Cape May Nature Center

 

Thursday we were on the boat all day because it was very windy, cloudy and cold (a high in the low 70s). After dreaming of winter while enduring the heat wave in Annapolis, none of us even left the interior of the boat except Matt who wore a jacket. We are total babies and much like Goldilocks--it's too hot, it's too cold, waaah.

While cocooned indoors we listened on the VHF to the saga of one boat trying to come into a local marina. They called the marina initially to ask whether the conditions were such that they should come in sooner rather than later (they were off-shore and could delay their arrival as needed). It took about 5 minutes for the tentative-sounding marina radio operator to understand what they were asking and then to answer "I don't know" in a roundabout manner. He ended by suggesting that they "should be fine." Several hours later they called the marina to say they were entering the inlet. Then a few minutes later they hailed the tow boat company to ask for a tow because they were stuck on a shoal. About 10 minutes after that, they called the tow boat company to say they had gotten off the shoal  (it was a rising tide). Then they called the marina and we didn't hear from them again so we assume there was a happy ending.

 

The next day, we visited the local Cape May Nature Center. There is a lot of goodness packed into a small area. The boys got to see a rescued octopus ("Fred") and touch a Horseshoe Crab. The young intern explained what the difference was between male and female Horseshoe Crabs. She started off strong by saying that the males are smaller. They also have "boxing glove" claws so that they can "hang on" to the female. You could see the moment when she realized that Conrad and Mark may not understand about the birds and the bees (they actually do understand mating in an Animal Planet channel kind of way). As she got to the part where the male's shell is curved in the back so that he can fit on top of the female crab, she kind of paused and said something about the male crab climbing on...the beach.

That night we again heard the water pump for the fridge straining and pumping louder. A nettle jellyfish had committed hari-kari in the intake. After trying unsuccessfully to pull it up and out the intake hose, we got out out the dingy pump, stuck it down the water line and blew it back out to the ocean (minus some tentacles and other parts that got left behind).  That's twice in the States that something has worked its way in there. Add that to the list of chores you don't have on land.