May 14-15, 2012 - Chesapeake City, MD

We entered the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal, the third busiest canal in the world. Connecting the Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware Bay, the canal route was marked in 1764 and construction started in 1824. The village became the hub of canal construction activity and a thriving port.

This fixer-upper had been here since our last visit, three years ago.

The Delaware Responder is a working vessel, on station on the Canal’s northern shore.

Chesapeake City is the transfer point for Delaware and Chesapeake bay pilots. These pilots have local knowledge of their respective areas, and scramble on and off big international ships via swaying rope ladders, to pilot them in these narrow areas.

Known as the “Village of Bohemia” until 1839, this little town has a complimentary dock and a small, snug anchoring basin. We anchored for two nights, to await calmer water on the Delaware Bay.

Chesapeake City’s historic area is on the National Registry. Several famous and popular restaurants and taverns are within a stone’s throw of the basin and canal.

The Bayard House Restaurant and its Hole in the Wall Pub are in the oldest building in town. The Hole in the Wall got its name in pre-Civil War times, when blacks would be served only through a hole in the back wall of the tavern.

Here’s a vessel that needed a local pilot, the Genuine Ace roll-on, roll-off auto carrier, flagged out of Monrovia.

It looks like a close call!

And speaking of close, the anchorage became tight in the drizzle that fell that night.

The next day dawned rainy, but cleared in the afternoon.

The free town dock was filled to capacity.

We dinghied in for our walkabout. This attractive pocket park is on the shoreline

When jumbo vessels are transiting the canal, a “fire whistle” notifies boats in the area to use caution. It also notifies the townsfolk, who come down to the waterfront to watch – in this case, the roll-on, roll-off Tokyo Car auto transport, flagged out of London.