Cruising Long Island Sound - Advice?

[rangerscott275]

Hello,

At the end of august, I am planning on doing a 10 day cruise around long island & through the Hamptons (August 26th thru Sept 2). As of right now, my itinerary is starting to shape up and looks like:

Day 1: Weehawken to Huntington Harbor - staying at West Shore Marina
Day 2: Huntington Harbor to Port Jefferson - staying at Danford's Inn Marina
Day 3: Port Jefferson to somewhere in Southold / Greenport /Orient area - Anchorage?
Day 4: Southold / Greenport / Orient area to Sag Harbor - staying at Sag Harbor Yacht Club
Day 5: Staying at Sag Harbor Yacht Club
Day 6: Sag Harbor cruise around Shelter Island - Achorage or Marina?
Day 7: Shelter island to Southampton - must cross through lock below Great Peconic to Shinnecock Bay- is this doable for 53 Hatt - Where stay in Southampon?
Day 8: Southampton to Fire Island - suggestions?
Day 9: Fire Island - somewhere around Atlantic Beach...or maybe all the way back to Weehawken
Day 10: extra Day in case of bad weather or boat trouble

I'd love any suggestions on where to stay, what to avoid, what to see, etc. etc. from anyone who has done this or similar trip. My itinerary is completely flexible....I could return a different way if going south towards Southampton and on to fire island route is not good. (a friend told me sand bars are constantly moving in that area and need a lot of local knowledge to do that route and that i may want to consider a return along connecticut instead. Anway....feel free to give me your thoughts!

thanks!
Scott

 

[Passages]

I have some suggestions for days 3 and later. Greenport has a new municipal marina. Though I have not visited yet, I hear it's quite nice. If you just want to do Greenport for lunch, Claudio's and Preston's offer free tie up.

After Sag Harbor YC, Look up West Neck Harbor on Shelter Island. A little gunkhole as nice as they come. Great overnight spot on the hook.

If it were me, I'd forget Shinnecock. Instead, proceed to Plum Gut and go North to the CT River. (8 miles) Proceed 7 miles up the CT River to Essex Island Marina or Hamburg Cove (Fresh Water Cove!) . You really want to visit both. Explore Essex which is the picture of a quaint New England village.

From there, go back down the CT River. Follow the CT coast back to NYC.

 

[CapetaniosG]

On your day 9 visiting Fire Island I would Visit Watch Hill Park and Sailors Haven. They are run by the US Park Service as part of the National Sea Shore and both are excellent places to visit. The channels into both marinas are well marked ( last time I looked) but go slow. You will enjoy Natures Walk in both and the Atlantic Ocean a short walking distance away. If you like clamming the Great South Bay is the place. Have a good time.

PS. I may come and look at you 53 (from the Outside) when you come to Greenport/ Southold. That's where I live. My 53 is in Rhodes Greece and I missed her.

CapetaniosG
Hatteras 53MY

 

[Capt K]

Nice cruise ideas. I agree with The Traveler on the Ct River idea. Essex Island Marina is great. Wally and his daughter Dawn (Dockmaster) run a nice operation. They are extrememly busy, tho, so reservations are important.

Sag Harbor is nice. I usually stay at Waterfront Marina across from the Yacht Club. Greenport has three nice choices, now. I usually stay at Townsend Manor which is an old inn and marina. There are lawns, etc. Real nice, but small. It is an easy walk to town. The second good choice is Brewer's Stirling Harbor Marina. The general mgr, Jeff, is great. They just put in a new pool. They have a shuttle to town. The newest is the Town Marina right in town. It just opened last year and looks great. The only problem there is possible problems with wakes depending upon where you are.

Enjoy the cruise! We are in Westbrook, Ct so the areas you are talking about are our "Usual" cruising areas.

K

 

[rangerscott275]

Thanks all....I continue to think through my itinerary and will update you with my next version. Perhaps the CT route back may be a better idea than shinnecock since I think (not sure but read on another thread) my boat may be too tall to get through the locks (I'm 27ft tall I believe w/ radar arch).

Absolutely stop by!!!! I would love to meet anyone from the forum and there is no reason to only check out my hatt from the outside...come in for some Cpt Morgans and homecooking! My phone is 917-400-0051 and email which I will be able to check from trip is sp@gruss.com. I'll repost with my final itinerary right before I launch and again, I welcome any visitors! (I am just finishing an office / library / guest room combo out of SR # 2 and am eager to show it off!)

