OK folks need some help, I am a newbie who may want to get a small sailboat and sale in the Delaware Bay, I understand it's not everyone cup of tea but that's what I got. it is literally my backyard , I have no desire to drive the SB somewhere that is better for sailing. So one I am thinking on the smaller side boat under 25 feet, I am on the Jersey side and have a marina in my town, Fortescue I will not be trailing this boat, it will go in and out once a year is the plan ( that's in my head anyway) , I do not have a tow vehicle but have plenty of neighbors who can get it in and out once a year. My side of the bay is very shallow and does not see any boat barge or container traffic. There are plenty of power boats but almost no sail boats , could be a reason for that but I have no desire for a power boat. I am looking for the Honda civic of boats if that makes sense, it will mostly be me by myself is my guess. say budget of 10K max, I am in no rush to get a boat so I have time to be picky . I can take some lessons next summer and go from there, I have next to no sailing experience btw. SO am I crazy and if not what is the best boat for a shallow open water Bay like the Delaware. Thanks for the help.
AM I crazy to sail in the Delaware Bay
- Thread starter Sethc30
- Start date
Depends on what kind of sailing you want to do. If you are looking to cruise and find interesting places to anchor, Delaware Bay would not be my first choice. On the other hand if you are interested mostly in day sailing and maybe a short cruise to Cape May, Lewes, or up to the C&D canal, you would be fine.
To get the most enjoyment you will have to learn the tides and currents. There are times and places where the currents can be quite strong, ~3 knots. In a boat that can only go 4-5 knots this is not much fun if you are going against the tide. Also you will have to watch for wind against current and the waves, again this is pretty predictable.
There are shallow areas you will need to learn. Get a navigation program that runs on a tablet to take with you. Aquamaps is a good and affordable program.
I think Delaware Bay gets its bad rap from cruisers going down to the Chesapeake. If you get the tides, currents, and winds wrong, it can be a miserable slog up or down the bay. On a good day it is just a long boring day. Do watch out for commercial traffic and freighters going down the channel.
Most importantly, get out there and sail!
To get the most enjoyment you will have to learn the tides and currents. There are times and places where the currents can be quite strong, ~3 knots. In a boat that can only go 4-5 knots this is not much fun if you are going against the tide. Also you will have to watch for wind against current and the waves, again this is pretty predictable.
There are shallow areas you will need to learn. Get a navigation program that runs on a tablet to take with you. Aquamaps is a good and affordable program.
I think Delaware Bay gets its bad rap from cruisers going down to the Chesapeake. If you get the tides, currents, and winds wrong, it can be a miserable slog up or down the bay. On a good day it is just a long boring day. Do watch out for commercial traffic and freighters going down the channel.
Most importantly, get out there and sail!
Thanks for the reply, I do think I am more the day sailer around the bay, w maybe one trip a season to Lewes being my max. the one good thing about the bay where I am is there are good charts and it was recently dredged so it deeper and I have a marina 1/2 a mile from my home. , I hope to get out there, just trying to figure out the best boat to do it with and the best way to learn the knowledge I can from land.
My experience on the Delaware Bay was less than pleasant, mostly due to the biting flies. It was a constant battle with a fly swatter and they drew blood. I'm guessing it was the lack of wind and the particular time of the year so hopefully that was a one-off experience. If you're going to day sail or short trips like Dave said and the occasional short cruise it might be fine. The main thing is "get your feet wet" and you might decide you like it or the worst case is you find a better place to keep your boat and drive a little to sail it.
I can't comment on Delaware Bay. I have no experience there. But, I can say this:
If you get the itch to get a boat and sail, you will probably only regret it if you don't have a go at it. Maybe you'll hate it and end up selling the boat and vowing to never sail again. But, you'll know. As the prophet Captain Ron says:
If you get the itch to get a boat and sail, you will probably only regret it if you don't have a go at it. Maybe you'll hate it and end up selling the boat and vowing to never sail again. But, you'll know. As the prophet Captain Ron says:
I've spent some time in Lewes and I wouldn't say it's devoid of sailboats. We have a poster who lists Lewes as his port. There is a protected anchorage there where you see some transient sailboats.
The good thing about the shallow areas is that you won't encounter Large Steel Objects in shallow water. I think it would be entertaining to have an afternoon sail in a sea breeze and using AIS to keep track of the shipping. Not necessarily for safety but also to see details about the vessels you are sharing the waterway with.
Many boat designs would be good but I'd look for a Capri 22 shoal draft. There is one for sale that I know of on LI.
I can't help with the flies but maybe your neighbors will have some insights. My friend in Lewes says they are a problem at certain times of year.
