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Old 06-06-2017, 12:13   #1
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Time from Sandy Hook NJ to Baltimore by Sailboat

Howdy!

I am curious about the estimated travel (by sailboat) time for a voyage from New York Harbor (Sandy Hook) to Baltimore, at this time of year. This would not be a cruise. Simply a short delivery trip, no need to stop to see the sights.

What would be a safe time estimate for a voyage from Sandy Hook NJ to Baltimore at this time of year (June/July)?

This would be in a sailboat that can motor about 5-6 knots when needed. I have calculated 252 nautical miles, but that does not account for tides, currents, weather, bridge delays, etc.

In short: How long would you allow for the voyage? IF you had a schedule?

At this point I anticipate going offshore overnight to Delaware Bay, then up the Bay to the C & D Canal, then through the canal to Chesapeake to Baltimore.

Also, while I have read about some of the tricky inlets, along the NJ coast, a little about the Delaware Bay, and other aspects of the route, I am wondering if there are any "gotchas" to be aware of such as possible recent canal closing, low bridge, etc.

I read that there are some bridges on the C&D Canal. As I am writing this, I am not aware of the bridge height. I don't own a cruising guide yet, so I am asking the forum. What bridge clearances may be critical on this route?

I have not yet been down the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal.
___________

Getting TO Sandy Hook from Outside of NJ?

Also, what airport would you fly to, in order to join a boat that is in a marina in Sandy Hook NJ? How long does it take to get from that airport to the Sandy Hook harbor? What form of ground transportation (taxi, bus, train) is best to get from the airport to that marina? Estimated cost for that ground transportation to Sandy Hook marina from that airport?

Thanks in advance for any helpful comments.
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Old 06-06-2017, 12:33   #2
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Re: Time from Sandy Hook NJ to Baltimore by Sailboat

Traversing Chesapeake and Delware (C & D) Canal from the Delaware River to the Chesapeake Bay (via Elk river):

Reedy Point Bridge (rte 9/Delaware City Port Penn Rd.):
Fixed 136 ft

St Georges Bridge (rte 13/Dupont Parkway):
Fixed 137 ft

Chesapeake and Delware Canal Bridge (Rte 1):
Fixed 142 ft

Chesapeake and Delware Canal Lift Bridge:
Lift 45 Ft

Summit Bridge (Rte 71/Summit Bridge Rd):
Fixed 131 ft

Chesapeake City Bridge (rt3 213/Augustine Heerman Highway):
Fixed 140 ft
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Old 06-06-2017, 13:46   #3
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Re: Time from Sandy Hook NJ to Baltimore by Sailboat

You have a lot of questions for an easy run. You have not provided the most important piece of information (unless I missed it) - what boat?

Depending on the boat this should be 48 - 60 hours.

Remember you don't care about tide. You care about current. Hit slack before flood at Cape Henlopen https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/no...s?id=ACT4091_2 and you can carry a boost up the Delaware and most of the way down the Chesapeake to the mouth of the Patapsco if you can sustain 6 kts STW. Note that NOAA predictions don't account for wind-driven current so you have to account for that yourself. That may add time to your transit.

The only bridge you have to worry about is the railroad bridge over the C&D. It's open except when there is a train, which is announced on VHF 16 and 13. There are power lines but they shouldn't be a problem on a boat that only makes 6 kts.

The C&D is a doddle.

If it's a delivery you don't stop. If you're alone you rest behind the inner breakwater at Cape Henlopen and at Worton Point. Long days between. Sleep until you wake up.

Fly to Newark or La Guardia. JFK is closer than LGA but there are more options on short hops into LGA. You also didn't tell us where you are coming from. That makes a huge difference. If you do fly to JFK you can take the train to the subway to the ferry to Atlantic Highlands. Pack light. Cost? A lot. I'd fly into Newark or take a train and get an Enterprise rental returned in Middleton. Make sure you have time accounted for the return.

Are you skipper or crew on this trip? It's an easy run and I expect to make it myself (again) in the next few weeks. If you're crew, coordinate a rental car with the skipper. You could be the hero for provisioning.

