Worton Creek to Summit North Marina (C&D Canal)

The weather forecast was for possible rain and high winds in the late afternoon and early evening.  We left Worton Creek at 0700 hoping to get to Summit North Marina without getting caught in the rain. The sun was out and the winds were in our favor.  Sails rolled out as soon as we left the Worton Creek channel.  We motored as well since we needed to make haste to avoid the bad weather.

Squall on the C&D Canal

It was a beautiful run past Turkey Point with the sun brightly shining on the white lighthouse set amidst green grass and forest. We made good time up the Elk River and entered the C&D Canal with a favorable current. We were within a mile of the marina when Mother Nature hit us with a fast moving squall. The temperature quickly dropped and fast moving dark clouds came in from the north. Just as we finished zipping up our wet weather jackets, the wind and rain hit us. The wind was more than we had ever experienced before in our lives.  The anemometer went wild and registered a top wind speed of 48 miles per hour. The wind was so strong,it blew the flagstaff from outboard to inboard the cockpit (see picture). The bimini and dodger were flogging. The rain was torrential and you could only see a few feet ahead of the boat. Fortunately, we were off the open waters and our sails were furled. One can only imagine what it was like on the Bay when this storm hit. We were somewhat protected in the C&D Canal but still took a beating. We held our position in the canal until the squall passed which took about 20 minutes. Needless to say we were soaked when we entered the marina and glad to be in a safe harbor.

The sun came out about an hour after the squall hit us. It was a rude reminder of how quickly weather conditions can change. This was just what we needed prior to making a run down the Delaware Bay and up the New Jersey shoreline.  Needless to say, we constantly watch the weather and do our best to avoid getting caught like we did today.