Penn's Landing Philadelphia

Has anyone cruised up to Philadelphia? We are looking to head up from Wildwood NJ. It looks like we can dock at Penn's Landing. We are cruising on a 43' Trawler. Docking in Philly looks like it could be a lot of fun but I can't seem to find much talk about it on the internet.

Recent users on Active Captain speak favorably. No showers or bathrooms though. Great location.

David

We spent 10 days there in 2014. Well protected marina, water and electric available; showers and toilets are a long walk. Some tour boat activity, but not terribly disruptive or disturbing (evening departures, night returns). Their reputation when we went was it was shallow, we draw 4'8" and did kick up mud in some areas of the marina. One of the high points of our loop.

My Dad served on the SS319 Becuna which is on display there. Worth a visit.

We've been amazed how seldom East Coast cruisers go to Philadelphia or even mention it. It seems that most only use the Delaware River to get to the Chesapeake.

CWO KPM said:

My Dad served on the SS319 Becuna which is on display there. Worth a visit.

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I toured the Becuna! It was great. I love submarines!
Our guide was ex-Uboat. That was a little spooky.

The Delaware River is not all that pretty until you get upstream well past Philly. That said, my town is a pretty nice place to visit. Penn's Landing and the couple nearby marinas are not the only choices. Those of you who are yacht club members should see if the Corinthian Yacht Club in Essington PA will honor your club for reciprocity. A pretty YC worth checking out is Riverton in Riverton NJ (mostly a small sailboat club in a lovely ferry terminal building).

The Delaware is notably tidal; pay attention to 'em.

Lots of historical things to do and see.

The river is full of hazards, but if big ships can make it, just pay attention.

Active Captain can provide decent pkaces to stay near what you want to visit.

Spent a week there last summer. Great stop lot's of history. Call to make sure sp[ace available. River like all rivers stuff however not that bad. Go with the tide.

We keep our boat in Riverside NJ, 8 miles north of Penns Landing. We stay there once or twice a season. If you're trying to go around the fourth of July, you can forget it as you won't be able to get a slip. Any other time is fine, just call ahead for a slip. Rich Goodman is the dockmaster and he's happy to drive you in his golf cart around to the showers. They're about a 1/4 mile walk from the slips.
Floating docks, 8' tide. Recently dredged. if you're there on sunday have brunch on the Mushalu it will be one of the best brunches you will ever experience.
The USS Becuna (WWII submarine) and the USS Olympia (Admiral Deweys flagship) are in the harbor and open for tours. The Seaport museum is on sight. Old City is a short walk over I-95 with dozens (maybe a hundred) restaurants within walking distance. Independence Hall, Carpenters Hall, Congress Hall, Constitution Center, Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross house and dozens of other attractions are all within walking distance.
make sure to leave Cape May at low tide so you can ride the tide all the way up.
Wilmington to Penns Landing is very industrial with large ships, tugs and barges.
John

Also, the USS New Jersey is on the Camden side along with a really good aquarium. A ferry leaves Penns Landing every hour for Camden.
Free concerts most weekends at Penns Landing. BB&T Pavilion in Camden is next to the New Jersey. Check their website for concerts (Jimmy Buffett plays there every summer)

John

WOW! All great information! Thank you so much for sharing and as per advice I will scrap the 4th of July idea but definitely put it on our list for visiting this summer. We will be sure to bring our teenage kids friends on this trip so they can enjoy the history with us. One is a Navy Sea Cadet and the other a Civil Air Patrol Cadet so the Ships will be extra special!

Phila has lots of historic and old pubs and restaurants. There was even a restaurant near the mint that served in the style of 18the century. The marine corps was supposedly founded on the Tun tavern that still operates. Last time I was there the area near the river was filling with trendy new places.

transit map:

http://www.septa.org/maps/region/pdf/ccp.pdf

We've had Phila on our radar for a while...

What's a good visit? A week?

Anywhere else on the Delaware River and en route worth some time? (We've not run north of Delaware City, yet.)

-Chris

Delaware City is worth a walk-through, if you like rundown historic buildings (like I do). Fort Delaware on Peapatch Is, take the state's boat from Delaware City.

New Castle, DE, a lovely, walkable historic town. Some (few) Colonial buildings and museum houses; mostly 19th c. No docks; you'd have to dinghy in from near the NCYC's moorings south of town.

Kalmar Nyckle is docked on the Christiana River. Probably possible to take a cab into Wilmington from there. Not much to see in Wilmington but the surrounding area is pretty full of good stuff: Hagley Museum (DuPont black powder plant), Winterthur Museum (HB DuPont house and American Decorative Arts, and the gardens, Longwood Gardens, nearby Chadds Ford PA, Chadds Ford Museum (lots of Wyeth).

Nothing until Philly, unless you can reciprocate into the Corinthian Yacht Club in Essington.

Thanks. Saw the Kalmar Nyckle at Lewes... and we like Lewes a lot. We've stayed in Delaware City; short visit, and we didn't do the Peapatch tour. Just haven't been north of there yet...

-Chris

Can you just walk up and tour the historical buildings and sits in Philadelphia? We went to DC and walked over to the Washington Monument. It turns out you have to get a ticket in advance or early in the morning and they give you a time to come back. We never got to go up.

Went to Penn Landing for two weeks in 2010. Tie your boat up well with lots of fenders. At low tide the concrete break water is on piling and the harbor traffic waves pass under it and wakes you.
Great art museum.
Tour of early prison.
If you take the duck boat tour wear your life jacket while on the tour.

One caution heading up to Phila. Some of the floating debris is substantial timber. Not uncommon to see large tree trunks, pilings, and railroad tie size stuff bobbing around especially in spring/early summer. You can easily see piles of this stuff on the shoreline with binocs.
Also the smaller cargo ships are moving 18-20kts so keep an eye out behind you.
Lookup these hazards on a chart before heading out of Del Bay because they were our Rescue Companys' Frequent Flyer casualty areas: (All submerged at high tide)
1- Hope Creek Jetty
2- Reedy Island Dike south of RI
3- The dike north of Pea Patch Island to New Castle Delaware
4- Pennsville Dike just below the Del Memorial Bridges

I was there summer 2016

The issues advised of by prior posters with wakes inside Penns Landing were not experienced by us this past summer when there for a week. Having cruised rivers extensively debris of some sort is always part of the rivers in urban areas.
Worst with flooding, after all it natures drain.