The good thing about the shallow areas is that you won't encounter Large Steel Objects in shallow water. I think it would be entertaining to have an afternoon sail in a sea breeze and using AIS to keep track of the shipping. Not necessarily for safety but also to see details about the vessels you are sharing the waterway with.
Many boat designs would be good but I'd look for a Capri 22 shoal draft. There is one for sale that I know of on LI.
I can't help with the flies but maybe your neighbors will have some insights. My friend in Lewes says they are a problem at certain times of year.
Thanks for the reply but Lewes is about as far as I would go for a multi day trip I am up in NJ, small town about 20 miles north of cape May, on the Bay. The green heads are a PITA yes but as your friend says for roughly a month and if there is wind you are mostly ok.
When my kids were growing up, we would spend a week or two every summer on the inside of the North Carolina Outer Banks. So we needed a small cabin cruiser. We also needed a boat that we could bring up the keel and get off a sandbar when we kissed the bottom. The rest of the season we mostly day sailed.
It sounds like you will be sailing in some similar skinny water and perhaps we’ll use the boat in a similar manner. My recommendation would be something with a retractable keel…. Or at the very least something with the very shallow draft of less than 4 feet. The decision to get a cruiser versus a Cuddy cabin versus an open boat depends on how you plan to use the boat.
You also said you had time to shop, so maybe the next step for you is to collect some recommendations and then dig around the spec sheets. Make yourself a spreadsheet of pros and cons of different boatsand start narrowing down your choices. As @dlochner said, you first need to define how you expect to use the boat.
Here are some recommendations for boats to put on your research list
Rhodes 22
Catalina 22 or 25 or 250
Hunter 23.5, 240, 26, 260
There are many other good choices and each one has a trade-off. Personally, I like the walk off transoms of the Hunter 240, 26 and 260.
If you were to start another thread, where you ask for some advice on boats and have thought through how you plan to use the boat so you can narrow the parameters down. You will get a lot of good suggestions from this list.
You’re not the first person to ask this type of question on this forum so I can say with experience that this group is happy to point you in the right direction. Every junkie likes to have friends lol
It sounds like you will be sailing in some similar skinny water and perhaps we’ll use the boat in a similar manner. My recommendation would be something with a retractable keel…. Or at the very least something with the very shallow draft of less than 4 feet. The decision to get a cruiser versus a Cuddy cabin versus an open boat depends on how you plan to use the boat.
You also said you had time to shop, so maybe the next step for you is to collect some recommendations and then dig around the spec sheets. Make yourself a spreadsheet of pros and cons of different boatsand start narrowing down your choices. As @dlochner said, you first need to define how you expect to use the boat.
Here are some recommendations for boats to put on your research list
Rhodes 22
Catalina 22 or 25 or 250
Hunter 23.5, 240, 26, 260
There are many other good choices and each one has a trade-off. Personally, I like the walk off transoms of the Hunter 240, 26 and 260.
If you were to start another thread, where you ask for some advice on boats and have thought through how you plan to use the boat so you can narrow the parameters down. You will get a lot of good suggestions from this list.
You’re not the first person to ask this type of question on this forum so I can say with experience that this group is happy to point you in the right direction. Every junkie likes to have friends lol
Perhaps you can get your feet wet without buying a boat.
Not sure what is around you but many sailing clubs have evening races and there is often an opportunity for folks to jump in as crew.
Check out clubs in your area.
Not sure what is around you but many sailing clubs have evening races and there is often an opportunity for folks to jump in as crew.
Check out clubs in your area.
Delaware Bay has a fair share of heavy cargo traffic as there is the Port of Wilmington which serves unloading of Cars, Fruits and other cargo containers. Further up there are refineries and the Navy Yard. Fortescue is located where the bay starts to narrow as you head up to Philly and beyond. The bay has strong tides and can be quite unpredictable with winds and wave heights. I would not use it as a training ground for a small craft. I recommend using the little bay between Egg Island and Eastpoint Lighthouse. It's more protected. At least to start with, to get experience. Over time move up to a larger boat and start your adventures with confidence in your ability to handle it. Just my opinion, as always. Have fun.
The commercial traffic, i.e., barges, freighters, and the like are restricted by draft to a narrow channel down the middle of the bay and river. Very easy to avoid.
The bay can get nasty when the wind and tide are opposed, east wind with an ebb tide, west wind with a flood tide. Plan your sailing around wind and tide and there will be few if any problems.
The bay can get nasty when the wind and tide are opposed, east wind with an ebb tide, west wind with a flood tide. Plan your sailing around wind and tide and there will be few if any problems.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 23,364
Hi @Sethc30, with no experience as stated in your bio, the idea of going small makes sense. Doing a trailer boat adds time to getting on the water, but it is easier on the pocketbook as you don't pay monthly marina fees. You must find a launch site; sometimes that can be an issue.
