Summer East Coast Round Trip

[Scott T-Bird]

Mmmm ... I don't think so ...

I am sure there are plenty of C22 sailors and other trailer sailors sailing out of this area that think this discussion is foolish.

Like you said, it's all opinion and up to each skipper.

You really don't find day sailors sailing off the coast of NJ, even in larger boats. I've spent plenty of time at the shore from Sandy Hook to Barnegat Inlet, and there just aren't day sailors out there. Small boats are fine if they can be pulled up on the beach, but I simply never see any boats the likes of a Catalina 22 sailing off the coast. The only time I really notice any sail boats offshore in that stretch of the sea shore is in the fall when the snowbirds are running south offshore.

The issue is the inlets (and lack thereof), the level of danger at the inlets, and the smallness of the boat when caught in dangerous situations. Sorry JK ... a Catalina 22 just isn't made for this kind of adventure. It's simply too vulnerable when you get outside the inlets and potentially can't get back in (unless you're willing to beach it, I suppose, then no problem if you don't mind a swim and a pitchpoling boat).

I can understand the allure of sailing the boat up to NYC, but I agree with Slaume that the better way to do it is to tow it to Raritan Bay and sail Raritan Bay and New York Harbor. NY Harbor will be a very rough ride for a Cat 22, given the traffic, but certainly many smaller boats are sailing there ... but even there, I would suggest that the far greater majority of small boats are more like a Catalina 25. I believe there is a State Park ramp at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City that is pretty convenient to use.

 

[YOLO]

Thank you all for your advice and input.

I should clear a couple of things up as I know my original post was a bit vague.

I am not too new to sailing. I am new to the Catalina, but have owned and puddle hopped on a 76 Victory 21, a homemade Snipe, and a 73 MacGreggor 22.

Back in 1999 I restored and sailed a Victory 21 for about a year, only getting on the water every month or so.

After selling Victory 21, I bought a barely started Homemade Snipe project, finished it, and sailed it a little over the next few years.

In 2008, I came across the hull of a 73 MacGreggor 22 sitting in a field, being used as a dumpster. I talked the owner into selling it to me for $1. I spent a years and a half restoring it, and sailed it on local lakes at least once a week, for a few years.

I sold the MacGreggor, and recently bought the Catalina 22. I put it on the water for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and as I own my own biz, and can work on the go, I will likely be on the lake twice a week from now until the trip in June.

I have purposely put myself in some of the roughest conditions our local puddles can offer, and we are planning a few days of sailing around Savannah and Tybee Island before June. I would say, as puddle hopping goes, I am pretty experienced. But as for the ICW, Chesapeake, and coastal cruising, I am a newbie. I am certain I would remain within the ICW everywhere I can, but the stretch to Sandy Hook is unavoidable.

Also, I wont be alone. My fiance will be aboard. Though she is not experienced yet, she is going to be out with me on every trip from now until then.

 

[AXEL]

OP, does your boat have a swing keel or fixed?

 

[YOLO]

It's a swing keel, with a friction bolt.

 

[dj2210]

I've sailed Barnegat inlet to Manasquan inlet and also Barnegat inlet to Sandy Hook. Barnegat can get kinda rough depending on tides and wind. We went out there once with some big rollers. The 26 ft sailboat with outboard that was in our group would appear one minute (crest) and then disappear the next (trough). The problem he had was the outboard prop staying under water. The trip to Sandy Hook from Barnegat takes most, if not all of the daylight hours. That was in a 34ft sailboat. We use to stay pretty close to shore. Beautiful ride on a nice day. The bay south of Barnegat has a narrow channel unless you can sail in 1-2 ft of water. Sandy Hook has some good anchorage on the inside.

 

[AXEL]

It's a swing keel, with a friction bolt.

It sounds like you would be pushing your boat to max limit going off -shore. Maybe an experienced sailor who knew exactly what to expect but even then he would have his hands full. My experience sailing from Long Island to NJ was the wind picked up close to shore, gusty compared to several miles off, maybe due to the thermal’s off the land. The temp got warmer as we got closer to land. How are you with seasickness? If you’re not use to the ocean swells there is a good chance it will happen. In a boat your size you have to keep your hands on the tiller. Seasickness off-shore can be like having convulsions. I know, been there. In particular coming out of Cape May inlet sailing up to Atlantic City on a not so nice day. I was sailing next to an Island Packet 27 and could see his prop (full keel boat) coming out of the water as we porpoised thru the inlet.
If you get a good weather window it is doable but I don't think I'd do it without some off shore experience. I saw a C22 once capsize in the bay (Great South Bay, L.I.) on a windy day. It had a swing keel and did NOT right itself for a good while.

 

[Bad Obsession]

The ocean can be very rough but, again, don't underestimate the Chesapeake Bay. There are some NASTY places if the weather turns. The Stretch near Smith Point and Point Lookout can be horrible. I have seen the waves driven by a North West wind going against a strong current. I would not want to be on a Catalina 22 when the conditions were like that. It doesn't take long for the waves to build and once they get over 25 knots the waves get huge. I took breakers on the cabin top of my Catalina 30 in that area.

You are an experienced sailor by your account, but this trip has a severe element of danger.

Another suggestion is to try your hand at Chesapeake Bay sailing. You can cruise that area for MONTHS and not see every place. There are places there that are very unique.

 

[tommays]

Over the last 50++ years i have had my AZZ kicked on boats from <18 to >40 feet Broadkill Beach on Delaware Bay to all the water around Long Island on bad days


Other than conditions with breaking waves the real issues are fuel range, COLD and fatigue




I have never been colder in my life than on a bad day on the ocean south of Long Island and to honest just using the bathroom becomes a fairly big problem as your going to be on some 24 hour 2+ day legs to make this trip at 22' boat speed


ALL OCEAN INLETS up here even on perfect days require the correct current flow to enter or leave


At most you can carry 12 gallons of fuel safely as i traveled by J24 all over for many years and the J24 is giant compared to a C22

While ship traffic is not apparent while laying on the sand at Jones Beach after two long Island circumnavigations the freaking shipping and fishing traffic is a huge area of concern

 

[RECESS]

You might make your fiancé hate sailing on this trip if she is inexperienced.

Norfolk to a marina in N.J. is a 6 or 7 hour drive in your truck. You could put the boat in the water in Norfolk, have the fiancé follow you as you drive your truck and trailer to a marina in N.J. Leave it there. Drive back down and take the trip up the ICW, duck out when the weather is good on the journey up. Pull the boat in N.J. Drive it to the Hudson and put it in. It is not that much fuel to do it and it leaves you a lot of options.