Fischer's Island (Long Island Sound) - Local Knowledge

[JLR]

I will be taking a quick day trip from Montauk to Stonington. It appears as if I do not have to get to Stonington via the far eastern end of Fischere's Island Sound but may instead take a route via Lord's Passage to Stonington. The chart shows good water--any local knowledge would help.

 

[Pascal]

Been thru a couple of times, plenty of water, no problem.

Watch the pots in fishers sound, they are many and can be hard to spot when the current rips

 

[JLR]

Pascal - thanks. I suspected you had taken this route to Stonington from the south before.

 

[rmatt]

JLR
My home port is Mystic CT. I always use Wicopesset Passage. If you look at the chart you will see that it is a narrow and not too a deep passage but well marked. It is short in duration, maybe a couple hundred yards and the obstructions are visible. I also use Watch Hill Passage , just depends where I'm coming from. I personally don't like the Lords, Catumb or Sugar Reef passages. Those passages look lik a lot of room but not.Truth about the lobster pots in all.

 

[Bob Bradley]

Lords Passage is a nice clear entrance, but do be careful. The rocks are not far away on either side. It is a straight shot to Stonington with no obstructions once you pass thru Lords. And ditto the warning on the lobster pots. They are often just under water mid-tide.

One word of caution: watch your course and pay close attention to the set due to the running tide. Coming into Lords from Montauk, the incoming tide is running at approx 75 - 90 degrees perpendicular to your course coming at you from stbd stern. Obviously the incoming tide will push you west and the outgoing will push you east. You don't want to bee 100 yards off course in either direction.

I still feel a lot more comfortable running in that area with an open paper chart on my lap. It would not be a good place to have your chartplotter decide to reboot itself as my old Raymarine POS would do from time to time.

 

[Bob Bradley]

Take a look here:

http://mapserver.mytopo.com/homepag...e/index.cfm&bpid=MAP0060030900&latlontype=DMS

What I don't like about Wicopesset Passage is the way they have C "1" and C"11" positioned. It looks from the chart like they ought to be nuns, as the obstructions are very close to them on their right. I've specifically avoided the passage because I'm not sure about this.

If you do come in via Lords, be sure to stay west of Nun "2L", and east of Can "9". And I fully agree, stay the hell away from Catumb and Sugar. Great fishing spots, but I avoid them like the plague. Coming in from offshore or Montauk, I frequently head for a waypoint about a half mile east of Watch Hill and come in via Watch Hill Passage. I find it quite a bit more confidence inspiring. Just be sure to stay south of the bell at Napatree.

 

[rmatt]

Take a look here:

http://mapserver.mytopo.com/homepag...e/index.cfm&bpid=MAP0060030900&latlontype=DMS

What I don't like about Wicopesset Passage is the way they have C "1" and C"11" positioned. It looks from the chart like they ought to be nuns, as the obstructions are very close to them on their right. I've specifically avoided the passage because I'm not sure about this.

If you do come in via Lords, be sure to stay west of Nun "2L", and east of Can "9". And I fully agree, stay the hell away from Catumb and Sugar. Great fishing spots, but I avoid them like the plague. Coming in from offshore or Montauk, I frequently head for a waypoint about a half mile east of Watch Hill and come in via Watch Hill Passage. I find it quite a bit more confidence inspiring. Just be sure to stay south of the bell at Napatree.

If you have never been through Wicopesset, I understand the anxiety. Try it sometime, there's enough traffic through that you can follow someone through. It's the shortest passage in duration. Coming from the south passing C1 line up on C13 forget C11 as it's not in the route. Once you go through I'll bet it's your passage of choice.

 

[JLR]

Thanks for all of the good information.