I am planning a trip from the Chesapeake to Block Island next July. My first thoughts are anchor behind Reedy Island near the C & D, head down the Delaware with the tide and take the rhumb line from Cape May to Block Island on the way north and than come back through Long Island Sound and the East River on the way back. I’d like to hear from anyone who has made the trip, particularly on when you left, what the weather, wind and tides were like and what publications you found helpful. Thanks for your help.
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R
Rob
Block Island
I don't have experience with the trip up from Chesapeake but I could help you with Block Island. Check my site below - it's an online cruising guide I created with my own knowledge and stories from friends....feel free to add your own. I have a entre section on Block Island - very in formative! Good luck! Rob http://cruisingguide.blogspot.com/
I don't have experience with the trip up from Chesapeake but I could help you with Block Island. Check my site below - it's an online cruising guide I created with my own knowledge and stories from friends....feel free to add your own. I have a entre section on Block Island - very in formative! Good luck! Rob http://cruisingguide.blogspot.com/
B
BobbyD
Chesapeake to BI
I made this trip in 1995 in a Columbia 8.7M sloop. I had two other experienced sailors. We had a late start from Pelorus Marina in Rock Hall, Md at about 4:00 pm arriving at the Basin in Chesapeake City near the CD canal entrance before dark. We took a short sleep and began again at about 4:00am the next morning. I considered pushing through the canal with out stopping with an anchorage behind Reedy point; but it would have been against current and anchoring in the dark with some tricky wing dams nearby put me off. In any event, we had favorable current through the canal and most of the way down the Delaware; however the wind (about 15knots) was against the current on our nose with the usual very unpleasant Delaware chop. To add to this, my engine failed shortly after exiting the canal due to a lose fuel fitting that I failed to tighten adequately when I put the fuel tank back in place after cleaning about 10 years of accumulated sludge that kept clogging my fuel filter. So we tacked all the way down to the Cape May canal through this unpleasant chop, and old Posts still sunk in the mud while I tried and failed to find the problem; but could get the engine running for about half hour at a time before having to bleed and prime the lines again. What a relief to sail into the protected canal and most of the way through it under full moon. We motored about a mile to a point of anchorage, near the coast guard station. At this point, we bacame aware that a huricane, Ivan, was threatening the East coast in a couple of days, and while it never made landfall, my crew and I went home (we lived in NJ) to let the hurricane pass. Concordia Yacht Club was kind enuogh to supply a well founded mooring located in the lee of the Coast Guard docks. I returned latter in the week and found the fuel line air leak and three other buddies joined me for the trip to BI. With the Hurricane past we took off on Friday and sailed with favorable SW wind--15Knots-- up the Jersey coast and spent the night anchored in Sandy Hook. Since our Destination was BI, and the forecast was favorable, we made a direct line to a point off of Matauk point and rounded the tip of LI as it darkened. While this leg went without a hitch, a surprise storm did cross Connecticut and LI with gusts of 35knots, but we had enough warning to shorten sail and actually practice heaving too. The reefed Main and Jib were sufficient to handle the wind and the waves never did build enough to worry about. We sailed through the night directly for BI entrance and arrived at about 4:00 am. My buddy had been into BI, but still we nearly went aground in the channel where none of the bouys are lit save the entrance and the coast guard light well on land off of the channel line. While I knew not to line up on the coast guard lite, I was a bit groggy and we got off the center--with the depth alarm serving it's purpose. We gabbed a mooring, made coffee and watched the sun come up. After a day to catch up, we went on to South Dartmouth (Padamnaram); where I kept the boat for about a year.
