Long Island Sound Traffic and current question

[Cotemar]

Fishers Island, West Harbor is a great stop and has Awesome Sunsets.

Straight shot From Point Judith through the Watch Hill passage to West Harbor/Fishers Island.

They have 6 orange rental moorings or you can just anchor north of the mooring field.
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[bumpman]

You've had lots of good advice! I used to have a slip at Ram Point many years ago -lots of good times sailing out of Pt. Judith. The only thing that I would add is that at the race in current, lobster pot buoys (probably not many left due to black shell disease?) will sometimes submerge out of clear sight. My prop got caught on one once and dragged the pot in current.

[bumpman]

New plan sounds great. You should have no problems even with a moderate SW. Also running the East River at 11-12 knots is always a blast.

[wayne.b]

Originally Posted by Jellyfish M

Thank you for all the great tips.

After thinking it over and looking at the Eldridge, I decided to go the lazy way. This is just the starting leg of a delivery all the way to Fl So I am going to ride the conveyor belt...
I am planning on breaking this as follows:

Day 1- Ride the current from Pt Judith to Fisher Island
Day 2- Fisher Island to Hempstead
Day 3- Hempstead to Brooklin

This will add just one day to my first leg, but will be more laid back I think... Plus I will sleep at anchor and I will ride with the current for 80% of the time...

Thoughts?

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I've been south through NY Harbor many times coming from Long Island Sound. We like to stage for the night in Little Neck Bay - lots of room to anchor and right next to the the Throgs Neck Bridge and East River. Leave at high tide the next day and ride the ebb all the way down through the harbor to Atlantic Highlands, NJ. Anchor behind the breakwater and top up with diesel at the city marina - best prices in the north east.

[Scot McPherson]

I would like to reiterate what a few folks have said about the commercial traffic. They won't care about you or your sails. Also, pay special attention at night. Commercial traffic in the sound is just as heavy at night and when you are surrounded by land from nearly all directions, it can be very easy to be surprised by a big ship you didn't know was there just a few minutes ago. When I was taking the trip from Connecticut going north thru buzzards bay at night, I was amazed at how quickly those ships can appear right on your stern.


My personal preference would be to come into the long island sound by way of fishers island sound. Less commercial traffic, and a bit more to look for that portion of the trip, then once you hit ledge lighthouse, start heading more southerly until you are comfortably close to the north shore of long island.

[Gary Matthesen]

I have also been up and down LIS and agree with all the hints of using LI shoreline and to play the tides.
I would like to add, The Masthead Cove Yacht Club in Huntington NY, of which I am a member, has donated funding to add lighting to many of the smaller buoys in the inner harbor. I have had the pleasure to stray my first time entering the harbor at night and still rely too much on GPS. The new lighting should benefit us all and as I understand will be installed for this boating season.

[Palmetto97]

Just another point on Huntington Harbor if you arrive after dark there are no lighted buoys once you enter and as noted earlier the channel twist in several spots.

[Jellyfish M]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

Fishers Island, West Harbor is a great stop and has Awesome Sunsets.

Straight shot From Point Judith through the Watch Hill passage to West Harbor/Fishers Island.

They have 6 orange rental moorings or you can just anchor north of the mooring field.
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Thanks! Sounds like what I'll be doing.
Cheers

[Sandero]

If you are going to stop for a sleep over and then off again.... don't go into either Fabulous Northport or crowded Huntington... go into the lovely Eaton's neck... well buoyed and you'll find goo holding... stunning quiet and the Coast Guard near by to "protect" you. The neck is a precious jewel on LIS.

West Harbor is another treat. Excellent holding. I anchor quite far out near the East shore . Its peaceful and you avoid at least some of the wakes of the skiffs going in and out of Fishers Island. Pt Judith to to FI is a lovely one day sail ... you can do it with a fair tide... and leave again on a fair tide... but you won't have a fair tide the whole run down the sound. But as you as the tide turns... you won't have much against you as you come to Eastons Neck.

NB from Eatons Neck into NPT or Huntington is another 45 minutes... And usually a beat into a SW breeze.

[Idylles15.5]

If your referring to Hempstead Harbor, horrible idea. No cove unless you go into brewers, and they keep the mining barges in there and tugs for Gotham sand and gravel. Go another hour around Sands Point and into Manhasset Bay/ Port Washington. Plenty of room to anchor, and if need be, you can tie up in a slip at our Marina, Manhasset Bay Marina. Great dingy dock to walk right across the stret to Stop and shop and a west marine, Ace Hardware, etc. Our Showers are open for the live aboards and its well protected. Little Neck Bay, like Hempstead Harbor has no protection from a North Blow. I know other people will give opinions on here, but trust me. My family has been in Port Washington since the 1800's. Were old Clamdiggers, so I may know a little more about the area. I moved to Northport 13 years ago, so I know about that area too. Just saying. Also you will have to time your passage through Hells Gate before you enter the East River. That you would rather hit at Slack tide.

[Jellyfish M]

Thanks Idylles,
I like the Manhasset idea. Would you recommend Louie's Oyster Bar?

[Jason Flare]

We head south from Groton, CT. Sometimes we go to Montauk and head SE. Depending on the weather we may head west through LIS to NYC. We usually make it about 60 miles on our first day in LIS. No matter where we hope to get to it always depends on the weather and wind direction and strength. We might stop in Bridgeport or across the water in Port Jefferson.

For what it's worth we find it very difficult to determine exact daily destinations before setting out, although I do like reading all the suggestions which I file away for future reference.

[dfelsent]

As far as tugs and barges .... If you see a tug look for the barge. It may be a looong way astern. You do not want to get between those two.

Safe travels.

[Idylles15.5]

Originally Posted by Jellyfish M

Thanks Idylles,
I like the Manhasset idea. Would you recommend Louie's Oyster Bar?

Louies is ok, but it's not what it was back in the day. Was owned by the Zwirlien family for 100 years. Actually used to be a floating barge out in the bay way back in the day, way before I was alive. It was a great boaters bar up until about 10 years ago when they sold it. Now its more a summer bar and they don't really want a local crowd. Expensive too. I would actually head up to Finn MacCooles which was just redone. Everyone who used to hang out at Louies goes there now. I'll be staying on my boat at the marina from Wed on because I'm swamped in my woodshop, I have to catch up. It's still off season, you could probably tie up right at our gas dock head float for a night no problem. My name is Nelson, just hit me up when you get there. We can go up to Finns for a few brews.

[Jellyfish M]

Originally Posted by Idylles15.5

Louies is ok, but it's not what it was back in the day. Was owned by the Zwirlien family for 100 years. Actually used to be a floating barge out in the bay way back in the day, way before I was alive. It was a great boaters bar up until about 10 years ago when they sold it. Now its more a summer bar and they don't really want a local crowd. Expensive too. I would actually head up to Finn MacCooles which was just redone. Everyone who used to hang out at Louies goes there now. I'll be staying on my boat at the marina from Wed on because I'm swamped in my woodshop, I have to catch up. It's still off season, you could probably tie up right at our gas dock head float for a night no problem. My name is Nelson, just hit me up when you get there. We can go up to Finns for a few brews.

Hi Nelson,
I am Jean, my boat has a 6.6draft, how hard would it be to tie up at your gas dock!