Preparations for a Manhattan to Nantucket straight through passage on the south side

[smurphny]

LIS is probably safer and your objective is to get out in the ocean, but there is a long stretch past Mattituck where there are few options should the weather turn bad. Just saying, don't discount the difficulty or planning required in the Sound or how rough it can get. You also need to run with the current in the Sound all the way and then time it just right to clear either Plum or The Race. If going this way, consider maybe anchoring at Fisher's Island and then continuing through Fisher's Sound and on along the coast, stopping at Newport. You could then choose to go to Block, continue coasting to New Bedford and then to Woods Hole. Hopping along the mainland like that would be interesting and would keep you more inshore. You could make Port Jeff on day 1, Fishers Day 2, Newport Day 3, New Bedford Day 4, Hadley Harbor (Woods) Day 5, Nantucket Day 6.

[peterchech]

Originally Posted by smurphny

LIS is probably safer and your objective is to get out in the ocean, but there is a long stretch past Mattituck where there are few options should the weather turn bad. Just saying, don't discount the difficulty or planning required in the Sound or how rough it can get. You also need to run with the current in the Sound all the way and then time it just right to clear either Plum or The Race. If going this way, consider maybe anchoring at Fisher's Island and then continuing through Fisher's Sound and on along the coast, stopping at Newport. You could then choose to go to Block, continue coasting to New Bedford and then to Woods Hole. Hopping along the mainland like that would be interesting and would keep you more inshore. You could make Port Jeff on day 1, Fishers Day 2, Newport Day 3, New Bedford Day 4, Hadley Harbor (Woods) Day 5, Nantucket Day 6.

haha sorry but that is exactly what I am NOT trying to do. Remember, the whole point is to get some offshore experience. The lack of very close harbors if something goes wrong is a part of that. I will bring my tools/sail repair kit and be careful about the weather, but the whole point of this exercise is to get some experience away from shore/harbors.

My main concern, frankly, is hitting something and holing the hull miles from shore, esp since I have no liferaft. Are there any recommendations for what to carry in such a contingency? I have seen the yachtworld videos about putting a sail over the outside of the hull (harder than it sounds apparently), and about trying to stem the flooding from the inside as well, but is there anything I can carry with me to temporarily plug a hole if it were to happen?

[jsaronson]

Pretty hard to hole a hull at 5-6 knots! Stay away from angry swordfish!
You should have plugs at each thru-hull already. Rescue tape for leaking hoses. If you are out of VHF range, and SSB. An EPIRB. Manual bilge pumps.

[CBinRI]

Originally Posted by peterchech

haha sorry but that is exactly what I am NOT trying to do. Remember, the whole point is to get some offshore experience. The lack of very close harbors if something goes wrong is a part of that. I will bring my tools/sail repair kit and be careful about the weather, but the whole point of this exercise is to get some experience away from shore/harbors.

My main concern, frankly, is hitting something and holing the hull miles from shore, esp since I have no liferaft. Are there any recommendations for what to carry in such a contingency? I have seen the yachtworld videos about putting a sail over the outside of the hull (harder than it sounds apparently), and about trying to stem the flooding from the inside as well, but is there anything I can carry with me to temporarily plug a hole if it were to happen?

Offshore experience on a 25 foot boat? Your call but not sure I get it.

[tommays]

I do not see the boat as the issue as plenty of 24' or less have made the trip around the world


The problem its a 120 miles from Ambrose Light to the next place and unless i misunderstand you have never even gone out for one overnight sail ?

[smurphny]

Originally Posted by peterchech

haha sorry but that is exactly what I am NOT trying to do. Remember, the whole point is to get some offshore experience. The lack of very close harbors if something goes wrong is a part of that. I will bring my tools/sail repair kit and be careful about the weather, but the whole point of this exercise is to get some experience away from shore/harbors.

My main concern, frankly, is hitting something and holing the hull miles from shore, esp since I have no liferaft. Are there any recommendations for what to carry in such a contingency? I have seen the yachtworld videos about putting a sail over the outside of the hull (harder than it sounds apparently), and about trying to stem the flooding from the inside as well, but is there anything I can carry with me to temporarily plug a hole if it were to happen?

Going outside is no big deal, as I mentioned before. As far as hitting something hard enough to do damage, the chances are really pretty low but you should, of course, have plugs to fit all your thru-hulls, attached so as to be available immediately as well as some big tapered plugs (I made some up to 4" on the big end). As far as fixing a large hole, it's really a punting situation, depending on if you can get to it/how big/how many pumps you have, etc. There's an old way of getting to one from the outside with a tarp that has lines long enough so as to be able to possibly get it under the boat and over the bad section. Seems like it might work. You should have 2 manual pumps, one in the cockpit and another accessible from below in the cabin in addition to electric bilge pump(s). One thing to check before setting out that there is nothing to obstruct the pumps that might get down there when the boat is tossing around. Stuff like paper can completely plug pumps.

Remember that in the afternoon, the onshore breeze can really kick up, sometimes 25 knots and better if the temp differential is big enough. So stay far enough out so as not to be driven up on the beach. Getting too close to LI can also put you in the lee of the island if there's a nice NW wind. I would stay at least 5 miles out with your boat. Maybe somewhere 5-10 miles out. Just leave Ambrose at an angle offshore and then parallel LI. It seems like the prevailing afternoon SW tends to run more SSW along the shore of LI, tending to set you on a reach rather than a run. Much more fun.

[peterchech]

Originally Posted by CBinRI

Offshore experience on a 25 foot boat? Your call but not sure I get it.

consider it my minitransat training

[peterchech]

Originally Posted by smurphny

Remember that in the afternoon, the onshore breeze can really kick up, sometimes 25 knots and better if the temp differential is big enough. So stay far enough out so as not to be driven up on the beach. Getting too close to LI can also put you in the lee of the island if there's a nice NW wind. I would stay at least 5 miles out with your boat. Maybe somewhere 5-10 miles out. Just leave Ambrose at an angle offshore and then parallel LI. It seems like the prevailing afternoon SW tends to run more SSW along the shore of LI, tending to set you on a reach rather than a run. Much more fun.

Thanks good info on the prevailing winds!

[peterchech]

Originally Posted by tommays

The problem its a 120 miles from Ambrose Light to the next place and unless i misunderstand you have never even gone out for one overnight sail ?

haha where to anyways? Nearest place that's an overnight sail away is Block Island last time I checked. AC could be done overnight I guess, but it's just as bad as south LI as far as harbors go...

Done plenty of 8-12 hour day sails. Maybe I should do one of those overnight, start out at 11pm and head to Sandy Hook and back taking shifts just as a practice run... but not sure what will be learned that won't be learned on the way to Block anyway...

[Minnewaska]

Have good ground tackle for when you get to Block. You will all but certainly anchor this time of year. Or did you say you were going later. Forgot.