New member greeting!

[Burt Prater]

Glad to be aboard! I am a semi-retired physician who has been sailing for 35 years, living aboard and cruising on a Shannon 38 ketch for five years. I am making the difficulty transition to motor cruising but very excited about learning new skills. My wife and I have a home on Westport Island, ME about an hour north of Portland where we plan to cruise the Maine coast in our Mainship 34 Hardtop during the summer. I am experienced in the medical aspects of diving, wilderness activities and cruising and would be pleased to share my knowledge.

My Mainship, Grace, is in a yard on the southeast shore of the Chesapeake being outfitted with new electronics, etc. I am looking at the option of taking her to Maine on her bottom versus on a truck. My time is somewhat limited and with the price of fuel the costs are comparable. Can someone give me the distance in nautical miles via the ICW from the mouth of the Chesapeake to Portland, ME? Your assistance would be much appreciated.

DocB

[mickmul]

Welcome aboard from the Emerald Isle doc! Can't help on the ICW but I'm sure lots of folk here will be jumping in on that. Enjoy the transition and kick the hell out of that semi retirement!! Enjoy!!

[mobetah]

Glad to have you aboard & Good luck with that power boat thing!

Sorry Doc but the Atlantic ICW starts in Norfork VA and heads south.

[Islandmike]

Welcome aboard, you will find this to be an informative and fun board.

[swagman]

Welcome Bert,
Trust you enjoy the site as much as we do - and find it as valuable.
Enjoy!
JOHN

[Burt Prater]

Thanks for the welcome, Mobetah, and you are right about the ICW. I should have been more definitive. I am looking for the shortest reasonable distance for a trawler with a draft of 3' from the southeastern most shore of the Chesapeake via the CD canal to Portland, ME.
docB

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha DocB,
Welcome aboard! I hope you find the answers. The last time I was on the Chesapeake was aboard a Navy Cruiser and I rented a motorhome to drive up to Maine. I know that it isn't much help but I wanted to extend the welcome anyway.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[YOGAO]

Welcome aboard!

I would recommend some of the Skipper Bob publications and perhaps the Waterway Guides for the areas you are looking to cruise. I am off the boat for the moment, but I think there is a guide from Cape May to Maine and another for the Chesapeake.

As for the shortest route? Part of the answer has to depend on the boat's range and your desire to motor offshore. NJ has an ICW that gets you from Cape May or Atlantic City(?) to Manasquan Inlet IIRC (and I probably don't) So give us some more specifics, please. Like, do you plan on being in a marina every night? Will you have the same crew for the entire trip? Any spots that you want to definitely see/avoid, etc.