Baltimore to CT via Long Island

[Joeroc]

Can any one tell me how l g I should expect a trip from Baltimore to Stonington CT should take. 39 foot sailboat. We plan on using all available ports of call along the way as we do not sail at night. C&D canal. Deleware bay cape may to AC then the port about 22 south of Sandy hook. The narrows. Hells gate. LI sound. Is 14 days enough time? Day sailing only. Thank you.

[Suijin]

The usual stops along that route are:

Chesapeake City
Cape May
Barnegat Light
Sandy Hook
Manhasset Bay
Somewhere around New Haven (Thimble Islands are lovely)
Stonington

I actually suggest you don't go into Barnegat Light...I only do because I know it well. The inlet can be vicious and the channel inside is a serpentine labyrinth of shoals with precious few places to anchor deeper draft boat. Your AC to Manasquan plan is probably better.

Most of these hops are @ 50-60 miles, so that's an 8-10 hour run each day.
You can get farther than Manhasset Bay going up the East River if you get an early start and nail the tide.

Your actual trip length will depend on a) the weather b) the timing of the tide in the Delaware River and East River, and c) how many hours you are willing to run each day.

Timing the tide in the rivers is very important. Head into the flood on the Delaware or the ebb on the East River and you may find yourself almost standing still for hours. If the right tide is later in the day, that's going to lengthen your schedule and you'll need to adjust accordingly.

Give the shoals off Cape May a wide berth. They shift pretty actively and chart depths are approximate at best.

If you are willing to sail overnight, the run from Cape May to Block is about 35-40 hours and cuts the trip length virtually in half. It's a nice overnight trip, although you'll cross the paths of big ships steaming towards NY.

Short answer, yes 14 days is plenty provided you don't run into a streak of bad weather that keeps you at anchor.

[Joeroc]

We want to take it slow and see ny harbor etc. but overall 14 days should be enough yes?

[colemj]

Suijin - why not Cape May direct to Stonington instead of Block Island?

We have done this trip both ways several times, but always the overnight from Cape May to Stonington (Mystic, actually). If you are up for a single overnight trip, this easily cuts the length (and time) in half.

If you wish to day-hop it, everything will depend on weather and tides. The trip could be as short as a week or as long as a month (it is hurricane season now). A single overnight still depends on weather, but cuts ~5 days out of the trip.

Suijin is correct about the distances, but depending on the wind and your motoring ability, the times could be way off if the tides/currents are not favorably timed.

But in general, 14 days should easily be enough time day sailing only.

Mark

[sabray]

Close especially if you won't sail at night. Especially if you want to see something other then the headliner and water. Lots if good places to skip by and enjoy a night sail. Then you can relax and not rush through all the sites. If you could I would blow out the Delaware keep going and get off shore. Head for block island and come back in at Long Island and then come back via east river. Or get off shore and then go direct to NYC.

[Tingum]

Two weeks should be enough one way! Pay attention to the tides in Deleware Bay, NY harbor entrance and Hells Gate! Trying to buck these is a waste of time in an under powered vessel.

[colemj]

He is going to Stonington, CT, not NYC.

Mark

[sabray]

Oops right never mind to get there either way would be fine. Not if you coming back

[jstevens]

Suijin provided you with a set to stop overs that could be accomplished in 7-8 consecutive days. So the trip can be easily accomplished in 14 days allowing for several days layover for tides, weather and sightseeing.
Of course if you were willing to make a couple of over-night passages you would have even more time for going slow when going slow was rewarding. Also night sailing is the most pleasant sailing (my bias).
In any case 14 days to sail from Baltimore to anywhere in Connecticut is very doable.

John

[scoobert]

+1 on the east river.
i nailed it going out, was going at 8kts under power (obviously)
also the hudson is at low flood right now, there will be a nasty current to deal with.
watch for debris too.

[CrazyRu]

2 weeks is about right for a pleasure cruise. There are plenty of beautiful places to anchor in Chesapeake Bay. Use two days to get to canal, don't rush.. Canal is fun, you can pull into Chesapeake city, there are free docks, and wait for the right tide. And spend lots of money around a town, it is built to spend money. Anchor behind the Reedy Island in Delaware Bay. It is third day. Delaware Bay is an ugly place, however do we like to read Stephen King and watch X-files? if you really enjoy it, don't rush to Cape May. Make a stop. Cohancey river a nice out of any place and any galaxy stop, or, if you fun of postindustrial cataclysm novels, stop at Money Island. Anchoring is good at both places, all so far 4-8 hours daysail.
Next stop is Cape May, watch for shoals, entering the basin on another end of the canal. Get a marina, there are a few around, or anchor next to Coast Guard Station. The town will bring a relieve from experience of Delaware Bay.
5 days so far( you can cut it to 4, if you rush)
Now get ready to be serious, Atlantic ocean ahead. 5-8 hours will take you to Absecon inlet (Atlantic City) Enjoy, it is all weather inlet and lots of fun inside.
it will conclude Day 6, however there are lots of leeway, i did the trip in 4 days, day sailing a smaller boat, singlehandedly.
Now is a tricky part. you can extend the day 6 and get to Barnegat Bay inlet, which is benign in normal weather, as long as you are watching channel markers, including ones inside of the breakwater, stay to north side.
Next available stop is Manasquan Inlet, all weather, there are several bridges (two or three inside), lots of marinas, very limited anchoring, and after that, there is lower New York Bay.
At Cape May you will need to make a decision.(5th day)
Either
a. you sail overnight to NY proper.
b. take three days to get there stopping at Atlantic City and Manesquan
c. take two days, with stop at Barnegat Inlet
Anyhow, your 8th day(or earlier) will bring you close to NYC

You can swing into Sandy Hook Bay, NJ, Great Kills Harbour, Staten Island, NY, or stop at Coney Island Creek, Brooklyn, NY.
Timing tides through East River, Hell Gate is important
Next day should bring you into Oyster Bay, Long Island Sound. (you cut 1/3 by stopping at City Island)
It is day nine, and we are not rushing. There are three pleasure days to get to Stonington with plenty of places to stop for a night.

Use ActiveCaptain
https://activecaptain.com I did all coastal navigation last two years, using an app on my phone. I love it.

The only tricky part is NJ Atlantic coast, but with right timing it can be done in day hopping.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by colemj

Suijin - why not Cape May direct to Stonington instead of Block Island?

I always stop at Block because I love Block (specially during the off season...sort of like what Nantucket was like in part 40 years ago) so was thinking of it in my terms. Stonington is just a few hours farther on so he could go directly there of course.

Frankly, if I was doing a pleasure cruise I would want to get up to Stonington as quickly as possible. As far as I'm concerned everything between Chesapeake City and NYC is pretty boring, even Sandy Hook, except for the porpoises that escort you when you are 2-3 miles off the beach. The East River is interesting, particularly the prison ships parked across from Rikers (:P) but it's not really anything to write home about. Oh if you head up during rush hour, watch out for the ferries that criss cross the river from the Battery up to mid-town. They really move and they mean business.

I'd want to get to Block/Stonington, then hit up spots like Essex, Naushon, Cuttyhunk and points east.