# Cape May to Block Island :)



## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

OK ........ All Mighty Captains, i need to tap into you infinite wisdom for the nth time. We will only have two day (48 hours) window where has no Northerly wind components.

1. Should we take off?
2. Should we take the rhumb line to Block Island or sail along the NJ coast and sail parallel along LI? It is about 20 nm longer via coast line?

Your take ?


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## CaptainForce (Jan 1, 2006)

There's no reason to tuck close to Long Island unless you want to change your mind and take the East River. There aren't great inlets to take shelter on the south side of Long Island. I'd say take the rumb line to Block Island or take the East River. There is no suitable "in between". Take care and joy, Aythya crew


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## tempest (Feb 12, 2007)

Dawg,

As usual the Captain is on the money!..

However, what's your plan for getting home? Cape May to Block is 38 hours or so..on the rhumb line 

The coast of NJ would take about 24 hrs..and then from sandy hook to Block is another 26...so 50 hours the long way....even longer if you go inside.


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

This is a great sail. Do it! Go outside directly to Block and return via the Sound and the coast.

I did virtually the same trip on my dad's Catalina 30 in 1978 when I was 21. I went with two friends, departing from Ocean City, NJ. We left at about 0600, dead reckoning the entire way (GPS was a dream and a Loran unit was too expensive). I think the course was something like 065 degM. We flew a borrowed spinnaker (from our boss at NorEaster Yacht Yard) the whole way. At about 0200 we saw the offshore bell (approximately where Y "HA" is on current charts) dead ahead. I was so proud of my navigation; we had paper charts all over the cabin for every inch of offshore and inshore water. The wind went a bit westerly at about 0400 and I was worried that we'd be blown past Nantucket and into the North Atlantic (Now I know it's farfetched, but at 21 it seemed a real possibility), so we hardened up and intersected Long Island about 20 miles west of Montauk. Then we coasted on out to Block. We stayed there for about 2 days where 1 friend got off and the remaining friend and I went on to Newport where I met my dad. My friend got off and dad and I sailed back to NJ by way of the Sound.

Heading into the sound with a 20kt easterly against an outgoing tide we surfed 8 footers without a reef. At the time, we'd never reefed and failed in our attempt to do it this time (*note to newbies - learn reefing in calm air and get proficient enough so that you can do it in 2 minutes*). We did an accidental gibe (*newbie note - rig a preventer when going downwind*) and blew the gooseneck apart, tearing the main 4' up the luff. We secured everything and ditched into New London for repair. Dad and I pounded the gooseneck and lashed the boom to the mast so that we could sail again. I learned to sew that day too.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, as we stopped in Stamford, Manhassett Bay, and into Manasquan in a downpour. Then on to Ocean City and home.

This trip was a real maturing event for me and was probably the turning point where I became a dedicated cruiser. I love the landfalls and sense of accomplishment in discovering new ports. I had to navigate, provision the boat, and be responsible for my crew and my family's nearly new boat. Today, I'd have 3 GPS units, an EPIRB, and liferaft but in reality not be any safer.

Do the trip. Now.


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

Tempest said:


> Dawg,
> 
> As usual the Captain is on the money!..
> 
> ...


I agree. From Google map, it is 200 nm to Block island rhumb line. so conservatively it will be 40 to 50 hours. If we leave bright and early morning this sat, we will be in block Island Monday morning. Take some rest and cross to CT.

The problem that I can see is Friday wind is from the north, and Monday the wind is also from north. We must make the crossing to Block Island as soon as possible. We will not hop out until we confirm the weather Friday nite or Sat morning. I need input here.

The captain says he will drop me off in any marina in the CT side. My son can pick me up (he works for Sikorsky) and drop me off the train station to NYC. I will take the Chinatown bus back to Philly.  Or if too much trouble I will just pick up a rental car  (Plan F)


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

Sabreman said:


> I did virtually the same trip on my dad's Catalina 30 in 1978 when I was 21. I went with two friends, departing from Ocean City, NJ. We left at about 0600, dead reckoning the entire way (GPS was a dream and a Loran unit was too expensive). I think the course was something like 065 degM. We flew a borrowed spinnaker (from our boss at NorEaster Yacht Yard) the whole way. At about 0200 we saw the offshore bell (approximately where Y "HA" is on current charts) dead ahead. I was so proud of my navigation; we had paper charts all over the cabin for every inch of offshore and inshore water. The wind went a bit westerly at about 0400 and I was worried that we'd be blown past Nantucket and into the North Atlantic (Now I know it's farfetched, but at 21 it seemed a real possibility), so we hardened up and intersected Long Island about 20 miles west of Montauk. Then we coasted on out to Block. We stayed there for about 2 days where 1 friend got off and the remaining friend and I went on to Newport where I met my dad. My friend got off and dad and I sailed back to NJ by way of the Sound.
> .


