# Best course from Westbrook CT to Block Island



## apkaplan (Jul 9, 2007)

I am new to crusing and wish to sail my Catalina 27 from Westbrook, CT to Block Island. Some say go through Plum Gut others say The Race. What's the best way, looking for the safest way. 

Thanks,

Andrew


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*From Menunketesuck R. to Block Is.*

It looks like a fun week-end sail. The "Plum Gut" route looks to be the most scenic route, but if twilight might catch you in the Gut area I believe the "Race " between Little Gull Is. and Valiant Rock has more hazard clearance. Are you overnighting in Gr. Salt Pond? 
Have a blast, Bill


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

The Race. Time your tides for a nice fast passage on the ebb. If you want to break up the trip, Fischers Island is a nice spot.


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

If you are going to make it in one hop, the Race is the way to go. Just make sure you have current tables so you can time the ebb out. You don't want to be fighting the flood trying to exit the Race. If you want to take it in two smaller steps, another choice is go through Fisher Island Sound to Stonington, then exit the next day via the Watch Hill Passage into Block Island Sound. The mileage to Block Island is shortest via the WH Passage. And Fisher Island Sound, Stonington, and Watch Hill are well worth visiting.


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## Brezzin (Dec 4, 2006)

I was at Pilots Point for 18 yrs and Cedar Island for 2. Use the tides go through Fisher Island Sound and Watch Hill Passage. Then shoot out to block from there. You should be able to do the trip in about 11 hours. This is the safest route.

Plum Gut to Block?? Did this come from a power boater?


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## kreinestja (Mar 1, 2002)

*Block Island Adventure*

I had trouble deciding if I should reply to your post or not. Last Friday we sailed to Block Island from Jamestown, RI and had quite the experience. I do not want to scare you into not going but due to the fact you stated you were new to sailing, I decided to share our recent Block Island experience. 
We had read many different stories about the difficulties of anchoring at Block Island and also the squalls that often hit the island. Due to these stories, we took off on a Friday so that we would comfortably get a town mooring or dock at Payne's Marina. We left Jamestown about 12:00 PM and arrived at BI about 4:30 PM. The sail was rough but pretty uneventful. The Salt Pond area was filled with of all kinds of boats. There were family's happily playing on the surrounding beaches. The sun was shining and all was well. We were disappointed to see that all ninety town moorings were already taken and when I called Payne's he said he could try to fit us in but we would have to be rafted to another boat and he just didn't make it sound very inviting. We looked at all the boats anchored and thought, hey how bad can it be. We motored our Ericson 38 over to the anchorage area. Due to the fact I am terrified to operate our boat in small areas, I do the dropping and lifting of the anchor. The first three times we tried to anchor we used the Danforth anchor. During the third drop a nice gentleman dinghy'd over and told my husband that the Danforth would never work and we need to switch. So we switched to the CQR anchor, which happened to be buried under the v-berth and had sails on top of that. So as my husband/captain continued to keep the boat safe, I ran below to get the new anchor, which I pushed up and through the forward hatch. The funny part, I believe the Danforth was actually set because I could barely bring it up and it was covered with mud and large clams. But the decision had been made to switch so I followed captain's orders. We attempted to anchor three times with the much heavier anchor with no luck. I happened to look up between breaths, sweat and close to tears and to my horror the distant skies were not dark but black. The winds were starting to pick up in a way that I had never seen before. The winds were soon 45 knots and we began to see how many boats were poorly anchored. Sailboat and motorboats alike began crashing into each other. You could hear people reporting to the harbor master that unmanned boats were causing damage to other boats and that boats were loose with no one onboard. It was complete chaos and if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have never believed it. Behind us were three large motor boats whose anchor lines were now tangled. Someone had to dingy to the anchor lines and pull on the anchors onto the dinghy and detangle it that way. Many of these boats didn't have owners on them. I would assume most of them were enjoying the beach because fifteen minutes previously, it was a beautiful day. The people who worked at the boat yard were responding amazingly calm. I was told this is due to the fact this is so common in Block Island.
The weather returned to calm and sunny within twenty minutes. I however was physically and mentally spent. We tried to get a mooring or a dock and it was impossible. At 7:30pm we motored over to a private mooring and picked up an empty mooring that belong to the BIYC. I was prepared to pay any fee but no one came for money or to throw us off. First thing in the morning we found an empty town mooring and enjoyed the rest of our stay in Block Island. It is a beautiful island and is worth a visit. I however would never arrive on a weekend day or late afternoon on a Friday. We spoke to fellow boaters about what had taken place and of course they said we should have stayed with the Danforth but they also said that anchorage difficulties and squalls were a common occurrence on Block Islands. The sail back was beautiful and I will return someday...&#8230;..maybe. 

JK


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

I have sailed to Block Island over a dozen times and always anchored. This includes at least twice on the July 4th weekend! I have learned to set two anchors (Danforths) at about 90 degrees apart. This gives me "insurance" and reduces swinging. It can be a bit tough to find a spot with enough but not too much depth. To get a town mooring you need to circle in the morning and get one just as it is vacated. They are never available after about noon. Too much trouble for me. 

Despite all this, Block Island is a great place. I can assure you my wife and I will be anchored in New Harbor for at least a few days next month during our annual cruise.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

The problem in a crowded harbor with a 2 anchor rig is that your anchor swinging circle is constrained and other boats with a single hook will swing into you as the tide changes. Unless th others around you are all on 2 hooks...I would not do that. Better to use one oversized anchor that is right for the job at hand...in this case...a Fortress on the "mud setting" .


