Planning Intercoastal Trip AC to Cape May

C

Crownline 242

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The only section of the Intercostal between Morehead City NC and the George Washington Bridge that I have not cruised is the stretch between AC and Cape May. I am starting to plan that trip and am looking for some local info.

The thing different about this trip is I want to take my jet ski instead of the boat. I know it is about 35 miles as the crow flies, but looking at the chart the ICW seems to meander all over the place and close to what looks like places that may be inhabited (no wake zones), marshes (bugs) and open water (bone crunching), but yet seems to have a bunch of places that I can open it up and cover a lot of ground in a short period of time if I must (the ski will do 60+ in the right conditions). I am planning to do this somewhere around the second week of June. I want to start at 6AM to get smooth water. I am hoping I can go to AC-CM and back in 6 hours

Info I am looking for:

1) Are there a lot of No-Wake Zones?
2) If you have ever gone in your boat and how long did it take (is 6 hours doable)
3) In June are there any sections that are full of insects like some sections north of AC?
4) Any ramp recommendations in AC?
5) Anything else I should be aware of?
 
Lots of no wake, plenty of marshes so plenty of bug spray. Since you have shallow draft you can avoid some of the no wake by taking the back channel from AC to Longport. Be tough to do it r/t in 6 hrs.
 
Time your trip with high tide. The last storm has the ICW loaded with pilings, tons of weeds and floating pieces of docks. You would be better off running outside if the conditions warrant it.
Bill
 
Depending on when you are making this trip, I would put getting eaten alive by green head flies in the float plan.
 
Hard to say what portion of the trip is no wake, but it's a significant amount. Wildwood has a long stretch, Stone Harbor even longer, briefly in Avalon, Sea Isle has two that are pretty long, Ocean City, you do have some options around Somers Point, but always a no wake. But like you said, there are also section you can let it rip - basically between all of the towns just mentioned.

If the wind is out of the west, the green head flied are a bit brutal; if there is no wind, in June, those little no-seeums, are whatever they are called, can be annoying.

I don't know of any ramps in AC, and just checked my phone's 'boat ramp' app, and it doesn't know of any either. There is a ramp at Corsons Inlet State Park, which is probably 9-10 miles south of AC. I know for a fact you can do that trip to Cape May and back in well under 6 hours, more like 3-4 hours depending on how far into Cape may you intend to cruise.
 
AVON skin so soft works well at keeping the Greenheads from biting. Keeping the hardtop AC unit on and the 2 overhead fans helps slow the greenheads down as well. They are a really aggresive fly that bites they are the fly's version of a Wasp. If you have never encountered them you will never forget your 1st encounter. They can take a hard smack and get up and come back to bite again nasty little bugger's.
Bill
 
Years ago I used a ramp in Margate on the bay I kept my boat there for the week I wasn't a big ride to Atlantic City from there. It's been a long time but if I remember correctly you could stay in land from the bay all the way to AC.
 
Well a couple with a baby lost another sailboat last night same routine, coming by our inlet on the inside ICW they hit the shoal near Holgate took a chunk out of the bow. The USCG and US Boats wete able to get everone off safetly. They were able to keep the boat floating with a crash pump and made it to a travel lift at LBI yacht club. They had no local family so I think the US Boats guy let them stay at his house last night until the young womans mother could pick them up. Great Bay is really bad as well. It is getting harder to navigate and keep up with the constantly changing shoals.
Bill
 
The run between AC and Cape May is about 35NM. We've done the CM before. As far as I know this is the streatch of ICW that had bad reputation (as others had mentined) of shoaling spots in the chanel and no wake zone where you'll be dealing with green heads. I would suggest simply watch the weather and pick the good day to do it on the outside. Absecon inlet as well as Cape May inlet are pleasure to navigate. They're well marked, wide and deep.

Good luck.
 
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