Freeport, Maine to Providence,RI

[sailorboy1]

look at the charts and see where your 40 miles/day take you

[accomplice]

It depends on whether you're aiming to make it an enjoyable cruise, or a rather grueling delivery run. If an enjoyable cruise, I would suggest planning at least 7-10 days. If you just want to get it over with, and don't mind motoring to weather around the clock, you can do it in two long days plus a short day.

If you just want to deliver the boat, I would suggest that when you get up to the Freeport the first day, you take a short sail down to Jewell Island, drop anchor and spend the night. If the weather is favorable, leave at first light. Make a straight run for the Cape Cod Canal. You'll reach it approximately 24 hours later. Adjust your speed midway through such that you hit the canal exactly at peak favorable current -- that way if you mis-time it you'll still have the current with you. You'll spend the morning of the third day headed down Buzzards Bay. You have a choice to make then. If you're tired and need rest, as I expect you might, stop in Cutty Hunk and finish the journey the next day. If you feel good and want to keep going, take a right turn and cross Rhode Island sound, take another right past Aquidneck Island -- if all goes well it'll still be light out. It will be late in the evening that third day you'll make it up to Providence. I predict you'll sleep well that night.

If you can spare the time, though, I'd suggest a very different plan. I'd plan for 20-30 miles a day. If the weather is good and the winds are calm or favorable, go farther. If it's nasty out, stay on the boat with a good book or spend the day ashore in a pub. You'll be sailing across some fine cruising grounds. You might as well enjoy them. In the coming years you'll probably be bringing the boat back up to Casco Bay. Why not look at it as a bonus that you get to start there? If you can spare more than 7-10 days, spend some of it exploring Casco Bay. Even if you can't, stop at some nice places along the way -- maybe Biddeford or Perkins Cove, Portsmouth/Kittery or Isle of Shoals, Rockport, Salem/Marblehead, Scituate or Provincetown, etc.

[CarlF]

First rule - pick your weather. Going East is a wonderful downwind slide. I usually do an overnight from the Canal to Penobscot Bay. But as others have said, going against the prevailing winds is much slower and no fun if you try to push .

The trip from Portland to Cape Ann can seem endless beating into a 20 knot SW wind. If there's no sign of a northerly in the next few days, look for a typical calm morning and leave at dawn (5AM) to motor most of the way before the SW sea breeze get's up. With luck, you'll have a wonderful two hours sailing rather than a 14 hour wet slog.

There are a hundred different enjoyable ways to do this trip. Everyone has their favorite. I know you just asked for problems areas but this is my favorite itinerary and I never get tired of it:

- Day in Portland area. If next day's weather looks good enough to go, anchor at Richmond Island in the afternoon (cuts an hour+ off the next day)

- Day 2 - Leave at 5AM for Gloucester (60NM) If weather is bad go through Annisquam river (check tide and your draft first). Read about drawbridge (not hard just be ready). Rent mooring in Gloucester.

- Day 3 - Stay in Gloucester unless the crew feels like another long day. Good restaurants in town. Try Duckworths Bistrot. Very cheap fuel available at Rose's fuel barge although you'll feel silly buying 20 gallons if the fishing boat behind you wants 2000. But they are nice about it.

- Day 4 - Another early start - Either Plymouth or the Canal (50NM). It takes over an hour to wind your way in (and another hour out) of Plymouth Harbor so I prefer to just go for the canal. Stay at Sandwich Marina just inside the canal entrance. Have fried clams (with bellies) at Seafood Sam's. Watch huge ships in the canal gliding by all night.

- Day 5 - (optional - depends on Canal current) Short day (15nm) to Red Brook harbor. Take dinghy into Bassetts island for picnic. Drink too many mud slides at Kingman's marina while watching the sun set spectacularly over your boat.

- Day 6 - Cuttyhunk (only 20NM from Red Brook but surprisingly long if the tide and wind is against you). Be careful of very dangerous lone rock off Scraggy Neck ("Old Sigh") at N2 on direct route from Red Brook down the bay. Have oysters from the Cuttyhunk raw bar boat. Wander around. Buy just caught fish at the dock to grill with your oysters.

- Day7 - Newport

[Opie91]

Originally Posted by CarlF

The trip from Portland to Cape Ann can seem endless beating into a 20 knot SW wind. If there's no sign of a northerly in the next few days, look for a typical calm morning and leave at dawn (5AM) to motor most of the way before the SW sea breeze get's up. With luck, you'll have a wonderful two hours sailing rather than a 14 hour wet slog.

