May 11                               DELAWARE CITY, DELAWARE

We were eager to leave early and take advantage of a low tide which would benefit us as we went through the C & D Canal. The C & D connects Chesapeake Bay with the Delaware River. We had read and been advised that a strong current and high tide could be a deterrent making progress difficult. Again, the weather was calm and sunny and we enjoyed the peaceful sight of ospreys building nests on markers along our route.

The C & D Canal, completed in 1927 to provide inland access to Chesapeake Bay, was not the complicated affair that we had thought it might be. There were no locks and we were given no instructions as we moved steadily through the almost thirty miles from the southern to the northern end. It was very similar to some of the long stretches that we had navigated on the Intercoastal Waterway.

Before reaching Chesapeake City, we had encountered only one small boat in the canal. Rounding a slight bend, we suddenly saw a huge mass in front of us. Initially, we thought it was a multi-storied housing complex on the shore so we were startled to realize it was instead a tanker loaded with containers. With the height of a ten story building and the length of two football fields, this mammoth structure glided smoothly past us creating an almost unnoticeable wake. Traffic on the canal for the remainder of the journey was slight and consisted of small recreational craft.

After exiting the C & D, we turned port, traveled two miles and entered a narrow channel leading to Delaware City. The marina was located in the channel and we were directed to tie up to a face dock. The channel was only about seventy feet wide and the tide was low so maneuvering our boat was difficult in such limited space. David was unaware the current was very strong and pulling into the dock, he was hit the stern of a small catamaran. With able assistance from two dockhands and the frightened boat owner, we were pushed off before significant damage was done.

The owner of the damaged boat, Al Casale was very understanding and accepted our apologies. We were relieved that no one had been injured and that the damage was slight. A call was made to file a claim and, hopefully, he will be pleased with the outcome. Al had just purchased his boat from the estate of the former owner, who had been killed in a private plane accident. Now after this mishap, Al stated that he had ample reason to change the name of the boat from Dark and Stormy. It would soon be known as Nemo.

A bicycle ride through Delaware City revealed a notable lack of shopping opportunities, a few restaurants, and a treasure trove of eighteenth and early nineteenth century homes and buildings. Delaware City is a modest community but they have a rich architectural history and a beautiful park located on the water’s edge.