Typical Plan East Coast USA

[goeasy123]

We're planning to cross the Atlantic from the EU. ...looking for ideas? What's a good typical sailing plan for the East Coast USA arriving from the Caribbean in March? We've got a B1/B2 visa with up to 12 months at a time in the US.

[hpeer]

Tell us about your boat please.

The US East coast cruising, South of the Chesapeake Bay, typically involves using the Intercoastal Waterway ICW. That has hard air draft restrictions (under 65 feet) and also less rigid draft restrictions vrry roughly 7 feet.

So air and water draft drive any plan. Above that and options are very limited. Below there are many options.

I HIGHLY suggest you get AquaMaps for iPhone or Android and the Master subscription. This gives you free USA charts, the Master gives you updated sounding in problematic areas, USCG Notice to Mariners, and routing alerts. There is some guy who maintains ICW routing info via AquaMap. And if you subscribe to Varmin it will give you ActuveCaptai. Information about anchorages and marinas.

[chubby]

personal preferences are personal..


..but in summer time i love the american NE from roughly newport RI to maine (and maybe add some time in nyc)


lots to explore in a season



..and would be a good contrast from el caribe..

[CarlF]

April is the best cruising month in The Bahamas so I’d start there. In May cross to Ft. Lauderdale and then work your way up the coast with stops in St. Augustine, Savannah, and a week in Charleston to take in the amazing restaurant scene.

If your mast is over 64ft you will have to go outside Cape Hatteras which usually requires waiting a week for a weather window. If a shorter mast you can take the ICW without weather worries.

Spend June in NYC, Long Island Sound, Rhode Island (Newport) and Cape Cod (especially the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard).

In the last week of June pass through the Cape Cod Canal and go to Boston for the 4th of July celebrations including the Boston Symphony Orchestra giving a free outdoor concert with fireworks, church bells, and army howitzers.

In early July head for Maine - the best cruising in the US. With hundreds of drop-dead gorgeous anchorages. Penobscot Bay is the best of Maine cruising and Rickland is a good base.. Also visit the islands around Stonington and Mt Desert Island (Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor). It starts to cool off quickly at the end of August in Maine so head back for Cape Cod, Rhode Island, and Long Island sound the last week of August. Get to the Chesapeake (Cape May) by October 1 as the winter gales start early in New England and it’s possible to be “trapped” for the winter if you wait too long.

Spend October in the Chesapeake including the huge Annapolis Sailboat show around the 18th.

Get back around cape Hatteras in late October or first week of November before the gales start there.

Spend Christmas in Key West.

[chubby]

Originally Posted by CarlF

April is the best cruising month in The Bahamas so I’d start there. In May cross to Ft. Lauderdale and then work your way up the coast with stops in St. Augustine, Savannah, and a week in Charleston to take in the amazing restaurant scene.

If your mast is over 64ft you will have to go outside Cape Hatteras which usually requires waiting a week for a weather window. If a shorter mast you can take the ICW without weather worries.

Spend June in NYC, Long Island Sound, Rhode Island (Newport) and Cape Cod (especially the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard).

In the last week of June pass through the Cape Cod Canal and go to Boston for the 4th of July celebrations including the Boston Symphony Orchestra giving a free outdoor concert with fireworks, church bells, and army howitzers.

In early July head for Maine - the best cruising in the US. With hundreds of drop-dead gorgeous anchorages. Penobscot Bay is the best of Maine cruising and Rickland is a good base.. Also visit the islands around Stonington and Mt Desert Island (Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor). It starts to cool off quickly at the end of August in Maine so head back for Cape Cod, Rhode Island, and Long Island sound the last week of August. Get to the Chesapeake (Cape May) by October 1 as the winter gales start early in New England and it’s possible to be “trapped” for the winter if you wait too long.

Spend October in the Chesapeake including the huge Annapolis Sailboat show around the 18th.

Get back around cape Hatteras in late October or first week of November before the gales start there.

Spend Christmas in Key West.

what an awesome post!

[goeasy123]

Excellent. We're 6.5ft water draft and 59ft air. In EU 'money' 2m and 18m. So I guess we're good for most of the ICW.


We're Najad 400 with 475W of solar, a generator and watermaker. We are fairly self sufficient.



Thanks

[CarlF]

Originally Posted by goeasy123

Excellent. We're 6.5ft water draft and 59ft air. In EU 'money' 2m and 18m. So I guess we're good for most of the ICW.


We're Najad 400 with 475W of solar, a generator and watermaker. We are fairly self sufficient.



Thanks

Yes. You’ll be able to use the ICW to skip Cape Hatteras. Although since you are crossing the Atlantic, I doubt you’ll feel the need to use the ICW much except when the weather is bad. Can’t sail and slow going waiting for bridge openings.

You’ll have to be a bit careful of your draft in The Bahamas and Chesapeake but it won’t seriously restrict you.

To amend my previous note, I would consider going straight from The Bahamas to Charleston instead of crossing first to Florida. An easy two day offshore trip riding the Gulf Stream. In the Fall and winter you’ll have plenty of time to see Florida which is miserably crowded and not all that attractive. Once is enough.

[goeasy123]

Originally Posted by CarlF

Yes. You’ll be able to use the ICW to skip Cape Hatteras. Although since you are crossing the Atlantic, I doubt you’ll feel the need to use the ICW much except when the weather is bad. Can’t sail and slow going waiting for bridge openings.

You’ll have to be a bit careful of your draft in The Bahamas and Chesapeake but it won’t seriously restrict you.

To amend my previous note, I would consider going straight from The Bahamas to Charleston instead of crossing first to Florida. An easy two day offshore trip riding the Gulf Stream. In the Fall and winter you’ll have plenty of time to see Florida which is miserably crowded and not all that attractive. Once is enough.

