Planning a 2022 Boat trip Long Island to Ocean City Md maybe?

[Shaps]

Considering heading from LI to maybe Ocean City, MD (or points beyond)
Any suggestions on places to stop/stay?

Looking for nicer marinas w power, water, services, etc.

Any other suggestions for destinations? Day trips from there or points further south?
All-In, looking to be on a 10-12 day trip.

Thanks in advance!
Shaps

 

[SeaNile]

Want to stay ocean side or would you have interest in checking out a few places on the Chesapeake Bay?

 

[Shaps]

Want to stay ocean side or would you have interest in checking out a few places on the Chesapeake Bay?

Open to any and all suggestions, Thank you!!

 

[SeaNile]

I don't think there is as much to see if you stay ocean side. Only a hand full of marinas along the way...AC? Cape May is a cool little town but not very walkable. Once you pass Cape May it's Lewes, DE which is a charming little seaside town. After that...Indian River, DE which kind of has nothing (no offense) and then comes OCMD.

Whereas if you stop in Cape May, spend a day or two it's only about 58 miles up to the C&D Canal which is the very most upper part of the Chesapeake. Stop at Chesapeake City for lunch, fuel up across the canal and then the entire bay is right there for you to explore. So many options...Annapolis, St. Michaels, Rock Hall, Kent Narrows and then a little further south is Herrington Harbor.

Guess my point is the ocean side is cool but you could make the argument once inside the inlets there isn't much to explore. You could essentially go anywhere in the Chesapeake find a river, throw the hook and have a blast.

All depends on what you are looking to do on the trip.

 

[KevinC]

Considering heading from LI to maybe Ocean City, MD (or points beyond)
Any suggestions on places to stop/stay?

Looking for nicer marinas w power, water, services, etc.

Any other suggestions for destinations? Day trips from there or points further south?
All-In, looking to be on a 10-12 day trip.

Thanks in advance!
Shaps

A friend of mine did that a couple of years ago. LI, NY to Atlantic City, NJ and then to Ocean City, MD. Depends if you want to make more stops along the way.

-Kevin

 

[Shaps]

I don't think there is as much to see if you stay ocean side. Only a hand full of marinas along the way...AC? Cape May is a cool little town but not very walkable. Once you pass Cape May it's Lewes, DE which is a charming little seaside town. After that...Indian River, DE which kind of has nothing (no offense) and then comes OCMD.

Whereas if you stop in Cape May, spend a day or two it's only about 58 miles up to the C&D Canal which is the very most upper part of the Chesapeake. Stop at Chesapeake City for lunch, fuel up across the canal and then the entire bay is right there for you to explore. So many options...Annapolis, St. Michaels, Rock Hall, Kent Narrows and then a little further south is Herrington Harbor.

Guess my point is the ocean side is cool but you could make the argument once inside the inlets there isn't much to explore. You could essentially go anywhere in the Chesapeake find a river, throw the hook and have a blast.

All depends on what you are looking to do on the trip.

A friend of mine did that a couple of years ago. LI, NY to Atlantic City, NJ and then to Ocean City, MD. Depends if you want to make more stops along the way.

-Kevin

Thanks Gents!
Was thinking AC could be a stop at least 1 way...
Looking for fun towns, ideally walkable from marina, but UBERs work too.
Not so much 'on the hook' time.
Good restaurants, bars/clubs... that type of thing.

 

[lawndoctor]

Have you been to Red Bank, NJ on the Navesink River? Great town and great boating spot.

 

[Pirate Lady]

Forget the ocean. You haven’t lived til you toured Annapolis / Naval Academy / Buddy’s Crab House, St Michael’s / Carpenter Street Saloon (Washington and Franklin both slept ate there), relaxed in Oxford, Smith Island. James river/ Old Williamsburg, Norfolk / US Navy ships. The Ches is the Crown Jewel of USA boating. To bypass it would be a shame. Correction; a DAM shame.

 

[Shaps]

Have you been to Red Bank, NJ on the Navesink River? Great town and great boating spot.

Forget the ocean. You haven’t lived til you toured Annapolis / Naval Academy / Buddy’s Crab House, St Michael’s / Carpenter Street Saloon (Washington and Franklin both slept ate there), relaxed in Oxford, Smith Island. James river/ Old Williamsburg, Norfolk / US Navy ships. The Ches is the Crown Jewel of USA boating. To bypass it would be a shame. Correction; a DAM shame.

@lawndoctor
Red Bank is a cool town.
stayed at the molly pitcher inn many a time.
good call.

