North From Chesapeake

[Star Fire]

I’m looking to travel north from Annapolis, to NYC and Boston, layer this summer (2024). C&D to Delaware bay and Atlantic to NY Harbor. Long Island sound. Rode Island is a must.

I welcome any and all advice, tricks, tips. I’d like to have a few stops along the way. Atlantic City does not interest me. Are there any interesting historical or national/state parks people have found interesting? Free is good… I’m a cheap ass sailor.

[Kettlewell]

You can cut through the Cape May Canal to avoid a long trip around the outside. The trip by the Statue of Liberty and then up the East River alongside Manhattan is spectacular, but need to play the current to get through Hell Gate easily. Tons of anchorages on either side of LI Sound, just choose the place where the wind takes you. I always like islands, so hit Block Island, Cuttyhunk, Martha's Vineyard. Tarpaulin Cove in the Elizabeth Islands is a beautiful anchorage with no facilities, just a gorgeous beach. Hike up to the lighthouse for the view. New Bedford is easy to enter and has the cheapest fuel around. Rental moorings are all over the place in New England, but there are also places to anchor. Need to time the Cape Cod Canal for favorable current, and don't be surprised if you get spit out into a dense fog bank in Cape Cod Bay. The water will be much colder north of the canal. Sail over to Provincetown for a nice anchorage and a unique town if you want to see some activity. From there it is a nice shot to Boston Harbor. The Boston Harbor Islands are a park worth visiting. Surprising number of islands and anchorages within the harbor.

[gs41escapade]

Annapolis to Chesapeake City, middle of the C&D canal. Overnight there in a small harbor off the canal. Some good crab houses (well, not exactly now of course).

Next day to Cape May, NJ. Pretty 'gingerbread' houses and several very good restaurants.

I don't have much to say about up the NJ coast. Just if you go through Hell's Gate at Manhattan to Long Island Sound be sure to time the current which can reach 5-6 kts!

Lot's of nice little towns to stop in the Sound on both the NY and CT sides. If you go that way, let me know and I can give more details for CT towns to stop at.

Block Island is a good stop. A nice quiet bay and some interesting sights onshore. Rent a Moped and circumnavigate the island.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

You can cut through the Cape May Canal to avoid a long trip around the outside. The trip by the Statue of Liberty and then up the East River alongside Manhattan is spectacular, but need to play the current to get through Hell Gate easily. Tons of anchorages on either side of LI Sound, just choose the place where the wind takes you. I always like islands, so hit Block Island, Cuttyhunk, Martha's Vineyard. Tarpaulin Cove in the Elizabeth Islands is a beautiful anchorage with no facilities, just a gorgeous beach. Hike up to the lighthouse for the view. New Bedford is easy to enter and has the cheapest fuel around. Rental moorings are all over the place in New England, but there are also places to anchor. Need to time the Cape Cod Canal for favorable current, and don't be surprised if you get spit out into a dense fog bank in Cape Cod Bay. The water will be much colder north of the canal. Sail over to Provincetown for a nice anchorage and a unique town if you want to see some activity. From there it is a nice shot to Boston Harbor. The Boston Harbor Islands are a park worth visiting. Surprising number of islands and anchorages within the harbor.

Bridge clearance in the Cape May Canal is 50'. What height is OP's mast ?

[Kettlewell]

Bridge clearance in the Cape May Canal is 50'. What height is OP's mast ?

Clearance is 55 feet.

[Star Fire]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Bridge clearance in the Cape May Canal is 50'. What height is OP's mast ?

I’m 60’ over water. Cape may Canal is going to be a no go for me.

[Kettlewell]

I’m 60’ over water. Cape may Canal is going to be a no go for me.

Wow, a Moody 34 has a tall rig!

[Sparx]

My favorite stops along this route:

Cape Henlopen. Anchor off the Cape Henlopen Beach to be surrounded by dolphins at each tide.

Atlantic Highlands. Great town to explore, eat, walk, and chat with locals. Also a good place to hang for a few days, taking the ferry into NYC.

Ride the tide through the East River into Long Island Sound.

We favor the Long Island Anchorages over CT., but that is just us. Others can add many details here, and you can go your own way.

We love Narragansett Bay and exporing Rhode island.

Cuttyhunk is a must for us. Catch breakfast at the dock. Have a walk around.

Scituate is fun.

Gloucester always holds us for a couples days at least.

Then on to Maine, often first anchorage is is Casco Bay.

Take your time and explore.

[Ded reckoner]

You are going to have a great time. There are so many nice places to see and explore. Cape May Harbor has a good anchorage off the Coast Guard facility where cadets are trained. They're fun to listen to. If you have a bicycle, then you will enjoy touring all around the pretty town of Cape May. We skipped Atlantic City, but recommend you don't skip Atlantic Highlands. Anchor behind the breakwater just before the mooring field. Get out and walk around here. Jersey City and Manhattan are a fabulous sight in the daytime, but at night the lights of the cities make it spectacular. Anchor off of Lady Liberty's right hip. After breakfast, water police will come by to ensure you are preparing to leave and not stay another night. You'll need the Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book for both the East River and Cape Cod so you can time your transit with the current. There are many harbors on the north face of Long Island and they're all recommended to you. Coming back, though, go to Sag Harbor and then back to Sandy Hook/Atlantic Highlands. Fisher's Island has anchorages in both the West and East Harbors, but land access is problematic. Mackerel Cove is very pretty but can be rolly, and you will want to spend some days checking out Newport. There are plenty of anchorages if you just motor about. If you go up Narragansett Bay about a dozen NM, you will find a nice anchorage in Greenwich Bay. I think Cutty Hunk is the most exotic destination in New England. But, Mattapoisett Harbor on the one side or Hadley Harbor in the Elizabethan chain gets you closer to the Canal.It's quite a tortuous route to get to Plymouth and we gave up trying to anchor anywhere and got a mooring ball, but the visit was worthwhile. And, Scituate is a nice little place to see, again with only a mooring ball option. You could spend years exploring Boston, but we would recommend a mooring ball of the Long Wharf where you are right downtown. You will remember Gloucester as one of your favorite destinations. Another must see is Bearskin Neck. Anchor in Back Harbor and take your dinghy to the floating dock that is attached by ropes to the wall in the Old Harbor with a wooden ladder going 20 feet up. Just time your jump onto the dock carefully. You're going to have a great time.

