Cape May, NJ

Southern Style pulled out of Delaware City Sunday morning around 7:30 AM and cruised down the Delaware River and into the Delaware Bay.  The morning was very cloudy with calm winds and the water was flat.

Ship John Shoals Beacon 

This is the demarcation between the Delaware River and Delaware Bay

Bald eagle on Marker

Miah Maull Shoal Lighthouse in the Delaware Bay

We got into Cape May, NJ around noon and by early afternoon the sun appeared.  Keith and I got on our bikes and rode around town.  The homes and hotels are really cool with many retaining their victorian style.

Example of Victorian Style House

By the time we got back to the boat the weather began to change and storms and rain moved in for the remainder of the afternoon and night.  We did walk to the Lobster House for dinner and Captain Keith had a 3 pound lobster.

Monday, Memorial Day, was a big day for us.  The NJ Mackeys; Scot, Suzanne, Abigail, and Courtenay all came to Cape May to visit.  They took us all over town.  We first went downtown to the Congress Hotel.  This is a historic hotel built in 1816 as a wooden boarding house.  It burned to the ground in the Great Cape May Fire of 1878 but was rebuilt within the year, this time in brick.  It is a beautiful building overlooking the beach and ocean.  Presidents Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Ulysses S. Grant, and Benjamin Harrison all vacationed at the hotel.  Although it suffered some deterioration in the early 20th century, the hotel was renovated and restored in the 1960s and is again a high end resort hotel.

The Congress Hotel and lawn

Back porch area of the hotel

Inside the hotel along one hallway

Keith and Scot having a bloody mary at the outdoor bar of the Congress Hotel

After visiting the Congress Hotel and walking through some of the shopping in downtown Cape May, we drove to the Cape May Lighthouse.  The Cape May Lighthouse is the third lighthouse to be built at Cape May Point.  The first was built in 1823 and the second in 1847.  The current lighthouse was built in 1859.  It stands 157 feet tall and there are 199 steps in the tower's spiral staircase.  The Coast Guard continues to operate the light as an active aid to navigation and it can be seen 22 miles out to see.

Cape May Lighthouse

Here we are at the top

Left to right (Keith, Abigail, Courtenay, Scot and Suzanne)

View from the lighthouse

Old WWII bunker on the beach as viewed from the lighthouse

Once we had climbed the lighthouse, some of the group also walked out on the beach to view the old WW II bunker.  Later, we drove over to the bay where the remains of an old wreck, the SS Atlantus is located.  The SS Atlantus is the most famous of the 12 concrete ships built by the Liberty Ship Building Company in Brunswhich, GA during WW I.  The ship was used to transport American troops back home from Europe and to transport coal to New England.  She was purchased for nonmilitary use in 1926 along with 2 of her sister ships.  The intent was to use the ships to create a ferry dock in Cape May.  She was towed to the area in preparation but a storm in June of that year broke her loose from her moorings and she ran aground 150 feet off the beach.  Several attempts to free her were unsuccessful and she was left where she ran aground.  Today she is almost completely submerged in the sand and water.

SS Atlantus Wreck (one of only 12 concrete ships built during WW I)

Back on Southern Style,  Keith's brother Scot Mackey brought a cooler with fresh oysters, called Cape May Salts.  He and Captain Keith commenced with shucking and eating them.  Keith used his new oyster knife, a birthday gift from his brother and family.  Our oyster shucking friends from NC will now have "oyster knife envy" when they see this one.

Keith and Scot shucking oysters

We had a great day exploring and visiting with everyone.  The weather was somewhat cloudy and cool, but at least it did not rain on us, so we think it was a win.  Wonderful to see Scot and family again.  We thank them for making the trip to Cape May to see us and take us around town.

Delaware City, Delaware

Saturday morning around 8:00 AM we left Havre de Grace and cruised back out into the Chesapeake Bay heading toward the C & D Canal.  On the tip of Elk Neck is the Turkey Point Lighthouse.

Turkey Point Lighthouse

This area is where relatives of mine used to live.  They had a home on the water on the eastern shore of Elk Neck almost directly across from the Bohemia River.  Ginny and Bob Pike were like grandparents to me, and it was bitter sweat to go past their former property.  It does not look the same as when they were there, but it certainly brought back many fond memories of visiting them on the "Bay"

Childhood memories

After passing the Bohemia River we soon entered the C & D Canal.  This is a 14 mile long ship canal connecting the Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware River.  The canal is about 450 feet across and 35 feet deep.  Approximately 40% of the ship traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore comes through the C & D Canal.

C & D Canal

Horseback riders along the canal

We arrived into Delaware City about 2:30 PM.  It was VERY HOT, but Captain Keith and I rode our bikes around the downtown area for a bit.  

Delaware City Marina

The downtown park  in Delaware City is called the Battery and it has Eastern Lock #1 from the original C & D Canal preserved in the park.  This is listed in the National Historic Register.  The first canal was completed about 1829 and it took over 2,600 men to build it.  It was only about 10 feet deep and 66 feet wide.  Horses and mules were used to pull the barges and sloops along the 14 mile canal route.  The original canal was replaced in 1927 with the modern canal which can accomodate large ocean going ships.

