Where would you travel to?

V

van lafermine

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I am already thinking about where to travel to next year. We have been to most locations on the Chesapeake and as far north as Long Island and as far south as Williamsburg Va.

If you all had 2 weeks to travel from the middle bay in a 44' boat traveling rb2@gr5t30mph what would you do for the 2 weeks?

We like mostly marina and resort type locations with restaurants and things to do for a couple of days. I would be willing to travl north or south, ocean or Intercoastal it really doesnt matter. It would be just my wife and I, maybe one other boat. Lets hear your thoughts and experiences.
 
Hi. Two itineraries that would make fun 2 week trips.

1) Shorter trip. Solomons island, Norfolk, Ocean City, Cape May and back through the CD canal. Nice marinas at all locations combination of Bay and Ocean cruising.

2) Longer trip. Norfolk, ICW to Coinjock, ICW, rivers and sounds to Morehead City/Beaufort NC, ocean or ICW to Myrtle Beach, ocean/ICW to Charleston SC. Mix it up and hit Georgetown SC, Southport NC and Solomons on the way back. More of a journey but would make for an adventurous two weeks and if you include all three weekends could be done at a reasonable pace.
 
Friends used to do Myrtle Beach from the Upper bay in their 42'. They loved it.
 
Rick and Mike,
I had thought about heading to Myrtle but did not do any calculations on distance and time needed. If headed thru the ICW How long do you feel it would take from Norfolk? I would also need to do my homework on bridge openings.

I also like the idea about doing the Delmarva loop. That would be fun and could easily be done with a 2 week window. I have never been to OC by boat so that would be different. I have done Solomons several times but could do Cape Charles, Norfolk, OC, Cape May or Wildwood and back through the C&D for the run home..

Nice ideas, any others?

Thanks,
Van
 
Cape Charles is nice. Not a lot to do, but the commercial marina there is very nice. Virginia Beach is also a nice stop with plenty of things to do and places to eat. Salt Ponds Marina near Hampton is good, as is The Tides. We've got a 10-day trip coming up leading into Labor Day. We'll probably head south and see where we end up. Other than the general direction I'm heading, I don't make plans any more :-)
 
Kurt,
I would like to hear about your trip upon your return. That sounds like fun!
 
I'd like to come back with reports of clear waters, palm trees, and tropical breezes. But I think that will have to wait until next spring :-)
 
Van, as far as distance and times go: I will tell you what it takes us at a 20-21 knot cruise. Norfolk is a day from Baltimore. Norfolk to Coinjock is an easy day, it is only 50 miles but several bridges and a lock. We always do the Norfolk/Coinjock run in one day regardless of direction but you could cover more ground if you really wanted. The bridges are timed well and it is mostly a 7 knt cruise for 5-6 hours. The bridge timings are well documented on one page in one of the crusiing guides, maybe Waterways. Coinjock is a tiny two marina stopover town with the best prime rib in the country, good tuna too. The run from Coinjock to Morehead/Beaufort is 8-9 hours and we take the Albermarle sound to the Alligator river route. The Pamlico sound is marginally quicker but can get a really steep chop in even 15 knt winds. This is a very scenic part of the ICW with open sounds and rivers. Very good fishing and lots to do in the Morehead city area.

We have always done the Morehead city to Myrtle beach run in the ocean. It is 160-170 miles on the outside, an easy days run. You enter at Indian River inlet to get to Myrtle beach. I dont think you could do it in one day on the ICW but a stop in Southport is what most people do when on the inside and is suppose to be a nice scenic port town. We have come to really like Myrtle beach as a half way stopping point when moving our boat between Ft Lauderdale and the Chesapeake. In fact our boat is in Mytrle beach right now. Great monthly rates at some very nice resort marinas with endless restaraunts, beaches and activities for kids and adults.

The run from Myrtle beach to Charleston is an easy one day 120 mile run in the ocean. We have done it both on the inside and outside and you can transition at Georgetown and do it half and half. Charlestown is a wonderful southern port city with lots to do and see for a few days. You could stop at Myrtle beach but if time and weather permits, Charleston is one of our favrorite stops for a layover day.

Comparing the trip south versus the Norfolk Ocean City trip, I think the trip south is much more adventurous. You will be in very remote feeling parts of the ICW and NC sounds and you can feel the cultural changes the further south you get. Both trips have options for nice resort style marinas at almost every stop.
 
quote:
Originally posted by mixman

I'd like to come back with reports of clear waters, palm trees, and tropical breezes. But I think that will have to wait until next spring :-)

Click to expand...


We just returned from the Exumas. The trip went fine but we had to move north from Ft Lauderdale quicker than planned when it looked like Emily was going to spin up. When she fell apart over the Dominican Republic it gave us an extra day in Charleston.

We got to feed the iguanas this time, pretty cool.
 
I'm jealous, Rick. I'm still trying to get to the Exumas. That's a hard trip to do with only a month. This past June had 2 weeks of ENE winds so we ended up in the Keys. We could have run to Bimini or the Abacos for 2 weeks, but felt like seeing something different (and saved the $150 check-in fee :-)
 
Rick,
Do you think Myrtle is doable without rushing each stop. I would like to spend 2 nights in each location so I am not rushed. I would also like the ICW experience you talk about. Also I dont mine running 7-8 hrs. a day if necessary.

