City Island, NY information

[Helbent]

We are in Long Island Sound and will be heading to City Island early next week. I was wondering if folks could answer a couple questions about the island.

First, the guidebooks make it seem like it will be difficult to find anchoring room with all the moorings, though ActiveCaptain indicates there is space just outside the fields on the east and west sides of the island. Are we going to have difficulty fitting in?

Second, are there public dinghy docks and/or beaches that we can bring our dinghy ashore? We would appreciate any specific advice, especially for the more southern anchorage on the east side, which seems to have the best protection.

Any other advice from people in the know would be appreciated. Thanks, as always, for your help.

[marlinmike]

I have been City Island to eat at a restaurant, which has its own unique style, not sure I would make a stop there personally, I’d be more inclined to stay some where, anywhere on the North Shore of Long Island. I have heard eating at the Yacht Club is good as well.

[Helbent]

City Island is perfectly positioned as a jumping off point for the East River, and it has a tremendous amount of significance in the history of sailing, so we are making it a stop. Moreover, it sure seems to beat Manhasset or Little Neck Bay.

[marlinmike]

Not sure how you can say "it sure seems to beat Manhasset or Little Neck Bay." when you never been there, Manhasset and Little Neck are both just as close for east river passage, but hey you'll see for yourself right!

[Hudson Force]

I'm following the comments here because this is on my frequent cruising route. I've often used the free town moorings at Port Washington on Manhasset Bay and I've enjoyed the convenient grocery with the new launch sevice and dinghy dock as well as the laundry and restaurants. There has always been plenty of anchoring space further south in Manhasset Bay. My perception has been that City Island is more difficult to find space and access, but I have not stopped there. 'looking forward to some comments from cruisers with experience to compare both locations.

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by Helbent

We are in Long Island Sound and will be heading to City Island early next week. I was wondering if folks could answer a couple questions about the island.

First, the guidebooks make it seem like it will be difficult to find anchoring room with all the moorings, though ActiveCaptain indicates there is space just outside the fields on the east and west sides of the island. Are we going to have difficulty fitting in?

Second, are there public dinghy docks and/or beaches that we can bring our dinghy ashore? We would appreciate any specific advice, especially for the more southern anchorage on the east side, which seems to have the best protection.

Any other advice from people in the know would be appreciated. Thanks, as always, for your help.

I have not anchored around City Island but, I expect you'll be able to find a spot with Active Captain as your guide. I have rented a mooring at Barons Marine on the east side of the island and can recommend them. They had a launch service and dingy dock and was a good location to explore the island from and visit the marine museum. Grocery store was within easy walking distance for some provisions as well as restaurants. I recall much of the shoreline was protective stone rip rap or private residences not great for a dingy landing. I found it an interesting stop for a day or two. The marine museum is only open on weekends but, they may open it up for you if you give them a call.

THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: DESTINATION: CITY ISLAND PART ONE
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: DESTINATION: CITY ISLAND NAUTICAL MUSEUM

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

I'm following the comments here because this is on my frequent cruising route. I've often used the free town moorings at Port Washington on Manhasset Bay and I've enjoyed the convenient grocery with the new launch sevice and dinghy dock as well as the laundry and restaurants. There has always been plenty of anchoring space further south in Manhasset Bay. My perception has been that City Island is more difficult to find space and access, but I have not stopped there. 'looking forward to some comments from cruisers with experience to compare both locations.

I like them both. But, I think City Island had a little more nautical charm. Port Washington is a good stop to reprovision with the waterfront supermarket. Port Washington also had a nice waterfront history walk but, I was last there a few days before Hurricane Sandy hit and don't know how much of it remains.

[mrohr]

I have anchored without incident between CI and Hart Is ,just outside the moorings,also in flats below the Throgs neck bridge(either side).

[Helbent]

I will be sure to post an update on the City Island situation. We should be there on Thursday or Friday this week (things happened, as they do, to slow us down).

[Delancey]

+1 for renting a mooring from Barron's Boatyard. Nice Folks.

[emlesnick]

I'm a member of the Morris Yacht club on CI. You could pick up a transient ball there or anchor just past the mooring field.

[hugosalt]

City island certainly is significant re sailing history, unfortunately
not a lot remains of those glory days. Hopefully museum
will be open for your visit. Do call ahead, thinking chance they might open on request.
Point in no uncertain terms...City Island is far more exposed in
weather than Manhasset Bay...by all means enjoy City Is.
but if weather forecast overnight take 45 minutes to an hour
and anchor or p.u. a free yellow mooring in Manhasset Bay.
In benign/lite conditions City Island is no problem.
We moor at Steppingstone marina directly south across sound
from City Is. and about a mile west of Manhasset Bay.

[Helbent]

Thanks for all the tips, folks.

We ended up having a nice stay on City Island before dropping down the East River two Sundays ago. We anchored on the west side of the island in the middle of the mooring field off Stuyvesant YC. We did not quite plan to anchor exactly there, it was just that there was a huge hole in the moorings southeast of WR6. With winds from the north, tidal current flowing in and out, and a decent amount of wake, it was quite rolly, though it did prepare us for life at the 79th Street Boat Basin!

We tried to go ashore with the dinghy at the end of a couple streets, as we had read here on CF that many, if not all, were open to the public. However, the streets we tried all had locked gates and/or private beach signs. We did hear later from a sailor on the island that he believed the locked gates were illegal, but that the city did nothing about it. A bartender also told us that she knew of a few street ends that were still open to the public. So, I would not give up hope of finding one. Had we had a working outboard and not been rowing, we probably would have looked around further. Ultimately, though, we rowed up to the Stuyvesant YC docks. The people there were all friendly and told us - though there was some confusion about who could give the approval - that we could leave the dinghy there while we explored the town.

The City Island Nautical Museum is open 1-5 on Saturdays and Sundays and by appointment, though we did not have to go the appointment route. We enjoyed walking the streets and discovering all the traces of this place's rich maritime tradition along with seeing the continuing recreational and commercial importance of the water to the community. The couple massive seafood restaurants at the south end of the island are also something to see (and probably to eat at, but we just grabbed some chowder and pizza and brought it into a bar farther up the island).

I would highly recommend a stop at City Island if you have not been there before. However, I might skip it the stop if we come through there again because of the rolly anchorage and difficulty getting ashore. Good luck and enjoy to all who venture there.

[hugosalt]

Southeast of WR6 ...how far SE of WR6 ? there is a wreck about 100 ft SE
of that buoy that comes close to surface...sure it is on chart...actually buoy
is a wreck buoy. Thinking that is why you had all that room to yourself.

[Helbent]

We were more like several hundred yards south. I can read a chart most of the time.