Again, any advice appreciated....good tie ups, things to see, places to avoid...I'm taking it all under advisement so I really appreciate your commentary.

on day 2...the reason that I chose overnighting in Port Jefferson is that I read that Huntington Harbor (destination day 1) is very nice with lots to explore there and in surrounding area...plus the marina there is pretty nice from what I hear and they have a pool and whatnot so I figured after my first day (which is bound to be stressful since I'll be nervous about everything), I would spend morning of Day 2 relaxing and working any bugs out of boat and taking a dip at pool, etc. before departing. I don't have to leave the marina @ huntington harbor until noonish so I figured I'd be under way about 1pm. Given that, I don't think I can make it all the way to Greenport that afternoon before dark (my Hatt is most comfortable at 8kts). I've read that Port Jeff is ok...but maybe a bit loud and not so scenic. Is there a better stopover leaving huntington harbor but before Greenport? Thanks!

 

[34Hatt]

Hi Scott

I am in Southold and cruise the area all the time your choice's are endless and probally not enought time to do it all. Let me know what you like to do the most and I can give my recommendations.
As for Shinnecock through to Fire Island forget it you draw to much depth even if you get under the bridge. I winter in the great south bay and do that run and still have to run the high tides with a 34'.
So I agree go to Ct and don't miss going to Hamburg cove for a day or overnighter there is just something about that place everyone love's it!

 

[doc g]

So, I take it Fire Island inlet would not be a good choice for my 61'. I am taking some continuing education in Smithtown at the end of my vacation in August and was planning on running outside from Block to FI inlet . Any suggestions would be welcome. Also any suggestions on where to stay where my wife and nine year old would be comfortable alone onboard during the daytime for a couple days would helpful also.......Pat

 

[34Hatt]

Fire Island is fine the Problem is Moriches area the Inlet is a mess and if you come in Shinnecock and run inside heading west there is no water right before Moriches Inlet. So to get Into Great South Bay area Fire Island is the only real choice If you draw anything 3.5' or more. Just last week a friend with a 36 Albin got stuck on the bar right before High tide he was a hr or so to early. Lucky for him big keel so no damage, he draws 4' and even when tide came up he still bounce's across the bar

 

[Capt K]

I think Port Jeff is really your last chance before Plum Gut if you do not cross over to the Ct side. PJ is not bad for a night. There are some good stores and the entire town is within walking distance. If you don't like motorcycles, you may find it a bit loud at times, but not too bad. For a great "bar" meal and beer or cocktail, walk up the main street to Billie's. I've been stopping in there when I'm in town since the eighties.

Enjoy!

K

 

[rangerscott275]

Nice...thanks! I don't mind motorcycles and I do like beer, bars & pub food so I'm sure I'll like Billies. thanks for the suggestion!

 

[John F.]

Two other places you may want to check out. I grew up in Northport, and its a nice town to visit. Nice town dock at a public park, good little restaurants, and hasn't changed a real lot in the past 30 years.

Between Port Jeff and Orient there is Mattituck inlet (where my parents live now). It has deep water, a nice anchorage at the end of the inlet, and "Touch of Venice" is a nice restaurant at the end of the inlet. Mattituck itself is a nice little town.

Enjoy...its all good.

John F.

 

[Passages]

Capt. K may be on to something.

How committed are you to Greenport & Sag? Might be more fun to shoot directly to the CT River from Port Jeff. This way you can go up the river all the way to the Haddam Bridge. A stunning vista all the way.

 

[MikeP]

We tend to anchor more often than use slips but:

Watch Hill, RI is really neat - and includes a VERY interesting approach to the harbor area. There are slips and moorings avialable. It's one of my favorite places. Another really interesting area is the Thimble Islands. There is no place to actually go ashore (all private) so it's totally an anchoring place. You must be very careful with navigation - the bottom is mostly rock and shallow in many spots. You can anchor- make sure it's set - and then dink around. Worth seeing!

We like Pt Jeff though I'm annoyed that they just changed their policy of allowing dinks to tie up for free. It now costs 6 bucks and you have to check in. Until this year you just tied up the dink and walked right into town. Oh well, 6 bucks won't break anybody. But I suspect it'll be 10 soon and then 20 and then...

THere are two good anchoring areas in Pt Jeff though you will get a bit of role occasionally - not really that bad at all - from the ferry to/from Bridgeport. Either location will be 15-20 minute dink ride to Danforths, where the dink dock is located. The charts will show the anchor locations - note that on the west side of the ferry channel, the approach into the anchoring/mooring area is fairly narrow though clearly marked - there is a shoal to the south to be aware of. I've never used slips or moorings at Pt Jeff.

Normally, we don't do anything on LI east of Pt Jeff/Mt Sinai. We have never been in the Peconic Bay but it looks interesting. The whole North side of LI sound is full of nice places as have been noted by others.

