I have just purchased a new Hunter 33.5 and will be sailing her home from Havre de Grace to Boston next Month. Having done all of my sailing in Boston and on Cape Cod Bay, I have never been this far south. Does anyone have any tips on negotiating the Delaware Chesapeake channel? Right now my plan is to sail out the Chesapeake Delaware channel, down the Delaware, around Cape May. I will stop in Cape May and spend some time on the Jersey shore before heading to Block Island and then on to the Cape Cod Canal. Any Tips are greatly appreciated.
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A
Augie Byllott
Inside Sandy Hook is a good stopover. Fuel dock and great free anchorage along with reasonably priced slips at the municipal marina, if you prefer. Nothing much except a few restaurants and grocery stores within walking distance if you use a slip or can dink ashore. If you plan a stopover to do some sightseeing in New York, Liberty Landing Marina is well protected and a bit pricey. They have a website that you can check. It's located on the New Jersey side of the harbor but there is a large water taxi (capacity about 30) that runs continuously. The fare is $5.00 per head, each way. If you plan to transit the East River to Long Island Sound, just be sure to time your arrival at Hell Gate with a flooding or slack tide. If you do, it will be a smooth run. A full ebb is about 4 knots in your face. I'm not familiar with the southern Connecticut harbors but there are great anchorages at every harbor on the north shore of Long Island on the way to Block Island. Tell us about your trip when you get home.
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S. Sauer
C&D Canal & Delaware Bay Leg
You will want to use the net to get the tide information before you leave Havre DeGrace, but it is most important to time your trip to catch the outgoing tide going down the Delaware, even if that means you are fighting the current in the C&D canal. You typically can't get both working for you. You can probably get from Havre DeGrace to the marinas in the Cape May Canal in one long day. If not, check out the mouth of the Cohancy River as a stop off anchorage if you can't make Cape May. Hold closer to the tower on the north side marking the entrance to the Cohancy, as there is a shoal making out from the marsh on the south side. Be aware of the Cape May / Lewes Delaware Ferrys using the landing just inside the Cape May Canal.
You will want to use the net to get the tide information before you leave Havre DeGrace, but it is most important to time your trip to catch the outgoing tide going down the Delaware, even if that means you are fighting the current in the C&D canal. You typically can't get both working for you. You can probably get from Havre DeGrace to the marinas in the Cape May Canal in one long day. If not, check out the mouth of the Cohancy River as a stop off anchorage if you can't make Cape May. Hold closer to the tower on the north side marking the entrance to the Cohancy, as there is a shoal making out from the marsh on the south side. Be aware of the Cape May / Lewes Delaware Ferrys using the landing just inside the Cape May Canal.
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Bill
Did part of it 2 weeks ago
We set sail in our new Catalina 320 from Tidewater to Forked River NJ over Memorial day weekend. Good info I got from folks at tidewater was to poke your nose out of the canal, into the Upper Delaware Bay, 3 and 1/2 hours after the tide was high at Delaware City MD. The Reeds book will give you the particulars if you wish to research. To acomplish this the best thing to do is to overnite at Engineers cove in the C&D. It's an approximately 3.5 - 4 hour trip to the cove from Tidewater. We got a late start (due to Memorial day traffic)and got into the Upper Delaware 5 hours late. We still gained 2 knots from the outgoing tide for more than an hour. The benifits of timing your exit from the C&D are mainly in the Upper Bay. Later in the afternoon, down bay further we experienced a loss of 3/4 knot bucking the tide. Passed, and were passed by, several large ships in the canal uneventfully. Give the railroad bridge tender a call to ensure his bridge is at it's 130 foot level. Left Tidewater marina at 6:30AM and arrived Cape May at 8:30PM: about 80NM. We went around Cape May believing that there is a fixed bridge with 55 foot clearance on the Cape May canal. Rough weather Monday, Memeorial Day made us layover in Atlantic City until the next weekend. Weather was nasty but boat and crew held up fine. Fair Winds to you SV Amanda Gail
We set sail in our new Catalina 320 from Tidewater to Forked River NJ over Memorial day weekend. Good info I got from folks at tidewater was to poke your nose out of the canal, into the Upper Delaware Bay, 3 and 1/2 hours after the tide was high at Delaware City MD. The Reeds book will give you the particulars if you wish to research. To acomplish this the best thing to do is to overnite at Engineers cove in the C&D. It's an approximately 3.5 - 4 hour trip to the cove from Tidewater. We got a late start (due to Memorial day traffic)and got into the Upper Delaware 5 hours late. We still gained 2 knots from the outgoing tide for more than an hour. The benifits of timing your exit from the C&D are mainly in the Upper Bay. Later in the afternoon, down bay further we experienced a loss of 3/4 knot bucking the tide. Passed, and were passed by, several large ships in the canal uneventfully. Give the railroad bridge tender a call to ensure his bridge is at it's 130 foot level. Left Tidewater marina at 6:30AM and arrived Cape May at 8:30PM: about 80NM. We went around Cape May believing that there is a fixed bridge with 55 foot clearance on the Cape May canal. Rough weather Monday, Memeorial Day made us layover in Atlantic City until the next weekend. Weather was nasty but boat and crew held up fine. Fair Winds to you SV Amanda Gail
M
Mark
Did you have your sails up?
