East Coast Must See Locations

[Drogers100]

Hello everyone,
My wife and I are planning a trip down the east coast in 2-3 years, depending on when my financial guy says my retirement egg is ready to hatch. We're looking for advice on must see locations along the way. We will be leaving from upper Naragansett Bay in the fall.
We're looking for places with easily accessible anchorages, museums, hiking, sight seeing, restaurants / bars preferred.
Is there any way to possibly meet up with others planning a run down the coast at the same time?
Thanks,
Dave

 

[Drogers100]

Hello everyone,
My wife and I are planning a trip from Massachusetts to the Bahamas and back in 2 years. We are looking for your advice on "must see" places to stop along the way as well as good marinas, restaurants, bars, museums, cheap fuel, etc.
Also, is there any way to contact other boaters making the trip at the same time.
Thanks,
Dave

 

[O C Diver]

It might be helpful to explain your proposed route and vessel size and normal cruising speed. Do you plan to cruise down the coast periodically stopping at major ports or will you be more inland (Long Island sound, Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay, and the AICW [Atlantic Inter Coastal Waterway])?

I have traveled from New York City to Stuart FL and can help with some information. You might want to also look at the below thead that has lots of useful information.

https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s58/favorite-stops-stuart-savannah-53482.html

Ted

 

[Woodland Hills]

If you are in the planning stage then you need to get the complete Waterways Guide series and a couple of large scale charts. Read the Guides and do your internet research on any places that sound like fun using the maps to learn where everything is in relation to everything else. It’s a big coast with literally hundreds of points of interest and the more you learn, the more rewarding your voyage will be.

Our highlights have been the Chesapeake, Washington DC, Narragansett Bay, Keys and Bahamas.

We were 70/30 marinas to anchoring our first year and 70/30 anchoring to marinas our second. Starting our third year we try to anchor as much as possible, Covid has discouraged much of our interest ashore which makes it easier. Once we get vaccinated we will probably spend more time in restaurants and bars and that will mean staying in marinas in places without good shore access by tender. Eg. in Montauk last summer we couldn’t find a public dock anywhere.....

We winter in the Keys and those 3 to 4 months are in a marina which I didn’t include in the 70/30 comparison above.

 

[kchace]

Hello everyone,
My wife and I are planning a trip from Massachusetts to the Bahamas and back in 2 years. We are looking for your advice on "must see" places to stop along the way as well as good marinas, restaurants, bars, museums, cheap fuel, etc.
Also, is there any way to contact other boaters making the trip at the same time.
Thanks,
Dave

Following because my wife and I are planning almost the same trip with the same timeframe.

Swansea Mass?

Ken

 

[Drogers100]

East Coast trip

Yes, I'm from Swansea Mass.
The boat we have is a 43' Mainship trawler with a semi-displacement hull so my max speed is around 18 knots however I usually cruise around 10-12 knots.

The thread recommended by Ted is exactly what I'm looking for. It covered from Stuart to Savannah. https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/...nah-53482.html
Thank you very much Ted, great info!

We are flexible about whether we stay inside or outside. When my friends and I brought the boat up from Florida it was literally a 9 day dash up the coast, 50% inside and 50% outside.

We are planning to make this a leisurely cruise and we generally try not to have a tight itinerary. We have family in Myrtle Beach and Savannah GA so those are definite stops.

We have a dog on board so pet friendly is a must.

I have the Waterway guides and your right, they are filled with great information.

Kchace, are you from the Massachusetts / RI area. Please keep me updated re: your plans, hopefully we can meet up at some point.

Thanks again everyone

 

[kchace]

Yes it would be good comparing notes at least. When the time gets closer I’ll definitely be asking for marina and town suggestions along the ICW.

Re Swansea, generations of relatives in and around Swansea. I grew up in Waltham. Still only live an hour from Boston.

Ken

 

[Cruzer]

+1 for Woodland Hills’s suggestion to invest in the Waterway Guide series. Like most, we do 99% of our research and planning online. But for us, there is something different about having the Guide’s well-curated resources at your fingertips as you plan and cruise. By its nature, some info may not be as current, but we find the foundation the Guides provide to be invaluable.

