Run away!

Well, we survived our first hurricane, and fortunately for us, it was a total non-event.

After a terrible introduction to ocean sailing (the boat behaved beautifully, the wind was excellent, and everyone was incapacitated by seasickness), we pulled in to Atlantic City and dropped anchor behind the casinos. There was a great, free, secure dinghy dock, and a lovely public library, and we were feeling pretty good about spending three nights there and waiting for the wind to shift our way; but after talking to a very experienced cruiser, and checking the weather a bit more closely, we decided to pull up stakes and run.

Atlantic City--view from our anchorage
Atlantic City–view from our anchorage

I have no pictures to share with you of Delaware Bay. We saw some beautiful things–porpoises! Stunning sunrise! Gulls flying a foot from our elbow, trying to land on the boat!–but we were so pressed to get north, we failed on the photo front. We went from Atlantic City to Lewes, then Lewes to a loooong slog up the Delaware Bay, against wind and into big waves, to get to the inside of the C and D Canal and a safe spot to wait.

Hide-hole.
Hidey-hole.

And so we waited. The storm went a bit out to sea, but was predicted to come back; so we waited some more.

DSCF0633
DSCF0634

 Waiting at the pool. It was tough.

Baking cookies during our non-hurricane. It takes a long time when you can only fit nine in you oven at once.
Baking cookies during our non-hurricane. It takes a long time when you can only fit nine in you oven at once.

Even though this marina was not exactly where we wanted to be, we feel like we were pretty lucky. The docks at this place were all pretty new; that’s because, during Sandy, it was completely wiped out. One of our dock neighbors told us he’s been through storms that never made it up the Chesapeake, but still sucked all the water from the Bay and left him sitting in mud. For us, the hurricane was a non-event, and that was perfect.

Back to our preferred activities--swimming off the boat...
Back to our preferred activities–swimming off the boat…

Since we ran up the Delaware instead of getting stuck at Cape May, we now find ourselves a tiny bit ahead of the “schedule” we’d laid out in our brains. We’re excited to have some extra time to explore the Chesapeake, and be back to easy anchorages and lots of nature.

...and a mug of wine in the cockpit.
…and a mug of wine in the cockpit.
Labor Day fireworks; Sassafras River, MD
Labor Day fireworks; Sassafras River, MD

4 Comments on “Run away!

  1. Hi Bambinos,
    It is wonderful to receive your reports.
    My life Southern Oregon seems so tame by comparison!
    We are experiencing color weather now, but the trees have yet to turn.
    Our town is 3.5 hours from the Pacific Coast. I miss the ocean, so I am glad you are enjoying it overall. Here we have roaming deer that eat my rose buds before they can open and rumors of cougars and an occasional wolf. Soon the geese will be flying south.
    Sending you lots ‘o love and happy thoughts,
    Love, your Aunt Bee

  2. Hi it’s Elizabeth here, AKA Aunt Bee,
    Somehow I seem to be responding under Rachel’s email.
    Sorry for the con fusion. Anyway, we are traveling with you
    telepathically.
    Love,
    Bee

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