For 18 years, I sailed a 15-foot Montgomery trailer sailer, sometimes called a "Pocket Yacht." It was like backpack hiking. The accommodations were minimal, but she was a great, sturdy sailboat and carried me on many different waters, from lakes and rivers to bays like your Delaware Bay. Easy to rig and solo sail. A dry boat that could handle the chop and wakes you are likely to see on the bay. She had a stub keel that stuck out about 15 inches below the hull. She could be beached, or in deeper water, the centerboard could be lowered, and she sailed straight and true in all manner of wind.
sailboatdata.com
Going small, there are all sorts of options and prices. While my boat had a cabin that could sleep 2, many daysailors are open-decked. The Lido 14 is an excellent starter sailboat. It is easy to rig and yet forgiving as a boat that, when swamped, still floats above the water.
You need to walk the marinas in your area and look for a boat that intrigues you. It's like looking for a girlfriend. You'll know when you see her.
For 18 years, I sailed a 15-foot Montgomery trailer sailer, sometimes called a "Pocket Yacht." It was like backpack hiking. The accommodations were minimal, but she was a great, sturdy sailboat and carried me on many different waters, from lakes and rivers to bays like your Delaware Bay. Easy to rig and solo sail. A dry boat that could handle the chop and wakes you are likely to see on the bay. She had a stub keel that stuck out about 15 inches below the hull. She could be beached, or in deeper water, the centerboard could be lowered, and she sailed straight and true in all manner of wind.
MONTGOMERY 15 - sailboatdata
sailboatdata.com
Going small, there are all sorts of options and prices. While my boat had a cabin that could sleep 2, many daysailors are open-decked. The Lido 14 is an excellent starter sailboat. It is easy to rig and yet forgiving as a boat that, when swamped, still floats above the water.
You need to walk the marinas in your area and look for a boat that intrigues you. It's like looking for a girlfriend. You'll know when you see her.
Another thing to consider when shopping for an older used boat. Fiberglass and wood are easy to repair and easy to make to look nice again. Don’t be overly hung up on the cosmetics of a boat. The items that can get very pricey to replace are the sails, the trailer, and the outboard engine. Spend at least 60% of your effort reviewing and evaluating the condition of those three items.
Being that you're in Fortescue, you know how to avoid the flies and green heads.
I say go for it. I know of a few sailors that day sail on the bay. I'd think having the boat in Fortescue with easy and quick access to the bay for day sailing would be fun.
I say go for it. I know of a few sailors that day sail on the bay. I'd think having the boat in Fortescue with easy and quick access to the bay for day sailing would be fun.
Text for above image from above screenshot of Open Captain: It looks like plenty of water to sail a shoal draft East of Cross ledge to the Fortescue Harbor. That looks to be about 7 miles, and North South appears good too.
I can't say about current but there's enough water.
I can't say about current but there's enough water.
That is two questions.
AM I crazy to sail
Yes
in the Delaware Bay
No, anywhere you can sail is the best place.
About the greenheads...
To answer sailing the Delaware Bay, I can't answer. I sailed the River out fo Camden and didn't care for it at all. Too much floating large debris and hated to shipping lanes.
But we found the scent of peppermint oil eliminates the greenheads. Put some on some rags in the cabin. Put some on your clothing. And put some on yourself if need be, BUT PUT SOME ON! You'll thank me for the advice later. One warning, don't get the spray type with water in it. It just didn't work.
@dlochner summed it up well. The other thing to add for your safety and enjoyment is to choose your weather well, and time your excursions for when the wind and currents don’t oppose each other. This is a major issue in the Delaware more than most other places. Even (smart) bigger boats avoid going at times of opposing wind and currents.
I also agree with @shemandr that having AIS (receive would be enough) would be a useful safety device and add interesting info about the commercial traffic. The numerous big ships move fast in the Delaware Bay and are restricted to the channel, so you’ll be safe regardless if you keep an eye on your charts and stay clear.
I also agree with @shemandr that having AIS (receive would be enough) would be a useful safety device and add interesting info about the commercial traffic. The numerous big ships move fast in the Delaware Bay and are restricted to the channel, so you’ll be safe regardless if you keep an eye on your charts and stay clear.
I don't know your situation and you did mention not really wanting to trailer anything, but I've been up and down the Delaware Bay several times and the area you are talking about and others make me think a Hobie Cat or the like would be an absolute blast. They go fast enough that even the annoying 2-4 knot current wouldn't really make a difference so timing current wouldn't be so big a deal. You said you're not really thinking about destinations just going out and sailing around (or I misread). Something at least 16' can have you outrunning flies and screaming back and forth.
Just a thought!
Just a thought!