Stops on our Cruise of Primarily August 2009,

but some reference to 2008

Trillium IV – C&C Corvette - Rob and Za Mazza

Recommended – Embassy Cruising Guide – Long Island Sound to Cape May, NJ

79th Street Boat Basin

We tried this mooring last year because we always see the boats moored along here when we drive the , and were curious to know what it was like. Because of the scarcity of reasonably priced moorings in the NYC area, a $30 mooring seemed too good to be true. We found out why. The mooring field is a mile long, starting north of 95th street, but only feet wide. It’s a first come, first served, system with only limited moorings available. When we arrived about 7:30 at night, there was a strong outgoing current and the only available moorings were at the northern extreme of the field which we rapidly whizzed by looking for a mooring closer to the marina itself. The only ball available was one that nobody else wanted because the pennants were wrapped around the chain. It was only after hanging over the bow while fighting the current under power were we eventually able to feed a dock line through the mooring ring and make fast. Then we had to wait until the currents slacked enough take the dinghy into the poorly maintained dock office to give our credit card (they no longer accept cash) to the municipal worker behind the desk. However, I must admit, having a mooring within the shadow of is pretty impressive, especially at night. But it was a bumpy night with all the commercial traffic going by, and the wakes reflecting off the seawall.

79Th Street Boat Basin looking north to GWB

79Th Street Boat Basin looking South to the marina office

Hell Gate

As long as you time it at slack water, Hell Gate has not been a problem the six times we have passed through each way. Timing is everything, especially on the return trip when it”s best to go through with the last of the ebb, so you can eventually pick up the flooding tide up the Hudson to the Boat Club. If you catch “the Gate” at slack high water, you end up fighting 2 to 3 knots of current all the way up the river, while watching people on shore walking faster than you are going. Watch out for commercial traffic though, especially the little DEP freighters that dash through at slack water, and all the tugs and barges who line up all along the East River waiting for slack. Monitor channel 13 to listen to their chatter as they discuss the order they will be going through.

Passing through “The Gate”

Harlem - City Island

We have made the Harlem Yacht Club on City Island our first stop after clearing Hell Gate for the last three years, as well as our last stop before our return through Hell Gate on our trip home. There are two other Yacht Clubs on City Island – City Island and Stuyvesant – but neither has ever answered their phone or returned my phone calls when trying to book ahead for a mooring, although they all monitor the same channel - 78. HYC is the furthest north of the three clubs. Our first stop at Harlem was in company with Jim and Lee Luce. We happened to arrive in time for their Italian Night and had a great time. This year we arrived during Latin Night, and last year on our return trip we watched a magnificent thunder storm from the comfort of their bar. A down to earth club who will try to recruit you as a member they have a good bar, a dining room, showers and washrooms, and a nice veranda. However, their guest moorings can be pretty slimy and foul, so we often loop a dock line through their spliced eyes so we don’t have to bring them on board. Launch service runs all night on weekends. NBC has reciprocal privileges with HYC, which means, like all clubs on the Sound with which we have reciprocals, that you have the privilege to take a guest mooring and pay the nightly fee, which at HYC is still only $30. Freddy is the dock master and tipping the launch driver seems to be a HYC tradition, but not honored by everyone. There is a West Marine, grocery stores, and gas station within easy walk of the club, not to mention the City Island Diner for a great breakfast, and the UK sail loft further down the street. Block Ice is available on the dock (pay the dock master or launch driver). Always a great way to start a cruise.

Entering the mooring field at Harlem Yacht Club, City Island

City Island mooring field Oyster Bay

Oyster Bay offers at least two possibilities. During our first cruise in company with Jim and Lee, we took a mooring at the large Oyster Bay Marina. The town is a bit of a hike from the marina, but manageable. The marina has an excellent launch service, gas and diesel fuel, water and ice, as well as a small marine store, and a boat yard and showers. There’s always a large, I mean large, yacht at the front dock. There are two hand activated pump out rafts available one at either end of the mooring field. We couldn’t get the one at the east end of the field to adapt to our deck fitting, and ran into some shallow water on the inshore side of the raft, so now use the west raft instead. It’s a pleasant place to stay at a reasonable price on a well maintained mooring with a good launch service. There is Sagamore Yacht Club next to the marina, but they had no moorings available and weren’t open for dinner when we were there. Seawanhaka Yacht Club is passed on your right as you enter the harbor area, but we decided not to stretch any reciprocal privileges we might have had. Besides, we felt underdressed, and under sized, for that fine establishment.

