I just purchased a 33' sailboat (draft 4'3") that is currently located in Riverside, NJ. I plan to move the boat to Forked River, NJ. I've never traveled the Delaware River, Delaware Bay or ICW below Forked River. If you have, do you have any tips, pointers? How long will the trip take? Things to watch out for, etc?
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2 Full or 3 Days
Did the trip 3 Years ago now in mid July. Left Winters 7 PM a half hour before High Tide. Ran the river at Night with the outgoing Tide (Primary reason was to escape the summer heat) geting to the Mouth of the Bay a littel after Sunrise and arrived in Cape May a little after 3PM. Next day left the Break Water at Sunrise and ran up the Coast making Barnegett Inlet about 4 PM and Forked River at 7 (got hung up on the Oster Creek Channel ... it had closed up and was in the process of being Dredged!) That Senerio is the 2 Day Trip ... the More sain trip is 3. Holding up in Salem. Dangers - Shipping Trafic moving at 20 kts - Stay to the outside of the Channel. - Shols in Deleware Bay - Take the cut vs going arround Cape May. Huff Cat 6009 30 TRBS Tall Oaks Forked River NJ huffcat1@aol.com
Did the trip 3 Years ago now in mid July. Left Winters 7 PM a half hour before High Tide. Ran the river at Night with the outgoing Tide (Primary reason was to escape the summer heat) geting to the Mouth of the Bay a littel after Sunrise and arrived in Cape May a little after 3PM. Next day left the Break Water at Sunrise and ran up the Coast making Barnegett Inlet about 4 PM and Forked River at 7 (got hung up on the Oster Creek Channel ... it had closed up and was in the process of being Dredged!) That Senerio is the 2 Day Trip ... the More sain trip is 3. Holding up in Salem. Dangers - Shipping Trafic moving at 20 kts - Stay to the outside of the Channel. - Shols in Deleware Bay - Take the cut vs going arround Cape May. Huff Cat 6009 30 TRBS Tall Oaks Forked River NJ huffcat1@aol.com
Delaware Bay - Nasty piece of water
Having transited the Bay twice, I would offer that you watch the prevailing winds and current. We got hammered one time going up the bay with current and wind opposed. The other passage down to Cape May was OK. There is no good place to anchor/dock in Delaware Bay. There is one river on the east side, but it didn't appear convienent, so I didn't try it. The cut at Cape May has a 50-55' bridge- can't remember the exact height. We couldn't take it, mast too high. Barnegat Inlet is known bad. I would not try it without local knowledge. I never ran the ICW in Barnaget Bay either, but I think you can run up to Forked River from Atlantic City. Atlantic City is an easy inlet and safe. Good luck. Rich
Having transited the Bay twice, I would offer that you watch the prevailing winds and current. We got hammered one time going up the bay with current and wind opposed. The other passage down to Cape May was OK. There is no good place to anchor/dock in Delaware Bay. There is one river on the east side, but it didn't appear convienent, so I didn't try it. The cut at Cape May has a 50-55' bridge- can't remember the exact height. We couldn't take it, mast too high. Barnegat Inlet is known bad. I would not try it without local knowledge. I never ran the ICW in Barnaget Bay either, but I think you can run up to Forked River from Atlantic City. Atlantic City is an easy inlet and safe. Good luck. Rich
Oyster Creek
Can't tell you much about Delaware Bay but I have made a couple of trips from Forked River to Cape May and back. It takes me 12-14 hrs from Cape May to Forked River - depending on the wind. The Oyster Creek Canal was dredged about two years ago and is well marked. It does curve around in spots. Once in the inlet you will hug the north jetty. Make a sharp 90 and run past the lighthouse. The actual canal starts perpendicular to the lighthouse. Low and high tide in the bay are about 2 hrs after high and low at the inlet which means you will see slack water at those times. I dont think the current ever gets over 3knots however. Also Forked River was dredged last year too so there is plenty of water. A stop at AC can be made if the weather does not hold (7 hrs trip from Cape May). Stay at the state marina at Trump Marina. -nice place but pricey- $4.00 a foot in season. Good Luck BTY where in Forked River will you dock? George S/V Windswept _/)
Can't tell you much about Delaware Bay but I have made a couple of trips from Forked River to Cape May and back. It takes me 12-14 hrs from Cape May to Forked River - depending on the wind. The Oyster Creek Canal was dredged about two years ago and is well marked. It does curve around in spots. Once in the inlet you will hug the north jetty. Make a sharp 90 and run past the lighthouse. The actual canal starts perpendicular to the lighthouse. Low and high tide in the bay are about 2 hrs after high and low at the inlet which means you will see slack water at those times. I dont think the current ever gets over 3knots however. Also Forked River was dredged last year too so there is plenty of water. A stop at AC can be made if the weather does not hold (7 hrs trip from Cape May). Stay at the state marina at Trump Marina. -nice place but pricey- $4.00 a foot in season. Good Luck BTY where in Forked River will you dock? George S/V Windswept _/)
Thanks!!
