Delaware bay

Michael Mirra

Member
Jan 18, 2017
176
Rock Hall, Md
Boat Info
360 Sundancer 2002
Engines
8.1 Horizon X 2
I purchased a 360 DA over the winter and plan to move it from Kent Island Md. to my slip in NJ the first week in April. This will be my first time driving a boat this size and first time in the Delaware bay. Does anyone have any insight on what to expect for weather, shipping traffic or other concerns this early in the spring? I will be traveling up the Chesapeake, thru the C & D canal, down the Delaware, thru the Cape May canal then out into the Ocean. Thanks in advance for any info.
 
The trip is easy but there are a few item to watch so it does not turn into 'hellaware'
because Delaware is so shallow you have to hit tides right. 2 to 4 rollers in the ocean can turn into 4 to 6 in the bay with very close intervals. Best we you head our of c&d you check forecast and tides. Then best go through cape may canal instead or around. Easily marked and when you enter stay close to the ferries as canal on opposite side is shallow. lastly shipping channels are narrow and give a wide berth. Caution as in some sections off the channels depth rises to just a few feet.

Its to a great ride. Get a chart and enjoy.
 
Congrats on your new boat. Taking anchors aweigh advice you should be fine. I'd add wind into things to check on. It can make them rollers get big. You coming back in Townsends Inlet to get to Avalon? I'm gonna be down that way this summer. How is that Inlet?
 
Yes I will be coming into Townsend inlet, I'm at the Commodore Bay Marina in Avalon I think it is one of the easiest inlets to navigate in South Jersey. Well marked and plenty of water at low tide.

Thank you both for the info. I was hoping to catch the out going tide from the C & D canal but am concerned about running into low water in the Cape May canal.
 
I've made that trip many times. The only thing to keep an eye on is for a good weather window for the 2 hour run down the Delaware Bay. Depths are of no concern in the bay for your size
 
And a "good weather window" consists of a time when the strong currents in the Bay are not being opposed by a strong wind. This is what gets things nasty in most of the Bay. The ocean rollers only come into play at the very end. Also, if you can time your trip to pick up favorable downstream currents, you can make the trip go faster. Currents can be upwards of 2 knots.

For example, heading down the Bay, you are going from a Northwest position to a Southeast position. Prevailing fair weather winds are from the SW with fronts coming through from the NW. I have never (or rarely) had trouble going DOWN the Bay, as winds rarely blow strongly from the South East in these parts. Coming UP the Bay, however, with an inbound tide bucking a fresh NW breeze is where it can be really nasty. So, generally speaking, you're in better shape heading down the Bay, check the weather, plan to ride the current and enjoy. Honestly, the Hellaware has been a mill pond 75% of the many times I have transited it, 15% of the time is is nasty. 10% of the time it is a living hell. Your results may vary.

The shipping channel is narrow and well marked. If not in the channel, there are some shallow spots out in the middle of nowhere so pay attention to your plotter. When big ships are about, they generally prefer that you just stay out of the channel. If you want, or feel you need to, stay in the channel, raise the ship on ch. 13 and let them know your intentions. For the most part they are wary of recreational boats randomly turning into their path when their options are limited. If they hear from you, at least they know that you see them and are avoiding them.

And definitely do the Cape May canal. It is an easy pass, well marked, cuts up the trip nicely, allows for fuel/food stop, avoids shifting shoals around Cape May and saves time. Just remember to come off plane at the mouth where the Cape May - Lewes ferry boats are. Have fun!
 
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Last July the Admiral and I bought our Sea Ray on Long Island and brought it home to the Kent Narrows, so we basically did the opposite of your trip. The ocean portion was no sweat, staying about three miles offshore down the NJ coast. Delaware Bay was miserable! We rounded that point near the ferry terminal at about 7:30am, into a nasty combination of incoming current, ocean rollers, and a brisk NW wind. Could only do about 8-9 knots the first 90 minutes, then the sea conditions improved greatly. In the narrower areas of Delaware Bay I stayed just to the NE of the ship channel. Going the other direction, an outgoing tide would be preferable and hopefully you'll get a tailwind to push you along too. The C&D Canal is an easy trip. Avoid Summit North on the canal, which is a ghost town of a marina, due to shallow water and generally poor conditions. I've heard Delaware City is a good place to stop if you want to stretch your legs, but the inlet going north from the canal is not navigable so you have to go up the Delaware River a bit and enter from the north. Other than Summit North Marina I didn't have any trouble with shallow water for the portion of the trip that you'll be doing.
 
Avoid Summit North on the canal, which is a ghost town of a marina, due to shallow water and generally poor conditions.

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but can you tell me more about the issues with Summit North? I have pulled in there for fuel several times each season over the past few years, and I was not aware of any problems with the place.

