GL: Cruising New Jersey

[Wayne & Lynn Flatt]

Tom & Claire suggested a need to avoid the ICW in New Jersey because of too
shallow water for his 4.5 foot draft boat.  That is not as accurate as it
could be.  It is a very viable trip taken with judicious use of tides.

Skinwalker, our 49 foot, 4.5 foot draft Marine Trader, has done the inside
route and found traveling the six hours from half high to half high tide
presented no problems and never saw less then 6 foot of water.  Outside of the
channel is another matter.  Cape May to Manesquan is easily do-able and opens
a whole new cruising adventure.  Inside is more fun and slower, outside,
however, is considerably faster.

When using the outside strategy we typically stage in the upper Chesapeake,
pick our weather to New York, run the tide out to Delaware Bay and down to
Cape May where we usually fuel then keep right on truckin using the night
calms to carry us up the coast to arrive at Sandy Hook in the morning.  We
anchor at the Hook for a couple of hours or so until we can catch a favorable
tide into the harbor and on up the Hudson to the Tapon Zee bridge or beyond.
The value of this is having the tide with you the entire way, having one to
two foot seas usually pushing you and being done with an onerous part of the
cruise in one 24 to 30 hour period.

Your mileage may vary, but it works effectively for us.  See ya on the water.

Lynn & Wayne Flatt
MV Skinwalker
Currently anchored off the Caloosahatchie in Bimini Basin, Cape Coral, FL
awaiting a fuel and weather window.