I have an interview in Hartford this week. If we relocate there: 1) How does sailing Long Island Sound compare to Lake Erie (Sandusky Bay)? 2) Is my Hunter 31 OK for those waters? 3) Any recommendations for marinas? 4) Do you have to pull the boat every winter like we do in Ohio? 5) Any Yacht Clubs similar to Sandusky Yacht Club? 6) Anything else I should know???????? Thanks, Craig
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LIS sailing is fantastic. Tons of places to go within an easy sailing distance. Racing is very competative and there's plenty of it. There are loads of YC's to choose from, from the very prim and proper to the more relaxed easy going. Yes you will haulout for winter and as for marinas I'm on the LI side so that will need some suggetions from our northern skippers.
Great Place To Sail But.....
The 120 mile drive to and from Hartford on I 91 / I 95 will drive you nuts. I live just 8 miles inland, have a H 31 and I put it on the hard every winter from the end of Nov. to the middle of March. Some Captains leave their boats in all year. Same price less the hauls. My marina charges $3800.00 a year for my H31 with a haul, jack stands, spring launch and a summer floating island slip with no electric or water. A lot of marinas have waiting lists for slips. You may have to drive even longer. My marina, Captain's Cove has had a few open slips for the last two years. All Yacht Clubs that I know about have long waiting lists from 2-10 years and will cost you another $2,000 plus. By the way....Connecticut's number one past time is paying TAXES!
The 120 mile drive to and from Hartford on I 91 / I 95 will drive you nuts. I live just 8 miles inland, have a H 31 and I put it on the hard every winter from the end of Nov. to the middle of March. Some Captains leave their boats in all year. Same price less the hauls. My marina charges $3800.00 a year for my H31 with a haul, jack stands, spring launch and a summer floating island slip with no electric or water. A lot of marinas have waiting lists for slips. You may have to drive even longer. My marina, Captain's Cove has had a few open slips for the last two years. All Yacht Clubs that I know about have long waiting lists from 2-10 years and will cost you another $2,000 plus. By the way....Connecticut's number one past time is paying TAXES!
The Best
Speaking as someone born and raised here, Conn. is a great place to live, work and sail. Patrick is correct, the traffic on 95 can be daunting, especially west of New Haven. The solution: keep your boat in the water east of New Haven. If you work in Hartford, you can live in one of the communities south of there and have great access to LI Sound. Some places to check out: Branford (where I am): several marinas, including a Brewer's (big, New England chain) with pool, restaurant, chandlery, etc. Westbrook: Pilot's Point Marina. Enormous full service facility Old Saybrook, Lyme, East Lyme, Mystic, Stonington, etc. Lots of marinas, but beware, some of them are north of the railroad and you will need to deal with the bridge opening schedules. Wherever you are on the Conn. shoreline, there are lots of ports and harbors to sail to. The north shore of Long Island, Block Island, Watch Hill, Newport, all of Narragansett Bay, Martha's Vinyard, Nantucket, and further north to Maine. I have no idea what the Sandusky Yacht Club is like, but the Branford YC is a very low-key affair. I believe you can join anytime, but the last I heard, there was a two or three year wait for a mooring, and a three year wait after that for a slip. I don't belong, but know many who do. My marina is very much a no frills, do-it yourself kind of place. My dock has water but no elec. and goes for $57 foot for the season (May-Nov.). Winter storage is about $4 per square foot.
Speaking as someone born and raised here, Conn. is a great place to live, work and sail. Patrick is correct, the traffic on 95 can be daunting, especially west of New Haven. The solution: keep your boat in the water east of New Haven. If you work in Hartford, you can live in one of the communities south of there and have great access to LI Sound. Some places to check out: Branford (where I am): several marinas, including a Brewer's (big, New England chain) with pool, restaurant, chandlery, etc. Westbrook: Pilot's Point Marina. Enormous full service facility Old Saybrook, Lyme, East Lyme, Mystic, Stonington, etc. Lots of marinas, but beware, some of them are north of the railroad and you will need to deal with the bridge opening schedules. Wherever you are on the Conn. shoreline, there are lots of ports and harbors to sail to. The north shore of Long Island, Block Island, Watch Hill, Newport, all of Narragansett Bay, Martha's Vinyard, Nantucket, and further north to Maine. I have no idea what the Sandusky Yacht Club is like, but the Branford YC is a very low-key affair. I believe you can join anytime, but the last I heard, there was a two or three year wait for a mooring, and a three year wait after that for a slip. I don't belong, but know many who do. My marina is very much a no frills, do-it yourself kind of place. My dock has water but no elec. and goes for $57 foot for the season (May-Nov.). Winter storage is about $4 per square foot.
some bad news…
In Connecticut, you have to pay property tax - on all your property! That will include your boat (and also your car). Part of the price of living in socialist heaven. Sailing on the Sound is excellent. Winds, at least in my area, may be a little less than you'd prefer, especially in mid-summer, so the trick is to launch early in the Spring, stay in late in the Fall. Everyone I know takes their boat out of the water for the winter months. Mine goes to Port Milford Marina, where they're currently charging $45 a foot for the off-season. (Plus a fee for the mast if you have them take it down for you; a fee for shrinkwrapping if you want it, etc.) The guys at this marina are really helpful, and I'd recommend them.
