We decided to stay overnight at a marina about halfway home and Chesapeake Inn Marina on the C&D Canal seemed perfect. We called ahead to make a reservation and hailed the dock master when we were ΒΌ mile out. Entering was a little tricky because of the strong current on the C&D but the current quickly disappears as soon as you get into the marina, and there is a lot of space to maneuver.
They asked us to dock at the T end on one of the piers, which was great for us. The dock hand was incredible. He met us at the slip, helped pull us in, and tied us up. His name was XXX and he was so experienced he did not even bend over to tie the lines. He just lassoed the cleats like a rodeo cowboy. It was fun to watch but I think it will be a few years before I master that skill.
Chesapeake Marina is a great place to for transient boaters. They have several restaurants, including a large outdoor bar. On weekends it is like one big party, with dozens of boats, live music, great food and interesting people. We will definitely stop here on our next trip through the C&D!
The dock-hands told us that if we got under way at 10:00 the next morning we would have the current with us all the way down the canal, so we called it an early night. We wanted some time in the morning to wash the boat, and we also needed to get gas. Chesapeake Marina does not sell fuel so we planned to stop at Summit North Marina, which was just a few miles down the canal.
Summit North is a large marina on the northern side of the canal. It is easy to access, although there is a strong current close to the entrance. We filled the tanks but decided against stopping at the restaurant since we wanted to catch the current.
The rest of the ride was smooth sailing all the way up the Delaware. We arrived at our home marina at 3:00 and poured the martinis, celebrating our first real boat trip!