Long Island Sound port towns

[ddilman]

We’re looking for a destination either on the Connecticut side or Long Island side. We like Pt. Jefferson and would ideally like a similar town. We like to be able to walk to town, have a good selection of eateries and kid friendly.

[camaraderie]

Try Northport Harbor and Seymour's moorings. Nice town...good service...safe harbor!

[cranki]

On the CT side, Essex, about 5-miles up the Connecticut River is a great town for walking, shopping, eating, drinking. The river around ther is fun to explore in a dink and there is a great, anchorage a mile or so upriver at Hamburg Cove.

Farther East, Mystic Seaport is a really cool place to overnight. Just across the way, Fisher's Island has a pretty harbor and a nice walk into town.

[SeaWithin]

I live in the area and I'd say Port Jefferson and Northport are definitely your best bets.

Port Jeff is a really old port and quite beautiful. Many places to eat and shop, I would suggest Danbury's if you're looking for a good dinner which is located right next to the Port Jeff marina. You can walk up the street for some live music or ice cream or anything else you may crave. You'll also see a ton of old Harley Davidsons, theres quite a biker community around there.

Northport is another good choice, its a bit less expensive than port jeff, theres a bunch of very good restaurants on main street and a great deli (where I used to work) just a little up main street on your right (south). Theres also a park right next to Seymour's.

[GreenBoat]

I would second both Essex and Mystic Seaport on CT side. I cruised there as a kid and loved it. Mystic is fantastic for kids and if you can get space at the dock (highly recommended), you have run of the Seaport after all the day traffic leaves. As a young girl, I remember pretending I was living back in whaling days as I wandered the deserted little town after closing. VERY fond memories. They used to have a planetarium there too, as I recall. Not sure if it's still there. That was 30 years ago! Here a link for dock reservations -- you definitely need them:
http://www.mysticseaport.org/index.c...705FD4D44241E2

Port Jeff is also great. I also spent MANY days of my youth there. I am from CT straight across from Port Jeff, so it was a natural weekend cruise for us. Beware not to anchor in the area we used to call the sand pit (where the dunes are). It's ok for day time, but its sandy bottom leads to lots of dragged anchors. We used to go across the channel and anchor on the other side of that spit of land. Hope you have fun. I know I did and miss cruising the area very much.

-Susan

[sailor25b]

In western LI Sound, you have many choices:
Huntington or Northport are a good pair, Manhasset Bay/Port Washington has many restaurants nearby. Mamaroneck, Stamford, Norwalk all have places to go near the docks.

[SmartCaptain]

If you're going all the way to Mystic, it's worth going a few miles more up to Watch Hill RI (aka "Napatree" and "Little Naragansett Bay"). Best beach in RI, kid-friendly, wonderful anchorage. Quieter than Block Island and just as pretty.

Bring your own provisions - there is no grocery store. There is a small town with shops, restaurants, great ice cream, bookstore, and an antique carousel for the kids. There's not much in the way of "entertainment"; this is a beach town. Take the kids fishing, swimming, hunting for seashells, playing in dinghy and making family memories.

I've sailed the entire East Coast from Maine to Key West, and Watch Hill is still my favorite anchorage.

Best regards,

Jeff