Suitable anchorages on the lower Delaware bay

[PDA1]

Can you recommend a good place to anchor on the Delaware bay...somewhere between Reedy Point and Cape Henlopen?

I'm planning to pass Eastbound through the C&D canal but don't think I can make the trip to Cape Henlopen in 1 day.

[dugout]

Not many good choices... Cape May or Lewes, take your pick.

[Vasco]

I've never anchored there but have friends that stopped in the Cohansey River. Can you do the Cape May Canal? It's not a long trip from the C&D to Cape may via the Canal.

[CrazyRu]

Originally Posted by PDA1

Can you recommend a good place to anchor on the Delaware bay...somewhere between Reedy Point and Cape Henlopen?

I'm planning to pass Eastbound through the C&D canal but don't think I can make the trip to Cape Henlopen in 1 day.

Money Island. Deep channel with fishing boat's traffic. there is enough room to drop an anchor upstream from the fishing village. Tide is swift. Good protection.

Cohansey Cove. Enter from the man made cut directly from west and swing into little bay South (it is an actual river's mouth). It is an excellent anchorage, well protected. Entering the cut could be somewhat tricky, there is a navigational light on a piling in front of it.
Both anchorages are on east side of the bay.
activecaptain.com has all the info.

[hpeer]

It all depends upon the weather and wind.

I have a couple of times just come up along the shore an anchored. But beware that there is quite a bit of tidal rise and you can get stuck.

This site can give you a bit of guidance for running the current. Going downstream is tougher than going up.

Delaware Bay Operational Forecast System (DBOFS)


Then there is this....
Appoquinimink River - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A guy at our marina says he goes somewhere down this way to anchor, I presume that he means this river. Not sure. Nor do I know how to investigate it further. It looks intriguing.

The Appoquinimink River is a river flowing to Delaware Bay in northern Delaware in the United States. The river is 15.3 miles (24.6 km) long[3] and drains an area of 47 square miles (120 km2) on the Atlantic Coastal Plain.
The Appoquinimink flows for its entire length in southern New Castle County. It rises approximately 2 miles (3 km) west of Townsend and flows generally eastwardly, south of Middletown and past Odessa, to its mouth at the northern end of Delaware Bay, approximately 3 miles (5 km) east of Odessa.[5] In its upper course the river passes through two man-made lakes, Wiggins Mill Pond[1] and Noxontown Lake;[6] the river is tidal to the dam at Noxontown Lake, and salinity from Delaware Bay typically affects the lowermost 5 miles (8 km) of the river.[7] The lower 7 miles (11 km) of the river are considered to be navigable by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.[8]

http://www.moneyislandmarina.com/

[Paul L]

Did you calculate the boat speed including the current? It isn't that tough to make Reedy Is to Cape Henlopen as long as you go with the tide.

[PDA1]

Paul, you have a very nice web log.

I'm not too optimistic about sailing from down the Delaware to Cape Henlopen. My boat is a Catalina 30 (wing keel). The distance is somewhere around 50 miles and even with the tide in my favor the wind may be contrary.

What do you think?

[Paul L]

Thanks. Well you have to wait on the weather. Leaving Reedy you should be able to average 5.5 or 6 kts with the current, maybe highet. Going into the anchorage at Cape Henlopen is pretty straight forward if you have a chart plotter - even at night. The bay itself is very well marked for big ships, so a partial nightime run is OK. Check Active Captain for anchoring spots.

[ranger58sb]

Lewes city dock makes a decent shore-side location for a while, too. Nice town. Market within walking distance... and of course restaurants and so forth.

-Chris

[hpeer]

Probably far too late for the OP, but of interest.

I found Careys Marina on the Leipsic River, DE.

They have a pic of a sailboat in the yard that appears to have about 5 ft draft.

Services

[PDA1]

This is much too late- but I didn't make it last year. The winds and weather were all contrary when I wanted to go.

Maybe this year.

I'm so sick of this snow and cold weather!

[natraps116]

Here here PDA1 !!! This winter has been horrible!!! (In Philly) Also if your looking for some company my wife and I would love to come aboard for a day sail!

[hpeer]

We are part time liveaboards, land base Philly, boat in Del City.

And I hear possibility of snow Tuesday?

Yuck!

[PDA1]

Originally Posted by hpeer

We are part time liveaboards, land base Philly, boat in Del City.

And I hear possibility of snow Tuesday?

Yuck!

Just checked wx using Zygrib.

Yes, it looks like about 1".

Friday it'll be warm.