Traveling up the US East Coast

[crayiii]

We're in a 42' sailing catamaran and just landing in Florida from the Caribbean. Our plan is to continue sailing North for hurricane season (have to be North of Georgia by June) then head south as soon as possible. We would love to make it as far as Maine.

We've never sailed the East coast are are looking for recommendations for cruising guides and any other time from those if you familiar with the area. Our preference is to anchor or gramb a mooring ball (if we have to).

[svHyLyte]

Take a look at (click on) Fleetwing.



Most all of what you might need to know can be found on Bob423"s pages including day to day travel logs to and from Key West to NY for several years.


FWIW...

[crayiii]

Thanks, I'll check it out!

Our air draft prevents us from traveling the ICWW but I'm sure there will be some gems in there we can still take advantage of.

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

Take a look at (click on) Fleetwing.



Most all of what you might need to know can be found on Bob423"s pages including day to day travel logs to and from Key West to NY for several years.


FWIW...

[dfelsent]

For tides and current tables in the northeast buy Eldridge’s. Chesapeake and up.
There is a copy on most boats in the region.
This is my copy. I buy it as a sign of spring!
Plus it might be silly but I’ve used that ruler on the spine.
Plus Plus. From New York to Boston the current tables and charts and advice are correct and priceless. They can save you hours a day.

[sailing_gal]

I strongly recommend you pick up the appropriate USCG Coast Pilot. These books provide all the information you will need for entering any bays and navigating up the coast. They are an underutilized, excellent source of information.

https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/publ...lot/index.html

[dickfred]

You're sailing south as soon as possible, and get to Maine? Puzzling wording.

[crayiii]

Originally Posted by dickfred

You're sailing south as soon as possible, and get to Maine? Puzzling wording.

We are hoping to get as far north as Maine. Once weather permits (after hurricane season), we will begin our journey back south.

[dwass]

Maine is very beautiful, especially in the summer. 4000+ islands to sail around and we have gone a few summers without turning on the radar. The last cat owner I spoke to that was from the keys and in Maine for the first time, wanted to have all the lobster men arrested because they just threw their pots right in the channels and many of the toggles were not the same color as the pots so knowing what side to go on was impossible. He had to dive on his tangled props 3 times to get out of one bay. Buy a handy branch trimmer with off set teeth to use on the line if you can’t release yourself any other way. Also try not to head into the sun at the end of the day ‘cus those pots are really hard to see.

[Caliber40]

Get The “ Waterway Guide” still the best!

[MIRELOS]

you have Fla, Geo, South and North Carolina and the the Chesapeake , NJ is not too accessible for boats with big air draft except for Atlantic City, then you have NYC and the Long Island Sound and the coast up to Maine (don't want to exclude RI, etc, etc), truly I have been sailing this waters for 40 years and still I find fascinating spots....get your guides and plan your cruise, in one summer it is impossible....enjoy

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by crayiii

Our air draft prevents us from traveling the ICWW but I'm sure there will be some gems in there we can still take advantage of.

Is your air draft over 65 feet?

Once out of south Florida that in the clearance minimum.

[crayiii]

Originally Posted by stormalong

Is your air draft over 65 feet?

Once out of south Florida that in the clearance minimum.

Yes, we're well above that

[zstine]

activecaptain.garmin.com

It is the go-to guide for cruising IMO. We went up the coast but we were able to do a mix of ICW and outside.

Some suggested stops:
-St. Augustine, FL
-Jekyll Is, GA
-Charleston was a nice stop, but I recommend you buoy your anchor with a trip line. We got our anchor caught twice in 25-30ft of muddy water.
-Wrightsville/masonboro inlet
-Cape Lookout/Beaufort, NC
-Norfolk/Portsmouth (anchor just north of tidewater marina)
-Cape May, NJ
-Block Island
-Newport, RI

[hatchetjoe]

I'll put in a plug for my home waters of the St. Marys River entrance at the border between Georgia and Florida. It's a wide, deep entrance with a channel kept at 45+ feet for the Navy Submarine base at Kings Bay. Not far inside there is a good anchorage with 8-20 feet of water on the west side of Cumberland Island National Seashore. Well protected from NE and E winds. Cumberland Island is a nice place to stretch your legs. An alternative about 3 miles south of the entrance is anchoring or mooring at the town of Fernandina Beach; a very walkable small town with good restaurants. There are no bridges or power lines to worry about either way.

[Paul Howard]

Originally Posted by Caliber40

Get The “ Waterway Guide” still the best!

Waterway guide is the best for marinas and fuel docks.
Skipper Bob is best for anchorages and free docks.