Original Eastern Lock #1

From the east end of the park we looked out over the Delaware River.  In the river is Pea Patch Island and Fort Delaware.  Built in 1859, the fort was used primarily as a prisoner of war barracks during the Civil War.  Confederate soldiers were housed here after the war broke out between the states.  By the end of the war there were approximately 33,000 men there.  Today the fort is owned by the state of Delaware and is a state park.  It is open to the public for visiting and they have historical as well as other events there.  In addition to the history the fort hosts things such as the "Escape from Fort Delaware Triathlon" each summer and several summer baseball games of vintage leages.

Fort Delaware

I took another picture of Fort Delaware when we started down the Delaware River on Sunday morning but it was very hazy out and the boat was also moving a bit but it is a closer picture.

Fort Delaware in the haze

Havre de Grace

Southern Style pulled into Havre de Grace on Thursday afternoon about 2:30 PM.  We just barely squeezed into the marina.

Yes we just made it through this entrance

We road our bikes into town to the Tidewater Grill for dinner.  They have a very pretty spot along the river.  Captain Keith and I sat inside their glassed in porch that looked out over the patio and river.

View from the enclosed porch at Tidewater

Sailboat races on the Susquehanna River

Friday morning we road our bikes all around Havre de Grace, taking in the sites and history.  In 1608, Captain John Smith became the first European to see the Susquehanna River.  He was followed sporadically by trappers and traders.  It was 1795 when a ferry was established between what is now Havre de Grace and Perryville, MD.  The Susquehanna and Tidewater canal opened in 1840 at the present day lockhouse.  This created a navigable waterway from the Chesapeake Bay into central Pennsylvania, linking Havre de Grace with canals that went all the way to the Mississippi.

LockHouse and remains of the canal preserved at the Susquehanna Museum of Havre de Grace

The Old Lock

That same year the Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Washington Railroad reached town.  Havre de Grace became a center of local trade with fish packing houses, canaries, ice houses and light manufacturing.  The town was also gaining some fame as a hunting and fishing area.  Duck hunting in particular was big with local hunters making their living hunting ducks in sinkboxes and loading them on the trains to be sent to restaurants and hotels in Philadelphia.  Havre de Grace has done a very nice job of preserving its history.

This building was once the inn used by wealthy hunters coming to the area for duck hunting.  It is now privately owned and has been turned into apartments.

The Concord Point Lighthouse and Keeper's House were built in 1827.  It is the oldest publicly accessible lighthouse on the "Bay"  It is 36 feet high and originally was lit with 9 whale oil lamps.  A Fresnel lens was installed in 1854 and the light was automated in 1920.  Decommissioned in 1975, the town did extensive restoration on the light and it is now a museum and private aid to navigation.

Concord Point Lighthouse

The Havre de Grace Decoy Museum exhibits the long waterfowl traditions of the region.  Havre de Grace is the "Decoy Capital of the World".  Decoys have been a central element of Chesapeake culture for centuries. In the beginning, they were made for one purpose — to lure waterfowl within range of the hunter’s shotgun. Decoys were simple, utilitarian representations of ducks and geese rough-hewn from wood. No one considered them art. Today, decoys lure far more people than waterfowl. One is perhaps more likely to find a decoy adorning a collector’s mantelpiece than floating in a hunter’s rig. Contemporary carvers produce sophisticated works of art with century-old skills that have been passed down from master to apprentice for generations.

Inside the Decoy Museum

Stained glass window at the museum

Example of a sinkbox

These contraptions were floated in the river with decoys attached to them and the hunter in the center.  They floated at water level to better conceal the hunter.  Their use was outlawed in 1918

After all the biking and exploring, Keith and I stopped at Bomboy's Ice Cream.  They have been making homemade ice cream here for years.  Pengi wanted his picture with their cow.

Pengi at Bomboy's Icecream

Bay Bridge Marina and Annapolis

Southern Style arrived into Bay Bridge Marina on Monday just before noon.  We docked alongside good friends Pete and Rachel Ferrara on Endless Summer.

Southern Style beside Endless Summer

Monday was a day to settle in, and Keith repaired his previous flat tire on his bike.  We now have wheels again, so to speak.  Monday night dinner was in Kent Narrows for the best crab cakes we have had so far.

Tuesday the weather was cloudy with on and off showers early in the day.  The men were able to get in a round of golf and Rachel and I had a nice lunch at the inn on property.  As the day progressed the weather seemed to get slowly worse, but we did see the Blue Angels heading to Annapolis for some practice before the big air show scheduled for Wednesday.  Tuesday night's dinner was accompanied by rain, thunder, and lightening but we were dry on the enclosed deck of the restaurant.  Rachel hunted down a place for rockfish, another Maryland treat.

Keith, Rachel, and I had rockfish

Captain Pete had soft shell crabs

Rockfish ( aka Striped Bass) is considered by many to be the premier sport and commercial species on the "Bay".  This fish is a challenge to catch and a delight to eat.  These fish live in the ocean but lay their eggs in fresh water.  Between April and June, rivers and streams feeding the "Bay" provide spawning grounds for the Atlantic Coast Rockfish.  Those fish born n the "Bay" spend their first 3-5 years there before migrating out into the Atlantic Ocean.  Once in the ocean they can live up to 30 years.  The current Maryland record rockfish was caught in 1995 and weighed just over 67 lbs.  Rockfish is the Maryland state fish.