Before we started cruising at the level we now do, much of our planning (dreaming) came from reading about the experiences of likeminded cruisers. There are a million boating blogs out there, including ours, but it doesn’t take much time to see if your likes and cruising style are generally aligned with others. I do believe you would benefit from reading of our travels along the east coast and the Bahamas as well as several other terrific blogs from users of this forum. And you are definitely in a terrific place to ask specific questions when they come to mind.

Happy planning!

 

[O C Diver]

Part of considering where to stop depends on what time of year you plan to cruise the Bahamas. While many logically think the winter, late spring and early summer have nicer conditions.

Regarding your trip South, the outer banks of NC are nice during temperate seasons, but probably not a place I would plan as a stop from mid December through March. So what months you plan to travel will often effect where you may want to stop for a few days.

Ted

 

[Unclematt]

I to am from Swansea but my 2022 trip is the Great Loop.

 

[Drogers100]

East Coast trip

Uncle Matt: Have a great trip, we'll have to have a drink when you get back to Swansea. Do you have a BLOG to follow you?

O C Diver: The plan right now is leaving around Labor Day and getting to the Bahamas around January / February. We are trying not to get locked into a rigid schedule, just staying ahead of the cold.

Cruzer: That is a great website you have, spent the night watching your videos and subscribed.

 

[O C Diver]

O C Diver: The plan right now is leaving around Labor Day and getting to the Bahamas around January / February. We are trying not to get locked into a rigid schedule, just staying ahead of the cold.

Ok, I would start first with planning hurricane safe locations. I'm not dissuading you from leaving then, but you might pick destinations from September through atleast the end of October for safe harbor. This doesn't obligate you to visit them, but maybe be within a week of one forward or backward.

Places I would consider North of Savannah would be:

Block Island maybe for a few days.

I'm not a fan of cities, but:

New York city has lots to offer although expensive. Anchor a night behind the Statue of Liberty, breath taking view of the city. Visit the The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space museum.

Baltimore's Inner Harbor is nice, but get more current information about safety in the city closer to your departure.

Chestertown is a nice stop for the weekend.

Annapolis is a decent stop for a day or 2 in the fall. Depending on your preference, you may want to plan on, or plan to avoid the 2 weeks of boat shows.

I like anchoring out and dinghying in to Oxford and St Michaels.

I haven't been to Solomons by water, but an interesting stop.

I would plan on spending some time in Norfolk. Put the Battleship Wisconsin on your visit list.

You will have a choice between the Dismal Swamp canal and the Albemarle and Chesapeake canal. They are very different. I enjoy the wildlife and the history of the Dismal Swamp canal but the other offers mediocre prime rib. I would recommend doing the Dismal Swamp atleast once.

There are some nice towns along the Outer Banks of NC from Nags Head down to Ocracoke. I don't tend to visit them as I spent a lot of time in Frisco, Hatteras, and Ocracoke while working. Ocracoke is often mentioned as a stop when heading South.

If following the traditional AICW, Elizabeth city, Belhaven, and Oriental are all good overnight or lay day stops. If you like to anchor out, Greens Creek behind Oriental is very nice, but you must dinghy in to M & M's for dinner (state law ).

I'm going to let you digest those for a while and will add some more later.

Ted

 

[Drogers100]

East Coast trip

Hi Ted,
That's great information. I love Block Island and usually get there at least once per season.
When we made the dash up the coast from Florida I stopped at Coinjock but didn't have time for the mediocre steak. We literally picked up a tee shirt and got back to the boat. We will most likely take one route going south and the other route heading back north.
Which state is Oxford and St. Michaels located in?
Looking forward to your Savannah / south info.
Thank you very much.
Dave

 

[O C Diver]

Hi Ted,
That's great information. I love Block Island and usually get there at least once per season.
When we made the dash up the coast from Florida I stopped at Coinjock but didn't have time for the mediocre steak. We literally picked up a tee shirt and got back to the boat. We will most likely take one route going south and the other route heading back north.
Which state is Oxford and St. Michaels located in?
Looking forward to your Savannah / south info.
Thank you very much.
Dave

Oxford and St Michaels are on the Eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Find Easton, MD. St Michaels is Northwest of Easton and Oxford is Southwest of Easton, MD.

