The C&D Canal

Once you reach the northern end of Chesapeake Bay, it would be a long slog back if not for the C&D canal. The canal is only about 14 miles long, but there’s a world of difference between the western and eastern ends. The western end is part of the Elk River off of Chesapeake Bay, a pretty waterway that winds between forested shores, and the occasional high bluff. In some areas, farmland can be seen: planted fields, barns and silos. It was not uncommon to see large, beautifully landscaped houses, such as those pictured in the previous blog. It was in front of these that we anchored on the night prior to entering the canal. The canal itself is about 40-feet deep and relatively narrow, but wide enough for us to have plenty of room when passing a ship going in the opposite direction. This cute restaurant by a small marina was about the only place to stop within the canal. En route, the forest-and-cottage scenery gave way to more open marshlands as we neared the eastern end, Delaware Bay. After all the beautiful sites we’ve had recently, Delaware Bay was a bit of a shock, but I’ll deal with that in the next blog.