June 2 and 3 Day 61and 62 On to Chesapeake City and Delaware City 10.3 Nm. Total. 1437

We woke to fog, so we slept in.  About 10:00 we leave the quiet of Bohemia River and head north on the Elk River which empties into the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Up the river are large older homes on the hilltops surrounded by vineyards and farmlands, with the accompanying barns and sheds.  On the rivers edge were a scattering of newer homes.  

Having known that bald eagles frequent this area, we were on the lookout.  We saw one in a nest and one flew right over us with his breakfast clasped in his talons.

The Elk River flows into Back Creek which becomes the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. The canal was first conceived in the late 17th century by Augustine Herman who first mapped the area.  He envisioned cutting through the thin neck of land to create a shortcut that would chop off 300 miles off a ships transit from Baltimore to Philadelphia. It wasn’t til 1800 that local businessmen saw the benefit of the canal for commerce and began to lobby for its construction to provide a quicker water route between the two fast growing ports.  Ben Franklin helped spur the creation of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal Company and the digging began, but ended when funds ran out.  In 1822, the  Federal Government along with the States of Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania raised the necessary funds.  More than 2600 men dug away for seven years to create the 14 mile long canal.  The canal opened in 1829 and was 10 feet deep and 66 feet wide.

(Sorry couldn’t straighten the pic above.)

The canal has been updated, first in 1919 by taking out four of the locks and deepening the canal to 12 feet and widening the canal to 90 feet.  Then updated again from 1933-1938 and again in  1960-1970.  Today the canal is 35 feet deep and 400 feet wide. The Army Corp of Engineers is responsible for directing the ship traffic through the canal.  Kinda like an air traffic controller, but on the water with boats. The canal is the only commercial waterway built in the 1800’s, that is still in use today.

As we traverse the canal, we will go under six bridges and share the canal with barges and tugs, container vessels, freighters and of course, pleasure craft, like us!

On our trip this morning we traveled 5 miles of the canal and only experienced pleasure craft.  The shores of the canal are undeveloped woodlands.  As we approached the first bridge span- Chesapeake City bridge, there was a harbor filled with tug boats.  We went under the span and turned into the anchoring basin at Chesapeake City where we will stay for the night.

Once settled we launched the dinghy and and walked through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal Museum. Was fascinating to watch how traffic was first pulled on barges by mule, then goods were transported by a variety of steamboats and then by the freighters and container ships of today.  The museum building included part of the old pump house which was used to raise and lower water in the first two locks at Chesapeake City.  The original pump in that system is on display.

We then ate lunch and walked the 6 block historic section of the city.  The old Town Hall and the general store have been preserved and converted into shops.  As you walk in the owners remind you to watch the uneven floors and narrow stairways.  Most of the older homes date from the 1830’s to the 1880’s.  Enjoyed all the gardens in the front and side yards.

Bill took some drone shots, so here you are.

Just before dinner a trawler entered the harbor which looked like Pivot.  This young couple share their Great Loop adventures on YouTube.   We hailed them and they came by in their dinghy to say hello.

As they came in late there was tight anchoring so we offered for them to raft to us for the night.  After we got the boats tied together and had dinner, we had a chance to have them aboard to share traveling stories.

We also enjoyed having their dog Ollie join us on the boat- so we could get our dog fix!

June 3. Day 62. On the Delaware City.   15.4 Nm.      Total

As we got ready to leave the anchorage at Chesapeake City, we enjoyed watching the tug and barge traffic.  We disconnected our boat from Pivot and headed out following the tug Charles Burton who was towing a 32 foot barge.  We cruised behind the tug the remaining 10 miles of the Chesapeake Delaware Canal.

The canal has a bike and hiking path along the north shore.  We saw hikers, bikers and people fishing off the riff raff boulders at the canal’s edge.  About 4 miles into our cruise we passed into the State of Delaware.  In Delaware, the canal shore is wooded, with occasional homes.  As we got closer to Dekware City and the end of the canal, we saw large farm buildings and fields, especially on the south side of the canal.

Here are some pics of the canal and it’s bridges.

The canal ends at the Delaware River and we turned north for two miles to our marina at Delaware City. Along the way we passed a larger freighter going south.

We also passed two of the three forts along the river.  Fort Delaware is on the island in the middle of the river guarding the south entrance to the Delaware River and protecting the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia.  The original fort was added on to to house Confederate soldier prisoners during the Civil War.  Today the fort is a museum and bird sanctuary.

Fort DuPont is a walk from Delaware City. The fort was built and utilized during the Civil War.  When it’s weaponry became obsolete the base was used for training and later used as a prison for German soldiers in WWII.

We met up with my cousin Bob and his wife MaryEllen for lunch and a walk around town.  Was fun to catch up and wander around the small town with its older homes, a fabulous bakery and old inn and its seafood.  The town was developed to support the forts and around fishing and crabbing industries.

Our marina is a long face dock in the old canal.  The exit into Delaware river was “straightened out” and the old canal section became a marina. Went to a briefing on crossing Delaware Bay that was hosted by the marina.  Was very helpful and informative.  After that I finished the laundry and slept well!!