Cape May

[captblue3]

I am thinking about a trip to Cape May this summer but have never been in the Del. Bay or to Cape May . Any insight about which Marina or things to look out for would be greatly appriciated .

 

[Converse48]

What to look out for: The Delaware Bay. It can be quite tame, and it always has a strong current, but when the wind is blowing against the tide, it can be brutal. Also, there are virtually no harbors of refuge and it is a barren, desolate, shallow, godforsaken body of water with no obvious redeeming qualities. Do not fear it though... plan your trip to take advantage of the current and consider holding off if the wind if blowing 20 knots or more straight up or straight down the Bay. If you must traverse in these conditions, just slow down and make sure your Polident bill is paid up.

Where to stay? This has been discussed often here. In Cape May proper, South Jersey Marina and Utsch's (sp?) are on "the town side" of the harbor. Both are fine, but very sportfishing oriented. Despite being on "the town side" it is still quite a hike to town/beaches. We rented a car when we stayed at So. Jersey for my son's soccer tournament in 2007. Read about that trip here. There is an Enterprise place nearby, the car was waiting for us, and it was like $35.

On "the other side" of the harbor is The Canyon Club. Nice place. Pool. Resort-like. But it essentially in the middle of nowhere by land. Except you can walk to a West Marine and a Liquor store, so how bad can it be? Car rental comment applies here as well.

You may want to consider going a bit further up the ICW to Schooner Island in Wildwood. Nice marina. Floating docks. Pool. You can "walk" to the beach, although it is seven blocks plus to the boardwalk and then another (seems like a) mile to the water from the boardwalk. Wildwood beach is HUGE at this point. We went here in 2008 with a few others here. See the thread here.

Do a search on these places here at CSR you will find more info.

It's a fun trip and worth doing. From Skipjack Cove on the Sassafras to Cape May is 88 nm. So it wouldn't be much further from Gunpowder, if any.

 

[SCORPIO]

Fuel up in either Chesapeake City or Delaware City before you enter Del. bay. As Festivus said, there isn't much in the way of services on the bay, and what there is requires some local knowledge to safely get in and out. Check your charts, watch out for the bulkheads on the west side of the chanel after entering the bay. Any wind over 15 kt out of any Northerly direction, it will produce a very nasty chop. Pic your days and it should be a fun trip.

 

[themorganjane]

We stayed at South Jersey this year. We called a bicycle rental company and they delivered 10 bikes right to the marina. They included locks and helmets. Worked out real well.

 

[hack4alivin]

Our plan for Cape May is Utsch’s Marina. We are going to leave Gunpowder on Thursday afternoon and spend the night at Chesapeake City. We will then fuel up and head into the Delaware Bay while the tide is going out. We are planning two nights at Cape May, and then we are ocean bound north to New York. Cape May would be a great trip for you but I think it would be better if you spend several nights there; it is a long way to go. As others said plan you trip around the weather. Anyone going with you? On the “Hellaware Bay”, misery loves company.

 

[rcknecht]

We usually stay in Utches when we want to be in Cape May... We really like the owners. Utches is the biggest Marina in Cape May, and it is just north of the Lobster House... We have stayed in Canyon Club for the pool, but prefer Utches... Bring your bikes. If you plan on staying more that 3 days, I would recommend buying season beach pass for you Cape May... If you buy them before Memorial Day the are reduced price... We have also stay in Wildwood a Schooners Marina... They have the best pool and very nice floating docks... The Wildwood beachs are free, and there is a lot to do there for older kids... But for my wife and I, we prefer to be as close as we can to downtown Cape May as possible... BTW Utches has the cheapest fuel in the area, You should be able to make it from you GPC to Utches on less than a tank... The fuel in Jersey is more than 50 cents a gallon less than MD...

 

[captblue3]

Thanks all for the info. Bill , we just kind of thought up the trip which may turn out to be Rehobeth . I have not asked anyone yet if the want to join (plans still in the infant stages) . I think we will be going the week after you get back.

 

[Mr Salt]

All of the information that you have received is good and sound. Make sure where ever you go in Cape May, when you enter the Canal from the west that you stay on the north side of the channel until you are past the ferry terminal. When the ferries back out of their slips and stop they create shoaling on the south side of the canal. You can stay pretty close to the terminal as everyone does. Also there is a swing railroad bridge you have to pass while in the canal. It is only passable on the north side of the swing.

 

[SCORPIO]

If you plan on going to Rehobeth, you'll have to stay in Lewes, DE and slips there are not very plentiful. Call the city prior to your departure to reserve a slip at the city dock or one of the transient slips in the new city marina downtown. You'll need bikes to get from Lewes to Rehobeth, there is a nice bike trail. Or you could catch the bus. Plenty of fuel and services in Lewes if you need them.