Saturday, September 3rd

Today is the fifth consecutive day of fine weather for cruising.  Our destination is Chesapeake City, located on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. 

The anchor is up at 6:15 AM in order to enter Cape May Channel precisely when the tide turns north in Delaware Bay.  Our course takes us southeast through the Cape May inlet and into the Atlantic Ocean.  We round Cape May Point by way of Cape May Channel, then enter Delaware Bay for the long, uneventful slog north to the C&D Canal.   We enjoy a 2 knot boost in speed over ground from the favorable current.

The water in Delaware Bay today is the color of cafe au lait.  At one point, we post a lookout on the bow in an effort to avoid colliding with floating trees, pilings and other debris.  We are still feeling the impact of Irene one week after the storm.

At 4:50 PM, Cutter Loose is anchored in the anchorage basin at Chesapeake City.  There are a handful of cruising boats in the anchorage, but most of the boats are  noisy go-fast boats in the 20 foot range.   They will clear out at dusk.

The distance of today's run is 66 miles.  We are positioned to arrive at our slip in Rock Hall tomorrow afternoon.   This will be a bittersweet event.  It will certainly be refreshing to thoroughly clean Cutter Loose, resume old friendships, gain daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables, enjoy the comforts of home and gain the ability to exercise.  But our life is about to undergo a major change.  As Labor Day signals the end of summer, our return to Rock Hall will bring the 2011 summer cruise to an end.  And what a cruise it has been.  Despite some anxious hours leading up to Irene, I can honestly say that I have thoroughly enjoyed every single day of this adventure.

Just when we are finally in the groove of a a 6 knot lifestyle, we will soon be subjected to schedules, appointments, deadlines and the gravitational pull of life ashore.  Gone will be the relative simplicity of moving Cutter Loose to the destination du jour.  Looking forward, it will take a major effort to break free of the shoreside bond and commence the next cruise...a goal to which we are more committed than ever.