Trillim passing the front dock at Oyster Bay Marina on the way out

The other option in Oyster Bay is to proceed past the Marina (and the yacht club) and turn right (north) and head for the eastern side of West Harbor. Here you can drop a hook close to the large homes on shore in good protection from the north and east, as well as the south. This bay can be busy during the day on weekends, but empties out once the sun starts to go down. Our preference is always to anchor rather than picking up a mooring for both cost reasons and to be more on our own, so West Harbor is usually our preference, and we have had some enjoyable days there, even in bad weather. We even witnessed a large water spout that formed in Oyster Bay to the east of us, but fortunately dissipated before it got to us. However, it did make the next morning.

In the vicinity of Oyster Bay, one place we tried to enter last year was Sand Hole at Lloyd Neck Point. However, we were less than successfull. We tried to enter the very narrow entrance at high water, which you would think would be the safest time, but the stone breakwater that blocks most of the entrance was completely submerged and out of sight. Crunch! Even though we thought we were creeping along, we hit hard. Needless to say, that put us right off, and we opted to head for the relative known of West Harbor at Oyster Bay! You really need to hug the north side of this entrance to Sand Hole, which we will do, if and when we attempt to enter this sheltered anchorage again.

Trillium at Anchor in West Harbor

Sunset while at anchor in West Harbor

Seawanhaka Yacht Club, Oyster Bay

Port Jefferson

After Oyster Bay, our next stop tends to be Port Jefferson (Port Jeff) also on the Long Island (south) side of Long Island Sound. Port Jeff is an ideal anchorage and the last real option on the South side of the Sound before Plum Gut. Once you enter the well marked channel, you have two immediate anchoring and mooring options, west and east of the entrance. However, a note of caution when entering or leaving Port Jeff. There is an active ferry service between Port Jeff and the North shore with ferries coming and going every hour or so. As one leaves Port Jeff, the other leaves the north shore and they cross paths in mid Sound. So watch out for this large and fast moving ferry traffic coming through the inlet.

However, a point of interest about the moorings in Port Jeff, that seems to apply to both the West and East anchoring options. Both anchorage areas seem to be full of empty privately owned mooring balls which are dropped primarily for weekend use. When I asked the Harbor Master about this, specifically with regard to the eastern anchorage at Sand Bay, where there are so many mooring balls that anchoring is in fact difficult, he said that you can pick up any available mooring and use it until the owner comes along and asks you to move, which, during the week is unlikely. However, the west side does offer more anchoring options, but a number of boats who entered after we did, just picked up moorings.

West Side

The west side of Port Jeff, as you enter the harbor provides the closest anchoring opportunity, inside the row of moorings on the north side of the marked channel. We dropped our hook just beyond mark CN6 about a 100 yards from the north shore. A couple of boats (power) then anchored quite close to us (why do they do that?) even though there was open space available further away. Seems to be some sort of herding instinct. We spent a quiet and pleasant afternoon and evening here and would return.

East Side - Mount Misery Cove

The other, and more popular anchoring and mooring option is to the left or east as you enter the harbor, turning at Mark G5. This is an excavated spoil area (it is marked on the chart as “Spoil Area”) that has created a sheltered and exceptionally well protected anchorage surrounded by sand hills and forests. As mentioned above, the bay is already full of mooring balls which seem to be available on a first come first served basis during the week, when the bay is relatively quiet and empty.

However, things change dramatically on the weekend when the bay becomes party central and is full of boats and kids and activities on the water and on shore. We had to give up our mooring ball when an arriving boat politely informed us it was theirs (who was going to deny it?). So, we dropped anchor in the middle of all the moored boats and waited until sun set when boats started to head out and we grabbed a recently vacated ball.

