Sailing from Bristol to Queens - City Island area

[genki]

Hi,

We are close to purchasing a Sabre 28 in Bristol RI. We have US Sailing Basic Keelboat and 3 seasons of basic day sailing on O'Day 22's and such in Barnegat Bay. Never anchored or picked up a mooring but I think we can, know about scope, know about approaching the mooring. Never had to perform much navigation. We know about red right returning and knowing the rules of way.

We are pretty good with the sailing basics, we know how to shorten sails and heave to, man overboard etc.

Is it feasible for us to sail back from Bristol (In June) to the New York area Long Island sound with those basic skills?

I think we can perform basic chart reading. We could follow a course but don't know about adjusting for deviation, wind and currents. I think I could triangulate where we are given landmarks. I don't know how much we could do dead reckoning for the first time, especially under sail. If we keep sight of land and do this during good weather. I was thinking about learning the tides and getting some local advice then doing it in about 4 days with marina stays reserved along the way. People have recommended Block Island for the first overnight. It looks a little daunting from the charts on Active Captain.

The things we are most worried about are docking the new boat and just knowing in general how to contact the marina on the radio and things like operating the inboard and sea cocks etc.

Should we try this or pay / ask somebody to accompany us ?

Thanks in advance.

[fallard]

It sounds like you need to build confidence in your ability to navigate in general and with tidal currents in particular. It also appears you need to learn how to "park" your boat, whether at anchor, or in the close quarters of a marina.

This trip will be a challenge for you but it i doable, with some caveats.
You need to have a complete set of paper charts and a reliable compass for starters. Chartbooks are a relatively economical way to acquire paper charts and you can buy a plastic sleeve to protect the chartbook from spray or rain in your cockpit. You should plot your whole course on paper and study navigational hazards along your route before you leave.

The Embassy cruising guide for Long Island Sound is a "must have" for information on the harbors along your way. The guide will identify the availability of transient slips or moorings as well as the VHF channel monitored by the marinas, along with telephone numbers. You'll find cell phone reception is excellent all along your trip.

Given your inexperience and unfamiliarity with the local waters, a GPS chartplotter--even if it is only the handheld variety--is a must, as you need to be prepared for the fog to roll in and reduce visibility to a quarter mile or less. Dead reckoning in these waters is complicated by tidal currents and is not something for the novice to count on when electronic aids are available.

Another "must have" is the 2011 Eldridge tide and pilot book: you need to understand how to use the current charts on pages 92 - 97, particularly to time your trip around fair currents and to avoid maximum tidal flow at The Race (due south of New London).

Block Island is a neat place to visit, but it is likely to be a slog from Bristol if the winds are the typical south westerlies. Instead, you might consider heading west along the Rhode Island coast and into Fishers Island Sound through Watch Hill Passage for your first night's stop. You can anchor or pick up a mooring in Stonington Harbor, or you might get a slip or mooring at one of the marinas in Noank. You can also anchor overnight in East or West Harbor on Fishers Island. By all means, make sure you have studied the hazards in Fishers Island Sound before you arrive. The rocks are marked, but you have to pay attention. You need to start paying careful attention as you approach Watch Hill Passage and maintain vigilance until you are past Noank.

If you need to catch your breath, you could always pull in to the Harbor of Refuge at Point Judith and anchor inside the southern breakwater.

Once you've gotten to Connecticut, you will have a better understanding of your limits and can adjust your itinerary to suit. You might want to allow more than 4 days, however, should the weather not cooperate or your progress is slower than you planned. If you work the currents and your boat is weatherly, you can make it in 4 days, but I would allow more time, just in case the winds and weather don't fully cooperate.

Even if you are a quick study and follow the advice above, there's a lot more to consider to assure a safe and comfortable passage. You need to have someone aboard with more experience and expertise than you appear to have. You don't have to hire a delivery skipper if you can recruit an experienced sailor as your first mate. That way you'll sweat the details more and become a better sailor for it.

[HUGOSALT]

I know that you will be preoccupied preparing the new boat for the delivery...however if you can find the time
the Herreshoff Museum is a very special place.
...fallard offers some very good advise, I would only add
that from Bristol its about 40nm to Watch Hill Passage...
if not familiar with Fishers Is Sound you must time arrival
in daylight. As there is no harbor to put into between
Watch Hill and Point Judith one might might make an early day of it and pull into point Judith Harbor of Refuge
if can't make to Watch Hill in daylight... maybe timing
departure to ride the current through the race and into LIS the next day. note...strong opposing winds to current
can cause standing waves in places like the race and plum gut...experiences as such have transformed more than one sailing couple into a solo sailor.
I agree with advice above, you would be well served getting a experienced friend to come along.
Best, Hugo

[CalebD]

There is a member here who would probably help you get from RI to the western LI Sound. His moniker here is DavidPM. He is a great guy and very good sailor and you would learn a lot from him if he helped you - I know this as I have sailed with him.
That said, you could probably do it on your own with a GPS and paper charts. You would also need the current prediction tables that are in the Eldridge Tide and Pilot Manual. Much of this info is also available on the NOAA website if you know where to look for it.
Shorter daytime hops from port to port would be my recommendation until you build up your confidence in piloting and navigating. Having someone else aboard for your first hops from 1 port to another might be well worth it though.

[genki]

Great information, thanks for all the replies. We have decided that if we do put in an offer we will need somebody with us for at least the first hop.

[davidpm]

Thanks for the vote of confidence caleb
genki you are welcome to ring me up.

I'm leaving tomorrow for Pensacola till the 4th, 32' Bene but any time after that might be open.