Currents: Both a Friend and a Foe; C&D Canal and the Delaware River

With many miles (40 plus) to traverse to get north and then east through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (C&D as it is called) we started the engine and drove northwards. We enjoyed the 3-5 knots of favorable current that assisted our travels both to and through the Canal all the while taking in the beautiful countryside of the upper Chesapeake including many lush green farms on Maryland's shore. We regretted that we didn’t have more time (and a shallow keel needed) to explore this part of the Chesapeake, perhaps next time. The C&D canal dates back to the 1700’s when it was built as a short cut connecting the top of the Chesapeake to the Delaware River saving ships many hours and miles of travel.  It is similar to the Cape Cod canal but is much longer and also is actively used by barges moving goods north and south. Thankfully we passed through the C&D canal on a quiet morning without encountering any barges that would have made for some very close quarters.  The morning's favorable current put us ahead of schedule so that upon reaching the Delaware River around noon, we decided we'd try to sail down the Delaware River.  It was very slow going as the wind was very light and the current was now running against us.  In fact there was so much opposing current that on more than one occasion, we were actually sailing backwards over the ground! Times like this are perfect for doing mundane tasks like laundry and making hummus. Around 3;00 pm, the current changed and we finally made progress sailing south. Eventually we anchored Juno behind a small island among very scenic marshes of Cohansey NJ, halfway down on the east side of the Delaware River, passing 15 feet from a bald eagle perched on the channel marker - a surprising contrast as we'd seen many large commercial ships on the Delaware and a nuclear plant.

Chesapeake and Delaware Canal

Favorable currents almost double typical cruising speeds on the C&D Canal