I made this trip in 1995 in a Columbia 8.7M sloop. I had two other experienced sailors. We had a late start from Pelorus Marina in Rock Hall, Md at about 4:00 pm arriving at the Basin in Chesapeake City near the CD canal entrance before dark. We took a short sleep and began again at about 4:00am the next morning. I considered pushing through the canal with out stopping with an anchorage behind Reedy point; but it would have been against current and anchoring in the dark with some tricky wing dams nearby put me off. In any event, we had favorable current through the canal and most of the way down the Delaware; however the wind (about 15knots) was against the current on our nose with the usual very unpleasant Delaware chop. To add to this, my engine failed shortly after exiting the canal due to a lose fuel fitting that I failed to tighten adequately when I put the fuel tank back in place after cleaning about 10 years of accumulated sludge that kept clogging my fuel filter. So we tacked all the way down to the Cape May canal through this unpleasant chop, and old Posts still sunk in the mud while I tried and failed to find the problem; but could get the engine running for about half hour at a time before having to bleed and prime the lines again. What a relief to sail into the protected canal and most of the way through it under full moon. We motored about a mile to a point of anchorage, near the coast guard station. At this point, we bacame aware that a huricane, Ivan, was threatening the East coast in a couple of days, and while it never made landfall, my crew and I went home (we lived in NJ) to let the hurricane pass. Concordia Yacht Club was kind enuogh to supply a well founded mooring located in the lee of the Coast Guard docks. I returned latter in the week and found the fuel line air leak and three other buddies joined me for the trip to BI. With the Hurricane past we took off on Friday and sailed with favorable SW wind--15Knots-- up the Jersey coast and spent the night anchored in Sandy Hook. Since our Destination was BI, and the forecast was favorable, we made a direct line to a point off of Matauk point and rounded the tip of LI as it darkened. While this leg went without a hitch, a surprise storm did cross Connecticut and LI with gusts of 35knots, but we had enough warning to shorten sail and actually practice heaving too. The reefed Main and Jib were sufficient to handle the wind and the waves never did build enough to worry about. We sailed through the night directly for BI entrance and arrived at about 4:00 am. My buddy had been into BI, but still we nearly went aground in the channel where none of the bouys are lit save the entrance and the coast guard light well on land off of the channel line. While I knew not to line up on the coast guard lite, I was a bit groggy and we got off the center--with the depth alarm serving it's purpose. We gabbed a mooring, made coffee and watched the sun come up. After a day to catch up, we went on to South Dartmouth (Padamnaram); where I kept the boat for about a year.
Solomons to Buzzard's Bay last July
We took possession of an Ericson 34 early July '05 and because of time pressures left before getting all of the maintenance done. This resulted in frequent stops at marinas. We experienced almost no wind up entire Chesapeake, overnighted 10 miles from D&C canal, had a great lunch at the resturant on the canal at Chesepeake City, and hit the Delaware River at 4:00 PM. After 30 minutes of great sailing in a 20 mph head wind we learned the river outside the channel was too shallow and the channel too narrow, so we motored with a recalcetrant engine down the Delaware into the 20 mph wind and against the tide with a beautiful lightening storm in the distance. It took us 8 hours (we planned on under 4) to the Cape May Canal. If you draw over 5', be careful after entering the canal - very shallow - motor where the ferries turn around. A beautiful sail up the NJ shore with a stop at Atlantic City for repairs. Incidentally the finest reception we got in the entire trip was in Atlantic City at the resturant near the entrance and before the first bridge. They rent out slips to itinerants and bring in an excellent mechanic for repairs. Cape May marinas were the most unfriendly we have ever experienced - one downright hostile). We never thought of Atlantic City as a stop over for cruising but do now. The marinas on the Chesapeake didn't want to do any work for us all claiming overload from regular customers. L I Sound is great smooth sailing (you are either with or against the tide all the way - wind is usually SE but light in mid July). Best mid point stopping is the Branford River w/ a couple of good resturants too. CT River Marinas are very expensive. Watch the tide at Block Island. The water coming out of L I Sound does a 90 degreee turn to the south on the northeast side. But if you are going to go that far, consider extending to Buzzards Bay, Nantucket and the Vineyard. These are places we enjoy far more. And there is always wind in Buzzards Bay - and Narragansett Bay too.
We took possession of an Ericson 34 early July '05 and because of time pressures left before getting all of the maintenance done. This resulted in frequent stops at marinas. We experienced almost no wind up entire Chesapeake, overnighted 10 miles from D&C canal, had a great lunch at the resturant on the canal at Chesepeake City, and hit the Delaware River at 4:00 PM. After 30 minutes of great sailing in a 20 mph head wind we learned the river outside the channel was too shallow and the channel too narrow, so we motored with a recalcetrant engine down the Delaware into the 20 mph wind and against the tide with a beautiful lightening storm in the distance. It took us 8 hours (we planned on under 4) to the Cape May Canal. If you draw over 5', be careful after entering the canal - very shallow - motor where the ferries turn around. A beautiful sail up the NJ shore with a stop at Atlantic City for repairs. Incidentally the finest reception we got in the entire trip was in Atlantic City at the resturant near the entrance and before the first bridge. They rent out slips to itinerants and bring in an excellent mechanic for repairs. Cape May marinas were the most unfriendly we have ever experienced - one downright hostile). We never thought of Atlantic City as a stop over for cruising but do now. The marinas on the Chesapeake didn't want to do any work for us all claiming overload from regular customers. L I Sound is great smooth sailing (you are either with or against the tide all the way - wind is usually SE but light in mid July). Best mid point stopping is the Branford River w/ a couple of good resturants too. CT River Marinas are very expensive. Watch the tide at Block Island. The water coming out of L I Sound does a 90 degreee turn to the south on the northeast side. But if you are going to go that far, consider extending to Buzzards Bay, Nantucket and the Vineyard. These are places we enjoy far more. And there is always wind in Buzzards Bay - and Narragansett Bay too.
