Going from Chesapeake, C&D Canal, Cape May to Staten Isl

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Nov 5th, '07, 18:24

So my friend finally decided on a 32 Luhrs FBC, closing the deal on Friday and we have hopes to bring it back Saturday most likely going into Sunday.

Ride seems pretty straight forward, but if anyone is familiar with waters from Chesapeake (Kent Island) to AC I'd apprieciate your knowledge, is there anything in particuliar to be watchfull of ? My biggest concern at the moment is Cape May, coming out into the ocean from the river, maybe best to take the Cape May Canal, think we will be refueling there anyway.

Carl

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Nov 5th, '07, 18:44

Carl,

Been a long time since I made that run, but you for sure want to take the Cape May canal rather than run the shoals out to the ocean. Besides, it's a shorter direction. Once you come under the bridge at Cap May, follow the channel around to the right, right around the Lobster House docks to South Jersey Marina. Ya' gotta' eat at the Lobster House, even if just for lunch. One of the best resturants on the east coast.

Patrick

hubris 1 · Post by **hubris 1** » Nov 5th, '07, 18:57

you want to take the canal. take the right after you go under the bridge, at the last red marker to the lobster house. go all the way till the red marker is on your port, then turn right towards the commercial boats. its an easy run to ac from there out in the ocean. back out past the coast guard and a right to the inlet. unless you have done the coastal water way DONT. especially at low tide. behind avalon is probably the worst but you will need a navigator if you try it. stay between the buoys!or else. honk the horn when you go past my summer house, swing bridge on the canal, port side.notice the greek columns! :wink:

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Nov 5th, '07, 19:19

I live on Kent Island--let me know if there's anything I can do. Plan your fuel--nothing really between the C&D and Cape May. Watch your charts when you exit the C&D and start your run south down the Del. Bay. Its pretty easy, but there are some nasty shoals along the channel. Pick nice weather days--you'll want to stay on the outside from the Cape May canal north, and the Del. Bay, when the wind stacks up against the tide, can get nasty. The Chesapeake is great this time of year. Have fun.

John F.

Capt Dick Dean · Post by **Capt Dick Dean** » Nov 6th, '07, 08:05

I'd call the transport company to get it there. Going outsde at this time of yr is nerve rackin'. It's Bertram weather up here.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Nov 6th, '07, 10:07

Thanks for the input, thought about transport but that means removing Bridge, hardtop etc.

Weather is looking real iffy for this weekend, we may just bring to Cape May Canal and leave it there till we get a good window to run it home. How is Delaware with a bit of wind?

Really didn't want or plan to take intercoastal, ocean from Cape May back is our 1st choice, just need that good weather window.

John, thanks, we planned to top off Friday night and refuel at the Cape May Canal for the last leg, hoped to stay in AC overnight, but with most recent forecast seems like we would stay put in the canal.

Capt Pat, seems funny getting advice from Texas about the waterways close to me, yet I feel more then confident passing on the information. As always thanks.

Thanks again,
Carl

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Nov 6th, '07, 11:03

Carl,

I've been through the "meadows" from Cape May to Atlantic City on a 47' Buddy Davis, (back around '88), and it's damned tricky, especially at a lower tide.

Currents can be a bitch in areas on a fast moving tide. Be careful & get as much local knowledge as possible if you go that way. Not a route that you want any mechanical problems to occur...

The ocean jump from Cape May to AC could be safer & faster even on a rough sea. Exiting the inlet at Cape May & entering Absecon Inlet are pretty straight forward with plenty of width and depth. Good water a mile off the beach for the whole distance. Pay attention to your sea bouys & don't cut any corners.

Br,

Patrick

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Nov 6th, '07, 11:56

DelawareBaycan be absolutely awful of the wind and tide stacks up. Ask Doug Crowther or John Dunker....Wait until you have a good weather window.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Nov 6th, '07, 13:54

I was afraid I was going to hear that John, kind of expected it though as I know the Hudson can be a real pain in the wrong conditions.

Kind of funny though, I spent most of my summers on the Delaware, a couple hundred miles north, but still on the Delaware and I keep going back to that area as my point of reference for the river.

Yeah... I know about the intercoastal in Jesey, pretty much the reason I want to stay away. I have asked a few friends that run in there about it and the first thing they tell me is their trick for getting off sandbars. So much for local knowledge.

I expect we will be waiting for good weather windows.

Thanks again,
Carl

Doug Crowther · Post by **Doug Crowther** » Nov 7th, '07, 10:16

The worst part of your trip will be the Deleware river and Bay from the nuclear power plant on. The wave frequency gets close and violent and it just hammers the hell out of you (broken two side windows out my 31 there). I live across the bay from Kent Island on the Annapolis side. The run from Kent to Cape May can take as little as 4 hrs in a 28knt boat if you catch the wind direction right. I second what Patrick says about the inside. Run the ocean and if you have too- put in @ Barnegat and not before. Barnegat Light- Manassquan Inlet on the inside is fine.
If you are going to split the trip in two stay @ South Jersey across from The Lobster House in Cape May. Its one of my favorite Marina's. If you catch the weather right you should be able to make the trip in a single day. Hope the Luhrs has a dry ride- its been pretty snotty for the past week.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Nov 7th, '07, 12:03

Thanks Doug.
She's supposed to be a 22knt boat, I banking on 20 knts, leaving 5-6 hrs to Cape May. I guess we will find out just how dry the boat actually is pretty soon.

