Trip To Jersey - Advice from Dad !

I reckon from memory and some measurement.... It is about a 20 hour trip and about 115 nm from Middle River to Cape May Entrance Breakwater. The hours will change a little dependent on how well you "catch the current". You have about 10 to 11 hours of daylight that reduces daily.

32 nm from frog morter to C&D Basin

87.5 nm from C&D Basin to Cape May Entrance (Eldridge is indispensable for this type of planning TO KEEP CURRENT ON THE STERN)

39.5 nm from C&D Basin to Ship John Shoal Lt (another 8 nm up the Cohansey River to a Marina for layover to next weather window or until the Bay calms down, wind changes etc Anchorage may be taken just inside the entrance

Cohancey River to Cape May entrance is 43 nm.. Its about a halfway point and a good bailout if the Delaware Bay is not in good shape. Again, you need to look at the route around Cape May and plot your waypoints as there are no buoys. The best route takes you pretty close to to shore for about 100 yards, need to have eyeballs on the bow, on the depthsounder and the little boat on the chart screen. Daylight only !!!

Inside route from Cape May to Little Egg is your all weather route. Wind in any quadrant from the North will not be good for off shore route. Did it in the trawler and it went pretty well, took all day but water was smoooth and other than a few spots involving inlets it was pretty easy.

I did not figure the run from Cape May to Tuckerton offshore, about 40nm I would reckon, the better part of all daylight hours available and you would need some info on the little Egg and Beach haven Inlets. Not sure if they are all weather and how well marked... Jay may know this but not sure how often he goes ocean sailing . Definitely a daylight only entrance from offshore. Atlantic City, at Absecon Inlet is all weather and well lit for night entrance with anchorage taken east of the high rise bridge on the south side near Coast Guard Station (keep to SE)

Looks like it’s a three day run daylight only. OR all day all night, and all the next day ! Running the Delaware at night ! Its well marked with lighted ranges down river for the big ships and you can always see the next mark going down the Bay, lots of lighthouses. Get your radar up and running and make sure your compass is reading accurately. Main ship channel all the way, OUTSIDE Prissy Wick Shoal . I would do this in relatively calm conditions, 5-10 out of s/sw Cape Henlopen has a Harbor of Refuge where you can anchor near the Ferry slip if you get caught in a shitty at the Delaware Bay Entrance with wind strong from a northerly quadrant BEEN THERE DONE THAT TWICE

This is the type of planning I would recommend ! Plan for the worst with lots of alternates and hope for the best.

Keep wind and current on you stern Love Dad