Zieglers cove in CT is nice though on weekends it's too crowded to even consider. Lot's of folks like the Sand Hole, near Oyster Bay NY. It's very protected though the entrance is shallow at low tide. Again, on weekends I wouldn't even consider it. Oyster Bay itself is nice and has a good anchor area east of the mooring field. It's about a 10 minute walk into town from the dink dock. DON"T go around the corner past Oyster bay docks (to the north) into the more protected area. It looks like a good anchorage but it's NOT a no-wake zone and the skiers and watercraft make the area a very unpleasant anchorage during the day - It's fine at night. Oyster Bay has moorings - I don't know about slips.

Huntington Harbor is nice - quite a few old wooden boats in excellect condition. We've never stayed there but occasionally run down the harbor to the marina's for a leisurely look and then turn around and head back out.

We live about a 20 minute walk from Northport, (a 6 minute walk to the marina). Northport may be the best of the little NY port towns. It's small but has several excellent resturants and the dock is at the west end of town. Early this year I was told that it is now free to tie up at the town dock during the day. I haven't verified that - it sounds strange for New York! There are moorings available from Seymours. Brittania Marina is at the south end of the water past Northport. It's pretty nice but the windy entrance is shallow at low tide. As a guide, we won't take our 53MY in or out of Britannia within 2 hours either side of low tide. They have a pool, shower room, excercise room and, allegedly, a tennis court. I've been at the marina 5 years and I have never seen it. I'm told it really does exist.

 

[arimkus]

You may want to travel up the Housatonic River and stop and have lunch and/or dinner at Knapp's Landing which is only a mile from the mouth of the river. Pete also carries gas and diesel fuel.

Al

 

[Bertramp]

Capt. K may be on to something.

How committed are you to Greenport & Sag? Might be more fun to shoot directly to the CT River from Port Jeff. This way you can go up the river all the way to the Haddam Bridge. A stunning vista all the way.

Ct river is gorgeous and I would do that before the canal and Fire Island, but Sag Harbor is a gorgeous spot. Look at it this way ... the guys that have the megayachts with pro crews that can go anywhere in the world that they want ... they choose to go to Sag Harbor ... enough said.

 

[UNIQUE_NAME]

coasties recently posted a LNM about moriches bay 26 - 29.
1.5" at low tide. 3 years ago a traveling buddy beached in the channel at 27 and 2 years ago my depth sounder showed almost nothing under me (at high tide) for that leg.

 

[nyrussell]

Scott,

You didn't tell me!!! waaaa. Boat looks fine though. See you soon at the marina.

Noel

 

[rangerscott275]

New Itinerary:

Day 1: Weehawken - Huntington Harbor, staying at West Shore Marina
Day 2: Huntington Harbor - Port Jeff, staying at Danford's Inn
Day 3: Port Jeff - Southold / Greenport - Anchor in Orient Harbor
Day 4: Southold Greenport / Sag Harbor - staying @ Sag Harbor YC
Day 5: no travel - stay @ Sag Harbor YC
Day 6: Sag harbor - Shelter Island - anchor West Neck Harbor
Day 7: Shelter Island - CT River / Essex - staying Essex Island Marina
Day 8: CT River - Housatonic River or Milford (suggestions welcome on good destination and ideas on where to Anchor or fun marina?!?)
Day 9: Housatonic River / Milford area - Rye Brook / Greenwich CT area (suggestions welcomed!!)
Day 10, Rye Brook / Greenwich area back home to Weehawken NJ

What do you think?

 

[Passages]

Looks like a great trip. Launch your dink at Essex Island Marina and explore Hamburg Cove.

 

[(Nobody You Know)]

The Townsend Manor at Greenport is a really nice place. When I was there we were able to rent a car ("Rent-A-Wreck) and tour some of the many nice vineyards close by. We were very surprised at the quality of wines produced on Long Island. (and it amazed us how each vinery we visited was always a little better than the proceeding!)

Port Jefferson has a few shops and things, not sure I would spend much time there, lots more to see on the Sound.

The Yacht Club at Sag Harbor is very nice. Offers easy strolling into town.

If you visit Essex the Griswold Inn has an excellent jazz band (an old Power Squadron freind of mine used to play in this band - tuba). And the food is excellent. Just up the Conneticut River is an excellent anchorage by the way.

Don't forget Mystic, CT. Lots of seafearing history here and visit the now completed Amistad, a replica of an old slave ship that was commandered by the slaves!

Be careful going thru Plum Gut.

Bon Voyage!
Capt'n Bill
(The only southern boater who can cruise Long Island Sound without a chart - on a clear day, of course)