Here’s tae us !

The Delaware Bay to the Sassafras River – The Chesapeake!

October 11, 2022

We had calculated our departure time the night before to maker sure we caught the western flowing ebb current of 2.2 knots in the Chesapeake & Delaware (C&D) Canal. Our impromptu anchorage in the Delaware Bay was still 28 nm from the canal entrance so,  based on an 1140 ebb,  we needed to get going by 0700. There was no wind and no forecast for wind, so we motored up the bay. It seemed during the almost five hours it took to get there as though sailboats were coming out of the woodwork from every shore, all clearly with the same target and goal as us. It was as if there were a giant funnel collecting and swirling boats down its neck to the canal entrance. We wondered how many of them were heading south for the season, or were headed to the boat show in Annapolis, or both. 

The canal is a staggering 14 miles long and we were glad for our timing that we didn’t end up doing the transit at night. If we had made it to Cape May from Block Island, we would have pushed the next morning to go from there to an anchorage of refuge called Chesapeake City more that two thirds into the canal. It would have been a nighttime arrival. It didn’t look like there were any lights at all and, though 35 feet deep at its center, it would be very easy to find shoal spots in a hurry. I was pretty excited to be doing the transit now though. I had never done it before and was amazed by the degree of engineering it must have taken to create “the ditch.” A good deal of the northern shore of the canal had a bike path along its length and there was no shortage of fishermen on both sides. There must be some good eating fish that run through the canal, stripers maybe?

Our original goal for once we were in the Chesapeake was to anchor in a town called Havre de Grace, situated at the mouth of the Susquehanna River and the head of the Chesapeake Bay. The cruising guide said that the town was named after the port city of Le Havre, France, which in full was once Le Havre de Grâce, or French for “Harbor of Grace.” Somehow it seemed fitting that a vessel name Rejoice should anchor in a Harbor of Grace. Well, without getting too of the beaten path, I always feel like I do regardless of where I am. But alas, it was a good seven miles in the wrong direction for getting to Annapolis, which meant it was really 14 miles in the wrong direction round trip, so we opted to head down the Sassafras River on Maryland’s Eastern shore to the Sassafras Harbor Marina. Once in the river, we wondered about the wisdom of picking a marina so far in. It was as far in as you could go, all the way to Fredericktown, MD and a bridge that stops any further progress east, a good eight miles. But once Mr. Efficiency slowed down a little, it was thrilling to explore a place that, in all likelihood, we would never see or get to again. It was lovely. The river narrowed and meandered like a horizontal sine wave with gorgeous homes and beautiful, meticulous lawns marking the shores on either side. It turns out that crew member Dan joining the Antigua leg keeps a Boston Whaler there. One of the primary reasons we ended up picking a place with dock space was that we were getting a little ripe and the though of a hot shower was appealing as was the thought of dinner ashore. Well, once there, the showers were open (and glorious), but the one restaurant within walking distance was close on Tuesdays! No worries, back onboard Craig knocked-out a spectacular dinner with what was on hand. He also brought some apple moonshine he distilled back on the farm and gave it to me as a gift for an appropriate moment. Well, now seemed like an appropriate moment, so we toasted our success with some hand-made apple hooch that we were finally in the Chesapeake and that tomorrow brings Annapolis! 

As an aside, the McKays delight in toasting generally, but when there is a very special family or other occasion we wheel-out Rabbie Burns with one of his classics and my absolute favorite toasts. ( I can still see my grandfather, Jack McKay ,offering it in my minds eye and hear his wonderful brogue when presenting it, though he had a shortened version).

“Here’s tae us

Wha’s like us

Damn few,

And they’re a’ deid 

Mair’s the pity!”

Here’s to the Rejoice crew that got us from Georgetown, Maine to the Chesapeake Bay and well positioned for arrival at Annapolis right on time. Wha’s like us?  Damn few!