Ted

 

[tmw]

Hi Dave, I left you a PM but I know the long Island sound, north route fairly well. I grew up and and learned how to boat on Narragansett bay. We still have family there and go that way frequently. Given the speed of your boat and how hard you want to push, I would say first or second leg to maybe Shelter Island, NY. Right between the forks. We stay in the anchorage in Coecles Harbor whenever we head East. Quiet and excellent holding not much but woods around you but very peaceful. My guess is it's 100 nm or less but get you into the protected waters of the sound. From there, it would depend on how hard you want to push. On the NY side you have nothing until Port Jefferson with good access to town. In CT, there are lots of marinas but not many good anchorages until Norwalk. Further on, you have Northport and Huntington NY. There's always Oyster bay. We saw Billy Joel fly in and land on his front lawn a couple years ago. Port Washington, NY is a good first come first serve free mooring but the launch cost money to get to town. From there probably Liberty Landing, overlooking lower Manhattan. After that you have a bit of an ocean run to the ICW but very doable in your boat.



If you have any questions about Long Island sound, feel free to reach out.



Good Luck,
Joe

 

[Drogers100]

East Coast trip

Thank you!

 

[menzies]

Dave, we have a number of Bahamas trips as well as east coast trips covered on our web site below. You may be able to pick up a suggestion or three.

I have a entry here on preparing docs for the Bahamas, link below. There are some new COVID rules, but hopefully that will not be an issue when you plan to leave in two years. I may have to revisit that post in the new year and check that it all still current, however it will give you an idea of requirements - US and Bahamian.

Enjoy the trip. We love the SE and the islands.

AtAnchor.com | The Voyages Of Sonas And Her Crew.

Getting Documentation Ready For The Bahamas | AtAnchor.com

 

[Drogers100]

East Coast trip

Thank you again Ted!

Got your PM, Joe Thank you very much!

Hi Menzies, Great website. Congrats on Paul's semi-recent retirement! Plenty of great info!

 

[Drogers100]

East Coast trip

Hi Menzies,
Your documentation link is a lifesaver. I wasn't aware of the DTOPs decal, ROAM app., and the FRN.
I thought it was just a passport to get back in the country and a fishing permit you purchase when you go through customs in the Bahamas.
Thanks again!
Dave

 

[IslandTractor]

A few points. I assume you have already cruised the Elizabeth Islands, MV and Nantucket. Buzzards Bay and Woods Hole are worth a visit too:

You mention going south, but if you haven't already cruised Maine, it is at least as spectacular as anything south on the eastern seaboard. Don't miss it. Perhaps you've already cruised there but if not spend a day cruising from Swansea to Gloucester or Provincetown, overnight there then the next day get yourself into Casco Bay. That's good for several days of cruising before heading to Penobscot Bay which is the real gem. Maine is easily worth two or three weeks.

Long Island Sound has a number of interesting stops. I like Shelter Island and Fishers Island. Stonington is cute with excellent marine facilities. If you like old boats, Mystic is a great stop.

 

[Drogers100]

East Coast trip

Hello Island Tractor,
We have cruised pretty extensively throughout Narragansett Bay, Buzzards Bay, Elizabeth Islands, Martha's Vineyard, Block Island, and northern Long Island Sound. I agree, Mystic is one of my favorite destinations.
We didn't find Stonington to be very pet friendly at all.
Loved Essex CT. Montauk and Shelter Island.

For anyone who hasn't been to Narragansett Bay, I highly recommend it. You can easily spend a couple of weeks cruising the bay with one great destination after another. Newport, Jamestown, Wickford, East Greenwich, Warwick, Bristol, and Fall River are all incredible locations. Waterfront restaurants / bars are abundant. Don't forget to see the WWII battleship, a destroyer that took part in the Cuban missile crisis, WWII submarine Lionfish along with the marine museum within walking distance in Fall River. The bay is protected, even when it's snotty outside.

We haven't traveled north very often as our summer is so short, we just can't seem to get motivated to head toward cooler temperatures. That being said I'm thinking it wouldn't be a bad idea to initially head north which would offer some protection during hurricane season.

Thanks for the input!
Dave

 

[IslandTractor]

Hello Island Tractor,
We have cruised pretty extensively throughout Narragansett Bay, Buzzards Bay, Elizabeth Islands, Martha's Vineyard, Block Island, and northern Long Island Sound. I agree, Mystic is one of my favorite destinations.
We didn't find Stonington to be very pet friendly at all.
Loved Essex CT. Montauk and Shelter Island.