Sabreman, that is a good story I love to hear more. Dead reckoning is an art, I love to practice more. In a sense I was not as lucky as you. In the 70's we were so damn poor. I helped my parent put food on the table, took care of my younger brothers and sisters. Driving taxi cab in NYC and washing dishes for two dollars an hour paid under the table, working 7 days a week and put myself through College. Interestingly, life was hard and often degrading, but I was happy.

No bitterness and no regrets. Life is good.


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## tempest (Feb 12, 2007)

Dawg,

The Offshore forecast for friday, sat, and sun looks very reasonable:

SAT
VARIABLE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS BECOMING S TO SW 10 TO 15
KT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT.

SUN
S TO SE WINDS INCREASING TO 15 TO 25 KT...THEN BECOMING
SW 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT.
$$

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
keep on eye out as the winds pick-up and take a reef as needed...

depending on where the captain is headed....There's a train station in Old Saybrook..he can drop you at Saybrook point marina on the conn. river. Abby is the Dockmaster there.
A cab ride to the train. 

New London is another possibility.... 

There are ferries from block, in case that needs to be a fall back to get to the train


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

Fortunate yes. Lucky, no. My first job was at a boat rental place for $0.60/hr and later at NorEaster for $3.25 building docks and working on a pile driving barge. Dad had a boat but worked very hard while overcoming the stigma of an immigrant (many times over).

But we're off topic. The point of my post was that if a kid can dead reckon to Block in the 70's, you can make it with all that is available to us today.

PS. Dead Reckoning isn't really an art. It's just keeping track of stuff. Anyway, I landed at Long Island, not Block. If I'd been headed for England, I'd have hit Morrocco. :laugher


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Block is 32- 36 hours from CM. We do this trip every year. Going the NJ coast and out the south shore of LI is not a good choice and a time waste. Capt is correct. We sometime do the NJ coast, stop in at Barnegat....go to Sandy Hook (Atlantic Hihghlands)...then the East River if we want to stop in the neat towns along the western sound like Northport, Port Jefferson, Mount Saini, Greenwich

Reading Sabre post reminded me of our last year trip through the Plum Gut. We rocked down the sound from Port Jefferson with a 20 knott SW/SW wind to turn the LI corner at Plum Gut headed in to Greenport tide ebbing. We face 10-12 foot seas 6 second intervals for 6 miles. Green water over the bow needless to say and quite a wild ride for 6 miles until heading into Gardners Bay near Greenport. Can get pretty interesting when going through the Race, or Plum Gut. watch Hill Channel has always been a mellower ride for us.

Take the ferry from Block to New London ( slow or fast). The train station (Amtrack) is 1 block from the ferry terminal/

I have helped a few people move boats north and have done this trip a few times.

Amtrack to NY then DC or Balt.

Dave


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

It is a go. Driving to Cape May later today. Spend a nite on the boat and get familiar with the boat.

We will head out in the morning. The weather has been down graded from 20-25 kn to 15-20 knots. 

Sat morning: not much wind less than 5 knots
Sat Noon: 10 to 15 knot
Sat night and Sun Am: wind increasing to 15 to 20, 3 to 5 ft sea
Sun PM: Wind dies down as approaching to Block Island. 

I haven't check the current in at around block Island and New London yet. We will work out the details while on route.


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

Sabreman said:


> PS. Dead Reckoning isn't really an art. It's just keeping track of stuff. Anyway, I landed at Long Island, not Block. If I'd been headed for England, I'd have hit Morrocco. :laugher


I heard Morocco women are good.

DR is half art and half documentation. You look at how fast the bubbles passing the boat and come up a knot number, record the heading and the time, you give out your guesstimate. The more you guess, the more art it becomes.


