New England and East 2009 Cruise Planning

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New member
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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.
 
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
 
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
 
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.
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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)
 
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
 
Fred, I'm In! Add me to your list. I would love, however, to suggest to you and everyone responding to your post of thinking about heading NORTH instead of the other way. Look at a chart. Over two thousand miles of coast from Plum Island National Part to Lubic, ME. It has been designed by God for gunk-holeing with C-Dorys! Peruse my profile and take a peek at my pics. I have recently retired after teaching for 42 years. I purchased a 22' in Baltimore, trailered it up to my home port of Portsmouth, NH. It now lives at BG's Boat House in Sagamore Creek.

Currently I am involved with a group of a dozen or so caretakers called the Smuttynose Stewards (formally known as the Smuttynose Rangers). We are responsible for the preservation and stewardship of both the island of Smuttynose and Malaga Island (connected with a jetty built ca1770 and mostly destroyed during the Blizzard of 78. It is one of the nine islands that comprise the Isles of Shoals.

David

Bottom line. We could gather in Gosport Harbor, which at times can be crowded in the summer (bad news). But I own a mooring and the island's two owners each own one also. Rafting could accomodate many. Google the Star Island Corporation for info on the Hotel on Star Isalnd for possible lodging and meals. Take a look at the site for the Cornell Marine Lab on Appledore . Get info on Audubons' Duck Island, magor habitat for Harbor seals. Seacoastnh.com is good also
 
Sounds like a great idea. Work on it.

I heard once that a sailer had sailed into Star Island off season only to be met by a caretaker who would not let him land. I hope things have gotten better.

Fred
 
Fred -
Good on ya! Live life each day as though it is your last one - some day it will be. Glad you are responding so well to the wake up call, and that you will be cruising extensively next year and not 'waiting' for the Inn to sell.

We had our wake up also - although physically and mentally active with our extensive boating and walking - the wake-up for us (a stroke) was to get us on a proper diet. The ice-cream is gone (except for fat-free) and so is the red meat. Being a vegetarian is challenging and delicious - been amazed at how much good stuff is out there and what fun it can be to prepare.

We are contemplating next year's cruising, now that we have just completed the past three months living on Halcyon. Your ideas are sure tempting. We circumnavigated Long Island in Halcyon some years ago, before there were many C-Dory owners in the Northeast:

http://www.geocities.com/bill_fiero/longisland.htm

Keep the posts coming and keep up the temptations -- we might get up the energy for another cross-country trailer trip and join you on some of those cruises. We have sure enjoyed your company (and that of the N. England C-Dory owners). Cheers -
 
El and Bill,

Would love to have you back East.

I now go to Heart School three times a week. I lost about 15#. Got about 10 to go. Eating much better. Still have to stay on my toes.

I went off Island last week and attended a wake of a very healthy guy who was still working and playing a lot of golf. He went to bed one night and never woke up. I could not understand what happened until his brother reminded me that he was a smoker. They were talking how lucky he was not to suffer. I was talking about he leaving us to soon.

I am very lucky. I have never smoked, and have had this wakeup call. It has made me a healthier man.

At our age, when we open the door, either it is a wakeup call or a widow maker.

Thank you for caring.

Fred
 
PROGRESS.

I had a talk with some of the people in Hingham. The best time for the meet would be before May 15th. One of the Launch Services will cooperate with us.

As I see it, we could start on Wednesday for some and do the Charles River and/or the Mystic River. The next day we could do the Islands of Boston Harbor. I will get more info for you.

I will try and get a tour of Boston Light. The last time I talked with the Lightkeeper, she didn't want a lot of boats tied up to their pier. The launch person could take us out and back for a small fee. We could anchor a bunch of boats off the Island and use one as a launch like we did at Cuttyhunk Island.

I would love to have a cookout at my house which is a short walk from Hingham Harbor. I think Saturday would be good.

Will let you know about more info as it develops.

Fred
 
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