Loop Delaware and Chesapeake Bay

[Hud3]

One of the things I did to prepare for my first passage from Virginia to the British Virgin Islands was to do the 'Round Delmarva circuit with my crew. We did it counterclockwise in early July. There was very little wind, so we ended up motoring quite a bit.

The most challenging part of the trip was Delaware Bay. It has numerous shoals to watch out for, lots of commercial traffic in the ship channel, very strong tidal currents (up to 3 knots), and wind against current sets up a nasty chop.

We entered the Bay at Cape Henlopen at sunset, on low slack tide. As the incoming tidal current built, we picked up 2-3 knots of speed over ground. It was a hazy, moonless night and some of the aids to navigation were unlit, so we kept two crew in the cockpit--one to steer and the other to watch the radar and look out for the unlit buoys.

Because of the danger of shoals and obstructions, we motored right at the edge of the ship channel, and encountered quite a few large vessels to keep away from. In the upper part of the Bay, lights on shore and the haze made it difficult to make out the navigation aids.

The good part of the Bay leg was that the surface was calm due to light winds, and the fair tidal current stayed with us all the way through the C&D Canal and into the upper Chesapeake.

One other comment. In my opinion, August is one of the worst sailing months in the Chesapeake. Light winds, high temperatures and humidity, and thunderstorms are common. I'd suggest late May through June if that works for you.

[Captain Bill]

My experience is that the prevailing wind during August tends to be SW which makes the CCW direction a bit easier on the offshore leg. That is of course if you don't get a hurricane offshore which tends to make the wind out of some direction with an N in it depending on how far off shore. I've found that working my way down the Chesapeake with a SW wind is easier than being off shore heading south in a SW wind, though not by much since the shallow water of the Chesapeake tends to make the waves short and steep compared to offshore. There's just a lot more places to rest after banging into the seas all day on a close reach.

[Grandwagoneer0]

I believe the best way is to time a hi psi system to put you on the beam for ocean passage then let the wind clock outta the south coming up the Chesapeake. In a perfect world that is.

[JaaaPeee]

We did the ARC DelMarVa a few years back. Well-organized, good group to travel with, excellent experience for overnight sailing and support, just-in-case. South in the Bay, North in the Ocean for Summer in the Chesapeake.

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by Fishzine

This is my training year as well, Just got the boat last fall and only motored it up from Annapollis before she went on hard this winter. That is why I am looking towards the second half of the season. This spring and early summer I will be shaking down the boat and getting my skills up. So assuming all goes well with that hoping for the late summer/early fall to be ready. Will see....

I am not sure of the pro/cons of CW vs CCW route options. The CW route (down the delaware) is with where boat is I can be in ocean within a day. If weather window looks good, then I will go with that. If weather window needs some more time I will slowly make my way down the Chesapeake buying me a couple days to a week searching for better window for ocean portion. I figure with going out 100 miles I am probably looking at up to three days for the ocean portion. But that with perfect weather window, if I have a shorter window I can always stay closer to shore and then ocean cross should be much closer to 24 hours. One of the ways I am trying to build as much flexibility into this. That said I am very interested in suggesting on which route is best. Particular if I am getting that far off shore that I am likely getting into the Gulf Stream influencing options

Also need to dig more into weather tendencies in that time frame to see when I actually want to schedule this.

We did this last year with the same CW/CCW logic you had. I planned for a date,and as we approached that date it looked like the forecast was best for doing the offshore portion first so we went CW (like you starting in N end of the Chesapeake). I don't think it matters otherwise which way you go.

To the earlier poster, the Gulf Stream hangs a right at NC and isn't going to be a factor in a Delmarva loop trip.

[scfoster]

Also purchased new to me sailboat in July with a lot of work needed, so not much sailing. On the hard now in North East, MD. Planning on using this season to get all the systems up to snuff.

Not sure I'll tackle the loop this year or next but it's on the list. The plan is to go through the C&D canal and stop in Lewes, DE at the mouth of the Delaware Bay. There the weather can be assessed for the 2 day South trip along the Atlantic Coast, to the mouth of the Chesapeake. For me, since the home port is in the upper Chesapeake, if things turn sour, we can always wait out bad weather or turn around and head back up to the C&D canal.

If things go well, once in the Chesapeake heading North, there are lots of options for anchorages.

[Sparx]

A Delmarva circumnavigation with a trip to canyon country is very doable. The tuna canyons are roughly 70 miles off shore. You could head out from either Cape Henlopen or Cape Charles and run the deep water drop line that runs north east to south west. This is three days minimum off shore.

Settled weather often lays in during July that could make it easy to stay out there longer, running up and down the canyons until you have had your fill.

The CW/CCW discussion is completely trite, don't spend three minutes worrying about it. Instead look at the weather and decide which direction works for when you want to go. In the summer the prevailing wind can blow from the southwest.

