Day 62, 63 & 64 Rock Hall, MD to Chesapeake City, MD to Delaware City, DE to Cape May, NJ

Tuesday May 27, 2025-Thursday May 29, 2025

Tuesday

A calm start to our somewhat long day was a welcome relief. The bay was almost like glass, the air stood still, and these insects that look like mosquitoes—Chironomus crassicaudatus, otherwise known as thick-skinned midges—were everywhere! They don’t bite, but they are incredibly annoying. One even tried to fly up my nose while I was writing this. Jeff said it was karma for speaking ill of them! Now I understand why we hauled the leaf blower all this way.

As we passed by the river leading up to Baltimore, we could see the Francis Scott Key Bridge through the binoculars. The missing section, still being rebuilt, was clearly visible. It’s slated for completion in 2028 and will be taller, designed to accommodate larger vessels.

About three-quarters of the way to Chesapeake City, we could definitely feel the tide change. As we move into this next leg of our trip, it’s clear we’ll need to be much more mindful of the tides and currents—they’re much more pronounced in this area.

Chesapeake City is a charming little town. Of course, not much was open on a Tuesday. We managed to visit the C&D Canal Museum just before closing. The canal, completed in 1828, stretches 15 miles and connects Chesapeake City, MD to Delaware City, DE. It’s one of the busiest canals in the world. Originally, it had four locks on two levels, but over time they deepened the channel and removed the locks.

The museum is housed in the original canal pump house complex of the first lock. They had an 1851 steam engine on display, once used to power the lift wheel. The massive cypress lift wheel itself is still there—it was fascinating to see.

We walked around town afterwards. Jeff found a candy store (he was in heaven), and we stumbled upon an old toy store with toys in the window from the 1940s and ’50s. We really wished it had been open.

We’re anchored tonight in a well-protected area with our friends from Too Nasty and Goldilocks. Tomorrow, we head through the C&D Canal. The current is strong and the forecast looks awful—wish us luck!

Wednesday

We knew the forecast called for rain—and rain it did. Reluctantly, we got ready for our canal adventure. How hard could it be? It was only 15 miles, roughly two hours. We headed out, just like the others, planning to go through on a rising tide.

That rising tide, combined with the rain, brought plenty of debris—logs and who-knows-what else—floating in our path. The wind and rain made visibility tough. And just as we approached the bridge (the one that always stays open unless a train is coming), of course, it started to close.

So there we were, holding position in wind, rain, and current for 15 minutes while the train rumbled through. That was… fun.

When we finally made it to the marina, we found it super narrow, and the current in there was even stronger than out on the canal. We managed to dock, but then the dockmaster asked us to turn the boat around to face the other way. He handled it single-handedly using just two stern lines and the current—you could tell he’s done this a thousand times. Impressive!

It rained all day and night. We spent part of the afternoon doing laundry, and later we gathered with the other Loopers planning to head down the Delaware River tomorrow. The local harbor host for the Chesapeake Bay/Delaware Bay region met with us and gave a weather and tide briefing, along with important tips for navigating down to Cape May, NJ.

A few of us braved the rain for a walk to dinner, trying to keep spirits high despite the weather. This is definitely one of those “go…no go” moments. Winds are predicted to be stronger than we’d like by the time we reach the bottom of the bay. We’ll reassess everything in the morning before making a final call.

Thursday

We woke up to fantastic news—the wind forecast had shifted in our favor, and it was all systems go! We knew it would be a long day on the water, but Mother Nature was on our side. The weather was absolutely perfect—blue skies, calm seas, and just enough breeze to keep us cool.

We spent nearly seven hours cruising down the Delaware River toward the Atlantic, making great time. As we neared the coast, we veered off into a channel leading us into charming Cape May. It was the perfect place to drop anchor for the night—peaceful, scenic, and a well-earned rest after a full day on the move.

Tomorrow, we’ll decide our next destination. For now, we’re enjoying a quiet evening on the hook, grateful for smooth seas, sunny skies, and another beautiful day on the Great Loop.