Moriches Inlet vs Fire Island Inlet

[threeofakind]

Planning a trip out of the Great South Bay to Block Island.

We usually take the Fire Island inlet to get in & out, but I wonder if we should take a shortcut thru the Moriches inlet.

Any opinion on which inlet is safer?
Does anybody have direct recent experience?

We are sailing a Beneteau with a winged keel drafting less than 4 feet.

Thanks!

[nk235]

I was just at Block today and now my boat is in Greenport after a nasty sail into some heavy winds. Anyway though I usually keep my boat in Patchogue and what I did was take it out to Shinnecock Bay this past Saturday, stayed overnight in a real nice anchorage in Shinnecock Bay and then Sunday sailed out Shinnecock inlet the next morning and it is about a 9-10 hour cruise to Block Island. The only tricky part about the trip is making your way through Moriches Bay so you have to plan it so that you go through there at high tide. That part of he trip was actually very very pretty and it only took about 5.5 hours to get to Shinnecock Bay from Patchogue. Shinnecock Inlet was a breeze.

Two weekends ago I went out Fire Island inlet and hit some big steeping waves as it is a long trip out that inlet but from what I hear is it is nothing compared to Moriches Inlet. A bunch of my friends who are the crazy fisherman type with twin 300hp outboards even say don't go out Moriches unless you have optimum conditions and you have been out it before on other boats. That inlet has a nasty reputation but I guess just like anything else if you plan it right and have good conditions you will be fine. If you are thinking about Moriches I would juse make the trip out to Shinnecock as it is only 3 more hours through nice, well marked channels and then you are a lot closer and have an easier inlet to go through.

Block Island was a blast though. It was my first time there and I loved it. Have fun on your trip!