Maine to Florida

[jrs1958]

Hi
I am driving to Maine with my wife and two toy poodles to hopefully survey and purchase a Krogen Manatee.
My question is how long should it take to get to the lower Chesapeake at a leisurely pace?
Are there any things or tips that I should be aware of. We plan to anchor out when possible.
If the weather is iffy, can I go the inside route through NJ. The Manatee draws 3.2'.
Also are there any other Manatee owners that can tell me the bridge clearance with the mast up?
Thanks,
Rick

 

[DavidM]

Starting at Portland:


Portland to Gloucester
Gloucester to Onset, Mass
Onset to Block Island
BI to Mystic River, Fishers Island, etc
MR to Lloyd Point, NY
LP to Statue of Liberty State Park anchorage
Statue of Liberty to Barnegat Inlet
Barnegat to Cape May
Cape May to Annapolis
Annapolis to Smith Point


You can anchor at most of these places. This itinerary is based on long 60-70 NM days. You can probably do it now, but in a month when the days are shorter you probably are going to require a couple of more days.


David

 

[jrs1958]

Is the only open water NJ coast?

 

[psneeld]

No, from Manasquan River to Cape May has an intracoastal that desperately needs dredging.


But at less than 4 foot draft, you shouldn't have any more issues than any place else if you travel the last 3 hrs of a rising tide and first 3 of a falling tide.


Many snow birders and loopers have come by this year reporting the usual, no unusual...so most of the channel should be passable.


Like the rest of the ICWs, there are sandbars that extend into the channel so yes, if in doubt, slow down.


There are also inlets that are quite easy to run in anything than a noreaster, such as Townsends Inlet just north of Avalon. The charts have it marked but not charted...yet the buoys hardly ever move and it is a straight shot in and out between a rockpile and sandbar, and is 12-50 feet deep at low tide.


So don't be afraid of NJ as there are some great places to stop if you like typical , summer shore towns...but you can also inlet hop pretty easy as well.


One slight edit to David's itinerary...Cape May to Annapolis id a touch over 120 NM IIRC, usually people stop near the C&D canal. Either Delaware City, Summit North, or Chesapeake City which is my favorite of the 3.


Plan on departing Cape May a couple hours after the low and you can ride 1.5 to 2.5 knots of incoming tide all the way to the C&D if you are a 6-7 knot boat. The next morning though you do fight the currents in the canal and northern Chesapeake...but they are nothing like the Delaware River.

 

[jrs1958]

Great info!
Thanks

 

[cardude01]

Welcome. You have come to the right place for info on your possible trip.
Hope the dealio works out. Manatees are cool, if you have thick skin.
Just kidding! I like weird boats too!

 

[roger howell]

Hi,
We've done the trip from Casco Bay Maine to the mid Chesapeake many times, average 15 travel days in a 7 knot boat. Manhasset Bay (free moorings) is a good staging area for Hell Gate, and Great Kills on Staten Island a good place to depart for the Jersey coast. Barnegat Bay was OK last spring on our northward transit, but beware of belligerent boaters on the weekends. The basin at Chesapeake City has silted in a lot, the Marina at Delaware City is a good alternative. We buy fuel at Sea Fuels in New Bedford Ma, good clean and cheap, just wait for the fish boats to leave. We usually buy another 100 gallons at Utsch's in Cape May, but the best price is on the Elizabeth River at Top Rack Marine in Virginia.

Enjoy the trip, we are headed south ourselves again starting late next week.

Roger

 

[DavidM]

psneed is absolutely right. I forgot to note the Chesapeake City stop where we normally stop in between Cape May and Annapolis.


And although I have not done the Jersey ICW from Manasquan to Cape May, my buddy has. He has a 3-1/2' draft boat and he said it was doable but a bit nerve wracking because it was narrow and required constant attention. Outside is much easier.


David

 

[healhustler]

Rick: Good luck with your purchase of a Krogen Manatee here in good ole Florida. Meanwhile, I checked the original Manatee Brochure and drawings and found nothing on the actual air draft with the mast up, but they all came with a set up that allowed it to be lowered. I also had an original mast on my own boat, but opted for a dinghy crane and a much shorter mast for electronics only. I don't recall measuring the air draft on the old mast, but there is an old sticker on the helm dashboard that reads 22'6" minimum bridge height.

There's at least a half dozen other Manatee owners on this site. Make sure you keep us informed on your progress toward ownership.

 

[jrs1958]

Love this site. Tons of tips and advice.
Thanks!

 

[ranger58sb]

.
My question is how long should it take to get to the lower Chesapeake at a leisurely pace?

If "leisurely pace" can include some sightseeing...

After Chesapeake City on the C&D Canal.. You might want to consider port calls at Rock Hall, Annapolis, Deale, and Solomons Island as you pass through this neck of the woods.

And also nearby even if slightly further off a straight-line course, Havre d'Grace, Baltimore, St. Michaels, Oxford, Cambridge...


-Chris

 

[bayview]

Mid September to early October often offer some of the best cruising in the NE with usually settled weather, crystal clear days, less crowds than summer and higher tides ( verify that is still true ). November brings colder weather and storms