This year's bay crossing is scheduled for Sunday, August 30. Monday, August 31 is feasible on the same schedule as below. Tuesday, September 1 is feasible by moving the scheduled times 30 minutes later. Monday and Tuesday will likely have more shipping traffic than Sunday. We plan to travel both ways from NJ to DE and from DE to NJ. Sunrise is predicted for 6:27 AM. High tide is predicted for 5:24 AM and the following low tide is predicted for 11:20 AM. We plan to launch from NJ at 6:30 AM and from DE at 12:20 PM. During the ebb tide, the maximum speed of current is predicted to be 0.5 knots at a heading of 159° magnetic. During the flood tide, the maximum speed of current is predicted to be 1.0 knots at a heading of 339°. In case we choose to return from Lewes on the ferry, each kayaker should carry a set of wheels for transporting kayaks to the terminal, which is over ½ mile from Lewes Town Beach.

Over

We are launching from the public beach at Pinewood Road in Town Bank at precisely 6:30 AM. The stage ends at the Lewes Town Beach at around 11:20 AM after a paddle of 17.9 miles. All distances in this description are in statute miles (as opposed to nautical miles).

   High tide at the Cape May/Lewes Ferry terminal is predicted for 5:24 AM, so we will have a favorable current for the entire paddle if we cross in a timely manner. The maximum velocity of the current is predicted at 0.5 knots on a bearing of 159° magnetic. We will essentially be following the ferry route across the bay. To this end, we begin by paddling toward the north end of Breakwater Harbor in DE. We will try very hard to stay clear of shipping heading to or from Philadelphia or other northern points. Sunday is a day of lighter traffic in the shipping channel, but some ships do travel on Sunday. We need to be very alert from about 5 miles away from the ice breakers for large ships. We will also try to stay north of the ferries, but the ferries do some tacking for comfort of their passengers and often stray from a straight line course across the bay.

   I've broken the route down into labeled waypoints, shown on the map above:

Waypoint JoeBeach: N38.99503 W74.95716 (Beach at Pinewood Road)

The first leg is 13.9 miles to the south side of the ice breakers. The current should be slightly to our backs. Our bearing is 239° magnetic. We will be using a constant heading from the beach at Pinewood Road to the point on the map labeled "OverAim" and rely on current drift to align us properly for our actual target. We may err to the north side of the ice breakers, but can safely enter the harbor that way and pick up the next leg.

Waypoint ICEBRKRS: N38.83804 W75.11944 (Ice Breakers)

The next leg is 3.9 miles to the next waypoint. The bearing is 203° magnetic. We will be using a constant heading from the ice breakers to Lewes Town Beach which can be navigated by line-of-sight.

Waypoint TownBeach: N38.78224 W75.13356 (Lewes Town Beach)

Back

We are launching from the Lewes town beach at approximately 12:20 PM. The stage ends at the public beach at Pinewood Road beach in Town Bank at around 5:30 PM after a paddle of 17.9 miles. All distances in this description are in statute miles (as opposed to nautical miles).

   Low tide at Breakwater Harbor is predicted for 11:20 AM, so we will have a favorable current for the entire paddle if we cross in a timely manner. The maximum velocity of the current is predicted at 1.0 knots on a bearing of 339° magnetic. We will essentially be following the ferry route across the bay. To this end, we begin by paddling to the south end of the ice breakers protecting the harbor. We will try very hard to stay clear of shipping heading to or from Philadelphia or other northern points. Sunday is a day of lighter traffic in the shipping channel, but some ships do travel on Sunday. We need to be very alert from the ice breakers for about 5 miles for large ships. We will also try to stay north of the ferries, but the ferries do some tacking for comfort of their passengers and often stray from a straight line course across the bay.

   I've broken the route down into labeled waypoints, shown on the map above:

Waypoint TownBeach: N38.78224 W75.13356 (Lewes Town Beach)

The first leg is 3.9 miles to the south side of the ice breakers. The current should be light and to our backs. Our bearing is 23° magnetic. The course should be line-of sight to the south end of the ice breakers.

Waypoint ICEBRKRS: N38.83804 W75.11944 (Ice Breakers)

The next leg is 13.9 miles to the next waypoint. The bearing is 55° magnetic. We will be using a constant heading from the ice breakers to the north jetty of the Cape May Canal and rely on current drift to align us properly for our actual target. We need to watch for large ships for the first 5 miles.

Waypoint JoeBeach: N38.99503 W74.95716 (Beach at Pinewood Road)

It's Miller time!

WGM 08/28/2009