Chesapeake cruising

Took a 410 Sea Ray AC from DC down the Potomac, up the Chesapeake Bay, thru the C & D and Delaware Bay to Cape May and then ocean to NYC. Amazing trip, did it in 3 days/2 nights.

Deltaville, Onancock and Cape Charges are great stops on the Chesapeake Bay if you want to go to Norfolk. You can go to DC, Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria if you want to come up the Potomac. York River is nice, York River Yacht Haven. I know the James River well, Smithfield Station is a great stop, nice walkable town, nice marina. Hampton is nice as well, Blue Yachting Center is super nice.
 
mrsrobinson said:
Took a 410 Sea Ray AC from DC down the Potomac, up the Chesapeake Bay, thru the C & D and Delaware Bay to Cape May and then ocean to NYC. Amazing trip, did it in 3 days/2 nights.

Deltaville, Onancock and Cape Charges are great stops on the Chesapeake Bay if you want to go to Norfolk. You can go to DC, Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria if you want to come up the Potomac. York River is nice, York River Yacht Haven. I know the James River well, Smithfield Station is a great stop, nice walkable town, nice marina. Hampton is nice as well, Blue Yachting Center is super nice.
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Thanks - Long ride up the Potomic. That may be a trip of its own
 
Pirate Lady said:
Hellaware Bay is notorious for fog, strong tides, winds, bad shoaling out of channels. So when traversing in fog, with wind and shallow water close either side it can get scary. As Larry said, it takes careful planning on that water.
I recently read an article by a hubby and wife that did exactly what you planning on. If I can find I will post the link here.
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Thanks
 
Good to hear you Ron, hope your enjoying your new home? Looks like we’re all splitting up these days. “Life” no more rafting,swimming,etc. as a group
Let’s hope for a great 2022 and enjoy your new boating area.
 
Pretty much all of our favorites have been listed but I'll throw in my two cents. Will you be traveling with children?

Rock Hall - Haven Harbour
Herrington Harbor South
Oxford - Safe Harbor
Cambridge - Hyatt Regency
Solomons - Spring Cove Marina
Deltaville - Regatta Point
Cape Charles - Oyster Farm Marina
Hampton - Bluewater
Portsmouth - Tidewater
 
We have had the opportunity to explore the Chesapeake a few times both with bare boat charters and with our own boat.

Our preference has been more towards the mid to northern areas, granted have not spent a lot of time in the southern areas. Hampton is a great place to stay when moving through the area, didn't really appeal to us as a place to stay extended time. This was just our perspective, your mileage may vary.

What prompted me to respond to this thread is that we think the Chesapeake is one of the great cruising areas in the US. Right there with Maine and San Juan Islands on the west coast. What is appealing to us has always been the abundance of great places to visit with relatively short travel times in between.

We kept our boat for a summer at Kent Narrows, great home base for us, but not really a destination that we hung out at.
 
Solomons, Herrington Harbor South are our staples. Solomons - Spring Cove Marina. This is our favorite marina. Very Clean, private showers and rest rooms, Lots to do, bunches of restaurants, loaner car for shopping, shuttle for restaurants so you don't have to have designated driver, museum, great staff, I could go on and on. Herrington South is very nice. Clean, only 2 dining choices, large pool, beach with toys, music, large marina. Kinda secluded, not much activity other than at the marina. Ego Alley in Annapolis is fun, we usually just do one night there. Get to see lots of boat traffic in and out - all types. Hyatt in Cambridge is very nice, a bit pricey - especially with the resort fee. Several dining choices. Actual Hotel/resort is a distance from the marina. St Michaels is not to be missed. A good place for a couple of nights. Great dining choices, lots of nautical type shops and pubs, even a brewery. If you are going as far as Norfolk, i would strongly recommend Spring Cove Marina @ Solomons.
 
Havana Shamrock said:
Good to hear you Ron, hope your enjoying your new home? Looks like we’re all splitting up these days. “Life” no more rafting,swimming,etc. as a group
Let’s hope for a great 2022 and enjoy your new boating area.
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We are Joe.
Last year with moving and all wasn't a good summer for boating. This year looks more promising. Undecided what will be home port, but for now its Indian River. Chesapeake may be ultimate destination, but when "retire", would probably migrate boat south and "visit" it like a condo... Will see. Stay well.
 
quality time said:
Pretty much all of our favorites have been listed but I'll throw in my two cents. Will you be traveling with children?