That's good advice. We'd like to experience a bit of the ICW and we've done Florida by land a few time, so I get that it is what it is.

[neflier]

I can only speak for the Northeast from the south shore of Long Island out to Nantucket. The Maptech Embassy Cruising Guides are invaluable. With your draft, you want to avoid the bays on the south shore of Long Island. Must see areas are:
Newport
Block Island (Great Salt Pond, not Old Harbor)
Marta's Vineyard, both Edgartown and Vineyard Haven
Nantucket
Cuttyhunk is a great stop to break up a run and a quaint New England town

If stopping in Newport, there are many other destinations up in Narragansett Bay.

Going further north, the Cape Cod canal is an easy passage, but you have to time the current. There is a nice marina in Sandwich, MA, on the east side of the canal.

[hpeer]

There is one bridge on the ICW in Miami under 65’, i think it is 55’. The rest are nominal 65’ but may be a bit leas at high tide or after a heavy rain.

We are 6-1/2’ and strike occasionally. We have needed towing twice. We have towing insurance through Boat US, it is a bargin.

Besides the 65’ bridges there are many swing and lift bridges. They generally open on a schedule and can occasionally be quite crowded. There have been instances when a bridge is out id service for a protracted period. But there is an online groups that lists all auch issues; Down East Salty Cruisers? Someone will correct me.

The next issue is how you want to route going back to Europe.

You COULD do a year USA, then a year in Atlantic Canada and cross back from Newfoundland or St Pierre. Makes for a short crossing.

[goeasy123]

Originally Posted by hpeer

There is one bridge on the ICW in Miami under 65’, i think it is 55’. The rest are nominal 65’ but may be a bit leas at high tide or after a heavy rain.

We are 6-1/2’ and strike occasionally. We have needed towing twice. We have towing insurance through Boat US, it is a bargin.

Besides the 65’ bridges there are many swing and lift bridges. They generally open on a schedule and can occasionally be quite crowded. There have been instances when a bridge is out id service for a protracted period. But there is an online groups that lists all auch issues; Down East Salty Cruisers? Someone will correct me.

The next issue is how you want to route going back to Europe.

You COULD do a year USA, then a year in Atlantic Canada and cross back from Newfoundland or St Pierre. Makes for a short crossing.

That's useful.


Canada... We have family in Torronto so we might go that direction.


I'm not sure we'll ever take the boat back to Europe. We're late to sailing, in our 60's and bought the boat in Lymington at the begining of 2019. Since leaving the UK in March 2019 we have never turned back or entered the same harbour twice.

[goeasy123]

Originally Posted by neflier

I can only speak for the Northeast from the south shore of Long Island out to Nantucket. The Maptech Embassy Cruising Guides are invaluable. With your draft, you want to avoid the bays on the south shore of Long Island. Must see areas are:
Newport
Block Island (Great Salt Pond, not Old Harbor)
Marta's Vineyard, both Edgartown and Vineyard Haven
Nantucket
Cuttyhunk is a great stop to break up a run and a quaint New England town

If stopping in Newport, there are many other destinations up in Narragansett Bay.

Going further north, the Cape Cod canal is an easy passage, but you have to time the current. There is a nice marina in Sandwich, MA, on the east side of the canal.

I beleives there's a wooden boat center somewhere's about. Do you knwo where that is?

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by goeasy123

That's useful.


Canada... We have family in Torronto so we might go that direction.


I'm not sure we'll ever take the boat back to Europe. We're late to sailing, in our 60's and bought the boat in Lymington at the begining of 2019. Since leaving the UK in March 2019 we have never turned back or entered the same harbour twice.

Another option might be to go up the Hudson River to Albany thr out the Erie Canal and up to Toronto on the Great Lakes.

There ia a good cruising guide The DownEast Circle or something by Cheryl Barr.

That would take you by Toronto and you could stip there or continue doen the St Lawrence. A more sheltered route that takes you past Quebec Coty if that intwrest you.

[CarlF]

Wooden boat stops:

Mystic Seaport in Mystic Ct. - recreated 18th century whaling town/museum with a large wooden boat restoration facility. You can watch the boat builders from raised walkways or wander around looking at the 100 year old wooden lumber stacked for future projects. You can dock your boat at the museum docks overnight and after dark when the museum has closed have a magical experience wandering the docks.

Boston - USS Constitution - Commissioned by George Washington and fought the British in the war of 1812. By far the oldest commissioned warship in the world still on the roles of the US Navy and manned by a Navy crew. Still sails although only on reduced canvas since no one alive knows how to safely sail a powerful fighting square rigger. On the 4th of July she takes a cruise of the harbor that is fun to watch from your boat.

Center Harbor, Maine. Wooden boats are everywhere in Maine including 3 masted schooners with no engine taking people on 3 day trips under sail. Center Harbor is the home of the Brooklin Boatyard that still builds amazing racing wooden boats including updated America’s Cup J boats. Also home of the Wooden Boat School training the next generation of boat builders. Not to be missed is the Eggemogin Reach Regatta in August where over 100 wooden boats compete https://erregatta.com/

[CarlF]

I would consider a trip to the Canadian Maritimes in your 2nd summer. Nova Scotia is marvelous - especially the incredible Bras d’Or lakes. If you are a real adventurer you can go onto Newfoundland.

The season is short so it would be hard to do Maine in the same summer.

One option is to go south for the winter to the Bahamas. For 10 years I have been happily spending summers in Maine and Winters in the Bahamas. The ICW makes shuttling between the two quite easy.

Alternatively, you could haul the boat for the winter in Maine and take some time off from cruising.

For a sailboat, the trip up the Saint Lawrence is not wonderful - a lot of motoring and you have to unstep the mast for part. And you still have to haul the boat for winter and wait the next spring for the ice to break up.