US East Coast must see stops

[Ramblingman]

I'll double down on a few places on the bay and yes, July and August are often hot, hazy, humid and very still. Don't let that discourage you, there are some great sailing days even in those two months.

While Baltimore offers a lot, I'd not stay there except for Fells Point. ( the Inner Harbor is expensive, dirty water, lots of crime ) Someone mentioned the Anchorage Marina in Fells Point; very nice place, and Fells Point has lots of cool bars and restaurants. You can Uber to the baseball game and the inner harbor tourist stuff. There are plenty of great day time things in Baltimore. B&O museum, National Aquarium, Science Center, Ft McHenry to name a few.

Annapolis is expensive if you dock or less so on a mooring ball. I am with the others and say, Back Creek or somewhere else on the hook and dinghy or Uber in. Tons of restaurants and sites. There are some fantastic little shops, there is an olive oil and vinegar tap room on Main Street that is very nice. There is Chick and Ruths Deli, go there for sure.

Just North as you go into to Annapolis is Whitehall Bay and Whitehall Creek, up in there is Jimmy Cantlers Riverside Inn. Great crabs and atmosphere. Stay on the hook in Whitehall, it's very nice.

Up the Chester River is Chestertown. A long river motor or sail, nice little town for a day or two layover, worth the visit in charm and costs.

St Michaels is great but is getting pricey like Annapolis but worth it. The Wye River is gorgeous.

Crossing back over is Deale MD. If you pay the $$ for a transient at Herrington Harbor, they have great facilities and a super nice pool. Dockside restaurant is good, Happy Harbor has a great breakfast.

Further down South it spreads out, gets quieter and go check out Deal Island.

If DC is on your list, I'd stay in Deale and Uber or rent a car. It is a long way up the Potomac. I've sailed it a few times. Pretty, not a lot of anchorages but enough and many restricted areas. Unless I was staying a week or two in DC, I'd extend your Baltimore stay in Fells Point and take the Marc train to DC a few days to see the sites.

Seconding Yorktown and the entire VA Tidewater area. Williamsburg is worth a day of siteseeing too.

[pickpaul]

Yes, DC is a loooong way by boat but under an hour by train from Baltimore and well worth it. Hell. NYC is only 2h45mins by train :-D

Also, I've been in Canton/FellsPoint/InnerHarbor areas of Baltimore for over 3 years now and haven't experienced any crime or heard of any from other boaters fyi. The high crime areas would be difficult to even get to from the harbor.

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[donradcliffe]

I've been up to DC by boat, and would do it again--but not between June 15 and September 15, and that goes for the rest of the Chesapeake.

[Gerrycooper56]

Try Cumberland Island Georgia, just North of Fernandina Beach. I think the ruined house there, 'Dungeness' belonged to the Carnegies.


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[CarlF]

If you are interested in history, you'll find the coast fascinating. You'll need to be patient with your draft on the ICW. The stretch of the ICW from Norfolk to Beaufort, NC has no lunar tide range but farther south it's easy if you just time the tide a bit.

Fall weather is tricky but if you don't want cold get south fairly early. I've had very cold sails in late October in the Chesapeake and wished for heat on the boat in late November in Charleston.

You've got some great suggestions - here are some of my favorites many of which are not obvious from the guidebooks. This is a cut and paste from something I did for a friend also interested in museums and history so might not all apply to you:

East River - NYC - going down the East River, under the Brooklyn bridge and sailing past the Statue of Liberty is magical.

Annapolis: Join the sailor pilgrimage to Annapolis Sailboat Show Columbus Day weekend.

St. Michaels, MD - Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum - wooden small craft and oyster history.

Norfolk Virginia - Chrysler Museum, USS Wisconsin, tour of the Norfolk naval base, USS Monitor museum.

Dismal Swamp canal - might not work due to your draft but you can call the visitor center and ask the water level. George Washington designed this canal. Very pretty.

Manteo and Ocracote - Lots of history. "Lost" Spanish colony. Good folk music scene in Ocracote. Some residents descended from Blackbeard's crew who swam ashore after the British naval ship sank his pirate ship in a running battle here (this is pre-revolution). The victorious captain sailed around with Blackbeard's head stuck on their bowsprit. Rent a car and go up to Kitty Hawk to the Wright Brothers museum.

Beaufort, NC - Beautiful, historic outer banks town. As suggested, anchor for a few days at Point Lookout and tour the old lighthouse. Many sea turtles

Charleston - The Unitarian Church graveyard - full of people from Gloucester and other New England towns. Yorktown Aircraft Carrier tour, Fort Sumpter, Hunley Civil War submarine, astonishingly good restaurants - try Husk. Reserve well in advance.

Bald Head Island near Southport - a fun to visit island summer community. No cars. Bicycles and golf carts. Site of revolutionary war battle and other small historical sites.

Wassaw Island near Savannah - A national park with ranger station but only accessible by boat. Beautiful anchorage. Lots of hiking opportunities. We were alone.

St. Simons (Georgia) - Fort Frederica - doesn't take long to tour this abandoned 18th century British settlement but you can anchor for the night in this beautiful spot and watch the dolphins play.

Jekyll Island - Vacation area for JP Morgan and buddies. Grand hotel is still there with museum about the meeting that happened here to found the US Federal Reserve

Kinsley Plantation just north of Florida border - beautiful anchorage and Plantation house museum

Cocoa - beautiful old Florida village. Wonderful marina. Rent a car and go over to Cape Kennedy. Take the special tour that goes out to the launch pads. Stand on the bricks under where the Saturn V blasted off to the moon.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Gee I kind of expected some of this, but thanks for the NON HELP.

