places to stay ,cape may

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fotwins94

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I am bringing a boat back from maryland to long island and I need some recommendations on places to stay in cape may..HOW IS IT NAVIGATING THREW THE CAPE MAY CANAL AND CAPE MAY INLET ????
 
-South Jersey Marina if you're looking for a place that caters to the sportfishing crowd. Dock Mike's Pancake House is on the property.
-Utsch's Marina if you're looking for a yard-type marina with basic amenities. Family run and well regarded by locals.
The EXCELLENT Lobster House Restaurant is right between the 2 marinas- an easy walk. They also offer a take-out menu if you want to eat onboard.

The Cape May inlet is one of the few in south Jersey that's easy to run in any weather. The harbor is shallow but has a well marked channel. The entrance to Utsch's can be thin at times, so pay attention. The canal is an easy run but the current can be upward of 3 knots at times, and there is an old swing bridge that looks tighter (width-wise) than it actually is. The Cape May - Lewis Ferry terminal is at the western end of the canal on the north side- pay attention to incoming and (especially) departing vessels. The shoaling opposite the ferry terminal was dredged earlier this year and should not be an issue.
 
Cape May is a dream to navigate. No problems. If you need to stop overnight, you can stay at the South Jersey Marina. Check them out at southjerseymarina.com and ask for Charlie, he is the dock master. I have stayed both places and they are owned by the same owner. They are great to stay at. Steve
 
We made the trip in reverse a few years back, LI to the Chesapeake. Like arks and Steve said, the CM Canal is an easy ride. Make certain you have adaquate fuel before you enter the Delaware Bay because there are no convenient services from the C&D Canal until you get to Cape May, about 50 KM. Tides can be an issue on this leg of the trip as well so plan accordingly. Fuel in New Jersey will be cheaper than anywhere else on the trip so take advantage of that as well. We used South Jersey marina on our trip. They do cater to the transient business as well as the sport fishing fleet. Definitely make time to catch dinner at The Lobster House.
 
Canal isnt bad, heres a couple of pics..
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Would you still recommend S Jersey as a destination for a few days or would Canyon Club be better?

Doing some pre-planning for next season.:)

thanks
 
i stopped at Utsch this time around, it's fine. friendly folks, goody bag with a bottle of wine. Only thing about Utsch is that it's a little tight with a larger boat, I barely had enough room to turn around in the fairway (with a 70 footer) and the area between the canal channel and the marina entrance gets a little shallow if you stray too far from their dock.

in the spring on the way up i had stopped at Miss Chris Marina which was a little rustic but equally friendly. Restaurants nearby, the guy have us some fresh fish just off the charter boat...

The canal is easy to navigate, watch for the ferries and dont' try to pass them as they come in and out, the water is very shallow on the south side across from the terminal.
 
I would not recommend S. Jersey as a stop off "for a few days". Its a nice, clean marina but its not close to anything other than the Lobster House. They may offer a shuttle to town but I'm not certain of that. Great for a RON but not a vacation spot.
 
quote:
Originally posted by mintregila

Would you still recommend S Jersey as a destination for a few days or would Canyon Club be better?

Click to expand...

I spent almost a week at South Jersey Marina. It was fine but SJM doesn't have a pool- big problem in hot weather. Canyon Club and SJM are both owned by the same parent company and I heard a rumor that transients can use the pool over at the Canyon Club, but never verified it.

Mike's right, but NONE of the marinas are within easy walking distance of Cape May or the beach. There is a shuttle stop at SJM or you can call a cab. I prefer to carry a couple bikes onboard. They're the easiest way to travel around town if you don't have a bunch of little kids.

If you're looking for a marina with a closer beach, Schooner Island Marina (just north of Cape May harbor in Wildwood) is probably your best bet (no personal experience). I've heard nothing but good things about them.
 
Hi Guys, I stay at SJM quite often and we walk to town. It is only 1 mile and a nice walk. As for going to the beach, we called a taxi cab and I think it cost $8.00 each way. We also rented a car and it was delivered to the marina.
I don't think that there is a marina close to town. As for the pool, we found Schooner Island Marina in Wildwood to be great. It is just up the creek about a 10 minute no wake cruise. Nice resturants in walking distance and the Wildwood board walk is about a 15 minute walk. The board walk itself is about 3 miles long. They have "tram trains" on the boardwalk to take you from one end to the other. Great place to visit. Steve
 
Jordon2

Please resize your images to a maximum of 800x600.
The current size makes it difficult to read this thread since many have to scroll
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If you do not know how to resize them you can use the tools that photobucket
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Thanks

BTW - nice pictures!
 
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