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Port Washington to Block Island

13K views 34 replies 13 participants last post by  Bene505 
#1 ·
In about a week and a half or so my wife and I plan on leaving Port Washington, NY on our 27' sailboat and sail along the Connecticut coast to Block Island. So far our trip plan is; Port Washington to Stamford, Stamford to Clinton, Clinton to Fishers Island, and Fishers Island to Block.
Has anyone here ever made this trip? We're looking for advice from those that have done it. We're not set on these stops, we just want to have a plan so that if we decide we're tired and need to re-fuel and sleep we have options pre-planned. I have 9 vacation days and would like to see how far along we can make it.
If you know of a better route, must see places along the way, etc...we want to know. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
The boat is equipped with radar, tiller-pilot, chartplotter, etc.



-Nick
 
#2 ·
Nick - I have made very similar trips but leaving mostly from further east on the LI side of the Sound so I am not too familiar with Stamford. We usually do the opposite and head out to Block stopping at ports on the LI side and then on the way back stop along the CT coast. However last year on our way back from Newport and Block Island we stopped in Stonington, CT which is in Fisher's Island Sound and is a very nice little sailing harbor with some very impressive boats in it and is an easy sail to or from Block. You also have Mystic right there as well which is a fun little town with the whaling village and all of that to do. The next night we stopped in Clinton and would prob not go back because we were the only sailboat out of about 300 powerboats. The cruising guide advertised it as being a boaters heaven... it did have a pool and hot tub and a kind of outdated restaurant but that is it so personally I would skip Clinton. Other places in CT that is within a half day sail from Port Washington that we liked is Milford which is very clean, pretty town with plenty of restaurants right off the dock, Norwalk, and Captains Cove Marina in Black Rock which has more of a party atmosphere.

The trip is plenty doable and you should have a great time! I would get a LI Sound Cruising guide so that way if you feel like making a longer run one day or stopping short, you can look up all the places to stop in as there are plenty. My gf and I will be headed east in August and are going to try some new spots in CT on the way back. Have fun!

-Nick
 
#3 ·
Hey Nick,

I'd second Nick #2's suggestion about Clinton and pass it by. If you want to make it a bit of a longer trip on day #2, heading up the Connecticut River to Old Saybrook (via North Cove) or Essex (right on the river a few miles past I-95) might be other spots to consider. Keep an eye on the tides, though, (especially if your heading all the way up to Essex) since it may cost you 2 or 3 knots of headway at max ebb.

Note that North Cove can get somewhat shallow at low tide although I keep hearing their going to dredge in there (don't know if its happened yet or not).

Have a great trip!

Take care,

Bill
O'Day 302 - 'Antares'
 
#4 ·
I have made the trip from Glen Cove (next to PW) to points east dozens of times. There are lots of possibilities and I have tried most of them. I like easy-in/easy out spots where I can drop the hook. First stop heading east is usually Northport or Port Jeff depending on wind and when I get going after loading in the morning. Next stop could either be Duck Island/Westbrook or Mattituck. From there if currents and wind are with you, it's possible to hop directly to Block via the Race. If not, stop at Stonington, and make the shorter trip via the Watch Hill Passage. Make sure you have a copy of the current tables so you can time your travel in eastern LI Sound.
 
#7 ·
Jim,

I'm in Glen Cove Marina right now and I'm thinking of using it as my starting point on this trip. To be on the safe side how much time to you think it takes to get from Glen Cove to Block?
-Nick
Hard to predict time as it depends so much on wind and weather. However it's about 100 miles, so at 5 knots that's 20 hours. If wind and weather are against you, it could easily be much longer. On my first trip to Block almost 30 years ago, it took 5 days to get there from Mattituck!! I usually figure 4 easy days as I like to arrive early enough each day to enjoy an afternoon swim or go ashore. If you are willing to do one overnight sail, you could make it in one day.

Jim
 
#6 ·
We are approaching Block now for the start of the informal rallty to Nantucket. We'll be there in about 30 minutes. Staying 1 night. Are you there right now?
 
#8 ·
Last year this was an awesome trip. Starting to plan it again for this summer. I'm thinking it would be even more fun if a few of us met up and did it together. My schedule is open...anyone interested? I'm thinking a group of us sails together, we raft up and BBQ for a couple days and then head back home.
 
