Hudson, LI Sound, P-Town

[Oswego John]

Hi Mathias,

One more thing I wanted to give you a heads up about.

In the back of my mind, I think that if I remember correctly, the tides of the west end of LI Sound and Hell Gate can be much different than that of Battery Park, the lower tip of Manhattan, and the lower end of the Hudson River. In such a short distance apart, they can be much different because of their sources. LI Sound affects Hell Gate and the upper East River. The Atlantic Ocean affects The Battery and the Hudson River.

If this be so, you will have to include both sets of tides/currents in timing your approach to Hell Gate. In my opinion, the ultimate goal is to pass through Hell Gate at close to dead high tide, when there is little or no current effect and whirlpools.

This area and the Cape Cod Canal will probably be the most critical points to time your journey. When timed right, Hell Gate is a non event, very little to be concerned with , other than normal concerns associated with travel.

Has anyone previously mentioned that you shouldn't sail, but you should motor up and down the East River and passing through Hell Gate each way? There will be other traffic with you as you travel. Tugs and barges don't have the maneuverability that you have. Be alert to other craft overtaking you and passing in the opposite direction. It would be wise to carry a SSB on board

Timing is important. It can be very helpful on your journey. Secure a copy of Eldridge's, or similar, tide and current charts. Let the currents work for you, not against you.

Think spring,

O J

[Neil Gordon]

Timing is important. It can be very helpful on your journey. Secure a copy of Eldridge's, or similar, tide and current charts. Let the currents work for you, not against you.

Timing is important (and fun to plan) for most of the trip. Page 77 of Eldridge is the perenial "Holding a Fair Current between Eastern Long Island and Nantucket." The list of places you want to get to at the right time keeps getting longer.

[Carter Brey]

Ah, all this talk of impending sailing plans sets my imagination afire after a long, dreary winter.

You've gotten great advice here-- no surprise. As Oswego John the Wise said, skip the Harlem River. The bridges are too numerous and too low to bother with. Besides, the view of lower Manhattan from off the Battery is stupendous. Lady Liberty on your starboard and the western world's greatest collection of type A nutcases on your port, yours truly preeminent among them.

He's also right about taking the west channel past Roosevelt Island. In addition, farther north you can thread your way between North and South Brother Islands, where the deep draft tugs dare not tread.

Get yourself a copy of Reed's 2006 Nautical Almanac for the East Coast. Turn to the back and study the graphical representation of tidal currents at New York City on page 1118. Get a feel for how the ebb and flow up and down the Hudson and the East River are related. Then turn to the tidal charts for the Battery earlier in the book, and you can plan your trip so that you can arrive at the Battery on the last of the Hudson River ebb and start your ride up the East River with the flood. It's the world's best free ride.

Make absolutely sure before making this excursion that your engine is in reliable working order and that your VHF is operable on channels 13 and 16. You need that engine for steerageway if you're riding with the current. And you'll need that radio if your engine conks out south of Ward's Island, you start drifting toward Mill Rock, and a DEA barge is heading your way at 15 knots. Wheee!

Bob Owens and I agree that City Island is a great place for a stopover or a permanent home port. It has something for everybody. He moors on the west side of the island, where the upright citizens in boat shoes and Lacoste shirts weathered to just that right shade of discreet pink gather in the mahogany-panelled bars of the white shoe clubs to murmur about the latest upgrades to their Hinckleys, or Buffy's divorce settlement. All about them hang tastefully framed photographic portraits of past Commodores and the sleek J boats that they skippered to victory in the Americas Cup back in the good old days.

Meanwhile, over on my side of the island (the windward side in a Northeaster, naturally), the Department of Corrections ferry toots a warning and churns across the channel with a fresh load of dead folks to be interred by prisoners from Riker's Island who've traded the drudgery of the license plate stamping machine for a day of fresh air, exercise and graveside ceremony. This is the side of the island where all the commercial yards hang their shingles and the New York woking class patois of dem dose youse still survives. Boats have names like Wild Thang and Fuggeddaboudit. On weekend nights the main artery turns into a Latino conga line of headlights and Spanglish replaces English in the seafood joints. Muscle shirts and chest jewelry abound. It's all great. It's the Bronx.

