2006 CONNECTICUT RIVER & LONG ISLAND CRUISE

In late July we had hoped to do a rendezvous at Block Island, meeting Scotia Mist and LobsterTales. That’s not exactly how things played out and here’s the tale of that trip:

July 28 we left home towing Cloud Nine and heading for the Baldwin Bridge launch ramp at Old Saybrook, CT, located just under the Rt. 95 bridge. The trip took us on roads close to where we used to live in Massachusetts so we felt that care-free way you do in familiar territory and while we left home pretty early, it wasn’t at some ungodly hour. When we were just north of Springfield, MA our 1998 Chevy 2500 Silverado truck let out a sudden, sharp noise and power immediately diminished. This was completely new ground for us and I looked to Craig with questions. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s bad” he said. We limped into the nearest town, pulled into a convenience store and went in the inquire for towing services. I took Ballew for a walk, feeling pretty useless and like a stranger in a distant land. After awhile a huge tow truck pulled in behind us. The driver stepped out, took a look at our Vermont license plates said, “I grew up in Vergennes!” - a town practically next door to our home. I started to feel a lot less like a stranger. This great guy loaded our truck up on his flatbed, hooked Cloud Nine to his trailer hitch and proceeded to take us to the largest Chevrolet truck garage we had ever seen - bigger than anything in Vermont! The diagnosis was that the truck’s engine was blown but that they could replace it. I know nothing about vehicles so wasn’t sure if this was good or bad news. I got Craig aside and he assured me that we had landed in clover. If an engine was going to go, this was the sort of place he’d want to be having it fixed. I was still wondering how we were going to get back home with Cloud Nine & Ballew - because it seemed that certainly this trip was not meant to be…..but Craig had other ideas. He had already inquired about truck rentals and while this place didn’t have anything to rent, a nearby Ford dealership did and was on their way over at this very moment.  My head spun! 

Shortly thereafter a brand new red Ford 250 pulled up, we hooked Cloud Nine on, bid our old truck adieu and continued on our way! Craig has always been a Chevy man….but this new rig impressed both of us. 

Before long we arrived at the Baldwin Bridge launch on the Connecticut River and were amazed by the facility there. There are many, paved boat ramps with plenty of side docks and a lot of free parking space for trucks and trailers. Craig and I pledged to put the truck problems behind us and enjoy our cruise.

Wildwood

 During the 1^st weekend of our cruise we planned to meet up with boating cousins of Craig’s - Bob and Joan. They are old salts who have sailed their boat Wildwood far and wide. We were looking forward to spending time with them. We launched Cloud Nine, headed north up the Connecticut River and soon encountered Wildwood at anchor. Spent a great evening talking boating down in the hold of their boat. Bob is clever with wood and had made many things from mahogany. He laughed when we commented on this, saying that when they had Wildwood down on the Amazon River, mahogany was so inexpensive that he couldn’t help buying a whole lot of it and stashing it in every crevice on the boat.

Joan

They are planning a Downeast Cruise for the near future which will take them up the Hudson River, through our area to the St. Lawrence and then out around Cape Breton Island and down the Atlantic coast back to home.

We discussed our trip plans with them and got advice on dealing with the currents and tides of Long Island Sound and the Plum Island Gut on the way to Long Island. We had a great time that night!

Tammi, Craig & Bob

In the morning we boated together up to Essex to have brunch at the Griswold Inn. Bob wanted to get a Eldridge guide for us and show us how to use it. In the process of trying to find short-term dockage in crowded Essex Harbor, Craig heard a woman calling my name from on-shore. As I responded, a distant memory of emailing with a woman in Essex named Connie surfaced in my brain. - the new Rosborough Rep for the area. I leaned my head out the portside door and said, "Connie???" In no time Connie had us docked, hooked up to power (so Ballew could have AC in the heat) and was driving us to a bookstore where we could find a copy of Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book. Bob and Joan were pretty impressed with the our local contacts. (so were we!)

Crowded harbor

Essex is a beautiful town - but awfully hot the day we were there. After brunch we all wanted to get back out on the water as soon as possible.

Bob and Joan suggested an anchorage on Selden Creek, a short way upstream. Selden Creek is a lovely, narrow waterway squeezed between the nature reserve of Selden Neck State Park and the mainland. It is beautifully remote. Before long we had our dinghys deployed and were off exploring.

Armed with cameras we explored the creek.

