Journal Entry 1: New Castle — Cedar Swamp
Date: May 13, 2007
Weather: Clear
Wind: North, 12 to 15 mph
Tide: Ebb, 2 – 2.5 mph
Distance: 18 miles
A group of people gathered on the beach at Battery Park in New Castle to offer best wishes as I set off on the first leg of the Delmarva Odyssey. This 18 mile section would take me from New Castle, DE to a boat landing at Cedar Swamp. Cedar Swamp is a wildlife refuge run by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources.
A reporter asked some questions about the boat and the Odyssey, then I took a moment to say thank you to my sponsors DuPont — Clear Into the Future, NRG Energy and Valero. I also acknowledged the companies and institutions that volunteered their time to support the Odyssey, including the University of Delaware, Department of Electrical Engineering, Senior Video, and Digital Eye Internet Solutions, and finally I took a moment to thank the individuals that worked closely with me to make the Odyssey a reality — my cameraman John Geisel and his wife Betsey, Cheryl Carey — our best girl grip, and my wife Beverly who has encouraged me to make the Odyssey a reality.
I was surprised at how quickly I rowed away from shore. A strong wind from the North and the 2 mph current of the ebbing tide drove the boat south away from the beach and into the Delaware River.
Getting to the center of the river, near the shipping channel, the wind and tide created significant waves, about 2.5 – 3 feet high. Given the size of my small row boat, I focused carefully on my rowing. Once I crossed the shipping channel, my course would take me along the New Jersey shoreline and, more importantly, around a bend in the river to an area protected from the wind. In the center of the river, the wind had increased to 12 – 15 miles per hour.
I was happy to reach this protected area. I stopped rowing to record my first video journal entry. (We found later that the on board camera was picking up to much wind noise, making it difficult to hear my comments. The technical support crew has corrected the problem.)
Pea Patch Island is located in the center of the Delaware River across from Delaware City, DE. The island was the site of a civil war prison. The walls of the prison were easily visible from the water. The main shipping channel runs along the east side of Pea Patch Island. A large ocean going freighter sailed past me as I continued south along the New Jersey shoreline. Like me the freighter was catching the outgoing tide.
The entrance to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal is just south of Delaware City. On the ebb tide water from the C and D canal rushes into the head of Delaware Bay. Even on the New Jersey side of the river, the effects of this flow of water can be noticed. The water became very rough, with uneven currents. I had rowed through this area before and new what to expect. The north wind had increased, causing the water to become even rougher. South of the canal, I crossed back to the Delaware side of the river and was able to find calmer water and easier going.
The Salem Nuclear generating station is the prominent feature on the New Jersey shoreline along this section of Delaware Bay. Its massive cooling tower can be seen for miles on the Delaware Bay. Steam from the cooling tower rises into the sky. Watching the rising steam helps mariners to understand the direction and strength of the wind. If the steam leaves the stack and is pushed parallel to the horizon, the wind is strong. Small boats should probably stay in the harbor. If it leaves the stack and rises lazily straight into the sky, the winds are calm.
I had been on the water about 2 hours when I noticed the wind had shifted to the Northwest. This was a good shift in direction. I was on the Delaware side of the Bay and somewhat protected. The outgoing tide and wind continued to push me along. My average over the bottom speed was around 6 miles per hour.
The navigation system I use on the boat indicated that I was about 2.5 miles from Cedar Swamp. The navigation system is very helpful. Before I get started I program the navigation system with the route I intend to take. Using satellites, the system calculates my location. It charts my position on a navigational chart and displays it on a small screen. The navigation system allows me to concentrate on rowing. It also provides me with information on the speed of the boat, the direction of travel, tides, and keeps a record of the route.
With 2.5 miles left, I was encouraged. I picked up my rowing pace. With about one mile left, my navigation system ran out of power. All of the electronics on the boat are powered by batteries that get recharged each night. The navigation system batteries are rated for much longer than three hours. It is important to recognize that while the navigation system makes it much easier to travel around the Bays, it can fail. You need to have a back up system. In my case that means an on board set of navigation charts. With only a mile left, I knew the course I needed to follow.
I arrived at Cedar Swamp at around 1:30 PM. I had spent about 3 hours and 15 minutes traveling the 18 miles. My chase crew and cameraman were waiting at the dock. It felt good to have the first day of the Delmarva Odyssey completed. We are on our way.