Rock Hall - Haven Harbour
Herrington Harbor South
Oxford - Safe Harbor
Cambridge - Hyatt Regency
Solomons - Spring Cove Marina
Deltaville - Regatta Point
Cape Charles - Oyster Farm Marina
Hampton - Bluewater
Portsmouth - Tidewater
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no kids, unless they visit us at a destination! maybe few dogs.......
 
You're in for a long trip if you go down and around the peninsula. And there isn't a "lot" of places to stop at to make it worthwhile, in my opinion. Plus, in only a 33-footer, you run a higher risk of things getting sketchy and keeping you at a dock for a day or two.

Baltimore/Inner Harbor is pretty neat to cruise into - especially if you're into history... floating past Fort McHenry (the inspiration for the Star Bangled Banner) is awfully cool - thinking about how "a few years ago", you are are exactly where English war ships were - firing back and forth with the fort. You can tie up at the city area walk around Inner Harbor.

Waterman's (if you like seafood) is a very worthy stop in Rock Hall. The Sailing Emporium, in addition to Haven Harbour marina, as mentioned, are both very nice. If you do this around the 4th, you might get lucky at HH and see them firing off their canon!

Do yourself a favor - pickup a copy of "Waterway Guide" for the Ches - it is SUPER helpful.
 
Agreed on the weather and water comments, I recall the Delaware Bay was a challenge for us but doable.
 
mrsrobinson said:
Agreed on the weather and water comments, I recall the Delaware Bay was a challenge for us but doable.
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Going south out of Indian River i agree isn't very appealing, and limited [NO] places to come inside past OC, until Norfolk / VA beach, so definitely a concern. Just looking at all options!
 
rcmafgny said:
We moved down Spring 21. Our boat is not conducive to Indian River bay.... Currently choices are heading out inlet, going north or south...Would give it year or so then think about relocating boat to Chesapeake, which is what we are most accustomed to coming from NY. What location in the Chesapeake would be a reasonable "commute" from Rehoboth area?
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Friends of ours live directly across from the inlet (Indian River), but they keep their boat at Safe Harbor Kent Narrows (Mears). It's about 2hrs across from Rehoboth. It's a great marina with lot's to do in the area. The marina itself is a great location for travel and seeing the bay, very close to many places to go and or hang out on the hook. I say this all being from Long Island originally and relocated here a few years ago, best move I ever made. Not too many choices coming across delmarva. Cambridge might be a good spot as well, but it's an hour to get out of the chop tank so travel is going to be +1 hour.

To do the delmarva loop right would take all of 10 days and you will wish you had another week. If you go south your ~5-6 hrs to the James river. North and your about the same to Chesapeake City at the end of the C&D from your side. From there your 2hrs to SH Kent Narrows. Brought my friends 380 around to his house and it took 7hrs dock to dock. If you go north stop at Cape May and then Chesapeake City and head down to Kent Narrows, St. Michael's, Cambridge (up Chop Tank) there are a lot of nice places on the Chop Tank. Cross over to Solomons head back north to Haven Harbor South or North then Annapolis then to Great Oak for Fairlee Creek and Back home. Thats just the Maryland part of the bay. There are so many spots in VA that are just as nice and why I say longer time is needed. You really lose a day each time you change where your staying so you need two night everywhere you stay at the least.

If your considering the bay area and Kent Narrows, I would be more then happy to show you around the area a bit so you could make a better decision. Yes there are some changes for some of the hot spots at the Narrows, but Red eye's owner is in discussions with SH and may have something going for next year. There is also another dock bar going up directly across from them as well, and a few other restaurants in the area that are quite nice as well.

Edit: Forgot to mention, you need to get "Guide to cruising Chesapeake Bay" don't worry about the year, I think 2017/8 might be the latest. It is much better then the water way guide for the bay. Another good book is "Cruising the Chesapeake A Gunkholer's guide" definitely worth the money, just no color pictures. Charts are in B&W.
 
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Pirate Lady said:
As Sky said, Kent Narrows is pretty much smack in the middle of the best cruising area in the MD portion of the bay, cant go wrong there.
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And Safe Harbor is a nice marina there. Check out Piney Narrows, too. They are more of a “buy your slip” place but if you stay multiple years you might come out well ahead vs leasing each season.
 
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