NOAA charts are free (and show all the bridge clearances) and so are tide and current predictions. You don't honestly sound ready for this without guidance. More information please.
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Old 06-06-2017, 14:02   #4
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Re: Time from Sandy Hook NJ to Baltimore by Sailboat

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shrew View Post
Traversing Chesapeake and Delware (C & D) Canal from the Delaware River to the Chesapeake Bay (via Elk river):

Reedy Point Bridge (rte 9/Delaware City Port Penn Rd.):
Fixed 136 ft

St Georges Bridge (rte 13/Dupont Parkway):
Fixed 137 ft

Chesapeake and Delware Canal Bridge (Rte 1):
Fixed 142 ft

Chesapeake and Delware Canal Lift Bridge:
Lift 45 Ft

Summit Bridge (Rte 71/Summit Bridge Rd):
Fixed 131 ft

Chesapeake City Bridge (rt3 213/Augustine Heerman Highway):
Fixed 140 ft
Thank you for taking the time to share that data.
Very helpful.
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Old 06-06-2017, 14:13   #5
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Re: Time from Sandy Hook NJ to Baltimore by Sailboat

To AUSPICIOUS,

Thanks for adding your comment too. I appreciate you took the time to write on several points. Thanks!

You asked a couple of questions of me.

What boat?
I don't know the boat model, or year. I am guessing 36 feet long, like a Pearson 365, as that is an average size for a cruiser. I simply am looking for the info and estimates for a general "cruiser" sailboat. So, nothing specific at this time.

Am I ready to take this voyage?
I am doing preliminary research right now to possibly join a boat for a delivery (me as crew). I try to learn as much as I can about a proposed or possible voyage or route, even if I am not the skipper. While I have spent some hours reading about cruising up along the NJ coast and beyond, I am not familiar with the C & D other than mentions of it and some basic info at this time. As I wrote in my OP, I have not traveled it before. My questions here today were more focused on the practical estimate of TIME involved, and if there are any recent or current local conditions (bridge closure etc.) or things I might not see in older information I find as I continue to research the route.

As for the local airport question I asked, that is because local residents or sailors who sail out of the Sandy Hook area are likely to have determined what works best for getting to Sandy Hook from the airports. I would be flying from out of state TO Sandy Hook area (but which airport is best is unknown at this point).
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Old 06-06-2017, 14:58   #6
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Re: Time from Sandy Hook NJ to Baltimore by Sailboat

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steady Hand View Post
What boat?
I don't know the boat model, or year. I am guessing 36 feet long, like a Pearson 365, as that is an average size for a cruiser. I simply am looking for the info and estimates for a general "cruiser" sailboat. So, nothing specific at this time.
So this is for all intents and purposes hypothetical. A Pearson 365 is likely to take 3 days +/- for weather and current timing. A Hallberg-Rassy 40 will take 2 days(ish). A Catalina 42 Mk III will fall somewhere between depending on conditions. If it's a Moody 53 you'll go faster.

Sail trim counts. Some delivery skippers just motor. Some of us rock the boat.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steady Hand View Post
Am I ready to take this voyage?
I am doing preliminary research right now to possibly join a boat for a delivery (me as crew).
I commend you for your research. I love crew who do their research - they ask better questions and get more out of the trip.

The questions you ask are so basic that you should find the answers from primary sources yourself. That will set you up to ask better questions of us, and yet better questions of your delivery skipper. You'll learn more looking up the basics yourself.

Get a copy of OpenCPN (free) and learn how to download NOAA charts for the areas you might sail (free). Bridges, power lines, and other obstructions (including ferries - you didn't ask about the Cape May - Lewes ferry) are shown on the charts. Read the notes. They tell you about the "traffic light" signals for the C&D canal.

Learn the tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov website. Everything you'll need to know about what to expect is there. Understand the phase difference between tide and current. Unless you're better at geography than I am you'll go back and forth between tidesandcurrents and Google Maps (or the map of your choice) to figure out the landmarks. Who the heck knows where some of those places are? Geez.

Google for NOAA Booklet Charts (free) which will help you familiarize yourself with the ends of a passage AND the possible bailouts (in this case Manasquan, Barnegat, maybe Great Egg, Atlantic City, Cape May, Cape Henlopen, Reedy Island, maybe Chesapeake City, Worton Creek). For extra credit write 200 words on the relative merits of Cape May and Cape Henlopen; you can do this just from the charts.

Understand pilot charts and their limitations.

Then look at AuspiciousWorks - Communications / Yacht Management / Deliveries Worldwide

You still didn't say where you are coming from, other than "away." That really makes a big difference in routing. All other things being equal I'd fly into EWR and rent a car. Depending on where you are coming from and if it saved a layover I might fly into PHL and drive. For extra credit write 200 words on why Charleston might be a better place to meet an owner than Morehead City northbound.

