July Annapolis to Maine r27 anyone making this trip

[Ladybug]

We have just purchased our first 2014, 27 Ranger Tug in Southport, NC area and will travel up ICW after the 4th of July to Annapolis.

Our plan is to then take her to Portland Maine. Is anyone heading to Mass or Maine from Annapolis area this July....would love a companion boat as we are brand new owners with little experience.

Also, any suggestions for easiest route from Annapolis to Maine for new boat owners....we have plenty of time to make this journey. We are lake sailors so this is an exciting new adventure for us.

We have no trailer/truck but shipping her is also an option if this trip north is too much for first time cruisers? Portland, Maine will be her home port.

Any thoughts, suggestions, advise, warnings gratefully accepted,

Sheridan

 

[Brian B]

That is one heck of a trip with a boat that is new to you and with limited open water experience. After you leave the ICW you are exposed to open ocean and bays most of the way to Maine. By the time you get there you certainly will be well experienced though. One caution is "Hell's Gate" in NY, if you head up into Long Island Sound, read up on it and time the tides. Watch the weather carefully and travel within the good weather windows. Practice with the radar in good weather so you will be familar with it if you get into fog. It will be a great trip, many great stops along the way, go to Block Island RI, Newport RI, Cuttyhunk MA, then the Cape Cod Canal. I can assist with marina's/anchorages from NY City through the CC Canal if you wish, send me a PM.
If you need a hauler there is one based here in RI that has hauled Ranger Tugs.

 

[hughesdave123]

That is one heck of a trip with a boat that is new to you and with limited open water experience. After you leave the ICW you are exposed to open ocean and bays most of the way to Maine. By the time you get there you certainly will be well experienced though. One caution is "Hell's Gate" in NY, if you head up into Long Island Sound, read up on it and time the tides. Watch the weather carefully and travel within the good weather windows. Practice with the radar in good weather so you will be familar with it if you get into fog. It will be a great trip, many great stops along the way, go to Block Island RI, Newport RI, Cuttyhunk MA, then the Cape Cod Canal. I can assist with marina's/anchorages from NY City through the CC Canal if you wish, send me a PM.
If you need a hauler there is one based here in RI that has hauled Ranger Tugs.

I would like to note that Headed north on the Chesapeake bay is a rough one . Take many breaks water can beat you up , stop in Va beach , then Crisfield or Solomon's Island , then up to probably Rock Hall.

I haven't been much past Rock Hall because I got to fat from all the fresh crabs from that trip.

 

[knotflying]

As Brian inferred, I would go up the East River in NYC and go through Hell's Gate at slack and then up the Long Island Sound. There are numerous places to stop along the way up the Long Island Sound and then Block Island and just keep going. You may not have enough time to see and do everything, but having a Tug that you can Tow makes for another day. Take your time and smell the roses. In that case you may not make it past the Chesapeake! :lol:

 

[doke01]

Head up the Chesapeake to the Chesapeake and Delaware canal and then down the Delaware River. Watch the weather on the Delaware. It's a big river, especially down south. Stop in Cape May. There is a small canal that gets you in the back way so you don't have to go around the cape. Nice little town to walk around and shop and you can rent bikes.

You can take the intra-coastal all of the way up to Manasquan inlet if you want but be very careful about staying between the markers and avoid travelling at low tide if you can. Or, if the weather is nice, you can take a ride up to Atlantic City on the outside. There's a nice, state-run marina across from the casino marina we usually stay at in Atlantic City. Going up the Intra-coastal north from Atlantic City is much easier and there is a lot less problem with shallow water. There is a canal just before the Manasquan river where the current can be pretty strong but the boat handles it well.

Once you get up to Manasquan you need to go up on the outside. A few miles up is Shark River but it's not far enough up to make it a worthwhile stopping place, unless the weather turns. You really need to go all the way up to Sandy Hook. Takes a little over 3 hours at around 11 mph. You can go around the hook and anchor in Horseshoe Cover or behind the bulkhead of the Atlantic Highlands marina, depending on the prevailing winds. If you have time you can venture up the Navesink River. Some nice anchorages there.

When you go under the Verrazano Bridge expect some rough water/currents. Most of the time it's like that because its a choke point but every now and again its like a lake. If you go on a weekday expect pretty big wakes from the ferries. Stay at Liberty Landing Marina (water taxi to Manhattan) or anchor behind Liberty State Park (there are markers leading to the anchorage along the southern side of the statue leading west). Timing of the East River currents/tide is critical. If you time it wrong you will be fighting a 4-5 knot current all of the way up. If you time it right it will feel like you are flying. There are a few websites out there that tell you how to time it. I've found that timing the current up the river properly makes for a smooth transition of Hell Gate.

The boat can easily handle the worst of Hell Gate. It's pretty amazing seeing the chop and whirlpools when it really gets going. Stopping at City Island is really nice. Good food. You can either bounce back and forth across the sound on your way up or pick the CT or NY side and stick with it. Either has advantages. Milford is a great town to stop in on the CT side. Oyster Bay and Port Jefferson are nice on the NY side. Further up, Greenport is nice.

On the CT side Essex and the Connecticut River are beautiful and of course Mystic and Newport. Block Island's Great Salt Pond is pretty amazing. We usually stay at Mystic a night then jump across to Block for a night or two then jump to the Hamptons. I haven't been further than Newport so I can't help you there, but Newport is a pretty cool place to stay although your boat will feel tiny amongst the yachts.

How much time do you have? How many hours do you plan to travel per day? Both will make a big difference in how you plan your trip. Plenty of places for diesel and pump out on the way up.