Thinking about possible destinations for next summer and am intrigued by the idea of visiting Philly by boat. I’d be going from the Patapsco River (outside Baltimore) through the C&D and then up the Delaware River. I’ve been down to Cape May and back but never further up the Delaware then the C&D. Anyone have any local knowledge of the upper Delaware they’d care to share. I figure it would be mostly motoring with lots of commercial traffic to keep me company.
Philadelphia
- Thread starter Pagan Baby
- Start date
I too am fascinated by river and canal travel. I think I'll tag along. Sorry I can't contribute more to this journey.
-Will (Dragonfly)
-Will (Dragonfly)
IIRC, the cruising guide says it is 39 miles from the C&D to Philly. /// . From Ft McHenry it says 45 miles to C&D / Chesapeake City.. Get to the marina at Chesapeake city or the one on the north shore, stay overnight and top off or pump out. Leave early in the A.M. Catch the DE Bay incoming tide.
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I have been looking into a similar trip, but not as far north as Philly. Old New Castle would be my destination. There is this old, original tavern (Jessop's) that is just the perfect reason for a boat trip. The local knowledge I have acquired so far is that there is a lot of current, no good places to anchor, dirty/nasty water and lots of commercial traffic. Looking at the charts, there are also quite afew underwater bulkheads and other obstacles to watch out for. Not sure its worth the risks for a meal. Hopefully others with more knowledge will chime in.
Are there any good places to dock for a recreational boat in Philadelphia? I’ve been to Penns Landing (by land) and don’t recall seeing any rec boater facilities. It all seems industrial and commercial, from what I’ve seen. There are some private marinas south of Philadelphia outside the city, but I didn’t recall any visitor attractions nearby.
Greetings. I am a local. I keep my boat across the river from North Philadelphia, and have made the trip to and from the bay more than fourty times.
Philadelphia as a destination - there is a great deal to do in Philadelphia, people travel from all over the world (and particularly the US) to visit it. A tremendous amount of history, several great museums (Phila Art Museum, Franklin Institute, Rodin Sculpture, etc. , Old town / Liberty Bell, many great restaurants, concerts classical and pop, funky street life (South street on a Saturday night), night clubs (some on the waterfront), etc. Check TripAdvisor or any travel resource.
Marinas - unfortunately the options have gotten worse in the last couple years.
The web sites on the internet look to be mostly out of date........
Philadelphia Marine Center is closed permanently (for a year now) for redevelopment. Have not heard future plans yet.
Slips next to Dave and Buster's restaurant are silted in with mud and not usable for several years now.
Penns Landing is still a functioning marina, but most of their slips are now permanent season tenants, I understand they maintain three or four transient slips (call them for reservation). Be advised there are no restroom facilities (except public restroom across the way in the park (yuck). Be prepared to head/shower on your boat. Facility is safe, the promenade is locked at night with access only to marina guests. Nice onsite manager in the summer time. Great location, great access to the city.
Pier 5 (actually pier 3 & 5) marina - this small marina is between the blue waterfront pier/condo's pier 3, 4 and 5. It is run by the Delaware Waterfront Corporation. Most slips are for annual season but they have a few transient slips (call to check reservation). This is NOT a luxury marina, though you would think it is; temper your expectations. There was a small head at pier 5 last time I went. The location however, cannot be beat, you are right on Delaware Ave with access to taxi/Uber/Lyft and subway is a few blocks away. Staff may or may not be onsite, but are available by phone.
Travel to/from Phila. The key is to be aware of the tidal current. Stage yourself at Delaware City for the night. Go to Crabby Dick's restaurant for a fun/funky meal. Nice management at Delaware City Marina (highly recommended). Clean (if small) shore heads, locked gates in the evening, diesel/gas available, nice small marine store and gift shop. This is a key stopover for the Great Loop travelers.
Time your trip up the river and back with the current, it is the difference between 8 kts (6 hours), and 4.5 kts (10 hours). Yes, it is 95% motoring and a commercial/industrial waterway. No marina options along the way except at Tinnicum (just below Phila airport) behind the barrier island - by then you are almost at Philadelphia.
The path is very clearly marked (buoyed), and wide. Ocean going ships transit all the time, and plenty of room for you to stay out of the way. Just watch your chart plotter for the shallows. Yes there is one submerged bulkhead just above Del City, it is well out of the way and not an issue.
