Advice on passage from Chesapeake to New York

[winjamerk]

I have made the trip several times including single-handed. Stage yourself in the C&D canal. Leave the anchorage 2 hours before flood stops. Time of day doesn't matter so much in the canal is it is brightly lit at night. You arrive at the end of the C&D with maybe 1 hour of waning flood, then a decent 1 hour or so slack, then 7-8, hours of ebb another hour of slack. Weather permitting, you can make the Atlantic side of the CM entrance, go in drop the hook and sleep. If Daysailing only, pick early morning weather window to go north, skip AC but go into Manasquan Inlet above the N end of Barnegat Bay. From there I have made it to Pt Jefferson on LI the next jump or stopped by City Island. This was 20 years ago so dbl check Manasquan Status. I drew 6". No problem there if careful study of charts is done. Have Fun. Don't do NY Hrbr or East River on the weekend.

[JebLostInSpace]

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

Is your destination New York or is that a way point to places further north, and how much time to you wish to spend in NYC? If you are passing through to places further north on the coast, there are other places that will save you time as opposed to behind the Statue of Liberty. If however you are going up the North River (Husdons) or hanging around for a while then that is a good spot to anchor.

I'm heading further North eventually, but want to spend a few days at least in NYC. Depending on weather and access, I may just stop in that anchorage long enough for a sweet photo and move on

The goal is at least Maine, and Nova Scotia if the border re-opens...

[zstine]

Originally Posted by jbarton

Chesapeake City to AC is an approximate 14 hour motor sail, running around Cape May. It is a challenge avoiding a counter current while in Delaware Bay. AC to inside of the Atlantic Highlands is an approximate 10 hour run. I would bypass Barnegat Inlet.

it is over 85mi AC to AH.... i don't expect him average over 8.5 knts!

[psp2psp2]

Don’t anchor off Cape May, go in and tie up. Then, leave Cape May early with a good forecast and sail to the Richmond County Yacht Club, Staten Island. This way, you pass Atlantic City and make a stop at the closest part of NY - you can anchor or pick up a mooring and it has a pleasant clubhouse.

[Alan j]

I did this trip a few years ago. I went up the the Cohansey River to Greenwich. It is a great place. The river is deep and you feel like you have gone back in time to how things were a couple hundred years ago. I would recommend as a next stop Lewes. You can anchor outside or go in up a river to a wonderful town and tie up in front of the park. If you anchor out side and it is calm you can anchor just outside the harbor entrance or for more protection tuck in by the cape. If you go inside, motoring past all the waterfront homes with boats tied up is an enjoyable experience. From there go across to Cape may. You can anchor in front of the Coast Guard Station or head further in for a choice of marinas. From there its on to Atlantic City. You can dock at the Casino or anchor by the bridge. I’ve done both. From there you can stop in Manasquan if you like. It’s an easy hop from Manasquan to Sandy Hook. Fair winds. Oh by the way, I don’t know what you draw but I’ve been into Chesapeake City twice and went aground both times. I draw 6’8”.

[Mlp48]

I'd recommend buying a guide of some sorts but one wonders about how things have changed since Covid and if anyone has updated info.

I think one of your questions was transiting the C&D at night, right ? It is wide, apparently deep to its rock-armored width, and well-lit. If you meet a ship.. you'll become fully awake as they are HUGE and create big wake at idle.

Chesapeake City has had a municipal dock and a tie-up was free a few years ago. The anchorage adjacent to that free dock has a rollicky bar on the shoreline and marina there but Covid has likely dampened the action there though I am not sure. The entire canal area can be windless and hot.

You can anchor too on the south side of the canal's Reedy Point but beware of the underwater jetty running somewaht south from there. It is marked but consult your charts carefully. The symbol for this feature is not a common one. Looks kinda of like = = = =

Someone suggested the Cohansey River on the NJ side and I'd say it is pretty and beautifully marshy but has lots of current going in and out: the marina at Greenwich, NJ has a boats tied up to piles bow and stern for this.

Be ready for the biting flies !

I have made the mistake of waiting for the current but finding that against the wind. What a commotion that was -- my crew all wanted to abandon.

The Cape May canal bridge has 55' clearance -- that's less than your boat's ? A specs info page says your boat needs only 50' but that seems implausible for a 40' vessel.

Never-mind that anyway, finding a good spot to anchor inside Cape May is iffy in terms of holding and also staying completely afloat overnight. It may look appealing to anchor in front of the Cape May Yacht Club but don't -- as depths vary.

I have anchored at Atlantic City but not in the place inside and beyond Rum Pt. -- where many say they have gone. I've anchored in an 8' spot before the bridge that goes across the inlet and beyond Rum Pt and the entry to AC's harbor. The tide does run in and out there briskly and you'll also bask in the glow of huge moving neon sign lights if you anchor where I indicate.

I have never gone into Barnegat Inlet but know boaters who have done that. One friend recently went aground in there and it turned out to be expensive.
Long Beach island is looooong from there !

I have gone in/out of Manasquan Inlet many times. Each time was much more thrilling than the prior and last as there can be fast tidal currents. Anchoring is not likely feasiblei inside because there isn't great depth outside of the channels.

