Barrington to Marion

[casampson]

Looking to save some money and sail my newly acquired CD 25 from Barrington to Marion. One experienced sailor has recommended sailing to Newport the first day, and then shooting for Marion on day two. This sounds like good advice to me, but I'd welcome more input.

Another concern I have is how far (or how long) I can travel on three gallons of gas, running a 6 hp Tohatsu at moderate speed. Any information on this would be appreciated.

Finally, should I buy charts or a hand-held GPS? If a GPS is recommended, which model?

Thanks!

Chris

[Steve Laume]

Congratulations on your new boat.

Definitely buy the charts. You are only going to need Narragansett and Buzzards bay. These will likely be your future cruising areas anyway. The other aid I would highly recommend is a current copy of the Eldridge Guide. You are going to want to work with the tides on this trip or it could take much longer than you expect. Definitely bring and extra gas can. Since this is a delivery, you are going to want to be able to make some progress, even if there is little wind.

Another alt to going down the bay to Newport would be to jog into the Sakonnet river. You would have to open the draw bridge but there is nice anchoring in there and it would cut off some distance as well as the need to go out around Brenton Reef. If the need arose or you wanted to make a shorter day, then shooting over to Cuttyhunk would make a nice diversion. It might also be prudent to deal with the tides. It would be even more finical if you stayed in the Newport area as you would have to time your tides very carefully to get an outgoing flow from the bay to an incoming tide up Buzzards and that would be along day anyway. From Cuttyhunk a SW wind and fair current would make a nice ride to Marion.

The trip home from the purchase port can be really fun, Steve.

[Nebe]

There is no drawbridge on the sakonett river, but the tides that roar through the tiverton basin are very strong. I would do newport for the first stop, then marion. better yet, Id go to cuttyhunk for a night, then go across the bay to marion. Cuttyhunk this time of year is so beautiful and so quiet.

If you have an iPad with cell service or a smartphone, I would download navionics and use it in conjunction with paper charts. Cant help you on fuel consumption... sorry.

[Chrisa006]

I run my Mercury 6hp close to 5hrs. before refilling my 3 gal. tank. I got a small 1 gal. fuel container I put on one side of the lazerette as backup but have never needed it.

Have both charts and a GPS. we bought this one when we got our CD25 and it works well though you can load the Navionics app. on your phone or GPS enabled tablet.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/garmin-- ... ecordNum=1

[Steve Laume]

I am very sorry about the bad information on the Sakonnet. I knew there was narrows and grabbed a really old chart that still showed a draw bridge. I have gone into the river from the outside and it proved to be a good stop over. I wasn't familiar with the narrows and the currents you might encounter there so I probably should not have suggested it. Thanks for the corrections on this.

Cuttyhunk and the recommendations for paying attention to the tides are still good advise. No matter how much fuel you expect to consume it is still a comfort to have a reserve on hand, Steve.

[casampson]

Excellent advice all around. I love the idea of going from Barrington to Newport on day one, Newport to Cuttyhunk day two, and Cuttyhunk to Marion day three. I just need to find an experienced sailor to join me for three days instead of two.

Would another option be to go from Barrington to Cuttyhunk on the first day? I know it's about a three-hour sail from Barrington to Newport. How much longer would it take to get to Cuttyhunk?

As for fuel consumption, I read online somewhere that the Tohatsu 6 hp Sail Pro uses about .5 gallons per hour at full throttle, and considerably less at lower rpm. I figure if I carry an extra tank I'll have plenty to get to Marion if the wind isn't in my favor.


Thanks.

Chris

[Steve Laume]

If you get the typical SW winds in Buzzards Bay and plan for an incoming tide, you should have a nice run. It's when you are trying to get out of there with the tide against the wind that makes Buzzards Bay notorious for steep choppy waves, Steve.

[Northstar1014]

My feeling is that GPS is a must for this, in addition to charts, a good radio (preferably both handheld and fixed), and all your safety equipment, including a harness. I have the Garmin handheld 78SC (actually on sale right now West Marine), which is decent. There are also some good iphone apps such as Navionics and INavX. Full foul weather gear is a must.

Consider a Boat US membership in case you need an emergency tow -- Its cheap, and if you need it, it pays for itself many times over. It also provides great peace of mind.

Having done a delivery in bad weather, I can assure you that waiting for the right weather window is prudent or you will be miserable.

Marion is a fantastic place and you will have great cruising opportunities in Buzzards Bay - where will you be keeping the boat?

[Nebe]

i would account for more than 3 hours to go from Barrington to Newport. You would be leaving early in the morning and the chances for good winds are dicey. You would also be running the risk of entering Cuttyhunk after dark which would not be a good idea if you have never been there before.