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## GaryHLucas (Mar 24, 2008)

I'm surprised no one mentioned that there are 8? shipping lanes coming out of the Hudson River between NY and NJ! I made the trip on a Cape Dory 30 equipped with AIS and we counted 28 ships at one time. When they are turning and you see them bow on from a couple of miles away it is still a little unnerving. Nice that the AIS unit tells you they are turning, and how big they are if they are going to run you down. I'd stay offshore just to avoid the ships.

Gary H. Lucas


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

Yeap AIS is nice. Unfortunately we dont have it on board yet. Thanks for the heads up. We intend to stay out the shipping lanes before the sun goes down. I got used to rub elbow with the big ass boats. We will be careful.


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

We arrived Block island at 9:30 pm last nite (Sunday). We left ocean city NJ on sat at 3:00 pm. It was a beautful day on sat but rain most if the raining on Sunday. Wind from south with 2 to 4 ft see to 4 to 6 ft sea. No much sea traffic at all. No Sail boats to be seen. 

By the time we tied up. Most Places were close. We ended up to take a taxi to Poor Man pub to eat. I was surprise to see a lot young chicks there, friendly and sweet. 

Passport 37 rode the waves with class. I had fun. She is beautifully and well kept and restored. What a greatl boat. . The bad part is she has no jib furler and autohelm, so make single handed a lot tougher. It is nice to go back the old way to sail. The captain was wonderful, well manner, reciprocate kindness. I ask the captain we should sail to Bermuda and the st Martin this winter. 

I am on the ferry now on route to new London. And catch an amtrek train back home. It was an easy sail. 
Signing off and thanks everyone' the helpful comments.


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

Congratulations! Glad to hear that the trip was pleasant and successful.



> I'm surprised no one mentioned that there are 8? shipping lanes coming out of the Hudson River between NY and NJ!


It's NYC and one of the busiest harbors in the world. They have to get there somehow, an it's not via the Sound.  Every chart shows the lanes.


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## ottos (Aug 12, 2008)

Ocean City! You originally said Cape May. It would have been nice to say hello!

I did more or less the same trip last year - Barnegat Bay - Block - LI Sound - NYC - Barnegat, It was a blast and the best part was my wife had fun too!


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## tempest (Feb 12, 2007)

Sounds like a great sail. You averaged over 5 knots and made good time. 
Another notch in your belt..You are definitely racking up the miles..


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## rockDAWG (Sep 6, 2006)

Thanks for the kind words, Sabreman, Ottos and Tempest. It was indeed a nice ride. On Sunday, the waves were behind us pushing us toward Block island. We were in constantly in 7.5 knots SOG. I wish we had the boom preventer installed. It is hard to pay attention for a four hour shift in manual steering mode at all time.  There were a few accidental gybs in my shifts........ nothing big, but did happen. . It is good the Captain was forgiven. 


> It's NYC and one of the busiest harbors in the world. They have to get there somehow, an it's not via the Sound. Every chart shows the lanes.


As I said before, the traffic was every light. I wish we could see more traffics, and had an opportunity to dodge between tug boats. 



> Ocean City! You originally said Cape May. It would have been nice to say hello!
> 
> I did more or less the same trip last year - Barnegat Bay - Block - LI Sound - NYC - Barnegat, It was a blast and the best part was my wife had fun too!


hahaha... Yes, that was Captain's choice of telling me we sailed from Cape May to Block Island. I did not realize until I got there. It is Seaview Harbor Marina. It is a nice place but way too much motor boats for my taste. The MV operators were a bit like drivers or Skiers from NYC, they think they own the place. 

I am sure I will be back and I will say hello. 



> Another notch in your belt..You are definitely racking up the miles..


Yes, just a small notch. Again the captain was and is a good captain and a good man. I still have a lot of waters need to cover in this year and the next:, like sailing in or to 
1. UK or Europe
2. Gulf of Mexico
3. West coast to Hawaii 
4. Cape Horn or India Ocean

In term of the challenges at seas, I must go through 
1. Complete knock down in 50 kn or above
2. Heave-to for 4 to 5 hours
3. Use of sea anchor or drogue in storm

I hope I can learn these skills with a competent captain instead of me being a captain. But I will take my chances. My bag is always packed and ready to go anywhere in the world if the opportunity arises. I will finance my own way and will work like a dog for the experience. 

Life is short, study hard, work smart and play harder.


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