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Cam's got a very good point... you don't want to have a reduced swinging circle if the other boats do not—there's a really good chance that you'll get hit by one of the other boats.


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

Unfortunately in a "tight" anchorage like Block in the summer, everyone's on short scope for the depth. The two anchors allow me to be to be on a bit more scope on each and still not swing excessively. I have done this in the Block anchorage many times, with wind shifts, thunderstorms, etc. and not had problems. I would prefer to be on one anchor with proper scope, but that is just not possible.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Jim...I understand your situation and the reason for your decisions but let me point out why your decision to put out 2 anchors is unfair to other boaters trying to use the anchorage. 
When you go to 2 anchors, it basically holds your boat in one place. To other boaters coming into the anchorage or to those near you on one anchor already...your boat is now the equivilent of a large piling stuck in the bottom. Therefore they must either anchor far enough away from you that their swinging circle does not intersect the "piling", or put out two anchors theselves or move. Normally with one anchor, all the boats swing at anchor together and if you are "clear" when you drop your hook, you are clear if the wind shifts as well. 
Boaters using 2 anchors where others are already swinging on one should havethe courtesy to anchor at the edge of the anchorage so as not to force others to compensate for their actions. This is common courtesy. On the other hand...if one comes into an anchorage where others are on a dual rode...it is discorteous todeploya single rode.

Jim...I am not picking on you personally but trying to make a point for others reading as the issue is a common one in crowded anchorages in lots of places and part time cruisers often don't have a great understanding of how their anchoring decisions can affect others and what standard anchoring "protocol" is among cruisers. 

While I am on my rant...let me mention another common occurence. You are safely anchored on 60 feet of rode in a 10 ft deep bottom for several days. Along comes a boat that pulls up in back of you and lets out 120 ft. of rode...with no understanding that when the tide changes, his boat will be rafted up with yours! Always ask about others rode when you deploy more than the standard 6:1 or so yourself!! 

Bottom line: When anchoring, common courtesy dictates that you position your boat and rode in a way that does not immediately or in the future cause others to adjust their own.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Yes, cam's point is correct... you should never enter an anchorage and then anchor in such a way that the people who were there before you have to adjust their anchors or rodes. It is just common courtesy to do that.


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## SanderO (Jul 12, 2007)

*CT to BI*

You have a few choice to pass from LIS to BIS. The most common ones, Plum Gut and the Race will usually have fisherman bobbing around... but they will usually move away to a vessel making way. But it can be unnerving.

The current seems to run strongest at Race Point and at Plum Gut, but you can pass also at Old Silas Rock which is buoyed east of Plum Island and West of Gull Island. The current there is not as firece, but stil runs strong.

It is best to have your motor on when doing the Gut or the Race in anything but favorable conditions as the current will set you east or west depending on whether it's ebbing or flooding. At fill ebb or flood it's a roiling mess... with a decent motor you can pass through against the current at about 2 knots.

Making the passage with the current make a huge difference in the time the passage takes and can either add a couple or subtract a couple of knots from your SOG for several hours! That would be the differnce between say... 4knots and 8 knots! I've roared through the race at SOG as high as 11 in a stiff NW blow. WOW did that fly by!

The race route also takes you into the course that the subs use to come and go from Groton. We've seen them many times and when they are moving their bow wakes are enourmous!

Entering or leaving Great Salt Pond can be done under sail in the prevailing SW, but the channel is narrow so observe the rules of the road

Block Island is always too crowded with boats which anchor too close to one another, with inadaqute scope and improperly set anchors. Too many raft ups as well... and much of the water is quite deep over 25'. The squall story described above is not uncommon. I think there is a lot of eel grass there as well, but I am not sure. It's not an "easy" anchorage by any means. We have all chain and a windlass so anchoring is much less stressful for us.

We once lost our starter motor so we had to spend a week in the anchorage... we went as far to the north to avoid as many boats as possible and hope for the best. It worked out, but it is a very long haul into the dock at the Oars.

The island itself is lovely, but mostly in early Spring or Fall when most of the summer crowds are gone from the anchorage and the Island. We avoid it in high season now.

Jef
sv shiva


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## christyleigh (Dec 17, 2001)

My opinion on Plum Gut vs the Race is a bit jaded by the fact that the only time through the Gut was very uncomfortable. We left Shelter Island to head down LISound with the tide but against the prevailing SWesterly which stacked up the waves at the Gut making the wave bashing while looking at the rock lined land very disconcerting. On the other hand many times with (mostly by luck) and sometime against the Race I've either gained or lost some time with SOG but never gotten a queasy feeling in my stomach. Just a comfort level and trip enjoyment observation.


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## SanderO (Jul 12, 2007)

In addition, the "Gut" has the New London, Block Island, Foxwood and Plum Island ferries to deal with. It's best to do it in good visibity with a fair or no wind and it can get very sloshy with wind against the current. 

If the voyage is a long one it is almost always batter to wait three hours for a slack tide and then a fair tide toward your destination. If you are sailing East or West for more than 6 hours in the Sound you will see the tide direction change. No way around that one

jef
sv shiva


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## Brezzin (Dec 4, 2006)

I still don't get why you would use Plum gut to go to BI. From Westbrook using the gut would add miles lots of miles with no benefit. If you stay north of Long Sand Shole to the CT river. ( I always hated crossing the shole watching the depth go from 60 feet to 10 inside of a hundred feet is a little unnerving) BI is a pretty direct route through the race. Going south of the shole is still a better route than taking a right through the gut. It makes no sense


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