# CT to Shelter Island



## COBRIEN (Sep 26, 2009)

Hi All- I just purchased a seaworthy 1980 Catalina 25' near bridgeport CT and need to sail her to a mooring on Shelter Island. Any tips on how long this might take and the best way to round Orient? thanks.


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## aferlazzo (Jul 7, 2005)

You will probably need two days, assuming no night sailing. I assume you have a good outboard for when the wind dies. Try to head east on the sound on an ebb tide, the current will help you, and if you have the usual southwesterly breeze, a spinnaker or a poled out genoa will also help. I would duck into Westbrook (good fair weather anchorage right behind Duck Island) or Saybrook for the night... there are no harbors on the LI shore that you will be able to use. 

On day 2, just go across the sound to Orient Point. Rounding Orient is pretty straightforward as I recall, but it's been quite a few years. Make sure you have good charts, know what the current is doing and of course watch the weather. Sailing around the Shelter Island area is a treat.


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## RobGallagher (Aug 22, 2001)

As stated above, plan your trip with Eldridges current table. DO not try passage through Plum Gut against the tide, you won't make it, period.

Leave Bridgeport on an early morning ebb and get as far as you can down the coast of CT. Plenty of places to overnight along the coast of CT. To be honest, on a 22ft boat, I would plan three days.

Depending on the wind, current and how many hours you care to be a slave to the tiller. You could definately make it in two, but three might be more fun and relaxing.

Plan your passage through the Race or Plum Gut just before the Ebb ends or slack, but, you MUST get through before the start of the flood. If you make it around the N. fork of LI too soon on the Ebb you will have the tide against you as you head West towards Shelter Island. The flood will take you in towards shelter Island faster.

If the weather is anything less than very favorable you might want to avoid Plum Gut and go through the race.

Don't underestimate the pounding you can take through the Gut or the Race, even with a fair tide. Don't get me wrong it's loads of fun as long as you are prepared for it. Eldridges is your best friend. DO NOT plan your trip with the tide! Use the current table! (sorry if I'm overstating this, but, some people are not aware that the tide/current are not on the same schedule and as much as 2-3 hrs different).

Sounds like a great trip and this is a great time of year to do it. I wish I was going with you


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

Cobrien,

I'll send you my phone number in a private message. Call me today (not 1-2 though) and I'll look up the currents for you in the Eldridge book, for your planned departure(s).

You've been getting good advice about going through Plum Gut (around the tip of Orient Point). The current against you will make it near impossible. The current with you will make the waves coming off the ocean "stand up" -- get steeper and closer together.

I like going through Plum Gut because it's over quicker and you are closer to Shelter Island after you get through. There's also land and possibly more help right there. (And more traffic, so keep an eye out and wait for good visibilitiy.)

If you have a depth gauge, you can watch the depth go down to 300' feet there. There is a lot of current. Last November we saw whirlpools there -- visible becasue it was a perfectly flat calm day.









Regards,
Brad


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## COBRIEN (Sep 26, 2009)

Thanks Bene505, I will call you in the next couple of days once we have a more solid date range that we will shoot for. Can anyone recommend what charts I should purchase? Do you think a GPS will be definitely necessary? Most of my sailing experience is racing 17-25 footers on the bays of Long Island, where navigation is a little easier. I have been fishing in Plum Gut a few times and have spent some time on the sound, but not a whole lot. can anyone recommend a specific marina in the Westbrook area? Has anyone anchored at Duck Island?


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## aferlazzo (Jul 7, 2005)

A handheld gps is what you need. Something like this:

Garmin GPSMAP® 76 GPS Receiver -Slightly used - eBay (item 130333169254 end time Sep-29-09 12:23:32 PDT)

You might be able to buy some charts that can be loaded into it or if you can't do that, input some waypoints that you can use to have it always let you know where you are.

More on Westbrook marinas. etc. later.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

I have no chartplotter. I use paper. Our autopilot shows Lat/lon on the display in the cabin. I use that to put a nice X on the chart with time and speed and heading right next to it.

Glad to hear you've been there before.

Regards,
Brad


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## Hudsonian (Apr 3, 2008)

With a decent chart, plotting tools, Eldredge, a watch, compass, knot log, and a modicum of coastal piloting and navigation skills you won't need GPS. On my first trip through the Gut -- from the Duck Island Roads to Block Island -- we had several boats approach us to ask if we knew where we were and if so could we provide a range and bearing to Plum Gut. The loran signal at Newport had dropped out and they weren't keeping a DR plot.


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## COBRIEN (Sep 26, 2009)

I will opt for the GPS, and hopefully make the trip in 2 days. If the weather looks bleak for the day 2 trip from Westbrook through the Gut I will continue to dock in Westbrook until favorable day weather. If I am only looking to do fair weather day sailing, will just GPS and back up paper charts be sufficient? Will also consult Eldredge prior to the trip for those days I am on the water.


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

If you plan to do some cruising I recommend these chart books: http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|17|93210|92937&id=89070
Check the current charts for 'The Race' and figure out how they work with the tide tables (in the Eldridge). Bring plenty of extra batteries for the GPS and you should always be able to locate your position on a chart.
Have fun.


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## aferlazzo (Jul 7, 2005)

COBRIEN said:


> I will opt for the GPS, and hopefully make the trip in 2 days. If the weather looks bleak for the day 2 trip from Westbrook through the Gut I will continue to dock in Westbrook until favorable day weather. If I am only looking to do fair weather day sailing, will just GPS and back up paper charts be sufficient? Will also consult Eldredge prior to the trip for those days I am on the water.


OK first, Westbrook marinas. You can find some others via google, but you might as well just tie up at Brewer's Pilot's Point:

Brewer Pilots Point Marina, Westbrook CT

First rate service and they also have marinas in Old Saybrook and Greenpoint, NY. They are literally everywhere in this area. You might save a few bucks elsewhere if you look around.

You should be fine with the GPS and paper charts plus Eldridge. Note that your handheld GPS will eat batteries, so have plenty of spares and know how to change them quickly while underway. It may not have built in charts so you will want to load in waypoints to help you along. You won't want to be converting lat and long from the GPS to your charts, it's too time consuming, especially if you are singlehanding. Stick to Garmin in the GPS... the very best IMHO. The one I linked would be great because you can buy the charts from Garmin to load into the unit, and it just does everything well.

Be sure to have some good binoculars and a hand bearing compass might also come in handy.

Make sure that chartkit from Defender includes the waters around Shelter Island. I am pretty sure it does, but just make sure before you buy.


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

When going across the LI Sound its important to understand the crab angle as the current will be taking you east or west as you go across and if you fail to learn about it you will sail a LOT of extra miles


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## ERICANDERSON (Mar 21, 2005)

I recently went thru Plum Gut from Westbrook (Pilots Point Marina) on a Potter P19. *Plan* on going thru at slack tide. We had outboard going thru and were glad we did. Returning to CT we tried going thru earlier than slack tide and got bounced around a bit. We had fair weather! Ferries go thru as well.... There's a marina next to the ferry location if you need. They have a restaurant too.
Good luck. Enjoy!


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