Fortunately for us, the Eldridge charts agreed that a planned morning departure for Long Island would meet with favorable tides and currents. Our plan was to depart at day-break, cross Long Island Sound, thread our way through the Plum Gut and enter Peconic Bay, between the forks of Long Island. This would be our 1^st venture into Long Island Sound and tales of the famous currents there had us on edge.

Fog greeted us when we woke.  

 
I dug out a cardboard radar reflector and tied it to the davit. 

 

Then up came the anchor, we waved goodbye to Bob and Joan and off we went.

 

Lynn Point Lighthouse

As we approached the mouth of the Connecticut River we encountered a series of lighthouses and a huge stone jetty.

Saybrook Lighthouse (I told Craig I needed an 'Action Shot')

And then we were in the Sound. 

Ferry to Orient Point

Early morning calm dominated with few other boats around.

We pointed our bow toward the infamous Plum Gut between the equally infamous Plum Island and the tip of the North Fork of Long Island at Orient Point. Before long we saw the ferry from New London headed to Orient Point and we fell in line behind it.

Plum Island with the Plum Gut buoy

The Gut was a non-event. Eldridge must know what he’s talking about! When you time things right and the weather is cooperative, this passage is nothing to talk about.

If you look at the right side of this map you will see where Long Island forks. The Southold side is called the North Fork. That is where the more normal folks live. The other fork - The South Fork - is where the Hampston's are- with the rich and famous. The water in between is Peconic Bay and is beautiful boating! Down at the V of the forks is Riverhead.

Shelter Island anchorage

The large island to the right of Southold is named Shelter Island. We spent our 1st night at anchor just inside a bay on the SW side.

 The next morning we had a lovely cruise down to Riverhead. 

LobsterTales!

We knew from the Rosborough chatsite that LobsterTales was docked somewhere in that area and, sure enough, we spotted her at a marina. We hoped to actually meet Dave and Lila on their boat later in the week but it was fun to locate LobsterTales all by ourselves. Then we hunted around for a good place to stay in Riverhead. 

Docked in Riverhead

Right in the heart of town we came across what seemed to be the ‘town wall’ with cleats, power posts and some mighty fancy carvings. There were instructions for overnight dockage posted - directing us to check in at some address in town. We had no idea where that was so decided to tie up anyway and see if someone came along to check us in. Noone ever did, but we had a good night there. And the next morning vans drove up and set up a Farmer’s Market! Whee!! And our friend, Barb, showed up to boat with us for the day.

Shinnecock Canal looking toward the Atlantic Ocean

 Together we boated around, trying out various anchorages that Barb was familiar with and then taking a look at the Shinnecock Canal that cuts across the South Fork to the sheltered waters behind barrier islands on the Atlantic side. That looks like a great place to try during another trip.

Next day we headed north toward Southold. Ancestors on my mother’s side founded Southold in 1640 and I wanted above all else during this trip to arrive there by boat, as they had, at Founder’s Landing. I got chills just dreaming about it! Craig and I examined the charts looking at the channel to Southold. Looked pretty shallow. Perhaps we shouldn’t chance it. Ah, phooey - Let’s GO! So we crept up the channel with a sharp eye on our depth finder….further…..further - until, there it was! With a slip that was just the right size for Cloud Nine!! And, as if that weren’t enough, Craig spotted a power plug so we could run the AC for Ballew (100 degrees, once again) and we could walk up to town. 

Tammi at Founder's Landing, Southold

There are no words that I can come up with to illustrate what a huge moment this was for me. Coming all this way just so I could experience coming ‘home’ to Southold in our own boat - and then having Founder’s Landing literally spread out the Welcome Mat for us.

 Despite the heat we walked up to the town center and I showed Craig the Southold Historical Society where I had once discovered my distant grandmother Martha Case's will that was signed by her with an 'M'. Then I realized with a shock that she was unable sign her full name. Her father, Matthias Corwin, seemed to be able to both read and write. Martha's son Theophilus could only sign his documents with an 'X'. Hewing out the new colony must have not have allowed much time or energy for schooling.

Before long the heat did us both in and we were glad to return to the boat and get out on the water. As we left the Southold channel a group of children sailors blew by.

Then we headed up to Greenport to a marine supply place that Craig had read about, S.T. Preston & Sons.

Saw this really cool sculpture on one of the docks.

