Dewey Beach#, ## Delaware (4)

 
FIG. 1A View of New Road Launch 
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 FIG. 1B aerial view of the four Dewey Beach Launches
 

The Dewey Beach launch is located at the northern end of
Delaware Seashore State Park, and is actually four (4) launches
all located within one mile of each other: (1) the New Road bay side
launch, (2) Tower Rd Ocean side launch, (3) Tower Road bay side
launch and (4) the Key Box Rd Ocean side launch, the most popular
being (1) New Road bay side launch.

Directions: Take U.S. 50 East and cross Bay Bridge. At 301/50 split,
remain on U.S. 50 East towards Ocean city.  About seven miles later,
at Jct Md Rt404, make a left hand turn at traffic signal onto Md Rt
404 E.  Continue thru Denton, Md bypass into Delaware where it
becomes De Rt 404. Drive thru villages of Bridgeville, DE and
Georgetown, DE and continue on De Rt 404 East, (also referred
later to as U.S. 9 east) and/or follow signs to Rehoboth beach.
Upon reaching Rehoboth beach, you will hit Jct De Rt 1
(i.e, coastal hwy).  Head south on De Rt 1 to and thru village of
Dewey beach.  The village of Dewey beach and the Launch are
 just south of Rehoboth on DE Rt 1 South. Watch your speed,
 especially in the village of Dewey beach!  Upon leaving the
village of Dewey beach, you then enter the
Delaware Seashore State Park. Although the park is about 7 miles
 long, the launch is less than or near 1 mile South of the
village of Dewey Beach.

The most popular launch (1) can be found by taking the second right
hand turn after leaving the village of Dewey Beach traveling south. 
It is marked by the sign "New Rd Sailing".  The first right hand turn is
Tower Road (bay side) and the first left hand turn is Tower Road
 (Ocean side).  The Key Box Road launch is the southernmost of the
4 Dewey Beach launches and Tower road (bayside) is the northern
most of the four.  The New road and Tower Road (bayside) launches
launch into Rehoboth bay, and the Tower Road Ocean side launch
 provides a launch for windsurfers and kiters alike directly into the ocean.

Comments: Excellent site for beginners at windsurfing.  Shallow
water for quite a bit out, providing a great environment for
beginners as well as people learning how to waterstart. 
 Although site can be used in the Summer, the launch is
greatest and can be a "best choice" in the early Spring and in the
 Fall where winds here are stronger and are more reliable than
 the Chesapeake launches. This is where I first got a board to plane! 
 This is also where many-a-clinics are held. It's worth the drive.

FIG 2.  New Road Launch

Launch (1) and (3) faces West into Rehoboth bay.  Good on any
wind direction, but best with west component.  Nearest coastal
site to DC/Baltimore area, wind speed higher than in Chesapeake. 
Windsurf Jocks often choose the Holts Landing launch over the
Dewey Beach launches when the winds are out of the East, and
choose the Lewes launch when the winds are out of the NE, as
the Dewey beach bayside launches are far from optimal on an
East or NE wind.  Consult a forecast engine, such as iwindsurf.com,
before investing in hours to drive out and back.  However, on
the whole, you are likely to conclude that it is well worth the
drive.  All four of the Dewey Beach launches require an $8 per
vehicle fee per day for out-of-state people and $4 fee for DE
residents.  Annual permits are available.  Honors system in
off season, therefore bring correct change!

Best Wind Directions:  For the bayside launches, the best
winds are S, SW, W, NW and N.  For the ocean side launches,
the best wind directions are S and SE.  When winds are E,
the jocks go to Holts landing, when the winds are NE, they
go to Lewes.

The Dewey beach launch has a shower facility at launch
(2) Tower Road Ocean side.  This is about one quarter miles
 north on Rt 1 from New Rd and a few hundred feet south of
Tower Road bayside.  The showers are only open the same
hours as the parking/launch area. You need your parking pass
to get in. Directions to the showers from the New Rd
parking/launch area require you to head back out to RT1,
 turn left so you are heading North, and then take your first
right about 100 yards up Rt 1. The shower water is heated.

The Dewey launches have become somewhat popular with
kiteboarders and thus the water could get crowded.

FIG. 3 Tower Road bayside Launch--Note that this launch is less
crowded than the New Road launch and has a paved parking lot

FIG. 4 Parking lot for the Tower Road Ocean Side Launch. 
Building has hot showers and provides a wooden walkway
to the Ocean beach.  Note the tower in the background to
the left of the building

In a Nutshell: Local advanced sailors like to sail at Lewes for NE
winds and sometimes on N and NW, go to Holts landing on E winds,
go to Dewey Beach Oceanside for S and SE winds, to Assateague
oceanside for S and SW winds, and to Dewey beach bayside
for all other wind directions.

FIG. 5  Oceanside Launch @ Dewey Beach (to view a photo:   if browser is
Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), use "control =" to zoom in by hitting the "=" key while the ctrl key is
depressed.  To zoom back out, use "control -".  If browser is Netscape or Firefox, simply right click on the
photo and then select "View Image")

FIG. 6 view of one of the two towers in the area that
 "Tower Road" is named after--these were built between
1939-1942 to observe any enemy vessels offshore