Crossing Hell Gate

[lorenzo b]

In you anchor off Worlds Fair Marina you are totally protected from the currents and the wind and you are 1/2 hour from Hell Gate. It's nice to do the East River in the morning relaxed. You can anchor again just off the CG Station at Sandy Hook.

[hellosailor]

Don, the east channel past Roosevelt island is limited by the height of the bridge to the island. The west channel usually will not be blocked off by UN affairs, they normally allow a wide enough berth because the alternative would be to close the river to commercial traffic, which is rather constant.

OTOH there is a water generating experiment in the west channel, so you never know what will be anchored above it.

[smurphny]

As Lorenzo has noted, it is nice to lay over before hitting the East River and the bee-hive of NY Harbor. If you have never been through NY Harbor, it can be white-knuckle time with commuter ferries, barges, mega-yachts, and every sort of boat imaginable going every which way, leaving large wakes which team up with 3+ knot currents to raise havoc. Need to be on your toes.
You can also throw the hook right across from the Throgs Neck bridge (40.47'.56"N 73.45'.32"W)in anything but a strong N-NW wind, just south of the M.M. Academy at Kings Point. There is a little current but good water depth and holding right in front of the houses on that shore. As with anchoring anywhere near a city, put a float on your anchor. Nice view of the bridge from there.

[Howard Augenste]

any advantage or disadvantage to making a run from block island to cape may elimanating new york & n.j. altogether

[mbianka]

I tend to drop anchor in Little Bay which is right to the east of the Throgs Neck Bridge. Very good holding in about 10 to 15 feet of water and protected from all directions except north and north East winds. Still, I've held very nicely with 20 knot winds from that direction too. Other alternatives can be City Island (transient mooring) or going into Little Neck Bay.
Starting with the favoring current change at Throgs Neck I usually motor sail towards Hell Gate dropping sail just east of the Brother Islands and then motor until I've passed the south end of Roosevelt Island where I usually raise sail again.

[Tempest245]

Originally Posted by Howard Augenste

any advantage or disadvantage to making a run from block island to cape may elimanating new york & n.j. altogether

Sure, It's a straight shot of about 30 + hours to Cape May from Block.
Generally speaking it's into the prevailing southwesterly wind, So you may have to take a few long tacks..or motor sail. It could be a slow wet slog if the seas build..or it could be a hot, windless motor..or anything in between. Like anything you'd want to watch the weather. The downside is once you're out there you're pretty committed. The inlets on the south shore of LI are not the friendliest in a blow, you'd probably head for Sandy hook at that point.

A friend of mine just did this in the opposite direction CM to BI ( broad reach) and the seas had built to about 10 ft. by the middle of the 1st night. You certainly wouldn't want to be beating into that. Timing is everything.

[smurphny]

Can't think of any good reason to go through LI Sound/E. River. If you want to stage from Sandy Hook and keep NJ inlets within reach just go outside along the beach of LI rather than through the Sound. On a SW you might even be able to pinch this. The only reason I go the Sound route is because I visit folks in Port Jeff. Would certainly go from Block to Cape May direct with a good forecast. Why even deal with traffic and current around NYC unless you want to sail past the Statue of Liberty, take pix of the skyline, etc. and say you negotiated Hell Gate (which is really no big deal in reality). Negotiating around darting commuter ferries and all kinds of large deadheads and assorted crap in the water is the biggest challenge.

[Howard Augenste]

how about more info going from block island to sandy hook

[Tempest245]

IT's about 120 miles, So 24 hours or so. Pretty staightforward. Prevailing Winds are SW so could be a great sail in good weather. Time your arrival to Montauk and Block in Daylight.
Fog can often be a problem, know your position, have horns, use the radio.
The inlets on the South shore are not the friendliest in bad weather..
In good weather, a great trip!

[smurphny]

Originally Posted by Howard Augenste

how about more info going from block island to sandy hook

From the Montauk buoy, it's 109 miles, or about 135 miles tacking into a SW wind. If you stay 5 miles out or in about 80-100' water, it should clear you of any current or break associated with inlets and give you a steady wind. Except for Shinnecock, I wouldn't attempt Moriches, Fire Island, or Jones Inlets without recent local knowledge. Shinnecock is your best bet if you need to run in but it's a long way from there to Sandy Hook. Onshore breeze kicks up around 1400 and dies after dark like clockwork on a summer day and can easily top 25 knots depending on temperatures of land and sea.