HOME SWEET HOME...................

Before sunrise in Cape May

Well, this is it, last time to get up at 4:45am for a 6am start. We are going home to our home port in New Gretna, NJ at Viking Yachting Center. At lot of our boater families will be there to greet us and some of our family also. It’s bitter sweet coming home. We hate to stop cruising, but miss our families. Back to the real world now and adjusting to the busy life.

What a beautiful morning motor sailing in the Atlantic Ocean. Wayne spotted Flippers, but, Sailor and I missed them. He also just saw a huge fish jump out of the water. So, now he putting the fishing line out. Now you see it’s only 7:30am and you know how Sailor gets with the whole fishing scene. Hold my ears, makes my head hurt.

By 11:40 we came into the Absecon Inlet (a.k.a. Atlantic City.) Now it’s approx. 3 hours in the ICW and the Great Bay to Mullica River to the Bass River. Sheet Music was right behind us. Chuck's son Joey came by in his speed boat. Also, Bob came up close waving with his doggie.

Bob and Buddy

 Our son called to see where we were. I called them when we entered the Bass River. We arrived at the dock at 3pm. With all our boat friends and family cheering us in. HOME SWEET HOME.

LIFE IS GOOD… BACK TO THE TREADMILL AND DIET FOR ME, “ugh”.

See we have a mustache to prove we did it!!!!!

Thanks to everyone who followed us on our journey and wished us a safe return. We hope you enjoyed the trip with us. Bum'sRest signing off for now.

Leaving Chesapeake City,Del to Cape May, NJ

10.03 knots going down the C and D Canal.....

We left Chesapeake City , Delaware at 6am. The sky doesn’t look promising, but, we’ll keep going till we see what the Delaware river is doing. Once we get out of the C and D Canal. We motored sailed with little chop of waves, which is good. We’ll keep going. As we were getting closer to Cape May the water was flat. Hazy fog all the way across. At the mouth of the canal we waited for the Cape May Ferry to back out and leave. It was at a dead low tide when we got into the canal and to Utsch’s Marina at 3pm.

Salem Nuc Power Plant

This ship pasted us full of cars.

Oh! Look who's napp'in!!

Cape May Ferry

Of course, they are dredging in the canal.

Mommom and Poppop Petzak

Sailor soak'in up sun rays.

My mom and dad were at the Ferry dock waving Hello to us and met us the marina. We walked over to the Lobster House and brought some take out back to the boat. Real Happy to see my parents. Sailor was happy, too.

Chesapeake Bay Marina on Free Dock

 We left Rock Hall approx 7am this morning. It’s a very calm day and very cold on the water. Back in warmer clothes.

As the day progresses it's getting a little warmer, (can peal one jacket off), and the sun made an appearance. I was down below trying to get online. Signal, but, no bars. So I played a game and read some of my book. When we were in the river near the C and D canal, Steve Pressman drove by in his new boat.

That's Steve, like your new boat!!!!

We arrived at the Chesapeake Bay City Dock approx. 1pm. We slipped in front of the tour boat. Chuck and Kathy came later and are in front of us.

The sun was going down here and the restaurants have all the lights on for outside seating.

This is the Free City dock. If you want Electric its $15 and water is $10. Dock Free.

After we have leftovers for dinner, we walked around town eating a ice cream cone. There are lots of homes from the 1840's. Bed and Breakfast, restaurants, stores. Cute little town.  Except for the bird pooping on my head, (is that good luck?) at least not on my ice cream cone. They have a nice park here by the docks. Looks like they are setting up chairs for a wedding tomorrow.

Rock Hall, MD

Left...Illusions, Mystic Rose, Sheet Music and Bum'sRest. At Solomons Island.

 Leaving Solomon’s Island at 6am this morning. The wind was blowing. I decided to take a pill, wasn’t chancing it. Once we were out in the Chesapeake bay it was quite ruff again. We had to put of warmer clothes, it was cold. As the day progressed it calm down. There was fog, we could see 2 or more miles. Seem like it took forever to get to the Annapolis Bridge.

sunrise

Annapolis Bridge

After the bridge, it was about a hour to get to Rock Hall. We got there approx 4pm. Wayne’s buddy John and his wife Daphine live here and we docked next to their boat. We walked over to their house for drinks then went to the Harbor Shack for dinner.

