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Construction began on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in 1804. Due to a lack of adequate funding, the project was halted after only two years. In 1822, the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware each contributed funds to restart the project. These funds along with significant federal funding restarted the construction of the “ditch”. Between 1824 and 1829 some 2,600 men were working on the ditch. Most worked for an average wage of 75 cents a day. The work was both hard and dangerous. The swamps and marsh lands along the route were full of mosquitoes. The soft ground along the sides of the ditch would often slide back into the construction site.

In 1829, the Canal was opened for boat traffic. Its initial cost of over $2.5 million made it one of the most expensive canal projects of its time.

The C and D was a lock canal with tow paths. As originally constructed it was 14 miles long, 10 feet deep and 66 feet wide. Locks were constructed at Delaware City and St. Georges, DE as well as at Chesapeake City, MD. The original locks were 100 feet long and 22 feet wide. These were later expanded to 220 feet by 24 feet to allow for larger vessels. Water from the locks came from inland waterways. Steam pumps were installed around 1837 to augment the water supply for the locks. In 1852 and 1854 a second and then a third steam engine with waterwheels was installed to keep up with the demand for water in the lock system. At full capacity, the steam engines used about eight tons of coal per day. They could pump (or lift) 170 tons of water per minute.

Mules were used to pull freight and passenger barges, schooners and sloops through the waters of the canal. Tow paths existed along the sides of the canal for the mules. Cargo included lumber, grain, cotton and coal. By 1872 some 1.3 million tons of cargo passed through the canal each year.

By 1927, the canal had been converted to a “sea-level” operation. It had been dug to 12 feet in depth and widened to 90 feet. The eastern terminus at Delaware City had been moved south to its current location and two long stone jetties were extended into the Delaware Bay.

Improvements to the canal continued. Between 1935 and 1938 it was deepened to 27 feet and widened to 250 feet. This could accommodate the large ocean going vessels of the time. The channels leading to the canal from the Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay also needed to be improved.

Even with all of the improvements, collisions with the bridges over the canal were frequent occurances. In 1954 further expansion was authorized by Congress, widening the canal to 450 feet and deepening it to 35 feet. The highway and railroad bridges crossing the canal were also improved.

Today, the C and D canal is one of the busiest commercial waterways in the world. Pilots board the oceangoing vessels heading to Baltimore at Lewes, DE. They navigate these ships through the waters of Delaware Bay then into the narrow channel and tricky currents of the canal. At Chesapeake City, MD a Maryland pilot will take over taking the vessel to ports on the Chesapeake Bay.

Human powered vessels are not allowed in the C and D canal. The Army Corps of Engineers prohibits small human powered boats for safety reasons. I talked with Jim Tomlin, of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers about boat safety issues in the canal. Jim is the Chief Engineer for the Canal and responsible for canal operations and safety.

Jim’s description of power boat wakes of from 4 to 6 feet in height, crashing over the bow of smaller power boats was sobering. The narrow canal with its deep water, swift currents, and steep banks can create significant concerns for a small boat.

Large oceangoing vessels navigating the canal create a different concern. The propellers of these ships act like huge underwater pumps in the narrow canal. They pull water from the front of the ship and pile it up as a bubble to the rear of the ship. As the water is pulled from the front of the vessel, it is sucked away from the sides of the canal. Often, water to a depth of 4 feet, is pulled away from the shoreline as the bow of the ship begins to pass. After the ship passes by, the “bubble” of water behind the ship floods back along the shoreline in a rush. The result is a wave of water crashing along the rocky sides of the canal. Not a safe place for small boats, regardless of their source of power.

Through the efforts of Congressman Mike Castle’s office, the Delmarva Odyssey had been granted special permission by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to row the Adirondack Guide boat through the C and D Canal. After I spoke with Jim Tomlin, I decided that while we had permission, this would not be safe. Instead, I would row through the old branch of the original canal that runs through Delaware City, DE. It was a short row, only about 1.5 miles, but it would give me the opportunity to safely explore the C and D.

With the tide running with me, it took almost no time to row the short section of the branch canal. I docked the boat in Delaware City and was met by my cameraman, John Geisel for lunch. We sat at a small restaurant overlooking the Delaware Bay. From our window seat we could see oceangoing ships making their way north to Philadelphia, Trenton, or Wilmington. We talked for a bit about the Odyssey and the various places we had been since starting the project last February.

After lunch, it was time to leave Delaware City and row the last leg of the Delmarva Odyssey back to New Castle. This is an easy row which I had made several times. The flooding tide was with me. The wind, blowing from the East/Northeast, was blocked by Pea Patch Island. After leaving the mouth of the harbor at Delaware City, the water became a bit less choppy. The rowing became routine. I was excited and sad about this last stretch of rowing. I remembered wondering about how rowing this last stretch home would feel when I was just leaving New Castle in May. The next hour went by quickly. I soon found myself among the sail boats off of the beach at Battery Park in New Castle.

Several friends were on the beach waiting for me. John Geisel was filming. Several reporters wanted interviews. It felt good to be home. Before I rowed the Adirondack Guide boat ashore, I took some time to reflect about the trip and to thank my sponsors, support team, and friends.

I had set out to explore and discover the Delmarva Peninsula the trip had truly been a “Delmarva Odyssey”.

THANKS

There are many people who helped make the Delmarva Odyssey a success. In addition to the people that I have listed, I would also like to thank the many people who offered a friendly wave, a word of encouragement, or their time - when they would stop and discuss the Odyssey.

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