As a delivery skipper myself I look at cost AND time AND how much stuff I have to lug for how far. As crew you should have less stuff but it can still get heavy.

Please accept that I'm not trying to beat you up. My intent is to teach you to fish rather than give you a fish.
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Old 07-06-2017, 08:58   #7
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Re: Time from Sandy Hook NJ to Baltimore by Sailboat

I just did this trip. We left Atlantic highlands 7am Thursday June 1st. We sailed around Cape May and hit our southern most point about dawn, 5-5:30am. We continued up the Delaware and stopped in the C&D at Chesapeake City on Friday at about 6pm (35hrs non-stop). This was a great protected anchorage with several nice restaurants. We left at 8am for Baltimore and had good winds and a following current and were at Anchorage marina at 3:30pm Saturday. So it only took 3 days with one stop. We did motor when the speeds fell much below 5knts. This is on a Tartan 41. We burned fuel for nearly 20 hours, and sailed for 23 ish. the trip is about 125mi down NJ, 50mi up delaware, 18mi in the C&D and 47mi to Baltimore about 240mi total and I averaged 5.5knts. Your trip is very dependent on wind/weather and your boat and if you plan to stop or go 24/7. Our weather was mostly light on not on the nose... good luck..
oh, The lift bridge in the C&D is normally open. You may save some miles going through the Cape May canal, but I couldn't do that b/c there is a 55ft fixed bridge.
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Old 07-06-2017, 09:02   #8
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Re: Time from Sandy Hook NJ to Baltimore by Sailboat

Newark Liberty International (EWR) is certainly the closest big airport, but any of the NYC airports are accessible. Philly, Atlantic City and Mercer County are also reasonably close (2 hours or so for Philly and AC, less for Mercer County), but will take more effort and cost more for ground transportation. As far as I know, however, there are no marinas on Sandy Hook so you must mean Sandy Hook Bay, and the best/cheapest way to get around really depends on specifically where you are going. NJ Transit (njtransit.com) has fairly extensive local rail and bus service both accessible from EWR or a short ride from EWR to NewarK Penn Station (from LaGuardia or JFK, you would go to NY Penn Station), but it does not serve the Sandy Hook area well by rail. I don't know about the bus service. There are some ferries available to Atlantic Highlands, but you might have to go into NYC to get those. Most local rail stations have local taxi service, though, so you should be able to figure out a way to use public transportation if you don't want to rent a car.

Tom
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Old 07-06-2017, 09:23   #9
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Re: Time from Sandy Hook NJ to Baltimore by Sailboat

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steady Hand View Post
Howdy!

I am curious about the estimated travel (by sailboat) time for a voyage from New York Harbor (Sandy Hook) to Baltimore, at this time of year. This would not be a cruise. Simply a short delivery trip, no need to stop to see the sights.

Also, while I have read about some of the tricky inlets, along the NJ coast,

I read that there are some bridges on the C&D Canal.

.
If you PM me, I'll give you my phone number and you can call for more details.

I have done this trip and it is a great trip. The boat is important but let's assume 4 to 6 feet of draft and as you mention, 5 to knots. I always assume 4 to 5 just because of Murphy.

Let's start with getting to Sandy Hook. If you fly in, you can take any of the three airports. Get to Manhattan. There is the NJ Transit from Newark or the airport shuttle bus from LaGuardia or JFK. From there you can take a ferry to Sandy hook. https://seastreak.com/ A one way ticket is $27 and it is a nice trip. You'll get a nice view of both NY bays. It's also the fastest, easiest and most civilized way to get there.

Assuming you or someone has done a shakedown, the actual trip will vary from two to four days depending upon weather and whether you are stopping at night.

It is just over 100 miles from Sandy Hook to Cape May. I usually stop half way and continue the next day although I have done it straight through in roughly 24 hours. One thing to consider is where the marina is. It can take a couple of hours to get out of the marina and around Sandy Hook into the Ocean depending upon the tide, wind, and location of the marina.

You cannot make the trip on the inside from Sandy Hook to Cape May with ost sailboats since the bridges are too low. There are a few parts where you can go (such as Barnegat Bay to Atlantick City) on the inside and they are indeed nice to see, but they will add several hours to the trip. At this time of the year, you'll have the extra daylight so it may be worth it. As I said, the trip on the inside is quite nice and if the weather isn't, it may actually make the trip possible if the conditions outside are bad.