If my first stop is in Cape Charles what would you do next?
 
Yes, Myrtle beach in two weeks could be done comfortably. I like to mix in a few 8 hour days and that leaves plenty of layover time. Sounds like you dont mind a few longer runs and your boat is plenty quick so I think it would make a very nice trip at a reasonable, relaxed pace. If your first stop is Cape Charles, then I would skip Norfolk as it is too close and go straight to Coinjock. Then hit Norfolk on the way back. It is easily doable from Cape Charles to Coinjock in a day. Coinjock is not really a place to layover so the next day head to Morehead/Beaufort. Spend a few days, and then head straight to Myrtle beach on the outside, spend three days, head back to Southport on inside, spend a few days, etc. You want to be flexible in your planning and I would try to get further south early so that you can take advantage of better weather travel days.
 
Kurt, we had a pretty bumpy ride from Ft Lauderdale to Nassau and onto the Exumas this year. It was blowing a steady 15 knots plus out of the east the entire way there for a week and a half. We stopped at Bimini and Atlantis on the way so it broke the trip up. But coming back from Nassau all the way to Fernandina FL, we had 4 days of 5-10 knot winds out of the south and perfect flat seas. It was smooth as a lake in the gulf stream. I felt bad though cause my sister and family joined us for the ride to the Exumas and flew home out of Nassau and never got a single smooth day on the water.

The last several years we have done an Abaco trip and then a second trip to the near bahamas or the Exumas the last two years (gotta use the second free entry). But if fuel prices remain so high, next year we may do a trip to the Berry Islands, Nassau, Eleuthra and Spanish Wells and then leave the boat in Nassau and fly back for a second trip to the Exumas. The coolest thing on this years trip, we were trolling off of Chub Cay on the way back to Bimini and got in the middle of a pod of whales.
 
Irene is over with. We're leaving tomorrow for destinations south. We'll figure it out on the way.
 
It was an easy 4 hour run for us this morning from Baltimore to Solomons. We counted 4 recreational boat, but a heck of a lot of commercial ships. There were 5 or 6 anchored south of the Bay Bridge (they appeared empty as they were sitting very high). But as we got south, the traffic coming north in the shipping channel was amazing. I guess they were all off-shore because of Irene and are just making there way not to Baltimore. We counted 7 in a row. I heard a pilot on one ship hail a sailboat to let them know he was first in a "train" of traffic heading north.
 
Two weeks is a short time seems like your wasting your time travling and not enjoying the places you go to. You could go herrington harbor spend 3 days alone go to balitmore for 3 days that is 6 days without rushing and enjoying things.Annapolis 3 days that is 9 days. Those long trips you need a month or better to enjoy.
 
How far east in LI did you go? Have you been to Block Island, Newport, Martha's Vineyard, etc..?
 
if you dont' mind burning a little fuel, I'd consider Mystic, Block, Newport, Bristol, Cuttyhunk, Edgartown, Nantucket and back. It will be a very different experience from the Chesie and the carolinas. You can get to Cape May in one easy day at 20kts+, then another day into the sound, or straight to Montauk, leaving about 8 to 10 days from the above.

South, i dont' see the attraction to Myrtle Beach if you go that far, go another 30NM to experience the Waccamaw river which many consider one the most scenic river on the ICW.

at 20+kts, you could get to Bellhaven in one day from norfolk, or get to coinjock from your home port in one day. the bridges and the lock are pretty much in sequence so while you'll have to run at 10kts for the first 25/30 miles, it's not a huge deal.

after Bellhaven, i do Moorehead city, Cape Look out bight (anchor there at least one night, it VERY nice), then Bald Head Island (nice resort). on the way back, skip the aligator and run the sound with a stop at the outerbank.

but my first choice would be southern new england/cape area.
 
Pascal,
2 yrs ago we did the LI run up to Northport. I am originally from there and wanted to go back home by boat from the Chessie. We had a great trip stopping in AC, NYC,NPT, back to NYC(Jersey)down to Schooner Island in Wildwood.
It was fairly relaxing trip only hitting rough seas from NYC to Cape May. Took us longer than expected but all in all everything went extremely well.

I had not thought about heading farther East. I think the weather and fog would have to cooperate if we were to go to the Cape. With only 2 weeks it would be a fairly aggressive trip but very doable. I would even be willing to hit Montauk and Block, and it is always fun heading back home, NPT is a great little town.

Thanks for the ideas!
 
Van, that's why I asked how far east you have been. You could go directly from Cape May to Montauk or Block in a day. Sure, there can be fog, but you also get plenty of crystal clear days, you just need to keep an eye on the weather and plan accordingly.

This past summer, we went to Montauk, Block and Newport - had no reservations, and had no trouble getting slips at any of the stops. We usually go the 1st & 2nd weeks of July - seems to be the best weather out there.
 
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