Delmarva peninsula circumnavigation

[Bijimini]

The new boat comes out of storage on the Chesapeake in April. We plan to spend some time getting familiar with the boat in the Bay, and then thinking about circumnavigating the Delmarva peninsula as a shakedown cruise. Has any one done this, or at least sailed the coast between Cape May and Norfolk? I'm interested in any information you might have about stops along the way. It appears to me that the anchorages at Ocean City and Chincoteague can be problematic, even treacherous. Anyone been there?

[Snore]

Having circumnavigated the Florida peninsula in a kayak, I can tell you the hard part of circumnavigating a peninsula is the portage to complete the circumnavigation!

Aside from the have a good trip sailing around the peninsula.

Bill

[amytom]

Check out.
http://www.sail-delmarva.blogspot.ca

[redcobra]

check this out
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ice-18533.html

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Snore

Having circumnavigated the Florida peninsula in a kayak, I can tell you the hard part of circumnavigating a peninsula is the portage to complete the circumnavigation!

Aside from the have a good trip sailing around the peninsula.

Bill

If you take a close look at google maps you will see the C&D canal makes the Delmarva into an island. Generally only boaters know this.

[CCBullseye]

I would sail south down the Bay, even on a north eastern wind, and then wait in Cape Charles until I had a southern wind to go off shore sailing north along the coast, with the wind from the south or south west. I would do a non stop from Cape Charles to Cape May or C&D. This is assuming you have a blue water boat.

[redcobra]

We still call it a penninsula around here.

[CrazyRu]

Originally Posted by Snore

Having circumnavigated the Florida peninsula in a kayak, I can tell you the hard part of circumnavigating a peninsula is the portage to complete the circumnavigation!

Bill

Hey, Snore, don't get started about Snore's hills again.

I sailed Atlantic coast of Delmarva solo on 28 ft boat. I found Ocean City inlet easy and straight forward and anchorage just to the south of the inlet is pretty decent. Active Captain calls it "Assateague Island" anchorage and gives it 4 stars. I actually entered the inlet and found the anchorage at night.
I also stayed at anchorage behind Cobb island, it was a quite one. Great Machipongo Inlet was well marked and easy to navigate in settled weather. It can be nasty in any type of the blow.
If you don't have it yet, install on your computer or phone Active Captain. It helps a lot.

[Kettlewell]

I think in April I would rather just cruise around Chesapeake Bay. Going around the outside then will definitely be chilly, especially at night, and you never know what weather you'll get. Not many good anchorages for a 42 footer either along the coast or in Delaware Bay. Having said that, I've sailed from Norfolk to Cape May a bunch of times and usually it is just a single overnighter, arriving in Cape May nice and early. There are plenty of buoys to shoot for that will keep you off the shoals.

[wingNwing]

If you're really trying to do a shakedown, cruise down the Chesapeake Bay, anchoring in pretty/interesting places at night, then do an overnighter up the coast on the Atlantic side to experience that as well. Be careful to time the tides in Delaware Bay and C&D canal; currents can be strong there. Schellenfields (sp?) Gunkholers Guide to the Chesapeake will tell you lots about places to anchor, depending on how long you want to make the trip. It's about 24 hours traveling from Annapolis to the mouth of the Bay, but depending on how much exploring you want to do, you can make it in a day or a month.

[Snore]

Originally Posted by thinwater

If you take a close look at google maps you will see the C&D canal makes the Delmarva into an island. Generally only boaters know this.

Okay I deserve that shot for being a wiseass.... FYI owning a 33 foot Tartan, I think I might be on the path to meeting your definition of a boater.

CR- those were HUGE hills

Cheers
Bill

[Kettlewell]

William H. Schellenberger: Cruising the Chesapeake: A Gunkholer's Guide

[Bijimini]

Thanks to all for good information and advice. The Tayana 42 is definitely a bluewater boat. If we make the trip, it will be in the summer, and we will go counterclockwise, offshore since we have a nearly 6' draft.

[29palms]

I'm quite familiar with Cape Charles. We anchored there a couple of times. I wonder if they still have the bar called NO NAME. We cycled their miller light beer stock when our ship pulled in. The ladies there loved us. We were rock stars.

[CaptainBW]

This is from 2002, but well written. It is a pdf file about doing the Delmarva.

http://cblights.com/cruising/Delmarv...navigation.pdf