In Connecticut, you have to pay property tax - on all your property! That will include your boat (and also your car). Part of the price of living in socialist heaven. Sailing on the Sound is excellent. Winds, at least in my area, may be a little less than you'd prefer, especially in mid-summer, so the trick is to launch early in the Spring, stay in late in the Fall. Everyone I know takes their boat out of the water for the winter months. Mine goes to Port Milford Marina, where they're currently charging $45 a foot for the off-season. (Plus a fee for the mast if you have them take it down for you; a fee for shrinkwrapping if you want it, etc.) The guys at this marina are really helpful, and I'd recommend them.
LIS sailing
As a general rule the Sound is wonderful sailing, but I would say that the wind is more reliable i.e. stronger) the further East you go, and its a little less crowded as well. Your boat is certailny of sufficient size to sail there. One of the greatest virtues of the sound and Connecticut shore north of the Sound is that there are great cruising destinations at whatever distance you want to go. it seems that every town has a nice harbor, and then there are places like Essex, Mystic and Newport which are simply not to be missed. I sail on the Long Island side, further East than the Sound, and its also an easy trip from Connecticut down to some wonderful places like Sag Harbor, Greenport, Shelter Island and Three Mile Harbor on our side.
As a general rule the Sound is wonderful sailing, but I would say that the wind is more reliable i.e. stronger) the further East you go, and its a little less crowded as well. Your boat is certailny of sufficient size to sail there. One of the greatest virtues of the sound and Connecticut shore north of the Sound is that there are great cruising destinations at whatever distance you want to go. it seems that every town has a nice harbor, and then there are places like Essex, Mystic and Newport which are simply not to be missed. I sail on the Long Island side, further East than the Sound, and its also an easy trip from Connecticut down to some wonderful places like Sag Harbor, Greenport, Shelter Island and Three Mile Harbor on our side.
lis
to quote w.c. fields, "i spent two years in hartford one sunday." all joking aside, the western part of the sound ain't hay either. the north shore east of new york city is one of the sailing treasures of the world, but not a secret. sail on weekdays whenever you can.
to quote w.c. fields, "i spent two years in hartford one sunday." all joking aside, the western part of the sound ain't hay either. the north shore east of new york city is one of the sailing treasures of the world, but not a secret. sail on weekdays whenever you can.
Sound Stuff
Craig, Long Island Sound is an interesting area--you're in protected waters but can still dart into and out of open seaways or shoreline bays. I am partial to the Eastern end because there's so much variety: tool along in peaceful Fisher's Island Sound or scoot out to the Atlantic side to go to Block Island or Newport. Everyone who sails in the Sound learns to get an early start to their day because the wind dies at 4pm and doesn't recover until 6pm--like clockwork, all Summer long. Your boat is an ideal Long Island Sound boat, a medium size coastal cruiser. PS if you move, look for housing in Eastern Connecticut--prices and scenery will be better!
Craig, Long Island Sound is an interesting area--you're in protected waters but can still dart into and out of open seaways or shoreline bays. I am partial to the Eastern end because there's so much variety: tool along in peaceful Fisher's Island Sound or scoot out to the Atlantic side to go to Block Island or Newport. Everyone who sails in the Sound learns to get an early start to their day because the wind dies at 4pm and doesn't recover until 6pm--like clockwork, all Summer long. Your boat is an ideal Long Island Sound boat, a medium size coastal cruiser. PS if you move, look for housing in Eastern Connecticut--prices and scenery will be better!
Hartford means look at Westbrook/Saybrook marinas
I should have mentioned in my previous post that if you live in metro Hartford traveling due south to the towns on the mouth of the Connecticut river (Westbrook, Saybrook, Clinton) will be your quickest, shortest trip, and fortunately there are many good marinas there. There are also a few marinas slightly upriver, but that takes some navigation time to exit into the sound on each trip.
I should have mentioned in my previous post that if you live in metro Hartford traveling due south to the towns on the mouth of the Connecticut river (Westbrook, Saybrook, Clinton) will be your quickest, shortest trip, and fortunately there are many good marinas there. There are also a few marinas slightly upriver, but that takes some navigation time to exit into the sound on each trip.
New London
I work in Hartford but live east of the river. Our boat is a 30 ft Pearson which gets us around just fine. New London and Mystic area marinas give good access to Block Island, Long Island, Newport RI is a days sail. You have to time things with the tidal currents to make the passage out of the sound as trying to sail against them is usually futile. Good luck!
I work in Hartford but live east of the river. Our boat is a 30 ft Pearson which gets us around just fine. New London and Mystic area marinas give good access to Block Island, Long Island, Newport RI is a days sail. You have to time things with the tidal currents to make the passage out of the sound as trying to sail against them is usually futile. Good luck!
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