A vital link in the Intercoastal Waterway system, the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (C&D) provides for a safe, time saving passage between Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay.
The 12-mile sea level cut has no locks and no toll, inviting a great deal of commerical shipping traffic.
Open in 1788, with four locks and six-mule teams pulling towboats through, the canal would reduce nearly 300 miles of the water route between Philadelphia and Baltimore.
Ruins of one of the original locks remain at Delaware City, DE, which lies at the eastern end of the C&D Canal.
The weather was mild as we traversed the canal with a following tide and docked at Delaware Marina.
The friendliest people at a wonderful marina and a town filled with charm. Tim (the owner) could not be more accommodating.
The shopping is limited and the few restaurants are very good. We ate at Crabby Dick's circa 1828, built as the Delaware City Hotel.
We had crab balls, soft shell crabs, and fried fish. It was great.
Searching for Wiso's Crabs and Seafood, I stumbled down this lane of disjointed crab paraphernalia and found an old seafood house in the woods.
To my surprise, they were a friendly bunch, in the seafood business for 42 years. Captain Wiso grew up in Delaware City catching crabs at the public dock which graduated to a business of 150 crab pots. I bought a dozen extra large shrimp stuffed with crabmeat. Need I say more.
The next day we headed out at 5:00 a.m. down the Delaware River and Delaware Bay with the wind and current behind us. We traveled 53 miles in 6 hours and 43 minutes. We entered Cape May, New Jersey.
A yacht just blew up in New Jersey. Jim said to tell you.
ReplyDelete