After a heavy rain, watch for logs/wood in the water.
Given that you have a reservation at one of the options above, enjoy the city. It has much to offer any age.
Just power through the industrial river. No different than in/out the Patapsco, just longer.
Hope that helps.
Philadelphia as a destination - there is a great deal to do in Philadelphia, people travel from all over the world (and particularly the US) to visit it. A tremendous amount of history, several great museums (Phila Art Museum, Franklin Institute, Rodin Sculpture, etc. , Old town / Liberty Bell, many great restaurants, concerts classical and pop, funky street life (South street on a Saturday night), night clubs (some on the waterfront), etc. Check TripAdvisor or any travel resource.
Marinas - unfortunately the options have gotten worse in the last couple years.
The web sites on the internet look to be mostly out of date........
Philadelphia Marine Center is closed permanently (for a year now) for redevelopment. Have not heard future plans yet.
Slips next to Dave and Buster's restaurant are silted in with mud and not usable for several years now.
Penns Landing is still a functioning marina, but most of their slips are now permanent season tenants, I understand they maintain three or four transient slips (call them for reservation). Be advised there are no restroom facilities (except public restroom across the way in the park (yuck). Be prepared to head/shower on your boat. Facility is safe, the promenade is locked at night with access only to marina guests. Nice onsite manager in the summer time. Great location, great access to the city.
Pier 5 (actually pier 3 & 5) marina - this small marina is between the blue waterfront pier/condo's pier 3, 4 and 5. It is run by the Delaware Waterfront Corporation. Most slips are for annual season but they have a few transient slips (call to check reservation). This is NOT a luxury marina, though you would think it is; temper your expectations. There was a small head at pier 5 last time I went. The location however, cannot be beat, you are right on Delaware Ave with access to taxi/Uber/Lyft and subway is a few blocks away. Staff may or may not be onsite, but are available by phone.
Travel to/from Phila. The key is to be aware of the tidal current. Stage yourself at Delaware City for the night. Go to Crabby Dick's restaurant for a fun/funky meal. Nice management at Delaware City Marina (highly recommended). Clean (if small) shore heads, locked gates in the evening, diesel/gas available, nice small marine store and gift shop. This is a key stopover for the Great Loop travelers.
Time your trip up the river and back with the current, it is the difference between 8 kts (6 hours), and 4.5 kts (10 hours). Yes, it is 95% motoring and a commercial/industrial waterway. No marina options along the way except at Tinnicum (just below Phila airport) behind the barrier island - by then you are almost at Philadelphia.
The path is very clearly marked (buoyed), and wide. Ocean going ships transit all the time, and plenty of room for you to stay out of the way. Just watch your chart plotter for the shallows. Yes there is one submerged bulkhead just above Del City, it is well out of the way and not an issue.
After a heavy rain, watch for logs/wood in the water.
Given that you have a reservation at one of the options above, enjoy the city. It has much to offer any age.
Just power through the industrial river. No different than in/out the Patapsco, just longer.
Hope that helps.
Very nice description Andre.
It has been many years since I visited, but had a very enjoyable last visit to the Franklin Institute. It is one of the great museums. Besides you can run up the stairs out front and do your "Rocky" selfie at the top.
It has been many years since I visited, but had a very enjoyable last visit to the Franklin Institute. It is one of the great museums. Besides you can run up the stairs out front and do your "Rocky" selfie at the top.
My "Club Beneteau Chesapeak Bay" (CB2 for short) sailing club left the (Summers?) marina on the north shore of the C&D around 10:30 at night, going toward the DE Bay so we'd catch the outgoing tide down the bay & river. The guys in the bigger boats could be heard complaning on the radio that the green markers were not lit , and they had almost hit one or more. Me being the smallest boat, a B323, finally offered on the VHF what I was doing, keeping out of the channel with the lit red lights on my right side . No worries, mate.
Thanks AndreNJ11, that’s the kind of info I‘ve been looking for. I figured that working the tidal currents would be important but couldn’t find much information on the web (not that I looked real hard) about marinas. Penns Landing was the only one I found but a first hand account Is much more informative then a web page.
thanks!