Advice on Hell's Gate and the New Jersey coast to Annapolis

Marv,

This may help. It’s from the previous owner of the 36’ Nighthawk #2 Crackerjack berthed in Baltimore when I fancied buying her. Just reverse direction.

“Yes – I sailed it.

I have done the run from Groton/Newport five times (3 south, 2 north).

It’s pretty straightforward:

  • Sail up the Chesapeake to the C&D Canal (about 40 nm)
  • Through the C&D to the Delaware Bay (about 18 nm)
  • Down the Delaware bay to Cape Henlopen, around Cape May (about 80 nm)
  • Up the Jersey coast to Sandy Hook (the longest, most boring, and most exposed leg – about 110 miles or so)
  • NY harbor, up the East River, around Hell’s Gate into the LI Sound (about 20 nm)
  • Long Island Sound to Groton – (about 80 nm)

About 4-5 days of 16 hour runs.

I’ve always done the Jersey Coast in one bite – but that is round the clock. It’s long. You can put in at Barnegat Bay or Atlantic City for the night w/o a problem if you want to break it up. You have to be careful at Barnegat – it is shallow. The new chartplotter should keep you out of trouble.”

Credit Steve Gross

Brian Cayer

Spirit~Wind

N30U 419

Westbrook Ct