Nantucket Sound
Ricky, I have spent two summers now sailing on the Sound every day that I can (in a Catalina 27). It is a great place to sail. It is windy, usually from the southwest, usally 15-20 knots. It is bumpy, with 2-6 foot 'chop' the norm. Waves aren't all that big but they are close together, ergo steep. Compared to my previous sailing in the Chesapeake, at first this felt a little like sailing in the surf . It is shallow, with under four-foot depths reaching close to a mile offshore most places. All harbor channels are dredged. Even at its deepest the Sound does not get to a 100 feet. It has great places to cruise to, including, but not limited to Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, Chatham and Hyannis. Nearby, especially in trailoring terms are Cape Cod Bay and Buzzard's Bay with destinations like Provincetown and the Elizabeth Islands respectively. Within two hours trailoring is Narrraganset Bay and Boston Harbor, both of which are a bit calmer than Nantucket Sound. One caveat. if you are coming for a short visit, the winds could rise to 20+ knots and make sailing a little tricky for days at a time, particularly in a ligher boat like yours. There are pretty good, but pricey transient accomodations, around the Sound, and quite a few good launch ramps. Getting a seasonal mooring or slip, however, requires then forfeiture of your first born. And waiting seven years. Butcome on down! (Or up!) Roger C27 &Mabel #5012 Bass River, West Dennis, MA
