What To Consider When Planning To Sail to Philly from the Chesapeake
Throughout our 15 years of cruising the Chesapeake region and beyond, we have yet to meet another sailor who has sailed to Philadelphia. We’ve met plenty of cruisers who have endured Delaware Bay black flies to sail to Cape May, NJ, or Lewes, DE. But not once have we heard anyone mention pointing their bow north after the C&D Canal to visit historic Philly.
A few years ago, we blocked off 10 days to cruise somewhere new to us. We were both working at the time, so we wanted a destination where we could work remotely while also enjoying some local attractions. A transient slip for a week would allow either of us to easily step off the boat while the other finished up a conference call. We had already explored Havre de Grace and Cape May to the north and Hampton to the south. Where should we go?
How about Philadelphia? It had been years since we were truly tourists in that city. The last dozen times we had visited had been for work, taking Amtrak in and out in one day. It would be fun to spend some quality time there. Plus, we had friends and family in Philly and figured it would be great to invite them for cocktails.
We checked the charts and noted there weren’t any obstacles after exiting the C&D canal. After all, it’s a major shipping channel, so water depths and bridge clearances were good. There was ample space and depths to stay just outside the channel to avoid any ship traffic. The biggest factor that required advanced planning was the current.
For previous C&D passages, we had timed the currents in our favor to transit the canal and continue southbound on the Delaware Bay. It’s not uncommon to see two and a half knots or more in the canal itself. For this journey, we’d have to coordinate a few other tidal considerations, including the current at our ultimate destination.
There are only two publicly accessible marinas in Philadelphia, and we selected Penn’s Landing Marina rather than Pier 5. Both marinas are available for seasonal and transient dockage from May 1 through October 31, but we preferred the views and location of Penn’s Landing.
When reserving our slip for the week, the dockmaster advised that our five-foot, five-inch draft would need to carefully navigate a shallow spot at the entrance. We had also noted that currents could run strong, so we wanted to time our arrival to be near slack tide. That meant we may not be able to enjoy ideal currents in both the Delaware Bay and the canal. We were willing to trade speed for a less stressful arrival.
As it turned out, we had a delightful 48-nautical-mile passage to Philadelphia from our Chesapeake City anchorage. We got an early start and had favorable current for most of our eight-hour journey. Winds from the south at eight to 10 knots enabled us to sail downwind for several hours beginning when we exited the canal. We even flew the spinnaker for a short time!
And, of course, while we were sailing, I just had to play “Sailing to Philadelphia,” written by Mark Knopfler and performed as a duet with James Taylor. Yeah, my husband rolled his eyes while I cranked up the tunes:
“The morning tide has raised,
the capes of Delaware;
Come up and feel the sun,
a new morning is begun;
Another day will make it clear,
why your stars should guide us here.
We are sailing to Philadelphia…”
For most of the passage, we stayed just outside the busy channel, dwarfed by massive cargo ships in both directions. The scenery was more interesting than the southern part of the Delaware Bay. It was fun to pass under the Delaware Memorial Bridge (I-295), observe aircraft approaching PHL, and watch Amtrak trains pass on the west as we approached Wilmington.
Finally, we arrived at Penn’s Landing near slack tide. We radioed for our slip assignment and successfully navigated the shallow spot in negligible current just as a storm was kicking up. In retrospect, we were glad we timed slack tide, just to lessen the stress especially as we eyed the adjacent boats that we had to squeeze between for our port-side docking.
After settling in, we reviewed nearby attractions and made a list of hopeful activities for the week. As the sun set, we enjoyed dinner at a restaurant called Moshulu, a four-masted tall ship directly across from our slip. Returning to our boat, we meandered through Spruce Street Harbor Park, with its hammocks and colorful lighting. What a nice Philly welcome!
Before we knew it, the week flew by. We were able to work mornings and enjoy the city and friends in the afternoons and evenings. We spent one full day at the Independence Seaport Museum and onboard the USS Olympia. We visited the Rodin Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Collection, and the Franklin Institute. My favorite attraction by far was completely unexpected: Eastern State Penitentiary. Never thought I’d enjoy a former prison so much!
Alas, our week in Philly drew to a close. We had to plan for those currents again, though it always seems less daunting when successfully navigated once. Soon, we were on our way home, but I vowed to return. If you haven’t been to Philly by boat, make this the year you do!
More info: delawareriverwaterfront.com
About the author: Captain Cheryl Duvall is a USCG Licensed Master, Inland 100 GRT, and program director for the Chesapeake Area Professional Captains Association (CAPCA). When she isn’t sailing her Gozzard 44 Belle Bateau, you might find her at the helm of Watermark’s Miss Anne in Annapolis. Find her at [email protected].