@Pirate Lady
adding to the list. Thank you

 

[brewster16]

Shaps we've taken trips to all the locations mentioned above. Your original question asked about planning for Ocean City MD so let me strongly recommend Sunset Marina ocsunsetmarina.com. It is the best of the best for cruisers. A full service gem of a "resort style" marina. Beautifully landscaped, multiple restaurants and bars...tons of monster fishing boats and crews. The swimming pools are amazing and the shopping and nightlife at the marina alone is the best around. The marina is very large and spread out with some high end stores for swag, fishing gear etc. The best part is that the marina is on the west shore/mainland which is way away from the non-boating, riff-raff and family visitors to Ocean City. Yes, you can Uber over to the boardwalk if you want, but they'll never find their way to Sunset Marina!

If I were doing the trip I would shoot straight across the ocean from LI to Absecon Inlet (Atlantic City) for a night or two at Golden Nugget (Farley Marina). I'd then head south to Cape May for two nights (South Jersey Marina). Then hit Lewes Delaware for a night, and then go for Ocean City, MD. We always travel with our dinghy and bikes and it's well worth it for these destinations.

 

[lawndoctor]

Are you coming from the South Shore or from the Sound?

 

[Shaps]

Are you coming from the South Shore or from the Sound?

South Shore

Now that they're dredging Jones Beach Inlet probably go out that way

 

[Blueone]

Every port in cheasepeake bay…. You can’t go wrong with any of them … a few must do’s

Annapolis - ego ally …. Uber to Cantlers for crab - you have to do this
Kent narrows for crab
St Michael’s for crab

i could seriously list them all…. You can easily do 10 days and not want to leave.

 

[lawndoctor]

South Shore

Now that they're dredging Jones Beach Inlet probably go out that way

Right, then cutting across the ocean directly to the southern NJ destinations makes sense assuming the weather cooperates and you’re comfortable being offshore. If you go to Rock Hall be careful of the depth. I ran aground in the entrance channel this summer. Harbor East in Baltimore is a great marina. Anchored by the Four Seasons, all new floating docks with fingers on both sides, excellent marina service, and plenty of bars and restaurants, in Harbor East itself as well as a short walk to Fell’s Point. When we go to Annapolis we stay at the South Annapolis Yacht Centre. Nice new marina and short walk to town. The only downside is you have to wait for the Spa Creek Bridge to open.

 

[alnav]

Every port in cheasepeake bay…. You can’t go wrong with any of them … a few must do’s

Annapolis - ego ally …. Uber to Cantlers for crab - you have to do this
Kent narrows for crab
St Michael’s for crab

i could seriously list them all…. You can easily do 10 days and not want to leave.

Why Uber to Cantler's when you can drive your boat there?
Shaps, if you do visit the Chesapeake, part of the charm IMO is the dozens of dockside bars and restaurants.
Here's a list just in case:
https://www.proptalk.com/dock-bars

 

[mdolesh]

Why Uber to Cantler's when you can drive your boat there?
Shaps, if you do visit the Chesapeake, part of the charm IMO is the dozens of dockside bars and restaurants.
Here's a list just in case:
https://www.proptalk.com/dock-bars

Where has this link been all my life?! Thank alnav!

 

[Blueone]

Why Uber to Cantler's when you can drive your boat there?
Shaps, if you do visit the Chesapeake, part of the charm IMO is the dozens of dockside bars and restaurants.
Here's a list just in case:
https://www.proptalk.com/dock-bars

If your all tied up in your slip and want to have a few beers with your crab...you cab

 

[Shaps]

Reviving this as we are getting close to making slip reservations, etc.

Ideally would like to be out on the open water no more than four hours a day.
Our first leg (and last) is a bit of a conundrum. Atlantic City is fine. But was looking a touch further south.
Has anyone been to Sea Isle City in NJ?
What's to do there? Are there decent marinas? Is there enough water? we need ~5'

 

[Shaps]

Day 2, once out of the C&D canal, same question... Marina's, etc?

Thank you!!

 

[lawndoctor]

Reviving this as we are getting close to making slip reservations, etc.

Ideally would like to be out on the open water no more than four hours a day.
Our first leg (and last) is a bit of a conundrum. Atlantic City is fine. But was looking a touch further south.
Has anyone been to Sea Isle City in NJ?
What's to do there? Are there decent marinas? Is there enough water? we need ~5'

You should check out Stone Harbor. I've been to all the south-of-AC beach towns in NJ (not so much by boat, but by land in my younger days renting summer houses with a bunch of guys). Stone Harbor is arguably the nicest town in that area. I know there are marinas there (have been to countless happy hours at marina bars overlooking the boats), but I don't have any personal experience staying at the marinas there by boat. Super nice beach town though.