The Home Stretch — Mother Nature Leads by a Head

We’re in Atlantic City at the Golden Nugget Casino, waiting for a break in the continuing line of fronts that has made getting north a challenge for the Looper Fleet.

We did have two great days getting up the end of Chesapeake Bay and down Delaware Bay to Cape May. I was really wistful passing by so many great places on the way north — Baltimore, Chester, the Sassafras River, etc — but John’s college orientation looms large as a hard date for the end of the Voyage. We were so glad that Delaware Bay wasn’t acting up. It’s a nasty piece of water full of giant ships, shallow waters and no ports. We actually enjoyed our last night on the Delaware a lot at anchor in the marshes of the Cohansey River, just about the only refuge on the entire bay.

Reprovisioned in Cape May at the very friendly, fancy and not-too-expensive South Jersey Marina, a sportsfishing kind of place that is trying its best to attract Loopers, since fuel costs have really been tough on the fleet of 50 gallon-per-hour hotshot fishing boats. Then with strong winds approaching we decided to try the protected New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway up to Atlantic City.

Got through, but should have done house tours in Cape May. Years of neglect and Superstorm Sandy have made the ICW nearly impassable. We ran aground twice (no damage, it’s all mud) and plowed a furrow through the bottom twice. It was scenic, but the white knuckles stress of no water beneath the keel was just not worth it. I was surprised at the degree of development — wherever there was a break in the marsh grass, there were thousands of summer houses “down the shore” and hundreds of speedboats waking the crap out of us.

John is warming to the thought of being back in the New York area, even at the cost of going back to school. Last night we ate at the Chart House at the casino — sleek surroundings, wonderful, sophisticated food, great views and a hostess who could have been Derek Jeter’s girlfriend.

“But John,” I said, contemplating the bill. “Don’t you remember that famous catfish restaurant that we went to in Mississippi?”

“Yes, plastic tables, plastic forks, catfish or pork chops, banana pudding for dessert.”

“Ah, but the catfish…”

“Greasy, salty and tasteless like all catfish.”

He has a point.

(Looks like Thursday for our Loop completion, but no promises.)