Rock Hall, MD to Lewes, DE This Weekend

[bnort3]

I'm a new/novice sailor with a new (used) 36 foot Beneteau planning to go from Rock Hall to Lewes, DE this weekend. Got great input from you folks on things to consider: tides on C&D Canal, where to stay, etc. So, I took all that advice and came up with the following Float Plan. Please review and let me know if it is on the mark.

1. Depart Rock Hall Saturday morning @ 6 am to catch the incoming tide heading north

2. Arrive Summit North Marina at 2:30 pm (roughly assumes 8.5 hours @ 5 knots/hour) to be there just before high tide @ 3:13 pm.

3. Depart Summit North Marina Sunday morning @ 3:30 am (an hour before high tide at Reedy Point and 2.0 hours before sunrise) to catch ougoing tide down Delaware Bay.

See attached tide charts in XL file. Hopefully the winds and weather will cooperate. Any thing else I should consider??

Please let me know,

THANKS!

 

[tommays]

What kind of experance do you have running a boat in the dark as it takes some time to become good at it ?

 

[Ron20324]

Bnort3, is Lewes your final overall destination? I'd be anxious to hear about docking in Lewes or are you staying in the HOR? I plan to do the DelMarVa circle, so am taking notes.

 

[bnort3]

Perfect question and one I'm concerned about. I have very, very little experience running a boat in the dark, none with my new boat. I was under the impression that the D&C canal had night lights and that by the time I get to the DE bay the sun would be rising. Do you know if the C&D has night lights?

 

[bnort3]

Lewes is final destination for a week. They have transient slips at their new "Canal Park" with sufficient draft that I have reserved. You can check it out on the internet @ http://www.ci.lewes.de.us/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.cityparksandbeaches. They are right on the canal in downtown Lewes. I'm then headed over to Cape May and hoping to keep the boat there or somewhere else in South Jersey for a month or two then I'm headed bach to Rock Hall.

 

[RichH]

Be careful of the unlit secondary channel buoys near the eastern 'entrance' of the C&D and along the NJ shore (Salem Nuclear Plant) ... as they are very hard to see in the darkness and the 'light dazzle' from the Nuclear plant). If you have a Chartplotter with the 'latest' charting upgrades, etc. ... will be easier to find; but, do 'watch your drift' if the tide is 'early'. Since there has been a LOT of rain recently in the Delaware Valley drainage, expect to have a LOT of outflow current - watch your drift when exiting the canals eastern end.

When transiting the canal, keep your VHF on Ch13 so you can keep track of large commercial traffic and to be sure of the status of the 'railroad lift bridge' that crosses the canal. The C&D is quite deep 'right up to the sides' ... if you need to 'get over to the side' and let a large ship pass. The Del. Bay can be 'busy' with large commercial traffic ... when in doubt use Ch13 to contact these vessels. BTW- Sailing NOT permitted in the C&D.

When returning and *if at night* be sure to Listen to Ch13 for advisories of ship traffic, RR bridge status ..... and be especially watchful of the sidelights that 'line the canal', as 'missing' lights usually mean SHIP !!!! Be watchful of the signal lights at each end of the canal that signify 'closed' or 'open', as you dont want to be in the canal with a full current ... and find that that RR bridge is down. When returning and you miss 'slack water' when entering the canal, be wary of the strong currents in the river .... watch your drift!!!!!!

Have a 'good' trip.

 

[bnort3]

Wow, RichH. You're educating and scaring the hell out of me, which is good. Better to learn here than when a tanker is comin at me. I was planning to limit night run to the canal only as I've heard that it has night lights. So, if I leave Summit North at 3:30, I've got 2 hours to get to Reedy Point. Do you think I'll arrive there sooner? At that time, it looks like the tide will still be coming in so I'll be going against the tide.

I have a GPS chip, but it is probably from 2001.

Re: the bridge, I'm assuming the railroad lift bridge is left open unless in use. Right? Are they're any other bridges I should be aware of.

Can I get a headlamp/light for night running?

This is getting more treacherous with every post!

 

[tommays]

No headlights

The hard part is confusing shore lights with boat lights and peoples night vision has a pretty BIG range from good to bad

 

[bnort3]

I guess it would be nice if there was a full moon. Also, it sounds like I should stay near the sides of the canal to be clear of the SUPER tanker.

Any idea how much tanker traffic there would be @ 3 am Sunday morning? is there anyway I can find out the scheduled traffic?

 

[bffatcat]

night transits

Takes lots of experience. Unless you have a crew thats experienced at night sailing I would avoid it. Im from further north and am not familiar with the current in your area, but I its
definitely safer to start after its light and spend some time motoring against the current unless
you have an experienced night crew aboard.

