Cape May, New Jersey

In an effort to make lemonade out of lemons, while we have been awaiting repairs to our engine, George and I decided to rent some bikes and make the most out of our stay in Cape May.

Cape May is actually America's oldest seaside resort community, so we felt we would be remiss if we didn't take advantage of being here!  Physically, Cape May is actually an island at the end of the Cape, separated from the rest of New Jersey by the Cape May Canal, originally a shallow creek, and bordered on its other two sides by the Delaware Bay to the southwest, and the North Atlantic Ocean to the southeast.

Cape May was originally settled by whalers and fishermen and is still a very busy sport fishing community, but happily, no whaling anymore!  In fact, the Annual South Jersey Shark Tournament is being held as I write!  They are on day two of a three day tournament.  I have included a photo of the first (and only) shark that has been caught as of yet; a 285 lb. Mako shark.  I am also happy to report that the sharks are not merely caught and killed, but are eaten as well, and in fact, the Mako is supposed to be particularly good eating.

285 lb. Mako shark

There was also the Annual Cape May Music Festival happening while we were here, so we were able to treat ourselves to a lovely evening at the local Episcopal church where the New York Chamber Ensemble played a group of wonderful string quartets that included pieces that had both been adapted for, and written to include, classical guitar.  Such a treat to hear live, classical music played by talented musicians!


The village itself became a popular destination when the idea of 'resorting' for a vacation became popular in the 18th C. and thanks to it's relatively isolated position, it has maintained it's 'small town America' look and feel.  There was a huge fire in 1878, so almost all the buildings rebuilt from the fire were built in the Victorian style, which makes up a lot of the town's charm now!  I have been particularly impressed by the plethora and variety of front porches!  They come in all sizes and shapes, both screened and open, wrap-around and flat, but best of all, they actually appear to be used!!!  I have only taken pictures of 'empty' porches, as I did not want to intrude in people's privacy and lunches, but there were lots of people on their front porches enjoying the day!  Many of the buildings are now B&B's, restaurants, or vacation rentals, so are well looked after, and come in a wide variety of colours!

The Inn of Cape May

The beach itself is huge and essentially wraps around the whole of the southern tip of the cape.  Again, lots of people enjoying the beach, walking, suntanning and fishing!

Cape May lighthouse

Prior to WWII, there was a US naval base here, but it is now a Coast Guard Training station.  We had anchored outside of the station on our first night here, and those poor guys were going strong long after we had started our dinner, and then were right back at it while we sat and enjoyed our late breakfast the following morning!

You may remember we were here on our way south also.  Cape May is a 'natural' stopping point for sailors going both south and north along the east coast.  It is situated about 120 nm from New York harbour, and for a deep keel vessel like ours, the only opening on the coast between the two locations that is deep enough for us is Atlantic City, so generally we try to make it all the way in one, overnight journey.  That makes Cape May a good place to come in and rest after the trip south from New York, or, conversely, a good place to rest up before making the trip north to New York!

As I write, the mechanic is working on our prop shaft, and we are hoping the 'fix', although a temporary one for now, will be good enough to get us home, where we will work at replacing the shaft altogether.  Once the boat is back in working order, then we will take advantage of the next weather window that will take us safely to New York, where we will join the Hudson River and start to make our way inland toward Lake Ontario.

Aaahh!  Life's a beach!