Long cruise planned, looking for tips....

H

hack4alivin

Active Member
TECHNICAL Contributor
Apr 18, 2008
2,518
Joppa, Maryland
Boat Info
320 Dancer
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Twin 350 V Drives
Several members of our club and me are planning a big trip next season. We are planning on cruising from our home here in Baltimore to New York Harbor. Our first day of the cruise will take us from home to Cape May; about 6 hours give or take. We would spend a day or two there, and then head to New York. At this point we would be Ocean going.

This would be the longest cruise I have ever attempted, and I have never been in the Ocean either. Any tips or suggestions would be truly welcome.
 
Bill....where in NY Harbor? Some of the marinas on either side of the Hudson are known for Rockin'....Heavy Rockin..!!!!!

Liberty Landing on the good side...the Jersey Side.....is well protected with ferry service to 'The City'.
 
osd9 said:
Bill....where in NY Harbor? Some of the marinas on either side of the Hudson are known for Rockin'....Heavy Rockin..!!!!!

Liberty Landing on the good side...the Jersey Side.....is well protected with ferry service to 'The City'.
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Dom, my friend had a marina in mind but I am not sure of the name…. I know it was pretty expensive for each nights stay. Thanks for the tip, I will get the name of the marina from him and let you know. Sure do not want to spend three nights rocking and rolling. We would be looking for an easy way to tour the city though.

Thanks for the tip Gary, but that would take some of the thrill out of the ride won’t it? Just to make it more interesting I can put back my old impellers back in and see how long it takes till they break.
 
Bill,

My wife & I along with another couple are interested in making a trip to NY as well so we will be watching your thread to learn what we can. Once you know what dates you plan if you'd be interested in a couple more SR boats from the lower bay let us know.

John
 
Not that I have any experience in this sort of thing, but....my experience was in a 340DA so I am sure it is totally different. Do NOT pack the cockpit full of stuff (heavy Ice chests)that have to be moved to get into the engine compartment when you are rocking and rolling on the high seas. It is also a good idea for your first mate (or admiral) to be able to keep the boat moving towards a set course. If you do this, then you probably will not have any reason to go down below. If you don't.......
 
I will also be following along because I would like to try this trip next year. I might add a stop in AC on the way home if there is time. How many days are you planning for?
 
This may sound stupid, but go over your trip using google earth. The first time I travelled from the Great Lakes to Long Island I spent probably too much time looking over the entire trip and using the ruler feature to get an idea of distances. NY harbor is crazy with all of the commercial and recreational traffic. I actually found I recognized the areas as though I had been there before. Liberty is nice because you have an awesome night time view of Manhattan and you can jump on a ferry and
enjoy the city. Bring a full Wallet!!
 
If you pack bottled water in your cooler, pack it frozen
 
Bill,

We planned our trip. We had paper charts. We knew where we would stop for the night and fuel. We checked the weather. We had the engines, transmissions, and generator serviced including water pumps. We planned out personal items and clothing to have enough but not clutter the boat. We planned our food and drink.

We spent 7 days and traveled 829 miles. Because of the above planning we had a great trip. Our boat is about the same size as yours. We have a 2001 340.

Vince
 
Not trying to hijack the thread but..... For safety reasons, do you guys file float plans with your local marinas or friends/family who will be staying behind? Do you call & "check in" every other day or so?

This doesn't apply to me but I was just wondering.
 
We are in the early planning stages now, but our current plan would be to travel from our home port in the Gunpowder River to Cape May on the first day. That would be about a 6 hour trip. We would stay in Cape May for two days, before the next leg from Cape May to New York, again another 5 to 6 hours. We would stay in New York for 3 days, before starting our way back home. On the way home a stop at Atlantic City would be next for 2 days, and then make the final trip home with a possible stop for the night at Chesapeake City. We will of course have everything charted and gas and dinning stops planned along the way. Weather is always a major factor when heading out into Delaware Bay or the Ocean so we are planning enough time for the trip to be flexible on our dates.

We will be notifying friends and family of our plans and will call in daily to keep them aware of our progress. We have never attempted a trip this big before so I am looking forward to it.
 
If your timing is right, maybe Rondds' 2nd annual CSR AC rendevous will coincide with your plans.....

You would most likely be delegated to bring the Maryland Crabcakes to the table of the gods....

IMG_0180.jpg



....and ther probably won't be any Ziti....

StannoFinZiti.jpg



......... but you would be assured of a nice time with plenty of food and good friends...
 
Bill,
As you can see from my website and some of the post on the board we enjoy the cruising type trips. Now granted I'm running in a different type boat, but we have found that 5-6 hours is pretty much a max run for an enjoyable day. We will run for a couple hours then stop and hang out / swim for a while or maybe pull into a place for lunch or a walk.
 
mwph said:
Not trying to hijack the thread but..... For safety reasons, do you guys file float plans with your local marinas or friends/family who will be staying behind? Do you call & "check in" every other day or so?

This doesn't apply to me but I was just wondering.
Click to expand...

A float plan is always a good idea. For coastal/ICW cruising and marina-hopping I wouldn't bother, but any trips offshore- particularly if you will be out of VHF range without a satphone- should include one.

When we run offshore fishing, I write the lat/long (or several of them) on the 'fridge erase board in the kitchen before I leave in the morning and tell my wife the latest time I expect to be back home at the dock. In absence of that, if you belong to SeaTow or Boat US contact them on the VHF when departing and file your float plan with them.
 