What we did not notice, however, was a boat we had read of in one of our favorite boating books, The Living Great Lakes by Jerry Dennis. In that book Dennis participates in a voyage taking a 100' twin masted schooner named Malabar from Travers City, Michigan over Mackinac, down Lake Huron through Detroit into Lake Eric, then through the Weldon Canal to Lake Ontario, down the Oswego Canal into the Erie Canal, down the Hudson River and around the tip of Manhattan, up the East River to Long Island Sound to the Atlantic and up the coast to Maine. Many of these waters we have traveled ourselves which added interest, but we also learned so much in reading the book that I eventually purchased my own copy after checking it our of our library multiple times. I, in fact, was re-reading this very book DURING this cruise but I didn't read page 253 until we were back in Vermont. Imagine my face when I read this:
"We would drydock the Malabar at the Hinkley Boat Yard in Southwest Harbor [Bar Harbor, Maine], lifting her free of the water in an immense sling, and have the satisfaction of seeing that her hull was sound beneath the waterline. .... In two or three weeks Hajo and a new crew would sail her to Greenport, Long Island, and put her to work doing day charters on Long Island Sound."  
Malabar was in Greenport - where we docked for a day - and we didn't look for her?!  I still can't believe it!
The day remained hot. Really hot!  After we departed Greenport, Craig suggested heading for an anchorage at Sag Harbor. We boated across Peconic Bay to the South Fork and checked out Sag Harbor. On one side of town was a lovely dock that looked very appealing, but was insanely pricey. Craig wanted to boat beyond the bridge and drop anchor for the night. I was so hot that I felt like I was about to burst out of my skin. Dockage with power for our AC was all I could imagine - and the AC would be for ME, not the dog!
Craig reluctantly agreed.

Sweatin' in Sag Harbor (but with AC)

We phoned Barb and she drove over and joined us in the air conditioned comfort of our sedan. When our body temps had dropped within reasonable range we began to enjoy ourselves and notice what a lovely place Sag Harbor is! 



 

Enjoyed a spectacular sunset.

Come morning Craig and I explored town. They've got a great grocery store with a world class deli in Sag Harbor and the sea food salad available at a shop on the dock is worth every dollar it costs. Nice place!

Ballew's big gripe about Long Island is about the swans. Swans' necks are higher than Cloud Nine's gunnel and the poor pup just about has a heart attack when the disembodied Swan head comes floating by the cockpit looking for hand-outs.

 

Arriving at Three Mile Harbor

While in Sag Harbor we made phone contact with Dave (LobsterTales) and arranged to meet up at Three Mile Harbor in the afternoon. Three Mile Harbor is well out toward the tip of the South Fork and seemed like a staging place for boating to Block Island on the following day and meeting up with Barry & Karen on Scotia Mist.


When we reached Three Mile Harbor Dave & Lila were already anchored. 

Dave, Lila, Craig

We rafted up, got acquainted and heard about their boating & motorcycle trips.
 
 









It was really a nice anchorage and we were looking forward to spending the night rafted with them but Dave wasn't feeling too well so after awhile they pulled up anchor and left for home.

Dave stows his cockpit awning

 

Seemed awfully quiet after they left but before long we began to appreciate the magnificant views, calm waters and more moderate temperatures. Took a lot of sunset photos.

The water was so calm!

It was a spectacular evening! We touched base with Barry and Karen and they too were ready to take on the open water trip to Block Island in the morning. Everybody agreed that 'early' was better and would give the calmest waters. Craig, Ballew & I turned in early with the clock set for dawn.

As I dozed off to sleep I enjoyed the quiet slap of water lapping on the bow. As the night progressed I occasionally roused enough to notice that the quiet slap seemed to be increasing. About an hour before dawn I was wakened by the loud slap of waves against the hull. Gave this some thought. Wasn't as sure as before about venturing on to Block Island - but knew that Craig felt committed to this plan with Barry and Karen. The alarm sounded and Craig said, 'There's no way we are heading out to Block Island in this chop!" So then we had to decide how early was too early to be phoning Barry & Karen to tell them of our change in plan. We didn't know if they were Morning People or not. Turns out they are. Barry had been looking at the water too and thinking No Way!

Sooooo.....with no Block Island weekend up ahead, we decided we might as well head back to Connecticut and find out how our truck engine repair job had turned out.

It was a great trip and the Chevy truck ran beautifully with her new engine. That red Ford lingered in our memories, though.