to slow down a bit.  'Til then ~ Fair winds & following seas.  Russ + Alison