Definitely the Connecticut shore beyond C.I. has the better gunkholing, but don't neglect Manhasset Bay or Hempstead Harbor over on the North Shore, not to mention Warren Kaplan's home port of Oyster Bay. Bring your binoculars and see how the other half lives.

Well, I've taken up too much of your time. But please let us know if you make the trip. I'll fire up the salsa records and put an extra portion of pork and rice on the grill for you. Boat shoes are optional.

CB

[Oswego John]

Hi Carter,

I have to tell you that when I click on a post written by you, I never know what to expect. You have a way with words to go with an unbridled imagination. I'm smiling now at some of the things you come out with. The same goes for "Sunny Annapolis."

Allright, the cat's out of the bag. One of the guest speakers at the CDSOA GLF part... er, meeting blew my cover. He knew me when and spilled the beans where I was raised. Hey, you never know, there might be a sheriff or two still out there with a burning desire to nab my you know what. I can't trust the statute of limitations. But what the hey.

Oyster Bay Harbor, Cold Spring Harbor, Lloyd's Neck, Center Island, Matinecock Point, Prospect Point and Hempstead Harbor was my back yard. I think that I might have alluded to it when I told the story of The Bermuda Clipper taking off daily in my front yard. The terminal was in Manorhaven in Cow Bay (Manhasset Bay)

I have two questions for the people of western LI Sound. The answers will quiet my restless soul. Many the cold winter's night my brothers and I would wake up in the middle of the night to the mournful, but wonderful sound of "The Foghorn". Hot diggity dog, it's snowing, hooray. We were wise enough to know that there was no fog that time of the year.

It was a double tone foghorn. A long ooooooh, and followed by an equally long, low ogggghhh. All night long, ooooooh ogggghhh. To this day, I never did know where that fog horn was located. Stepping Stone Rocks? Maybe Execution Rocks? Where? Anyone remember, anyone know?

Is that foghorn still in operation or did the government replace that glorious old piece of maritime history with a new space age type warning that has prevented the younger generations of ever knowing the wonderful sound of an old time, bellows, air fog horn.

Just floating along in my reverie,

O J

[Warren Kaplan]

Carter, my very dear friend! When the time comes for you to put down your bow, pack away the Renaissance Lumber for the last time and leave the stage at Avery Fisher, do not fret over the remainer of your life sans spotlights. You can trade the spotlight of the concert hall for that of the comedy clubs just slightly further downtown!

Man...when you give a "concert" its always a work of art.

Here it is, 3:30AM, when I should be pissed off because I'm awake and spending these miserable hours at the computer. Instead I had to laugh my brains out quietly to keep from waking Julie and then suffer the "slings and arrows" attendant to my nocturnal rantings....verbally for sure....physically..uh..not beyond the realm of possibility.

OJ...dunno about the foghorn. I haven't really heard it deep within the Oyster Bay complex (OB Harbor, Cold Spring Harbor or West Harbor). I think its a yacht club thing. Every time the horn toots, the white shoe crowd downs another Pimm's Cup!

[Neil Gordon]

Every time the horn toots, the white shoe crowd downs another Pimm's Cup!

Technically, the white shoe crowd "sips" (yet) another Pimm's Cup.

(Checking the color of my boat shoes as I typo.)

[yves feder w1ux]

I hope, Neil, Warren, it's Pim's Cup Number One! (Pim's Cup #2 is SAE 30 and doesn't go down as smoothly as #1)

Carter, you are inspirational, MeBoy! The sounds of the maelstrom sucking in unwary boats loom ever larger and louder, as I read your list of precautions - "Beware, Ye Who Enter Here!" !

As I floated along on your mad epistolary rush to Execution Rocks, I could also hear the frightening sound of that 2,000' waterfall over which we would no doubt plummet should the engine fail - joining all those other foolhardy mariners who dared venture beyond the edge of the Flat Earth!

