NJ to Baltimore? NJ to Solomons, MD?

[Claxon]

Anyone taken the trip from the Trenton area on the Delaware river to either Baltimore or Solomons, MD?

What about from Trenton to LBI around Cape May?

I've got a 21' Seaswirl w/ 60gal gas tank and a 4.3L 170hp Volvo Penta.. is this too big of a trip for me? Just looking into planning a nice cruise for this year or (more likely) next. Looking for how long these trips take, what to expect as far as seas, and any other good info.

[ReelNauti]

To Baltimore shouldn't be a big problem on a good day. The Solomans would be quite a haul, doable in the right conditions and proper planning. Same with Cape May and LBI. I wouldn't plan any of them as a day trip. Watch the weather and always have a Plan B ready.

[Battlewagon]

What's your cruise speed? Are you looking to do this round trip in a day? I've done middle river to Phila in a day but it was a long day. And we cruised at 50. If you are looking to make a vacation out of it there are plenty of places to stop depending on what you want. (Shops, pool, Bed & B. or anchor out, etc.). Any marina with Mears in the name is going to be expensive.

Down the Delaware River and across the C&D will be no problem unless the weather is really bad. From the C&D to Baltimore you'll want the wind under 15 knots.

John

[Claxon]

Cruise speed is about 28mph. Any of the trips would be 'overnighters' where we would want to stay over at least the night we get there, if not somewhere inbetween. I'm figuring 3 day weekends... My gas tank number was incorrect by the way - it's an 83 gal tank, so that gets us a little further without stopping I guess. We'd definatly stop for food and beverages a few times along the way, but the destinations are really where we want to spend the most time.

I know it may sound silly, but we've never done anything like these types of trips before.. we tend to not stray far from our home bases.. Trenton to Philly in the river and Barnegat to Cedar Creek on Barnegat bay are about our maximums at this point, which is why I wanted to ask 'out loud'.

[Stonewall]

Delaware River to Baltimore in one day should not be a problem. The C&D Canal is a breeze. As long as there are no large ship in there you can let 'er rip. From the Delaware side of the C&D to Balto should not take any more than 2-2.5 hours at 28 mph. The longest part will be the 6 mph zone in the Patapsco River once you reach Ft. McHenry. They monitor the speeds pretty close so don't try to sneak by. Then from Baltimore to Solomons is about 3 hours. Solomons is great. If you get there stay at Spring Cove. It's a great marina with all the amenities including some of the cheapest gas around. (Speaking of gas....don't get gas on the C&D. You will pay at least $1 more per gal than anywhere else.) Spring Cove is also in walking distance of downtown Solomons and some great restaurants. Also - check out the Maritime Museum. It's pretty cool. Go to Stoney's for the crab cakes ummmmm good!

[Claxon]

Awesome. Thanks for all the great info guys. I really appreciate it!

[Battlewagon]

I suggest you look into stopping in Chesapeake City and Rock Hall. These are nice places to stop with a few things to do. Chesapeake City is also a good stop for lunch on your way down the bay. The C&D is a no wake zone there. If you go into Baltimore you can find bulkhead space in the harbor to get off and walk around. The Harbor master charges a small fee. I don't recommend spending the night on the bulkhead though. To spend the night get a marina for the security. Inner Harbor East is downtown and less expensive (no pool though). I agree about Spring Cove marina in Solomons. Very nice.

Annapolis is also nice but expensive. If you get the chance cruise through ego alley and look at some of the BIG boats.

John

[haskindm]

The "Bay" is very unpredictable and can get very nasty, very quickly. You may find that the time that you have allowed is not nearly enough. My boat is only an 18 footer but I did have an interesting experience crossing the Bay this spring. We planned a trip from Point No Point to Smith Island for Memorial day weekend. The distance is only 18 miles. Figured a cruise of 20-21 mph, do it in an hour or less. The day comes, winds from the south around 15-mph. Not dangerous, but need to slow down to keep passengers comfortable and relatively dry (lots of flying spray). Long story short 2+ hours over, 2.5 hours to return. The family is not interested in any more "long trips" via boat. Do not figure that you will be able to maintain "cruising speed" the whole time. Figure the time you THINK it will take and then double (or even triple) it.

[WGHowardIII]

I've made the Baltimore and Solomons trip countless times. The run from Turkey point to Pooles Island isn't bad at all.
The thing to remember is below Pooles Island the bay really opens up and can get nasty in a hurry. Even in a larger boat, I try to run earlier in the morning when it tends to be calmer, before the sea breeze.
Baltimore to Solomons is a haul and in a smaller boat I would be very careful when it comes to weather. Summer thurnder storms are frequent and there's not a lot of places to hide between Annapolis and Solomons. Again, if you can run in the morning before the afternoon sea breeze and storms come up.

Gas on the canal is outrageous. You can buy at Bohemia Bay Yacht arbour after you exit the canal and get a good price there. The fuel turnover is high so you won't get stcuk with crap gas.
Other than that I'd say go for it and enjoy.

[B-Faithful]

Instead of Balt. Go to Annapolis. Same amount of time if not less.

Pray the wind and tide don't buck each other or it will be a miserable trip. If you find that it does you are better off waiting for a tide change. When the tide and winf run together it makes for much better seas.

I will also say the planing travel to run with the tides will save a ton of fuel. Of course the seas copuld prevent this.

Bottom line is to be prepared to take your time and be flexible with your travel times. If the weather turns bad you may have to wait another day or so. There are a lot of coves to duck into on the chesapeake. The nothern chesapeake certainly is prettier than the del bay.

[MikeAstringer]

Claxon;

I posted in the NE Forum on Thursday but I am planning a trip to Longport or Atlantic City in a couple of weeks and am myself pondering coming around Cape May. If you'd like to contact me offline perhaps we can compare notes mike.astringer@humancapitalconsultants.com.

Where do you keep your boat? I am a transplant from out west and am keeping my boat on the Delaware this year (Snug Harbor Marina) but plan on keeping it at the Jersey Shore next year. It sounds like you are in the Trenton area?

The people who run my marina are great and it is not crowded but unfortunately there is a low bridge that I need to cross to get to the river - which I can only cross at low tide. It's a real PITA! Last Saturday I missed the tide by minutes - and about 3 inches - and was stuck out on the river for FIVE HOURS waiting until I could get back under the bridge!

[mabgrac]

I worked at Spring Cove all through college. It has been almost 20 years, but unless it has really changed it is a very nice marina. It is about a mile from the "action" going on in Solomons, but if you don't mind a little walk or renting a bike it isn't bad. They always prided themselves on the cheapest gas in the area and the cleanest restrooms on the bay. You must go to the Tiki Bar and have a Mai Thai, that place was always fun.

[whaler21]

My suggestion would be a stop at Delaware City in the old canal to refuel and visit Fort Delaware. I would finish my first day of travel at Rock Hall Md.The next day I would cross the bay and arrive in Balto.