New England and East 2009 Cruise Planning

ffheap

Hi Folks,

Having a year of USCG Auxiliary Patrolling and a Medical Wakeup Call, I have decided that I will go on cruises in 2009, preferably with other C-Dory boaters, or alone if I must.

Here is my Ideas.

May- Boston Harbor. I have a mooring and contacts in Hingham/Weymouth area. I figure we could run it on a long weekend so everybody could attend. We have loads of Islands and interesting places to dock. We have interesting rivers, mainly the Charles and the Mystic Rivers. I would love to hold a cookout at my home in Hingham one of the nights.

June- Narragansett Bay. Newport, Historical Wickford, Fall River and the USS Massachusetts, Providence, a great walking city with great restaurants (Will not over tip this time.) Again over a long weekend. Again a week for some of us.

July- Your call.

August- Your call.

September- Back to the Erie Canal, maybe some of us could go for two weeks. Again more planning needed. We could cover the Erie Canal from Lockport to Troy, and maybe up to Whitehall on the Champlain Canal.

How about it. Long weekends could be seven+ days for some of us, but weekends setup to serve those that have to get back to work.

Now is the time to plan. Because of my Wakeup Call, I am not going to wait for the Inn to sell to go cruising.

Lets hear from you all.

Fred

mcc272 · Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 12:04 pm Post subject:

Fred, if you start putting a list of people together, put us on it. Still boatless but under contract on a CD-22 with a survey scheduled for this Weds. If the boat passes, I have a good bit of work to do on it over the winter but would expect to be functional by May. You have mentioned a number of great possibilities. It has been years since we were out in the Boston Harbor Islands but they are both beautiful and fascinating. We have cruised Narragansett Bay a number of times and think that it would be a fun destination. Also, eastern Long Island Sound, including Mystic CT, Watch Hill, RI and the area between the forks of Long Island would make for a great 1 week or longer cruise. All in all, there are a ton of great Brat Cruise options in the Northeast.

Jim

ffheap · Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 3:35 pm Post subject:

Jim,

Welcome aboard. I hope the survey works for you.

You are right. One cruise I always wanted to take would to leave Nantucket on the 15th of August, go to Hadleys Harbor, Cuttyhunk, Block Island, and Long Island, cut through to the south coast of Long Island and end up in New York City Labor Day. Then up the Hudson to Erie Canal for September.

There are so many cruises we can do. We just have to think about what is going on in the areas we want to cruise. For instance, Narragansett Bay in July and August would be hell. Come September, or June would be good and we could get cooperation with the docking areas. During the summer, they would not want to see us.

We have the advantage of when we end the Cruise, we can tow our boats home.

Fred

mcc272 · Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 5:32 pm Post subject:

The cruise I really want to do it to circumnavigagte Long Island starting in LI Sound, running west and through NY Harbor and past the Statue of Liberty, out underneath the Verrazano Bridge and turning east. Then, I would come in one of the inlets, likely Fire Island Inlet and criss cross Great South Bay staying at Fire Island National Seashore (Sailors Haven and the other Watch Hill) before proceeding east through the LI Intracoastal Waterway. This has shoaled substantially but I have looked at the latest Corp of Engineers surveys and we can easily get through with a C-Dory. That gets us to Shinnecock Inlet. At that point, we can cross into the area between the Forks of LI (the Peconic Bays and Gardeners Bay) through the Shinnecock Canal or exit Shinnecock Inlet and run east 33nm to Montauk Point before heading west again, ultimately crossing through Plum Gut past Orient Point and closing the circumnavigation in LI Sound. In all, the trip is about 375nm through varied conditions. I grew up boating on Great South Bay and worked as a US Park Ranger (boat patrol) at Fire Island National Seashore. I have been through NY Harbor many times and spend a lot of time on LI Sound and between the Forks of LI. This entire route is easily done in a C-Dory and the shallow draft really makes the trip doable as Great South Bay and the LI Intracoastal do not have a lot of water. The cruise would be a mix of days with some miles and other days loafing along. There are plenty of places to stop and see. It is magical running down the East River through New York City as you get to a point where you turn to starboard and there, 3.5nm ahead of you and perfectly framed by the towers and decks of both the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge you see, for the first time, the Statue of Liberty. At Sailors Haven, there is a very old holly forest protected from development by the Seashore. Also, since you have a decision to make once you reach Shinnecock Inlet, if the weather is bad, you cross through to the bays rather than rounding Montauk Point. All in all, this will be a very interesting cruise that we plan to do next year or the year after.

