Crew Wanted, From NY Harbor to Cape May, and potentially beyond.

[glymroff]

I'm a limited experience sailor heading south for the winter from Vermont. I recently brought the boat south from Mallets Bay, Lake Champlain thru the canal and down to Kingston, NY. Just myself and one other complete newbie. Had a great time learning and making plenty of mistakes. All harmless.

I have friends to go w/ me to NY harbor. I need to pick up an experienced crew member to assist me going to Cape May, and potentially beyond to Norfolk, etc.

I will pay for all meals on board, and transportation fees back from Cape May are negotiable.

The s/v is a Pearson Triton (28.5 ft). It is old but solid boat, w/ inboard diesel. I've been sailing on and off for years, w/ very little coastal sailing. Hence the need for assistance :-)

Regards...

[glymroff]

Forgot to mention that the time frame is the 1st week of Nov. weather permitting.

[adamtroyg]

are you planning to sail through the nights or duck in Manasquan, Barnegat, Absecon, on the way to Cape May (weather / time permitting?)

[glymroff]

depends on the weather window, and probably more importantly the experience of the crew member.

Time is not an issue. Safety is paramount. So if the weather looks great, the crew experienced, then straight thru the night. Otherwise hops in and out of the inlets mentioned.

completely flexible in planning.

[rockDAWG]

What do you have on the boat?
1. Life raft
2. Chart plotter
3. Autohelm
4. radar reflector
5. EPRIB
6. Sails what kind and conditions?

[ottos]

Originally Posted by glymroff

Otherwise hops in and out of the inlets mentioned.

Be advised that it is the 'hops' through the inlets that are probably the most dangerous part of Jersey sailing. Manasquan, Absecon(Atlantic City) and Cape May are regarded as the better inlets. All others can be dicey due to shifting shoals and a slow process for remarking the channel. All are best done at slack water, and wind opposing tide can cause you quite a bit of trouble. Great Egg Inlet wasn't re-buoyed after last year's storms, the result being that the marked channel led several boats on to groundings.

If you plan on using ICW, the Point Pleasant Canal (just inside Manasquan) can have some very nasty currents, and in Ocean City there is a 35' fixed bridge limiting traffic.

[rockDAWG]

I agree. To reduce stress, wait for the good weather window, I would take one shot to Cape May.

[sailingdog]

A well-fitted out Triton should be a pretty good boat for the trip. However, it is a bit tight for two people, and you'll want to vet/meet any potential crew prior to leaving.

The New Jersey coast is pretty unforgiving in bad weather, and has very few ports that are good ports to enter in any kind of storm. Going offshore from Cape May to Norfolk is a long trip, and the Delaware coast has few good ports for stormy weather, so waiting for the appropriate weather window is key. You could also go up to the C&D Canal and then south through the Chesapeake, but this adds a lot of miles to your trip.

Do you have jacklines fitted out already? If not, you'll want them before heading off, since you'll want to use tethers and harnesses, especially at night.

What safety gear and equipment do you have aboard? A Radar Reflector is a necessity IMHO. The GPS Chartplotter is nice to have, but not a necessity. You should have paper charts for the coast you'll be sailing along in case you need to make an emergency stop.

An autopilot, while not absolutely required, will really make the passage a lot simpler and make it far less tiring for the captain and crew.

An EPIRB, DSC-equipped VHF and Liferaft would also be good to have along. As would storm sails for your boat.

[Tempest]

Hi Glymroff,

Time is an issue...Your weather window is closing fast imo. You need to get to NYC/ Sandy Hook/ Atlantic Highlands soon. The temperatures in the evenings have been high 30's low 40's Fronts have been moving through on a regular basis. Getting the right window for several overnight sails could take awhile. This is beyond a recreational sail and more into the " delivery" mode.

Did you ever replace the blown out jib? do you have a storm jib? or a small jib that's in good shape?

I'm not suggesting that you do anything unsafe...but you can't afford to lose any windows of opportunity to make progress south.

[rockDAWG]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

An autopilot, while not absolutely required, will really make the passage a lot simpler and make it far less tiring for the captain and crew.

Very good advices, SD.

I am spoiled. Autopilot is a must for me.

At night, I like to walk around in the cockpit, do some Tai Chi, Push ups, look around with the binocular for mermaids, check the chart, make log entries. As you can see, I don't have much time to steer around. Soon the watch is over.