Delaware Bay In April - The Hull Truth

NPH · 03-18-2009, 09:54 AM

Can anyone give me any insight to on the Delaware Bay conditions in April. I will be helping a friend bring a boat up from Stone Harbor to the Delaware River sometime in April. What are the best weather conditions to look for, and what to watch out for. I know when the wind and tide are at odds, the bay can be vary nasty.

Thanks

Battlewagon · 03-18-2009, 10:22 AM

How big / fast is the boat? The Delaware bay can get incredibly rough because of the strong currents and all the shoals. It can also be glassy calm. The ideal condition weather will likely be an approaching warm front with advance clouds. Like where rain would be expected in about 24 hours. Typically there will be light winds associated with that and not much chance of a sudden weather change. If you check the current charts you can pick up 1.5-3 knots all the way up the bay and river by running at the right time. The other time to avoid the Delaware is a day or two after heavy rains up north. Debris is a big problem. Small and large. Large as in trees pianos and 55 gallon drums.

HTH

John

chrisrack · 03-18-2009, 12:54 PM

As mentioned before .... check the tides and CURRENTS. Plan around the currents if travelling the length of the Bay.

MikeAstringer · 03-19-2009, 08:25 AM

My other suggestion if you have not made that trip before is to talk to someone who has. Somewhere between the C&D Canal and the Delaware River (I think) is an underground wall with no warning signs. Last summer when I was planning a trip from Phila to Cape May someone warned me about it. At the end of the season one of the guys who stores his boat at our marina (someone different than the person who warned me) was bringing his boat back from the Jersey shore and hit it causing $30k+ in damage to his boat.

I wish I remembered where they told me it was but talk to someone who knows. It seems that anyone who makes that trip often knows where it is because I have talked to people since who know about it. All I remember is that it will be on your left coming towards the Delaware River but I don't remember exactely where.

Battlewagon · 03-19-2009, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeAstringer

My other suggestion if you have not made that trip before is to talk to someone who has. Somewhere between the C&D Canal and the Delaware River (I think) is an underground wall with no warning signs.

The wall is the Jetty at the end of the C&D canal. During very high tides the jetty can be under water. It is CLEARLY marked on the charts and on the water. Huge marks at the end of each jetty. However people run over it all the time. There was a 53' footer brought in by Sea Tow to Summit 2 years ago that tried to take the shortcut and sank. Last October someone was killed after they hit it. If you read your charts and stay in the shipping channel you will have no problem at all. If you screw around and just run at speed wherever you see water on the Delaware it will get you. There's a reason the tow boat companies over there all have salvage in their names!

Charts/Chartplotter AND the ability to read them required!

boat-tox · 03-19-2009, 11:31 AM

There is a wall above Pea Patch island which can be submerged at times and is not marked nearly as well as the rocks at the C&D. You can expect weather conditions to change rapidly at any time of the year.

Battlewagon · 03-19-2009, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boat-tox

There is a wall above Pea Patch island which can be submerged at times and is not marked nearly as well as the rocks at the C&D. You can expect weather conditions to change rapidly at any time of the year.

I guess you are referring to the submerged dike that runs for probably 1/2 mile north of the island. Well marked on the charts (12311). No so well marked on the water. Well I guess it's well marked on the water but only if you know that the row of "poles" out there are marking a dike. Down in the bay there are bars with less than 2' of depth that are over a mile from shore. There are are also some areas that have exposed/covered pipes depending on the tide. Not trying to scare anybody off but the Delaware just isn't as forgiving as say the Chesapeake. It's more like a 70 mile long inlet. But pick a calm day and stay in the shipping channel (follow your chart) and its no worse than any other day on the water.

Scorpio · 03-19-2009, 06:38 PM

I think its called the Reedy Island Dike. On my Mapsource software it appears to have bouys and fixed lights marking it along its entire length. I think most people get into trouble by not realizing how long it is and try to cut across it at the wrong place. I think it was put in place to stabalize the shipping channel on its western side. Looks like its a bit over 3 miles long.

MikeAstringer · 03-20-2009, 10:28 AM

We ended up not taking out trip to Cape May last year so I've never been that far down the river. As far as I've been is the Camden waterfront.

You are right however, the Delaware is not forgiving. A few years ago my father-in-law's friend fell overboard near the Tacony bridge and never came back up.

NPH · 03-27-2009, 06:16 PM

We will be bringing up a 32 Rinker. I am very familar with the dike, we will be staying out in the main shipping channel. (I have gone over the dike, in a pontoon boat at high tide!) We will probably stop at Cheasapeake City for lunch, depending on how the trip is going. My main concern is the bay it self. I know the conditions can be snotty. I also know when the wind and tides are at ods is when it is going to be the worst. That is what I am hoping to avoid.

cardoctor1 · 04-03-2009, 04:47 AM

you'll be fine just stay between the markers. if you do stop in chesp. city call ahead not much dockage . we use to run from dredge harbor to cape may a couple time a yr. also on the cd you can fuel up at summit marina

JR