[Love and Luck]

I just want to jump in to thank OP for asking the question and everyone else for offering advice! We’re planning a similar trip this summer (Annapolis to Newport).

[Star Fire]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

Wow, a Moody 34 has a tall rig!

I don’t know that I’m quite that tall. My mast is 48’. Plus freeboard and coachroof, it’s probably closer to 54’. The previous owner has the dimensions on the chart plotter set to 60’ so, I’m going to go with that. Better safe than sorry.

[hpeer]

55’ is at mean high tide. You should be fine going through at half tide of less, likely at dead low. I was 5’4” and was fine. But someone with better experience than me should advise.

Going round the outside is not for nothing and has it’s own advantages risk set. Came in there very early one morning and had the stuff kicked outta me with nasty wind over tide situation. And that was in the big boat.

The point being that simply brushing aside the canal may not be the safest, let alone most pleasurable, decision. Get a better grip on your true height over water, tidal range, and depths.

Get ahold of AquaMaps and subscribe to the “Master” function. Then tou have access to the very most recent soundings. Just checked for the canal and rhey show 8’9” is the controlling depth. Also subscribe to Active Captain available through AquaMaps.

One grounding will off set the cost of AquaMaps Master forever.

Below is taken from Active Captain on the canals Western inlet.

Vessels transiting the canal should limit their speed to 5 knots and should proceed with special care in the vicinity of the bridges. A federal project provides for a depth of 12 feet through the canal to Delaware Bay.

Exiting the canal east/northbound, red markers are now to the port side, 2015.

Tides and currents: The mean range of tide is between 4 and 5 feet in Cape May Canal. The current velocity is 1.9 knots at the east end and 0.9 knot at the west end; passage of barge tows may be delayed because of tide and current conditions.

The fixed highway bridge, over Cape May Canal at Mile 114.3, has a clearance of 55 feet. The overhead power cable immediately northwestward of the bridge has a clearance of 75 feet. The railroad bridge at Mile 115.1 has a swing span with a clearance of 4 feet. A fixed highway bridge with a clearance of 55 feet is about 200 yards westward of the railroad bridge. Be aware that water depth and therefore clearance under bridges is affected by wind by up to 1.7 ft vs predicted tides. An east wind will raise the water and reduce clearance. The current status of predicted tides vs actual can be accessed at:
http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/sta...tml?id=8536110

Two submerged dolphins, hazardous to navigation, are on the southern edge of the channel on the west side of the bridge. Mariners are advised to proceed with caution when transiting this area. At Mile 115.5, an overhead TV cable with a clearance of 60 feet crosses the canal.The Cape May terminal of the Cape May-Lewes Ferry is on the north side of Cape May Canal at Mile 117.3.

Significant shoaling is reported opposite the ferry berths along the southern bank of the canal and mariners are advised to stand clear of the area.The ferry basin contains six ferry slips with the main operating pier located at the extreme western end of the basin. Mariners are advised not to impede the passage of ferries as they proceed in and out of Cape May Canal West End jetties and maneuver into and out of their berths. A private fog signal is located on the main operating pier. Private vessels are prohibited from docking at the ferry terminal. The ferries are AIS equipped and monitor VHF-FM channels 13 and 16 while operating. More information about the ferry can be obtained at http://www.capemaylewesferry.com/.Warning: Shoaling reported across from the ferry docks from the inlet centerline to southern shore. Many cruisers hit bottom here. Shoaling marked with 2 small red buoys

Warning: There is a dangerous uncharted pier and submerged pipe extending into canal at 38°58.049'N, 074°56.492'W. New pier for RUTGERS research station sticks out into the canal. Uncharted, but now lit by red and white flashing lights and is marked with 2 white/orange floating drum type buoys.

Vessels with high air draft and deep water drafts should use caution transiting.

[Kettlewell]

I don’t know that I’m quite that tall. My mast is 48’. Plus freeboard and coachroof, it’s probably closer to 54’. The previous owner has the dimensions on the chart plotter set to 60’ so, I’m going to go with that. Better safe than sorry.

I would measure it with a tape measure just to be sure, and it will be a useful piece of information going forward. I've found that many boats have incorrect specs. published online or even in information provided by the manufacturers.

[TheOffice]

A couple of other suggestions - Plymouth is fun with history and good restaurants.
Salem is too commercial, unless you are a wicken.
5 miles north of Provincetown you can see humpback whales on Stellwagen Bank. Look for the whale watching boats.
Boston is an expensive place to dock.
Newport and Bristol RI are musts for us.
Most places if you have a mooring there is a water taxi.

[Star Fire]

Thank you so much, I to everyone who responded with all the great stops and things I should see along my way. I’m really excited for this adventure! There’s so much to see and do, I won’t be able to stop everywhere ans see it all. But there will be a return trip, in the fall. I hope to see you out there, one day!