Fred -- The other thing is that the cruise that you are contemplating could easily be matched with the one I want to do. People could launch at the big Connecticut ramp in Old Saybrook and meet you at Block Island. Then run my route along the south shore backwards and enter NY Harbor from sea. Those that had the time could continue up the Hudson with you or head up the East River and out LI Sound and back to Old Saybrook, sampling the Sound on the way.

Jim

ccflyer · Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 8:26 pm Post subject:

Fred -
Add me to the list. I'll have to upgrade my trailer - currently good for short distances at low speeds. Unless I buy or start another business, I've now got the time to see some sights and have some fun on the Retriever. I'll be cruising with the two retrievers so I'd be looking for pet friendly spots to overnight.

matt_unique · Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 9:41 pm Post subject: Count me in

Count me in for Boston Harbor in May. It would be great to see some other C-Dory owners!

ffheap · Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 3:14 pm Post subject:

Hi Folks,

As soon as I get back to Hingham in October, I will get starting on the Boston Harbor Cruise Planning, where we can go, dock etc. I have heard that the "RANGERS" on the Islands might be a problem if we don't give them a heads up. Might have to call on the government reps.

Fred

CTYankee · Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 12:08 am Post subject:

Hey Fred,

I hope you are all right, old friend, and your "wakeup call" was not too serious. We would love to join you for some of your cruises next year. Boston, Naragansett and a round LI cruise would be great. I did the circumnavigation years ago in a 30' sailboat, and it was amazing. We didn't go inside the barrier islands because of draft, but I'm sure it's doable in a C-Dory. Spring and Fall are best times for us.

Jim, congrats on your new boat (hopefully). Let me know if you have more questions.

Dun

tsargent · Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 2:48 am Post subject:

We'd be interested in a cruise up to Champlain... our old stomping grounds into the Green Mountains. I suspect we could find a way to make it seven plus days.

Or could trailer further north and spend more time on Champlain.

Jim and Anne · Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 7:32 pm Post subject:

Hi Fred and All,
Count Anne and I in on at least one of the New England cruising adventures. Boston Harbor in May sounds wonderful.
You might consider Nantucket Sound as a destination for your planning. Falmouth, Waquoit, Cotuit/Osterville, Hyannis, Bass River, as well as the Islands offer cruising opportunities and quiet places to throw out the hook in relatively protected waters.
Jim and Anne

ffheap · Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 11:57 am Post subject:

Jim and Ann.

I always wanted to have a cruise to Nantucket. The problem is they all stick their hand out. I will see if it can be done at a reasonable cost.

One thing in our favor. You can hang on a hook out at anchor if your boat is less than 30 feet long.

Dun, Wakeup call was the Right Heart Artery was 95% blocked. We caught it before it became a serious problem. Put in a stent and I am attending HEART SCHOOL (Heart rehab). Lost 15#. Best thing that has happen to me. With those idiots in Washington screwing up the economy, this sailor is going sailing. Sheila will hold down the fort. The Auxiliary will have to do without me on a regular basis. It will give them motivation to become Coxswains.

Thanks for caring.

Fred

Wayne McCown · Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 5:25 pm Post subject:

Fred: I'm glad to hear you are OK. I'm interested: keep me posted. Thanks, Wayne

mcc272 · Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 11:09 pm Post subject:

Fred --

Take it from one who has been there and done that (80% blockage LAD, 1 stent) caught in time and who graduated several years ago from Cardiac Rehab, it gets better day by day and week by week. Keep up the good work and don't ever forget that some of us are lucky enough to get the wake up call rather than the widow maker. We just need to keep that in mind for proper motivation!

For the rest of you, learn from the experience of Fred, myself and the others that you know and make the appropriate life style changes before you come to two unmarked doors in your life where Cardiac Rehab is behind one and a widow maker is behind the other.

Jim

teflonmom · Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 12:42 pm Post subject: New England and East

Hi Fred,

Glad you woke up in time! Congrats on the lost weight, keep up the good work.getting fit can make you act years younger. Just don't try two 18 year olds-even a 36 year old would be bad if your wife catches you.

Pat and I are boatless, but doing OK. Good report on her kidney problems, the deterioration is not as fast as the doctors expected. Prayer works.

Fred, Pat, and Mr. Grey(the cat)

ffheap · Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 10:16 am Post subject:

Thank you for caring.

Pat, I will keep the prayers coming. Are you in for a transplant. If so, I have a great story for you.

Fred