Delivery NY to Annapolis Suggestions

[High Wire]

Yes shipping traffic is way down this year on the Delaware. Before you transit, make sure you eyeball Hope Creek Jetty and Reedy Island Dike on a raster chart. Both submerge at high tide. Many boats hit these year after year.

 

[psneeld]

Good advice Archie.

My advice has always been (as safe nav allows).... split the difference between the shipping channel and the Jersey shoreline, cross the shipping channel at right angles when clear and very close to the C&D mouth. In 20 years of dozens and dozens of transits both with private and commercial vessels, I have NEVER run the shipping channel....just no need to.

 

[High Wire]

Good advice Archie.

My advice has always been (as safe nav allows).... split the difference between the shipping channel and the Jersey shoreline, cross the shipping channel at right angles when clear and very close to the C&D mouth. In 20 years of dozens and dozens of transits both with private and commercial vessels, I have NEVER run the shipping channel....just no need to.

Agree with the exception of the vicinity of Hope Creek Jetty. When you are headed upriver, it sticks way out there if you run outside the channel. The light on the jetty used to be RED! So people staying outside the channel used to pass between it and shore with disastrous results. My old boss came within a few feet of hitting it at night. All of the background light from the nuke plant makes it hard to see. I know of two people that died there in the late 80's. The CG finally changed the light to green so it wouldn't be confused with the channel buoys.

 

[psneeld]

Sure....I would only hope that someone passing that way would start easing to wards deeper water and to avoid a nuclear power plant and the prohibited area.

 

[rwidman]

We made that trip both ways in our Camano Troll a couple years ago. We took the NJ ICW as far as it went.

Manasquan inlet is no big deal, hundreds of boats, big and small pass through there every day.

Here is a link to our trip:

https://www.widman.biz/indigo/HIGH COTTON_IX.pdf

 

[jleonard]

My last trip on the Delaware was many years ago in my old Mainship and it was not fun.
I came out of the C&D and headed down river and The wind was pretty strong head on. About every 10th or so wave the bow spray would come up over wind deflector and onto the flybridge. I would duck so I didn't get it in the face, but every time my back got soaked as well as the bridge deck. All I had was a bimini top.
Luckily is was a very warm day so my shirt came off after the second time (I'm a slow learner lol).

When we got back to our home port in Mystic, CT I ordered a complete enclosure.

 

[Hippocampus]

Agree with PS (again). Easy enough to run just outside the channel as it’s unlikely most here would be draft restricted. Still need to attend to dredging vessels and other obstacles.

 

[TheDory]

Day 1 done. Left Haverstraw at 0630 and pulled into Barnegat Inlet around 1530. Anchored in Myers Hole
Beautiful conditions today. Tomorrow looks good to run to Cape May. From there the weather looks a bit iffy for making it up the Delaware.

 

[cafesport]

The current weather is quite benign. Been in annapolis for 10 days and we are heading north tomorrow for a bit then heading back south in a week. You should be fine the whole way.

 

[TheDory]

Looks like mid to high teens out of the east or north east tomorrow for the Deleware Bay. We may be able to just hug the east side of the Bay and do just fine.

 

[Gdavid]

Looks like mid to high teens out of the east or north east tomorrow for the Deleware Bay. We may be able to just hug the east side of the Bay and do just fine.

That seems doable, you'll pick up more protection as you go, best of luck.

 

[Porgy]

Hmm, slack before flood at Brandywine light is around 6:30 am. Max flood is almost 2 knots. Winds high teens gusting to 25 from a northerly quadrant. I haven’t needed to try skirting along the shoreline but I’m not sure that would buy you enough protection. I’m guessing an unpleasantly bumpy ride, hope I’m wrong.

 

[hmason]

Delaware Bay can get really nasty and few places to hide. Wind against the tide/current should be avoided.

 

[Gdavid]

It appears that he caught good conditions, winds well under 10 knots, seas less than 2 feet, he should be over halfway to the canal by now.

 

[psneeld]

Going North out of Cape May the current is much weaker out of the channel so loop up into the wider part to the north.

That should keep the tide versus wind to a minimum chop. Stay out of the channel and it may not be too bad from Fortescue north.

Under 25 knot gusts and less than 2 knots the chop will be bad but not unbearable.

 

[IntoTheBlue]

You certainty have received many very good replies for advise. I just want to add that taking a trip from Haverstraw on the Hudson down to Annapolis (one my favorite towns) is a great trip!

My starting point is the Fire Island or Jones Inlet. I would cut over to Atlantic City and follow the coastline to Cape May. That's where the fun begins. As someone mentioned, you may want to go inland at Barnegat Inlet. Either way, there are so many variables to go to on the way down. Up the Delaware River to C&D Canal (stopping at Chesapeake City a must), then take your pick of the east and west shores of various waterways leading down to the Chesapeake. Then get to the Chesapeake and wow, so much more!

If you have the time, just look at the charts and the Waterway Guide, pick places to enjoy, waterways to explore and have a ball!

Enjoy!

 

[omoore]

I use the route outlined by Highwire. Easy runs just check your weather window.

 

[TheDory]

The trip up the Delaware wasn't bad today. We had winds out of NE, and most waves were just short of breaking mixed in with plenty of breaking waves. We pushed it at 12 kts to get through the widest part of the Bay where the waves had the most fetch. By the time we got to the power plant we had wind against the current with short, choppy waves, but nothing uncomfortable. Settled in at Chesapeake City for the night.

 

[GingerMd]

Nice progress ! Glad its working out well ! Me and a marina buddy with a Mainship 39 are going to circumnavigate the DelMarVa peninsula next year, so will be doing part of your trip in reverse ! Maybe you should join us, the more the merrier !

 

[FWT]

Nice progress ! Glad its working out well ! Me and a marina buddy with a Mainship 39 are going to circumnavigate the DelMarVa peninsula next year, so will be doing part of your trip in reverse ! Maybe you should join us, the more the merrier !

When you make this trip I'd be interested to hear about it. In particular, what you choose to do between Chincoteague and the mouth of the Chesapeake. Stop? Where, and how that anchoring location was.

 

[GingerMd]

Sounds good, will do. PM me so I have your contact info. I am sure I will have options as I plan it this winter. When I brought the boat up this year from NC on the ICW, I always had the normal, short, long plan each day so I had my options semi planned.

 

[TheDory]

We made it to Annapolis. Great trip overall. Thanks for all the tips and advice.

 

[GingerMd]

Congrats !!!