Lots will chime in with all the dangers involved in offshore sailing. But for me what you propose, going tuna hunting for a few days, is a fairly easy way to get some good offshore experience.

The Columbia is an excellent off shore boat. But these older boats need to be brought back to off shore ready condition. Once your boat is there, choose your weather and go.

[bensolomon]

Did the ARC delmarva in 2016. It was awesome! I recommend the summer solstice or thereabout. You'll want the full moon visibility, especially transiting the Delaware River and the ATONS there.

Get an Eldridge to time your passage through the C&D and up or down the Delaware. That is a must. Everything else, like the others have said, is a matter of wind and weather prediction. That time of year.... thunderstorm squalls. Not long, but a little unnerving for 20 minutes.

No usable ports on the Delaware Atlantic coast. So, once you're out in the Atlantic, you're committed.

[Fishzine]

Originally Posted by Sparx

A Delmarva circumnavigation with a trip to canyon country is very doable. The tuna canyons are roughly 70 miles off shore. You could head out from either Cape Henlopen or Cape Charles and run the deep water drop line that runs north east to south west. This is three days minimum off shore.

Settled weather often lays in during July that could make it easy to stay out there longer, running up and down the canyons until you have had your fill.

The CW/CCW discussion is completely trite, don't spend three minutes worrying about it. Instead look at the weather and decide which direction works for when you want to go. In the summer the prevailing wind can blow from the southwest.

Lots will chime in with all the dangers involved in offshore sailing. But for me what you propose, going tuna hunting for a few days, is a fairly easy way to get some good offshore experience.

The Columbia is an excellent off shore boat. But these older boats need to be brought back to off shore ready condition. Once your boat is there, choose your weather and go.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I am not very concerned about the boat being able to handle it once I finish getting her ready. Biggest and most important thing for this trip is making sure the better half has a fantastic trip too. This will be her first sailing 'vacation', meaning something more then a long weekend.

[bensolomon]

Well, now....That's a different discussion altogether. I have a multitude of suggestions for a happy admiral on a long trip, especially through the Chesapeake.

[chriscd]

i did this counter-clockwise back in 1999 in and old wooden sailboat. that story
was published: C. Chase-Dunn 1999 “Around Delmarva” Pp. 107-110 Chesapeake Bay Magazine, 29,6 (October)
a longer version is at https://irows.ucr.edu/cd/stories/boat/delmarva.htm
great trip.

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by bensolomon

No usable ports on the Delaware Atlantic coast. So, once you're out in the Atlantic, you're committed.

While technically true if your mast is too high for Indian River, it's also important to remember that the Delaware coast is probably only about 15% of the offshore trip and you can make it from Lewes to Ocean City in an easy day sail in pretty much any boat. Ocean City is an all weather inlet for pretty much any boat, and Chincoteague is easily passable by most boats in most weather. Wachapreagaue can be a little challenging in poor weather and/or deep draft. In my experience the Virginia portion of the offshore trip is the most iffy when it comes to useable ports, and as you know the VA in DelMarVa makes up the majority of the length of the offshore passage.

[Grandwagoneer0]

I just did the Delmarva loop. Got back last Thursday. Went ccw due to winds and total days gone was 6. It was a blast. Was scared of the Delaware because of everything I read but it was a breeze! Only issue was fried chart plotter but was keeping up with paper charts so no big deal. Saw a rocket launch from wallops island. Saw Elon musk satellites in the clear sky. Greatest sailing experience of my life and extreme confidence booster. This trip is a must for anyone planning any kind of offshore trips

[Fishzine]

Originally Posted by Grandwagoneer0

I just did the Delmarva loop. Got back last Thursday. Went ccw due to winds and total days gone was 6. It was a blast. Was scared of the Delaware because of everything I read but it was a breeze! Only issue was fried chart plotter but was keeping up with paper charts so no big deal. Saw a rocket launch from wallops island. Saw Elon musk satellites in the clear sky. Greatest sailing experience of my life and extreme confidence booster. This trip is a must for anyone planning any kind of offshore trips

Awesome, Glad you have a great trip. Curious how far off-shore you went and how rushed you were to complete in 6 days?

I am still looking toward the back half of this years sailing season.

[Dr. D]

Originally Posted by Grandwagoneer0

I just did the Delmarva loop. Got back last Thursday. Went ccw due to winds and total days gone was 6. It was a blast. Was scared of the Delaware because of everything I read but it was a breeze! Only issue was fried chart plotter but was keeping up with paper charts so no big deal. Saw a rocket launch from wallops island. Saw Elon musk satellites in the clear sky. Greatest sailing experience of my life and extreme confidence booster. This trip is a must for anyone planning any kind of offshore trips

How many were you aboard? How did you divide up the tasks? How many nights in marina slips?