Need Help Planning Route from Norfolk, VA to Troy, NY

[Alys]

Hey folks!

We are the new owners of a 1986 Mainship 36 Double Cabin Motor Yacht. Comfortable cruising speed is reputed to be 10-13 kts and she draws under 2.5'. We are based in Toronto, Canada and the boat is currently landlocked in Lake Norman, NC. We lived-aboard our 38' sailboat (that we built for the hull-up) for 10 years on Lake Ontario and have crewed a 54' sailboat up the barge, but have no saltwater experience.

We plan to bring her back up to Toronto over 3-4 weeks in August. Cruising plans being a malleable medium, all things are subject to change, of course, but right now our idea is to truck her to Norfolk and then do ICW north... Chesapeake Bay - C-D Canal (or is it D-C? I'm a bit dyslexic) - Delaware - NJ Inland - Hudson - Troy - Erie Canal - Oswego - Toronto

I'd love to read some insight into route planning that goes a bit more in-depth than, say, captainjohn.org's simple 5-day A-to-B description. It seems that most in blogs I've found folks are heading south, or by the time they get back into the area they are so jaded as to not feel the need to describe this portion of their route.

My main concern is Norfolk to New York Harbor. We'd like to spend about 7 days on that stretch. We are traveling with out 19yo son who is a history buff, so this area is rife with fodder for him. We'd also like to plan for an evening in Atlantic City.

What guide(s) are worth purchasing?
At what points is it best to be outside vs. the inside?

Any insight is welcome, so bring it on!

[Stu Jackson]

Google The Great Loop

[Waterway Guide]

Is there a way you can take more time on your journey? Especially for a history tour, there's a lot to see, and 1 week hardly even gives you a weather day, much less time to explore. (Of course I recommend our cruising guides for the entire trip, and I second greatloop.org as a resource.) Happy cruising!

[Kettlewell]

In a nutshell, go Norfolk to C&D, then C&D to Cape May, then Cape May to AC on the outside. Use the Cape May Canal. Skip the inside route in NJ unless you don't mind going slow and spending a lot of time aground. I just corresponded with someone who was having a difficult time with the NJ inland waterway. Then go AC to Sandy Hook on the outside, then up the Hudson to Troy. Tons of possible places to stop along the way. Some of my favorites are Solomons, St. Michaels, Annapolis, Cape May, not really a fan of AC, like the anchorage behind Sandy Hook, Kingston and its Maritime Museum, then Troy waterfront--Dinosaur BBQ is a good restaurant right on the water there.