Miami to CT

[jrodri1981]

My wife and I are planning to sail to CT (Tartan 4300) we had sail to bahamas for 10 years, living aboard, never went east coast north. we have 8 weeks leaving 3rd week of February. looking for advice in route, anchorages, we like to try day sailing most but can do overnight. which portion we better take inside? and outside?
thank you

[motion30]

You went through sale to Connecticut in February?

[skipmac]

I have to ask the same question. Heading north to CT in Feb? Even in north FL it often drops below freezing in Feb. Farther north it could be nasty. Aside from the low temps the cold fronts also bring strong winds. If you're set up for heat on the boat the winds will still be a big factor in the trip.

So first consideration on going inside or outside will be weather. If it's nasty or a front is forecast then stick to the ICW.

Otherwise the general considerations.

GA has very high tides and some sections can be very shallow at low tide. You will have to time your transits there on a rising tide in case you find one of the shallow spots. GA is easy to bypass by going outside from Jacksonville to Charleston or even NC but the scenery in the marshes is wonderful and if you have the time and inclination, worth the trouble.

I would also go inside from Moorehead City to Norfolk to get around Cape Hatteras.

From Norfolk you can go up the Chesapeake to the canal then down Delaware Bay back to the ocean or go outside up the coast. The former is a lot longer but scenic and lots of things to see. From DE north there is no ICW so you will have to go outside. I would go up the Jersey shore and into NY Harbor, up the East River and through LI Sound to CT. The alternate route is south of LI and around Montauk to CT.

[jrodri1981]

Thank you for the information
our idea will be to go very slow so will be in CT late April. Understand about the cold fronts and the Gulf S.
Our boat has a 63 ft mast and 6ft draft
thank you again for your help

[john61ct]

People forget that some choose to sail in even Arctic conditions, just for the fun of it.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by jrodri1981

Thank you for the information
our idea will be to go very slow so will be in CT late April. Understand about the cold fronts and the Gulf S.
Our boat has a 63 ft mast and 6ft draft
thank you again for your help

If you have already researched this aspect of the trip then please ignore this reply.

Regarding the mast height, there are a few bridges that could give you a problem with 63' if there's a particularly high tide or strong onshore winds. I would check in advance with the online websites that monitor and post about these like Waterway Guide, Active Captain and Cruisersnet. That would be good to get the latest on any shoaling or blockages from Florence as well.