Route advice request: NYC to Baltimore MD

[q240z]

Hi.

It looks like I'm taking possession of a Chris Craft Commander 55 that's moored near the Statue of Liberty in NYC. I'll need to take her south to Baltimore and have been trying to determine the best route. By the looks of things, running outside to the Cape May Canal might be best as this vessel has a 48" draft and I hear bad things about the ICW through NJ...lots of shoaling and vessels hard aground in places where the channel depth is 8' on the charts. From there, we'd cross the C&D Canal and head south via the Chesapeake.

We're talking about making the trip July 1-3. Any particular weather, tide, local knowledge we should be aware of?

Cheers
Q

 

[tom5518]

Wow, a 55 Commander, what a good looking boat and one of my favorites. Would you please post up pictures or any other info on your new boat?

 

[Bill Allen]

Probably best to run outside. Decent inlets are Shark river, Mansquan (stop there give me a shout), Absecon (atlantic City), then cape may. Cape may to Utch's (or anchor). When I run it in my 43 it's cape may to Brielle (manasquan) not a bad run at hull speed. Bill

 

[MikeP]

Yep - done that exact thing several times - Outside to the Cape May canal; stay overnight at the South Jersey Marina at Cape May then up the Delaware to the C&D canal (be prepared for sloppy going in Del bay or the first 10-15 miles, maybe more), spend the night at Chesapeake City on the canal and then an easy ride to Bal the next day.

 

[captddis]

OH NO, you bought Whitney's boat? Ask him for the bridge back!!

 

[Pascal]

there is very limited anchoring space in Cape May. Utsch is the best bet for cheap fuel and dockage. if the weather is pretty good, i like to go thru Cape May and anchor in the lower Del. Bay, along the north shore, off the Maurice River. obviously not a good thing to do with southerly breeze or if any thunderstorms are expected

as mike said, the lower del. can be nasty with northerlies and an opposing tide with short steep waves. if that's the case, wait a day in CM.

 

[SeaEric]

OH NO, you bought Whitney's boat? Ask him for the bridge back!!

Noooo! It looks MUCH better without that bridge~! I'm pleased to know that someone local here on the Bay bought her.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Slip at PNYH is waiting for you....

 

[GJH]

The ICW is out, forget that and look for a weather window. This time of year avoid the Delaware on southerlies against an ebb tide; just enjoy lovely Cape May for another day or two. We also like Utsch's as a marina. We used to anchor in Brigantine across from AC, Cape May was too long a day from NYC (Staten Island) for us at hull speed. Nice anchorage and fun to dinghy around there. You thenhave a short hop to CM is you want to see that or you can also anchor up behind Reedy Island on the Del and it's one day to Baltimore from there if you are in a hurry. We had a trip south once where the Delaware was absolutely dead flat bathtub calm, almost eerily so. So conditions vary greatly.

 

[captddis]

Noooo! It looks MUCH better without that bridge~! I'm pleased to know that someone local here on the Bay bought her.

So you are one of them!!!

 

[q240z]

Thanks, everybody, for the route suggestions. This ought to be an adventure.

 

[captddis]

Q,
I assume you sold the Connie? Do you still have the 42 Commander and 58 Roamer? You have a lot of projects!! Good luck on the trip and renovation.

 

[34Hatt]

This ought to be an adventure.

Did that run outside just last year not much of a adventure easy straight forward. Make reservation in Cape May it is a great place but going to be busy that time of year! My Nephew is stationed at the base there!

Good luck with the new boat!

 

[q240z]

Q,
I assume you sold the Connie? Do you still have the 42 Commander and 58 Roamer? You have a lot of projects!! Good luck on the trip and renovation.

Yeah, the Connie went to a young family. I'm still cryin' over that one. lol

The 42 Commander was always intended to be the "transition boat" between the Connie and the "final boat." We never planned to make it all pretty, though it's kinda turned out that way. Still, the 42 Commander had good bones and the whole project--from barely usable, dangerous and ugly inside and out to a boat that could safely run to Baltimore tomorrow and gets compliments from transients walking down the dock took exactly one year. That project is basically done.

The 46 Roamer was going to be the "final boat," but completing the refit, which made lots of sense when we began in 2007 when everything else was really expensive, is no longer worth pursuing even with all the time and money invested. Most of the boats that are selling now, as opposed to merely advertised but not selling, are at almost giveaway prices. When I crunch the numbers for what it will take in both time and $$$ to finish the Roamer vs Whitney's 55' Commander vs another 55' Commander I looked at on Monday (it's now under contract) and even a Hatteras 58 Triple Cabin, Whitney's 55 comes out far ahead. It probably doesn't hurt that I'm a wooden Chris Craft guy at heart, and the 55 still has bright mahogany and teak on the safety, toe, and upper rub rails.

The economic picture to complete Whitney's 55 as the "final boat" gets a bit better when I factor in selling off some of the things I acquired that I planned to put in the Roamer--a low hour, refurb Panda Fisher 12k genset, a set of nearly new Cummins 450 Diamonds w/gears, mounts and elbows etc.

There's also a bunch of rechromed Chris Craft stuff that will look as good on the 55 Commander as it would have on the Roamer--Buell air horns, a One-Mile Ray searchlight, etc.

And then I'm done. No more project boats.

 

[captddis]

And then I'm done. No more project boats.

I would be rich if I had a dollar everytime I said that!!!

 

[q240z]

Wow, a 55 Commander, what a good looking boat and one of my favorites. Would you please post up pictures or any other info on your new boat?

This is the only one I can post right now. It's from the current owner's recent Memorial Day weekend.

 

[q240z]

"And then I'm done. No more project boats."

I would be rich if I had a dollar everytime I said that!!!

We'd both be richer if we just stopped doing them in the first place!!! lol

But what would I do with my time? Go shopping at the mall?

 

[Boatsb]

Wealth is not a monetary situation. You are richer for doing it. Think of the poor people who do not go boating.

 

[q240z]

Speaking of no more project boats, did you see the 1975 58 Triple Cabin in Miami?

They're asking $78k but word has it they'll take $66k. The genset stopped working recently and the so did the windlass. The 1271s reportedly run well (3000hrs). There are lots of dated electronics listed in the ad but none work. The flybridge leaks into the salon and the helm station roof core is most likely wet over a wide area. There's "dry rot" under many of the portholes and windows. All of the appliances look tired.

But somebody with your skill set could crack it out in no time. Probably make millions, too!

 

[34Hatt]

This is the only one I can post right now. It's from the current owner's recent Memorial Day weekend.

Very Nice

Post more when you can.


Oh yeah I like it with out the bridge.