You started it with a big blow-off. Did you expect different?

Frankly, if you want to be comfortable with a 6.5' draft and like museums, it will be easier to visit the big cities in a car. If you want local history and out-of-the way place information, well, you might not like it.

The Chesapeake is about a lot of small places and a few big towns (Washington, Baltimore, Annapolis, Norfolk) easily visited by car. Not a lot in between. Personally, I never visit those 4 by boat, I drive.

[polaris2.11]

Belhaven Memorial Museum is extraordinary. Belhaven Memorial Museum

We have had some truly wonderful times in Belhaven. Hospitality, good sailing, good restaurants, scenery, characters... what's not to love?

[polaris2.11]

Originally Posted by malyea

Lookout Bight, NC

+100!

[Clamdigger]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I'm going to be heading south this year from the Boston area. I'm not in a hurry to get anywhere other than not see snow or feeling cold. I expect to make it to at least the Bahamas this year.

What are must do/see stops along the way? We like history and museum types of things.

Stop in at Atlantic Highlands Marina, on the West Shore of Sandy Hook Bay, pick up a mooring, and send me a PM and I'll give you and your crew a great area tour. LOTS TO SEE & DO HERE!

[Clamdigger]

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

"Worth doing" is subjective. If shelter is what you need, there's Sandy Hook, Barnagut, Atlantic City, and Cape May. Cape Henlopen might be a good anchorage unless the wind is N. Barnagut might be dicey if the wind is easterly and especially if the tide is ebbing. If in doubt skip it or call out for local knowledge.

If you have not been into Atlantic Highlands Marina and picked up a mooring since before Hurricane Sandy, I urge everyone sailing South to do so. All NEW facilities and plenty of off the boat distractions!

[Clamdigger]

Originally Posted by Moody46CC

Not much between NYC and Cape May, and it's a really long run in a sailboat. If you are going to run it non-stop, time your departure from NYC so you'll enter Cape May in daylight. The entrance is easy even in the dark, but the number of marinas, lit buoys, and shore lights will confuse you the first time. The interior of the inlet is shallow outside the marked channels. You can make Atlantic City in a long day, leaving Atlantic Highlands at dawn or earlier. Easy out from Atlantic Highlands around Sandy Hook into the ocean, then just run south. Absecon Inlet (Atlantic City) is a jettied inlet and easy enough, but the last time I was there the USCG had three red floating markers on the north side of the channel marking shoaling or shifting sands. These are not on the chart which will say markers moved owing to frequent shoaling. I entered in the dark and only saw those when leaving the next AM. Ooops. Big shock. Shoulda used my radar. Duh!

Can tie up in the huge state marina at the foot of a giant casino, but it is expensive. And while a casino is a casino (and remember the place was not built by winners), if you've never been, go and watch senior citizens in action. On the opposite side of the inlet, just before the bridge and to the east of it, is a small sound that offers a good anchorage and protection. Not really noted on charts, but check it out on Active Captain. Quite a bit there. I'm planning on staying there when heading north this summer. Also an anchorage i the inlet itself by the casino, but subject to currents, tide change and traffic.

OH REALLY?! I beg to differ since I've lived here for the past 10 years. I invite any CF member to drop anchor in our harbor and spend a day or two being tour guided by myself around the area. How about picking up a mooring in Atlantic Highlands Marina and sending me a PM and I'll show you around town. I'm sure after that you'll be stopping EVERY YEAR! There is plenty to see here if you spend some time with a local sailor. Numerous EXCELLENT eateries, shops, Historical places, great walking around areas,etc.

Hey, shout out to MarkJ to sail on over from his NYC 79th St mooring and take me up on my offer. I'm sure he will enjoy the 'guided tour'! At our LOCAL BREWERY

[tartansail]

For those coming up Narragansett Bay to Bristol, +1 that the Herreshoff Museum is a "must see". The brilliance of Cap'n Nat is on full display.

If you're up this way and are a WWII buff, don't miss the opportunity to stop at Battleship Cove in Fall River. I just spent half a day digging around the USS Massachusetts, a destroyer (USS Joseph P. Kennedy), and a submarine (USS Lionfish). It is self-guided and self-paced so you can focus on the parts of the ships that are interesting (almost all for me) and skip the rest. I've only gone by car, but there are transient moorings close by and there is a dinghy dock at the entrance.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Gerrycooper56

Try Cumberland Island Georgia, just North of Fernandina Beach. I think the ruined house there, 'Dungeness' belonged to the Carnegies.

[sailorboy1]

thanks, keep the suggestions coming!!

[Clamdigger]

Originally Posted by tartansail

For those coming up Narragansett Bay to Bristol, +1 that the Herreshoff Museum is a "must see". The brilliance of Cap'n Nat is on full display.

If you're up this way and are a WWII buff, don't miss the opportunity to stop at Battleship Cove in Fall River. I just spent half a day digging around the USS Massachusetts, a destroyer (USS Joseph P. Kennedy), and a submarine (USS Lionfish). It is self-guided and self-paced so you can focus on the parts of the ships that are interesting (almost all for me) and skip the rest. I've only gone by car, but there are transient moorings close by and there is a dinghy dock at the entrance.

I second all of the above and HIGHLY recommend a visit to them. I have enjoyed going to them for years with friends, and it never gets old. Plus, RI has some EXCELLENT FOOD to be eaten along the way