Journal Entry 5: Slaughter Beach — Lewes, DE
Date: May 22, 2007
Time: 07:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Weather: Clear
Wind: West: 10 to 15 knots, gusts to 20 knots
Tide: Ebb, 1.5 – 2.0 knots
Distance: 12 nautical miles
I had attempted to launch the boat from Slaughter Beach yesterday afternoon. NOAA weather radio reported a north wind blowing at 10 to 15 knots. The combination of wind and the ebb tide would allow me to row to Roosevelt Inlet at Lewes in less than 1.5 hours. Arriving at Slaughter Beach, I found the wind was from the northeast blowing directly against the Beach. Delaware Bay is about 22 miles wide at this point. The large expanse of open water allowed the wind to create significant waves along the Delaware shoreline. Launching the boat into the waves would be difficult. Rowing southeast, perpendicular to the waves, would be almost impossible. I left the boat on top of the van and headed home to New Castle.
Rowing a small boat in big water requires careful planning. That evening, I got out the charts and tidal information. I found that the ebb tide started early in the morning on the May 22. Low tide occurred at Roosevelt Inlet in Lewes, at around 9:30 AM. The distance from Slaughter Beach to Roosevelt Inlet is about 12 miles. If I started out from Slaughter Beach at 7:00 AM, I could row to Lewes; catch the changing tide and row with the tide as it flooded the Lewes Rehoboth Canal. This would allow me to row to the center of downtown Lewes.
The morning of May 22, 2007 was beautiful. The winds were blowing very gently at less than 6 knots. Driving south on Route 1, I watched the steam rise from the cooling tower at the Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Station. The plume from the power plant always provides a good indication of the strength of the wind. Straight up, the wind is calm. Pushed over and flat, the wind is blowing steady, usually above 15 knots. This morning it was straight up.
My wife Beverly had agreed to take the day off and join me. Beverly recognized that the high winds of the last several days had delayed my schedule. Even though today was our 36 wedding anniversary, Beverly wanted to support the effort. On the way south, we talked about the weather and the Delmarva Odyssey. We reminisced about the changes we had seen in Delaware and in our lives over the last 36 years. Mixed in with our discussions of changes in the Delaware landscape, the lost farmland, the new expansive subdivisions, and the houses which represented “the farmers last crop”, was a discussion of raising three children and our growing up together in the First State.
The weather at Slaughter Beach was perfect. The winds were very calm the water was almost glassy. Beverly and I launched the boat and I was off.
The shoreline to the south of Slaughter Beach is part of Primehook National Wildlife Refuge. Unlike the marshes which makeup the shoreline in the northern part of the Bay, the area along Primehook is made up of a low sand dune. The beach is white and ribbon like. The sand beach extends out into the Bay.
Rowing past this pristine setting on a calm morning, I could easily hear the shorebirds and gulls. I passed by several commercial crab fishermen who were out early checking their traps and like me taking advantage of the calm water.
The tide had almost reached full low. Rowing near the beach, I suddenly noted some low waves cresting to the EAST of the boat, out in the Bay. Checking the navigation charts, I found that there were several shoaling areas off the beach. Today, the waves were too small to cause problems. I thought about yesterday with the strong northeast wind and higher tide. The area would have been very difficult to navigate. Once again I realized that it is better to be cautious and safe than to attempt to take the boat out in less than ideal conditions.
The open beaches of Primehook soon fell behind to be replaced by small clusters of stately summer homes near Broadkill Beach. I was nearing Roosevelt Inlet. A small group of dolphins swam near the beach. Fish would occasionally break the surface as they escaped the dolphins feeding below.
A small fishing boat was anchored near the north side of the jetty at Roosevelt Inlet. As I approached the boat, a father and son came into view. They had been fishing all morning and proudly showed off their catch of flounder and sea trout.
Rounding the inlet, I entered the Lewes and Rehoboth canal. These were familiar waters. I had done my graduate work at the University of Delaware, College of Marine Studies, graduating in the early 1970’s. The buildings along the shore had housed some of my classrooms and laboratory. I remembered taking exams in one of the low flat buildings and having seagulls drop clams on the metal roof to break the shells open. The result was a meal for the seagull and broken concentration for the students.
I carefully rowed up the canal, picking my way around the many small fishing boats. The fishermen and women were cheerful with calls of “Good Morning” and “Great Day”. Many had caught fish. I rowed past the Lewes Historical Society’s renovated U. S. Lifesaving Station. A few days earlier, I had been at the Lifesaving Station for a reception given by the Lewes Historical Society and the town of Lewes. At the reception, Mayor Jim Ford presented me with a Lewes flag. He noted that it was appropriate that the first stop for the Odyssey was in the “first town of the first State”.
Past the Life Saving Station, I pulled into the DNREC public boat ramp. A member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary was at the ramp providing free safety inspections. He smiled when he saw the amount of electronics and safety gear installed on the row boat. I smiled when I realized I had completed the Delaware Bay.