- Status
- Not open for further replies.
P
Pete
Watch Hill
Try the Watch Hill/Napa Tree R.I. area, it will be a all day cruise from Stratford to get there but a nice weekend trip!
Try the Watch Hill/Napa Tree R.I. area, it will be a all day cruise from Stratford to get there but a nice weekend trip!
B
Bob Zolczer
Port Jeff or Thimble Islands
Port Jefferson is about 12 miles South. Good holding ground; sheltered anchorage lots of things to do in the village; nice beaches. Turn right after the 1st buoy past the breakwaters. Thimble Islands is 20 miles East. Lovely setting; sheltered anchorages; be careful going in.
Port Jefferson is about 12 miles South. Good holding ground; sheltered anchorage lots of things to do in the village; nice beaches. Turn right after the 1st buoy past the breakwaters. Thimble Islands is 20 miles East. Lovely setting; sheltered anchorages; be careful going in.
C
Carl and Juliana Dupre
Watch Hill is Great, but....
We would second the recommendation of Watch Hill. The anchoring area is real good holding ground, and pretty well protected. Watch Hill is a neat little town as well; it really is a lovely spot and its a good sailing area. But make certain that you do a VERY good chart review before trying it. The entrance channel is positively torturous; you need to go all the way around by Stonington Point; can't just go in behind Napatree Point; 2 feet deep. Even then, there are areas in the entrance channel that are less than 5 feet. It's worth it as a neat stop-over spot; just be real careful. C and J s/v Syzygy
We would second the recommendation of Watch Hill. The anchoring area is real good holding ground, and pretty well protected. Watch Hill is a neat little town as well; it really is a lovely spot and its a good sailing area. But make certain that you do a VERY good chart review before trying it. The entrance channel is positively torturous; you need to go all the way around by Stonington Point; can't just go in behind Napatree Point; 2 feet deep. Even then, there are areas in the entrance channel that are less than 5 feet. It's worth it as a neat stop-over spot; just be real careful. C and J s/v Syzygy
D
david lewis
Watch Hill Revisited
While I agree that you need to follow the channel into the Napatree point region to anchor up you are understating the benefits of this wonderful area. I have been transitting this channel for 16 years and have never once gone aground with a 5'7" keel. Just stay in the channel and you are fine, just the wakes from powerboats to worry about. The really great thing about this is the beach. One of the best in New England by far. First beach in Rhode Island that is open to the ocean so you get nice breakers on surfs-up days and can body surf the waves. There is also great scuba diving and spear fishing off napatree point, the water has great visibility as you are just outside the sound and get clean ocean water. The town is a typical tourist trap but up and over the hill and you get to another beach that is as good or better than Napatree. Right next to the Coast Guard station you get nice breaking waves as it is a nice gradual floor for the waves to build up and break, very good surfing spot. You can walk this beach for 5 miles or so all the way past Misquamicutt if you like the hike. My only gripe is it is so close to me I take it for granted and tend to go other places for the adventure. When I kept the boat in Westbrook it was a nice day sail and I would use Little Narragansett bay as a week vacation destination spot in my Catalina 25. No mooring so you live on a hook but the bottom is good as noted, it is open to the west and the currents can get a little squirelly toward the west side of the anchorage. There is always plenty of room to anchor with a lot of scope so set the hook well (mud bottom) with a lot of scope, back down to make sure it holds (I've seen a few boats drag that didn't set the hook right in a real blow) and then relax. Don't try to get too close to the beach stay a ways out and you won't get crowded by the small powerboat crowd on weekends. The good beach is on the opposite side of the dunes from the anchorage, watch out for ticks walking the trails over the dunes to the beach and check yourself afterwards, lyme disease is a real threat. have fun
While I agree that you need to follow the channel into the Napatree point region to anchor up you are understating the benefits of this wonderful area. I have been transitting this channel for 16 years and have never once gone aground with a 5'7" keel. Just stay in the channel and you are fine, just the wakes from powerboats to worry about. The really great thing about this is the beach. One of the best in New England by far. First beach in Rhode Island that is open to the ocean so you get nice breakers on surfs-up days and can body surf the waves. There is also great scuba diving and spear fishing off napatree point, the water has great visibility as you are just outside the sound and get clean ocean water. The town is a typical tourist trap but up and over the hill and you get to another beach that is as good or better than Napatree. Right next to the Coast Guard station you get nice breaking waves as it is a nice gradual floor for the waves to build up and break, very good surfing spot. You can walk this beach for 5 miles or so all the way past Misquamicutt if you like the hike. My only gripe is it is so close to me I take it for granted and tend to go other places for the adventure. When I kept the boat in Westbrook it was a nice day sail and I would use Little Narragansett bay as a week vacation destination spot in my Catalina 25. No mooring so you live on a hook but the bottom is good as noted, it is open to the west and the currents can get a little squirelly toward the west side of the anchorage. There is always plenty of room to anchor with a lot of scope so set the hook well (mud bottom) with a lot of scope, back down to make sure it holds (I've seen a few boats drag that didn't set the hook right in a real blow) and then relax. Don't try to get too close to the beach stay a ways out and you won't get crowded by the small powerboat crowd on weekends. The good beach is on the opposite side of the dunes from the anchorage, watch out for ticks walking the trails over the dunes to the beach and check yourself afterwards, lyme disease is a real threat. have fun
P
Pat Spino
L.I. Anchorages
Let's not forget Block Island's great salt pond. A MUST if you navn't been there. It's an easy entrance and a nice easy sail from Watch Hill or Mystic. Also, there is a yacht club in Old Saybrook shortly after the Conn. Rv. entrance breakewaters, on the left. I would have to check my log for the name and other details. However, they have a policy which alows anyone to pick up an available mooring. Such moorings are identified by a yellow ribbon tied to the mooring. Good Luck, PAT
Let's not forget Block Island's great salt pond. A MUST if you navn't been there. It's an easy entrance and a nice easy sail from Watch Hill or Mystic. Also, there is a yacht club in Old Saybrook shortly after the Conn. Rv. entrance breakewaters, on the left. I would have to check my log for the name and other details. However, they have a policy which alows anyone to pick up an available mooring. Such moorings are identified by a yellow ribbon tied to the mooring. Good Luck, PAT
T
Tom
Some Western LI Sound Anchorages..