If weather is snotty, as is forecasted, I'll vote to make the run another time. No need to get beat up just to bring her home then pull her out for the season.

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » Nov 7th, '07, 15:27

In '06 I went to the Atlantic City Rendezvous and did the return trip all in one day. I have a B35 which had 454's then and averaged about 19k took 9-1/2 hours total, including an hour stop for lunch at South Jersey. Kent Island would have been anoter 30-45min?

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Nov 7th, '07, 16:30

Time sounds about right. From Cape May I still have to travel 140 miles North to get home, so unless we really push, one day is really not an option, especailly now with the days being so short. So I guess it's where to pull in for the night.
If we get one of those georgous November days where I would feel comfy traveling the last 30-40 miles at night we could make it, but I don't see that weather in the forecast.

Doug Crowther · Post by **Doug Crowther** » Nov 7th, '07, 18:01

Another good option might be to winter it on Kent Island down the street from John's house. We store our 31's there for less than $700 for haul,press wash, block, and 4 mos storage. Then make the journey in April. Winters here are milder than on S.I.

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Nov 7th, '07, 19:57

Doug-

Called you on the way home and offered to buy. Maybe tomorrow after work?

John

JK · Post by JK » Nov 7th, '07, 21:25

That trip can be brutal if you don't have the right conitions. Last year it took 7 hrs to go from AC to the C&D canal, the ocean was a breeze but the DE bay was tight, nasty, cold chop right in the face the entire time up to the power plant (Salem) and we managed about 14knts in the bay. This past summer, 4th of July week I didn't listen to the forecast because it was summer and it was a case of the winds and tide against me the entire trip. 6 hours from the C&D to Lewes, DE and another 2hrs from Lewes to Indian River...I was 7.5 knts most of the way. If you have the right conditions it is a fun and easy trip.

--JK

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Nov 7th, '07, 22:21

If you are running past Barnegat, and decide go inside at that point, after you get past Little Egg, and once you have the light house in site get at least two miles off shore. Those Barnegat jetty;s come out a way's and if you are not familiar with it, it is best to apprach from the Bell and go straight in. Follow the channel past the light house. At the junction buoy you will head west and then it curves north. This short stretch by the light house is a no wake zone so be carefull they watch for you in there. Then follow the Oyester creek channel and watch for the dog legs its shoals on the north side and you can run aground pretty easy if you are not carefull. Once on the other west side of the bay turn north and its pretty much deep water all the way up to the Toms River Bridge then make sure you stay in the Channel from that point north until you exit Manasquan back out into the Ocean. Tony Meola

Doug Crowther · Post by **Doug Crowther** » Nov 8th, '07, 01:52

John,
Sorry too many already to answer. Damn scotish heritage. Maybe a few in the next week or so. When you coming out ?

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Nov 8th, '07, 08:08

Doug-

Will probably get her hauled somewhere around 11/19. Did you talk to Patrick at QAM yet? I told him to save you a spot. I'll probably be thirsty on the way home again. Offer stands--at least for the first one.

John

Harv · Post by **Harv** » Nov 10th, '07, 21:10

Carl,

You gotta watch those inside channels very carefully. I remember running inside from AC after the first rendezvous, and Charlie Haws saying that the charts show Zero water outside the channels. It didn't take long for me to believe him as I watched the stern of Charlie Johnson's boat pass his own bow.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Nov 13th, '07, 11:27

6 hrs from Kent Island to Cape May Canal, 1/2hr for Sea-tow to take us off the nice larger shoal in the canal, the one just behind the Ferries. Couple hrs to drop, straighten and reinstall bent rudders, due to newly formed shoal and six hrs from Cape May to Staten Island. All in all not a bad trip.

I was impressed with the Luhrs 32 FBC ride, dry, stable and really not bad on fuel. Averaged 23knts at 26gph

Thanks for the help, it was appreciated.

hubris 1 · Post by **hubris 1** » Nov 13th, '07, 11:50

oops, the ferry builds that shoal. they dredge it often, just not enough water at low tide.they sit in the slip with the engine in gear and pretty much power dredge. you had to be pretty far over though. thats the only spot in the canal people run aground. they swing way right and bump. a lot of sailboats make that mistake. sorry.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Nov 13th, '07, 13:38

No problem hubris 1. I just asked for advice of things that came to mind, not a step by step walk me thru the trip.

My intention was lining up the center of the narrow part and going up the middle. We where not much off that approach, but apparently far enough.

Looking closer at the charts again, I should have stayed left of center. That last leg of the Delaware was a bit snotty, I was preoccuppied with the approach to the inlet, which turned out to be no problem and did not take the time to really look close. I am really surprised they don't toss a marker in the area.

bertram31.com

Going from Chesapeake, C&D Canal, Cape May to Staten Isl

Going from Chesapeake, C&D Canal, Cape May to Staten Isl

i agree,

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