DELMARVA preparations

[Dr. D]

My plan (so far) is to sail solo around the DELMARVA in 2022. Why not 2021? I need to prepare myself and my boat for the trip. And there are other aspects of my life which might make doing this in 2021 difficult. Areas I must work on:

1) From the mouth of the Delaware Bay to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay will require overnight sailing (again, solo). As I have not done that before, I need practice. As the boat is mid-Bay, actually sailing overnight around there is iffy. How might I prepare for this part of the trip?

2) Provisioning. I know I will be near places to restock, but I would prefer not to do so. I have not previously provisioned for a 7 to 10 day trip. That I can practice sailing around the Bay. The boat has a refrigerator, no freezer. How many meals could I prepare at home and keep at refrigerator temperature?

3) The fresh water tank is 34 gallons. The water from the marina is potable, but with a slight smell. That water is good for washing and such, but not for drinking nor cooking. How much fresh water as the drinking/cooking supply should I need? Best way to store it?

4) Probably other aspects of this which have not yet occurred to me. Suggestions?

 

[shemandr]

If you prepare meals ahead and freeze them I an quite sure that they will last the voyage. You can put portions in freezer bags and freeze them flat. That way they can stack together and keep each other colder than the fridge. Think stews, soups, bean dishes.
For water I would just get10 gallons of supermarket water.
Regarding the over night I don't know what to say about that. I don't think I would want no watch on that run which looks to be 200 miles or more on a coast with shipping. Is there an anchorage around Chincoteague? Tom's Cove?

 

[jssailem]

Dr. D... Do you feel you need to do this without stopping? Sailing non stop can be a bit stressful.

 

[jssailem]

Just looking at the map there appears to be many places along the way you could stop and explore.

Is there a limited time to follow this adventure? Which way do you plan to go? Which way are the prevailing winds, currents?

May be easier then you think, especially if you plan the trip and give yourself plenty of time in case the weather is unkind.

 

[kappykaplan]

Sailing non stop can be a bit stressful.

Unless you have crew! I have done many DELMARVAs, always with crew.

 

[kappykaplan]

On average, if you plan for a speed of advance of about 4 kts, a non-stop DELMARVA takes about 96 hours. Distance is on the order of 400NM. Delaware Bay at night is scary. Lots of commercial shipping up and down the bay.

 

[Dr. D]

Pardon my poor wording. For most of the trip I would be sailing during the day, anchoring at night. It is only the Bay to Bay section that seems to be better handled as a single section. My draft is a bit over 5’, air draft 53’.