Cruising Guide to the East Coast

[carlylelk]

What cruising guide would you recommend for a cruise up the East Coast from Florida to the Chesapeake? We'll be mostly on the outside rather than the Intercoastal (due to mast height and keel depth), so we're more interested in anchorages accessible from the major inlets.

[Steadman Uhlich]

U.S. Coast Pilot
Free downloads
https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/publ...lot/index.html

U.S. Coast Pilot Topics

Topics in the Coast Pilot include channel descriptions, anchorages, bridge and cable clearances, currents, tide and water levels, prominent features, pilotage, towage, weather, ice conditions, wharf descriptions, dangers, routes, traffic separation schemes, small-craft facilities, and Federal regulations applicable to navigation.

U.S. Coast Pilot now offers completely updated publications every week.

All Coast Pilot books are available to download for free from the Office of Coast Survey website.

[ranger58sb]

We recently traveled that route using a combination of Coast Pilot, Waterway Guide (a member here), ActiveCaptain, and cruisersnet (Salty Southeast Sailors...). We also had the MapTech guide for the area, but most info came from the others.

-Chris

[skipmac]

The Waterway Guide is excellent. Gives lots of information about places to stop, things to see, fuel and marinas.

You might want to check this thread with users suggestions for east coast sights to see. http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ts-199430.html

[sailorboy1]

If you are just interested in anchorages close to inlets just use active captain

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

If you are just interested in anchorages close to inlets just use active captain

Quite so. If you aren't looking for anything other than anchorages and mast clearance then Active Captain online and a set of charts will give you all you need.

https://activecaptain.com/livemap

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

If you are just interested in anchorages close to inlets just use active captain

^^^ This.

If you don't have a means of accessing Active Captain while offshore, I would recommend that you capture local knowledge information on the major inlets, at least from Charleston north so that you can review it offline. Some of those inlets can be a bit tricky in certain weather conditions (like Winyah Bay for example).

Active Captain has the best anchorage information as far as I'm concerned because it's generally up to date reader feedback and tends to be more detailed than what you find in the Waterway guide, for example.

[rogern]

Active Captain offers a lot more than just anchorages. If you're traveling the ICW there's no better source for up to date info on hazards and shoaling. The reviews of marinas are extensive and cover the entire East Coast. It's our go-to source for info underway.

For inexpensive offline access to AC, C-Map's Plan2Nav works well. Not a great chart plotter, but good enough, and you can download updated Active Captain data anytime. It's one of the chart plotter apps we use. Be advised that you must be an Active Captain member, but that's free anyway.

[Emouchet]

Active captain is great. However, if you want to purchase and install an app (iOS or Android) to access the database off line, be careful.
By mid may, because of requirement to be compliant with Europeen Law about personal data protection, most app will no longer run. ActiveCaptain and Garmin are working on a new programmable API to be compliant. All app will have to use this new API otherwise they will have database access declined.
So far, only AquaMap app has indicated they will do the update.

[sailorboy1]

And AquaMap is a good choice for backup navigation and off line ActiveCaptain

[davil]

To bring a small boat Nor'Sea 27 from Brooklin Maine to Norfolk VA best approach vs loading it on a truck?
This will not be a pleasure sailing,but more like moving a boat between two points.
Thanks

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by davil

To bring a small boat Nor'Sea 27 from Brooklin Maine to Norfolk VA best approach vs loading it on a truck?
This will not be a pleasure sailing,but more like moving a boat between two points.
Thanks

Leaving from Brooklyn Marine as in New York City area?

From NY south you only have one option, out Verrazano down the Jersey Shore to Delaware. From Delaware you have two options, all the way up Delaware Bay to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, then all the way back down the Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk OR outside down the DE, MD, VA coast to the Chesapeake. If you're in a hurry the outside is much shorter assuming weather cooperates.

[davil]

sjipmac
is confussing,is Brookin,Maine.
is quite a distance and given the size of the boat and been half equipped wonder if is not more sensible just load it on a truck,there is clearing outfit that produces different bids from trucks that normally have delivered and face an empty return or pick up a load.
Sad part is planning to do the same route as a sailing trip this season,but I am more familiar with the local service and shop areas.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by davil

sjipmac
is confussing,is Brookin,Maine.
is quite a distance and given the size of the boat and been half equipped wonder if is not more sensible just load it on a truck,there is clearing outfit that produces different bids from trucks that normally have delivered and face an empty return or pick up a load.
Sad part is planning to do the same route as a sailing trip this season,but I am more familiar with the local service and shop areas.

Oh, sorry. Wasn't familiar with that location and had to look it up.

It is about 800 nm to Norfolk. How to go depends on your budget and time. If you sail harbor to harbor it could easily take 2-3 weeks. On the other hand, setting up a truck, preparing the boat, loading, then a couple days towing, then setting up the unload and a few days putting the boat back together could also take a couple of weeks. On difference, sailing will take you all day every day for 2-3 weeks where trucking a lot of it will not need you to be there.

[davil]

I am afraid is a tough call.
waiting to see how much the truck might charge although the thought of putting the baby on a truck is also a problem.
thank you very much