For anyone who hasn't been to Narragansett Bay, I highly recommend it. You can easily spend a couple of weeks cruising the bay with one great destination after another. Newport, Jamestown, Wickford, East Greenwich, Warwick, Bristol, and Fall River are all incredible locations. Waterfront restaurants / bars are abundant. Don't forget to see the WWII battleship, a destroyer that took part in the Cuban missile crisis, WWII submarine Lionfish along with the marine museum within walking distance in Fall River. The bay is protected, even when it's snotty outside.

We haven't traveled north very often as our summer is so short, we just can't seem to get motivated to head toward cooler temperatures. That being said I'm thinking it wouldn't be a bad idea to initially head north which would offer some protection during hurricane season.

Thanks for the input!
Dave

We cruise the same region. I'll repeat that while Narraganset Bay is wonderful (my home port) and the whole Mass/CT/RI coastline is world class cruising, you really shouldn't miss out on Maine. If you don't want to spend two days getting up there, charter a trawler up there. I can recommend Buck's Marina in Bucks Harbor. They have a few GBs and one Monk36 and are well run. Simply beautiful cruising and very sheltered. I've also brought a Monk36 down from Casco Bay to Narraganset Bay. Three easy days or two long days should do it with decent weather.

 

[Mischief Managed]

A few points. I assume you have already cruised the Elizabeth Islands, MV and Nantucket. Buzzards Bay and Woods Hole are worth a visit too:

You mention going south, but if you haven't already cruised Maine, it is at least as spectacular as anything south on the eastern seaboard. Don't miss it. Perhaps you've already cruised there but if not spend a day cruising from Swansea to Gloucester or Provincetown, overnight there then the next day get yourself into Casco Bay. That's good for several days of cruising before heading to Penobscot Bay which is the real gem. Maine is easily worth two or three weeks.

Long Island Sound has a number of interesting stops. I like Shelter Island and Fishers Island. Stonington is cute with excellent marine facilities. If you like old boats, Mystic is a great stop.

Agreed on Maine coast, we cruise there often and it's great. Kennebunkport and Saco offer excellent stops between MA and Casco Bay if you don't want to push it on day one. Saco is laid back, has free moorings and does not offer much to do on shore. Kennebunkport is much busier and AFAIK, the only options there are tran$ient $lip$, but it's a pretty cool town to visit.



We have always had a good time at Boothbay Harbor and it's a great stop on the way to Penobscot Bay. There's a really cool cruise you can do between Boothbay and Bath via the Sheepscot and Sasahoa Rivers. Parts of it feel more appropriate for a canoe than a trawler, but it's perfectly navigable. Speaking of Bath, I have not done so yet, but one of these days, I plan to cruise all the way to Augusta on the Kennebec River.



The Fox Islands Thorofare and Deer Island Thorofare are stupendously pretty in Penobscot Bay.



We did a lovely cruise last Summer to Mt Desert Island. It's really special. Somes Sound was a favorite stop and we spent three days there despite literally nothing to do on shore except walk.


If you do find yourself cruising from MA to Maine and want to stop in Hampton Beach, ping me. My home marina does not advertise transient slips (I'm working on that with management), but I could likely arrange something.

 

[Drogers100]

East Coast trip

Will definitely ping you if we head that way, thanks for the invite!
Dave

 

[Duetto]

hi,

one of the best "side trips" we made was up the potomac to dc. we spent a week there at the yc. we could have spent another 3-4 days but it was time to move on. yc is walking distance to the mall.

one other thing. we invested in bikes (folding). only a few places have all you want to see right at marina/anchorage. bikes open up your explorations a lot.