#13 ·
C411,

We love Block Island, all the way from the Chesapeake. We are interested in your rendezvous suggestion.

If both you and chef2sail are there, may we expect delicious BBQ if we supply the groceries, or the beer, or the Bourbon?

Wayne
 
#10 ·
I've also frequently made this trip and I like JimCAL's route. Two of our favorite anchorages are at Mattictuck (free town dinghy dock and park showers with short walk to sweet little town) and Little Narraganset Bay at Watch Hill via Stonington (big protected anchorage with beach and easy day trip to Block Island). Between Mattituck and Port Washington we stop at either Port Jefferson, Cold Springs Harbor or sometimes The Thimbles. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew
 
#11 ·
Hello,

I am planning on going to block this summer. My tentative dates are the week of July 12. This is after the Block Island Race week and the July 4 week, so I hope it's not too crowded.

Since I am in Mt. Sinai, it's 'only' 70 nm or so for me. I am thinking of going there in one shot, starting late at night, say 10 pm or so Saturday night, and arriving around 10 AM Sunday morning.

Anyone else interested?

Barry
 
#12 ·
Culinary,

We are headed to Marthas Vineyard via Block Island from Annapolis, Maryland area. Last year we went from here to BI by stopping in Northport, Westport, Mystic and then BI. On the return trip Essex, Port Jefferson.

This year we wil be leaving Annapolis on July 25 so we should be in Northport on July 29 or 30. We would like to Gofrom there to Essex or Stionington, Green port, then Block for two days. After that to Marthas Vineyard (2 days), Cuttyhunk, Newport, Westport/ Old Saybrooke, Mount Saini...then the long trip back to Cape May and the Chesapeake. We would be willing to raft up with any Sailnetters along the way and share "boating stories"

Where did you wind up stopping last year...how was your trip?

Dave
 
#14 ·
Wayne'
We are headed up leavaing the Patapsco on the 25th of July and Cape May on the 27th. If you want to hook up with us I can show you the way to get into Barnegat Inlet
Dave
 
#17 ·
Dave,

Thanks - I've put myself in charge of a 3-6 boat cruise to NYC next season. It will probably fall apart as usual (like herding cats) but if not, I'd love to tag along to Barnegat. I will p.m. you in the spring and continue to watch Nick's thread to see if the Block rendezvous gets traction.

Wayne
 
#15 ·
Barry, what if I sailed Port Washington to Sinai, spent the night and we left Sinai together? I've never made a straight run from Sinai before but I know for a fact that time of the year the wind is very undependable in the Sound and that 70 miles may as well be a million. :) I had that problem last year and motored quite a bit. I took advantage of the good winds at dusk and dawn and the rest of the way I motorsailed. 12 hours to do 70mn I think is a bit of a stretch though. That's almost 6 knots the whole way and with the wind not being great its pushing it, at least for my 27' footer.
Anyway, whatever timeline we decide on closer to departure date, I'm in. I'd love to raft up with whoever would like, cook a feast, tell boat stories and share drinks. That's why we sail isn't it? Whoever dives will want to bring dive gear along on this trip. The diving is AMAZING out there compared to the rest of the east coast this far north.
 
#16 ·
The trip last year was amazing but we wasted too much time with a broken alternator belt and mainsail issues that needed adjustment, etc... I put a lot of new stuff on the boat and didn't get a chance to iron out all the issues before setting out. Being the first time to Block we didn't know what to expect when we got there so we wasted a lot of time exploring ports along the way we should have skipped. So the trip was as follows; we left Glen Cove late afternoon and sailed to Stamford and decided to rest for the night. We got up the next morning, explored Stamford for the day and then headed to Black Rock. Blackrock was a good time, had dinner, explored some more, stayed the night and left forClinton (boring stop), we were tired so we tied up, took the dog for a walk and returned to cook dinner on board and sleep. The next day was an early start and we went from Clinton to Fishers Island (beautiful and peaceful), waited the night and at first light headed for Block.
I spared you all from reading about the nightmare of changing the alternator belt while three A**HOLES on jet skies circled me playing tag with each other while I was down below working in 3 foot waves wanting to puke my guts out. And the fact that when the sail loft installed my Dutchman system the day before we left the sheet was on the wrong side of the main so every time I raised the main the track was sawing into it until it finally snapped and all the crap came crashing onto the deck sending my spinnaker downhaul up to wrap the spreaders ( talk about Murphy crewing that run), to this day I think its impossible to replicate that event but sure as heck it happened to me. Anyway, I'm ready for run #2......WHO'S IN !?!?
 