Should the engine remain steadfast though, to be rewarded by the sights of those white shoes and Buffies at the YC bar would be 'nuff for any of us!

Dese boats heah sure is ok, huh? Hey! I drove through the Bronix unct! Hey hey!

Keep it up, Laddie, yer a ray of sunshine! You've inspired me to climb aboard the S/V today.

[Oswego John]

No, no, no. Youse guys gots no class. When ya slug down da Pimms (I saved money and made my own with Vitalis) ya gotta stick da lil finga straight out. Now dats class.

So what's Pimms #3, torpedo juice? It wasn't too bad when you sweetened it with grapefruit juice.

Talk about the white shoe brigade, the bozos that I sailed with were lucky enough to wear matching socks. No Greek captains hats for them. They usually wore NY Mets baseball caps. On rare occasions they wore them with the visor pointing in the right direction.

That old fog horn was somewhere between New Rochelle and Kings Point. If it was any closer to Oyster Bay, it would have shattered the glass at the Sewanaka Corinthian Y C. and blown the bloomers off the badminton set.

BTW, I've got some interesting stories (yarns?) to tell about that area. Maybe next winter. I've got too much to do in the near future. The robins are back and I've got to get my derriere in gear. At least one tarp comes off this coming week.

Think spring,

O J

[Neil Gordon]

Talk about the white shoe brigade, the bozos that I sailed with were lucky enough to wear matching socks.

Two different color socks are often helpful as an aid to navigation.

By the way, I'm impressed with the overall ability of this board to advise someone on currents running down the Hudson, around the Battery, up the East River, through Hell's Gate, into Long Island Sound, to Buzzard's Bay, through the Cape Cod canal and on to P-town. I'm beginning to think that if you dropped a cork off the Tapanzee Bridge at the right time during the appropriate moon phase, it would find it's way to P-town on its own.

[Steve Laume]

Neil, I think that the cork could indeed travel along towards it's intended destination quite easily if it had enough time to drift and anchored at the appropriate times. Prevailing winds from the SW would have it moving right along. You would need some power of some sort to ferry it over into the right flow and to keep from getting sucked out to sea at a couple of spots. I have had numerous experiences sailing in Block and Fishers Island Sounds beating against a SW wind and the tide where all you ever do is tack back and forth getting nowhere. Great fun but not if you have a destination in mind that is in the wrong direction. Gotta love it when everything is pushing you along in the right direction, Steve.

[yves feder w1ux]

Speaking as one such cork, Steve, I have to agree with you!
And there were times when my cork's engine wasn't up to the task out there, but that's often the way of life among us corks.

[Bob Owens]

Poor Carter! I think he is still in shock from discovering that we don't allow cello music at the two main social events of the year at the Harlem Yacht Club: Jack's Fish Fry, and Country and Western Night. From the elegant upper west side of City Island, where the noise of our old Yanmars is drowned out by the machine-guns at the police firing range on Rodman Neck.
Bob Owens

[Warren Kaplan]

Poor Carter! I think he is still in shock from discovering that we don't allow cello music at the two main social events of the year at the Harlem Yacht Club: Jack's Fish Fry, and Country and Western Night.

Your loss Bob. Carter, when attired in a straw hat, bib overalls, shit kicker boots and sporting a green piece of hay between his teeth, can sure belt out a mean, foot stompin' rendition of Turkey In The Straw from that banned cello. He's also been known to yodel in the key of C sharp minor. The club members will be stunned. Even the waiters will stop serving! You oughta' bring this up with the club board at the next executive meeting!

[Chris Reinke]

Mathias - You have received some very helpful information but I thought I might add a few more little subtle tidbits to make your decision process even more burdensome. I have a CD330 which winters on the Hudson and summers off Cape Cod (what every spoiled brat from Westchester does). I enjoy the same club on the Hudson which Bill Goldsmith mentioned to you earlier. I usually head to Cape Cod in late May / early June so depending on when you’re coming down you may be able to use my slip.