[casampson]

The sailing buddy that will probably be going with me suggested we make Sakkonet Point our first stop rather than Cuttyhunk.

As for Marion, I have a mooring that is right off the Tabor Academy dining hall. It is shallow there, so I am trying to move to a little deeper location in the harbor. It could take a few years, though.

[Jim Walsh]

The sailing buddy that will probably be going with me suggested we make Sakkonet Point our first stop .

The anchorage at 3rd Beach is decent with good holding ground. Easy in and easy out too.

[Nebe]

Just a suggestion but if you stop in Newport, you can use old port launch to go into town and grab dinner and breakfast.

[Frenchy]

Another thought- If you leave Barrington early (say 5am) and get to open waters past Newport by 9 or 10, you
could make it to Marion by 8pm with a fair wind and tide. I sailed a Cal 27 from Block Island to New Bedford harbor
in 10 hours (with a kaput engine). So I think you could make it if inclined. A sailing partner will help spell the
long hours at the helm and a charting gps will aid harbor navigation in dim light. Just a thought. - Jean

[steve poulin]

I self-delivered my newly acquired CD 27 from Branford CT to East Greenwich RI last week, beginning the trip on Tuesday morning in pea soup fog (I anchored for a few hours to let it lift) and ending the day racing for the cover of Niantic Bay as that incredibly nasty front that tore across southern Connecticut nearly blew me out of the water (you know the one where the barometric change was so severe it prompted a tsunami warning for Block Island?)

Quite the shake-down cruise. Here’s what I learned:

First: Both charts and a GPS (a Standard Chartplotter in my case) were invaluable, especially when looking for a place to bail when the severity of the approaching storm became apparent. I bought the Eldridge Tide book but honestly found it cumbersome and not very helpful, and was able to get all the information it contained much more quickly and easily from either the chartplotter or my phone.

Second: Having a second set of hands on board was absolutely essential, allowing me to familiarize myself with the workings of the rest of the boat during periods of calm, and especially helpful when pulling the new-to-me boat up to moorings and docks.

Third: Give yourself a day or even two flexibility on either end of your trip. I was pushing for a two day delivery and trying to make up for those lost foggy hours and that left me dangerously exposed too close for comfort to that storm. I had considered pulling into Clinton as the sky took shape and should have, but pushed instead towards Noank, until Mother Nature and Zeus and Poseidon and Neptune all intervened at once.

Finally: Know as much about that boat and engine as possible before leaving the dock. The previous owner’s loving care of Fair Winds 13 HP Yanmar and his in-person tutorial saved my bacon, and when the wind died coming through the Watch Hill passage that reliable power-plant was up to each and every choppy sloppy wave it encountered.

The CD27 lives up to its billing. Enjoy your 25.

Steve

[Chrisa006]

I self-delivered my newly acquired CD 27 from Branford CT to East Greenwich RI last week, beginning the trip on Tuesday morning in pea soup fog (I anchored for a few hours to let it lift) and ending the day racing for the cover of Niantic Bay as that incredibly nasty front that tore across southern Connecticut nearly blew me out of the water (you know the one where the barometric change was so severe it prompted a tsunami warning for Block Island?)

Quite the shake-down cruise. Here’s what I learned:

First: Both charts and a GPS (a Standard Chartplotter in my case) were invaluable, especially when looking for a place to bail when the severity of the approaching storm became apparent. I bought the Eldridge Tide book but honestly found it cumbersome and not very helpful, and was able to get all the information it contained much more quickly and easily from either the chartplotter or my phone.

Second: Having a second set of hands on board was absolutely essential, allowing me to familiarize myself with the workings of the rest of the boat during periods of calm, and especially helpful when pulling the new-to-me boat up to moorings and docks.

Third: Give yourself a day or even two flexibility on either end of your trip. I was pushing for a two day delivery and trying to make up for those lost foggy hours and that left me dangerously exposed too close for comfort to that storm. I had considered pulling into Clinton as the sky took shape and should have, but pushed instead towards Noank, until Mother Nature and Zeus and Poseidon and Neptune all intervened at once.

Finally: Know as much about that boat and engine as possible before leaving the dock. The previous owner’s loving care of Fair Winds 13 HP Yanmar and his in-person tutorial saved my bacon, and when the wind died coming through the Watch Hill passage that reliable power-plant was up to each and every choppy sloppy wave it encountered.

The CD27 lives up to its billing. Enjoy your 25.

Steve

Now that is a shake down cruise!! Glad everything went well!!
I was at home in Guilford thrilled not to be on the Sound during that storm.