Rock Hall with John's boat Gray Goose

We had dinner here at the Harbor Shack

Leaving Deltaville, VA to Solomons, MD

Deltaville Marina

We pulled out of Deltaville Marina approx 7am. It's not as cold as it has been this morning. Beautiful sunrise with mirror waters. When you leave here you have to pay close attention to the markers, or you'll run around like one of the boats we know did this morning. He said the sun was in his eyes and missed the marker. We all went around him like a parade of boats. He was taking a anchor line out with his dinghy to set and then pull himself into the channel

Run aground, Kayla

By 830am we were in 3-5 foot waves and really bouncing around. The waves were splashing spray over the sides. I made sure things were secured down below. I can't go down there now. By 9am I couldn't take it anymore and took a motion sickness pill. I nibbled on pretzels. Within a hour I felt better. By 11am we turned at Smith Point , Potomac River. Now we have following 2 foot seas. It's a lot better now, only 4 hours to go. :) to Solomons Island. I'm wrapped up in 2 blankets with Sailor. BRRRRRRR!!!! What happen to the sun?!?  By 2pm it started to rain lightly. By 2:30pm Sailor and I went below to keep dry and warm. I read for a while and them decided to marinate the steak for dinner tonight. We arrived at Solomons Island approx 2:45pm and went to the fuel dock and then to the slip. Sheet Musics was right behind us.

I cooked to night. Steak, baked red potatoes, peas and salad.

Deltaville, VA

Alarm went off at 5:30am this morning. Wayne was up and walked the dog. By 7am 4 sailboats pulled out of Waterside Marina in Norfolk. It was a very cool morning. I had my insulated underwear on and socks, two sweat shirts. Sailor and I were wrapped in his blankey, also.

Backed out of slip at 7am.

They announced on the radio that the ship was coming out of dock 7. We had know idea where that was. Then we saw the ship coming. Just stay out of the way.

Plenty of ships to look at, I liked this one with the blue angle on it.

Once we got out of this shipping lane and into the bay it got ruff. But, at least we were head on into the waves. By 1pm it calmed down quite a bit. Lots of commercial fishing boats passed us. When we were near Deltaville, 3 big commercial fishing boats had little boats they put over in the water and they put a big net out.

 

The 2 boats came together and sat for a while with the net, then the big fishing boat came up and took the net. I never seen anything like it. Usually you see the fishing boat dragging the net, but not these guys.

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We arrived at Deltaville Marina approx 4pm. We went straight to the fuel dock. We also needed a pump out. By the time we were done, Chuck and Kathy showed up and we pulled away and they came to the fuel dock. Now we are both next to each other in a slip for the night. I run up to the shower to wash my hair before dinner.

Kathy cooked tonight. Tacos.... Yummy and strawberries and cream.

Happy Mothers Day

Well, we knew we were not moving today, because of high winds still. The plan was to sleep in. I forgot to turn my cell phone off and it woke me up at 6am. BRRRRRR!! It's cold again!!!!  The first thing we did we walked up to the grocery store in the city. It's called the Market and a nice store. We found out the Nauticus Museum with the U.S.S. Wisconsin opened 12 - 5pm. Darrell & Janet, Chuck & Kathy and Wayne & me walked over for the afternoon. It cost $11.25 to get in. I'm glad I decided to go.

A little old man took this picture on the USS Wisconsin. Each chain link weights 120lbs.

It's over 900ft. long.

We had spent 4 1/2 hours in the museum, witch you can't see everything in one day that's for sure. On the USS Wisconsin, you could walk up to the third deck on the outside. It's not cleared as of yet to go down inside.

Afterward the gang of us went to a Irish Pub. They even had live music and the food was great.

Leaving the Dismal Swamp to Norfolk VA

It's 7:30am and we are all ready to leave the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center. It's so pretty here I don't think anyone wants to leave this morning. We have to be at a bridge opening by 11:30am

All you could smell today was honeysuckle scent. Both sides where bushes hanging with full blossoms. Every once in a while I could smell laurel, bunches of pink flowers. It's just so beautiful and quite here.

Bob on Illusion rafted up with us as we were all waiting for the bridge. Sailor went over to visit Bob. The Bridge Tender opened the bridge early today. There were no new North bound boats that enter the other locks this morning. Sailor keep going other to Bob's boat, he almost was traveling with Bob before we pushed off. I just saw him out of the corner of my eye..... Sailor get over here!

Bridge opened at 11:15am.

Going into the lock.

Mystic Rose behine us.

Of course I had to write on this wall too.

leaving the lock and heading to Norfolk VA

Coming out of the Dismal Swamp you come right into the industrial part of Virginia. This is the first bridge we went through.

Then we went through this railroad bridge. It was about a hour before we arrived at Waterside marina around 1:30pm.  Of course, the wind now is blowing 25knots and we are all trying to get into slips. We all did it with a lot of dock hands.

Around 7pm we walk ed to the FreeMason Abby for dinner. This used to be a church built in 1873. We had a wonderful dinner.

Us and Tom and Diann on Noah Genda and also Chuck and kathy

The stain glass window was cracked and sent out for repair. We ate dinner on the second floor

It was a very enjoyable night. If your ever in Norfolk you have to check this place out.