I guess the main question that needs to be asked before setting any schedule is how far you want to sail each day and what sites you want to visit. What would a trip to NYC be without getting mugged or enjoying the smell of urine in a subway mid-July?

When I make the trip I am usually on a tight schedule and I pound out as many miles each day as possible (average 60 miles per day). When my father makes the trip he does not set any expectations of achieving a set distance or reaching a specific port…he just goes when he feels like it and stops when the feeling subsides. The joy of being retired.

After consulting Eldridge it always happens that I need to leave Croton Point (the location of the East Coast Assosciation 4th of July gathering) very early in the morning to make the mid-day slack at the Battery. As so many folks have mentioned, hitting the battery at the right time is imperative to navigating Hell’s Gate. Once we depart Croton Point we usually don’t stop although a few options exist for putting in overnight around NYC. Liberty Landing was mentioned and is a nice place to overnight.

One you reach NYC harbor keep an eye on the various ferries. They travel faster then they appear and don’t really care much about anyone (typical NY drivers). You will need to fire up your engine from NYC harbor until you reach Long Island Sound. You may not need to engage it, but it should be running as wind shift, current action, and the occasional high speed testosterone burdened “Vinnie Bag of Donuts” may require some quick course corrections. Also keep your VHF on and listen for any USCG bulletins about the United Nations. If the UN is in session they often close the Western channel of the East River. This will force you to travel up the Eastern Channel and you will need to contact the bridge attendant to raise the Roosevelt Island Bridge. Be sure to know your overall mast height (including any antennas) from the water as he only opens the bridge as high as you tell him, plus 1 or 2 feet.

Once you pass into Long Island Sound you can make port at City Island which has several nice restaurants and suppliers of grog. If you want to continue your adventure then American Yacht Club in Rye has a nicely protected harbor (calls ahead for a mooring reservation and watch the channel markers – no public anchorage area, and unforgiving rocky shoals on both sides). I usually push along to Stamford, CT which makes the entire trip from Croton Point a 12 to 15 hour day.

As I mentioned before I have made the entire trip from Croton Point to Cape Cod in as little as 2.5 days and my father has made it as long as 10 days. From Stamford the CT shore offers the most options for harbors if you are unsure of weather or crew stamina. If time is not a real issue then stopping in Mystic and visiting the marine museum if fun. Depending on where you spend your first and second night after NYC, the third day is usually a short day sail up to Newport or Point Judith. Another short day sail up to Cuttyhunk is always a fun option. Cuttyhunk has a town mooring field that is often crowded on weekends, but not a problem mid-week. A final day sail up Buzzards bay would put you at Onset. Onset is located at the top of Buzzards Bay and is just prior to entering the manmade canal. If you are going to spend the night prior to making your way up the Cape Cod Canal then you should consider Onset (the location of the first East Coast CD Rendezvous). Onset also happens to be where we are located.

One option you may want to consider depending on crew is an overnight sail up Long Island Sound. LI Sound offers moderate protection from waves and can be beutiful at night…provided your crew and conditions are perfect. Sailing out of the Race into the Atlantic can get rough at night so would not recommend that for your second night.

USCG requires your motor be running while you make your way through the Canal. Your going to want to time your passage to ride the flow otherwise it will be a very, very, very long day. I have sailed from Onset to P’Town via the canal in one day and it was delightful.

Please feel free to give me a call or drop me a note. I would be happy to provide a ride to the store if you need anything if you find yourself in Onset at a time when we are around (cell:914-260-3458)

[Cathy Monaghan]

Hi Mathias,

...I am looking for recommendations on how to deal with Hell Gate, and the Cape Cod canal.

Does anyone have a final marina or anchorage recommendation on the Hudson where I can overnight, before doing the passage into the Sound? Any anchorages for the first night in the Sound?....

I keep my boat in NJ and make the trip into NY Harbor, thru the East River and onto Long Island Sound (all the way to New England -- as far as Maine) a few times every year. If you have any questions, you can just send me an e-mail. Click on the "e-mail" button below.


Thanks,
Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay