In today’s episode, we explore the sailing from Sandy Hook NJ to Cape May NJ. Sandy Hook is just south of NY harbor and as the name suggests, it’s a hooked-shaped spit of land that projects out into Raritan Harbor.  Cape May is at the Southernmost tip of NJ which makes this an approximately 120 NM trip.  This is one section of the East Coast, from Maine to Key West, where there are not a lot of stopover points, especially for a sailboat.  Many of the inlets along the New Jersey shore and not sailboat friendly.  They have either strong currents or low bridges.  If you want to do the trip non-stop, it is about a 24-hour passage and a great first overnight passage for any sailors desiring to get such an experience.  It is a relatively easy passage and if you are heading South, any wind direction is fine, except directly from the South.  All you need is a good weather forecast for the next 24 hours.  I find these short term forecasts are typically very accurate.  In the summer, just be on the lookout for thunderstorms.  Lightning on a boat with a 62-foot aluminum mast is not fun. This far north and close to shore, you do not need to worry about the Gulf Stream.  Once you are out of the inlet, any currents are minor and are not an issue with the wind.  There is a fair amount of commercial traffic.  Tugs with barges, fishing boats, and some large ships.  Most of the commercial traffic stays at least 10 miles offshore, so if you keep about 5 miles offshore, you will not encounter too much traffic.  The entrance to Cape May is well marked and there is a large Coast Guard station there.  This Coast Guard station is the primary training center for new recruits.  There is an anchorage just off of the Coast Guard station, which is where we anchored.  It’s a great place to stop and get some rest on your way south or north.

We love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at [email protected].  Wishing you fair winds, and calm seas. 

Bela and Mike