I am curios. Did you motor most of the way? I assume you motored the canal. How about the Delaware River?
I am curios. Did you motor most of the way? I assume you motored the canal. How about the Delaware River?
J
J. Hrab
Mast Height
Would recommend two things: first check the current in the CD Canal and the clearance at the two Cape May Bridge. On my boat (Vision 32) I have 52 feet of clearance, without the antenna and wind indicator. I ripped those two right off and cut the mast light in half. The tide varies a lot at Cape May depending on the surge caused by storms or whatever. It is a fantastic trip and the Sandy Hook marina is first class. Should you need rigging or other adjustments on your boat check with Ed Mahon of Sandy Hook Yacht Sales (732) 530 5500, knowns all Hunter's (and a lot of others) by heart. Good luck. Jean
Would recommend two things: first check the current in the CD Canal and the clearance at the two Cape May Bridge. On my boat (Vision 32) I have 52 feet of clearance, without the antenna and wind indicator. I ripped those two right off and cut the mast light in half. The tide varies a lot at Cape May depending on the surge caused by storms or whatever. It is a fantastic trip and the Sandy Hook marina is first class. Should you need rigging or other adjustments on your boat check with Ed Mahon of Sandy Hook Yacht Sales (732) 530 5500, knowns all Hunter's (and a lot of others) by heart. Good luck. Jean
J
Jim
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay can be nasty if the wind is from the SE, with an outgoing tide. Would recommend that you NOT go if this is the wind. Have done the bay 14 times and it can be a very BAD ride if conditions are wrong. You can also cut close to shore at Cape May if you have to go around because of mast height. Look for Prissy Wicks Channel on the chart and go! Good Luck.
Delaware Bay can be nasty if the wind is from the SE, with an outgoing tide. Would recommend that you NOT go if this is the wind. Have done the bay 14 times and it can be a very BAD ride if conditions are wrong. You can also cut close to shore at Cape May if you have to go around because of mast height. Look for Prissy Wicks Channel on the chart and go! Good Luck.
B
Bill
Wind on my nose
Mark Wind was on my nose most of the trip. I motored to the canal & through the canal. (According to Paul M at Tidewater you must? motor the canal). Actually motored the whole trip. Put some sail up as I exited C&D but had to take them down within an hour due to wind shift. Motor sailed with the jib up on the northward leg from Cape May to Barnegat Inlet. I actually anchored for the night in the Delaware Bay a mile or so off of Cape May Villas. A little rocky but the anchor held. We rounded Cape May in the Fog and 6 foot seas. Were going to go close in around the Cape but my wife (and I) was worried about the concrete shipwreck at the tip. We stayed 2 to 3 miles off the cape west of Prissy wicket shoals keeping 30 feet of water under us until we could head north. Later that morning we heard that the Cape May canal (C&D?) was closed due to Fog. We are about 2 years into sailing and view ourselves as very novice so this trip was an adventure and exhilarating. Bill
Mark Wind was on my nose most of the trip. I motored to the canal & through the canal. (According to Paul M at Tidewater you must? motor the canal). Actually motored the whole trip. Put some sail up as I exited C&D but had to take them down within an hour due to wind shift. Motor sailed with the jib up on the northward leg from Cape May to Barnegat Inlet. I actually anchored for the night in the Delaware Bay a mile or so off of Cape May Villas. A little rocky but the anchor held. We rounded Cape May in the Fog and 6 foot seas. Were going to go close in around the Cape but my wife (and I) was worried about the concrete shipwreck at the tip. We stayed 2 to 3 miles off the cape west of Prissy wicket shoals keeping 30 feet of water under us until we could head north. Later that morning we heard that the Cape May canal (C&D?) was closed due to Fog. We are about 2 years into sailing and view ourselves as very novice so this trip was an adventure and exhilarating. Bill
M
Miles
A memorable cruise
Have made the trip thru C&D canal and down Delaware Bay at least 25 times.on deliveries, charters and personal cruises. It usually can be beautiful, but sometimes very nasty and uncomfortable. Mostly depending on the wind and weather.I don't know where to start to help with tips, but if interested E=mail me at milesanddorismeyer@msn.com I would be glad to answer your questions,give advice or since I am retired maybe able to join you for a couple of days,just for this part of your trip. Regardless go sailing and have fun!!!
Have made the trip thru C&D canal and down Delaware Bay at least 25 times.on deliveries, charters and personal cruises. It usually can be beautiful, but sometimes very nasty and uncomfortable. Mostly depending on the wind and weather.I don't know where to start to help with tips, but if interested E=mail me at milesanddorismeyer@msn.com I would be glad to answer your questions,give advice or since I am retired maybe able to join you for a couple of days,just for this part of your trip. Regardless go sailing and have fun!!!
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