Anchorage · Visited September 19, 2026
Mouillage Coast Guard Cape May
Our impressions and services
- Overall impression
- Good
- Shore access
- Poor
- Dinghy access
- Poor
- Shelter at anchor
- Good
- Beauty of the place
- Good
- Groceries
- Available
Our experience
We spent our first night here after our crossing from Sandy Hook to Cape May. On arrival in the morning, however, we had to redo the anchoring maneuver because the anchor wasn't holding. We even hauled up a roughly 16-foot plank with the anchor!
So be attentive and take the time to thoroughly test your anchor before settling in for the night.
To go ashore by dinghy, the best place is the South Jersey Marina. They are very friendly and access is free.
If there is swell, however, be prepared to take a lot of water on board the dinghy!
The anchorage located near the Coast Guard station is in Cape May Harbor, on the south side of the channel, between the channel and the Coast Guard base. It is identified as an anchorage for transient vessels by the U.S. Coast Pilot. The area is part of a very busy harbor, where pleasure craft, fishing vessels, and Coast Guard units operate side by side.
The bottom is relatively shallow and varies with the tide. Recent reports from cruisers indicate about 9 to 11 feet in the deepest parts of the anchorage, with muddy bottoms that generally provide good holding. The tidal current can, however, be strong, and the area is exposed to eddies caused by maritime traffic.
Access to the shore is limited, notably because the Coast Guard facilities are federal property. The anchorage is therefore primarily used as a stopover for transient vessels rather than as a direct access point to shore installations.