This is very sound advice.

[fisherman.ben]

if I were to take that cruise, I would go through the canal, its not that bad if you have the tide on your side, (just make sure you call the bridge before you get to it, it can get a bit hairy if you have to turn against the tide) and when you get out, the s.w wind will be on your side too. I would also bring a tuna rod, they should be showing up soon, and who knows, you might get something worth the time it takes to land. I see that your going to prov, I hope its not fox point, all the horror stories I have seen/heard that place is a total mess. if you don't have a slip/mooring yet, theres a few on craigslist in e.greenwich, Bristol/warren (I rented a mooring from bob the mooring man a few years ago as a transit for my family, my dad used it for a week, my brother used it for a couple, my cousins used it for a few days, and random friends used it when they wanted, he had no problems with the different size boats,35-48ft so I would recommend him) if you haven't sailed under the bridges, make sure you have boat speed, the wind shifts really strong when you go under, and the current does some odd things. and don't cut the cans, you draw enough to find rocks. but other than that, take a week, make a few stops (I would recommend the vineyard and Jamestown as 2, (or if you want the "fun" of Newport, don't forget the mastercard)

[tartansail]

Originally Posted by Liunatic

Thanks for all info, Great reading. We will probably motor to maintain at least 5kts trying to run 40 miles/day. I haven't looked at charts yet but I'm thinking its about 120 miles which equates to 3-days? Am I in the ballpark or am I missing something? Motoring due to time constraints!

Thanks
Richard

Hi Richard,
Given your time constraints, you are probably right to want to hire a captain. A tight schedule is one of the more dangerous aspects of your trip. You will want someone who is comfortable with radar and can ensure safety in fog and other adverse conditions if you can't wait them out. Be aware that you're at high risk to hit fog in the Gulf of Maine in June. There is a lower risk in Cape Cod Bay, but it's pretty common in Buzzard's Bay and Rhode Island Sound at that time of year. If you don't have radar, plan to add a couple of days of slack in your schedule. I've done this trip without radar and won't do it that way again.

The trip is doable in three long days, but you're better off planning for four. Two days to get through the Canal and another day to Providence with a buffer for bad weather and/or broken equipment. Leave early in the morning to pick up any favorable land breeze and make tracks before the afternoon winds kick up in your face. In June, you should have adequate light by 4AM. The s'westerly will usually fill in by about 2PM so you'll have 8-10 hours before you're beating into it.

Look at P'town, Gloucester or Scituate for your first night. The tide in the CCC will determine what time you need to get to Sandwich and how close you need to be on the morning of day 2. If you can get through the Canal on the AM of day 2, you should be able to get to Cuttyhunk which sets you up well to get to the mouth of Narragansett Bay on Day 3 before the wind comes up. That will give you a nice run home to finish your trip. If Cuttyhunk seems too far, Padanaram is a good stop on the west side of the Bay.

I would not recommend the Annisquam Canal unless you have a captain who has done it many times. Limited maneuvering room, lots of boats and a drawbridge are all pucker-worthy. I also don't like Plymouth if I'm trying to make tracks. It's an hour to get in and an hour to get out. Worth it if you're taking your time, but not if you're in a hurry.

[marlinmike]

Not sure about this advice below, hardly difficult and a draw bridge is a draw bridge, yikes lets throw the panic flag with anything marginally difficult!
"I would not recommend the Annisquam Canal unless you have a captain who has done it many times. Limited maneuvering room, lots of boats and a drawbridge are all pucker-worthy. I also don't like Plymouth if I'm trying to make tracks. It's an hour to get in and an hour to get out. Worth it if you're taking your time, but not if you're in a hurry. "

[Safari38LH]

Lots of good advice here. We have done the trip at the end of extensive cruising every year for the past seven years. Starting from Richmond Island or Bidderford at 0400 is a good call arriving at Gloucester or Marblehead late afternoon. Next morning leave depending on CCC tides. We usually do leave very early morning and arrive Marion late afternoon. Easy shot with many options from there.

[jtsailjt]

Marblehead or Gloucester would be nice places to visit but if you want a shorter first day from Freeport, Isles of Shoals are another option. Anchor there and if the tide at the canal allows, you can make it from Isles of Shoals through the canal in one day. Even if it's after dark when the tide/current is best, the canal is well marked and even pretty well lit so no pressure to get there before dark.

[Chenega]

Lots of great info - take advantage of enjoying the trip... Hop down the coast as you never know when you'll be able to return.