We go to Alaska in a 38 aft cabin with twin 454s each summer for 2 to 3 months from Vancouver area. We hit calm to 10 foot waves to fog and rain. Stow your gear so it will stay in one place in rough weather. Put all the loose items on the counter in the sink. Fill all your tanks and keep heavy objects low in the boat. If it is not secured it will shift in rolling waves. If you are using electronic charts have a back up system you can switch to, a hand held GPS with the course plotted in it works OK. You will not have time to reboot a computor in rough water and replot your course. Have a hand held water proof bag with your flairs and a VHF radio ready if you happen to sink or get in trouble. Change your fuel filters before you start out. If you are going to use a cell phone for emegency contact make sure you will be in areas that it will work. we have found that the boat will take a lot rougher water than the crew. Make sure all on board know where key components on the boat are. Mostly wear your PFD. We have the the Mustang ones that you inflate they are like an extra shirt for weight.
 
I've made the trip 7 times in the last 4 years and it's a nice ride.

Chesapeake City is a nice little stop over. The city docks are small and have always been full when I've been there so I've stayed at the Chesapeake Inn (http://www.chesapeakeinn.com/). Be aware that it's a bit of a party destination so make reservations in advance.

I've never had any problems in the Delaware; but watch the winds and tide. It's a little shallow and can kick up quickly. Watch out for debris up north around the C & D Canal; and be courteous to the many commercial freighters etc.

In Cape May I'd recommend South Jersey Marina (http://www.southjerseymarina.com/) and Utsch's (http://www.capemayharbor.com/). They have nice facilities, fuel, and are convenient to restaurants etc. The Canyon Club has nice facilities but is isolated. Many people go a couple of miles north up to Wildwood for a resort destination type stop.

Going on the inside up the New Jersey coast I would stay out of the ICW from Cape May to Atlantic City. I did it once and have waited a couple of days for weather ever since. The next time will only be in a john boat with a local guide. The ICW from Atlantic City to Toms River is passable; but be sure to stay in the marked channel, and it's slow going in the wake zones up north.

Going north up the coast in the Atlantic, the Cape May, Absecon (Atlantic City), and Manasquan (Toms River) inlets are all well marked and maintained; but as always watch for winds vs the tide. Barnegat inlet is passable depending on the conditions but once inside there are a lot of moving shoals, check with Sea Tow etc before attempting. Be aware that there are a lot tugs with barges on long (1 mile) tows out in the ocean. The cables are not always visiable and they may be adjusting them before entering the harbor.

In Atlantic City I've stayed at the Farley State (Trump) Marina (http://www.trumpmarina.com/dock/index.cfm), nice docks and facilities but no fuel and convent only to the Trump Marina Casino with it's facilities. Take a cab to the board walk etc, since Atlantic City is not a place you want to do a lot of walking. I've heard mixed reviews for Kammeremans, but they do have fuel and pump out.

Once around Sandy Hook and headed for Manhattan it's an impressive sight, but a second set of eyes is a good idea to keep watch for the traffic and debris in the water. Besides the occasional airplane, there are railroad ties, telephone poles, barrels, etc. Traffic causes confused chop and New York navigation rules require you to get out of every one's way. Around Manhattan you'll experience everything from kayaks to cruise liners. Be aware that fuel prices go up the farther north you go, and New York state can be a real shock.

A cruise around Manhattan (up the East River and Harlem River back to the Hudson) is a nice couple of hour trip; but be aware that the tides in the East River can be strong and especially tricky where the the East and Harlem river meet (Hells Gate). There is a bridge where the Harlem joins the Hudson that will require an opening so plan accordingly.

As for where to stay, there have been a couple of old threads that cover that pretty well. http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16923, http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20864

Have fun and enjoy your planning
 
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Wow, good write up Progress!

Im in the barnegat bay and havent even been on the hudson yet. This sounds like a great trip! I have heard thought that if you go around staten island instead, its longer milage wise, but its a much smoother ride. Maybe someone else can conferm. I guess its best to hit ac on the way back, if you go there first you may not have any money left for the trip :wow:, or it could work the otherway around and hope it does for you! :smt038
Good luck!
 
Progress said:
......In Atlantic City I've stayed at the Farley State (Trump) Marina (http://www.trumpmarina.com/dock/index.cfm), nice docks and facilities but no fuel and convent only to the Trump Marina Casino with it's facilities. Take a cab to the board walk etc, since Atlantic City is not a place you want to do a lot of walking. I've heard mixed reviews for Kammeremans, but they do have fuel and pump out.
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Farley's does have a fuel dock and pump out facility.....this season the fuel service was closed for repair....it might be open by now, but has definitely been there forever....well....years anyway...If you show them your receipt for the slip, in the past, they would give a decent discount on fuel and free pump out.

For a few dollars you can take the Jitney into town. That in itself is an experience. The new 'Walk' is an outdoor strip of factory outlets....the admirals love to shop there...

From Farleys Marina you can walk to Trump Plaza, Harrrahs and/or Borgata ....10-15 minute walk....you'll need the walk after eating at the buffets.

Kammermans isn't a great place to stay, but there fuel is generally less expensive. If you have a dink, you can dink accross the harbor for a lunch.
 
I loved the location of Farley's. Jitney is the ticket into town. Like Dom said, lot's of good eats within walking distance.
 
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