# Weekend Cruising from Boston to New York City



## Zzzeb (Feb 23, 2012)

Our Cape Cod 30 is now in Boston and we live in New York City. We'd like to sail her down to New York City in increments on weekends only. We need to find moorings and transportation along the way. Has anyone ever done this? We're looking for suggestions for safe, inexpensive places to moor her during the week, with an eye to transportation back to NYC. A lot to ask I fear? Thanks for any suggestions.


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## Tim R. (Mar 23, 2003)

I did a trip from Portland Maine to Stamford, CT a couple of years ago. We started Friday and made it to Stamford Sunday non-stop. We took the train back to Maine.

Amtrak runs mostly along the coastline of CT and RI.

You will possibly have to do some motoring to make certain destinations. 2 weekends should do it.

First Weekend, train to Boston friday night.
Start at first light Saturday through the canal(this will take proper timing) and stay Saturday night in western Buzzards bay(mattapoisett, New Bedford) or even Newport if you make good time. Sunday, up early and make New London. Amtrak back to NYC. 

2nd Weekend, you should be able to get to eastern CT Saturday. Sunday to NYC.


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

Your biggest issue would be travling with the current when you reach LIS and again towards NYC as it is pretty FAST on the esstern narrow sections with speeds of up to 5 Knots which makes things really fast or really slow 

http://hudson.dl.stevens-tech.edu/maritimeforecast/

Stevens is your friend on this and is much better than the eldridge

Also be aware the CT side has lost several large boat yards in the last few months and several thousand some odd slips


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## RobGallagher (Aug 22, 2001)

As soon as you enter into CT Amtrak runs right along the coast and there are several rail stations withing walking distance of marinas. Bus stations as well.
Block Island airport runs flights to Boston.
Tweed (New Haven) flights to Boston?

Are you transiting the canal? As others said, timing the currents of BI, FI, and LI sound are important.

Plenty of marinas that's for sure.

I would set up two schedules for each weekend. One with a long day of sailing and one with a short day of sailing in case the weather turns to ****e or you run into problems.


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## Zzzeb (Feb 23, 2012)

*Weekend Cruising From Boston to NYC*

Thanks for your responses. We appreciate all the information we can get. We live on Roosevelt Island in the East River and are aware of the intense currents thwarting those who attempt Hell Gate. Any thoughts on how to do this inexpensively regarding mooring in Marina's or any other safe places to leave our boat. Thanks


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## peterchech (Sep 2, 2011)

tommays said:


> Your biggest issue would be travling with the current when you reach LIS and again towards NYC as it is pretty FAST on the esstern narrow sections with speeds of up to 5 Knots which makes things really fast or really slow
> 
> Stevens Maritime Center: Urban Ocean Observatory
> 
> ...


Thanks to the link to that current calculator, but the time is in 48 units not 24, for the same date. How does one read this?


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## Tim R. (Mar 23, 2003)

Cheap means anchoring. Do you have sufficient ground tackle and skills so you can leave the boat for weeks at a time trusting that the boat will not move through multiple wind shifts?

If, not, your best bet is probably a mooring. Pricing should be similar between different marinas. Yacht clubs may be a better bet.

Either way, you have to consider how you get to shore. Some marinas have launches, some don't. Plan on having a dinghy with you.


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## FishSticks (Nov 16, 2007)

Unless you are very lucky you will be motorsailing for most of the trip. It's about 24 hr from Boston to Noank provided you catch the tide just right in the CC Canal and the Watch Hill Passage. (Which you must do.) Noank is very convenient and close to Amtrak. Once you reach there you can move the boat along the rest of the way with comparative ease. Don't know where you will find inexpensive weekly mooring. It would be less costly and vastly easier to make it in one trip. Might be just your luck to have the boat stashed somewhere which may not be ideal, or overly expensive, then have the weather turn foul the following weekend and force you to keep the boat there an extra week.

Whatever you do, you must post a report here.

Good luck!


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## RobGallagher (Aug 22, 2001)

Mooring fees are gonna run you about 40 bucks a night. If you plan on staying in Noank, I might be able to get you a deal at a small marina that offers moorings, he's pretty reasonable/negotiable if there is an open spot.

You could anchor just north of the Mystic seaport for a few nights, not to far from the train station.

You could also anchor or get a mooring in Watch Hill RI or up the Pawcatuck River into Westerly RI. There is a train station there.

Either place, I will give you a ride to the train station if I'm not at work and try to keep an eye on your boat while you are gone.


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## Zzzeb (Feb 23, 2012)

We to have sufficient tackle and the skill to secure the boat and a dinghy, but it's true we'd be concerned someone might sail off with both of them. Probably a marina is the way to go.


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## Zzzeb (Feb 23, 2012)

Rob, LOL, Thank you for your generous offer. I'm starting to get excited thinking about this. I've got to get my husband on this post as well. He's the experience navigator here.


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

peterchech said:


> Thanks to the link to that current calculator, but the time is in 48 units not 24, for the same date. How does one read this?


Its real data from current bouys  and you can advance it and hour at a time and observe were and when the current is strongest and just adjust your time and decide if you want to be on the north or south side of the sound or even the middle 

Its a step above the Eldridge as it does change with wind dirrection and speed


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## Zzzeb (Feb 23, 2012)

Rob, LOL. Thanks, we may well take you up on this. I think I need to get my husband in on this discussion as he is the true navigator among us.


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## Zzzeb (Feb 23, 2012)

*Member Less than a Week*

I look forward to further discussion with Jim and others regarding the trip from Boston to NYC, however I haven't been a member of Sail Net for 7 days yet, so I can't send a direct e-mail. Thanks for the offer to talk.


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## BostonSailor (Sep 14, 2010)

For first weekend: Boston through the CC Canal can be done in one day but you must time the current. There is a nice mooring field in Onset just beyond the Canal. Next day you can make Newport or Jamestown. I've done that hop a bunch and have taken a bus back to Boston.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Check out Amtrak and the LIRR schedules. On the North Shore of LI from Port Jefferson and Oyster Bay you can easily hop a train into Manhattan, less frequent service east of Port Jeff even into Northport, which is very sheltered too.

Once you are in the Sound, hopping down on either shore is easy, although marina prices won't be cheap.


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## svzephyr44 (Jun 26, 2000)

I have done this passage a couple of times. I agree with the advice take a couple of extra days and do the entire trip in one pass. I am a full time live aboard and would never leave my boat at anchor for a week after just dropping the hook. In fact I usually don't go very far for at least 24 and preferably 48 hours after dropping the hook. Even so I have dragged more than once after a "secure" set. From a cost standpoint my guess is that if you add up all the mooring fees or marina fees, the cost of transportation to and from the boat, etc. you could hire a delivery captain for less then you are going to burn trying to move the boat over two weekends. Also, not only are the tides/currents important but so are the winds. Having made a favorable current passage through the Cape Cod Canal only to confront 15 knots on the bow and standing waves in the Bay I can tell you that your speed of advance, even under power can go all over the place - not to mention the discomfort.

An alternative would be to hire the delivery Captain to bring the boat part way - then finish the trip yourself - for example bring it down to the North Shore of Long Island past "The Race" and have it available to you on Friday night or Saturday morning to continue the trip for the weekend. Open for comment from full time Long Island Sound sailors but I would plan on tucking in on the North Shore rather than Connecticut - I think there are more protected harbors along the way.


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