Thanks for all of the responses. I've decided to hire a captain to do the delivery with me... I think I'll learn a lot and be a little less apprehensive about the trip this way. Thanks!
Thanks for all of the responses. I've decided to hire a captain to do the delivery with me... I think I'll learn a lot and be a little less apprehensive about the trip this way. Thanks!
I've done this!
Kathy, My guess is that you're at Winters or Riverside Marina. Our boat is in Somers Point and I have made that trip a few times. Figure, it is an overnighter to Cape May. [stay at Canyon Club if you can get a transient slip]. It is a 7 hour sail or motor to Ocean City from there. Barnegat inlet / bay is a long 3rd day maybe longer. This time of year the ocean can be rough, so running from Cape May to Barnegat in one long shot is not recommended for the faint hearted. Ok. The Deaware River itself is easy if you play the tide. But be careful of partially submerged debris, logs, barrels etc. It is well marked though. The stretch around Salem in Delaware Bay has shoals, so follow the charts carefully. I'd stay just outside of the shipping channel favoring the Delaware side. If the weather is foggy or there are rough seas, I'd forego travellling on the bay until conditions get better. There are some rivers you can duck into on the Delaware side as I recall and drop the hook. Whatever you do, Do not anchor near the the shipping lanes traffic is usually very heavy . .big swells and wakes too. From Cape May it's North up the coast. This time of year I would stay over night in Ocean City or Somers Point though.I can recommend soe marinas there if yiou like. Then up to Barnegat . .probably a 12-14 hour run. Fred Miller S/V M- Squared Feel free to e-mail me if you need more info.
Kathy, My guess is that you're at Winters or Riverside Marina. Our boat is in Somers Point and I have made that trip a few times. Figure, it is an overnighter to Cape May. [stay at Canyon Club if you can get a transient slip]. It is a 7 hour sail or motor to Ocean City from there. Barnegat inlet / bay is a long 3rd day maybe longer. This time of year the ocean can be rough, so running from Cape May to Barnegat in one long shot is not recommended for the faint hearted. Ok. The Deaware River itself is easy if you play the tide. But be careful of partially submerged debris, logs, barrels etc. It is well marked though. The stretch around Salem in Delaware Bay has shoals, so follow the charts carefully. I'd stay just outside of the shipping channel favoring the Delaware side. If the weather is foggy or there are rough seas, I'd forego travellling on the bay until conditions get better. There are some rivers you can duck into on the Delaware side as I recall and drop the hook. Whatever you do, Do not anchor near the the shipping lanes traffic is usually very heavy . .big swells and wakes too. From Cape May it's North up the coast. This time of year I would stay over night in Ocean City or Somers Point though.I can recommend soe marinas there if yiou like. Then up to Barnegat . .probably a 12-14 hour run. Fred Miller S/V M- Squared Feel free to e-mail me if you need more info.
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