West Anchorage at Port Jeff

Departing West Anchorage Port Jeff

At a mooring at Mt. Misery Cove (Spoil Area) inside Port Jeff (week day)

Spoil Area Port Jeff on the Weekend

Spoil Area Port Jeff - Weekend

Guilford Yacht Club – West River, Guilford, Conn

The Guilford Yacht Club sounded attractive in the Cruising Guide, despite the $3.50/ft. dockage fee they announced when I called them. However, if you are expecting, as we were, the ambience of a true Yacht Club, you will, like us, be sadly disappointed. This is a glorified marina with a pool and snack bar, and a large sun baked parking lot. The “club house” was locked up and only used, it would seem, for wedding receptions and banquet functions. I don’t think it’s an accident that the Club faces the road, and is separated from the water by that acre of parking lot. When I asked the friendly young staff if this was really a yacht club rather than a marina, they said, well, yes, they do have flag raising ceremony every morning and lowering every evening! However, other than the “yacht club”, there isn’t much else in Guilford. The only other marina, on the left as you enter the narrow channel, is a little run down, but friendly enough, with no transient docks, and the only source of fuel (none at the Yacht Club). The town of Guilford is a bit of a hike from the Yacht Club, and doesn’t have much to offer. There is a small grocery store and some small restaurants, and the large Villiage Green. However, if I had a choice, I’d pass on Guilford in favour of Milford, which has much more to recommend it. I’ll remember Guilford as sun baked, even at the pool.

Trillium at the visitor’s dock at the Guilford Yacht Club.

Guilford Yacht Club “Club House” and large sun baked parking lot.

Guilford - East River

However, one of the more pleasant surprises when we were seeking shelter from a thunderstorm, was the snug little anchorage at the end of the East River in Guilford. Proceed up past the line of end to end moored older boats (I believe one or two of these are available as guest moorings from the town dock) and drop a hook off the launching ramp on the south shore of the river, just where the river begins to fork. We rode out the thunderstorm quite snuggly at this anchorage, and spent the night. Lots of egrets and bird life generally.

East River Guilford – note boats on end to end moorings

Breakfast at Guilford, East River – Launching ramp in background

Coecles Harbor

Once you clear Plum Gut (again, timing is everything!) one of the most pleasant destinations on the Sound, in my humble opinion, is Shelter Island, and the main harbour on Shelter Island in Coecles Harbor. Oddly enough, there are only two sanctioned overnight anchorages on Shelter Island. One is at the south side of Coecles Harbor, the other at the South West end of the Island on the south side of West Neck Habor. Even these are only usable for 48 hours every 72 hours. However, time spent at the Coecles harbour anchorage is time well spent. There is room for many boats at this anchorage, but as previously mentioned, for some reason boats tend to clump together. Swimming is good (few jelly fish this year). The entrance to the harbor is narrow, especially at low tide, and the current can be swift at max ebb or flood, so watch your bearings going in and out, but on the whole not a difficult entrance in daylight.

Sunset at the Coecles harbor anchorage.

Coecles Harbor Boat Yard and Marina

At the extreme west end of the harbor is one of the better boat yards and marinas on the Sound. The transient mooring balls seem to be plentiful (marked with a red “T”) and at $45 per night reasonably priced. This is the yard where they build the Doug Zurn designed and Billy Joel sponsored Shelter Island 50 classic power boat. They also build and repair classic wooden sailboats like the Town Dinghy. Hanging around this yard is a pure pleasure. However, they also have showers, laundry facilities, and on a hot summer’s day, a welcome swimming pool, as well as water, block ice, fuel, pump out, and ice cream. All the essentials of a cruising lifestyle. On top of that they rent bicycles and even little electric cars to tour the island, and have a small marine store on the premises. The grocery store is some distance away, so we used the bikes to get there on our way back from a tour of the Island up to Dering Harbor. On this ride up to Dering Harbor we had lunch at the Dory (not great), and checked out the Shelter Island Yacht Club, arriving on our rental bicycles. We asked about a guest mooring for later in the week and when asked with what club we were affiliated, said Nyack Boat Club. “Boat Club!?” said the young lady with some skepticism. However, we did determine that a Guest mooring was $60/night and said we would see them in a few days.