However, anchoring inside Sandy Hook can be a pleasure. Can be. I have usually gone quite a ways in and also off to the east side. The other option is to move up close to the shore of Atlantic Highlands. However, large jet powered catamaran ferries come and go often from there but I think they do slow down the schedule for the night.

Cape May to Sandy Hook is a 90 to 100 mi. stretch and I've said this often: "Delivery crews have made a living of moving boats along this stretch .. because it is so awful Sane people would not want to !"

One year, I raced through this stretch in near windless conditions and all we saw were shark fins. The "payoff" can be good because NYC is exhileration and Long Island Sound beyond has some great harbors and sailing.

[chris mac]

You've gotten a lot of good advice, better than I can give from our one trip southbound thru this area. Nobody has really answered much about barnegat though. We ended up going in to barnegat because of multiple failures of systems aboard. We were nervous of staying out with those problems. I would not go in there again!
If you time the tides perfectly, itwould be ok, still not great with a displacement boat.
The channel goes quite far out and there are submerged breakwalls all the way out to the farthest markers, dont cut inside them. We ended up surfing at over 8 knots going in, I needed to maintain that speed or I would lose steerage. We actually had people on surfboards, surfing the edges of the channel.
The fishing docks will allow tie up, but charged us 3$ a foot with no electricity. Then leaving again, you have to wait for slack to get out.
So if we run into the same situation, I would run through the night to sandy hook, or Atlantic city depending on direction. I would not go in there again, nor would I recomend it to anyone.
Otherwise the trip was fantastic, enjoy!
And sandy hook is a great place to rest before continuing to nyc

[boat driver]

A great deal of advice all good.
Begin with catching fair current in the canal. assuming your propeller motor speed is 6 knots this will get you thru in couple hours (15 miles) .
If you catch Chesapeake Flood (East) current in first two hours it will shove you out with a 3-4 knot push. When entering Delaware option to rest/weather or keep going. The top of the flood should be happening soon and then catch the full ebb down Liston Range/Upper Bay. If option to anchor, schedule departure one hour prior to the ebb starting at Reedy Island.
Option to stop- When getting into the Delaware, immediately hard port turn to the north of the dikes anchor between shore and Delaware City channel. Be sure to use a good anchor light and be well out of channel way. exposed north wind and some commercial wake.
option 3-Immediate hard starboard and go around dike north of Reedy point shoal, or go south two miles and into red/green entrance on the Reedy Point Dike light. 10' plus water MLW. protected all round.
When heading south, run across channel to power plant and stay outside red buoy side (jersey side) of ship channel. Good deal of commercial traffic in this area so make channel crossings that distinctively show your intentions. Ships are still at 15-20 knot speeds and tug traffic is anchoring/maneuvering in deep areas. Plenty of water outside channel to Jersey shore.

When past Ship John lighthouse keep straight on the SE course leaving mark 32 to starboard and go straight for Cape May point. Keep in mind flood and ebb set on your course set. But no reason not to leave Miah Maul LH to starboard.

If choosing to go to Cape Henlopen and behind the inner breakwater then at Ship John lighthouse begin to head to Delaware keeping close eye on commercial traffic till clear of channel. Be aware of the Ship John Shoal (3feet) Anchoring behind inner breakwater very good but be aware of Ferry and Pilot boat traffic all night.

Both Jersey Cohanessey and Delaware creeks good deep creek stops, but bar crossings must be confirmed for water depth and anchoring is 2 plus knots current both ways. Tide rise on Delaware is 6 feet.

When rounding end of Cape May at your 5.5 draft head to point of Cape May and run 200 yards off the beach around the point. Deep water is on beach, clear channel, and accurate on charts.

Duck into Cape May from Ocean and anchor inside. then head north up beach approx 100 miles to Sandy Hook. Inlet 22' deep and good deal of USCG and commercial fishing traffic in/out
Atlantic city inlet good but check approach.
Manasquan inlet also deep ( 25'+ ) and only issue is strong easterly. Terrifying to approach but not bad once into the inlet. Marinas and help in there if needed.

Jersey shoreline/inlets nasty with NE-E seas- particularity on ebb current with low power vessel. All other inlets become very local knowledge at your draft and power.

Have fun.

[slug]

Originally Posted by JebLostInSpace

After cruising Chesapeake Bay for the past month or so, I'm getting ready to continue North. I am single-handing on a Hunter 410, and trying to plan out the next few stops. I'm planning to transit the canal into Delaware Bay, then out to Cape May, then up to New York. Because I'm single-handing and these are busy waters, I'm trying to keep each sailing day to 10-12 hours, and find opportunities to anchor each night.

The best plan I've come up with so far is this:
1. Head into the canal to Chesapeake City and overnight.
2. Long day out the canal all the way to Cape May, timing the current so that I enter the Delaware a bit before slack, and ride the outgoing tide for as much of the day as possible.
3. Anchor off Cape May overnight
4. Relatively short day up to Atlantic City
5. Very long day to New York?

I'm not totally happy with this plan, so looking for advice on how to avoid long days with no bail-out opportunities.

