Planning to deliver a Tayana 42 from Portsmouth to Chesapeake early to
mid Sept.
We are familiar with waters from Atlantic City and South, but
would appreciate any local knowledge we can gain. Portsmouth Harbour
info would be great. Also, we are thinking of using the Cape Cod
Canal. Will this really save us time? Are the currents really that
horrendous? Any and all info. will be welcomed. Thanks in advance.

I agree. With a SWerly of 20 knots or more the Cape Cod canal is a real
washing machine on the ebb (southwesterly) tide. Buzzards bay is the same
deal. Go in the morning before the breeze picks up if you can. It's only a
few hours from Provincetown to the canal. On the other end, Onset,
Padanaram, Hadley are all nice stops. There are many others.

If you plan to take LI sound, watch the currents at the race, Hell gate and
the narrows. Eldridge is great for planning all these passages.

Dave Erickson
Apache 37 "Second Sojourn"
www.djerickson.com



"Shen44" wrote in message
...
If you use the Cape Cod canal, watch your timing and weather.
Generally in the afternoons, the SW seabreeze comes up, which blows up the
Canal ..... not a problem if wind and tide together, but can get nasty if
you
are going through on an ebb.

This is more a delivery philosophy question than one of distance and
time.

If you're doing a delivery -- get it there as fast as possible, you
may find it advantageous to simply go offshore. I know that as skipper
on a delivery, unless I really trust my crew's piloting, I'll get more
sleep offshore than in close quarters. With this philosophy, you
might well want to go around Cape Cod and Nantucket, and keep going.
Note, though, that your turning point will probably be the Asia Rip
bouy, forty miles SE of Nantucket -- you can certainly cut cross the
Nantucket Shoals, but it may be uncomfortable, and requires excellent
navigation.

The Cape Cod Canal indeed has considerable current, see
http://www.maineharbors.com/currents/curcanal.htm
but if you're happy doing a little piloting, you'll certainly be
faster going from Portsmouth to Cape May via the canal, even if you
have to wait for the tide.

And, BTW, if you've never been through New York Harbor on a small
boat, it's well worth the extra distance and effort required. Long
Island Sound requires attnetion, but is not difficult. Hell Gate is
another tide hole, but nothing that a Tayana 42 can't handle easily.
You get wonderful views of the East River bridges, the UN, the
Battery, the Statue of Liberty, South Street Seaport, etc...


(Buzzards Bay Light to Cape May, 233 miles versus BBL, The Race, City
Island, New York Harbor, Cape May, 260 miles)


Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com

(AHJones) wrote in message . com...
Planning to deliver a Tayana 42 from Portsmouth to Chesapeake early to
mid Sept.
We are familiar with waters from Atlantic City and South, but
would appreciate any local knowledge we can gain. Portsmouth Harbour
info would be great. Also, we are thinking of using the Cape Cod
Canal. Will this really save us time? Are the currents really that
horrendous? Any and all info. will be welcomed. Thanks in advance.