Bohemia River, Chesapeake

We are up at 5:30 and on our way by 6:45. We were one of the first boats out, unusual for us.

Off in the distance we watch another Vermont boat “White Seal” which is being sailed single handed putting up his sails in fairly rough conditions. Even more impressive was putting up the hanked on head sail single handily in such conditions. I am such a “sailing” weenie.

Expected to have more of a current boost up the long and boring Delaware Bay and River.For some reason the published current speed in our favor was about 2 hours late. It was half way up the Delaware Bay before we had a good boost in speed. A long parade of Snow Birds were heading up the Delaware Bay. With a good west wind we motor sailed most the way. I had not finished fixing one of our main sail battens so did not bother putting up the mainsail.

Snowbirds working their way up the Delaware

We get into the C&D canal that connects the Delaware to the Chesapeake by mid-afternoon. We had planned on stopping at Chesapeake City near the Chesapeake end of the canal. There is a very protected basin that has recently been dredged and has plenty of depth. We decide to push on to the Bohemia River where we anchored on our first trip south. The last time we anchored there by ourselves, this time there are 12 boats or so by dark.

“White Seal” comes in around sunset. Captain and Crew, Charlie Langworthy rows over for a visit happy to see another Vermonter. We had known about him talking with the Lockmaster at the Federal Lock, when asking about any Vermont boats ahead of us. He is taking the boat south by himself, his wife is going to join him later and then his daughter may join them for some time in the Bahamas. They have done this trip previously. Impressively he did the overnight off the New Jersey coast by himself.

White Seal, sunset on the Bohemia river