# Patapsco River ( Rock Creek) to Long Island Sound to Mystic



## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

I need some recommendations for anchorages and marinas (towns) in the Long island Sound on the Conneticut and Long Island side for the adventure.  

A group (6 boats 35-42 ft) are coming from the Maryland Yacht Club early July 2008. Our plan to keep our mates happy (and you all know how important that is) is one day at anchor followed by a day at a marina. The itinerary will be:

*Fri evening*- 4 hour sail rondevous in Whorton Creek- a favorite of our group already
*Sat evening *- Reedy Island quiet anchorage 5 mi south of the east end of the C&D Canal Deleware side
*Sunday evening*- Utschs Marina, Cape May after a long "lovely motor" down the Delaware Bay
*Monday evening*- Manesquan anchorage...is this possible from Cape May
*Tuesday evening*- Liberty Marina next to the Statue of Liberty preparing for the Hells Gate adventure the next AM
*Wednesday*- up the East River to an anchorage( Conneticut or Long Island) (suggestions needed). I know a lot depends on the time of the tide up the East River, but how far up the sound could we get if we traversed that by 11 AM
*Thursday evening-* marina in Conneticut (suggestions?)
*Friday evening*- Mystic (is this possible) (Marina suggestion in Mystic?) Whats the total distnace from City Island to Mystic. (180 nm?)
*Saturday*- Mystic
*Sunday*- Mytic
*Monday evening*- anchorage somewhere in Conneticut(suggestions?)
*Tuesday evening *-marina in Conneticut/ Long island somewh close enough to do the East River down to Liberty marina (suggestions)
*Wednesday Evening*- Anchorage in Manesquan
*Thursday Evening*- Utches Marina Cape May
*Friday Evening*- Utches Marina Cape May
*Saturday Evening *Motor up the Delaware Bay anchored at Reedy Island or Bohemia River
*Sunday* -return to MYC

We would appreciate recommendations for anchorages and marinas in the Long Island Sound as well as a three night stay in a Mystic or near by marina.

Also are my distances to travel daily reasonable. We need time to anchor, raft up, have dinner and of course savor some good pinot noir.

Thanks


----------



## labatt (Jul 31, 2006)

Cape May to Manasquan would be a *very* long trip even in good seas (leave at dark o'clock and arrive at dark o'clock, maybe). It's usually more reasonable to go Cape May to Atlantic City to Manasquan.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I would also recommend that you not set your schedule in stone, since the weather gods tend to punish sailors on a set schedule. 

You really should make sure that the distances you cover each day are reasonable, and make alternate plans that can accommodate bad weather and poor winds. Motoring all day isn't any fun.

One other thing to consider... the trip up to Long Island is probably going to be with prevailing winds at the time-you should check the pilot charts... since it is often from the southwest... but the return trip may be a beat... which is a considerably slower point of sail for most boats. Just food for thought. _*Given that, it is probably unreasonable to expect to make the same distances on the return passage per day that you did on the outbound passage.*_


----------



## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Chef...my comments in red below.

*Fri evening*- 4 hour sail rondevous in Whorton Creek- a favorite of our group already
*Sat evening *- Reedy Island quiet anchorage 5 mi south of the east end of the C&D Canal Deleware side
*Sunday evening*- Utschs Marina, Cape May after a long "lovely motor" down the Delaware Bay
*Monday evening*- Manesquan anchorage...is this possible from Cape MaySuggest Atlantic City is a more realistic target.
*Tuesday evening*- Liberty Marina next to the Statue of Liberty preparing for the Hells Gate adventure the next AM
*Wednesday*- up the East River to an anchorage( Conneticut or Long Island) (suggestions needed). I know a lot depends on the time of the tide up the East River, but how far up the sound could we get if we traversed that by 11 AM With a morning passage out of Hell Gate, you should be able to make Oyster Bay or Northport (preferred) Harbor...Failing that there are nice marinas in Manhasset Bay.http://manhassetbaymarina.com/...Seymours moorings in Northport are reasonable and the launch service puts you right in the quaint down town area which the ladies will enjoy. 
*Thursday evening-* marina in Conneticut (suggestions?)Suggest staying on the LI side and heading to Greenport around Orient point. Nice town, several marinas, and a good jump off point for Mystic. If weather proves a problem...Port Jefferson is a shorter run alternative. 
*Friday evening*- Mystic (is this possible) (Marina suggestion in Mystic?) Whats the total distnace from City Island to Mystic. (180 nm?)

