Delaware river to Barnegat bay

[bkupmstr]

Has anyone mad this trip recently?
Can you add any suggestions?
Should I go through the Canal?
Where should I stay over the first night?
Do I go in the lower end of Barnegat bay(holgate)? or in thru Barnegat Inlet?
My end point is Cedar Creek (north of Barnegat inlet)
I don;t have much ocean experience and this will be my first trip with this "new to me" boat.
Its a Catalina 34.
I have about 10 years sailing experience but mostly in Barnegat Bay.
I did find an old post out here but need lots more details.

Thanks

[PalmettoSailor]

Originally Posted by bkupmstr

Has anyone mad this trip recently?
Can you add any suggestions?
Should I go through the Canal?
Where should I stay over the first night?
Do I go in the lower end of Barnegat bay(holgate)? or in thru Barnegat Inlet?
My end point is Cedar Creek (north of Barnegat inlet)
I don;t have much ocean experience and this will be my first trip with this "new to me" boat.
Its a Catalina 34.
I have about 10 years sailing experience but mostly in Barnegat Bay.
I did find an old post out here but need lots more details.

Thanks

There is a lot of info Re: Cape May and the Delaware Bay that would be useful in the Delmarva 09 threads.

[CaptainForce]

We normally cruise from Florida to New England & back each year and this is part of our route. Our mast is 54' so we take the Cape May Canal and anchor off the Coast Guard station, but out of the chanel. We take the short hop to Absecon Inlet at Atlantic City and anchor up Rum Creek to starboard before the bridge. Our 4'3" draft allows our leisurely tour up the ICW through Barnegat Bay and out again at Manasquan Inlet. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew

[SOUNDBOUNDER]

I made the trip several years ago.
There are not any practical options in Delaware Bay, so you should go to Cape May. If you can clear the bridge, then definitely use the canal.

[Yamsailor]

As a person who races in and around Philadelphia and cruises in the Chesapeake Bay, NJ shore and the Long Island Sound--Do youself a favor--go to Cape May. Unfortunately, unlike most of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic cities, Philadelphia and the surrounding area has NOT made the area a cruising destination. There really are very little amenities and on top of that, the water is not clean enough to swim above Delaware Bay.

I wish it were not the case but the powers-that-be in the Philadelphia govt and planning commissions just either don't have a clue or don't care about the Philadelphia area waterfront. They should take a clue from NYC, Annapolis, Baltimore and Boston---but alas the planning officials there actually realize the value of public access to the waterfront and not just big-box stores and casinos.

Fairwinds

[deniseO30]

Uh.. I wouldn't drink the water.. but lots of people swim and ski in it. Recent water studies i'm sure will bear that out. But, i've been wrong before. Every year we marvel at how clean looking the water seems (looks mean nothing I know) but the smell I remember as a child is gone from the river! There are lots of things to do above Phila. racing clubs there also. But then I,m in a yacht club and there are close to 30 YCs all up and down the river.

[Yamsailor]

Yes,

But there are really are not a lot of nice dock-side restaurants, pool facilities, towns to walk into with a main-street, state-of-the art marine facilities or even just clean marina facilities like they have in:

Rock Hall, Md, Baltimore, Md, Atlantic Highlands, NJ, North Cove, Manhattan, Sommers Point, NJ, Manasquan, NJ, Beach Haven, NJ, Barnegat Light, NJ, Great Kills, NY, 79th Street Boat Basin, NY, Oyster Bay, NY, Stanford, Ct, --need I say more?

[T26Rich]

CaptainForce has the itinerary down. The only thing I would add is to go back outside between Atlantic City and Barnegat Inlet to make a little better time. Not all inlets are created equal so be careful. Watch for the tides and time your arrival to Barnegat Inlet at high tide (I find it easier to navigate the inlets at slack tide, plus having a high tide makes navigating the narrow channel a little easier). The Barnegat Inlet is right across from Forked River and just south of Cedar Creek. I have a slip in Cedar Creek Marina. Look for a Tanzer 26 in about a month. She is still on the hard, up Forked River now.
T26Rich

[Yamsailor]

T26Rich--Good call. I don't know how the storms have affected Barnegat Inlet and the bay just off Island Beach State Park this year. As a "Plan B" anchorage you may want to check out Tices Shoal--but be careful the the cut into the shoal is narrow and it is easy to go aground.

Any recommendations T26Ricj?

[Yamsailor]

T26Rich

Do I know you?--I have instructed for Mike @ Barnegat Bay Sailing School a few times.