I'm actually thinking of taking my boat there next year for winter storage, since I'm not having good experiences in the Baltimore area.

Feel free to PM if you prefer.

Thanks.
 
The entrance to Summit North is always shoaling due to the currents in the canal. There are some good sized boats in there so obviously there's a way in/out but I think it's a local knowledge thing. Some of the docks are in serious disrepair. There is a decent sized live aboard community there in the winter, but it has an odd, ghost-town like feel. I've heard that it is haunted, obviously that's nuts, but there is a general, hard to explain creepy feel to that place. There is what looks like a decent restaurant on site but I've never eaten there. I've always assumed that people just keep their boats there so they can register in Delaware to avoid taxes. Who knows? It is a convenient location by land.

Where in Baltimore are you wintering? I've been at BMC Lighthouse point for the past five years and have been very happy with it. Especially the indoor parking and the proximity to Canton Square.
 
Thanks for the info. Interesting about Summit North. Any info about their service dept? My boat is currently on the hard at BMC for winter storage. I will be looking elsewhere for next winter.
 
Thanks everyone for the helpful info. I won't have many options planning for out going tide or wind due to my limited time frame that weekend, but it was great to get feedback from people who have made the same trip.
 
Summit North is a strange place. Could be a long walk to the parking lot depending on which dock you're on.

The restaurant was just taken over by Grain, which has a couple other locations in the area. Sounds like a welcome change from the last few attempts there.

I believe a couple of the land stored boats were broken into this winter. It's like a ghost town with quite a few derelict boats both in and out of water.

Never heard anything good or bad about the service department.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
I made my maiden voyage on my 470 from Kent Narrows to Longport, NJ (Great Egg Inlet) the last week of April 2014. We stayed overnight at the Chesapeake Inn on the C&D and then left early AM the next day for the Delaware River. Check the wind and swell forecast for Cape May. If light winds and calm seas, you should have zero problems regardless of current. If winds forecasted greater than 10-15 the opposite direction of the tide flow, stay at the dock. When we made our trip it was dead still. See the photos. As for the Cape May canal, there is plenty of water. Stay in the middle. The only place of any concern there is where the CM-Lewes Ferrys dock. You want to stay close to the ferrys (the north side) as the south side is shoaled in due to the ferrys' propwash pushing the sand to the opposite shore. Sorry for all the photos, I can't see the small thumbnails so copied them all.

View attachment 48551View attachment 48552View attachment 48553View attachment 48554View attachment 48555View attachment 48556View attachment 48557View attachment 48558View attachment 48559View attachment 48560View attachment 48561View attachment 48562
 
I don't mean to hijack the thread, but can you tell me more about the issues with Summit North? I have pulled in there for fuel several times each season over the past few years, and I was not aware of any problems with the place.

I'm actually thinking of taking my boat there next year for winter storage, since I'm not having good experiences in the Baltimore area.

As Converse48 said, the entrance to Summit North has shoaling issues. I entered, following the local knowledge from Active Captain and encountered depths of 3' and slightly less, which contributes to pucker factor since my boat draws 3'. If I hit anything it was soft and didn't cause any trouble, but it sure made me wonder how the sailboats got in there.

Arriving by water the place looks like a ghost town. There are a lot of boat slips but I'd say about 80% were vacant. In July that is weird. No dock hands were present when we arrived and I had a hard time raising anybody on the VHF. The fuel dock was in okay shape but the other piers looked pretty bad. The diesel fuel was expensive as I recall. Was thinking about trying the restaurant but the Admiral got the creepy vibe so we were not going to stay! I must say I was happy to put Summit North in the rear view mirror and don't plan to return.

You say you're not having good experiences in the Baltimore area? The Admiral works for the family that owns Harbor East. It gets great reviews from everyone, although I haven't been there myself. Also, one of my Power Squadron buddies keeps his boat at the Anchorage Marina, which is east of the Inner Harbor in the Canton neighborhood. He owns his slip but I think they have rentals too.
 
You say you're not having good experiences in the Baltimore area? The Admiral works for the family that owns Harbor East. It gets great reviews from everyone, although I haven't been there myself. Also, one of my Power Squadron buddies keeps his boat at the Anchorage Marina, which is east of the Inner Harbor in the Canton neighborhood. He owns his slip but I think they have rentals too.
Thanks for all the info, much appreciated. I'm having serious trouble with one of the major players in the area, but not the two you mention. Actually, when we bought the boat it was slipped at Harbor East and we liked it so much we decided to keep the boat there this summer. I already have dealt with a number of their people so far and every one has been a pleasure to work with, even with the construction they are currently dealing with. Definitely looking forward to getting there this summer, and away from the current situation.
 

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