Circumnaigation of Long Island Sound

[mazzy]

I am planning my first longish trip on my boat (a 25' Seaward with an 8HP outboard) and am thinking of bouncing up the Connecticut coast eventually reaching Block Island, then going along the north shore of Long Island on the return trip to Manhasset Bay.

Question is;Would the two weeks between Mother's Day and Memorial Day be a reasonable window? I'll be mostly solo, maybe my son and his gf on a weekend. A mix of anchoring out and marina stops along the way are planned.

Boat's to be fitted out with new VHF and masthead antenna, autopilot jacklines and harness. I might get a Spot as well.

Mike

[SOUNDBOUNDER]

Sure, two weeks is an adequate amount of time.
But you should put together an itinerary of where you want to visit.
Keep in mind you will want to stay more than an overnight at some places, plus weather may hold you back.
Also, "bouncing up the coast" will need to include some days where you make some significant distance. You don't need to stick to the itinerary, but at least it will provide an idea.


Plus, the Long Island side is a bit sparse for ports east of Port Jefferson.

[mazzy]

Matthew,
Definitely some significant distances. I was thinking of Block Island - Greenport on the return leg, then a very full day Greenport - Mt Sinal or Pt Jeff, with an invigorating but well-timed trip thru The Gut.
On the outbound route, I intend to do some meandering. I'm thinking of a side trip up the Connecticut River to spend the night in Selden Cove. Longest continuous trip I've done so far (in this boat) is Oyster Bay-Manhasset, so it should be quite the adventure.
Mike

[sailingdog]

Also, when making up your itinerary, make sure you note the approaches to the harbors between, in case an emergency or weather forces you to take shelter at them. Having a page with notes about the navigation requirements for each harbor, with information regarding ranges, buoys, courses, radio frequencies, etc, would be a good idea. This makes it much safer and easier if an emergency or bad weather forces you to have to make an unplanned stop, since you won't have to look all that stuff up on the fly.

[SOUNDBOUNDER]

Sailing Dog makes an excellent point, especially since this is your first time, and you will be solo.
Become familiar with the harbors in between. For example, if you are sailing from the Thimble Islands to the CT River, you should familiarize yourself with Westbrook and Clinton Harbor for a back up plan.

When I had my Bristol 24, I made a similar trip by myself (minus Block Island) from City Island to Stonington, and back. A thunderstorm was building one day and I couldn't reach Black Rock. I ended up sailing in to Southport, which is a tricky harbor if one is unfamiliar with it.

[SOUNDBOUNDER]

Originally Posted by mazzy

Matthew,
Definitely some significant distances. I was thinking of Block Island - Greenport on the return leg, then a very full day Greenport - Mt Sinal or Pt Jeff, with an invigorating but well-timed trip thru The Gut.
On the outbound route, I intend to do some meandering. I'm thinking of a side trip up the Connecticut River to spend the night in Selden Cove. Longest continuous trip I've done so far (in this boat) is Oyster Bay-Manhasset, so it should be quite the adventure.
Mike

I haven't been to Selden Cove, but I hear it is beautiful. Hamburg Cove is a nice spot as well.

[CalebD]

Mike,
That sounds like a fun and adventurous trip you are planning.
I found this website recently which details places of interest in the Peconic Bays/Greenport etc. There are descriptions of each tricky channel.
The Boater's Cruising Guide for Eastern Long Island, NY
Don't forget about Mattituck which is between Greenport and Port Jeff. It is a bit tricky getting into but it is there and could be shelter if needed.
The time you suggest taking this trip makes perfect sense if the weather cooperates. I would think that Block Island and points way east on LI would not be overly crowded with 'summer people'.

[mazzy]

sailingdog, "sound" advise (sorry for the pun). I've been spending the winter pouring over charts and Google Earth. Going to have lot's of alternates at hand.

Don't know if I'll make it out to Block Is. I'll go for it if my son crews with me for a couple of days. As far as Mattituck, I was scouting the inlet just a few weeks ago while having lunch at the restaurant there. Shouldn't be a problem, unless of course it's foggy and there's a line of 50' canyon boats on their way out! My biggest friend will be the tide books. I don't want to fight the race coming or going. Hanging out in the Peconics area is also a possibility. I'll look into that guide.

Thanks for the tips!
Mike

[MorganPaul]

Good luck with your trip man. If things get boring you could always go through Plum Gut at the "wrong time".

If you stop at PJ Harbor I will buy you a brewskie or two.

Have fun

Paul

[mrwuffles]

Mattituck isn't that bad unless of course there is a lot of large boat traffic, but me and my dad pulled into it one night with out a problem. The trickiest part was seeing where the channel turned because it was pitch black.