Delaware
Watch out for fog in Delaware bay, we were less than 50' from one mid-bay light house and couldn't see it (mid July, 2005). depending on draft (I'm at 3'10" - Catalina 30 wing keel) you can cross from Reedy Island to the east side of the main shipping channel (at some light house), and then run a rumb line to Cape May Canal across the 'flats' (typically saw at least 6 feet, and more often much more). Remember Cape May Canal has 2 fixed bridges, MHHW clearance is only 55 feet. Consider Utch's marina in Cape May, we always stay there and find them wonderful (right-turn after exiting the canal and then run southward right along their sea-wall and then right-turn into their entrance). Heading north to Atlantic City, consider staying at Gardner's Basin (only $2-2.50/ft versus the State/Casino marina at $4/ft). left turn before bridge and run along steel wall. Docks are in great shape, albeit their outside area bathrooms are terrible, but till 5 pm, the bathrooms inside the museum can be used. Word had it they are thinking of upgrading the bathrooms and installing showers. The other sailor may have meant this place as the docks face 2 restaurants and a nice area with a couple of other restaurants. Also the 'chitney' (bus) can be picked-up right there and runs to the casinos/boardwalk. Futher north, at Barnegat inlet/Lighthouse there's a good anchorage and yacht club still inside the inlet (so to speak). head east staying to the north side of the narrow part of the inlet, then turn left/south as you approach being parallel with the lighthouse and run past the lighthouse, continue south past the coast guard station, around the shoal area, and then turn south west and head southward towards the anchorage (stay in deep/south, closer to the main shoal area will subject you to lots of currents). Heading further north, there's Manasquan inlet, very passable, and a few marina's/restaurants just inside the inlet in/around the rail-road bridge (which is typically open, but very narrow). From here, most folks in our area make the rumb line to Block Island, however personally I have never done it (we run north, stay at Sandy Hook's 'horseshoe cove', then transit NYC harbor, the East River, into Long Island Sound. Also, one other storm-hole -- Shark River, just inside/past the bridges, there are places/marinas to tie-up, but it becomes quickly shallow therein, so be careful. Hope this helps...
Watch out for fog in Delaware bay, we were less than 50' from one mid-bay light house and couldn't see it (mid July, 2005). depending on draft (I'm at 3'10" - Catalina 30 wing keel) you can cross from Reedy Island to the east side of the main shipping channel (at some light house), and then run a rumb line to Cape May Canal across the 'flats' (typically saw at least 6 feet, and more often much more). Remember Cape May Canal has 2 fixed bridges, MHHW clearance is only 55 feet. Consider Utch's marina in Cape May, we always stay there and find them wonderful (right-turn after exiting the canal and then run southward right along their sea-wall and then right-turn into their entrance). Heading north to Atlantic City, consider staying at Gardner's Basin (only $2-2.50/ft versus the State/Casino marina at $4/ft). left turn before bridge and run along steel wall. Docks are in great shape, albeit their outside area bathrooms are terrible, but till 5 pm, the bathrooms inside the museum can be used. Word had it they are thinking of upgrading the bathrooms and installing showers. The other sailor may have meant this place as the docks face 2 restaurants and a nice area with a couple of other restaurants. Also the 'chitney' (bus) can be picked-up right there and runs to the casinos/boardwalk. Futher north, at Barnegat inlet/Lighthouse there's a good anchorage and yacht club still inside the inlet (so to speak). head east staying to the north side of the narrow part of the inlet, then turn left/south as you approach being parallel with the lighthouse and run past the lighthouse, continue south past the coast guard station, around the shoal area, and then turn south west and head southward towards the anchorage (stay in deep/south, closer to the main shoal area will subject you to lots of currents). Heading further north, there's Manasquan inlet, very passable, and a few marina's/restaurants just inside the inlet in/around the rail-road bridge (which is typically open, but very narrow). From here, most folks in our area make the rumb line to Block Island, however personally I have never done it (we run north, stay at Sandy Hook's 'horseshoe cove', then transit NYC harbor, the East River, into Long Island Sound. Also, one other storm-hole -- Shark River, just inside/past the bridges, there are places/marinas to tie-up, but it becomes quickly shallow therein, so be careful. Hope this helps...
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