Wednesday was the big day as Pete and Rachel on Endless Summer had invited Keith and I as well as their very best friends, Wynn and Nancy to cruise with them to Annapolis for the Blue Angles Airshow.  The day was just beautiful with blue skies and a pleasant breeze.  We left about 9:30 AM and got onto Annapolis by 10:10 AM.  Keith and I headed up into town to a quilt shop so I could get some needed supplies while the rest explored a bit in downtown.  We all converged back on Endless Summer about 12:30 PM for lunch and then waited for the planes to arrive.  And when they did, what a show!  Definitely an experience that will be one of those special lifetime events.

Captain Keith enjoying the ride on Endless Summer

(Left to right) Wynn, Captain Keith, Captain Pete, Nancy, and Rachel waiting for the show

Proud to be an American

Blue Angels flying over the Naval Academy

The Blue Angels are the US Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron.  They also represent the US Marine Corps.  They currently fly 10 jets, 6 during any demonstration flight show with 4 spares.  The aircraft are F/A-18 Hornet models.  There are three major differences between the Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets and the standard combat version.  First the gun system is removed.  Second, they are equipped with smoke generators to better highlight maneuvers.  Third, they are equipped with a device which causes a force of about 16kg (32lbs) to be required to move the control stick.  This eliminates any possibility of an accidental movement of the control stick which could result in an unwanted maneuver or crash.    

The commander of the squadron must fulfill multiple requirements including a minimum of 3,000 flying hours in a jet fighter.  To perform their standard show, they require a visibility of at least 18,045 feet from the show center.  Minimum distance between the aircraft during the demonstration is 3.3-5.0 feet.  During the airshows the pilots do not use G-suits which requires that the pilots are very well trained and know how to get in and out of specific maneuvers.  In one year the Blue Angels consume 3,698,410 gallons of fuel.

After the show we cruised back to Bay Bridge Marina and had dinner at Hemingways which is right in the marina at the base of the Bay Bridge.

There I had more rockfish and Keith had a soft shelled crab sandwich.  We all shared Smith Island Cake for desert.

Smith Island Cake

This cake has been made by Smith Island, Maryland bakers for generations.  Although no one knows exactly who first made the cake, some credit the late Frances Kitching, an innkeeper on Smith Island in Maryland, as the person who called for this cake to be made with 10 layers.  Today there are many versions, however traditionally the cake is 8-14, individually baked, thin layers with chocolate fudge icing between all the layers.  The cake was often used for a fundraising tradition called a cake walk.  This is a game similar to musical chairs where donated cakes serve as the prizes.  Great attention must be paid to the perfection of the layers and form of the cake.  Before each round, the prize cake is cut in half to show the layers to the players who will pay to participate.  If the layers are poorly stacked the cake may not attract as many players and as a result less money will be raised than with a perfectly executed cake.  In 2008, Smith Island Cake became the official state desert of Maryland.



The sunset was beautiful from the deck of the restaurant.  The perfect ending to a perfect day.

Sunset from the Hemingway's

Sunset behind the Bay Bridge

Harrington Harbor North

Rain, rain, go away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Last Wednesday we headed just 4 miles north to Harrington Harbor North which is a LARGE boat yard and marina.  Nice facilities for boats and boat work.  The weather was just terrible.  Rain and overcast from Wednesday through Saturday.  Spent most of the days inside the boat doing cleaning, laundry etc.  

Keith coming down the dock in the rain

Keith and I did leave Maryland on Saturday morning and drove to Wilmington, NC for a wedding.

View from our hotel window of Tug going up the Cape Fear River in North Carloina

Here is a large ship also going past on the river

 Close friends of ours Larry and Lori were married in downtown Wilmington, NC on Saturday evening in a beautiful ceremony.  The venue was great and the dinner fantastic.  We got to see some old friends from Wrightsville Beach which was a treat.  Congratulations to Larry and Lori.  We are so happy for you.

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Strother

Sunday, Keith and I drove back to Maryland and the weather finally cleared up.  We thought we had forgotten what the sun looked like.  We also had to have an old staple before leaving North Carolina.

  (Smithfield Chicken and BBQ)

Once we got back to the boat, Keith changed the oil on Southern Style’s engines, and I ran some errands with the car we had.  Friends and stalkers (inside joke) Max and Kathy were so kind to lend us their car to drive to the wedding.  Pengi even met a new furry friend in Max and Kathy’s car.

Pengi and Friend

Our ride for the weekend to go to the Wedding (Thanks so much Max and Kathy)

Oil changed with 24 gallons of new oil in; 24 gallons old oil out

This coming week looks better in the weather department and we are heading across the “Bay” to Bay Bridge Marina.  There we will spend several days with friends Pete and Rachel Ferrara.  Golf, socializing, and a Blue Angels Show are in the plans.  We can't wait.