Fire Island Inlet Update?

[dgelber]

I plan to enter Fire Island Inlet next week, early morning, just before high tide, -I think. On a Tartan 33' with 4.56' draft, powered by 26hp diesel. I would really appreciate advice from anyone with recent local knowledge of this area of Long Island NY. Can I anchor in Sore Thumb? Is the channel marked adequately?

[anotherT34C]

Is this just an evening stop off? Yes you can anchor at sore thumb to rest, but there’s nothing there to do.

The inlet is very sketchy, I ran it a few months ago with 6’ draft at high tide. Came within inches of bottom west of red #6. Consensus (at that time) is to give 6 a wide berth, and make the turn in wide. Treat green #5 as if it were red.

There’s a chance the CG has moved the buoys to more reasonable positions by now. I would 100% call seatow Great South Bay for advice on an updated route. This is a dangerous inlet, keel boats ground there all the time.

[Mariner84]

I run through there twice a year with my 5' draft Allied 33 Luders. Enter on the last of incoming high tide, watch the water color and the breakers and don't follow the power boats. Last time through was back in late June. The shallowest spot was on the south leg but the trickiest spot is the dogleg turn by can 5. I've been fishing the area on power boats for years; it (and the buoys) is shifty....
Avoid an afternoon SW wind on outgoing tide;and if not familiar, go through during the day.
Be aware that current inside the inlet gets over 2kts, and it takes time to get through. If you time for high slack, you'll be bucking a hard current when you turn the corner and head east.
Anchoring inside the thumb is a nice spot.

[dgelber]

Hey I really appreciate your informed reply! Thank you so much. I will definitely call Sea Tow, as I have done on previous years, but I really wanted to hear from a sailor. Thanks again!
DG

[dgelber]

Thank you so much for your informed reply! I really wanted to hear from another sailor. I've been in there once per year for the past three years, and I know conditions are always changing. Thanks again!
DG

[Bill whitmore]

Please post your experience after your pass thru.

[Kd9truck]

I stayed a night last Nov, ducking in from 40 knot head wind to Montauk the tide was outgoing full tilt, we draw 7.5 ft. 44 ft LOA, It was not great conditions. I looked at positions and types of vessels on boat traffic within an hour of our transit, I saw some commercial trawlers go thru. On our way in we followed a one by eye sight and the app. We when went in and dropped anchor just north of the channel 1 mile west of the bridge, we had no issues. Out tracks might as well have been 5 years ago.
I know the captree party boats like to fish soar thumb so expect company, FYI if you hear one long horn, that’s the signal to put your pole to work (flounder, fluke, sea robins, spider crabs, blue fish, and strippers in the fall).
Good luck.

[Bill whitmore]

I just spoke with local Boat US operator who was of the opinion that attempting the Fire Island inlet with 6 ft draft was asking for trouble, even with local knowledge. Also, I am curious about the option of Moriches Inlet for an overnight stop. What is the controlling depth there? And, any advice for entering and anchorages inside??
Thx

[dgelber]

Hey All,
Thanks again for your helpful advice. I called Sea Tow Great South Bay and they advised on the way in, to stay 50-60 feet west of red 6 and 6A as there is shoaling, as always. I have decided to bypass Fire Island stop off and bomb through to Block Island overnight, leaving Perth Amboy Monday morning early and arrive Block by 10am Tuesday. Should be a 26 hour run if I maintain 5 knots.

[jimmychill]

Hi. I'm going through the Fire Island inlet on a 30' with a 4' draft in a couple of weeks (June 2024), leaving from Patchogue and heading up the East River. I'm not familiar with the area. The top of the mast is 45'. The charts say the span is 65' clearance, but the depth mid-span seems to be only a few feet. Do I need to stay towards the center, where the depth is shown as 3', or do I go north or south where it's deeper, but the span is lower?

[Kd9truck]

Hi Jimmy, with a 4 ft draft you should be fine with updated maps. The great South Bay does not change much in hole but the navigation channels close to the inlet do. I moved a boat that had a 5 ft draft a couple of years ago from south shore marina in bellport. We took the east channel toward point-o-woods and passed by the fire island communities and then past the light house. Stay well in the channel and you should be fine.

As for the inlet itself, it seems it never stops changing. I draw 7.5 ft and have tucked in there more than a handful of times to drop anchor and sit out increasing conditions. Do the inlet during the day (at high tide) and you should be able to see all the channel markers. With daylight you should be able to see all the skinny shallow parts as well.

I would time both fire island inlet and the NYC inlet, with NYC if you do not hit an incoming tide you may want to drop anchor off Breezey points bay side or graves end bay at 30 ft the out going tide will really challage the hull speed. There are a lot of fast moving large vessels in NYC harbor best, to have as much speed to navigate as possible when in charted ferry paths.

[Kd9truck]

Originally Posted by jimmychill

Hi. I'm going through the Fire Island inlet on a 30' with a 4' draft in a couple of weeks (June 2024), leaving from Patchogue and heading up the East River. I'm not familiar with the area. The top of the mast is 45'. The charts say the span is 65' clearance, but the depth mid-span seems to be only a few feet. Do I need to stay towards the center, where the depth is shown as 3', or do I go north or south where it's deeper, but the span is lower?

Navionics currently shows 20 ft average in the channel under the bridge.

[jimmychill]

Wow, thanks for the instant replies! I plan on leaving patchogue on the outgoing tide, so I can catch the incoming tide up the rest river. Unfortunately that puts me closer to low tide at the inlet, so this is really helpful! I'll keep a careful eye on the depth.