Specifically:
Chesapeake City to Cape May could end up being really long if I get opposing chop slowing me down in the Delaware. Is there anywhere to bail out into if it is going badly and I need a rest?

In order to hit the current right in the Delaware, I will likely have to leave before sunrise from Chesapeake City. How sketchy will it be trying to navigate the canal in the dark?

Is there anywhere better to stage for the run to Cape May? Somewhere on the Delaware side of the canal would be better, but I'm not finding much that's protected and deep enough for me.

The anchorage off Cape May looks pretty exposed. Has anyone used it who can comment on how safe it is? I don't fit under the bridges on the Cape May Canal, so the other option is to go out and around Cape May in order to tuck in at Cape May Harbor. This out-and-around would make a long day even longer though, so I'm not sure.

Any good advice on where to anchor in Atlantic City? I draw 5.5'

Is it viable to stop anywhere between Atlantic City and New York? Has anyone gone in at Barnegat recently? It looks sketchy on the depth.

When I do get up to Sandy Hook, what would be a protected spot that I could reach easily at the end of a very long day?

Thanks in advance for any advice on this leg!

I have never ever heard of acboat anchoring off cape May

Sounds crazy

You must put into the harbour

Call ahead , the harbour is small , it may be full in summer

You might be able to anchor inside but beware of the big coast guard base ... they don’t let you anchor near the base

The jersey coast has a few options ... nothing good

Behind Sandy hook is good to anchor for the night to prepare to pass thru New York

I normally go inside and into Long Island Sound

[Captain Anthony]

Following

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by JebLostInSpace

I'm heading further North eventually, but want to spend a few days at least in NYC. Depending on weather and access, I may just stop in that anchorage long enough for a sweet photo and move on

The goal is at least Maine, and Nova Scotia if the border re-opens...

It is a great place to anchor and the view is pretty nice. IF you have a day or two, or three, there are some fun things to do that few do when they pass through.

Going around Staten Island it rarely done but worth it. On the NJ side of the lower New York Bay are some typical shore towns but Keyport and the Matawan Creek are most famous as the site of the last two (of 4) fatal shark attacks that inspired the book and later movie Jaws. On the south east coast of Staten Island is the church that was used in the Baptism scene of The Godfather. Rounding Staten Island and passing Perth Amboy, NJ is the Arthur Kill (Back waterway in Dutch), which is a working water way. There are some very interesting sites on it including a former boat yard with some twenty or so good sized sunken ships. You'll then go though the Kill van Kull (waterway by the hills in Dutch), past the Port of Bayonne into the upper bay.

Even though you can't get to Maine directly from the Hudson, it is a great trip up if you have the time. You;ll see quite a bit and should go up jpast the Harlem River/Spuyuten Duyvil Creek. It will give you a view of the Bronx that most won't expect, as well as the Intrepid Aircraft Carrier and Museum, Midtown, World Trade Center, etc. It will cost you a day to do the trip even if you catch the tides correctly (The Hudson is tidal all the way to Albany 150 miles north!), but is worth it.

You will also enjoy the East River (DEFINITELY get the tidal current right!). Once you get into the sound, there are a ton of great places to visit such as Port Washington, NY; Westport, CT; Norwalk, CT; etc.

I am leaving out a lot but I am sure that many others can offer great suggestions too. Feel free to PM so I can give you my number if you would like additional information. Fair winds!

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by chris mac

You've gotten a lot of good advice, better than I can give from our one trip southbound thru this area. Nobody has really answered much about barnegat though. We ended up going in to barnegat because of multiple failures of systems aboard. We were nervous of staying out with those problems. I would not go in there again!
If you time the tides perfectly, itwould be ok, still not great with a displacement boat.
The channel goes quite far out and there are submerged breakwalls all the way out to the farthest markers, dont cut inside them. We ended up surfing at over 8 knots going in, I needed to maintain that speed or I would lose steerage. We actually had people on surfboards, surfing the edges of the channel.
The fishing docks will allow tie up, but charged us 3$ a foot with no electricity. Then leaving again, you have to wait for slack to get out.
So if we run into the same situation, I would run through the night to sandy hook, or Atlantic city depending on direction. I would not go in there again, nor would I recomend it to anyone.
Otherwise the trip was fantastic, enjoy!
And sandy hook is a great place to rest before continuing to nyc

Good advice. You can also anchor in Barnegat Bay and dingy ashore. It is a good anchorage, and well protected.

[Flatswing]

Reedy Island is fine -but pay careful attention to your charts. The breakwater is definitely there but often submerged-seems every year someone Ignores the red/green entrance markers & runs up on it.

[rhubstuff]

Take a look at Great Kills harbor on the east side of Staten Island on Lower Bay, especially if the wind gets up--its very protected and I've waited out a couple of nasty blows there. But check the chart carefully for the shoal in the middle. From there its an easy run into the Upper Bay and NYC area.

[rdowall]

You might consider The Shark River for an easy-in-out anchorage. It is located several miles north of Manasquan Inlet. From the Shark River inlet, it is a easy shot to NY Harbor and the 2 anchorages just behind the Statue of Liberty. These 2 anchorages are good staging point to catch the current in the East River towards LI Sound