You can anchor in the Barnegat Bay inlet. Other inlets such as Little Egg Harbor may be passable or may not. Conditions change often. Another option just over half way to Cape May is Atlantic City. It has a deep channel and a marina that is actually fairly well lit due to all of the buildings and the city itself. This is nice if you decide to push on and arrive late. In reality, the only inlets worthy of trying are Barnegat Bay, Atlantic City, and Cape May. It's best to avoid going around Cape May if you can do it. There are shoals to be avoided and doing so will add a few hours to the trip. If you mast is more than 55 feet, you may have no choice unless you wish to try this:


Cape May, if you are stopping halfway from Sandy Hook, is easily reached by the end of day 2. The bridge from Cape May through the canal to the Delaware Bay is 55ft at high tide. There is a marina to the north west of the entrance to the canal called Canyon Club. It is the nicest in the area, and also the closest to the canal. It will save you a good half hour by avoiding the need to back track around shallow water on the other side of the harbor.

From Cape May you can easily make either Summit North (a marina) or Chesapeake City (anchoring), both on the Chesapeake-Deleware (CD) Canal. The canal is a great trip even if you are required to motor. From there, you will have less than a day to Baltimore. There are no bridges on the CD canal that you have to worry about.

If you push straight through, you can do it in roughly two days assuming weather and tides are cooperative.

Some people add a day, check out the boat, provision, then take her out of the marina and anchor off Sandy Hook. This will save a couple of hours but is really most useful if you are not stopping along the way.

Good luck and have a great journey.
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Old 07-06-2017, 09:29   #10
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Time from Sandy Hook NJ to Baltimore by Sailboat

I've done that run more times than I can count. Your variable is going to be weather and how long you'll have to post up in Sandy Hook before you set out.

If for some reason you can't avoid the inlets, at least avoid wind against tide. Pretty much all of the NJ inlets with h their long breakwaters get nasty very quickly, some with standing waves and troughs that you can't see until you're on top of them.

If a smaller boat consider cutting inside at Cape May and taking the canal to the river. Will save you many miles or at least threading through the shortcut through the shoals. Check your air draft against the fixed bridge at Cape May to see if you can make it.

As mentioned tide timing going up the Delaware is important.

Keep an eye behind you going through the C&D canal. Big, and I mean BIG tug and tows go though there and they slow down for no one and you'll need to hug the rocks as they pass.

If it's warm and dark also keep an eye out for drunk idiots floating around on their runabouts in the canal with their lights off. It's more common than you might think.
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Old 07-06-2017, 09:29   #11
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Re: Time from Sandy Hook NJ to Baltimore by Sailboat

taxi? how about Uber?
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Old 07-06-2017, 09:54   #12
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Re: Time from Sandy Hook NJ to Baltimore by Sailboat

I hope you'll add 2 days as a safety margin and not schedule yourself too tightly. Leaving Sandy Hook, if it is blowing hard out of the S or SE, chances are you won't go far that day, and even a strong NE'ly might give you pause as it's a long fetch down to Cape May and can be very rough. Coming back up the Delaware Bay, a strong northerly or NW'ly, with or without a foul tide, might persuade you to just duck into Cape May for a while.

I believe the only two inlets that are truly reliable in any weather and tide are Manasquan and Atlantic City. While others may be passable, you don't want to be making that decision in foul weather or after dark.

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Old 07-06-2017, 11:14   #13
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Re: Time from Sandy Hook NJ to Baltimore by Sailboat

5 days
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Old 07-06-2017, 11:15   #14
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Re: Time from Sandy Hook NJ to Baltimore by Sailboat

ZSTINE
TOM F
ARMYDAVENY
SUIJIN
SYMPHONY
ARTHUR WATSON 1

Thank you ALL for adding good tips and information and local knowledge based on your experience and thinking on the topic. I do appreciate each of you took the time to add something good to the mix, whether it was a detailed response or a short one.

I (and others reading this thread) will be better informed and prepared because you helped today on CF.

Fair winds to you ALL and I hope I get to sail with you someday.
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Old 07-06-2017, 11:23   #15
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Re: Time from Sandy Hook NJ to Baltimore by Sailboat

Done this route more times than I can count. The key to Del. Bay, C & D canal and Ches. is to catch the tides. You want the flood on the Del. and Ebb on both the C & D and Ches. Get an Eldridge Tide book and plan using that as your bible. Mind the shoal arond the tip of Cape May and bring plenty of bug repellent and a fly swatter for the Del. Bay as they can nasty if there's no wind in the summer. Trip should take 25 - 30 hrs depending on weather and if you catch the TIDES RIGHT. Have fun!
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