Coecles Harbor Boat Yard and Marina from the guest moorings

Coecles Harbor Boat Yard and Marina from the docks. Note Shelter Island 50 in foreground, with a bevy of Hinckley’s outboard.

Coecles Harbor Boat Yard and Marina

Mooring field from the Boat Yard

Dinghy Dock Coecles Harbor Boat Yard and Marina

Father and Son Evening sail – Boat yard in background

Classic boats at moorings at the Boat yard

West Neck Harbor

After two days at anchor and a day at the mooring at the Boat Yard, it was time to push off and see more of Shelter Island. So we exited the bay and proceeded south to continue our clockwise circumnavigation of Shelter Island. We sailed past Cedar Point light to port and rounding Mashomack Point at the southern tip of the Island to Starboard we passed Sag Harbor in the distance. Any thought of visiting Sag Harbor was put to rest by the obscene number of mega yachts anchored off shore and the smaller mega yachts filling the harbor itself. Carry on we did and entered West Neck Harbor to drop the hook in the only other designated anchorage on Shelter Island. However, now it was Saturday, and the anchorage quickly filled up with partying day trippers who came to enjoy the beach and the beautiful weekend, a number of whom as previously mentioned deciding to drop their hooks annoyingly close to us. However, as the sun began to set, the anchorage quieted down and a lot of the smaller powerboats left allowing us to dine and bath in relative comfort.

The next day, we took the dinghy ashore and walked the Shell Beach on the sound side and back around to the bay, talking to other shell collectors as we went. Returning to the boat for lunch, we then hoisted anchor and proceeded under power up West Neck Creek, running aground only once on a mud bottom as we left the cove at the head of the creek. We pushed off from West Neck Harbor continuing clockwise around the Island heading towards Shelter Island Yacht Club in Dering Harbor on the North side of the Island.

On the way to West Neck Harbor – The Light House at Cedar Point

At designated anchorage in West Neck Harbor of Shelter Island

Designated anchorage at West Neck Harbor from harbor entrance

Shell Beach, West Neck Harbor, Shelter Island

Shelter Island Yacht Club

This is one of the finest little yacht clubs I’ve stumbled onto. It’s as nice, if not better than the Essex Yacht Club. The launch drivers are friendly and helpful and quickly guided us to a guest mooring, and apologized for keeping us waiting! The bar was friendly, and the Dark and Stormys good. The bartender even explained that there was a national shortage of Gosling’s Rum. The showers were first rate and the club has a very active fleet of Etchells, and more impressively an active fleet of about 30 Herreshoff 12 1/2s riding at moorings in the inner harbor. We asked about dinner at the club and were told that the only seating available was at 8 PM. It seems there was a memorial service that afternoon and evening for a recently deceased long time member of the race committee, and the event would continue on into dinner in the evening. We made the reservation and had an excellent dinner on the balcony overlooking the Herreshoffs at their moorings. Not inexpensive, but first class. A very enjoyable evening, and an elegant break from eating aboard. Dress was casual.

Herreshoff 12 1/2s through the moorings at Shelter Island Yacht Club

Preparing to go ashore at the SIYC

Shelter Island Yacht Club

30 Herreshoff 12 1/2s at moorings in Inner Harbor

Trillium at her guest mooring at Shelter Island Yacht Club

Greenport

The ferry to Greenport is within easy walking distance from the Yacht Club, so on Wednesday morning we caught the Ferry and visited Greenport. This is a small maritime oriented vilage that is easy to walk around. We did some light grocery shopping after first visiting Prestons and the local art galleries. I’m amazed we left empty handed. However, Preston’s didn’t live up to its reputation as a fine marine store, with more touristy stuff in evidence. However, breakfast in a local diner was a delight.

Greenport from the ferry

Famous Preston’s – worth a visit but don’t get your hopes up.

We left the Yacht Club on Monday afternoon after returning with our groceries from Greenport. Loaded up on ice and fresh water from the club before departing. Thought about anchoring in Orient Bay, but opted to return to Coecles Harbor to fill the gas tank at the Boat Yard and spend the night at the anchorage. Departed Coecles Harbor at the crack of dawn to make slack water at the Gut.

