Annapolis to Salem, MA: via Norfolk or C&D?

[winjamerk]

I have been thru the C&D route for at least 4 round trips to New England and once from Hampton, outside. Are the new owners inexperienced sailors, or, inexperienced with their new boat. If inexperienced sailors, take a seasoned crew member with you, unless you will drop hook each night and go thru NYC.
If night time involved, take a seasoned crew & do not have either or both owner stand watch alone on the Chesapeake, the C&D, or Delaware bay or, across the 6 traffic zones between Cape May & Block Island. Have them study the Light Lists now and be able to ID ship ID & behavior by lights alone, not on instruments which can fail.
Suggest you have them go sailing alone in the Annapolis area (if they have some decent boat handling experience) and drop the hook for several nights in the Severn, South, Magothy Rivers to get used to motion.
Unlikely you can go into Cape May from Del. Bay. If time permits, do NYC & LIS just for the experience & scenic aspects, but not on a Saturday / Sunday. Have a great trip. Let us know how it turns out.

[Peregrine1983]

"Cape May is a poor choice; you won't fit under the fixed bridge"

Darn good point. I squeezed under, but you won't in that rig.

[captstu]

Sorry, I overlooked the starting point - it takes an extra day or so to go South down the bay from Annapolis to the ocean, the route through the C&D is much shorter if departing Annapolis.

[opolily]

Echoing winjamerk, answers to 'inexperienced' questions are key. I have many miles of offshore sailing and my late partner & I traveled on his 38' sailboat from Beverly MA through the CC canal to Block Island, down to Cape May. Stayed there for a few days then out around the Cape. up Delaware Bay through the C&D canal and out into the Chesapeake to Annapolis. Great trip but could never have done it non-stop. If I remember correctly, BI to Cape May was about 36 hours. With four crew able to stand night watches, enough fuel and barring terrible weather, you could go non-stop.

[pitlaw]

I just did part of your trip from Galesville to Block Is. The C&D is the shorter and less stressful route. A lot depends on what time you leave. Dont wear out the owners. We were not ready until 4 pm. Motored up to the Bohemia river, anchored past Veezy point. Caught the current the next morning and flew through the C&D and went all the way to Cape May inlet and anchored in the river just S of the Coast G station. Went from there to Manasquan inlet, a big tidal current but nice marina with restaurant next store just before the RR bridge. Left the next am and sailed about 3-4 hors with fair wind to slow down so as to make Block in the daylight. Entered the Block inlet at first light. But dont go to Block the third weekend in August-its a three day holiday V J day and it would be packed. Overall I suggest taking it easy if your owners have not done long, multiple overnight passages. One night slaming into 5-7' waves will have them worn and frazzeled. Of course NYC and the East river are a blast but your heading to Maine and time is of the essence. Let us know how it turns out.