180 miles is about right...that is 3 60 NM days or 10 hour days at 6 knots if you are really pushing. I think the trip is ambitious for the time you are allowing if you want to stop each day and not do overnighters. If you have more time than indicated...it should be great. I am not that familiar with the Connecticut side of the sound and marinas there except in Mystic proper where the Brewer Yacht yard is first class: http://www.byy.com/mystic/index.cfm


----------



## labatt (Jul 31, 2006)

If you really want to do this whole trip in the time you have, you could rack up some offshore experience and head straight off of the Delaware and overnight to Hell Gate (note the spelling - it's not Hells Gate ), or perhaps make it more interesting and do the eastern rounding of Long Island to Mystic (which would definitely be offshore - about a 190nm trip from Cape May to Montauk - and you could stop at Block Island first if you want). If you do the trip offshore to Eastern Long Island I would outfit for being offshore - liferaft, EPIRB, etc. (great excuse for your wife to let you do a little toy shopping). Then you could take a little more time on your way back to home and stop at all the places you are interested in.


----------



## SailorMitch (Nov 18, 2005)

Agree with Dawg and some of the others that you have a chocked filled float plan with little room for error. What if things happen (not that that EVER happens on a long cruise of course) and you have to add 2-3 days at the end because of weather or gear issues? Disaster for some of your colleagues or not? 

BTW -- I've made the first part of this trip from Rock Creek to Cape May (then we headed south to Norfolk for a circumnavigation of the Delmarva). First day to Chesapeake City, second day to Cape May. Then 36 hours to Norfolk. Great trip, but I had to do it in 8 days and next time I'd like to take at least 14 to linger on the trip north up the bay.


----------



## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

*Thank you*

Thanks for all the replies. I laid out the schedule with perfect weather I agree, and we all know that that never happens. I really am shooting to make this an 18 day holiday. There is also wiggle room as included 3 days in Mystic and 2 in Cape may on the return.

I agree with your analaysis of the the return trip taking longer with a beat into the usual prevailing on shore flow ( I lived in Ocean City , New Jersey for 18 years and counted on that 1 PM wind shift every day for lively sailing) and think the return trip should therefore be Liberty Marina to Manesquan to Atlantic City to Cape May. I was hoping this same reasoning on the way to Mytic would allow a 6AM departure from Cape May to allow us 14 hours of daylight to get us to Manesquan thus picking up one day on the trip to Mystic...is that to agressive?

If it were up to me I would prefer the route around Mauntauk and one night overnight, but some of the others have less ocean experience and their mates are dead set against being left alone at the helm. Part of the purpose of this trip is to familiarize them with some ocean (blue water sailing)

Sailormitch...you are on Rock Creek also arent you. Would you be interested in joining?

Thanks for the anchorage and marina recommendations. I will start looking at that right away. I knew I could get some great information for you guys


----------



## SailorMitch (Nov 18, 2005)

chef2sail said:


> Sailormitch...you are on Rock Creek also arent you. Would you be interested in joining?


Chef -- Not this year. I have committed to another Delmarva circumnavigation with a couple of other boats and will do that. Of course, someone is always planning a Delmarva this time of year, or so it seems. I've made the trip once (in 2001) and would like to do it again and spend more time in the southern bay for the return trip home. But let's keep in touch about plans for next season.


----------



## Bermudahigh (Nov 17, 2007)

*Chef*

I think your schedule, while aggressive can be done if the weather gods are in good humor. If not, suggest you have places like OC instead of Atlantic City as alternatives, unless the glow of casino lights are magic to the other folks. I also agree with Labatt. Straight shot off of the GE bell to Block, makes for a nice off shore passage, fishing along the way. Good luck and good sailing. joe/OCNJ


----------



## jasonr575 (Sep 12, 2006)

if you are looking to stay in conn for a night consider the conn river. 1 mile up is essex. nice town with several marinas, nice resturants and some good bars. also there is the conn river musieum. never been there but hear it is nice. there are several marinas to choose from try old lyme marina (this is where i am in the summer. has a very nice mooring field) betweend the bridges in old saybrook or if you are into high end marinas try saybrook point. there are more. if you are interested in the area let me know we can talk and i will get you whatever info you want. would also be nice to see some sailnet members in my area. 
jason


----------



## denby (Feb 21, 2007)

Long Island sound has a nick name, "The dead sea" We don't call it that for nothing. Took a trip last July for seven days and for three days the trip was called "in search of wind".


----------



## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

I guess depending on the boats and crews involved, I'd jump out of the Delaware, make one long passage to the eastern end of Long Island Sound. While it means a day or two at sea, it would allow you to pick your weather window and cut days out of the trip north which would allow a more reasonable schedule coming home. Otherwise, you are talking about two pretty tough deliveries back to back. It's not my idea of fun. 

One more suggestion, would be to break this into two or three trips. Get you boat up to the Sound, Leave the boat up there, catch your breath, go home, do some work if you must, spend a week poking around the Sound. And then catch a norther and come back home when you can. 

Respectfully,
Jeff


----------

