Anchorages east of mystic Ct……

Rich Stidger · Sep 8, 2023

West harbor on Fishers Island. Stonington just inside the breakwater. Watch Hill- good but 30 minutes to get into the anchorage and a tricky entrance.

Rick486 · Sep 8, 2023

NYSail said:
Hello all,
Out in block and heading home (Mt. Sinai) Sunday….. tide combined with weather completely is not in our favor. We have never anchored on the Ct coast other than Charles Island. Long Island has mattituck but our arrival would coincide with low tide and getting up the river is a pain. I know there is duck island in Westbrook but the exposure leaves you out there. Was going to stop in fishers, stay Monday for the rain and then jump on the flow into LI Sound Tuesday. Any other suggestions for us to break the trip and not get a slip.

thanks
Greg

I don't see a better routing than your suggested. For this trip I prefer hugging the north fork with even a weak southerly. Lots of funky current on the CT side with an ebbing tide. I haven't been in West Harbor in maybe 5 years but there once was exploring to do. Also you may be able to rent a mooring for a lay over. Then you will be positioned for an early departure to catch as much of the flood as possible.
Fair winds.......

jviss · Sep 8, 2023

There's a pretty good, big anchorage off of Stonnington, CT. Free, if you throw the hook. Can get foggy over there.

Captain Larry-DH · Sep 8, 2023

jviss said:
There's a pretty good, big anchorage off of Stonnington, CT. Free, if you throw the hook. Can get foggy over there.

In Stonington Harbor, about 100 yards north of the breakwater.. Not “off”. It’s marked by 2 white buoys along the channel labeled ”anchorage”. The whole area from there to the west shore is free of moorings. Public dinghy dock next to the white cupola on the east shore. Great walking town, beautiful colonial era homes and nice shops/restaurants.

jviss · Sep 8, 2023

Captain Larry-DH said:
Not “off”.

What does "Not “off"" mean?

kappykaplan · Sep 8, 2023

jviss said:
What does "Not “off"" mean?

North of, not North off?

Captain Larry-DH · Sep 8, 2023

@NYSail I think you nailed it. There’s also a nice little anchorage just east of Ram Island in FIS. Duck Island Rodes is fine in anything under 10 knots of wind, and there!s not much fetch from the NW, N, NE or E. If you expect a strong SW then you may want to consider anchoring off the beach on LI’s north shore. As harbors have become more and more filled with moorings - when the weather is settled I’ve found it a convenient option to anchor off a windward shore in an otherwise unprotected anchorage. Saves time, too.
See image showing where we anchored outside Plymouth Harbor on the way up and back from Maine this summer. We were wide open to the E and NE for the entire width of Cape Cod Bay.

Captain Larry-DH · Sep 8, 2023

jviss said:
What does "Not “off"" mean?

In Stonington harbor means within the boundaries of Stonington. Not “off“ Stonington (“off“ would be outside the harbor in Fishers Island Sound, or Little Narragansett Bay, or perhaps near the outer breakwater south of Stonington Borough).

jviss · Sep 8, 2023

Captain Larry-DH said:
In Stonington harbor mens within the boundaries of Stonington. Not “off“ Stonington (“off“ would be outside the harbor in Fishers Island Sound, or Little Narragansett Bay, or perhaps near the outer breakwater south of Stonington Borough).

That's not what I meant, I meant just outside of mainland Stonnington, the common vernacular usage to the term off. But I get your meaning.