Hi Joe, What's your air draft? Mine is 54' You can't overcome physics. I've done the Cape May canal bridges many times. There are two bridges over it and a railway swing bridge that remains open cause it's broke. Sources list Cape May Parkway and Seashore Rd bridge height at 50' or 52.5' and there is a graduated table at the base of the bridge. The water level shows the actual clearance. The tidal range is 4.5' in this area and I would time my trips so the tide is low or close to it and find 57+ feet at the bridge. This works the best for climbing the Delaware River. When motoring at 6 knots hullspeed, the favorable current gave me 8.4 knots Speed Over Ground on GPS.
There is another challenge to running the canal at low water; running aground. The bottom is muddy, so backing out or spinning usually get you clear. Keep your speed low so you The ferries really kick up the sand where they dock and it forms a sandbar on the opposite side of the channel. So favor the side where the ferries dock. Be mindful, if they blast their horn, they are backing out, so U-turn and hold off till one leaves. Note: Heading West, the tide can give a boost for eight hours or more. It's like riding a wave that's travelling West (turn of the Earth). I've had a favorable tide the whole way from Cape May to the C&D Canal. Heading the opposite direction the tide is favorable for less time, like four hours, because you're travelling East and the wave passes under you in the opposite direction. Sucks but true. Heading that way, I would consult Reed's and use math to leave the C&D so I would arrive at Cape May at low tide or just after it to use the canal. If I arrive more than two hours before Low, I wait. If it's more than two hours after low, I go around. There is a channel along the beach but I'm not sure if it's marked. Hopefully others will chime in. Chuck Scheaffer, Resolute, 1989 C&C 34R, Pasadena, Md > > > > Have you ever gone into Cape May? I have hit the bridge with my VHF > antenna going through the canal. No harm done, but that would have been a bad > time for a big wake! Quite a sight to see the antenna going ting-ting-ting > across the girders up there. > > There is a bridge in Florida on the Okeechobee canal that is a bit low > and I think the marina near there will come out and hook a big weight to your > halyard to heel the boat over to get under it. > > > > Joe > > Coquina > > > > From: G Donald Wagner via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > Sent: Monday, March 22, 2021 5:28 PM > To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com > Cc: G Donald Wagner <don.wag...@verizon.net> > Subject: [EXTERNAL] Stus-List Re: C&C 40 > > > > My C&C 41 CB with a tall rig draws 4'11" with the board up,7' 10" with > the board down, according to the data brochure. > > I've tested it here on the Bay many times and believe the Brochure. > > > > On the other end, the quoted Bridge clearance is 60'4"' per the brochure. > I've never tested it , but believe it is correct, not allowing for the Windex > or the Wind direction/Wind speed Instrument. > > The instrumentation may add another 12 -14'". So, if you believe the > corps of Engineers the 65" along most of the ICW will be ok! Of course, near > Miami and on the Okeechobee Waterway where, it's often stated to be 55" , > will be a problem!!!!! > > > > Just my .02 cents worth > > > > Don Wagner > > C&C41CB > > Der Baron > > on the West River of the Chesapeake Bay > > d to the list to help with the costs involved. If you want to show your > support to the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- > https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k=994c2ee3-c6d71629-994c0794-0cc47adca788-66fad034e2d40f6d&q=1&e=f92b2f3b-8c4d-4800-90bb-12b46e20d86c&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paypal.me%2Fstumurray > Thanks - Stu > > Thanks to all of the subscribers that contributed to the list to help > with the costs involved. If you want to show your support to the list - use > PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks - Stu >
Thanks to all of the subscribers that contributed to the list to help with the costs involved. If you want to show your support to the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks - Stu
