Planning a maiden voyage from Mystic to Quincy Ma. Any suggestions on course. Have 4 days to do this so won,t have to push it too much. Suggestions for stayovers and best time to go through canal. Areas to avoid etc. This is planned for mid April of 2023.
Mystic to Quincy
- Thread starter Russell26
- Start date
Been through the canal many times, always timed to coincide with the favorable tide. Lots of options for over-nights depending on how long you prefer to sail.
Careful when leaving Mystic, there are lots of rocks on the north side of Fishers Island. Plenty of harbors to stay in as Don says (Block Island, Newport, Cuttyhunk...). Definitely transit the canal with the current - you can overnight in Red Brook Harbor in Pocasset, MA just outside the canal to be ready for the next favorable tide. At the east end of the canal, you can stay in the East Boat Basin if coming through late in the day.
The tide tables can be confusing as to the relevant current direction, I use the acronym FEEW, which stands for "Flood goes East, Ebb goes West".
My preferred ports for this trip would be a Newport, Pocasset, and Scituate, then to Quincy. Each leg is manageable in a day, the ports are nice places to visit with services, making an easy trip in four daylight legs. Pocasset to Quincy can be done in a long day.
My preferred ports for this trip would be a Newport, Pocasset, and Scituate, then to Quincy. Each leg is manageable in a day, the ports are nice places to visit with services, making an easy trip in four daylight legs. Pocasset to Quincy can be done in a long day.
Sound advice from Sailfanatic. The website below might help with visualizing the tide tables (it defaults to the PNW so you'll need to zoom out and find your area of interest - like the Cape Cod Canal). Select your date and hit "Play" and it will show you ebb and flood directions along with dynamic magnitude. You can then compare this to your interpretation of the tide tables.
Deep Zoom
At least for MA, weather trends can make mid April hit or miss relative to hours/availability for some services like launches,moorings, fuel docks/etc. Recommend calling ahead to confirm.
Good luck, should be a fun trip.
Deep Zoom
At least for MA, weather trends can make mid April hit or miss relative to hours/availability for some services like launches,moorings, fuel docks/etc. Recommend calling ahead to confirm.
Good luck, should be a fun trip.
Disagree about Newport it’s a significant detour. You’re going to lose a half day if you follow that advice. Study the charts and guides. There are better anchorages and harbors for an overnight stop.
edit: Westport is not one of them although it’s a beautiful stop but it’s risky in and out (swift currents and shoals make it tricky).
Hey,
I don't have many comments except to note that April will be COLD! The water will be very cold and even if it's warm on land it will be COLD on the water.
You have 120nm to travel so 3 40 mile days would do it. I would plan on 40nm / day and then if you run into bad weather you can stay in port one day. Personally I would probably go to Newport on day one and get a mooring. Make sure the launch service is running. For day 2 I would get close to the canal, but stay in Buzzards Bay. Then day three would start with the canal transit and then home to Quincy. This assumes the flood tide would start in the morning on day three.
Last August I did a similar trip on reverse when I was coming home from my Portland Maine vacation. After leaving Portland I eventually ended up in Salem. From there I went to Plymouth, then to New Bedford, then Bristol, then Block, then Westbrook. I was on a cruise, not a delivery, so the point was to sail and have fun.
Good luck,
Barry
I don't have many comments except to note that April will be COLD! The water will be very cold and even if it's warm on land it will be COLD on the water.
You have 120nm to travel so 3 40 mile days would do it. I would plan on 40nm / day and then if you run into bad weather you can stay in port one day. Personally I would probably go to Newport on day one and get a mooring. Make sure the launch service is running. For day 2 I would get close to the canal, but stay in Buzzards Bay. Then day three would start with the canal transit and then home to Quincy. This assumes the flood tide would start in the morning on day three.
Last August I did a similar trip on reverse when I was coming home from my Portland Maine vacation. After leaving Portland I eventually ended up in Salem. From there I went to Plymouth, then to New Bedford, then Bristol, then Block, then Westbrook. I was on a cruise, not a delivery, so the point was to sail and have fun.
Good luck,
Barry
Galilee would be a better stop than Newport. Quick in and out at Point Judith with almost no detour. If he can do 40 NM per day he might consider anchoring in the mouth of the Sakonnet River (off Third Beach on the west side, or in Sakonnet Harbor on the East). The latter has a super nice yacht club and he might be able to get a guest mooring or dock space in April. Third Beach is an anchorage with no shore facilities, but he could land a dinghy on the beach if conditions are suitable (not a good anchorage if the wind is E). I've anchored overnight there a few times without going ashore.
Again, Newport adds 30nm round trip (in and out detour) that's 5 hours at 6 knots, or 6 hours at 5 knots.
Again, Newport adds 30nm round trip (in and out detour) that's 5 hours at 6 knots, or 6 hours at 5 knots.
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FWIW, the travel route into/out of Newport is ten miles more than a route into/out of Sakonnet. Having spent a night in Sakonnet, I would very happily travel ten miles to instead stay in Newport. I guess it all depends on what type of travel experience the OP is looking for...
All the suggestions are great. I do like Newport but would certainly try elsewhere. I will not be in a hurry so will think out what places I want to stay at. I might think of staying in Warwick.
@Russell26 if you’re thinking of Warwick that’s an indication that you aren’t seeking a direct route. That opens up other destinations around Narragansett Bay, Block Island, and Cuttyhunk. You should consider Wickford and East Greenwich also. In April it’s going to be cold and you’ll have your pick of spots in uncrowded harbors. You‘ll want to have heat aboard your boat, and a bimini or cockpit enclosure..Have fun planning.
It's still cold up there in June ...
Coming out of Fisher's Island Sound I recommend using the Watch Hill Passage rather one of the other's (Sugar Reef, Lord's Etc.). It is the better marked. Study your chart before hand. If you are going with the tide you won't have time for indecision. There are a lot of buoys around (With 5 passages available) so you have to focus on the one's for the Watch Hill Passage. Be prepared for fog.
I once transited the Watch HillmPassage in dense fog before chart plotters. I had a handheld Garmin GPS II on which I had entered the waypoints for the major buoys of the passage ( R"2" and R"6"). I almost hit one before seeing it. Many years later I think back about that and would not do it again.
Coming out of Fisher's Island Sound I recommend using the Watch Hill Passage rather one of the other's (Sugar Reef, Lord's Etc.). It is the better marked. Study your chart before hand. If you are going with the tide you won't have time for indecision. There are a lot of buoys around (With 5 passages available) so you have to focus on the one's for the Watch Hill Passage. Be prepared for fog.
I once transited the Watch HillmPassage in dense fog before chart plotters. I had a handheld Garmin GPS II on which I had entered the waypoints for the major buoys of the passage ( R"2" and R"6"). I almost hit one before seeing it. Many years later I think back about that and would not do it again.