GL: Sailboats

[Ralph Yost (home)]

If anyone chooses to go around Cape May, do so with caution. I have been
striper fishing there for years and can tell you it can be treacherous. Its
called THE RIPS and with good reason. Contact me ahead of time and I can
provide some suggestions for a safe passage.
All of the trawlers should be able to pass easily through the Cape May
Canal, but there is one SIGNIFICANT caution for that passage. At the
Delaware Bay end, directly across from the ferry terminal, the ocean side of
the canal is dead shoal water. You can often see sea gulls standing there at
low tide. The ferries back out of the slips then put it hard ahead in
forward and kick up sand over to that side of the canal. As you come between
the two rock piles it is fine but you have to pass on the side closest to
the ferry terminals. At that point, imagine a line right down the middle of
the canal and stay towards the ferries. You should see 20ft or more at low
tide close to the ferries. Its hard sand if you dont.
The reason for my caution to you is this shoal is NEVER marked as such by 
the Coast Guard. Occassionally it will be dredged, but never depend on it.
R.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "bob Austin" <thataway4 at cox.net>

> Bob McCleran reminded me that the I 195 bridge at mile 1087 on the
> Atlantic
> Coast ICW is only 56 feet clearance.  (This is between Miami and Ft.
> Lauderdale--we came into Miami and went out the main channel to come back
> into
> the ICW at Ft. Lauderdale.  Although I have gone under these bridges in
> powerboats, we did take the sail boat outside much of the lower East Coast
> of
> Florida because of the long delays in bridge openings.)
>
> The Cape May Canal is not part of the Atlantic ICW which must be used--and
> we
> went around Cape May into Delaware Bay, so no bridge problems there.