#18 ·
Wayne,
Depending on which way you get to NY i'd like in on that trip as well if you have a spot for another boat. If you're headed west to NY from the sound I can meet you as you approach City Island. If you're heading north up the river I'll sit this one out as I'm already in the Sound.
 
#20 ·
You can count me in for the cruise to Block next year. I am in Mt. Sinai as well with Barry and John (Wandering Star). I have been going to Block each year for the past 3 years since I have been sailing and I love it. I always did a post with pics of our trips but we usually head out with the tide, stop at Mattituck then head out with the tide again the next morning for a straight shot to Block.

Barry - The only downside I can think of by leaving Mt. Sinai at 10PM and doing a straight shot all the way there is we are pretty much guaranteed to be going against the tide doing 3knts or less for about 4-6 hours and maybe more of the trip. That's why I usually make it a two day affair by leaving with the Ebb to get to Mattituck and then for the longer leg from Mattituck to Block sometimes leaving at 3:30am to catch the start of the Ebb because so I can hit the Race at peak Ebb tide sometimes doing 10.5 knots over the ground making the whole trip ALOT quicker. Since the current in the east end of the Sound is so strong, if you do it that way you won't see below 7.5-8knts on your GPS the entire time. However I would love to do the trip in one shot though and especially if we have a fleet with us so I am in either way.

Jeez I just can't wait for this winter to end and to get back out sailing again with all this planning for next season already!

-Nick
 
#21 ·
10.5 knots !?!?....LOL Not my little boat brother. I can probably hit 7 or so with outgoing tide I'm guessing but not 10. I was fighting it at 3 knots and rough chop for a long time my first trip out. Hopefully this time will be easier with somone more experienced than myself leading the group. I'm excited and looking foreward to it.
 
#22 ·
10 knots over the ground - NOT the water LOL. I did it in a 25ft boat my first trip (including sailing all the way around Long Island) as well as 2 trips to Block in my 32' Morgan which is a heavy slow cruiser that usually cruises at 5.8-6knots. If you time the tides so that your boat is going through the Race at peak tide, the current can move at over 4-5knts - add your 6 knots of boat speed and you have 10-11knots over the ground showing on your GPS.

Now you won't be doing 10knots the whole way or even close to it but if you really time it right - which I try to do each year then you can use the tide so much to your advantage. Pick up an Eldridge - it shows current diagrams of the entire Sound showing how fast and where the current is for every hour of the Ebb or Flood.

For example 2 years ago we left Mt. Sinai for Mattituck at 4pm Fri afternoon and did 5.8 knots over the water but 7.5 knots over the ground the whole way to Mattituck inlet making the first leg much quicker. Now in order to make the MOST advantage for the Ebb (all the water in the Sound flowing back out through the Race and into the Ocean) we left at 3:30AM in pitch black the next morning just before slack tide. For the first 45minutes to an hour our boat speed was the same as our speed over ground 5.8 knots but after that hour when the current picked up (and at the eastern end of the Sound it is much stronger than the western part) we were doing 7.5 knots then once we got around Orient Point picked up to 8 - then once we were North of Plum Island 8.5 then 10.5 through the Race (where the tides and currents converge) then 8.5-7.5 for the next hour after the Race with a straight shot to Block. Then once you are out in Block Island Sound the Ebb is most likely ending (6hours) and the current will reverse but at this point if timed right you are past it and shouldn't hit any negative current slowing you down.

So anyway sorry for the long post but was just trying to illustrate how a little bit of planning by using Eldridge and leaving at the right time can make our slow little boats into speed machines for 6-7 hours per day. Where the opposite if you left at the wrong time instead of doing 7-8knots you will only be doing 3knots like you described - over a 6 hour period that is the difference of 30 miles!