 

[lady sue]

Go behind Staten Island (Kill van Kull) after visiting NYC, rather than via the oceans-side.
A fascinating piece of the marine/commercial side of our history. No obstacles, 100% cleaner than its old reputation, loads of boats of every size and use, 3 natural preserves--birds, mostly and a chance to traverse Raritan Bay from Perth Amboy to Sandy Hook. I wouldn't miss it.
Jim Ferry, Lady Sue, 1982 Mainship I

 

[Finally Fun Again]

We lived aboard our 50' DeFever for about 6 years, cruising full time and mostly at anchor. Our dink was our local transportation...we figured that saved us about $35,000 a year vs marina! AND the ambience is much much better. Top recommendations of our favs were the first 6 months learning our boat in the forgiving bottom of Chesapeake Bay - so many many wonderful places to explore. I urge you to take a look at the 'Triangle Loop', from Hudson River, west on the Erie Canal then heading across the Lake to Ottawa. Onward thru the Rideau and Richleau Canals in Canada with all their history and fun, coming back down Lake Champlain back to where you started in NY. Charleston, SC, ALWAYS in a Marina as currents rip thru there, is worthy of a couple weeks. In Key West, where we spent an entire winter our first year - go for the City mooring field for about $300 for the month! Super place, with showers, bike rakes, automatic pump out 1x a week, etc. Bike or walk into town. Get the old Skipper Bob books, along with Waterway Guide and Active Captain. My blog for the 6 years, including two in the Caribbean is here with lots of specifics if you are interested. Have a blast! http://finallyfunadventures.blogspot.com

 

[tomdove]

I see that you and several others are in Swansea, where my daughter and her family live. Small world. There's a chance we'll be cruising up there next summer, depending on how COVID recovery unfolds in the Northeast vs the Thousand Islands and Lake Ontario.

But to your question. My answers carry personal biases:
1. As mentioned, Waterway Guide is the standard reference. Full disclosure: I've been a Cruising Editor there for a couple of decades.
2. Join the Marine Trawler Owners' Association (https://mtoa.clubexpress.com) to get hooked up with outstanding ICW information and advice. It's the best cruising money you'll spend.
3. Look up Bob Sherer's blog (https://fleetwing.blogspot.com) for up-to-date cruising information on the ICW, including destination reports. He's been doing the Waterway for many years, often starting from the upper Hudson river.
4. Allow lots of time. The Chesapeake is worth at least a week or two. I suggest six weeks as a good pace from the Chesapeake to Florida.
It appears that you have already explored New England and Long Island Sound, so you'll probably just make a beeline to the Chesapeake from Narragansett Bay. That's about a week at trawler speeds. There's really nothing worth stopping for between NYC and the upper Chesapeake IMHO and most of us treat the New Jersey shore and Delaware Bay as necessary evils.
As a native Marylander who has sailed the entire East coast for over 60 years, I think the Chesapeake is the finest place to cruise anywhere, at least for four months of the year: May-June and September-October. Summers are too hot and winters too cold for my taste and age but others enjoy them.
So expect to be south of Norfolk by early November and south of the Carolinas by December. Perhaps the coldest I've ever been was in North Carolina waters one November.
The best annual cruising book for my home waters was Chesapeake Bay Magazine's Guide to Cruising Chesapeake Bay, but that's now discontinued. You could still use a recent used copy, though. Another disclaimer: I was Technical Editor and a contributor to CBM for many years.
The best detailed regional cruising guide is William Shellenberger's "Cruising the Chesapeake: A Gunkholer's Guide", which is also out of print since he died. It's still timely enough to be the Bible for detailed information.
It's a wonderful route. Enjoy it repeatedly. And the trip back north will feel totally different from the trip south.
Contact me when you're in the Annapolis area and perhaps we can rendezvous.

 

[contingensea]

Hello everyone,
My wife and I are planning a trip down the east coast in 2-3 years, depending on when my financial guy says my retirement egg is ready to hatch. We're looking for advice on must see locations along the way. We will be leaving from upper Naragansett Bay in the fall.
We're looking for places with easily accessible anchorages, museums, hiking, sight seeing, restaurants / bars preferred.
Is there any way to possibly meet up with others planning a run down the coast at the same time?
Thanks,
Dave

Hi Dave,
You may want to consider joining AGLCA.
http://greatloop.org/

Many members travel the East Coast and some provide AICW navigation tracks to help with avoiding hazards along the way.

Bob Sherer, Bob423 Cruising the ICW with Bob423
Has gpx files for download specific to the AICW.

 

[vtmackey]

Can't beat NE for all the reasons mentioned. Is this a round trip whether over several years or not? Either way make a list of all the places you'd like to visit, do half on the way down and half on the way up. Get a copy of the East Coast Anchorages book, great resource. Joe