Light House off Long Beach Point at entrance to Orient Harbor

Powering to the Gut early morning

Plum Gut

Orient Point Light House

The Thimble Islands

Looking for someplace different to explore on our way back to the Hudson after clearing the Gut, we thought we should take a closer look at the Thimble Islands. The plan was to drop a hook and anchor amidst the Islands, since the forecast for the night was somewhat benign. However, after poking our nose among these rocky out crops we really got cold feet. This was not helped by the 60 footer we saw high on the rocks to the north of the islands surrounded by the flashing lights of Coast Guard vessels! As in other anchorages, we saw a number of white mooring buoys with boats on them and didn’t know whether the protocol was to pick up a ball, since we didn’t see anywhere to easily drop a hook. So we skedaddled out of there and opted to push on to Milford, a port we had enjoyed during our previous summer’s cruise.

The Thimble Islands

The Thimble Islands

Milford, Conn

There are a number of good options in Milford, one of our favorite stops on the Sound. The entrance is well marked and in deep water. In the past, when the Yacht Club was full we stayed at the Milford Boat Works, which is in fact a marina. Location was good, within easy walk to the town center with plenty of stores and restaurants. There was a gas dock out front on the river, and laundry facilities and a marine store on sight. We had a great time there, but opted this time to try the Yacht Club, which is further from town, being located right at the harbor entrance. The cost was $3/ft. plus $5 for power hook up, compared to $2.50 at the Boat Yard. The Dock Master was friendly and helpful and the young dock staff was also helpful. I think we got the last available slip, which I believe are empty member slips. The pool is large and inviting on a hot summer day. We were there on a Wednesday, and the dining room was closed, so we ate on board, since the walk to town was longer than we wanted to attempt, and we were nearing the end of our cruise and using up food in the ice box. Next morning we walked to the local Mom and Pop grocery store/deli for coffee and some lunch supplies. When we arrived, there was a 45’ race boat from Michigan that had been converted to cruising, but still had an 8’ draft. We had drinks on board with this friendly retired couple, whose son is a U of Michigan Naval Architect now living and working in the Caribbean. However, they were moving up the Sound to Newport, and had to cast off at 5 AM the next morning to make high tide to get off the mud at the dock!

Trillium at the Milford Yacht Club

Trillium at the MYC, with river and marina in the background

The Milford Yacht Club We departed Milford later the next morning as well, but had a strong South West wind in our teeth in our crossing of the Sound to the southern shore. As it turned out, we laid Port Jeff on Starboard tack, before tacking to Port, and almost paralleling the shore. As the breeze died, we motor sailed the rest of the way.

Upwind out of Milford heading for Eatons Neck

Fine sailing under a single reef in the main and a partial furl in the jib

Perfect day on the water – too bad it wasn’t a reach though

Eatons Neck Basin

After our less than successful experience with Lloyd Neck anchorage off Oyster Bay the year previous, we approached the Eatons Neck anchorage with a good deal of caution. However, the entrance was exceptionally well marked, which is probably a direct result of this being the site of a Coast Guard station. There was only one boat in the anchorage when we arrived, so we went further up the cove and dropped our hook off the Coast Guard station, just off the marked channel. Our neighbor then hoisted his anchor shortly after our arrival, and left. However, he was soon replaced by another 40 footer.

This was a delightful anchorage. The Coast Guard station is well lit all night, and this was of course when our portable anchor light stopped working, but the Coast Guard didn’t seem to notice, of if they did, decided not to make an issue of it! However, be careful when the tide falls, the shore starts to get very close, necessitating having us pull the hook and re-anchor almost in the marked channel.

Eatons Neck Lighthouse

Eatons Neck Coast Guard Station

Relaxing in Eatons Neck – cool day

Leaving Eatons Neck

Leaving the channel and entering the Sound

Heading to slack water at the Gate in the rain

Heading back to the Hudson – Manhattan Bridge, Bridge,

Brooklyn Bridge – always exciting