I would be more than happy to help plan out the trip though or even go through Eldridge with you for next year. Regardless though I think if we get a lot of boats for this trip we could leave at anytime day or night and still have a lot of fun as there is no right or wrong way in reality.

-Nick
 
#23 ·
Thanks for the explanation. Makes a whole lot of sense now that you put it that way. I'm really a rookie to sailing the east coast. I grew up sailing the Great Lakes where tides are not an issue so I tend to forget about their existence until I'm sailing at a blazing 1.1 knot against them for 6 hours wondering what the heck just happened. LOL
I'd be extatic in all reality if at least a couple of boats met up and we all went together. At least that way we kinda know each other and have a similar itinerary when we raft up. My plan is to get there, fire up the blender and start passing out Margaritas and Mojitos, then maybe take a dip with a speargun on the north end and get us some dinner. Cook on my boat and then we hang out and tell boat stories. But I'm very open to any suggestions as well.
 
#24 ·
My time is not always flexible for planning, but if you guys are headed out for Block and the schedule permits, I would love to join you. I am most of the way there, being in Three Mile Harbor in East Hampton, so I would just tag along for the last leg. Keep us posted on your plans.
 
#25 · (Edited)
We were thinking of stopping in Mt Siani on our trip to Block we are going on to Marthas Vineyard from there on our trip from the Chesapeake. I have beensailing the LI Sound for a few weeks every summer. Isnt it possible to go from Mt Siani to say Greenport or Orient in one long day ( I know you will have the tide against you some of the way) The distance from Port Jefferson to the R2G Bouy at the Plum Gut about 10 miles from Greenport/ Orient is about 42 nm. averaging 5 knots that only about 9 hours. Once in Greenport you wouldnt have to worry about the tides as much on the way to Block correct as you are outside Plum Gut and the Race.? I have never been in Matiak inlet. Is there enough water in there? anchorages, moorings? Just in case we decide to pull in if the Plum Gut tides are ripping against us?

We would love to meet up with some of you on our trip in the Sound this year.

Dave
 
#26 ·
Hi Dave

Yes you can definitely make it from Mt. Sinai to Greenport in one day and it should only be about 9 hours. I did the reverse trip from Greenport to Smithtown which is further west than Mt. Sinai and I think it was 11 hour total.

Also Greenport is a really nice little place to stop. I don't know when the last time you were there was but a couple of years ago they built a very nice town marina with floating docks and great facilities. It is located right in town with less than a minute walk to some great restaurants, bars, shops and marine stores such as Preston's.

Marina link: Greenport Village, Long Island, New York

You would have to round Orient Point but I would suggest passing it and going in further to Greenport as there isn't much to do in Orient at all - really just a residential area with a ferry and a restaurant or two.

You do still have to worry about the tides/currents going from Greenport to Block as even though you are not going directly through the Race or Plum Gut you will still get 2.5-3.5 knot currents on either side of them for quite some distance. However since the trip from Greenport to Block is only about 7 hours you can really use these currents to your advantage. Just leave at slack tide and you will have 2-3 knots of current helping you along the entire way. I did the trip from Block to Greenport 3 years ago in my first boat - a small 25 ft day sailer and after the first hour we did an average of 7.5-8 knots over the ground the entire way to Greenport(the boat only did 5.5-6knots over the water).

Mattituck inlet is another nice option if you are leaving from Mt. Sinai. When we go we usually leave Friday late afternoon (so we get an extra day of vacation after work) and with an ebbing tide we make it "dock to dock" to Mattituck in 4 hours. The inlet itself is very pretty and very quiet and almost feels like a small river down south. At dead low you have about 5 feet of water at the lowest spot so if you draw 5' or more you may want to time your entrance. The inlet winds back and forth for about a mile and you have three options - anchor all the way in the back where it opens up into a little circle. It is very pretty back there but can get tight with a lot of boats making the same stop over point. You can also dink into the marina right there and there is a very good but kind of expensive and fancy restaurant right on the green there. Your second option is to stay at the Marina there which is called Matt-A-Mar Marina but I would make reservations in advance and it can be expensive. The third option which we did last year and really had fun was half way down the inlet there is a kind of run down red building with a small dock attached to it. This is actually a pretty good restaurant that you can sit in or outdoors and get some good and relatively inexpensive food. The dock continues next door where there is a real small marina with a side dock to pull up to. Late afternoon and night no one is there so you can tie up, get dinner and leave early the next morning before anyone arrives all for free. If you want to stay in the morning for a little you just pay the office $40.