I think Norwalk and the Norwalk Islands surrounding them are very nice. You can pull up to the town dock,eat, drink and party in town and stay over night relatively cheap or anchor somewhere in the harbor. Next I think Huntington harbor is nice to visit. On the way in if you go east at the Lighthouse you can anchor in Llyod Harbor for the night. If you go east you can visit Northport a very nice town and very well protected. There is a town dock (non-floating) that you can tie up to and spend some time walking around. Another anchorage could be spend sometime in is the Coast Guard station at Eatons Point.All in all you can spend a whole weekend exploring Huntington harbor. Then you can go just east of that to Oyster bay and do the same sort of thing....All pretty well protected from the prevailing westerly winds. But my favorite spot is the "Sand Hole" which is at Llyods Point, the nothern tip of land between Huntington harbor and Oyster Bay. This is an isolated (no cars can only hike or boat to it) spot with a mansion or two on the land (south) side. It is a bit tricky to get in, try and follow another sailboat in and go in on a rising tide. If you do touch going in its not a big deal because its only mud or sand. Once in you can anchor most anywhere but there is one shallow spot so I would look closely at your chart. There can be a lot bof boats at times but it is a very nice atmosphere....sometimes like one big party Farther West there is Port Washington and City Island Enjoy
I think Norwalk and the Norwalk Islands surrounding them are very nice. You can pull up to the town dock,eat, drink and party in town and stay over night relatively cheap or anchor somewhere in the harbor. Next I think Huntington harbor is nice to visit. On the way in if you go east at the Lighthouse you can anchor in Llyod Harbor for the night. If you go east you can visit Northport a very nice town and very well protected. There is a town dock (non-floating) that you can tie up to and spend some time walking around. Another anchorage could be spend sometime in is the Coast Guard station at Eatons Point.All in all you can spend a whole weekend exploring Huntington harbor. Then you can go just east of that to Oyster bay and do the same sort of thing....All pretty well protected from the prevailing westerly winds. But my favorite spot is the "Sand Hole" which is at Llyods Point, the nothern tip of land between Huntington harbor and Oyster Bay. This is an isolated (no cars can only hike or boat to it) spot with a mansion or two on the land (south) side. It is a bit tricky to get in, try and follow another sailboat in and go in on a rising tide. If you do touch going in its not a big deal because its only mud or sand. Once in you can anchor most anywhere but there is one shallow spot so I would look closely at your chart. There can be a lot bof boats at times but it is a very nice atmosphere....sometimes like one big party Farther West there is Port Washington and City Island Enjoy
P
Paul Akers
Lake Montauk
Nice place to visit, but arrive on a rising tide. The channel going in can be intimidating because it winds back & forth, but the quiet and solitude is unbeleivable. Pay CLOSE attention to the channel because everything else is mud.
Nice place to visit, but arrive on a rising tide. The channel going in can be intimidating because it winds back & forth, but the quiet and solitude is unbeleivable. Pay CLOSE attention to the channel because everything else is mud.
P
Paul Bogacki
Nice anchorage
There is a nice place across the Sound and it is called Port Jefferson. You can anchor all most anymore, or you can go in closer to town and pickup and mooring (reservations might be needed for the weekend)there are 3 placed there. Port Jeff YC for one Town Marina, and Setucket YC the other. If you have a dink you could anchor out and take the dink into town.
There is a nice place across the Sound and it is called Port Jefferson. You can anchor all most anymore, or you can go in closer to town and pickup and mooring (reservations might be needed for the weekend)there are 3 placed there. Port Jeff YC for one Town Marina, and Setucket YC the other. If you have a dink you could anchor out and take the dink into town.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.