 

[bnort3]

Re: night transits

Thanks bffatcat, I'm quickly coming to that conclusion. I'm a quick learner, but MAIN thing is safety of crew and vessel. I see that sunrise is at 5:37... "begin civil twilight" is at 5:05 am. Maybe I'll just sleep in and leave at 4:30 - 5 am.

 

[RichH]

Not intending to scare you at all, but thought that explaining the 'foilbles' will actually make it easier.

2 hours should get you to Reedy Point ... normally; but, with the present higher water coming down the Delaware (lots of rain) it may take a bit longer as the Del. River 'controls' the current and tide in the canal. With higher than normal water in the Delaware, the high tides can be 'earlier' and stronger than 'calculated'.
The present 'flow' on the Delaware (Riegelsville PA) is running at 12ft. (flood stage is 22 ft.) so there is a LOT of volume currently coming down the Del. http://newweb.erh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=phi&gage=rgln4&view=1,1,1,1,1,1 you can use this website to check closer tide/current stations along the Delaware and closer to the C&D. I use the Reigelsville station as the river there is very narrow and gives a better estimate of the 'flow'.
This shouldn't be a problem if you are advised and are expecting higher than normal 'flow'. Will definitely give you a 'boost' going down the upper part of Del. Bay, just watch your sideways drift when going 'across the flow' when you exit the C&D at Reedy Point.

Its very easy to 'lose sight' of a big ship in the C&D at night ... because their running lights are 'so high off the water' and are thus easy to 'overlook' when they get mixed in with the prominent buildings, plants, bridges, etc. ... so look 'up' as well as looking ahead so you dont 'miss' a big ship coming through (what you usually see first is their 'shadow' blocking the sidelights); Towboats with barges are lower and easier to see. At night, I usually contact them all on Ch13, ... just to let them know where I am.

The railroad bridge (the only lift bridge on the canal) is normally up and only lowers when a train is coming. This is the only rail connection to the DelMarVa peninsula ... usually opens/lowers twice per day on average. If you listen on Ch13 the canals 'control' at Town Point will advise in plenty of time when the bridge is soon to be coming down. If you dont know this, it can make life 'interesting' if the current is high in the canal and you are heading toward the bridge - dont ask how I know this.

If the tide at the Reedy Point end is 'early' you can have the beginning of cross currents as you cross over into the main shipping channel on the Del. River. If its dark and you are unaware or un-expecting of this cross current you can easily drift sideways and not realize it.

The unlit red nuns on the NJ side, are easily 'lost' from view due to the 'dazzle' of light at the nuclear plant, so, if you are not in the main shipping channel, do use a searchlight to find these buoys.

All this is just 'local knowledge' from regularly using the C&D for many many years. I thought such advice would make your trip - easier.

 

[Ron20324]

June 27 is Canal Day in Chesapeake City.

 

[bnort3]

Fabulous insights. Just wish you were on the boat while I do it!

 

[RichH]

.... these are all from 'stupid mistakes' Ive made going through the C&D canal over the years.

I'm sure you'll advise others of other 'anomalies' once you finish your trip and 'pay it forward' to others.

 

[RichH]

Delaware River / Philadelphia (Pier 22) ACTUAL (real time) tide info
http://newweb.erh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=phi&gage=phbp1&view=1,1,1,1,1,1

 

[Ross]

It is never fully dark along the canal and twilight starts one hour before sunrise. Sunrise for Lewes Delaware for this is about 0535. So by 0435 there will be enough light to work and move about. Somehow I don't think serious dark will be a factor.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Can I get a headlamp/light for night running?

Great help here, but beware using anything that's not a regular navigation light on your boat. There was a thread about this here just this week. KISS, you seem to have figured out the timing to do it during light hours.

 

[Ron20324]

Sounds like you should look at some C&D websites if you haven't already. There are streetlight-like lamps all along the waterway, set back and up from waterlevel. Probably not intended to replace sunlight, they look like they out to help light up a freighter? Wish i could be there, too.

 

[s sauer]

I've run this route about once a year, and Rich's comments on the the canal are right on track. There is adequate room for large ships to pass and still room for you too.
I'd not start out before sunrise. While you want to exit the canal with the Delaware current running down, you do have to respect the drift so you don't slide downstream of the first channel marker onto that shoal to starboard. I'd also cross over to the Salem Nuclear Plant side and stay out of the main channel going down. Our destination is usually the Cohansey River and I've only been into Lewis twice and Cape May twice.
Just be aware of the river current and plan your return accirdingly. Running against the current in the C&D canal isn't too bad if you stay out of the middle and there is more than sufficient depth out to the sides almost everywhere. Don't run this route at night untill you have more experience and have at least one other person as a look out at all times when large ships could be present. Canal Days is an Alcohol fueled event. Be aware of the possibility of lots of boats, sail and power in the Canal that weekend.