On Fri, 23 Mar 2007 05:15:48 GMT, "Jay" wrote:

I am aware the
1/3 rule as per fuel, 1/3 out---1/3 back and 1/3 for just in case. Not that
it would make any difference, I would be going out of either south jersey,
Delaware bay or Delaware or O.C. Maryland.

That area is notorious for strong current, ocean swells and tricky
conditions in the inlets and in Delaware Bay. If the current starts
to ebb while you are out and/or the swells from the ocean start to
build, you could experience dangerous conditions coming back in even
with no wind. This is not a hypothetical situation. Every year many
small boats, some as big as 24 and 25 feet, are capsized in the
inlets, frequently with loss of life.

If you go out on a calm day to look around, stay close by and head
back in at the first sign of any change. A 20 foot boat can be
capsized or swamped by a breaking wave only 3 or 4 feet high.