If you stay at Mattituck it is really important to time the tide and if you do it right you will rocket to Block in about 7.5-8.5 hours and even getting up to 10.5 knots over ground going through the Race. If you time it wrong and leave against the tide you will be doing 2-3 knots over ground for a good 6 hours. The currents are just really strong in the eastern part of the Sound even when you are not near the Race or the Gut but again this could really help you if you sail with them.

So sorry for the long post but I am sitting inside with snow all around freezing my butt off and thinking about this stuff is the only thing exciting right now lol.

Where do you usually visit in the Sound when you come up? How long have you been coming up here? I sail my Morgan 323 "Capricorn" out of Mt. Sinai and my fiance and I usually travel to a different part of the Sound every weekend whether it is CT or LI so we have been just about everywhere in the Sound. Then once a year we try and do a long trip for a week and half out to Block then either go to Newport or some different ports in RI or eastern CT. I think it would be great if we did get a bunch of us together for a trip like this or if not a long one maybe even a weekend cruise while you are up.

If I can help out in any other way with info or suggestions on routes or ports just let me know.

Thanks and have a good one!
-Nick
 
#27 ·
Mt. Sinai to Orient is quite easy in a day. I once managed all the way from Huntington Harbor to Three Mile Harbor in a day -- about 10 hours. This was with a very strong following wind (and some pretty big waves) but without a spinnaker. The big extra push was timing the currents right before and after plum Gut.
 
#28 ·
Hello,

In 2007 I sailed from Mt. Sinai to Montauk, then from Greenport back home to Mt. Sinai a few days later. On a trip like that I will motor if I have to so that I make at least 6 kts. By timing the tides I can average 7 kts SOG. So the trip isn't too bad.

I am looking forward to a trip to Block. I will post again when it gets closer. It would be great if a bunch of us could do it.

Barry
 
#29 ·
Allright folks...time to put in for vacation for this trip. When are we doing it? I think this decision should be based on when when the best weather window is generally present (those of you lifelong LI Sound sailors would know better than me), also at what month or days of the month are the tides going to be in our favor for the longest period of time during daylight hours so we're not navigating through The Race at night, and last but not least, at a time frame where Block won't be as full as race week or 4th of July... Those of you with advanced plotting software and electronic charts that wanna help out with some calculations I would greatly appreciate it. Maybe use Mt. Sinai as a starting point and plan it from there....also, I have space for one or two crew with experience so I don't have to singlehand it the whole way again.
 
#32 ·
trip dates

Hello,

Some dates to be aware of:
2010 Block Island Race week is June 21-25. So forget about the weekend before and the weekend after. The next week has July 4 on the following Sunday. So I plan on going to Block the week of July 11.

I haven't worked out the particulars yet. I might leave Sat, July 10 and sail to Mattituck or Greenport. Then I would go to Block on Sunday.

Of course this all depends on the weather.

My crew would be my wife and 3 kids (girls age 15 and 12, boy who is 9).

Barry

Allright folks...time to put in for vacation for this trip. When are we doing it? I think this decision should be based on when when the best weather window is generally present (those of you lifelong LI Sound sailors would know better than me),
 
#30 ·
We are leaving Baltimore/ Annapolis on July 24th with stops at Reedy Island (Delaware River), Cape May, Barneget Light, and Liberty Landing Marina (Ellis Island) along the way. We should be anchored in Mount Siani on July 28th if the weather is reasonable. Our intent is to make the trip to Greenport or Southport in one day. From there we are ging to see what the weather brings before we plan onward. Our intentions if it is good to go to Cuttyhunk from there then Vineyard Haven (Marthas Vineyard), comming back to either New port or Block before heading back down the Sound. We would love to meet up with some of our LI Sailnet contacts along the way.


Dave
 
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